#dude has some kind of goddamn addiction to it

[iridescentdove]

I don’t know if you already did this but can I request bad men with f!reader that is like Lumine full power. I heard that with new lore drops that the traveler could destroy world’s. I’m also a huge Lumine fan both as the traveler and abyss princess <33333

Chuuya, Dazai, Jouno & Atsushi x Lumine! Reader

(I just chose the characters myself ehe)

Lumine is skeptical but shares the same curiosity her twin has for everything, she's rational and courageous, along with being generous and helpful towards others that need assistance. And most especially, rather beautiful and somewhat quiet, yet considered rather expressive.

As if a primordial being – Lumine holds power able to destroy worlds and travel through them with ease, and yet, most of it having been sealed away by the Unknown God's own bidding. What happens when she regains her full power and travels through the world of BSD?

Fyodor, Ranpo & Sigma Ver.

CHUUYA NAKAHARA:

You probably already stand out enough due to peculiar clothing and ur girlboss appearance 😩

He is literally so confused- you're saying this short blondie saved worlds and can travel through them all and has these Godly powers to DESTROY EVERYTHING?? UM

Okay but he does admit, you're probably full of surprises. And he admires your brave, courageous nature.

ALSO HE'S SO HAPPY YOUR SHORTER THAN HIM AAA

You're honestly a cute little bean, and a very strong one at that too – so you do get along rather well. Plus you got his back whenever he needs help

His pride probably won't allow him to say it but in some cases you're really helpful in various ways.

You one time, said he reminded you of a familiar sketchy ginger in the previous world you visited through, and now he's actually kinda curious.

Tar- Tar- Taglia lover of Snezhnayan Queen

Someone please make me fanart of Childe! Chuuya and Lumine! Reader I will pay you will all of the massive dumpload of fanfics you will ever want to see

I can imagine him just walking into the PM headquarters one day and greeting you with ...

"Hey girlie." 😏 *lip bite* i am sorry

The first time he witnessed your strength wss when you single handedly beat up the fucking hunting dogs without batting an eye?? Hello?? Wtf sis

"(Y/N) WHAT THE FUCK" "This is normal, no worries"

He is very curious to even know about all of the things you've seen and fought across worlds ...

When you tell him you literally beat up God *cough*Raiden*cough* dude's jaw smashed to the ground

Though you're not very talkative, you sure do have some ... interesting expressions. He's floored. Bro and you're smaller than him he delights in pinching your cheeks and ruffling your hair sjsiskak

Even if he's thankful you're around to help, he does feel as if people abuse your kindness way too much ...

So now he's your bodyguard yay! :D

Whichever bitch tryna shred your ass? You bet he's giving this menacing ass aura, readily cocking a fucking gun and slamming them around across with his gravity manipulation

If you're visibly tired and people keep asking for more help? He will snap at them and tell them to leave you alone <3

By the end of the day, this man is just ... so addictive wtf

And in a romantic light also he literally tries to hide his blushing whenever he sees you whether in a new outfit or not LIKE your beauty is Godly fr

I don't make the rules. This Tartaglia 2.0 worships you.

And if you're the abyss princess instead of traveler, he is definitely thinking ur some hot shit. Same Chuuya, I want her to step on me.

Whenever there's nothing to do, he just sits down and listens to you talk about your journey in other worlds.

And whenever he and you go out on missions together and you give him compliments along the way he's floored, and trying not to show how affected he is with them

Hear me out ... praise kink

DAZAI OSAMU:

Okay, you already know the drill. Once this man sees you he's gonna do a fucking double take

HELLO?? YOU ARE ACTUALLY SO GODDAMN PRETTY

Will ask you to do a double suicide. If you're done with bullshit say actually say yes, I think he's dead in love. If you say no with a blank face, this bitch grows desperate

Well either way he's gonna fucking love you so why not

Did assume that you definitely weren't from this world, just not really the full detail. So he got curious.

Your journeys from different world intrigued him, and the fact you were basically an actual shooting star. Just soaring through the sky away from all the shit like aight m8

But you'd bet this is Dazai, so of course he wants to go see you in action.

After all, you are kinda like, God-level strong.

So why not? You know he wouldn't be too surprised, but he's gonna go apeshit the moment he sees you take on like freaking all PM executives at once and stuff.

HE DID NOT EXPECT YOU ACC TAKE THE DARE LOL

But it didn't really matter because you did somehow manage to defeat them. And literally with your full power? Hello the city is shaking 😐

Chuuya was boutta use corruption but he got smacked into the 6th dimension before he even blinked HAHA

You're so done with everything. His double suicide offer still stands y'know, it's not that late.

Bet he dragged you into the mersault prison drama

... He's smart as hell, we all know this bitch can prepare for an event that isn't even happening yet in 171919 years

... But ..l did you just ... beat him in a game of chess?

No you ate the chess pieces whenever he blinked

Okay well great- at least the agency has an OP new member that can fucking traverse to another dimension-

If you were abyss princess, he's down on his knees begging you to choke him zaddy can't stay still 😩

Thinks it's hot

If it's in a romantic light, you can take a guess. You both do get rather close – and you're one of the very few he trusts because of how helpful and trustful you are.

It will take some time but he'll show you the reason behind his bandages. You can sense some anxiety in his expression, a vulnerable state for the first time.

But the fact you just accept it? He's over the moon <3

Dazai will not accept from bullshit from other people. Any disrespect directed to you, he's boutta go Dark Era on them so just pray he don't do that unless you want to, simp.

You can tell he'll just ... go over his loneliness all over again when you decide to travel through a new world and leave.

But of course, you assure him you'll return to visit :)

Yay! ✨️

Rest assured you're not gonna let him go through that pain, so if you dare even think of leaving him

I'm sending my homies after you.

JOUNO SAIGIKU:

You'd bet he's a bit skeptical at first, he's not sure whether he can believe a story like that at all 💀

But the thump of your heartbeat begged to differ, because you actually weren't lying. So I guess now he's just kind of curious about your existence. and your powers

As for your beauty this man is blind asf bro what u expect

So even though he has no idea how you look like, he can still bet your gorgeous and he's obviously right.

As per part of the Hunting Dogs, they all have their own individual beliefs on justice. And because you're prone to helping others a lot, he actually appreciates it.

Won't abuse your kindness though, he doesn't really ask for help. Unless they're in an actual dire situation.

Plus you strong asf so 🗿

Although he's busy, both ya'll can take some time for some peace and just chit chat. Honestly, this man wants to know the deets like c'mon spill the tea sis

He's probably interested in whatever you have to say abour Teyvat, especially Fontaine. I can feel it

I mean it's the nation of justice bro what else

Jouno will sit down, listening to your tales about Fontaine and the God of Justice – (he's fucking flabbergasted knowing it was a bratty child who is like shorter than you)

No fr he did not expect that shit 😭

"Also she's really short" "Really now?" "She's like a bratty child who almost got assassinated while playing with cats" "A ... A child?" "Yea and dramatic" "(Y/N), whAT"

This man would probabpy do a double take and question even the existence of Gods. HOO BOY

"... You're telping me the Gods there are broke and et bullied by their own people 24/7" "Yeah"

Let's just say he's now questioning life.

But then again, anything is possible now so he just rolls with it and enjoys his time with you.

Don't tell me he doesn't enjoy lesrning more about your powers and how useful it can really be to the Hunting Dogs.

Once he decided to spar with you, because his patience was wearing thin and he really wanted to know how far the heights of your power could stretch.

He was fairly sure that it wouldn't be an easy win, but he really thought he'd win. Lol.

He was all ready and stuff, slowly unsheathing his sword as you and him clashed ways.

... After that, he promised himself as he was nearly buried six feet under.

Nah most especially if you were the abyss princess because this man literally won't last. He'd actually put up a really good fight, he's strong as hell.

But still, he plummets to the ground like Odasaku.

... Never again, I assume.

ATSUSHI NAKAJIMA:

You and him met when he was running errands after being told forced by Dazai.

Holy shit he looked so tired. He was sweating as he ran back and forth across multiple shops and streets. Being you, you went over to give him a helping hand.

Canonically Atsushi's type is someone kind and patient, so he just was actually rather happy.

Congrats for being friends with the furry 😍

He adores how nice you are for being a helping hand, and he admires your bravery honestly. That shit is what keeps him going on the daily

No but fr you were so PRETTY too. And innocent looking

So imagine he does a fucking 180° when he sees you casually coming into the agency to help them beat up the Port Mafia?? SINGLE HANDEDLY HELLO

He's beginning to rethink everything he thought about you. Ok cool, you travel through worlds, fought God, is strong a–

... Wait a minute 😐

He nearly passed out from the amount of sheer info dump that you gave him. He's beyond shocked.

But also happy you're there to help. He trusts you and just loves everything about you. You're pretty blunt and quiet, but you're courageous and have cute facial expressions.

Chub squishy cheeks uwu

He literally would not ask for anything more. And you have some interesting things to talk about!

Atsushi is intrigued in the types of things you faced and the places you've visited. The fact you're literally bullshitting through and brave enough to face God himself??

You probably went through stuff. He respects you sm.

He's like a little kid all over again, sitting down with his knees to his chest as he listens to you talk about Tevyat.

You'd just be doing something in the far corner like fucking fantasizing on killing Timmie's pigeons again and he's just

Heart face emoji 😍

No matter what you do, Atsushi honestly believes in you and he knows you're of really good help. The agency welcomes you with open arms.

Bro he's just in love leave him be. Furries still need that love and attention bbg

Ngl since abyss princess is more stoic and somewhat intimidating boy is tryna stay away from you lmfao

"Not a second Akutagawa!" bitch 🗿

Yet we all know this man cannot stay away from you. You bet he's right there 24/7, admiring you and protecting you with his life.

Pet him in his tiger form pls 🤲

#bsd x reader #bsd headcanons #genshin #bungou stray dogs #port mafia #armed detective agency #hunting dogs bsd #chuuya headcanons #dazai osamu #bsd #jouno x reader #bsd atsushi #ranpo x reader #bsd ranpo #bsd men x reader #lumine #genshin crossover

[nitpickrider]

a bit silly, but if you had to fill an Avengers roster, who would you pick?

Wooof, oh me oh my. Let's lay down some ground rules before I do this. 1). Only people who have been Avengers at some previous point in time. Doesn't narrow it down a LOT but this list would be a jigsaw of my favorite Z-Listers otherwise 2). Limiting it to seven people. That's the magic number with superhero teams and it gives me a reason to stop

Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America: Sometimes you just cannot beat a classic and when it comes to Avengers line ups there is no one that I think is more integral than Captain America. The pathos that he brings to the table no matter what character he is interacting with is palpable and reading through his first big volume has given me a deep respect and love for the character. He's our leader for sure, the axis of solid, steady service I can hang my weirder picks on.

Dr. Walter Newell AKA Stingray: You all saw this coming and don't act like you didn't. One of my favorite if not my FAVORITE Marvel Characters of all time. He's a doctor with an interesting specialization. His "I'm only a part time superhero" hangup is even funnier and more interesting if forced into the limelight on THE hero team. Not to mention he comes with his own swanky Hydrobase we can use for an HQ and with his wife and four kids running around underfoot we have the kind of domestic adorability I think any good team needs.

Miguel Santos AKA Living Lightning: The first time I can ever remember reading about a comic book hero being gay, as just like, part of who they are. A tiny detail in their rich inner life. Not to mention the less respect a character gets the more I want to lift them up on my shoulders. He could be the sweetheart with a little chip on his shoulder from not getting the respect his objectively awesome powers objectively deserve.

Angelica Jones AKA Firestar: Something you may not know about me. The first piece of media that really opened my eyes as to the potential and depth and scope of the Marvel Universe was Spiderman and His Amazing Friends. It was cheesy, it was cheap and yet Angelica was the first character that I felt SPECIAL for knowing and caring about. She's happy, she's passionate, her simple classic costume kicks ass and the New Warriors need their goddamn respect. 'Nuff said.

Sersi, Just Sersi: What little I have seen of this character fucking FASCINATES me. This woman is chaos incarnate. It's like she is actively making on the fly decisions with everyone she meets whether she's going to kill them, screw them, turn them into a small mammal or some combination of the three. She's *Instant Plot Complication Just Add Water* because she saw a butterfly and that somehow translates to her blowing the entire team's cover.

Dane Whitman AKA The Black Knight: I love everything about him. I love his vibe, I love the fact that his backstory is built partially around recontextualizing the lore of a mostly forgotten Atlas fantasy comic. I love that he has a wickedly evil cursed blade that comes with the side effect of basically holding him hostage to a heroic moral code. And on top of that he's a dorky intellectual who can't see a social cue if it's blaring at him from oncoming traffic.

Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk: ...I do not feel the need to explain or justify this choice. YOU know Jen is awesome. *I* know Jen is awesome. She-Hulk does not need justification. She shows up in stories and makes them better by existing. Also yes this is the bodytype I'd use. Yes, I have an addiction. No, I don't feel the need to explain that either. RESERVISTS: Characters I really like but either don't know enough about or don't think they make good Avengers

Marc Spector and System AKA Moon Knight: One of my favorite dudes but does NOT play well with others. Was interesting for about 10 seconds as a member of the West Coast team but I'd prefer he never touch the ranks again.

