Tumgik
#bright blue is his jacket and his boots are yellow
influencerpippin · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
23 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
11 notes · View notes
ransomtime · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media
On one hand, I really dislike these MtG crossovers Oh the other hand this is a really cool design.
20 notes · View notes
hyuburt · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I think Fantasy High would look good animated in the total drama style since they’re both chalk full of chaotic sweaty teenage energy. Here are the bad kids on their first day of school
[ID: Two images of the same lineup of characters, with the top one being the colored version and the lower one being the line art. They depict the six main characters from D20′s Fantasy High from tallest to smallest; Gorgug, Fabian, Kristen, Adaine, Fig, and Riz. They are all drawn and colored mostly in line with canon, with some slight variations to accommodate the total drama style. Gorgug’s eyes were stylized into two white dots with slight bags underneath, and he is standing upright with his hands nervously brought up to his chest with a slightly timid expression on his face. His hoodie is a slightly de-saturated purple with grey sweatpants and purple sneakers. He has dark green skin and black wavy hair that falls above one eye. His wobbly, down-turned mouth has a tusk poking out of the higher side (he normally has two, it’s just the way his expression was drawn made it so only one was visible.) His face shape and nose are rounded to give him a softer appearance and there are two little lines indicating the beginning of teenage stubble on his chin. Next to him on the right is Fabian, who stands with his arms crossed and his head turned haughtily to the right, a smug expression on his face. He is wearing his red owlbear jacket with white sleeves, greyish brown loose workout pants, a black undershirt, and red sneakers. He has brown skin and swept back white hair that is shaved on the sides. His nose slopes downwards and he has two eyelashes under both eyes to denote that he is a fancy, pretty boy. He is drawn with a strong, square jawline and a build that is both muscular yet nimble.To his right is Kristen who has a stocky, more rounded build and is wearing a rainbow tie dye shirt with a simplified corn logo in the center, denim shorts, green flip flops, and a rainbow bracelet. She has curly orange hair that curls around her round face, light tan skin with freckles, bushy orange eyebrows, an upturned nose, and dark green eyes that are upturned in a smile. To her right is Adaine, who is slouched slightly with her arms crossed and an unhappy expression on her face as she looks off to the ground. She is wearing blue circular glasses over her round blue eyes, her blue two-piece hudol uniform, knee-high grey socks, and black mary jane shoes. She has light brown skin and short, straight blonde hair swept back from the front of her face in a widow’s peak. She has a small, pointy nose and a circular face with a small pointy chin. Above her is a version of her face without her glasses. To her right is Fig, who is standing proudly with one hand on her hip and the other in a finger gun. She has light reddish skin and brown hair in a braid that has a bright purple streak in her bands and at the end of her braid like it was dipped in paint. She has a long, pointy face and a slightly hooked nose. Her eyes are a dark pomegranate color and slightly upturned. She is wearing purple lipstick, a short leather jacket with a cropped grey shirt underneath it that has a picture of a horned skull on it, a black choker, fingerless gloves on both hands, a plaid skirt and belt with black leggings underneath, dark brown boots, and a single fishnet coming up to her calf on her right leg. To her right is Riz, who is holding a magnifying glass up to his face with one eye squinted to see through it and his other hand on his hip. A single fang peeks through the corner of his small smile. He has a green tail that swishes in front of him. He is wearing his signature brown cap and two piece suit with mauve pants, vest, and tie. His skin is light green with freckles under his eyes, his eyes are light greenish-yellow with slits for pupils, and his hair is dark green and swept back under his cap. Above him is a version of his head without his cap, showing that his hair is swept back from the front and curls away from his face, giving him a windswept appearance.]
3K notes · View notes
beansprean · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
More bikie au nonsense ❤️
Jim was raised by a pit stop nun to be gods greatest mechanic and avenge the street racing crash that killed their family. Stede keeps track of everyone’s birthdays on a bike sticker. The secret library in his engine has somehow not caught on fire.
Image description under cut!
[ID: Drawing dump of an our flag means death modern bikie au.
1. Ed, with full beard and loose hair in a spiked biker jacket with a kraken patch on the shoulder, crouches next to Stede’s motorcycle, staring with fascination into a secret compartment he just opened. His nails are painted black. Stede, wearing a simple blue button down and gray trousers, is standing behind him with a smile and leaning over to speak. He says, “I had to downsize the engine to make room, but I think it was the right move.” Dazzled by his brilliance, Ed responds, “fucking mental…” Stede’s bike has the shape of a Harley but is clearly custom and painted bright teal. The metal nameplate on the fuel tank dubs it “The Revenge” and the rest is covered in various stickers including one of Mary’s lighthouse, a peace sign, a list of the crew’s birthdays, a smiley face, a pink one that says “I brake 4 birds” and a green one that says “excuse my kiwi attitude.” There is also a pride sticker and a small mountain sticker on the steering fork and a kiwi (the bird) sticker on the right handlebar. Mounted on the headlight is a small wooden unicorn. We can see some stickers on the other side from where Ed has lifted the secret compartment, including a pink heart and a large sticker of a stack of books with a second “ssh!” Speech bubble sticker to the side of it. Each handle has dangling yellow tassels.
2. Ed, mirrored sunglasses pushed to the top of his head, grins excitedly at Karl (a black breasted buzzard) standing on top of Button’s helmeted head. Buttons, in his usual impassive straight-backed manner, tells him, “Karl sends his warm regards.” He is wearing a long-sleeved beige shirt, jeans, gray fingerless gloves, and a denim vest covered in actual buttons of various sizes and colors. His plain gray helmet (no visor) is covered in scratches from Karl’s claws.
3. Jim crouching and looking to the side suspiciously. They are wearing ripped jeans, brown boots, fingerless brown leather gloves, a gold cross necklace, and a grease-stained once-white shirt under a faded blue mechanic’s button-up that says “Jim” on the breast. In the breast pocket is a grease-stained rag, and they are holding a socket wrench like a knife.
4. Ed, wearing Stede’s blue button up, gray trousers, and black tie, is grinning excitedly and dramatically gesturing to Stede with both arms. Stede, sliding into the scene, looks equally excited. He is wearing Ed’s leather pants, fingerless gloves, mirrored sunglasses, and leather jacket zipped up over a bare chest.
5. Izzy, wearing a black tee shirt tucked into jeans, a spiked leather vest, one right glove, black choker, and ring on a necklace, stands angrily with his fists clenched at his side. In his left hand is a knife. His right arm has a rope tattoo wrapped around it that turns into a snake, as well as a cursive “Daddy” on his bicep. His left bicep is wrapped in a bleeding barbed wire tattoo. Someone has put a birthday hat on his head. Teeth clenched around a scowl as confetti rains down on him, Izzy growls, “I fookin hate this.”
/end ID]
12K notes · View notes
suzukiblu · 6 months
Note
For wip Wednesday Love the vibes of “weird Kryptonian bonding rituals” especially if it’s superfam
. . . I am just gonna blame the fact that I haven't really worked on this WIP in a minute for how "write you three sentences" turned into "write you 1k", cough cough.
Clark gets into Superman's suit and leaves the Daily Planet building at inadvisable speed, probably, but manages not to break the sound barrier anywhere too obvious, he thinks. He follows the sound of that thrumming heartbeat and voice, and finds himself blocks and blocks away, hovering in the air a few hundred feet above a food truck being operated by a woman with dark skin and bright pink hair in her mid-twenties, and the single customer standing on the sidewalk in front of it as assorted civilians pass by in one's and two's.
The single customer is the thrumming heartbeat's owner, and he's about fifteen or sixteen, with pale skin and dark curly hair and bright and eager and inhumanly blue eyes behind a pair of round sunglasses. He's wearing a loose-fitting black leather jacket and heavy black boots and a tight bodysuit, all blue and black and red and yellow and with the exact same "S" on its chest as the one Clark's wearing himself.
The kid looks up, takes one look at Clark, and absolutely lights up.
Clark feels several very new and strange feelings, then charges straight down into the kid and sends them both skidding into the empty street. Hitting him, touching him, is like . . .
Clark barely even remembers to be careful, but the instinct is ingrained too deep to ignore even as they crash into the pavement together.
And then the kid laughs delightedly and throws him off.
Actually throws him.
Clark comes to a stop twenty feet up in the air, blinks down at the kid still beaming up at him, and then bolts back down and smashes him into the pavement again.
"Shit!" the food truck worker shrieks in alarm. "Don't hurt him, Superman, he's just a kid!"
Clark . . . pauses, then looks up from said kid that he is currently pinning into the street as he struggles underneath him.
"'Hurt him'?" he asks in reflexive confusion, and then realizes how batting a teenager around like a person-shaped cat toy and pinning him to the street hard enough to crack it probably actually looks to an outside observer.
. . . um.
Whoops.
"Um," he starts awkwardly, and then the kid slips his pin while he's distracted and throws his arms around his neck with a gleeful laugh and a bright grin.
"Dad!" he crows triumphantly, and hugs Clark harder than literally anyone has ever hugged him before, except maybe, like, Ivo in the fullest and most vicious version of his Parasite suit while trying to crush him to death. It's . . . kind of adorable. Although also Clark can't really breathe very well now. "I found you! Hi, hi, I totally found you!"
"You did," Clark agrees reflexively and slightly out-of-breath-ly, patting the kid's back as he shoots the food truck worker and the several other staring civilians back on the sidewalk all an apologetic smile. "Sorry, ma'am, didn't mean to worry you. We're just playing."
"Oh my god so there was this lab and these doctors and they were all such jerks so I maybe kinda just broke everything and I guess maybe that was bad but they all sucked and they deserved it, I promise, I hope they all lost all their data and their personal files and their customization settings when I smashed up their stupid computers and stuff," the kid half-rants, hanging off Clark like a super-strong but also undeniably floating koala, and Clark straightens up and pats his back again as he listens to his excited and also-adorable ramblings. The way the kid talks actually reminds him of a much younger kid, oddly–even younger than Flip and the rest of the newskids, despite his appearance–but that doesn't exactly hurt the "adorable" impression. "Also there were some really annoying guys who were bothering the way cool chick in the truck over there so I threw them in a dumpster but did you know chili fries were a thing because they are so good, seriously, you should get some!"
"Are you asking me to buy you more chili fries, kid?" Clark asks wryly, and the kid somehow finds a way to perk up even more.