Flint Marko AKA Sandman: Marvel did Sandman fucking dirty by never letting him fully reform and be the good guy. I want Sandman to be the good guy dammit

Maria de Guadalupe Santiago AKA Silverclaw: I know literally nothing about her outside of reference books but her powers are dope and I dig her vibe.

#marvel #marvel comics #marvel universe #marvel heroes #superhero #comics #avengers #captain america #steve rogers #walter newell #stingray #jennifer walters #she-hulk #living lightning #miguel santos #angelica jones #firestar #dane whitman #black knight #sersi #marc spector #moon knight #flint marko #sandman #maria de guadalupa santiago #silverclaw #Hope this is what you wanted becuase it took me fucking 40 minutes!

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Some Kind Of Hero (Leslie Fish)

I saw she had left on the screen “If any old shipmates should ask after Moll, Just tell them she finally died clean.”

"Old sci-fi ballad about some folks in a space station emergency, and the three people that were able to save everyone. Two of them died in the process, and the song is from the perspective of the surviving hero, insisting that they're not the real hero here - everyone should remember and respect the other two more, and why. It also has one of the most heartbreaking (but bittersweet) depictions of someone struggling with addiction that I've heard in a song."

Poll Runner: One of the first songs in this tournament I truly got attached to. This whole album slays. It's got so much worldbuilding in one song!

Heir of Grief (Homestuck)

"Dude. it's just so goddamn good. The rhythms. god. at around 4 minutes in it just goes absolutely fucking ham on the guitar and it's so goddamn good. every time I listen to it I like. whisper scream the melody out alongside and nearly give myself whiplash headbanging. God it's so good. Also--this song is in Homestuck, and it's one of four tracks that plays during the final battle flash. One of the greatest things about Homestuck's music is its use of recurring motifs--something Toby Fox carried with him when he later wrote Undertale's music. Heir of Grief is FULL of melodies and motifs from throughout the entire webcomic, and it ties them all together in this dramatic summation of it all on bold piano and KILLER electric guitar. I am obsessed."

Some Kind of Hero submitted by @shadybug

Heir of Grief submitted by @demimonde-semigoddess

#fuck you up bracket #tournament #polls #leslie fish #homestuck

[delusional-mishaps]

I’m going a hiatus but I wanted to ask for something before I doooooo!!! May I ask for some Epic Sans x reader headcanons?

Where the reader and Epic are friends but they unknowingly crush on each other and when Epic finally tries flirting, he learns the reader gets extremely flustered very easily. (Ah yes kabedons….instant melting-)

Thank you in advance! Also it’s been awhile, how have you been?

I NEVER SAW THIS WHAN YOU SENT IT IN IMSO SORRY 😭😭😨

genuinely still dont know much abt epic but hes kinda silly so lets see how this goes!! apologies if he's ooc im too lazy to look up anything about him

also ive been good thank you for asking ^^ livin life in beast mode since i got a cross bodypillow,,

motherfucker is WHIPPED goddamn 👴 always has some degree of a blush on his face when you're around,,,, or when he's talking about you,,, or thinking about you,,,,

you think his lil flushed cheeks are soo cute

because they ARE?? if only u knew they were flushed cuz of you <33

he likes to rant to anyone who'll listen abt how adorable you are. how in love with you he is. how he just wants to kiss your cute little face all over, leave you flushed and dizzy—

cross is FED UP with listening to his simping 😒😡

he's always so giddy around you. boundless energy, like you're some drug that gets his metaphorical heart pumping. really, you ARE like a drug to him. he's ADDICTED to you, the way you make him feel,,

ofc he'd never tell you that... that's too embarrassing!

until he decides to somehow make a stupid pick-up line.

"hey bruh, are you a drug? cuz i feel like im dying when im without you for an extended period of time."

WHY are you blushing at that horrible, stupid line?? he could have made it SO MUCH better, but this is SO him—silly and slightly nonsensical—and while it was kind of dumb, he's using a pick up line on you oh my god

nerd ass weeb anime mf will call you his waifu or husbando or whatever. it always makes you blush when he introduces you as "my awesome (waifu/husbando) whom i love" but you always just. brush it off as a joke. cuz i mean he can't ACTUALLY like you right? haha he's just overly friendly pshh ofc ourse he diesnt actually like you that's crazy—

sorry writing that actually made me cringe i cant believe he would say that 😭 life is so hard when that's my husband's best friend #savemefromepic

for the longest time he doesn't even realise that he's flustering you, but OH BOY, when he DOES become aware,,,, lord help your poor poor SOUL, you won't have a moment of rest

i mean, c'mon, he thinks you look so cute when you're all flustered because of him,,,, so adorable how your eyes widen fractionally, the way your lips press together, how you try to hide your heated face from anyone's view,,, so cute <33

dude double's down in his flirting. no matter how wild what he says is, you always get that cute look on your face that makes him want to kiss you so fucking bad bro

then, one day, after the two of you watched some stupid cliché romance anime where the female protagonist was pinned to the wall by her love interest...

it's like a lightbulb went off in his empty head. that's peak anime romance, so why doesn't he do that to you? he bets you'd get so embarrassed and cute if he did that~

except it kind of backfires. he slams his hands against the wall, effectively caging you between them, but he's a little shorter than you and the force he used rocked him right into your body and it's more like he just body-checked you than anything. it took all of his strength to make sure he didn't accidentally nail you in the nose with his big fat head. still, the close proximity got you all flushed.

he really can't help himself when he leans up and finally, finally kisses you. call it the heat of the moment, but it was the perfect opportunity. pressed up against the wall, so close to each other,,, when you just look so cute, your soft body against his bones feeling just right, like two perfect puzzle pieces coming together...

he could feel when your breath hitched, the way you tensed for but a moment before fervently kissing him back. your face is positively burning, but it makes the kiss all the better, feeling divine against his cooled cheeks, flushed with his own blush.

he pulls back and then...!! leaves. he disappears, falling into his bed and kicking his feet. he's totally squealing, fanboying harder than he ever has before.

you're allowed to kick his ass for just leaving you like that

but he'll text you later that night asking if you wanna be his "official (waifu/husbando)" because he's cringe and can't just ask if you wanna date the normal way.. </3

i keep cringing at him. have fun with your weeb man. i'm judging you for your tastes (/j)

#pokegalla #epic sans #epic x reader #jester writes #sans x reader #undertale x reader #guys im so tired of tagging things #worst part of being a content creator on tumblr tr #fr* #ok i actually had fun with this one though #feel like he may be hella ooc but likr i said #im lazy 😭 #...ignore the lact i had like five other requests before this one #I FEEL BAD CUZ YOU WERE GOING IN HAIRUS 😭

[bracketsoffear]

For a more in-depth "why Palpatine is very much a good Web Avatar" propaganda, here's a copy-paste of what I wrote in my submission for him:

He's an absolutely terrible person, which is always a good first step for saying why someone would be a good Avatar. Like, the dude has zero redeeming features, unless you count "he brings the fandom together because everyone loves to hate him".

He's incredibly manipulative, and SUCCESSFUL in his manipulations. The entire Star Wars prequel trilogy shows him going from the senator of some random planet, to the high chancellor of the Republic, to the emperor of his new empire. He starts a galaxy-wide war and plays both sides of it, putting his apprentice in charge of the nominal enemy, so that people will keep giving him more power "because it's needed for the war effort". (He then throws away said apprentice once no longer needed.) He takes advantage of both the good intentions and the selfishness of other people, to further his own gains, twisting them until the end results are unrecognizable from the starting goal.

He puts the Jedi in a position where all their options are bad; either a) they nope out of the war and be branded as traitors, and avoid any chance they had to make things better, or b) they take part in something they're unsuited for and that goes against their morals, and leads to high casualties for them, and also paints them as warmongers. Whichever option they picked, it would have led to their genocide, he made sure of that.

This is completely discounting his endeavours with Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader. Palpatine takes this nine-year-old former slave -- "I'm a person and my name is Anakin" -- and turns him into a man who kneels before him, calls him Master, does his bidding, and accepts a change of name. I'm not going to go into the details of the process, there's three whole movies and also an animated series that talk about it. But to summarize, Palpatine presents himself as the only person Anakin can trust, and encourages Anakin's worst traits.

I haven't even mentioned yet that Palpatine is a goddamn sith lord; because it's barely relevant to his character. Basically he's a kind of evil wizard that first the Jedi thought were extinct, and then they were looking all over for, never knowing it was right in plain sight. It's genuinely unclear whether Palpatine ever used mind-control magic (I know, Force stuff), or if it was all just good old-fashioned manipulation, which I think is incredibly fitting for a Web avatar. But there's also multiple references to the Dark Side being "addictive", and he encourages Anakin towards it.

.

#asks #character propaganda #web poll

[writerofshit]

This is absolutely unfinished, and is 100% my own memories that i, apparently, really need to let go of. I don't think they belong to me anymore, and their other handlers let go a long time ago.

Present

The sun is hot, soaking into the shoulders of Michael’s t-shirt. He readjusts his baseball cap, smashing his curls down even flatter. He fiddles with the key ring in his hand, running his thumbnail along the groove in the old penthouse key. it comes away dark and dirty. He should have given the key back when Geoff sold the place, but he could never bring himself to let it go. Besides, no one knew how many copies there really were, and the new owner had surely changed the locks. He can’t remember their name.

He glances up from his spot, leaning against Fredo’s latest passion project. It’s an old chevy something or other. Doesn’t mater much. There’s an older white guy heading his way, hands buried in his pockets.

“Can i help you?” Michael asks. he doesn't move from the car.

“You got a lighter?” The man’s voice is deep and gravely. Instinctively, MIchael reaches for his front jean pocket, and it isn’t until his hand comes up empty does he remember.

“Sorry dude, no.”

The guy tilts his head curiously at michael. “Should’ve asked you a couple years ago, huh?” He asks with a smile. It’s not so much a question as an assumption. Michael nods.

“Hell, six months ago I’d’ve been your guy.” Part of him wishes he still smoked, could still have an excuse to be standing out here isolating himself. Truth be told, it wouldn’t matter anyway. Fredo’s bound to roll his eyes at Michael regardless.

“good for you, kid.” THe guy says, nodding. “it’s a goddamn rotten habit.”

MIchael huffs out a laugh. “Worse than some, better than others.” He considers the myriad of other ways he used to pass the time. Cigarettes had been the least of his concern. All behind him now, though, so what difference does it make?

“A-fucking-men, kid.” tHe guy tilts his ehad towards Fredo’s door. “good luck.”

“With the car or the addiction?” He misses this too, unloading on strangers he’ll never see again.

“Both.” The guy says, smiling. “But especially the smokes. Quitting ain’t easy, believe me. Done it too many times to count.”

Michael’s heard this speech before, doesn’t care too much to hear it again. He doubts even this time will be his last time quitting. But that’s fine. He’s doing better for now. He’ll take what he can get.

“Thanks.” Michael says. He wants this guy to leave so he can sit here, wax poetically about his car. The guy salutes him and wlks away, and Michael’s back to waiting alone.

Double-O-Mog is in the shop, or the closest he can get it to these days. The car is old, and the crew has garages full of shiny new ones. it’s not high on the priority list, doesn’t need to be fixed. If Trevor had his way, it would’ve been junked years ago. BUt Double-O-Mog holds a lot of sentimental value to Michael, and Fredo’s got more free trime than sense to say ‘no’. So here they are.

The door dings open, and Michael looks up.

2016

“This genuinely sucks, doesn't it?.” The windows are down, and the trees are speeding by in a green blur

“Seriously! And I’m just saying this song makes no sense.” The windows are down, blowing Gavin’s douchey hairstyle in 12 directions at once. He’s smiling broadly, one hand dangling out of the window, the other reaching for the dial.

“Touch that knob and lose a finger.” Michael says flatly.

HIs left hand is hanging out his own window, pushing against the air presure of the highway. He has no particular attachment to the song, some one off from some band Jeremy had sent him. Mostly it’s fun to argue with Gavin, call him an idiot and hear him squeak in indignation.

“Michael.” Gavin admonishes, laughing. He flips the channel, landing on a Top 40 station. “So much better.” He says, grinning smugly at Michael.

Michael’s pretty sure the singer is Justin Timberlake. it’s kind of terrible. Gavin belts out the lyrics, horrifically off key. “Can’t stop the feeling!” He draws out the ‘ee’ in ‘feeling’. He kind of loves this.

A car pulls beside them, glancing over obviously. Gavin waves, and the driver, a twenty something with dark hair and darker bags under his eyes, waves back. “Shit!” Gavin says, leaning toward Michael. He points at the other car. “I worked with him years ago. Glad he’s still around.”

Michael presses harder on the accelerator, and the car lurches forward and past the man Gavin used to know. “Can we go anywhere in this fuckin city without running into somebody you know?” He asks. He flips the turn signal, easing Double-O-Mog into the right lane. He’s 80% sure they need to get off at the next exit.

“Excuse me for being popular.” Gavin says, sitting back in the seat. He glances out the window. “Are we close?”

“I think?” It doesn’t really matter. Either they’ll get off and be right, or they’ll be wrong and have to get back on. Or not. Truthfully, Michael could keep speeding down this highway for forever, keep bickering back and forth with Gavin until they run out of gas. He’d be happier doing that than going to work.

“Rumor has it Chris is working out here now.” Gavin says, turning the volume on the radio down. it’s moved on to a Chainsmokers’ song.

“Oh yeah? And the odds of running into him?”

“With me here?” Gavin grins at him. “Pretty damn good.”

2017

He’s drunk. So goddamn drunk. He’s not sure how they’ve ended up here, squished into the backseat, Jeremy’s body warm where it presses into Michael’s. The AC in Double-O-Mog stopped working years ago and they never figured out why. Michael drives with the windows down and it’s fine. But now it’s April and global warming has fucked spring straight into summer. The air feels heavy and humid, like it might actually choke him if he doesn’t take his shirt off.

“you are one of my best friends.” He says instead of disrobing. He means it, too. They’ve been on the edge of this, have spent too many nights drinking together and sitting too close. The whole crew knows there’s something there. Something Michael has allowed himself to dream of at night but never say aloud. He’s wondered, in a desperate longing sort of way, if Jeremy feels it too. Maybe he has before the other night, when they leaned against the hood and Jremy wrapped an arm aorund him.\

“I think you might be my only friend.” Jeremy says. His face is turned into the side of Michael’s, but Michael won’t turn. What happens if he does? Will it be the beginning of the end? If he turns and they kisss and maybe they have sex, what then? Do they stay friends? Become more than that?

“I’m telling Gavin you said that.” Just keep making jokes, keep trying to sober up. The moment will pass and the cat will stay ambiguous.

“I don’t talk to Gav like I talk to you.” Jeremy says, huffing a laugh into his ear. “Definitely not like we are tonight.” He slips a hand to MIchael’s knee, slung over Jeremy’s lap.

“To his great dsappointment.” Michael jokes. His eyes are closed, he still won’t do it.

“Michael.” Jeremy says softly. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re not 100% on board with doing. We can go home. I’ll drive, if you want.”

How does he explain to Jeremy that this, snuggled in the back seat of his car, is almost too perfect? That yes; he’s 110% into wherever it goes. He wants it. He wants to turn and kiss Jeremy. He wants Jeremy to kiss him back, to push him into th leather seat, let his hands unbuckle MIchael’s jeans, let his hands wander farther. He wants Jeremy’s mouth on his body, wants to touch Jeremy in all the places he’s never been privvy to. He wants Jeremy to press into him and place kisses into his collarbone.

He wants to go home, to one bed, to wrao his arms around Jeremy and fall fast asleep. He wants to wake up with sleepy smiles and gentle kisses. He wnats to make Jeremy’s coffee the way he knows he likes it.

How does he explain to Jeremy that he is 100% on board with all of it, but he’s terrified he’ll only get tonight?

“Do you want me to drive home?”

Michael turns and kisses him.

2018

The parking lot is dark but warm, mugginess making Michael’s t-shirt cling to him uncomfortably. He’s leaning on the hood of Double-O-Mog, Gavin beside him, for what feels like the millionth time of his life. He half expects bells and whistles to go off, mark the occasion as something special. Gavin’s saying something about a trip he took, about Alfredo and competitions, sniper guns and one hundred dollars. It strikes Michael that he should be worried, that any place on earth the story would turn heads. But not here.

Here is safe, and fun, and it feels like they’re on top of the world.

He flicks his thumb against the filter of his cigarette, ashing it into the air. A small speck floats down onto the toe of Gavin’s converse.

“Michael.” Gavin whines. He doesn’t move his foot, doesn’t shake the ash away. “Didn’t anyone teach you it’s not polite to ash on people? Who raised you?” He puts his own cigarette to his lips, blows the smoke into Michael’s face almost immediately. Michael turns his head away but takes a drag anyway.

“Dick.” He looks back to Gavin, their eyes meet. “For the record, no, she never tld me not to ash on people. She just told me not to smoke at all.”

Gavin nods as if he understands. As if their childhoods are even remotely comparable. As if if he heard the same message, hadn’t been caught smoking at 13 and been sneered at because they were menthols and not reds. “Yeah, I can see that.” He flicks his cigarette butt and it sails three spots away, landing in a puddle. He whistles in satisfaction. “Can I guess her stance on premarital sex?” He asks, smirking at Michael.

“Firmly against.” Michael says, and his laugh has no real humor to it. He puts his cigarette to his lips but withdraws it. “But hell, even if we were married, it’s not like she’d recognize it.” It’s weird to say out loud. It hurts. He takes another drag, ashes the cigarette again.

“THat’s fine.” Gavin says, shaking his head. He reaches back, picking up MIchael’s pack from behind him. “We’d never get married anyway.” Michael eyes him. “You mind?” Gavin asks, but he’s already pulling one out, already moving past the potential conversation. Michael shrugs. Gavin reaches out and digs for the lighter in Michael’s jean pocket. Michael doesn’t portest, doesn’t push him away. Just laughs and shakes his head. He can’t remember a time they weren’t like this.

Far before they slept together it even made out, Gavin never could keep his hands to himself. It was always a oint of pride for him, and indication of how much their friendship meant. 'Im so into dudes' he'd say, lying on top of Michael. 'But there's nothing going on here, because we're friends and I respect you too much.' It hadn't mattered, in the end. They'd still made out that one time, and they'd ended up fucking anyway. Four months prior, if his math is correct.

Lighter extricated, Gavin cups his hand gently around the cigarette in his mouth. it lights, he puffs, smoke billowing out of his mouthy after a beat. He wrinkles his nose. “God, since when do you smoke reds?”

“Since a few months ago.” MIchael says, flicking his own cigarette away. It doesn’t even come close to Gavin’s. He remembers the look of surprise on Trevor’s face when he’d pulled 305’s out of his pocket. He’d shrugged, told him the same thing he'll tell Gavin now.

“I thought you hated them.” Gavin says. They watch the smoke curl up toward the stars. Gavin taps the top of his cigarette and the ash falls to the ground.

“I do.” MIchael confirms, slipping one frfom the pack. The admission is on the tip of his tongue. He doesn’t know if Gavin will understand, the feeling or the reason. “Only smoke ‘em when I hate myself extra.” he says, putting the cigarette to his lips. Gavin blinks at him but hands the lighter over.

“Well that makes no sense.” Gavin looks away from him, tip of his cigarette glowing cherry red as he inhales. “If you’re gonna have a bad habit you might as well enjoy it.” He says quietly.

There’s the click of the lighter and then, spoken around the smoke-

“Exactly.”

The word hangs in the air, but neither of them acknowledge it. Michael could explain farther, tell Gavin that honestly, it’s them these past few months, feeling like he’s betraying everyone, but especially Gavin’s ‘not technically ex because they never actually called it dating’. But they were. Everyone knew it, had accepted them like one of the crew. Everything had been great.

ANd then it fell apart.

Gavin got cagey and broke it off, and then- well, they’d always been on the cusp too, hadn’t they? Drunken confessions of mutual attraction, a kiss, then nothing. Gavin got serious until he wasn’t, then they picked back up. By that point, Jeremy had had Matt in his bed, and lads nights always did end in sharing blankets and sitting too close. But there was technically no one to feel guilty about. it was good, great, even. Michael liked sleeping with Gavin, liked the way he liked to cuddle after, liked the way his hand felt around Michael’s throat.

He still hadn’t switched back to menthols, though.

“So.” Gavin says, instead of addressing the elephant. Just as well. Michael has no interest in talking about feelings, especially not with Gavin. He nods back at the car. “You wanna have sex tonight? We can drive out to the middle of nowhere, like we used to.” he says with a grin.

the smoke settles in his lungs, harsh and suffocating. The cherry glows, bright and hot, racing toward his knuckles. He shouldn’t, should make better choices than fucking his best friend in the backseat of his car.

He flicks his cigarette. “Yeah.” He says finally. “Sounds like a plan.”

#I want to add to this #but the memories aren't with the car Anymoreal #also if anyones keeping up my J is getting married and my Gav has a boyfriend #and i remain alone #ks writes

[asafeplaceforus112]

Every day by David Leviathan (movie adaption)

OKAY SO

I read the book everyday, like A LONG TIME AGO!!! ANYWAYS, looking back it really really was meaningful for us, because it really really attached the feeling of disconnected to the body and just yeah so many things. So I hold this book and as such this movie in really really high esteem! ANYWAYS I really hope this movie is good! I will be so sad if this movie is bad!

So far, perfect, I love it, it gives the energy of just falling in love and absolute perfect day that is when they first meet!

I love how they say "Hello Amy!!" It's hilarious I love that

I love that for A but also damn poor rhi

Oh rhi oh rhi

Oh no rhi oh no rhi I vaguely remember this moment

A is so stupid, I love that for A

Rhiannon is allowed to be so upset

I'm kinda sad that misses out on the internet stuff they did... Like how they hung out online but it's prolly for the pacing and stuff

Oh my god it's my favourite dude

I'm kind of sad that it's from Rhiannon's point of view.

Idk just brain is sad that it's from singlet kind of view

)))))): poor A

For some reason uuuuggghh can't remember but sad

Rhiannon being trans ally but like in the "oh yeah I'm an ally" way rather than geniunely believing you know?

Goddamn Rhiannon, poor girl. Like realistic teenager girl stuff

A fuckin with her is so funny. Coz yeah I would too. Like goddamn that would be terrifying

A is so excited I love that

Awwwwwweeee they're so in love

"Holy shit" xD I love that

I can't remember if it actually happened but I love the "BE COOL BE COOL BE COOL" shower scene

Different note I saw Joilene's actor and went "Miley Cyrus????"

A is just like "goddamn save me"

But also a vibe "I don't fucking like you right now, the person that likes you isn't fucking here so fuck off" bossy really vibes with it

I love the face thing the dad thinks, how I feel about the whole bossy and stuff. This blog, this everything, is just a way to let us out. Be something more than -our bodys name- more than what and who we're expected to be

I do think it's funny that when rhi broke up with her dick of an ex boyfriend the site I was watching it closed, that's so funny

I love how they a do that

"do you consider yourself a boy or a girl?" ".....yes" sam

Oh no oh no is this the one where A wakes up in an addicts body? It real fucking sad.. nooooooo and she doesn't know!!!! Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god. I remember reading the book and I remember A being so sad because they couldn't get to Rhiannon.

Oh no it's the flight thing it's the flight moment. Oh no it's going to be sad

Oh god that poor mother she had no idea

WHAT

THEY CHANGED IT TO A LUNG TRANSPLANT FUCK OFFFF THAts so ))))))):<<<<<

Looking back it was like "who cares theyre in love!!!"

Now I'm like "oh god a multiple thousands trip got cancelled coz they're in love"

Joilene sucks but also fair

Oh fuck man friend #1 sucks

Poor A

Goddamn it's such a complicated situation

Oh no her dad is worrying that she's manic like he used to be

Oh fuck off, good job Justin

I love how A puts Rhiannon's hair behind her ear every time because A has mannerisms

I love the romanticism of neurodivergence, coz now it's very obvious that the whole sensitive weird boy thing was about neurodivergence. And like I don't know I know it's bad but also, I love how that was expressed, I feel so seen and loved and just experienced. Idk how to explain it man

Awwweee but also on man

Also, it's after a while you notice how Rhiannon has a really big attachment style kind of thing. Um I can't remember but yeah. And A loves her. They really really do, but they can't be Alexander.