"I mean, no, but if you wanna . . ." he mentions, grinning hopefully.
"Two orders of chili fries please, ma'am?" Clark requests, sparing the food truck worker another smile. "If it's not too much trouble."
"Yesssss," the kid cackles delightedly, hanging heavier off his neck again as he somehow actually manages to hug him tighter. The food truck worker stares at them both for a moment, then reaches for an empty fry basket.
"Uh, sure," she says slowly. "No problem. Uh. Sorry, Superman, but do you . . . have a kid? Is that, like . . . what's happening here?"
"Yes," Clark replies reflexively, patting the kid's head.
. . . wait, that's not–
Then the kid beams at him again and nope, never mind, apparently that is right, he guesses he's just a dad now. Oh no, he and Jimmy are gonna need a bigger apartment, and Clark really hates apartment-hunting and doesn't even know how he's gonna afford his half of a bigger apartment, though at least he knows Jimmy can after selling Flamebird so he guesses that's something, and besides, what, is he gonna make his kid sleep on the couch? No way. The kid can have his bunk, heck, he'll sleep on the couch 'til they can sign a new lease or something. At least he's not an intern anymore, that's been a bit of a financial improvement, so that'll help.
". . . well okay then," the food truck worker says. "How do you even age, are you–um. I'm just . . . gonna make those both double orders, then. No charge. Congrats on, uh . . . congrats? Like, fifteen years late, apparently, but congrats."
"Thank you," Clark replies politely, smiling at her again as he walks over to her truck, the kid still happily hanging/floating off him. "We can pay, though, that's really not necessary."
"Dude. My dad would literally fire me if I ever made Superman pay for freaking chili fries," she says feelingly. "Like. Fire me so hard. Unto our family's next three generations, would he fire me."
"Thank you," Clark repeats, still smiling at her, then pulls a couple of twenties out of his belt and tucks them into her tip jar. Only seems decent, he thinks.
"Oh my god how are you even real," the food truck worker mumbles under her breath as she drops both double-orders of fries into the fryer.
432 notes · View notes
reversedumbrella · 15 days
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
teruki week 2024: happy birthday teruki
image description:
[ID: a five page comic for teruki week day 7: birthday. the first 3 pages happen inside a clothing shop's dressing room, where teru is trying multiple outfits while out of view mob comments on them. the first two outfits were inspired by teruki week day 1: fire/electricity. on the first fit, teru wears a top with a flame on it and fluffy long sleeves colored orange and yellow. his pants have five sections, each with flame designs. one red, one orange, one green, one blue and one purple. teru is wearing flipflops. mob comments "colorful." on the second fit, teru wears a green long sleeve shirt, a vest made out of fake lightning bolts, pants made out red, blue and black electric cables and boots. mob comments "zappy."
mob sits on a benchon the dressing room, right by him his flip phone is ringing. mob says "those look really good. anything else, Hanazawa". out of viwe teru replies "PLENTY! and with this years birthday money I might be able to take it all home!"
the second two outfits were inspired by teruki week day 2: school/festival. on the first fit teru is wearing a torn version of his school uniform. he smiles while rocking his head back and forth. mob comments "rock n' roll". on the second fit teru wears viana do Castelo's typical women clothing, nowadays just worn for an anual parade. red cloth on his head, large golden earings and necklaces. red shawl over a white shirl. large red apron over a black skirt. white socks and black shoes. mob comments "wow."
the third two outfits were inspired by teruki week day 3: star/copy. on the first fit teru wears a sparkly five point star around his head, star sunglasses, a pink top, jeans with two big sparkly stars over each knee and a lot of small stars all over, pink high heels. he wears bracelets similar to his head apparatus. mob comments "shinny." on the second fit there are two teru's each wearing outfits only differing in color, with only the shorts being the same. a top over a t-shirt over a long-sleeve shirt. shorts over leggings and sneakers. mob comments "maybe the shorts on the left…"
mob is sitting on the dressing room bench. his phone is either still ringing or ringing again. up to interpretation.
the fourth two outfits were inspired by teruki week day 4: official art/omake. the first fit comes from official art. purple and blue cap, green jacket over a white shirt with a lemon pattern. red shorts over greyscale camouflage leggings. green and yellow sneakers. none of these colors go well together. mob comments "fun." on the second fit teru is wearing a beach outfit. shirtless with blue beach shorts and green sandals. he has colorful necklaces and bracelets. with his right he's grabbing abucket with a shovel inside. on his head he's balancing a beach ball wearing heart sunglasses. mob comments "careful"
the fifth two outfits were inspired by teruki week day 5: hair/trauma. in the first fit teru is wearing a crazy wig that covers his upperbody and arms. it has four ponytails and is covered in braids. it also gives him a large moustache. he's wearing red leggings and green shoes. mob comments "hairy". the second fit is a brocolli and boots. both meet at his calves. his arms are free but his hands have smaller brocolli over them. this is the only fit mob doesn't comment on.
mob is sitting on the bench when teruki grabs him while saying "C'MON". mob replies "huh?!" and teru answers "you didn't really though i was buying just for me?!"
the last outfit was inspired by teruki week day 6: protagonist/rival. mob is the one wearing it. mob's outfit is a clash of colors and patterns. sweater with a star design around the neck. the neck is red, the star is orange and the rest of the sweater is yellow ith green stripes and dots. pink bell bottoms with bright pink stars. teru is showering mob in compliments. he drowns himself in dread thinking "i should have known kageyama-kun would have looked amazing regardless of what he wears. those clothes are too bold even for me but he dawns the clothes i picked with such ease. i have lost again. he is my rival even in fashion sense. there is no way i could have ever won against him…"
the next two apges are the aftermath of the shopping spree. mob and teru laugh and walk with multiple bags, teru carrying two and mob carrying the rest on his arms. happy, teru looks up and then at mob. he says "thank you for getting some time to spend on my birthday with me. i know you have a busy life". mob blushes and turns away saying " no problem. i like spending time with you…" mob phone rings again. teru points at it and says: "there goes your phone again". mob makes all his left arm bag levitate and uses it to open the phone. mob clarifies "just master reigen. there'sa complicated client . he keeps texting in case i need to go there" out of view teru comments "it's nice he calls in advance" to wich mob throws a side-eye. mob looks surprised at his phone, grabs teru and screams "we have to go!!" mob and teru run with the bags floating around them. teru goes up the satirs to reigen's office. out of view mob says "prepare for anything!" teru grabs the door handle and opens the door. inside reigen, serizawa, tome, ritsu and the awakening lab kids scream "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" reigen is holding a cake with 15 candles. end ID]
199 notes · View notes
shadzytarts · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
[ID: Digital art of Sombra. He sits casually, one of his arms lays on a perch loosely while his right hand holds a small cigarette. He's leaned back and puffs out smoke. His expression is calm, with closed eyes and a fang poking from his mouth. He's wearing a short feather rimmed jacket with blue and green circles on the sleeves as well as tassels. He also wears bright red boots with yellow patterns on them. End ID.]
Sombra belongs to @venomous-qwille ! He's from GITM, I has fun drawin him in this pose he's so cute here. Also really like how the smoke came out.
248 notes · View notes
laiiaaa · 8 months
Text
A NICE NIGHT — CARMEN BERZATTO
Tumblr media
summary Carmen happens to meet a stranger at the party Claire takes him to. A brief conversation is shared during a cigarette break.
length 2k
contents literally just nonsense, not infidelity but sorta toying with the idea idk????, inside Carm’s mind (he’s a nervous wreck), reader is a food journalist bc i just think the pairing is cute, Claire slander lowkey…look i just want Carmen to meet some random person organically and bond without feeling pressured to like them :/ very self indulgent :/ baby bear :/
Tumblr media
Carmen’s not sure why he agreed to come here: a party with people he doesn’t know and doesn’t particularly care to, too much drinking, too much conversation, too much noise.
He’s trying not to hate it completely, he really is, but there’s that nagging in the back of his mind that just screams unwanted. And maybe a little regretful, or undeserving, or unsure of himself. He wants to like it here. He wants to tolerate it for Claire. Maybe. Maybe just a few more minutes. Maybe a few with a cigarette.
He’s lucky to find the backyard more or less empty, save for red solo cups and beer bottles thrown askew—and a girl standing against the railing, back to the house to face a dark canvas. At least this is better than the mess inside.
Playing it safe, he leans against the railing on the opposite side of the steps, figures it sends a message. We don’t have to talk. Or, more accurately, I don’t really want to. He feels that familiar itch crawling down to his fingertips and pulls out his pack, pops out a cigarette and props it between his lips. He pats down his pockets. And again. He pats down his jacket. And again. 
Fuck…
“Do you need a light?”
His head turns in her direction. Did I say that out loud? She’s looking at him, expectant. He must have. “Yeah, I, uh, it must’ve slipped from my pocket or somethin’.” He can’t tell whether he’s more on edge in a crowded room or in a conversation alone.
She walks over to him in a few steps, clad in a black leather jacket that catches his eye. Her cheekbones glow in the pale yellow haze seeping outside from within the house, and her lips are glossy and a little tinted like she’s just eaten cherries. Not that he’s paying any of this any mind; she’s only offered him a glimmer of her flame. She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a bright blue BIC lighter, like one of hundreds he’s lost or forgotten about over the years.
“Thanks,” he mumbles, and she nods in response, turning back to the yard just a foot away this time, taking a drag. A metallic flick gives him his fill and his nerves subside only slightly. He fiddles with the lighter for a moment, watching her almost, before extending his arm. “Here.”
She peeks over her shoulders, shakes her head lightly, and looks back. “Nah, you keep it.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, don’t worry ‘bout it.”
He pockets it and inhales. “Thanks.”
She hums and it quirks up into a smile. “You, uh…” Another pull and plume of tobacco. “You do this typa thing often?” Carmen pauses, and she must take it as confusion. “Y’know, like…” The hand holding the cigarette makes a few circles as she turns her body towards him. “Parties. Kickbacks?” An eyeroll, a shrug of the shoulders he thinks is playful. “I dunno what the fuck this even is.”
“No,” he chuckles, and he thinks it comes a little easier than usual. A little lighter. “I-I don’t.”
“Yeah.” She sighs and smiles back at him, looks him in the eye for a blip of time. “Me neither.” Backing up, she moves down onto the first step and sits. She offers her name nonchalantly, adds by the way to the end of the introduction while shooting a look up at him.