Oh my god it's so bitter sweet and just yeah

Oh no

It's when A says she should date Alexandra instead

): it's so sad

A has thought about it

I don't know how I feel about this

I it was a good movie, if I hadn't read the book, similar to words on the bathroom walls I would go feral for it

But I'm sad that's it's from a singlet point of view. I'm sad that they cut out the fact that the priest was another spirit that had kept a body

The story is still really important to me, I'm just sad that it's not from A's point of view

I love how all the actors that were an A at some point got character name/ A that's so fun

#every day by david levithan #every day #david levithan #did osdd #did #osdd #rant #spoilerz for the movie #movie spoilera #neutral rant #very “awwwweee” “oooooooo” “:oooooooo” eneegy #queer #neurodivergence motherfuckers #just a side thing #i do in fact think the lung thing is due to the demonisation of addicts #which sucks ass #like as a person that literally gets overstimulated or a lack of a better word “triggered” by literally hearing or smelling cigarettes #like come on #it was such a humanising moment #and they got rid of it #sorry like #the idea fo every day #was very #romanticism #of everyday life #kind of like how ghibli does their movies #and you feel it #you feel it eith the queer neurodivergent and mental illness scenes #but its not there for that and that makes me sad #did you know that there was 30 tags limit? i didnt but i do now

[mischas]

oof that mischa interview. it's funny some ppl thought she was being inconsistent with her allegations last year when mischa's been harping on about how unhappy she was since c.2006 with the same consistent messaging! it was interesting that tate was on the pod this week and basically put the entire core four on blast for showing up late, not knowing lines. now that's a totally different narrative than what was being told in 2006

I think any interview given during that time period of their (the core four's) lives was subject to stretching the truth. I spent all day reading Mischa interviews from scans that French fansite still has up from 2005-2007 and there's a lot about her that turned out... differently. Like her hating the party scene, crafting this really wholesome image, talking about the close relationship she has to her mom, etc. Many of the interviews were written almost exactly the same, shining a light on her as this green girl next door who hates partying and detests being compared to Marissa who's a mess of a character. Like damn. She's had those lines memorized for years, apparently. She's always, at least from 2005 on, parroted the line that Marissa is a strung out party girl. It kind of floored me to read that over and over. I can only guess that the show's publicity parroted these lines through subtext or it was the direction Mischa was given on and off screen. It's hard for me to reconcile the person reducing Marissa to what the message boards wrote about her with playing this extremely kind and vulnerable character with addiction issues and trauma. I know I'm hella biased, but damn.

Now that we know that Mischa was fired from the show, it's easier to see how she and her PR tackled press in the aftermath of her exit. We can see the strategy. Frankly, it was laid out in her interviews for years leading up to it. Mischa knew she was playing the drama magnet. She knew she was the amalgamation of what the show was trying to convey ie. there's a mess under all the glamour of Newport. During mag interviews, Mischa seems accepting of all this. For her to do some self reflection over the last two decades must be a lot. I mean, you're told you're the linchpin of the series, you are who's bringing it the most press, and you're also the one acting out drama to the extreme without a second of recompense for your character. Oh and by the way you're fucking fired. Bye. Jesus, it's a lot. Obviously every core four actor wanted to be a movie star. But Mischa was doing indies on summers off from doing this show. She was booked, even if it wasn't the shiny roles in bigger movies that shot when The OC did. She'd signed a five year contract apparently! I do wonder how she was compensated for Fox breaking that, and if there was ever an NDA signed concerning certain things. (I know nothing about that at all, maybe there's no repercussion for a broken contract in the event of a firing.)

In that interview I posted, she said, "It was like high school. I became so accustomed to seeing the same people day in and day out. I didn't want it to end weirdly, and it did, a little bit. It was bittersweet." I feel like this is the only thing I've ever heard about Mischa actually leaving set and her cast mates. Ben said it was "odd" and others have hemmed and hawed. This is mostly irrelevant to your message but I'm so goddamn intrigued by this whole thing.

Re: Tate. What a dick. Like damn dude they were dumbass kids. He even said in his last pod ep that he remembered what it was like to be a young actor/star. He's already roasted them once. We get it! That said... I do like tea. I know I know I'm a freakin hypocrite. The gossip in me likes hearing that kind of shit. Especially how you point out that clearly every core four member was over the material by s3. Which is so sad when you see how bright the show's star shined in the beginning. I like the little digs we can infer about how the actors felt about the writing. That's the tea I really want!

#ask #anonymous #mischa barton #mb exit tea #this got long lmao

[the-hydroxian-artblog]

#Sonic #Sonic the Hedgehog #Sonic Unleashed #sth #dude has some kind of goddamn addiction to it

[rebeccccccaaa]

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ɴᴇʀᴅ ⓟⓐⓡⓣ ①

______________________

ғʀᴀᴛʙᴏʏ!ʙᴜᴄᴋʏ ʙᴀʀɴᴇs x sʜʏ-ɪsʜ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀᴜ 

(ɪɴᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇᴅ ɪ ɢᴜᴇss)

sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: (two part series!) You’re starting to struggle in class and decide to ask your professor for some tutoring or extra classes to boost your  grade. He ends up assigning the last person you’d expect to tutor you. (is it really a surprise though?)

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: none in this chapter ;)

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 𝟸.𝟸ᴋ ᴡᴏʀᴅs (sᴏʀʀʏ ɪᴛ’s ᴋɪɴᴅᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ)

______________________

You stare at your work for what seems like hours before deciding to glance at the clock only to find it’s been 20 mins. This subject was never your strong suit but in order to earn your desired degree, you had to take this class. You’d been putting it off for some time but it’s just better to get it over with then struggle right before graduation. So here you are sitting and staring at the work that just doesn’t seem to make sense. 

By the time your professor released the class for the day, you’d barely even lifted your pen from the table.

“Y/n, could I speak to you for a minute?” your professor said, “James, if you could stay as well.”

“What’s up, professor?” Bucky flashed a cheeky smile. The bastard has always been charming since you saw him and especially taking a couple classes with him too. A huge player too of course. I mean what’s a frat boy without getting laid after every party they throw.

“Lemme speak to you first,” he gestured to you, “how is the assignment going?”

You were a bit embarrassed to admit that you were struggling a lot especially in front of Bucky. He’s actually a pretty nice person but not really being a super social one yourself, he tends to intimidate you along with the rest of his friends more than you’d like to admit.

“Well if I’m being honest, I can’t seem to grasp onto the material. I’m really trying but I just can’t,” you practically whispered.

You didn’t want to but you took a quick glance at Bucky to see what he was probably thinking but thankfully he was on his phone; probably giving you as much privacy as he could. 

“Well is there anything you like me to do to help in understanding the material? Maybe a tutor?”

“Yes, that would probably be beneficial,” you chuckled.

“Perfect, because James here is one the best students I’ve had,” ok kinda backhanded. 

Bucky’s head shot up when he heard his name and quickly put his phone away averted his attention to the professor. 

“Right James?”

“Hmm?” 

“James here has a  97% in the class. He’s got the highest grade of all my classes,” the professor seemed like a proud father to him. Bucky merely just shook his head, getting really shy almost. Bucky, shy? Weird. 

“I don’t think that’s true,” he murmured.

“Nope, 100% true. Your teachers and I talk a lot about you. You’re very gifted, James,” James looked at you completely embarrassed. You stood with wide eyes because you didn’t think frat boys actually took their studies seriously. They’re usually up late with all the parties they throw every weekend and some of them are so indulged into their sports that they probably didn’t have time to get A’s in their classes. 

“So what do you say, Y/n? Willing to let him tutor you?”

“I mean if he has time and wants to, I’d be very appreciative of it.”

“Yeah I guess I can,” he smiled.

“Thank you, and thank you too, Professor.”

“Looking forward to that assignment, Y/n. Now scram, kids.”

“Hey thanks for-”

“You can’t tell anyone that I'm tutoring you,” he cut you off, not in a mean way, just panicked.

“Oh ok.”

“I mean it. Look it was already hard getting into the frat house and now being head of house, it’ll be embarrassing if they found out I’m a nerd.”

“What’s so bad about being a nerd?”

“I don’t know. It’s like an unspoken rule I guess.”

“What a nerd,” you joked.

“Whatever,” he chuckled, “So your place or mine?” 

“Huh?” you questioned.

“For tutoring? Do you want me to come over?”

“Oh I thought we would do that in the library or something,” you responded.

“I mean we can, I just didn’t know what time and the library closes pretty early.”

“You can come over. I’ll ask my roommate if it’s ok.”

“Ok, let me get your number so we can coordinate.”

“Ok, thanks again, Tom.”

“Yeah, no problem,” he smiled back.

+++

“Girl what are you getting yourself into?” your roommate, Natasha questioned.

“What do you mean?” 

“Buck is gonna tutor you? I’m pretty sure he knows jack shit about what is going on in that class.” Right, no one knows he’s practically a genius. 

“I don’t know. My professor said he could help me so I’m gonna give it a shot. He can’t stupider than me, especially with this subject.”

“Ok,” she mocked.

“But if he tries anything let me know,” she warned.

“Why would he try anything?” you asked, confused about the sudden subject change. 

“Y/n, Bucky is a huge player. He’s hooked up with like more than half the girls in the sorority houses. Hell, even I hooked up with him.”

“Oh my god, what!”

“It was last year when I was in a house. I hated it so I moved out this year. Still friends with Wanda though. You’d like her.”

“Ok well I don’t think he will, I mean look at me.”

“What?”

You hesitated because you weren’t the most confident person. There was nothing wrong with you but there also wasn’t anything special. You were barely a social person let alone some who could easily pursue a relationship or even a hook up. 

“I think you’re hot, but something tells me you think otherwise,” Nat said.

“I don’t wanna get into it but just know you won’t have to worry about anything happening.”

You texted Bucky that he could come over whenever he was available and about 30 mins later he was knocking on your door ready to help you with the assignment.

+++

Obviously nothing happened that night, or the night after, or the night after. Or the next four weeks after. Bucky was actually helping you understand the material a lot better. You were still a bit confused but not as much as before. During your sessions you were beginning to learn a lot more things about Bucky like how his childhood best friend Steve Rogers was also a member in the house; and also knows about his prodigy brain. 

“How’s the tutoring going?” Steve asked walking into the kitchen where you and Bucky were doing work.  

“Good I guess,” you responded.

“Well I’ll uh, leave you two be.”

He didn’t in fact  leave but instead start gesturing quite aggressively to ask you more questions to get to know you better. See what you didn’t know was that Bucky had taken even more of a liking to you since starting  your study sessions together. He never pursued anything because he didn’t want to scare you and definitely didn’t want you to think that he was taking advantage of the situation you guys were in; you know being your tutor and all.

Sure Bucky was kind of  a player but the rumors of sleeping with another girl at every party every weekend wasn’t totally true. He hooked up with a couple girls but he wasn’t a sex addict. And he definitely didn’t leave them high and dry. He would usually meet up with the girls but they didn’t seem to want anything more than a one night stand. 

He sort of gave up on finding a relationship and soon after altogether stopped having sex, especially at their parties the boys host every weekend. He definitely wasn’t waiting until marriage but he didn’t want to feel used anymore because that was seemingly the case after each ‘hook-up’ that happened. 

When Bucky first saw you in class, he truly thought you the most beautiful girl ever. He quickly caught on to the fact that you were not a social person; you weren’t exactly shy but definitely didn’t initiate conversation. You always kept to yourself in the back of each classroom and quietly did your work. Bucky goddamn fell head over heels for you. 

But you two never talked.

Every chance he got to initiate some sort of conversation was quickly taken away whether it’d be the end of class time where you’d briskly leave the classroom to attend your next lecture, or the boys in his house would meet up with him completely interfering with his window to talk to you. And it’s not like you ever went to any of the frat parties. 

So he continued to chase you all the while having absolutely no idea one of the most well known and well liked frat boys at the university having this massive giant enormous fat crush on you. And to top it off, now that he’s certainly got all the time in the world to finally get to know you, he freezes up and can only seem to answer your questions… about school.

You didn’t take Bucky to be such an awkward guy. You definitely didn’t think with all the girls that are constantly after him and how charismatic he seemed he would actually be super quiet awkward after the initial ‘Hey, what’s up!’.

You grew a liking to him though because he wasn’t annoying. The majority of guys in the house were pretty loud and obnoxious whenever you got the chance to hear them usually while you were studying in Bucky’s room because again, no one really knew how much of a nerd he really was. But you never actually met the rest of the boys. You’d always managed to sneak out to avoid confrontation about why you're even there. 

Speaking of loud and obnoxious frat boys.

“Hey hey hey!” they walked in.

Immediately you and Bucky grabbed all the papers and threw them in your backpack while Steve went out to hopefully stall the boys from coming into the kitchen like they always did after football practice. 

As soon as the last paper went inside your bag, the boys walked past Steve into the kitchen to find you and Bucky standing there awkwardly.

“Who’s this?” Tony asked.

“This is a girl in my class, Y/n.”

“Whatcha doing here?”

“She’s tutoring me,” Bucky quickly lied. Ironically. 

“Oh man, dude,” one of the boys laughed.

“Well we’ll be out of your hair. Good luck, Bucky and don’t annoy her.”

“We’ll be in my room studying you guys are fine,” Bucky grabbed your arm and took upstairs to his room.

“So they’re fine with you being tutored but not tutoring?” you asked in a mocking tone.

“It’s a weird rule but also a lot of the guys downstairs get tutored too. Like Vis, and Thor, oh Thor. Loki does too and Steve. But if I’m being honest, I  do in fact think Bruce and Tony are science nerds. But Tony sleeps around enough to distract from it, not Bruce so much but he’s pretty quiet.”

“Ugh, boys.”

“Anyways, shall we continue?” he chuckled.

“I guess, yeah.”

After about an hour in his room, you ended up leaning out of studying and more into talking and getting to know each other; properly this time. 

“And yeah, that’s how my sister’s pants exploded.”

“That’s hilarious.”

There was a moment of silence between you two before it got too awkward and you spoke out.

“I should probably get going.”

“Do you need a ride?”

“I can call a cab. It’s fi-”

“Nonsense,” he interrupted, “I’ll drive you. It’s not a big deal.”

“Are you sure?” you asked.

“Yeah. It’s totally fine.”

You told Bucky your address to your apartment and remained in silence during the majority of the car ride.

“You know I never striked you as a quiet person,” you broke the silence.

“What? I’m not a quiet person.”

“Yes you are. Everytime we have a study session it’s usually silent until I have to ask you a question about something.”

“Well, it’s not my intention to be so awkward around you.”

“Why are you?” you asked him.

“I don’t know,” then it got quiet again.

You arrived at your apartment and unclicked your seatbelt. You turned to Bucky to say goodbye and realized how close you two were. Admittedly you didn’t mind too much; what you didn’t expect was for Bucky to in fact kiss you. He grabbed your arm gently and pulled closer to him as his eyes closed, lips moving against yours slowly. You weren’t exactly mad but you weren’t also happy with this outcome. 

Despite Bucky not hooking up with anyone for a long time now and being completely enamored by you, you still believe he was a ladies man because he hadn’t told you otherwise. You didn’t want to be another name added to the list of a frat boy’s one night stands. So you pulled away with slightly furrowed brows and Bucky realized he fucked up. 

“Thanks again, Bucky,” you quickly got out of the car, not acknowledging him shouting your name before the car door closed. You ran up the steps to enter your apartment as fast as you can, still feeling the taste of him on your lips and tongue. God why did he have to do that?

Bucky sat in his car for a bit but decided to leave to not bother you and possibly fuck things up more than they already are. He’ll wait for you to come to him so he doesn’t seem invasive. Yeah that’s the plan.

But things don’t normally go to plan right?

#bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky x you #bucky #bucky fluff #frat!boy bucky barnes #collage!bucky #collage au

[bbodysnatchers]

Tbh if you actually like answering early fandom questions I have like a million (btw it’s me again from the last 2)

You mentioned before that you were kind of out of the fandom by Danger Days but do you remember what the reaction was when Gerard talked about drinking again?

Did many og fans stick around or did they really turn on the band? Like I know you said bullets ppl hated revenge but did it grow on them eventually?

What did ppl think when Gerard and Lynz married???? That one I really want to know bc when I was newer in the fandom everyone kissed her ass like crazy and it seems like ppl have only recently realized she and msi aren’t the greatest.

Ok! Hey!!!! I kind of love you for all of these btw. this is gonna be LONG. SO yes, I was totally out of fandom at that point. However, I do follow a few blogs and I remember when the article was posted where he talked about his struggle with an ED and starting to drink again during DD. Personally, I was kind of. In shock? I didn't realize how much he was struggling at the end of it tbh. I think it also took a lot of older fans out a little bit too. It kind of made him a tangible human being rather than this formative icon we idolized. Saying that sounds awful. But at the beginning, because there was no social media, we had NO idea what the guys were actually like irl. They were human, obviously, but they were people we had put on a pedestal and we could project onto them, y'know? We had interviews and such, but the first glimpse we got into ~the real them~ was LOTMS, which was a highly edited version of the truth that fell into the stereotypes we kind of built. It glossed over Gerards addiction pretty rapidly. Reading his struggle at the end of MCR and DD broke my heart. This band did SO much for me, and a lot of us, but we never took into account how much it was taking from them or Gerard. That's all I can really say about it? Like I said, I wasn't in the fandom. So this was mostly my perspective. No one turned on the band. I think we just kind of grew up and started experiencing new things. Our interests change and merge as we get older. Some things I got from being an MCR fan stuck with me forever - i.e, my love of horror films and graphic novels, as well as my forever love of the guys. But the music wasn't what I needed anymore, yknow? I have diagnosed avoidant personality disorder, and severe depression as a result. My Chem helped me feel seen when I felt totally fucking invisible. It helped me form lasting friendships. I'm still friends with people I met in line to their shows in 2005, and on myspace. As I turned 19-20, my sadness started feeling more melancholy rather than anger. I listened to a lot of The National around then, and started getting seriously invested in film as a way of escapism. In regards to people hating revenge - I think a lot of people either left or stuck around for good. You can go back on old lj entries on the chemicalromance comm and read peoples reaction to Revenge songs. They hated how manufactured it sounded, hated how clean Gerards vocals were, HATED I'm Not Ok - thought it was too commercial for what they were prior. As someone who got into the via Revenge, it actually took some time to get used to the sound of Bullets! ALRIGHT. Ok. GERARD MARRYING LINDSEY. I wish I could figure out how to add a cut to tumblr now but IDK OK.  SOOO. Some background that y’all know but is needed for context. Gerard was in a LONG TERM relationship for YEARS with someone named Kat. No one has ever EVER seen her. Gerard only talked about having a girlfriend, thanked her in notes, and she is mentioned by some reporters sometimes (as goth looking). They break up. Gerard is ~technically~ single for like. a fuckin MONTH. then Eliza shit starts up (even tho she was alluding to being with him for fukin EVER). She fakes a pregnancy, they get engaged (around I Don’t Love You), shit was WILD. like BALLS TO THE WALL INSANE. I can go way way way more into this if y’all are interested just lemme know. THEY BREAK UP around the beginning of Pro Rev. Ok. OK. Within like. another fukin MONTH Gerard is seen MAKING OUT WITH LYNZ FROM FUCKIN MSI. They go to each others shows, seen holding hands ETC ETC. LIKE. THIS DUDE. This dude who had a LONG TERM GIRLFRIEND WE NEVER EVER SAW suddenly has had TWO PUBLIC RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SPAN OF NOT EVEN A YEAR.  also btw. We ALL thought he was gay, no fukin joke. Like I was saying earlier about not having any social media. We had an idea of what the guys were like from their stage personas and LOTMS. And like. Gerards Stage Persona is Loud. We thought Eliza mightve been a beard? Idk it was a weird time tbh.  BUT THEN THEN T H E N G AND L GET MARRIED????>>????? THEY HAD BEEN DATING A M ON TH. a MONTH. and they got fuckin MARRIED. The conspiracy theories, y’all, I can’t. IT WAS INSANE.  SO DUDE GETS ENGAGED TO SOMEONE, BREAKS UP, MAKES OUT WITH BASS PLAYER FROM MSI AND GETS MARRIED TO HER. ALL WITHIN T H R E E MONTHS.  goddamn.  So, ok. Last bit. Unfortunately the attitude towards language and WAS different back then. I know a lot of younger fans shit on older fans for saying so, but it WAS. It was totally different. MSI were seen as ~too cool, and their fans were pissed they went on tour with My Chem, etc. I wasn’t a fan, but I had seen them live a few times with a friend who was (not on Pro Rev). They just weren’t my thing and I hated Urines face. My friend who was actually a huge fan of BOTH msi and my chem separately was SHOCKED that G and Lindsey got together because their band and their vibes were so different. People mostly thought Lindsey was hot at the time but didn’t know anything about her, cuz again, no social media. Like, I cannot stress enough how much about these people we did not know. No one cared about their social lives or what they were like irl so we DIDN’T know how gross Urine and crew were. Like. A Huge factor as to why people were pissed and mad at Eliza was because she was making something Gerard obviously wanted to keep private into a public thing for attention and clout. Also, when he was being SO public with Lindsey it was shocking. Anyway I h8 msi. 

#LONG POST #LOOOOOONG POST #old bandom

[generallypo]

in all sincerity, kim dokja makes me happy and he deserves to be so too :^(

incoherent yelling and sobbing under the cut. these fEELINGS will not be contained aaauuunnghhh. 

------

anyway i binge-read all 500+ chapters of ORV this week and i honest to god feel bad for this -- completely! fictional! aghhhh -- guy. in case you haven’t figured it out, the following is some spoilerly shit

i went in expecting a fun, brainless power trip fantasy for dudes with an isekai addiction. instead, it turns out ORV is actually a gigantic, self-deprecating prank on the entire genre itself. kdj plays more into the sad -- if high-functioning-- clown trope than the sexy, edgy, chuuni bastard type i was prepared to laugh at. there were -- gasp! -- female characters with personalities! parents (aka ADULTS who act like ADULTS) who actually survive and feature prominently! adorable children! a real sexy, edgy bastard! a power trio with amazing fashion! sexual tension and bickering! friendship! life and death bonding! 

*breathes in deeply* fouND FAMILYYYYYYY.

like, yeah, the plot around the first few arcs seems a little aimless, but the buildup is worth. the world-building is pretty decent. there’s discernible effort put into the fight scenes, and i can appreciate that. but -- but! what i stayed for were the characters -- namely, the fantastic OT3 of KDJ, HSY, and YJH -- who come together despite their initial rivalries and end up saving each other’s asses, like, every other day. granted, the other characters don’t get as much focus, and they do fall into certain character tropes.. 

but a trope done well is nothing i would gripe about. every significant character in ORV has a coherent, and more importantly, respectful take on their respective trope. maybe it’s because sing-shong is actually a married couple, but all the interactions between even minor characters are a convincing blend of awkward rambling, suggestive humor, sharp remarks, and casual banter. in other words, this cast of mostly working adults (plus a teen and two kids) talks like working adults. the relationships built throughout the story are, frankly, some of most realistic of its genre. sing-shong has managed to craft a dynamic that undoubtedly brims with fluffy fondness all around, but also drips with sarcastic tension, with unspoken urgency, with a wariness that softens into sincerity over the course of many, many chapters. it’s the kind of progression that makes even stock characters read like more than just the 2-bit villain or comrade or love interest. here, we have relationships both straightforward and not, strained or otherwise, romantically-oriented as well as decidedly the opposite -- and then numerous others scattered along the spectrum with the freedom to shift either way. 

it’s also an interesting point of note that our MC kdj actually does not end up with a stated romantic partner, much less a conventional heteroromantic harem. he gets teased about that fact from time to time, but it’s with less of the sleazy shonen locker room humor one would expect and more of the good-natured ribbing you’d find among friends or that one especially nosy auntie at the yearly family reunion. kdj is a grown ass man. in the background, i applaud his maturity, and he handles all the prodding like a champ. 

so instead of finding and fulfilling his horny, he builds himself a wealth of loving family. yeah, there are beautiful men and women around him. yeah, they unequivocally adore him. but they’re also adults, and they have priorities, too -- which are not so much finding a way to bang kdj’s brains out and more so simply keeping the damn guy alive. this is truly not ‘oblivious mc with his thirsty, sex kitten harem’. it just so happens that a guy proves himself to be unflinchingly gentle and capable in an apocalyptic setting despite his broken self-esteem, and lots of people find that attractive, romantically and platonically. 

it.. kinda makes sense? he’s a hard worker, thoughtful, and good with kids. kdj is the kind of guy you know would make a reliable partner, and anybody with eyes can plainly see and appreciate that. 

and it’s not that our MC’s a total brick wall. in fact, it’s likely the opposite, and he’s just too darned repressed to admit it. from what has been implied, kdj does indeed recognize and accept love, or at least a primitive concept of it. i like to imagine that the kind of love that he ends up seeking out simply manifests itself more easily as acceptance and safety, as warmth and a home of people to return to every day. even better, the people who surround him know this, and they give him exactly that. it’s refreshing, and honestly, really sweet.

(as a side note, i really, really do appreciate the cosmic bi energy radiating off of kdj, who canonically earns the title of being loved by all and is all but in name married to yjh and hsy. he also respects women and small children and honestly anyone who isn’t total scum to him or his family. i respect that.)

but the happy stuff aside, you know it it just ain’t ORV without the generous screaming dollop of angst. admittedly, there’s self-sacrifice, injury, lonesome wandering, more sacrifice, some epic fighting, reunion and confrontation. all of it is a lot to digest, sure, but never does it feel entirely hopeless, or truly, truly heart-clenching. ORV, up until the final act, is a mostly light read. you relax in your chair, thinking that nothing beyond this point can disturb you. 

yeah fucking right.

------

and then the beginning of the end arrives. when the squad finally break through to their ‘ending’, the scene that kind of breaks me is the reveal of the Most Ancient Dream. it ties so much thematically into the little tidbits that we get of kdj’s past, and it though it feels like almost a joke that the source of the goddamn apocalypse is a kid with bruises smeared across his skinny ass body -- it’s such a pathetic picture that it’s kinda poetic, actually. you’re left mystified but somewhat convinced, like a math problem explained halfway through. this.. child.. is a villain somehow, isn’t he?

and then 999th turn uriel speaks up, and she. just. hugs him. 

[[You are this universe’s most powerless existence, aren’t you.]] 

that. that gets me. kdj’s reaction immediately upon this revelation? absolute murder. seeing him essentially self-destruct upon realizing that all these people he’s surrounded himself with -- some who continuously proclaim their loyalty and affection for him throughout their journey, some who suffered eons of war and loss and trauma because of his existence -- not only forgive his younger self but smother him with unconditional acceptance and love is stifling, is too vulnerable and exposed and he simply can’t cope -- it’s so telling of his true mentality, of his crippling insecurity and crumpled sense of self-worth. kim dokja is a liar, through and through, so much that he fails, or perhaps refuses, to comprehend the veracity of others’ kindness and love towards himself. 

by some miracle, the events at the end of the world somehow resolve.. or so it seems. there is a departing train, a liberated team of ex-gods, and a child rousing from his slumber. in the aftermath, i am left shaking. somehow, despite the ending having been (happily?) reached, there’s still another chapter ahead. what is this witchcraft?