“Carmen,” he offers. He clears his throat and steps closer. Am I supposed to sit with her? He chooses to stay standing.
She scoots to the side until she meets the railing, turns her hips to prop her legs along the step below, crossed at the ankle. Leather boots hit an inch or two below her knees. “You can sit here if you want.” Her head pivots toward the house to eye the furniture—two dingy lawn chairs and a collapsible table—and she takes another hit off her cigarette. “Not much place else.”
He nods, smiles because he thinks it’s the right move, and tries to sit down coolly. A few beats pass and he doesn’t know what to do in the silence. “Do you know anybody here?” he asks, lending a glance before looking down at his feet.
“Not really. A friend dragged me here to get me away from work. She’s busy actually talking to people.”
He smiles to himself, a gentle one hidden behind the collar of his jacket that makes his chest warm. I know the feeling. “I dunno anyone either. I, uh…” Fingers run through his hair to the nape of his neck. “A friend dragged me here, too.” A friend… The syllable feels heavy rolling off the tongue. Is that the right word for it?
“Really.” She smiles and exhales. “How come?”
“Uh…” He lets out an airy laugh, mouth tightening into a half-smile as he looks at her while still messing with the back of his hair. “To get me away from work, I think.”
A quiet giggle makes him think he could be doing something right for once—like maybe the whole social thing doesn’t have to be so hard, and he doesn’t have to be the funniest person in the room, and he doesn’t have to try and carry the weight of a conversation. Maybe he can just be.
“What do you do for work?”
Here we go again… He lets the question simmer for a beat. It’s an uncomfortable one: he doesn’t make money, the prestige is anything but, part of him shrivels up when he has to see the reaction. Another inhale before he ashes his cigarette. “I’m a chef,” he says, though it’s quiet. Ashamed.
“Oh, really?”
His heart drops. Maybe he thought better of a situation than he should’ve. “Heh, yeah, it’s not—it’s not, uh…” It’s not that special. Half of what I do is fuckin’ pointless. No, I don’t make a lot of money. Thanks for fuckin’ asking. 
“No, no, I think it’s cool.” She tilts her head to the side, another soft thump of laughter to break the tension. She doesn’t seem to mind too much. “I’m a, uh…” She looks to her hands, snubs out the last of her cigarette that’s burnt down to the filter. “I’m a food journalist, so—or, whatever you’d call it—just a writer now, maybe? I don’t even know at this point…” 
There’s an exhalation that has Carmen thinking that for once someone feels like he does—a quick-beating heart, jittery hands, an embarrassment unique to someone whose passion is a shame to a respectable world. 
“What I’m saying is, I’m not judging.”
His brows lift, a subtle nod—half relief, half surprise. “You’re not.”
“Correct.”
A comfortable silence. A few more plumes of tobacco escape his mouth before he realizes he can’t remember the last time he smoked more than half a cigarette. He likes a quick fix, just a taste of it to make the nerves go down before getting back to work; he doesn’t take it slow, enjoy the pull, indulge in the company of someone else. He doesn’t usually have someone else. 
He looks at her again, and for a blip of time he thinks she’s gorgeous, her head gently turned to the side, a barely-there smile adding warmth to the space between them. Part of him is thankful she hasn’t gone back inside, and he doesn’t bother wondering whether she’s staying because she wants to enjoy a crisp night in a bit of quiet, or if her friend isn’t all that much of a friend, or anything else. He’s here with Claire, anyway. He’ll be back with her any moment now, and he’s not sure whether he wants that moment to come. He likes it out here, in the dim light, away from the bustle, stumbling through a conversation with someone who isn’t running miles ahead. It’s not buried under a past that’s grueling to dig up.
So he goes out on a bit of a limb and asks, “What do you write about?”
She looks at him then, mouth open only slightly like she didn’t think he’d ask. “The food industry, mostly. Ethics, culture, history, that typa stuff.” A pause before she adds, with a bit of a tanginess to it, “Not recipes, or cookbooks, or anything like that. Might not be your style.”
“Not my style?” A crinkle forms between his brow, his lips curl up at the corners, gaze shoots down to his feet again.
“What, you’re reading Gastronomica in your free time, Chef?”
He strangles out a breath that’s somewhere between a laugh and a cough, making her smile. “Gastronomica?”
He tries not to think about it too much. Even in his professional prime he wouldn’t fuck with journalists; they were too prying, too nosy, asked the wrong questions about the wrong things. Who cares where his love of cooking came from? Is it a good dish, or is it not? 
This is different though. He’s not entirely sure why. Just that it is.
She offers a shrug, and a dismissive smile to follow that slowly wanes. “Doesn’t mean much in the real world, though.”
Self-deprecating. “I get that…” Too well. “It’s the same, bein’ a chef, y’know? It’s, uh, not a lotta money.”
She hums. “Not at all. I still like it, obviously, but—y’know, my parents would’ve been a lot happier had I…” A beat of laughter, sardonic and a little self-loathing. “I dunno, become a fuckin’...a fuckin’ doctor, or somethin’.”
He smiles to himself. A doctor…Claire’s gonna be a doctor. Respectable, easy to confess about. Not a lotta shame there.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t be complaining like that to you; I don’t even know you.”
“No, no I get it. I know what you mean.” He nods and watches his hands before looking back. “The, uh, the judgment. I get that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. But, uh, it…it’s nice,” he admits, looking her in the eye, “It’s nice to meet someone who’s in that—that world, y’know?”
She hums and smiles in a way that makes his chest flutter. In a way that makes him think he’s understood. In a way that makes him painfully confused as to how he even broached the topic with someone who’s little less than a stranger.
The back door opens, and light spills onto the porch. Heads turn to inspect.
“Carm?”
Claire.
He freezes before sparking up a smile. “Hey,” he answers. It’s been too long since ashing his cigarette; he flicks it to the ground, standing up and turning to face his…friend. 
She takes a few steps yet stays tethered to the door. Music booms from inside and just the thought makes Carmen’s head throb. Her gaze flickers from him, to the girl sat on the steps, and back. “You made a friend?” Her grin feels mocking, almost accusatory.
“N-No—” he shakes his head, turns to look at the girl standing up— “Just, uh…”
“Just lent him a light,” she fills in. He watches her dust off her skirt, adjust her slouched over jacket, check her phone for a second before she looks back up at him. She smiles at him and looks at Claire with the same expression. “I’m headed out, though, so…” Her face softens when she looks at him again, and he wants to think it’s for a reason. “Have a nice night.”
His mouth goes dry before he remembers his manners. “Yeah, uh, you too.” 
“Thanks.” Her boots make a satisfying click as she descends, her hand an axis around which she pivots the railing to leave through the gate. He wonders where she’s going, whether she drove here herself separate from her friend, if she’s going to wait for an Uber to pick her up. If she'll ever visit The Bear once it's open.
“So,” Claire starts, grabbing for his attention again. “Ready to go?”
He nods, mumbles a hushed Yeah, and heads toward the door. She bares her teeth in a smile as she looks him in the eye and hovers an open hand near his. He follows her back inside where the music consumes his thoughts and the bass rattles through his shoes. 
After letting the air hang between their hands for a moment, he tucks them away into his pockets, thumbing away at his new lighter.
447 notes · View notes
denim-devil · 11 months
Note
Reader sucking off Rick Grimes to get off a speeding ticket (pre apocalypse) 🤭 rick kinda cocky/degrading/smug cums on readers face 🙈🤭
☆ Private Eyes | R.G ☆
Tumblr media
Summary - The streets of Cynthiana, Kentucky were usually busy, although due to frequent flow of tickets being given, a certain smug Sheriff manages to catch you slip up, not wanting a ticket you attend to your last resort…
──────. • ☆:*.☽ .* :☆゚• . ──────
The streets of Cynthiana were quiet, much quieter then usual. You found yourself, often cruising throughout the barren roads, trying everything in your power to get home as quick as possible.
Humidity surrounded both you and your car, the nights air nothing but thick and heavy, even though the sun had set hours ago it still lingered automatically forcing your foot down on the gas.
You never managed to eat at work, the stress that ran through your veins daily often had you skip lunch rather waiting until you clocked off.
The grumble in your stomach was like a brewing storm, low and loud, churning away at the emptiness your hunger clinged to. Your foot was now level with the floor, passing by the few scattered cars hastily.
It was almost out of now where when loud sirens drummed away in your ears, alerting your focus to the flashing bright fluorescent blue and red lights of the pale teal cruiser following you.
“Fuck-“
It was almost as if your hunger had taken control, not even noticing the speed that you had been going. Quickly you lift your foot, turning your wheel as you nervously tap away, slowly pulling over to the side allowing the pristine 1973 Ford F-250 to park itself in the slot behind.
Everything stilled as if the whole world knew the very outcome of your dangerous choice, if not a ticket then definitely something worse. You click your tongue, sighing to yourself before glancing into your left wing mirror.
Carefully you watch the taller, older male approach your vechile, his boots clacking against the concrete pavement.
You take in the deep muddy-like jacket that clung to his body, the pale buff coloured shirt underneath and the deep vibrant hazel of his trousers, you had managed to sus out just by the way he was dressed, how the hat sat perfectly atop of his head, how the golden badge he wore with pride glimmered underneath the dull street lights that he was in-fact the county’s sheriff.
The tapping grew heavier, much louder against the thin leather of your steering wheel, your heart beat strumming away rapidly in your ears you had almost ignored the sharp knock on the taint glass of your door.
An unsteady finger of your own presses with urgency to break the shield protecting you, coming face to face with your current consequences. The glass rolls down, disappearing from view completely, the town’s sheriff appearing attractive more so underneath the yellow lights.
With confidence, Rick unveils the hat that he wore moments ago before pressing it to his chest lightly. His cheek bones pulse knowing how much wasted time you had already caused, his teeth clamping together before he speaks.
“You even realise what speed you were going?”
The words were a mere echo within your head, bouncing back and forth from each corner, rolling over the rocky seas the sheriff’s appearance caused. You shook your head with the overconfident to not interrupt him, his pale blue eyes catching your glance.
“Well if I was certain, it was over the speed limit…can’t help but wonder why you were in such a rush?”
His accent was thick, definitely southern. His quirked up drawls and his stance already showcased the authority he held over you, even the eye contact he had managed to keep hold of had you in grasps of splurging out the truth.
“I- uh, I have no excuse really- I just clocked off of work and-“
“Can you step out of the vehicle sir?”