------

and then ah, yes -- the epilogue arc. i teetered on the edge of being critical for a little bit there -- is that display of deus ex machina, of sad, self-sacrificing nobility a bit too egregious to be acceptable? is this some wild last let-me-yank-this-outta-my-ass plot twist to drag out the chapter count? i sincerely thought that the arc before it would have been the finale. i was wrong. thank god.

anyways, as an answer to the above: no, and no. i stake my firm claim on the belief that the epilogue arc was meticulously planned out well in advance of its release, confusing and time-warpy as it is. i liked it. tremendously. even if it entirely invalidates all of kdj’s supposed development (”haha lol yeah sure i won’t sacrifice myself or anything anymore guys don’t worry about me” -- KDJ, at some point because he’s a lying rat bastard). actually, our beloved MC disappears for a large chunk of this arc, and i think it’s great. in his absence, the other characters not only go absolutely fucking nuts, but they have to figure out this new problem on their own, even if the lure of peaceful complacency in the newly saved Korea might convince them otherwise. 

and then the whole time paradox thing comes around. yjh goes to space, hsy saves the only life she can, and kdj grows up. the crew waits, holding onto their hope even if it bleeds them dry. sing-shong does a damn good job of illustrating their fraying calm, their lurking madness, the unseen but pervasive depression that seeps in from kdj’s absence. the kids lose their father, lhs and jhw lose their reliable leader figure, ysa loses a best friend and confidant, lsk -- as distant as she pretends to be from her son -- loses her only child. and then there’s hsy and yjh , who are essentially bereft of the other half of their existences. their pain is palpable, is grounded in the hopeless, gnawing frustration of an utterly meaningless victory. emotionally, ORV hits all the right -- if agonizing -- beats.

however, a story can’t sustain itself just through its pathos. i’m happy to say that ORV doesn’t drop the ball after the first milestone, and after all the hurt, the characters do leap straight back into action. even better, the plot holes actually do get patches, and the poetic cycle of writer, protagonist, and reader comes full circle by making use of all those supposedly throwaway characters from the myriad world lines. 

at the end of the road, there is a distinct sense of unity, of a delicate but undeniable cohesion to the world lines and their origins. sing-shong lets us guess a little here at the finish, but there’s just enough information to feel hopeful. maybe there never had been a definite start -- or finish -- to the story of kdj company, and... that’s okay. everybody ends up where they were meant to be, where they fought and struggled to reach. it’s.. almost like a happily ever after, if we’re allowed to dream of that.

------

now, i realize, this was all an orchestrated maneuver.

i’ll take it.

to me, all of this work sounds like someone put some serious thought into this behemoth of a plot. it cements the entire original premise of the story. it suggests -- but never explicitly confirms! -- the possibility that breaking free of the cycle is possible through the exact same system that sustains it. it’s terribly interesting -- and inspirational! with all the dramatic revelations and life-threatening scenarios  and the cast’s resigned acceptance of them that essentially make up ORV’s entire mood, there’s still that last hint of rebellious and righteous anger that lights up the whole damn nebula. it’s like the kdj company blasting away at the heavens just to yell into the nether: we’re not looking for the happy end, but the free one. stay alive.

it’s subtle, and yet it’s such an emotional gut punch. i came away with the most ruinous, frustrating, bittersweet sense of longing in ages. i pined. for these fictional darlings. god, i am weak.

so. yeah. ORV is pretty good. flawed, but ambitious and impressively thought out.  i’m stoked that the webtoon is making pretty good progress, even if it’ll take an eternity and a half to meet that monstrous chapter count. i’m still gonna follow it. hell yeah. 

------

(by the way the idea that secretive plotter and co are literally gonna take care of and raise baby kdj and spoil him and be the best friggin family a kid could ever want does things to me. protect him. he’s suffered too much. let at least one worldline’s version of him know happiness. and actually, aLL OF THEM DESERVE DOMESTIC BLISS TOGETHER IN A BIG OL MANSION WITH SUN AND FRESH AIR AND TENDER FAMILY MOMENTS UGH)

------

and there you have it, folks. you made it to the end. in the far, far distance, i’m cheering you on and crying my eyes out in gratitude. thanks for tuning in!

#omniscient reader #orv #omniscient reader's viewpoint #kim dokja #fanart #kdj happiness rights! #protect him! #let! him! have his big house! with everyone! he loves! #please! #long ass emotional screeching #look i can't do him justice with drawing but hell can i yell out my love for him :'^DD

[cakesunflower]

Outer Banks Series Rewrite/JJ Maybank Fic Series [5. Midsummers]

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for Stella) or their dialogues (for the most part) are my own, and belong to the writers & creators of Outer Banks!

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Read on AO3!

Here’s episode 5 “Midsummers”!

“Dude—Mom catches you out here, and you’re dead.” Stella peeked one eye open, catching sight of her sister standing over her, arms crossed over her chest and eyebrows raised. “You’re literally out in the open.”

Kie’s concern came from the pen Stella was currently twirling between her fingers as she lay on the ground in their backyard. Stella didn’t say anything, instead took another pull from the pen, letting the familiar smoke invade her lungs before blowing it out slowly. The act did its job in calming her down, and Kiara let out a sigh before shifting to sit down next to Stella, before going down on her back, too.

Stella could feel her sister’s gaze on her as Kie turned her head to look at her, but Stella kept her gaze up at the sky. It was sort of cloudy, but there wasn’t a threat for rain. If there had been, the celebration later tonight would’ve been rescheduled ages ago.

“Look, I know you’re worried about JJ—” Kie began, but Stella cut her off.

“He willingly let himself get arrested for something he didn’t do, and he has a drug-addict, abusive dad to go back home to. We haven’t heard from him yet.” Stella looked at Kie, then, jaw hard. “Of course I’m worried.”

Kie’s gaze was soft with sympathy, but Stella could see her own concern swimming, too. After all, Kie cared about JJ as well. Maybe not in the way Stella did, but just as good. “He’ll turn up,” Kie assured. “He always does.”

Despite Kie’s efforts, Stella wasn’t all that comforted. And maybe Kie saw the deep worry that had etched itself into Stella’s features, because Kie’s face softened even more, looking at her sister gently as she asked, “What’s going on?”

Stella’s throat worked as her heart drummed in her chest, forcing herself into a sitting position while Kie kept on her back, looking up at her. For a moment, Stella hesitantly chewed on her lower lip, wondering if now was the right time to indulge, but it was Kie. It was her sister, and if Stella couldn’t tell her, she couldn’t tell anyone.

“JJ and I kissed.” There. She said it. Now it was out in the open.

Kie blinked once before her eyes widened almost comically, shooting up in a sitting position opposite of Stella as she demanded, “What? When?”

“Yesterday,” Stella admitted, stomach flipping as memories of her and JJ’s actions played through her mind like her favorite movie. She couldn’t stop the small smile from playing on her lips. “We were at John B’s, before coming to the summer series.” She fiddled with the pen between her fingers. “It just—it kind of just happened.”

Kie scoffed with a shake of her head. “It didn’t kind of just happen,” she mocked. “This has been waiting to happen for so Goddamn long.” Stella tried not to laugh at the happiness shining in Kie’s eyes, which did a lot to relax Stella. She’d been worried Kie would ram on her for breaking one of their friend group rules, but Kie seemed anything but disappointed. Her eyes widened then, shoulders lifting. “Oh, shit, John B and Pope owe me twenty bucks!”

Stella blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”

Kie snickered, looking all too delighted. “We kind of had a bet going on over how long it’d take for you and JJ to get together.” Stella’s eyes widened, jaw dropping in disbelief. “I bet it’d happen before Midsummers and would you look at that! You just made me forty bucks richer, sis.”

“Wha—” Stella cut herself off with a scoff, ripping up some grass before tossing it at Kie. She shrieked through a laugh, jerking back before brushing away the pieces of grass. “Are you kidding me?! You guys bet on us?”

“Of course we did,” Kie responded with a smirk, not at all looking apologetic. At Stella’s gaping expression, she rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Stel. You two have been dancing around each other for so fucking long. We were getting tired of waiting, so we thought we’d have some fun with it,” she finished with a shrug.

Stella couldn’t believe what she was hearing, cheeks heating up at the information. She wasn’t mad or upset that her sister and friends bet on when she and JJ would get together—she was just surprised, and a little bit amused. She wondered how long the bet had been going on for. But instead of asking that, she instead inquired, “So I’m guessing JJ and I are in the clear for breaking the no Pogue-on-Pogue macking rule?”

Kie waved her off, smile still in place. “You two are the exception to the rule,” she said confidently before crossing her legs and shooting Stella an expectant look. “So? Tell me how it was.” She quickly held a hand up. “But not too many details because it’s JJ and he’s like my brother and, ew, gross. But I still wanna know! How’d it happen?”

At that, the heat in Stella’s cheeks intensified into a fire as she recalled every single detail from yesterday—as if she could ever forget. “I was, uh, persuading him to come to the summer series with us.”

Kie’s eyebrows shot up. “Persuading, huh?” she repeated with an impish grin, prompting Stella to let out a giggle. “Well, looks like it worked. Not that I’m surprised. That boy is stupid for you.”

Stella pressed her lips together to keep her giddy smile from widening. “Stop.”

Kie snickered. “Man, you two are gonna be unbearable now, aren’t you? All over each other all of the time.”

“Dude, I don’t even know what we’re doing,” Stella instantly responded with a shake of her head. “All we did was kiss. We’re not suddenly together, Kie.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Only a matter of time.”

Stella’s heart fluttered in her chest. Of course she wanted to be with JJ—it was all she could think about for so long. After that kiss, it was closer to being a reality than she could ever imagine, but they needed to talk about it, first. “Maybe. But first he needs to let us know he’s okay and that his dad didn’t fucking kill him.”

Her words were tight in her throat as she said them, sending a new jolt of worry through her. JJ never really talked about it, but she knew the kind of man his dad was, knew what he was capable of. JJ getting arrested wasn’t going to go over well; it wouldn’t with any parent, but God only knew how Luke Maybank would react to it. So, yeah, Stella was sick with worry over JJ, and she just fucking wished he’d call or text her back.

Kie sighed. “Listen, maybe—”

Whatever Kie was about to say was interrupted by their mother’s voice shouting at them from the back porch. “Girls! Get in here! You need to start getting ready.” Simultaneously, both Stella and Kie threw their heads back and groaned, loudly—loud enough for Mrs. Carrera to hear them. “I don’t wanna hear it! Get your butts in here now!”

They stood up, and as Stella shoved her pen in the pocket of her shorts, Kie grumbled, “I hate everything.”

While every other soul on Figure Eight either was overjoyed to be attending Midsummers or envious that they couldn’t, Stella and Kiara were probably the only ones who hated the party. For Kie, it was more of a socialist thing that Stella respected her for, but she also knew that her sister’s disgust with Midsummers, ultimately, existed for the same reason as Stella’s: they hated the people they were surrounded by.

All of the Kooks would be gathered tonight for the party—this year a celebration for Ward Cameron, A.K.A the father of Sarah Cameron, Kie’s worst enemy. Stella didn’t care what the party was for—she despised it. The most Stella liked to dress up was in clothes of her choice, and sure that could sometimes include make-up and dresses, but not full on evening gowns with flowers in her hair. It often felt like she was getting dressed up as a lamb for a slaughter, being pushed into a crowd of Kooks who thought they were better than everyone else because of their overflowing pockets. The adults were bad enough—Stella did not want to even see the people her age.

Namely Rafe, Topper, Kelce, and anyone who was associated with them. Especially after what they did to JJ and Pope yesterday. Dicks.

But Midsummers, much to both Stella and Kie’s chagrin, was important to their parents, especially their mother. So as soon as the two girls returned inside the house, Mrs. Carrera was ushering them towards the bathrooms, like they were toddlers who needed supervised bath times.

“Hold on a second—” Mr. Carrera paused, and Stella and Kie exchanged looks when their mom sniffed the air around them. Her eyes then zeroed in on Stella, hands on her hips and eyes blazing as she demanded, “Did you just smoke, Stella?”

Knowing there was no point in lying, Stella huffed. “I needed something to take the edge off if I have to go to this stupid party.”

This wasn’t the first time their mom caught them smoking or smelling of weed, but it pissed her off just the same. While Kie tried to stifle a smile, Mrs. Carrera glared daggers at her Stella. “You’re not getting out of this, Stella. You better drown yourself in body wash and perfume when you get ready.”

Stella rolled her eyes behind her mom’s back, but listened all the same, albeit reluctantly. Kie was the first to hop into the shower in their shared bathroom, so Stella took the time to lay in her bed and unlock her phone, hoping to see a text or missed call from JJ. Her heart jumped when she saw just one text from him, chest tight as she read it quickly.