Instantly you could tell he had no remorse, nothing. Infact he replaced himself by taking a few steps to the side, allowing you to slowly tug on the one sided handle, unlocking the door to allow yourself out and into his space.
“Please- I can’t- mom’s gonna be pissed”
The words usher out of you as if you had been asked to ramble about your current worries. It had no affect on the sheriff, instead, once you stood fully upward in-front, he scrambles for the small notepad in his pocket which matched the brown of his attire.
“Listen kid, we both know what happened here…”
It eventually settles in as you watch the cop jot down a few things, scribbling his signature somewhere out of your focus. A wave of panic washes over you knowing a scolding was on it’s way but you somehow thought, maybe you could change the sheriff’s mind…somehow.
“Sheriff-“
He pauses before settling his arms, side by side, shoving the notepad back in his pocket.
“It’s Sheriff Grimes, Rick Grimes…”
You had seen in the paper of the newly appointed Sheriff and just how scary he could be up close although that hadn’t managed to change your mind, infact it helped you to gain the confidence you needed to plead playfully.
“Sheriff Grimes…I’d do anything to get this ticket off of my name…anything, I can’t go home with this otherwise-“
He allows a small grunt to surpass his reddened plump lips, feeling the small twitch in his briefs. He watches you closely, how your whole demeanour had changed from shy and shameful to playful and almost lewd if he hadn’t caught that lip bite.
Tilting his head to the side and disregarding his pointed hat on the hood of your car, you close in on him, the same ringing from before had crept upon you stealthily, heart beat as loud as the soft exhales you managed to let out.
Looking down he watches as you extend an arm carefully but lower, low enough that your finger tips graze the slowly growing tent between his crotch.
“What do you think your doing?”
His tone was low, half curious half stern, still trying to hold the slowly dissipating authority he held once before. He grunts when you begin to passionately grope the area, giving him a slight uncertain squeeze, looking up into his darkened eyes for approval.
He steps back momentarily, his held tilting once more in confusion and guilt but the glimmer in his eye suggested otherwise as if he to was just as curious to see where this would go.
“Ya could get into a lot of trouble wasting my time…”
You shudder, the air had gone colder as if the worry had completely left you alone, instead it was replaced by the lack of judgment and how much Rick craved the indwelling of his morals and how much he yearned for that touch.
It had been months, if that since he last had anything, anything worth time away from his busy schedule, this intrigued him, so much so he doesn’t move any further, the risk was the only thing pushing Rick further into the lustful spiral you casted.
Unexpectedly he moves back into place, back into your open palm. He felt heavier than before, filling out the rest of your hand as he settled against your passenger door. Giving him another testy squeeze, you pull back, a pale pink dusting of blush covering both cheeks.
“I- I wouldn’t want to do that…Sheriff”
He composed himself before standing up, not even bothering to ignore the growing ache his erection currently sported, closing in on you this time, he checked both left and right before turning his head bringing most of his focus back onto you.
“You wouldn’t?”
Before you could comply his lips were attacking your own, the same hunger that ate you from the inside out had engulfed Rick entirely, forgetting the risk of being caught and potentially losing his job his tongue rolled against yours, once or twice before pulling away, panting heavily.
Still you lacked the knowledge to understand that this was just to get off of a ticket, not to eagerly attach yourself to the town’s sheriff, but it proved hard when he towered over you, keeping an arm above your lowering form.
Knees hitting the cold concrete of the road, the bulge that continued to grow repeatedly gained your attention. Rick had no idea what had managed to possess him to go such limits to reward his own greed but he couldn’t let this go, not now.
“Y’gonna unzip my trousers…take me out, maybe, just maybe I’ll let you off”
You waste no time in following his instructions, finger tips tampering with the metal zipper before you pull it down, a desperate hand sinking into his confines, easily fishing for the protruding muscle.
Succeeding in your task, you eventually pull him out, fighting with the small hole that you could only pull him through. He was thick, thicker then you had seen before, the tip a dark shade of red, angry, almost as if he was seeking some sort of pleasure out of this also.
You gawk at the view, almost uncertain you couldn’t possibly except such size into your mouth. Meeting his eyes once again he manages to slide you a knowing glare.
“God Rick- how do you even- just how?”
You question before giving him a few teasing tugs, his balls full and heavy at the same time making it much more intimidating. It felt right to have him fully engrossed in your palm, Rick was a fumbling mess already, his own hand couldn’t compare to another’s, to yours.
“Fuck-“
A sense of pride ran through you in waves which inevitably pushes you to wrap your lips around his tip seductively, forcing his attention back down, watching as you slowly surpassed each inch.
“Y’gonna take it all sweetheart, no holding back now”
Anticipating the eventual moment you reach the trimmed levelling of hair, Rick’s hand grow heavier in your hair, bunching up the locks, guiding you down until your nose settled against his pubic bone, taking in the overwhelming, natural musk that spoke nothing but of Rick himself.
The officer above clutched the roof of his cruiser which slightly grounded him before allowing a subtle grunt to surpass his open lips, almost immediately he couldn’t contain his want to see how far you would go with this, how far your limits would take you.
“God you’re sweet- come on honey, show me how much you don’t want this ticket”
Resting the back of your head against his car door, you feel every ridge and vein pull away, just enough until he stood proud again before ushering most of his length back in, cramming the rest into the back of your throat.
Rick was big, to big to not worry about, you convulse, choking around the tip that claimed your awaiting throat which was now full of him and his manhood.
He smirks, almost seeking the moment you would turn into the mess he knew you can become, watching how your lips stretch into an “o” to accompany his size.
“Such a cock slut, wonder what ya daddy would think? How easy you are, how much of a slut ya are”
His mouth was vulgar which resembled the quickened pace he set, rolling his hips back and forth to force your throat to accommodate his size, to worship what he was giving. Trying your best to nod, Rick chuckled at your weak efforts, to busy using the mouth you were so willing to give to bother with his words.
The comforting presence of Rick’s hand lightly on your head had you desperately slurping him between your saliva slicked lips, each glob trickling down your chin with every roll of his hips.
“You were fuckin’ hungry for it sweetheart, look at ya, takin’ it like a champ-“
When he sped up, the noises got louder, lewd and slick which resembled your current state, tear stained cheeks and abused, puffy red lips. You sucked harder, Rick’s voice became strained as a string of profanities fell from his mouth.
“Fuckin’ close-“
He growled, huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, claiming what was his. Each twitch of his manhood followed the rest, the weight of him growing heavier by the second.
“So wet, so fuckin’ inviting- ya were made for me, a fuckin’ dream”
Each pummel of his hips, each pressing of his groin into your face had you achy and leaky between your thighs, making a mess of your jeans. He kept you still, the cool metal of his car door keeping you grounded enough to eye the man above, vision blurred by the continuous tears he created.
His cheeks were flush and his panting grew heavy, each second that passed he grew tired and sloppy, his hips rolling languidly, pressing himself impossibly deeper, triggering your gag reflex until he couldn’t go any more.
“Gonna cum, paint them pretty little features, open wide for me honey-“
Just as you were about to pull off with a pop, he yanks himself back and outwards, hands tugging on his slick cock. Once his eyes roll back and the same low groan from before slips from his chest, deeply, you stick out your tongue, collecting each streak of white liquid that shot from his bulbous tip.
“Take it all- fuck-“
Rolling your tongue back after he stilled, catching his breathe, you finally taste what he was all about, swallowing the thickness that lingered on your tongue, tangy yet sweet, almost earthy.
Pleased with his work, sea-like blues resting back onto the face he just ruined, it couldn’t get any better, his thumb traced over your bottom lip, running through the saliva-cum mix before pressing his thumb upwards into your mouth.
His cock now flaccid still covered with spit and the reminder of his finish, he uses his other hand to tuck himself away before watching you swallow what his thumb offered, pulling away, he wipes it on your shirt, retreating to his trouser pocket to fish out a yellow piece of paper.
Inside was his number, although you had no clue, the indents of numbers on the folded paper had told you enough.
“I have a feelin’ i’ll be seeing you around…”
666 notes · View notes
asphalt-cocktail · 2 months
Text
Lead Us to Temptation- Chapter 2
Chapter 2- Good Old Fashioned Catholic Guilt
Tumblr media
Summary: In the small town of Eden Ridge, you knew several things to be true: church happened every Sunday, the saloon served free lunch with the purchase of a drink on Thursdays, coal miners left work at 7PM sharp, and Bucky Barnes was a man sent from the depths of hell dangling the threat of temptation and sin right in front of your face. All you need to do is reach out and grab it.
Pairing: Outlaw!Bucky Barnes x Reader
Warnings: Nicknames, heavy religious themes in this chapter, mentions of threatening with a gun and criminal activity, thunder storms, smut, oral f receiving, virginity kink (sorry but also I’m not), arguing, talk of marriage, good old fashioned catholic guilt
Word Count: 4.2k
Masterlist
Read me on AO3
Chapter 1- Precious Lord Take my Hand
Tumblr media
Dinner with Bucky in Thunder Creek was… well it could have been better. The dinner itself was lovely, the part that soured it was the big gray storm clouds that created a contrasting line against the bright blue sky. You could feel the humidity weighing the air in the restaurant and feel the sudden drop of pressure along with the cold breeze that blew in with the storm.
April showers did in fact bring May flowers. 
They also forced you to bed down for the night in the local hotel. There was no way you’d be able to make the two hour ride back home and avoid ending up soaked to the bone or having a tree fall on you from the violent winds that whipped. You’d catch your death if you stayed out in this type of weather too long.   
The spring thunderstorm promised the renewal of life to the brown and yellow earth, it brought both anticipation and fear. Fat raindrops fell from the sky, once a bright cloudless shade of green is now a tempest of charcoal gray as heavy storm clouds cover it. The heavy drops of rain were swallowed up by the thirsty ground turning the streets into muddy rivers.
Bucky licked his lips, deep in thought and looked down the street to the hotel. It was only a matter of time before the last rooms were taken by the other visitors in town. He handed you his jacket for you to cover yourself and wrapped an arm around you, sprinting at a leisurely but rushed pace to salvation. Mud splattered up the back of your boots, sticking to your tights and soiling the bottom of your dress. The creaky wooden floor boards just outside the hotel sag and groan under the weight of water as you step into the hotel, wet and shivering like a stray dog. 