JJ: Don’t worry about me. I’m good. I’ll see u later.

That was it. Just ten words of reassurance and then nothing. Part of Stella was relieved to have received anything from him at all, but another part still felt worried and a little annoyed. She—all of them—had been worried sick over him after yesterday, and this was all he could say? Stella figured she shouldn’t be too surprised. It was typical JJ behavior. He got in a bind and somehow got himself out of it, and never really let his friends in on if anything was wrong. But the tough guy persona could only get him so far.

Chewing on her lower lip, Stella drafted a text, but not to JJ. Instead, she sent a message to John B.

Stella: You heard from JJ? Do you think he’s okay?

John B responded within moments.

John B: Yeah, it’s all good. I’m with him right now. We’ll see you guys tonight, alright? Keep an eye out.

Stella blinked at the cryptic message, wondering what the hell he was talking about. But if recent circumstances were any indicator, something was probably going down tonight. Stella’s stomach flipped in both apprehension and excitement. These boys might be the death of her.

Soon enough, Kie was out of the bathroom and it was Stella’s turn. She showered and brushed her teeth, stepping back into her room to catch sight of a satin slip dress with a halter neck waiting for her on her bed. It was a pretty golden color with a V-neck trimmed with lace, and a pair of white and gold sandals were waiting by the bed, too. Stella huffed, the towel wrapped tightly around her. She knew for a fact that her mother thought she needed to have everything out for her otherwise Stella would be useless in getting dressed for Midsummers. It was kind of insulting.

Stella expertly dried her hair, letting the natural curls come into place, before doing her makeup. She kept it light, as always, because not even Midsummers was going to make her slap on a face full of makeup, especially in the middle of summer. Some foundation, mascara, highlighter, and lipstick was as far as she went, with her jewelry consisting of a dainty diamond star necklace and the rings on her fingers.

“Oh, good, you’re dressed,” Mrs. Carrera said upon entering her room. “Come on, let me do your hair.”

Stella frowned but listened, sitting down in front of her dresser while her mom stood behind her. She worked quickly and efficiently, braiding back the two front locks of her hair and intertwining small yellow flowers in them that Stella tried not to wrinkle her nose at.

As her mom worked, Kie wandered into Stella’s room. Her slip dress was spaghetti strapped and a lavender color, a couple of layered necklaces around her neck, and her hair down in an updo with a crown of pink and purple flowers and locks of curly hair framing her face. She looked stunning, even with that scowl she wore as she stormed into the room.

“This is disgusting,” she announced without preamble.

Mrs. Carrera wove another flower into Stella’s braid, her voice dry above her as she responded, “I know. It’s just horrible. I’m asking you two to relax and go to a fun party.”

Kie scoffed, towering over their mom. They may be twins, but Kie somehow got the tall gene from their dad, standing at the elegant 5’8”, while Stella hadn’t grown past 5’5”. “We look like bourgeoisie pigs.”

Stella tried to keep the snort from escaping, covering it up with a cough as their mom finally patted down Stella’s hair, letting out a satisfied hum before stepping back. She shot Kie an exasperated look and said, “Will you please not worry about socioeconomic injustice for one night?”

Kie scowled and Stella’s face scrunched up. This was so much more than that. She twisted around in the seat and stood up, crossing her arms and siding with Kie, “Mom, people not three miles from here have no power, no running water—and we’re going to Midsummers.”

Kie nodded vigorously, gesturing to Stella. “That’s so tone deaf.”

Mrs. Carrera huffed, picking up the little pouch she’d dropped on the dressing table and pulling out the diamond earrings. As she put one in, she said, “Do you know how hard we had to work to get into the Island Club?”

Both Stella and Kie rolled their eyes, having heard this a hundred times before. “Yeah, Mom, how could we forget?” Stella sighed. “You had to grovel for, like, ten years—”

“Twelve,” Mrs. Carrera corrected, “and we also had to cough up a huge chunk of dough, and do you know why we did that?”

Kie wasn’t impressed. “To keep up with the Joneses?”

Mrs. Carrera’s hands were on her hips, looking at her daughter pointedly. “No. So you two could have the experiences that I had as a child. Sweethearts, do you know what the Island Club is?”

“A factory farm for debutantes,” Kie flatly said at the same time Stella said, “Where brain cells go to die.”

Kie gave her a subtle fist bump as their mother glared at them before smiling exasperatedly. She placed one hand on each of their cheeks, looking at both of them as she said, “It is a nice place, with nice people, where you can do fun stuff.”

Neither of them bought the company line. “With out of touch rich people,” Stella added.

Kie rightfully finished, “While the island sinks slowly into the ocean.”

Their mom dropped her hands from their cheeks, stepping back and shooting them a look. Clearly, she was done trying with her stubborn daughters. “Okay, I want you two to put on your party faces if you wanna live,” she said before walking out of the room.

Both Stella and Kie sighed, looking at each other in resigned defeat. Stella picked up her pen, offering a half hearted smile. “Wanna take a hit before we go?”

Kie scoffed, taking it from her. “Or maybe ten.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, the girls were at the Island Club with their parents, and instead of doing the polite thing and greeting the other party goers, Stella spotted a familiar face and grabbed Kie’s hand, jerking her chin to where Pope was working out on the lawn at the grill. She’d almost forgotten that he was working the party with his dad. Thank God for small miracles.

As they approached him, his back to the girls, Kie startled Stella by speaking in a terrible British accent, “Excuse me, sir. Do we have to shuck these ourselves?” Pope swiveled around as Kie grinned and Stella shook her head in bemusement. “’Cause it might mess up my costume.”

Pope chuckled. “We wouldn’t want that now, would we?” he asked and Stella stepped forward with a laugh, slapping her hand against his, front and back, before ending with a snap of her fingers. Their handshake. As he repeated the act with Kie, Pope added, “That accent was bad.”

Kie nodded. “It was. I was gonna let it go.”

Stella scoffed. “I wish you had,” she said as they came to stand next to Pope, arms folded across her chest. The three of them observed the scene before them, of all the guests gathered around in their fancy dresses and suits, drinking from flutes of champagne or drinks from the bar. “You ever seen this many Kooks in one place?”

“Yeah. Last year,” Pope answered.

Kie was squinting against the sun, but just like Stella’s, her brown skin glowed a pretty golden color against it. “We’re in the lion’s den.”

“Exactly.”

Pope glanced at the two of them, gaze lingering on Stella longer as he asked, “Have you heard from JJ?”

Kie shook her head. “No.”

“Just a text,” Stella answered, prompting Kie to look towards her, raising an eyebrow. Stella’s lips pursed. “He said he was okay and not to worry about him. But I won’t really believe it until I see him.”

“He’ll be all right,” Kie said, frowning to herself. “He’s got the survival instincts of a cockroach.”

Stella swallowed inaudibly. Kie wasn’t really wrong.

“It’s all my fault,” Pope said, the guilt thick in his tone as he frowned at nothing. He looked like he might be sick over everything that’s happened.

Stella frowned as Kie said, “Uh, you didn’t do this, Pope.”

“Yeah,” Stella chimed in firmly. “Topper almost killed you. Remember?”

He shot her a dry look. “Not something I can forget.”

Stella shot him a small smile. “JJ was just trying to do right by you. He—he knew what he was doing.” She stumbled over her words briefly because, well, she wasn’t entirely sure if she believed them. She believed that JJ thought he was doing the right thing, but getting arrested was no small thing. He was just adding onto his record, and this time for something he didn’t even do. JJ put loyalty above anything else, and it was one of her favorite things about him—until it landed him in trouble he might not be able to get out of.

Midsummers, as expected, was boring as usual. The adults drank and the teens snuck in their own alcohol in hidden flasks, dancing to the music from the live band while almost everyone kissed Ward Cameron’s ass. Stella stuck by Kie’s side, mostly because she didn’t care for anyone else there and because Kie kept glaring at Sarah Cameron, who looked like the perfect Kook princess. She was missing her not-so-Prince Charming, Topper, who seemed to be sticking by Rafe and Kelce’s sides than with Sarah. Hmm. Interesting.

At one point, Stella excused herself to go to the bathroom, walking inside the country club and down the hall. She did her business, ignoring the giggles of the few other girls inside as she washed her hands. Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, however, she let out a gasp and stumbled into the doorframe as a figure rushed off in front of her, her gaze instantly following.

She’d recognize those blonde locks anywhere.

Stella’s heart thundered, gripping the doorframe tightly as she called out, “JJ?”

*****

Despite the severity of needing to find a hiding spot or escape, the sound of Stella’s voice had JJ stopping in his tracks. He turned, catching sight of her down the hall, too far down the hall, looking every bit as breathtaking as he expected her to in a golden dress that hugged her so perfectly. And the way she was looking at him—the surprise and relief and tenderness he was sure she reserved just for him—had JJ’s heart pounding right out of his chest, and not just because he was trying to save himself at the moment.

“Stella—” JJ stopped, looking through the glass of the doors, seeing Rafe, Kelce, and three of their suited up buddies purposefully making their way over. “Shit.” His blue eyes met her concerned brown ones. “Sweetheart, I’ll explain everything later, but I gotta run right now. Just—I’ll see you in a little, okay?”

“Wait, JJ—”

But he didn’t stick around, as much as he wanted to, and instead turned and ran off just as he heard Rafe and his buddies walk in. They’d spotted him talking to Sarah because he’d needed to give her a letter from John B, after he’d spoken to and received a surprising hug from Pope, and now they were hot on his ass looking to throw more punches. JJ’d already received a beating from his dad—he didn’t need anymore, thank you very much.

Except he made his way into the men’s room, and Rafe and his buddies were pretty fast and managed to corner him no problem. Five against one—this was totally fair. Assholes.

Rafe pushed him and JJ grunted, struggling as Kelce came up behind him and locked an arm around the front of his neck, the other keeping his head in place as JJ grabbed at Kelce’s arm to loosen the grip. He struggled, heart pounding, as Rafe looked at his friends. “Hold him still. What—what do you think? A four iron, right?” He mimicked holding a golf club. “Keep his head still. I’m gonna line this up.”

JJ didn’t make it easy for Kelce to keep him still. “Very Rafe of you,” JJ said through gritted teeth. “Five on one?”

Rafe looked pristine in his stupid blue suit and bowtie. JJ hoped he’d choke on it. “If you could please stop talking? It’s very disrespectful. I’m trying to hit a ball.” Oh, fuck no. “Learn your etiquette, my friend.”

JJ kept grunting, struggling against Kelce, using his hands as much as he could to try and get away. JJ’s voice was hoarse against Kelce’s grip as he spat back, “I’m gonna kick your teeth in.” As much fire as there was in his voice, JJ wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to deliver on his promise. Not when the odds were stacked against him.

Rafe smirked sardonically, crouching to look up at JJ with a mocking sort of sympathy. “Your face looks really bad. Starting to look like your dad a lot more.”

The insult was grating, especially given that the bruises and cuts on his face were courtesy of his father. JJ couldn’t do much more than spit in Rafe’s face. He jerked back, wiping the saliva off his face as he grinned. “Oh, shit. Alright. It was—”

The lights began flickering. “Gentlemen!” Kelce roughly let go of JJ and pushed him off, prompting the blonde to struggle before he righted himself. The security guard approached them. “Is there a problem?”

“Oh! Pardon me, officer. No, there’s not an issue. I just—” JJ cut himself off, his breathing labored as he panted to catch his breath. He looked at the others and JJ ran his fingers through his hair before deciding on a different course of action. One he knew would likely get him out of this. “Actually, yes. No, there is an issue. Uh, we got a criminal trespass in progress here. Beep!” He waved a finger around. “Call it in, right?” The others looked at him, trying to appear casual and like they weren’t doing anything wrong. “Blatant disrespect for private property.”

Rafe clicked his tongue, scratching his ear. “Yeah.”

JJ turned to the guard. “I’m in violation of all kinds of shit, sir, but these young gentlemen—” He made a show of righting Kelce’s bowtie before he jerked him away.

“Don’t touch my shit,” Kelce said lowly.

JJ continued, “Uh, caught me, sir, and they’re about to take me away. And that’s what you should do.” He held his fists up like he was ready to be handcuffed. Again. “Escort me out of here. You got me.”

The guard grabbed his arm. JJ was relieved. “Come on.”

“All right.” JJ looked over his shoulder as the guard pulled him out, looking at the Kooks. “Fix that tie, son,” he said to Kelce before looking at Rafe. “You’re lookin’ spiffy, too. You Powerpuff Girls have fun,” he turned back around.

Rafe took a step forward, his voice smug. “Tell Stella she looks pretty hot for a scarred Pogue.”

Fire erupted in JJ’s veins at Rafe’s comment, a newfound anger rushing through him at the blatant insult from the son of a bitch. JJ didn’t care who they were—nobody talked about Stella like that. Not at all, not in front of him. JJ’s body moved at his own accord, a low growl escaping him as he jerked away from the guard and tried to launch himself at Rafe, consequences be damned of a five against one. The asshole insulted Stella. JJ couldn’t just let him get away with that.