You didn't know how, but he’d managed to finesse the last hotel room in town. It was something close to a miracle you thought. Bucky would never tell you that he pressed the barrel of his six shooter deep into the side of the clerk and demanded a room while you looked at the various taxidermied game that hung like trophies on the wall. 
After a nice warm bath your clothes were dry enough for you to pick the dried chunks of mud off the hem of your skirt and brush it off your boots. Since it was night time, you didn't even bother changing back into your petticoat, bodice, and dress. Instead you hid behind the changing screen, mind consumed with the fact that you and Bucky would have to share a bed tonight.
The rain swelled to a great deluge that is enough to drown out the conversations in the hotel lobby, people angry that there are no more rooms left and arguing with the clerk. Outside the trees bend and sway, the weaker branches snapping loudly and falling to the ground. There was no way you’d be able to make it home, not in a storm like this.
Thunder rumbled, low and menacing as you played with the little tie on the front of your chemise. You were scared, scared of what your father would say when you returned in the morning, scared of what Father Liska would say during your confessional. You didn't have to worry about what the women would say at their bible study groups. They already loved to talk about you out of both sides of their mouth. 
You felt exposed in the thin white fabric, it did very little to hide your womanly figure. You’d never been in such a state of undress in front of someone before, not in your entire adult life at least. Nerves flipped in your gut as lightning struck outside, flashing and illuminating the low lit room followed by the low rumble of thunder. 
The changing screen did very little to help you feel less exposed, knowing that all that stood between you and Bucky were a few tall wooden panels. You poked your head around the corner of the screen and saw Bucky’s back to you. He had already stripped down to his cotton drawers and was shedding his shirt. 
Your eyes were drawn to a scar on his shoulder, it emerged from his skin like the smudge of a brush stroke, edges jagged and uneven, the skin taut. The pink hue stood out against Bucky’s tanned skin, starting at his shoulder and tracing the contours and muscle of his arm before it tapered off at the elbow. You could only imagine the terrible memories that came along with it. 
You forced yourself to look away, now distracted by broad planes of his back, built from decades of intensive labor and living off the lam. The muscles rippled with Bucky’s movement tempting you to touch him.The sight made you a bit light headed and your stomach throbbed with an unfamiliar feeling. Stiffly, you stepped out from behind the changing screen. 
The creak of the floor boards under your feet alerted him. He turned, it felt like Bucky’s eyes were going to burn your clothes right off with how hard he was staring. You didn't want to look up and meet his hungry gaze, but you could picture exactly what he looked like as he devoured you. 
“Please stop staring.” You tried to sound biting, but it came out weak. Nervous even. You crossed your arms over your chest to try and allow yourself some modesty. 
In one large step Bucky was in front of you. His hands lightly grasped your arms, and gave them  a light tug. You rested them against the firm planes of his pectorals, “I'm just thinking about all the fun we can have tonight.” He dipped his head, kissing the corner of your mouth, “Just me and you.”
You gasped, breath stolen by his suggestive words. They made your gut twist with nerves. Every God-fearing part of your brain was burned away with a hellfire that warmed your body. You swallowed thick and exhaled through your nose, “I’ve… I’ve never…” you trailed off almost too embarrassed to let the words come out.
Bucky let go of you, hands jumping away like he just touched hot iron. The sudden distance between you both had you feeling exposed, vulnerable even. 
Was it something you said? Did he not want you now? 
“Bucky?” Your voice was meek.
You were a virgin? 
Jesus Christ of course you were a virgin how could he be so stupid. So inconsiderate!
He wanted to skip all of the prose, all the ceremony of courtship and just take you here in this hotel room. He was thinking with his dick and not his brain. You must have been horrified at his advances. 
He sat down on the edge of bed lost in his own head.
“Are you mad at me?” You didn’t know what else to ask. You pull him from the deep recesses of his brain and shattered his heart with the nerve in your voice. 
“God sweetheart,” he huffed and grabbed your arms pulling you close and looked up at you, “Of course not.” His arms wrapped around your waist comfortingly. 
If things were going to continue as they were he had to lay out all his secrets, even the ugly ones. He let out a soft exhale and looked away from you, “Look, if you’re going to be my woman there’s some things I need to tell you first.” 
Well if that was supposed to comfort you it didn’t. It made you more afraid. What was he going to say? He had a secret family in Pennsylvania? He was wanted by the Pinkertons? He was a Protestant? That would truly be the worst out of all three of the options.
You wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself if you were bedded by a Protestant. 
He swallowed hard. Bucky desperately wanted to keep you hidden from his alternative lifestyle “I’m a wanted man babydoll.” His information served as a warning for what you would get yourself into should you continue seeing him. 
His low, gravely tone sent a shiver down your spine and made the hair on your arms stand on end, “What do you mean?” You spoke in a hushed tone. You knew what it meant.
Well at least he wasn’t a Protestant. A criminal you could handle, something that could be forgiven.
“I’m not a good man.” He cleared his throat, his tone was almost pleading, “I’ve done…I do bad things.” He killed people, lied, stole, all without mercy. Bucky was not a nice man, he was mean and callous, calculating and manipulative. “But, Jesus, woman, I'd walk the line for you if it meant I could have you.” But for you, he’d get on his knees and beg for your love. 
It should have made you push him away, seek the closest stagecoach, alert the town sheriff, run for the hills and call the Pinkertons, but hell it made you want him more. The air of danger around Bucky Barnes pulled you, like a moth to a flame, “You don’t have to walk any lines to have me.” You didn't care about his rambling ways. You wanted all of him, all his sins and imperfections. Your head spun with an intoxicating mixture of nerves and excitement, “I’m your woman now?” 
“I don’t sit through Sunday mass for just anyone.” He reminded you. It was true, he’d manage to attend mass with you every Sunday and even stomached the post service lunch your family always had. 
The heavens opened up and rain continued to fall from the sky, spraying the windows in waves. But you didn’t have half a mind to pay any attention to that now. Not when Bucky’s hand was sliding up and gripping the meat of your thigh so close to your butt, “Come on, sweetheart.” Bucky cooed and pressed his face between your breasts and kissed the valley. 
Not when he was doing things like that. 
“Lemme take care of you.” He coaxed your fear of damnation away with a few simple words. You moved, kneeling on either side of him and sitting on his lap, “That’s my girl.” He said softly, resting his hands on your thighs.
He kissed you softly, his beard scratching against your skin. You shyly opened for him, allowing his tongue to move and caress your own. You expected a rugged man like him to be a lot less gentle with you, but he was letting you set the pace tonight. 
You could taste the sweat in his lip and the lingering tobacco from the cigarette he smoked an hour earlier. You relaxed into his touch as his hand slid up and snaked around you deepening the kiss. 
Bucky’s hands roamed up your body, feeling the soft curve of your hips before grabbing your tits. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against yours, noses barely touching, breathing in each other's labored breaths. His thumb brushed over a hardened nipple and you gasped at the foreign sensation, back arching slightly. 
He wanted to watch you, see how your body reacted, see how your brain broke from the pleasure he gave you. His fingers kneaded the flesh of your heavy breasts and he pinched and twisted your nipples until they were sensitive and peaked. 
Your cheeks reddened from embarrassment as he untied the front closure of your shift and pulled open the small split in the front, he kissed your neck then your chest before he pulled the thin white fabric down where it shelved beneath your breasts. You felt indecent. Exposed. 
The cool air chilled you to the bone and made you shiver. Bucky mouthed at the sides of your tits licking and sucking on one and then the other until your back arched and you whined beneath him. 
God if this was how you reacted to him playing with your tits, he couldn’t wait to hear how you sounded when he fucked you. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight, he was a gentleman after all. He couldn’t go having dessert twice in one night now could he? It was a bit too self indulgent for him and maybe too much of a shock for your poor catholic conscience. 
But he was still planning on eating tonight. He was going to absolutely devour you. “Lay down.” You followed his command and moved, laying flat against the lumpy mattress and watched Bucky lay on his stomach and settle between your legs. 
You sat up on your elbows, shuddering as you felt him kiss your thighs, getting dangerously close to your dripping cunt, “What are you going to do?” Your breathing quickened when you saw Bucky lick his lips and draw his lip between his teeth. He nuzzled the apex of your thigh, inhaling the natural heady scent of your arousal. The scent was so distinctly feminine, it made him ravenous. 
“Bucky!” You squeaked, shocked at his behavior. 
“Oh sugar, we haven’t even gotten started.” He said and kissed the top of your mound. In that moment you were certain Bucky Barnes was the serpent in the garden of Eden, beckoning you towards a life filled with sin and temptation, and by god you were going to take his hand and let him lead you there. 
You gasped loudly, feeling the broad flatness of his tongue lick a stripe up your cunt, then back down again and shuttered at the foreign sensation. You flopped back onto the bed and hand immediately knotted itself into his dark hair gripping a fist full of it, hanging on for dear life, “Oh my god.” You huffed in disbelief. His mouth was really down there, licking you, and he was enjoying every moment of it. 
His tongue traced little circles around your clit before he let out a groan and sucked on it, his actions hedonistic and greedy as he continued to indulge. The wet noises that came from between your legs mixed with the overwhelming pleasure that warmed your body and made you feel dizzy.
Just as you thought you couldn’t take any more, a thick finger traced around your entrance before he stuffed it inside you. His finger penetrated your cunt, stuffing itself deeper inside you until the knuckle of his hand rested against your slippery skin. He pulled back and quickly added a second, stuffing them back in and curling them against your sinfully wet walls. You felt stuffed to the absolute brim, full with a delicious burn that made your fists clench the cotton sheets of the hotel mattress.
When you finally gained half a brain cell of consciousness you opened your eyes looking down and seeing his face coated in wetness. 
Your wetness.
It coated his chin and cheeks, your thighs, drenched his hand as he fucked you with it. It was like the floodgates of heaven opened up from the Great Deep and the tide swallowed him whole.  
The flat of his tongue found its way back to your clit, rubbing down and making you whine with pleasure. You dug your nails into Bucky’s scalp pulling a satisfied deep groan from your lover's mouth as he continued to devour you.
Bucky’s thumb replaced his mouth and he licked a spot of wetness from your thigh, “I can’t wait to fuck this tight little pussy.” He mumbled and pulled his fingers out, lightly slapping your sensitive, swollen clit. You hissed at the feeling and at his lascivious words before he stuffed you full once more and pressed his thumb against your clit rubbing it in a circle, “You want that?” He asked and you nod your head, “Want me to fuck this tight virgin cunt of yours?” 
God he wanted to split you open, carve a hole for himself deep inside your untouched hole and fuck you stupid. 
“Oh god yes,” you could feel your pussy throb as he continued to beat his fingers into you at a brutal pace and suck hard on your clit, pulling you closer and closer to the edge.
You clenched a fist full of his hair, grinding down onto his face, sloppily trying to meet the rhythm of his hand. The only sober part of your brain was thankful for the thunderous rain that continued to hammer the windows and covered the sounds coming from your hotel room. 
Finally, your back is arching off the mattress, cunt pulsating and squeezing his fingers as he digs them further inside you, rubbing them against your walls and pulling more pleasure from you. Your body trembled, spasming around his fingers, flooding his face. 
Bucky watched you in awe, your body writhing and twisting against the sheets, hair haloed around your head, lips kiss swollen and body flush with arousal. You were absolutely gorgeous. Responsive and gorgeous. He couldn’t let a girl like you go. 
He was going to marry you if it killed him. 
Bucky’s hands slowed and he licked your wetness off the soft skin of your thighs and stomach not wanting to waste a single drop of it before he pulled his fingers from you and sucked on those too groaning like he’d just had a tasty meal. 
Watching him only fed sugar into the fire. You leaned up, pulling him towards you and sloppily kissed him, all tongue and teeth as you pushed down his drawers. Bucky smiled against your mouth and pushed your hands away, pushing you back onto the mattress, “Patience, sweetheart.” He scolded, and then laid next to you sighing with content.
“Aren’t we going to… well you know.” He stared at your confused expression and looked amused, “Have sex?” You finally said it out loud and it felt dirty. It felt like someone had dropped an anvil through the ceiling and it fell on your chest. 
“Not tonight.” He answered, “We’ll work our way there, don’t worry your pretty little head about it. I’m not going anywhere.” 
“But I thought you said I was your woman” you didn’t know if it was because Bucky gave you an earth shattering orgasm, or what but you were just plain confused now. 
“You are my woman.” He said and pulled you into his side, “One thing at a time love.” He wedged a leg between yours, tangling them together. 
The following morning when you returned to town, braving the mud and fallen tree branches, the doors to the church seemed almost intimidating. You already knew how your father was going to react to your absence from the family home last night. Your brain was wrought with an overwhelming sense of guilt as Bucky took your hands and opened the tall wooden doors. 
Father Liska’s homily only further propelled you into a cavern of guilty unholiness. It was like God himself told the father of what happened last night, of the wanton sin you committed. Laying with a man before marriage? How could you be so foolish? 
“God does permit us to be tempted” Father Liska stood at the pulpit, usually his words of wisdom helped comfort you, “Not so that we fall, but so we grow in holiness,” No, this just made you feel worse, “Temptation forces us to rise up and make a choice for God or to succumb to the devil's temptation.” 
You were going to be sick. 
During the Rite of Peace you couldn’t bear to look at your father as he shook Bucky’s hand, death grip, jaw clenched, a bitter “Christ’s peace be with you.”  
Bucky shook your fathers hand back firmly a smarmy smirk plastered across his face, “Christ’s peace be with you too sir.” 
Then Bucky hugged your mom and kissed her cheek with a smooth “Christ’s peace be with you ma’am” which pissed your dad off too. Everything about Bucky pissed him off. 
Once you were in the privacy of your family home, seated at the dinner table, Bucky next to you, parents on either end of the table, brother and sister-in-law across from the you, you father took it upon himself bring some good old fashioned shame to the table, “You didn’t return home last night.” He said loudly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. 
Your mother said his name in a scolding tone, “No I didn’t. I’d have caught my death in that storm.” You sat up a bit straighter. It was true. Traveling two hours back home in the rain in wet clothes would have signed your death warrant. 
“What were your sleeping accommodations like?” He probed further, trying to figure out a way to make you feel even guiltier than you already did. Remind you of the devil's presence in your life and how you succumbed to his temptations. 
“Bucky paid for me to stay at the local inn. Is that what you want to hear from me?” You shot back sharply, “I don’t understand why you’re making such a big mess over it.” You threw your cloth napkin onto the table and pushed your seat back and stood up to leave. 
“Sit down!” Your father snapped, “I’ll not have that disrespectful tone under my roof,” your father spoke sternly and then turned towards Bucky and pointed at him, “And you,” he said dramatically, “Are going to bring nothing but trouble for her and you know it.” 
Bucky rubbed his hands in his trousers and leaned back in his seat, his casual posture contrasting your fathers intensity, “What makes you say that sir?” He was genuinely curious. There was no way your father would have known of his criminal history. Not when they were so far from the last town they’d committed a crime in and even then their faces had been covered. Bucky struck a match and lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply and waiting for the answer. 
If he wanted to sit through someone pissing and moaning about how he lived his life he’d go talk to his own father, God rest his soul.
“You have no steady work, no land, no history outside of the few months you’ve been here. You parade around with a troupe of delinquents and bring good young women like my daughter down into the cesspit of a life you live. “ 
Bucky licked his lower lip, “With all due respect sir, it isn’t like your lifestyle is any better.” When your father scoffed loudly, throwing his hands up in disbelief, Bucky continued speaking before he could interrupt, “Wrath and greed might serve you well now, but you can’t buy your place in heaven.” 
Your father was greedy, he was like a dragon who sat upon a hoard of black coal and iron, pillaging the Earth, taking what he wanted,  and draining the life force of his workers. There was no way your father didn’t have as many, if not more lives than Bucky. His hands were undoubtedly stained red.
God spoke out, let there be light and your father damned his employees to a life beneath the ground. He probably didn’t even know their names, just the numbers crudely written on their mining helmets that correspond to his payroll ledger. 
“Keep on digging, boy, that’s why you were born.” Born to serve the company, born to keep your fathers pockets fat and their own empty.  It was a cruel, greedy joke that had been said too often. 
Bucky took one more drag of his cigarette before he stubbed it out. You frowned, ultimately this was your mother’s fault, she was the one who had Bucky come by for after service lunch. Now here your father and Bucky were, making a scene in front of God and all his followers, “Now sir, I plan on marrying your daughter sooner or later, so I suggest you get all your acrimony out now because we will be seeing a lot of each other in the future.” 
Your father opened his mouth to speak back and quickly your mother spoke up, “Not another word.” She hissed at him when he opened his mouth to speak back to Bucky, “James, dear, we’re extremely grateful you took care of our daughter. Aren’t we, darling?” 
Your father didn’t answer her question, instead he stared, eyes narrowed at your lover. He didn't want Bucky to marry you. He wanted you to marry a rich, god fearing catholic man from town. Perhaps the son of the livery stable owner and farrier, maybe even the son of the Union Pacific RailRoad representative in town. Not some drifter with a silver tongue.
“It was truly my pleasure ma’am.” Bucky smiled sweetly at your mom. 
Despite Bucky’s statement about taking your hand in marriage at lunch earlier you still couldn't help the internal barrage of guilt your brain waged against your heart. If Bucky was planning to marry you then it wasn't bad, right? You wondered if God could hear your pleas and if he would answer your prayers for clarity. You looked at the walls of your room, dimly lit by lamplight, the crucifix you’d gotten at your communion watching your internal struggle. 
Your revelation was a self confession from the heart-To experience love and be loved was a gift, to sin was to be human. Perhaps love was the holiest form of rebellion, something that burned away dogma leaving something raw and utterly human, something to be forgiven with merciful grace.
Chapter 3- Hell Hath No Fury
82 notes · View notes
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
modern au fits! basically wanted to translate some of tintin’s most iconic looks.
From left to right, top to bottom:
- His basic day-to-day - just a crew neck sweater, white t-shirt, cargo joggers and a pair of leather trainers. The big baggy trousers Tintin famously wears are plus fours - breeches that extend four inches below the knee (hence the name!). They were introduced in the 20s and gained popularity as sportswear in the 30s as they allowed a greater range of movement. I gave Tintin cargo joggers for that sporty feel while still keeping him feeling preppy, and pockets are always useful! Snowy wears a collar now.
- A take on the Yellow Shirt and Grey Sweater Vest Look from the earlier comics, a long sleeve baseball t-shirt with the corresponding colours! isnt menswear exciting
- Thought an all blue tracksuit and plimsolls with a baseball cap and glasses to hide his face would be fun as I guess dressing in traditional Chinese clothing wouldn’t make much sense as a disguise in modern day China. Chang would wear yellow crocs.
- The spacesuit! When Herge wrote Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon the moon landing didn’t happen yet - it was a piece of speculative science fiction. He modelled his suits very closely to actual speculative spacesuits from scientific sources. In a similar spirit I based this design off the MIT Bio-Suit, an experimental spacesuit that uses elasticity to maintain pressure on the human body rather than gas pressurisation which is used currently. The idea is to reduce bulk, which should make mobility easier. We’re probably still a long way from using spacesuits like this but hey! 
- basically looked up what modern mountaineering equipment looks like today. I imagine the bright colours help with spotting climbers out in the snow - there’s a part of Mt Everest called Rainbow Valley - it’s so-called because the colourful coats of various dead climbers dot the landscape, frozen in place because it’s too dangerous to retrieve the bodies. Sherpas often risk their lives for poor pay to the benefit of wealthy tourists wanting a bit of Everest glory - Herge made efforts to point this out in Tintin in Tibet through the character of Tharkey. Sadly things haven’t seemed to have changed much in that regard.
- A bomber jacket with a fur lined hood and snow boots. I absolutely loved his outfit in The Shooting Star, and Snowy’s little bib and pink ribbon! style icons honestly
911 notes · View notes
thelightsandtheroses · 4 months
Text
five: we'd only die of lonely secrets
Your Hand In Mine | Joel Miller x female reader.
Tumblr media
Chapter Summary: Your relationship with Joel hits some challenges when something happens with Ellie. Meanwhile, Gabe has some questions for Sean. Word Count - 3466 Chapter Warnings - mentions of self-harm (Ellie burns herself to cover her bite as in canon and the reader discovers her afterwards), mentions of secrets, disagreements, discussion of a child’s parentage, reader is a single mum of a teenager, possibly warnings for implied cults, 18+ blog MDNI Notes: I’m sorry for the delay in updating  - this chapter marks a little change in the fic and some drama and angst is coming but it’s been planned for a very long time. I really hope you will stick with it! Chapter title is from the National song the System Only Dreams In Total Darkness
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Previous | Series | Next
Being with Joel feels like second nature.  It doesn’t move too fast or slow, your relationship feels like a natural progression. It’s inevitable and undeniable and it feels good. Really good.
In the weeks that have passed since you and Joel officially first got together, since you turned up at his house that night, you’ve grown stronger. Gabriel and Ellie know about you both now, people around Jackson have stopped gossiping as much about the two of you.
You’re taking things slowly; spending no more than one or two nights at each other’s a week, telling yourselves that it’s okay to slow down a bit now, that you have time. It doesn’t feel like you have time when you’re alone though; then it’s still desperate hands and lips and barely repressed moans.
You thought you knew what life in Jackson was for you now. Joel’s changed things.
The leaves in Wyoming are changing too; the foliage has become bright orange and  yellow. It’s a sign of their incoming death and decay but it’s beautiful. You can’t help but be taken in by the colours and vivid beauty of the state you now live in. In Kansas, the city was built up and you hardly saw surroundings like this. Even when the leaves are dying, they’re still more beautiful than barricades and blockades.
You carefully check your reflection in the hallway mirror as you zip up your jacket.
After several artfully rearranged dates, Joel and you have been instructed to have dinner with Maria and Tommy. It shouldn’t be stressful; they’re your friends after all, but they’re Joel’s family and this feels like a test of your emerging relationship.
“Really mum?” Gabriel asks, leaning on the banister and smirking at you. His hair is getting long and in his favourite hoodie he looks younger for a moment, more like the little boy you remember. Not that you can say that to his face.
“Whatever do you mean?” you ask in mock ignorance.
“You nervous?”
”Of course not.”
Gabriel raises an eyebrow at you. “Uh-huh.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve done the dinner with the family thing. It’s always been the other way around.”
“It’s Maria and Tommy,” he replies indignantly, shaking his head. “They were like, your friends before Joel even came here. Surely you’ve got the dibs here.”
“They’re his family.”
“They’re your friends.”
“I know. I’m relaxed, honest.” you reply, trying to hide your nerves as best as you can. You’re used to this being the other way around; to the dinners being with your family and this feels unfamiliar and daunting.
“So why are you wearing your best clothes?”
“Maybe, I just wanted to?”
“Uh-huh.” Your son shakes his head. “Well, hope you have fun anyway.”
“Thanks, sweetie.”
You hear a knock at the door and Gabe raises his eyebrows at you, not moving from his position on the stairs and instead sitting down on a stair with a sly smirk.
You open the door and smile widely at Joel. He’s wearing a deep blue chambray shirt and jean. You can’t help but notice how suspiciously clean his boots are too.
“Well look at you,” you say as he steps into the hallway.
“Hi,” he replies, nodding his head at Gabe as well. “Hey, Gabe.”
“Hey,” Gabe replies as he observes Joel, carefully looking him over as well. “Not you as well,” he mumbles which cause you burst out laughing as Joel looks at you in confusion.
“Don’t ask,” you say, grateful for a sudden distraction as Beau steps out from the kitchen, nodding at Joel in greeting.
“You on patrol tomorrow?” he asks.
“Yeah, Tommy and I got roped into an extra shift. Well, Tommy did and he signed me up.”
“Gotta love family for that,” Beau says with a laugh.
“Tell me about it,” Joel replies, shaking his head and raising his hands in the universal ‘what can do you do’ pose.
“Why are there extra shifts?” your son asks.
“Signs of infected, or … signs we ought to be a little more vigilant with our patrols for a couple of days,” Beau says and looking at your son’s face, quickly adds, “We’re not adding extra patrols for people in school, not right now. It’s just a precaution.” Joel looks at your face briefly and then back at Beau.
“Oh, okay.” You wish your son didn’t sound disappointed at the prospect of not being needed on additional patrols. He’s growing too quickly; in your mind he’s still this tiny baby you could hold with one hand and now he’s a man, creeping ever closer to adulthood by the minute.
“Right, we should head out.” You make your way over to Gabriel, briefly hugging him despite his falsified reluctance. “Love you,” you say in a quiet voice so the others can’t hear and squeezing him one last time before stepping away.
When you step outside your house, Joel clasps your hand, pulling you close to him on the porch.
He kisses you tenderly, wrapping one arm around you before you both head towards Tommy and Maria’s.
“You look real pretty today,” he says, emphasising the southern drawl that lingers in his voice. There’s mischief and desire and something else in his eyes. You’ve taken in the details on his face and committed them to your heart now. Each freckle, sunspot or scar has been logged over nights and mornings and stolen moments.
“You’re not too bad yourself,” you reply, leaning into his touch. “We could change our mind -”
“Head to the bench?”
“Or yours. Either works for me.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I’m just saying that we have an evening to ourselves and maybe we could do something else.”
“It sounds like an option. Probably for the best, Tommy’s really only good with a barbecue. Lived off our leftovers or takeout back in the day.”
“So you were the cook?”
Joel flushes. “I wouldn’t go that far. I - Sarah cooked too. I worked a lot.“
“Oh yeah?” you ask casually. You only learnt about Sarah recently under similar circumstances, a quick slip of the tongue, a panicked expression and then a brief confession. Joel’s experienced a loss you never want to truly understand, but one you need to try and empathise with.  “You were a contractor, right?”
Joel raises an eyebrow in surprise. “Ellie told you that?”
“Oh, yeah. Ellie was extremely proud to tell me about you being a contractor Before. She seems to think it was a real popular job back then.”
Joel looks down, stifling a laugh. “I mean - you can’t argue it’s not better than being a politician, right?”
You smirk. ”Only just.”
Joel squeezes your shoulder tighter as you approach Tommy and Maria’s. “I’ll remember that,” he teases. “For that, we’re definitely not skipping dinner.”
“Did I ever tell you how much I respect the art of carpentry, and spirit levels and building stuff? Fixing stuff?”
Joel cocks an eyebrow. “Uh huh. Spirit levels, really?”
“I didn’t hang around a lot of construction sites.”
“Good thing too. Right, let’s get this thing over with so I can get you back to mine.”
“Why Mr Miller, anyone would think you have plans for me.”
Joel smirks wickedly. “You’ll have to find out,” he whispers, kissing you briefly on the lips before knocking on Tommy’s door.
Tumblr media
The sun is still rising as you approach the back porch of your home the following morning. The town is lit in a rosy glow; everything is softer, more mellow.
“I’m sick of feeling like she’s keeping secrets from me is all,” Gabe says, kicking the edge of the porch half-heartedly.
“She’s your mum, that’s just - that’s just being a parent. I don’t - I don’t think there’s any big secrets.” You steel yourself for a blow that never comes, for Sean to add something.
“But she never talks about him. I don’t know anything. You don’t say anything either, neither does Uncle Beau. No one talks about it.”
“I know. It’s - it was a difficult time, Gabe, none of us want to go back to then.”
“It’s not like when it had just happened - you know, you can’t just say that, Uncle Sean. I only want to know something - I want to feel like there’s not just this question mark over who my dad was. I know what happened to him and I know loads of kids who had the same thing happen but their parents tell them about the other one, they have photos or memories they talk about,” Gabe pauses and adds, “I want to feel like I had a dad. I’ve never ever seen a photograph of him. Do I even look like him? I know it upsets mum to talk about it. That’s why I’ve come to you.”
You can feel the tears building in your eyes, the stabbing ache in your stomach at your son’s words, at his plaintive desperate voice. What have you done? What are you continuing to do?
There’s a silence as you try and work out if you should intervene, if you should say something and join this conversation or if you’d only make things worse.
“I was there when you were born,” Sean says in a low voice that you can hardly hear.
“What?”
“I helped deliver you,” he says and you watch the way he puts a hand on Gabe’s back as your son sits next to him. 
“I did not need to know that. I get it, okay. I know you and Uncle Beau - but that’s not the point.”
“I know it’s not, but I’ve been there for every milestone of your life. So’s your Uncle Beau. You have never been without love for a second. Your mum would do anything for you. She’s our family, you are our family. It might not feel enough, but it’s the best I can give you. I’m sorry you didn’t get to have a dad with you growing up, but you got me and Uncle Beau and that’s like double what most kids get.”
“Really? That’s your argument here?”
“It worked when you were seven.”
You hear the snort of laughter.
”Mum seems happier,” he says, ”She really likes Joel, I can tell.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“It’s a good thing. She’s - she deserves to be happy too. That’s why we all came here, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Joel seems decent enough and I like him better than her ex already.”
“What an endorsement,” Sean says with a laugh.
“Whatever, I’m heading inside.”
“Okay.”
You watch your son head back inside and after a moment dare to step forward. A twig snaps under your feet and Sean instantly looks alert, his hands poised by his jeans pocket. 
“It’s you,” he says as you approach. “Shit, how much did you hear?” Sean asks.
“Enough.” You lean your head back and sigh. “Thank you.”
“He’s not stopping, sweetie, he’s a clever kid. He knows we’re keeping something back.”
”I don’t get it.”
“I do. If I was keeping something from you, would you keep asking or let it go?”
“That’s-”
“He’s your kid for sure.”
“So, what it’s my fault for not talking about him enough?”
“I think we didn’t mean to, but we’ve made him realise there’s more to the story and so of course, he won’t let that go.”
“So what do I do?”
“We could -”
“That’s not an option,” you say firmly, arms folded. “We swore we’d never tell him about The Junction.”
“Well, that was when he was five and still fucking believed in the tooth fairy. I just think - maybe, I get it, I so get it, but maybe we’ve made it worse by not talking about it. About any of it.” Sean looks sad for a moment. “We put those years in a box, but they still happened.”
“We’ll figure something out, won’t we?” You feel so small all of a sudden; every moment of confidence, of happiness in the dinner at Tommy and Maria’s, your night with Joel has evaporated. You hug your arms around yourself and look up at the stars.
“Of course we will,” Sean says. ”So, uh, tell me about the dinner.“
You sit next to him and lean your head on his shoulder before you start to talk to your best friend.
Tumblr media
You can’t remember if Joel’s due back from his day’s work yet. Him and Tommy were out on that extra patrol because there had been reports of potential infected or raiders nearby. You thought it might be good to
You hear a faint cry and muffled scream from somewhere in the house.
Ellie.
It’s automatic and primal, your instincts kick in as you open the door and run up towards the commotion in the kitchen.
You have no idea what you will find in the house - you prepare for an infected, an intruder, anything.
Somehow you didn’t even consider this though.
Ellie is standing over the sink and her arm - you think it’s cut. Then you realise.
It’s a burn.
Her arm is burning.
There’s a turned over bottle of kitchen chemicals next to the sink and you notice how your legs feel unsteady beneath you. You try and remember the basic first aid, the things you are supposed to and not do.
She needs you.
”Oh shit,“ she says, seeing your face. “I - I uh, spilt it. I didn’t - shit. It really fuckin’ hurts.” She looks so young, so scared and vulnerable at this moment.
“Okay, we’ve got this, Ellie. It’s all going to be okay.”
You exhale and then move.
Tumblr media
You’re waiting for Joel. Ellie’s okay, her arm is clean and you’ve bandaged it as best as you can. There are hundreds of small alarms going off in your head. Something feels off about this incident; Ellie’s evasive, hiding something.
“Ellie - I -”
“I’m fine.”
“Did you - is everything okay, Ellie?”
“I just burnt my fucking arm so -” Ellie pauses. “Sorry - I’m okay, I’m fine. It’s uh, a good thing you were passing by.”
“When’s Joel due back?”
“Hey Ellie?” You ask, nervously twisting the edge of your shirt around your fingers. “Is - everything okay at home? Or school?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. Why?”
You look at Ellie carefully, trying to sculpt your features into a clear message of ‘you can talk to me’. “I’m worried about you.”
“It was an accident,” Ellie says, looking at you with a piercing stare. “I was trying to clean the sink and -”
“Since when do you clean the sink?”
“Well, now we know why I don’t.” She reaches to touch the bandage and you shake your head.
“Try not to touch it. I don’t want it to get infected.”
“Okay.”
“You - you’re sure everything’s okay?”
“Yes!
Perhaps it’s foolish to think children can just be children these days, you’ve tried to shield Gabriel from so much. Maybe Ellie ….maybe she couldn’t be? You know enough about Ellie to know she’s an orphan, that her and Joel teamed up in Boston and that she’s become his family since then, his daughter.
Before you say anything else, Joel walks in. His face lights up when he sees you and Ellie only to very quickly fall when he sees her arm. He moves over to her quickly, his face wan and wrought with worry as he gets on his knees to examine her bandaged arm. “What the hell happened?”
“Ellie was cleaning the sink; she spilt the chemical on herself.”
“What?” Joel looks like he wants to be sick. He keeps looking at her arm and then at Ellie’s face.
“It was an accident,” Ellie says before looking over at you,  “Luckily you were stopping by and you turned out to be pretty good with first aid.”
Joel raises an eyebrow at you. “I’m hardly a doctor.”
“Thank you,” he says with relief, sitting back on his knees.
“She looked after me. She was really nice,” she adds in a quiet voice. “She uh - washed it and then dressed it and - I’m, I’m going to head upstairs to do some homework.”
“Ellie -”
There’s a moment of silence after Ellie leaves the room. The only sound is Joel’s bones creaking as he gets up from the floor and sits on the sofa.
You move to the armchair next to him, your heart racing as you know you need to say the words you’ve been thinking since you walked into his home today.
“I’m worried she hurt herself on purpose,” you whisper, hands clasped soberly in your lap.
Joel freezes. “She wouldn’t do that.”
“I know you think that -”
“I’ll talk to her, okay?” There’s something in his eyes, some small sense of recognition or something that you can tell he’s keeping from you.
“What aren’t you tellin’ me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I can tell there’s something, Joel, give me some credit. I’ve survived long enough to read faces.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but you’re reading me wrong.”
“Joel, I - what are you keeping from me?”
“Don’t.” You understand where Gabe gets it from now. You can tell there’s more to this story and you want to push at it, poke the scab until it bleeds, know the truth because you only imagined a hundred terrible stories until you know this.
You’re both standing now, both looking at each other with equal parts desperation and concern. “Talk to me, Joel. I thought you trusted me -”
“You think you get to know everything right away? I have been honest with you, sweetheart, and I like you a lot. I didn’t think I’d find someone so - but that doesn’t mean you’ve got the right to ask that?”
“Joel -”
“I have never pushed you about your past, about your secrets. I have trusted you; I’ve let you into my home, my - Ellie’s home too.”
You feel your face heat with shame. “I just - I was worried about Ellie.”
“You don’t need to worry about her,” Joel snaps, “That’s my job.”
“Oh, fuck you, Joel.”
Joel swallows and exhales slowly. “I don’t wanna fight with you, please leave this. I swear I will tell you what you need to know.”
“I don’t want you to decide what I need to know.” There are moments, memories that rise to the surface like bile. You can’t fall into that trap again.
“Then what do you want? Total honesty, because that goes both ways, sweetheart.”
The conversation you overheard between Sean and Gabe flashes in your head, the many secrets you have kept from so many people, including Joel, over the years.
 Sometimes you wonder if you’ve told so many half-truths, you’ve forgotten what actually happened in the past now. If all that’s left are lightly edited ghosts of a life half-lived.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here,” you whisper.
“I can - I promise you that I would never hurt Ellie, or you, or Gabriel.” He swallows. “Not ever consciously at least. I can promise you that right here and right now. Is that enough? Can that be enough?”
“I - okay.”
“Okay.”
You reach out and meet Joel in the middle, letting him wrap his arms around you. “I’ll talk to Ellie, okay? I promise.”
“Thanks.”
Tumblr media
You shrug your bag to your other shoulder around you as you lock the library door behind you. It’s still light outside but there’s a chill starting that shows that twilight is on its way. 
You turn around, ready to go home, when you notice there are two people standing ahead of you.
Sean and Beau are looking at you with grave expressions.
You take in Sean’s appearance first. His hands are fiercely dug into his hoodie pockets, he’s looking down and the way his leg is nervously shaking rings all too many alarm bells.
“Where’s Gabe?” you ask automatically, looking frantically around. Where is your son? What has happened to him?
 “It’s not about him,” Sean says with a devastated voice and somewhere you know you’re starting to piece this together. For Sean and Beau to look at you like this, for your best friend to be acting this way, there’s only a few things it could be. This isn’t normal - something is terribly wrong.
“Beau, just tell me. Please!”
Beau doesn’t say anything immediately, he looks at Sean and then sighs. After a second, he produces a small piece of paper out of his jeans pocket, unfolding it carefully.
It’s such a small piece of paper; you wonder what on Earth is on this, what could possibly cause such distress to both Sean and Beau.
There’s a sick feeling rising in your stomach, the sense of someone pulling a thread tightly around your organs.
“We need to talk about the Junction,” Beau says flatly, showing you the simple design on the paper that instantly sends your heart lurching to your stomach.
Oh.
Oh.
You knew things were going too well.
Tumblr media
Tag List
YHIM: @orcasoul @pedropascalsbbg @yoursoulsunbreakable @iamskyereads @genetics4life @everyth1ngfan @frickatives @perennialdoll247 @joelsgreys @pedrobaby @missladym1981 @noisynightmarepoetry @picketniffler @titlee78
Everything Pedro tag-list: @harriedandharassed @pedrostories @hiroikegawa @pedrosaidsheispunk @pastelnap
102 notes · View notes
googlyeyesonmagiccards · 10 months
Photo
Tumblr media
“Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the Master: His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.”
156 notes · View notes
lightandfellowship · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Please Consider Him (my attempt at a Quadratum Vidar).
Design notes under the read more:
There were multiple elements of Vidar's original design that I wanted to maintain for his Quadratum look: his blue/yellow/black/beige color scheme, his black turtleneck, his asymmetrical top, and his partially uncovered arms. I felt these elements were essential to properly capturing Vidar's vibe, and changing or removing them would make him feel...well, less like Vidar.
For his top, I knew I wanted to simulate the asymmetrical jacket, where one side was longer than the other, and also give him something with a collar since his jacket kinda has a collar, so I thought a half-untucked button-down would do the job nicely. I didn't really want to give Vidar a typical coat or anything long-sleeved, even though that would be a natural route to take given his original jacket, because again, like I said, I wanted some part of his arms to be uncovered. So I made his button-down have rolled up sleeves that are secured in place by a button. I copied the beige lining design from his original jacket, of course, along with the square design on his shoulders, only facing out instead of in so that his collar doesn't overlap it.
I originally considered turning Vidar's sash chain into a pocket chain, since that seems like the most obvious way to translate it into a more modern accessory, but I decided not to for two reasons. One, Baldr's design already features a pocket chain, and I didn't want to pull from other characters' designs. And two, I thought it might conflict with the untucked shirt, making that area of the design too busy. So I decided to turn it into a necklace instead. I also gave Vidar matching earrings, but I mostly just did that for style, not for any specific design reason.
I was really torn about what to do with Vidar's yellow sash. Some options I considered were a yellow buckled belt or a yellow jacket tied around his waist, but I felt like these fashion choices would be too loud for Vidar's personality (idk, that amount of yellow looks fine for Vidar's more traditional clothing, but modern fashion in bright yellow just doesn't feel right for him). I eventually settled on turning the sash into a cloth bracelet. It maintains the knotted cloth look while also being more understated, just a small pop of color on his wrist. I paired it with a beaded bracelet that matches his necklace, and a plain black bracelet on the opposite wrist to resemble his original right glove design. I also noticed that Vidar has some white cloth wrappings underneath his left glove, and even though they're probably not meant to be bandages, I took inspiration from that regardless and gave him a little bandaid on his elbow.
I decided to translate the black obi underneath his yellow sash into a black buckled belt. His original left glove also has studding on the top edge, so I gave this belt some studs as well. I think it helps it to stand out from the black pants better, since they're so similar in hue/value. (Tangent--apologies for not adding belt loops to his pants, I couldn't get it to look right. So his belt is just kinda suspended there without anything securing it in place. Oh well.) I also let him keep the fingerless gloves from his original design but just made them shorter so that they'd be more practical to everyday living. And also so that there's more room for his bracelets.
His pants are basically the same, I just made them a little less poofy, for that jeans-tucked-into-boots look (even though these pants probably aren't jeans). And I wasn't really sure what to do with his boots (shoe design is an enigma to me), so I just took the belts from his gloves and put them on his boots to make them look a bit more interesting.
So yeah! That was my thought process for this design.
223 notes · View notes