He rushed towards Rafe, only for Kelce to jump in and push him away as the guard came to his back and pulled him away. “Hey! Stop it. Come here! Let’s go! Let’s go!”

But JJ struggled, the urge to bury his fist in Rafe’s face overwhelming after his words. “You think I’m afraid of you, bro?”

The guard pulled him back. “Come on.”

JJ turned and was guided out as Rafe’s voice followed him out of the locker room. “Hey, safe travels back to the cut!”

JJ shouted back, “This ain’t over!”

The guard didn’t let his grip on JJ go as he guided him down the halls and towards the doors, his grip tight as they burst through the doors out onto the patio. “Look, man, I can walk myself!” JJ exclaimed, earning gasps and looks from the guests at him being escorted out. “I got legs. Can you see that, brother?”

The guard didn’t seem to care. “Come on.”

“I really appreciate what you did back there. Let me just walk out by myself.” He struggled against the guard’s grip before spotting the older gentleman from earlier who had asked JJ for a drink. At this point, JJ didn’t care for the attention he was drawing on himself, stumbling over to where the man stood. “Mr. Dunleavy, I see you got your drink. Good, that’s really nice of you. I’m actually gonna down that,” he said quickly before grabbing the drink and downing the whiskey in one gulp.

The man gaped at him, the guard apologized before pulling JJ away. Everyone was watching, murmuring, and JJ never had mastered the art of subtlety, so he made a commotion as he was so kindly escorted out. Might as fucking well go out with a bang.

“Let go of him!” JJ turned at the sound of Stella’s voice, standing up on the patio with Kie by her side. Their parents were behind them, quietly telling Stella to stay quiet while her gaze met JJ’s. He stopped, kind of fucking mesmerized by the sight of her. “You can’t just boot him!”

The guard stopped, still holding onto JJ, who was still watching her. “Excuse me, ma’am?” the guard asked.

“I invited him here,” Stella continued, her voice loud and carrying over the newfound silence amongst the crowd. Everyone was looking at her, but she didn’t seem to give a shit, and JJ kind of fell in love with her all over again.

Next to her, JJ could hear her mom say, “Stella, stop it.”

“No, she’s right,” Kie spoke up, glaring at her parents and then at the guard. “We’re members of this club.”

“Girls, stop it,” Mr. Carrera seemed to be saying to them.

JJ took the opportunity of the guard being distracted to jerk out of his grip and push him, wincing as the man went stumbling into a waiter carrying a tray full of glasses that went shattering on the ground. “Sorry about that!” JJ said over the commotion before looking towards the girls. He pointed at them, blonde hair falling over his shoulders. “Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixon’s, ladies.” His gaze found Pope’s amidst the crowd’s. “Pope, you as well, all right? Rixon’s cove. Let’s roll.” He was walking backwards, people making their way for him as they all gaped at him in disbelief and annoyance. JJ looked back at the girls, holding his arm up. “All right, girls, come on.” He gripped his wrist. “Workers of the world unite. Throw off your chains!”

His gaze met Stella’s, who was watching him in, what he realized with relief, was amusement. He saw the looks she and Kie exchanged, a silent communication going on between the twins while their parents most definitely murmured warnings at them. And then, much to JJ’s relief, Stella and Kie broke away before running down the stairs.

JJ grinned widely, finally facing John B, who had been watching the whole thing with a grin. “Colonel.”

John B returned the salute JJ offered him. “Captain.”

JJ grinned. “Mission accomplished, sir.”

John B laughed as JJ shouted for the girls, watching as Pope pulled off his apron and handed it to his dad before running towards John B and JJ, all the while Mr. Heyward yelled, “Don’t do this! Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

But Pope didn’t listen, instead high fived John B and JJ, before John B ran off ahead and the two of them faced the girls running over, as well. Kie and Pope ran side by side, laughing, and JJ opened his arms so Stella could run into his embrace, and he laughed into her neck as he lifted her off the ground with a spin before setting her down, grasping her hand in his, and following the others as they ran.

“Later, losers!” John B shouted over his shoulder towards the partygoers.

Stella was laughing, the sound brilliant and wonderful in JJ’s ears as Kie cheered while they ran. JJ couldn’t help but laugh as well. It may have been a shitty couple of days, but at least he had his friends.

*****

The fire crackled between them as Stella sat on a log next to JJ. The cicadas were chirping against the otherwise quiet of the night, and JJ had changed out of the waiter get up and was back in his signature hat, shirt, and shorts combo. The sight of the shark tooth necklace Stella had gifted him around his neck always made her chest tighten in the best way. She and Kie were still in their Midsummers dresses, but mosquitos and bugs never bothered Stella, so she sat comfortably as the fire warmed them.

She kept looking towards JJ, though—at the cuts and bruises on his face. The sight of him injured tightened her chest uncomfortably, made her stomach twist nauseatingly. No doubt his dad had done this to him, and it enraged her. She wished, with every fiber of her being, that she could get him as far away from his dad as possible. It hurt, so badly, to see JJ injured at the hands of his abusive father. JJ, despite what others may see as faults and flaws, was probably the best person she knew. He had such a big heart, a soul that deserved to be loved and protected instead of stepped on and beaten. She desperately wished she could protect him from the cruelty of others. He deserved someone to do that for him.

“Hey, guys. So, like, my dad’s already gonna kill me,” Pope said as he and John B dropped some sticks to feed the fire before sitting down. “So what’s this mandatory meeting about?”

Stella watched as John B looked at JJ, pointing at him as if he needed permission. JJ nodded. “Might as well tell him, man, before we’re gaffed.”

John B smiled like he held some kind of secret. “You ready for this?” he asked, looking at Kie and Stella.

The two girls nodded impatiently. “Yeah.”

The fire glowed against John B’s skin as he looked at all of them. “So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant.”

Stella blinked as Pope groaned. “Oh, my God. Here we go again with this.”

Next to her, JJ sat up, holding out a calming hand to Pope. “No, all right, wait. Hear him out, all right?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at Pope and the girls.

John B had a finger to his lips before continuing, “It’s been here this whole time.” He looked to Kie. “It’s on the island.”

Her expression was one of shocked disbelief. “Are you serious?” She looked at John B before laughing in astonishment. “Oh, my God.”

Pope held up a hand. “I’d like to voice my skepticism.”

Stella was still trying to wrap her head around what John B said as he stood up. “I’m sure you would, Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?”

Pope rolled his eyes. “Proceed.”

John B held up a piece of paper he pulled out from his bag, proceeding to tell them about a letter he had from Denmark Tanny, a slave who had survived the wreck of the Royal Merchant. He showed it to Pope and the girls, telling them that the slaves weren’t mentioned as crew members on the ship, but that his dad found the complete manifest—his big discovery. Stella listened attentively, mouth agape, looking towards JJ who nodded with a smile on his face. He knew all of this already, it seemed. It was probably why he and John B had been together earlier.

“So Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom,” John B was saying. “After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll, please, because that farm is,” he paused dramatically as the group of them slapped their knees with their hands. “Tannyhill Plantation.”

Kie stopped. “Tannyhill?”

John B nodded, standing like a professor giving a lecture. “Yeah. So, after that, he used his money to free even more slaves, and then he sold a shit-ton of rice, which pisses off all the white planters, and then they decide to lynch him. So on the day they were coming to get him, he writes a letter to his son as a farewell, and in the last line of that letter, he leaves a coded message about where to find the gold.”

John B had Stella’s attention as she hung onto his every word, shaking her head as she asked, “Where?”

John B grinned. “Harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water.” He held up a hand. “Except, there is no wheat. You see, wheat is code for gold. Check this out.” He walked over to Pope, pointing at something in the paper Pope was holding. Stella leaned over to look as well. “The gold is in parcel nine, near the water.”

Kie laughed in disbelief as Pope murmured, “Holy shit.”

John B slapped his arm. “All we need is an original survey map of the property and we’ve found the gold.”

He was grinning widely as JJ stood up. Pope slowly started, “Okay, so this might have a small chance of being actually true.”

Kie bounced excitedly where she sat. “Dude, it’s like King Tut!” she exclaimed, earning a laugh from Stella.

“I am a genius,” John B announced, just as JJ tackled him into a hug. “Hey, whoa!” They teetered slightly where they stood before JJ lifted John B up. “Hello! Fire! You’re near the fire. You’re gonna burn.”

JJ pulled away and Stella snickered as he said, “I’m so proud of you right now.”

John B nodded somberly. “Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.”

With a shake of her head, Stella interrupted the moment by asking, “Okay, so, guys.” They all looked towards her. “What’s the plan?”

John B pointed at her as JJ made his way back. “Good question. Sarah Cameron’s coming tonight. She’ll bring the original survey map—”

JJ sat down next to Stella just as her eyes widened, gaping at John B before her gaze instantly shot to Kie, who was frowning. “Hold on,” she interrupted. “Sarah? Wh-why Sarah?”

Stella tensed, looking between a bewildered Kie and a hesitant John B. She and Pope exchanged glances, both of them suddenly aware of the tension building in the open space. “Um—” John B trailed off.

JJ took off his head, muttering, “This is gonna be good.”

Stella looked at him, catching the wince he shot her way. Silently, she frowned at him, but JJ shook his head before nodding towards John B, who stood with his fists on his hips. “Sarah, um, she. . . She got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and there’s where I got the letter.”

Kie’s face scrunched up even more, looking a mix of pissed off and confused, while Stella gaped up at John B. “You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?”

John B’s throat worked. “Yeah, um. . .”

Next to her, JJ announced, “He was mackin’ on her.”

Stella gasped as she stared at him, wide eyed, and JJ nodded somberly while Pope coughed uncomfortably into his fist. Across the fire, Kie was glaring up at John B, and Stella hated the betrayal she could already see melting into Kie’s eyes. John B shot JJ a glare. “I wasn’t macking.”

JJ lifted his chin, unrelenting. “You were totally macking Sarah Cameron.”

He wasn’t helping the situation, so Stella lightly flicked his arm, prompting JJ to immediately look at her, pressing his cut lips together to keep himself from smirking. She narrowed her eyes in warning, and all JJ did was link their arms together and pull her to his side.

“I wasn’t macking on her, okay?” John B spoke up, exasperated. “I was using her for access.”

JJ scoffed lightly. “There was access, alright.”

Stella pinched his side at that, despite the inappropriate laugh threatening to burst. Kie wouldn’t appreciate it, and Stella could tell her twin was seconds away from pushing John B into the fire. “Did you tell her about the treasure?” Kie demanded.

John B’s eyes widened. “I was trying to get into the archives.”

Kie’s voice grew loud with disbelief. “Is that a yes?”

“I. . . I left out key details,” John B said, looking to the others for help. Stella pressed her lips together, pressed up against JJ. If anyone noticed, they didn’t say anything, not with the current situation going on. Poor John B wasn’t going to get help on this.

“Yo, what?” Kie scoffed with a shake of her head. “You let a Kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Lyfe? What about the T-shirt company, bro?”

Suddenly, it was a battle between Kie and John B, and all Stella, JJ, and Pope could do was sit on the sidelines silently and watch. “I was just using her for information,” John B tried.

Kie shot him a wry look. “Why don’t I believe you?”

John B was growing exasperated already, shaking his head at the unhelpfulness of the others before looking back at Kie. “I’m trying to make us filthy rich here, okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or. . . or, uh. . .” He looked towards Pope, “send you to autopsy school to study bed bodies.” Stella’s face scrunched up as JJ suppressed a snort and Pope blinked owlishly. “Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?”

JJ blinked. “Uh—”

Stella tilted her head at John B. “Do you want us to answer that?” She could guarantee neither he nor Kie would appreciate the answer.

John B held up a hand at Stella. “Just—just stop.”

Kie shook her head, her jaw tight as she frowned deeply. “Look, you don’t know her yet. I do! You can’t trust her.”

Pope chimed in, “Her brother did hit me in the back with a golf club.”

John B looked to Pope. “Rafe and Sara are different human beings.”

JJ’s cheek was resting on top of Stella’s head as he asked Kie, “What did she do to you, exactly?”

Stella sighed. Oh, boy.

Kie held up two fingers and jabbed them forward. “She’s like a. . . a spitting cobra.” Everyone blinked, bewildered. “First she—she blinds you, and then—”

Stella was already shaking her head, sitting up straight as she said to her struggling sister, “This is a bad analogy.”

“Listen to me!” Kie exclaimed, clearly fed up with the situation. “Whatever we get, she’s gonna try to take.”

Her words were met by silence, other than the crackling fire and chirping cicadas. John B stood quietly, throat working, clearly unsure of what to say as JJ and Pope stayed in their own awkward silence, too. Stella suppressed a sigh. It seemed as though it was up to her to smooth things over, even if she did slightly side with Kie in all of this. She didn’t have a begrudging hate towards Sarah like Kie did, but they were sisters, and Stella needed to show solidarity. But she could also, in some way, see John B’s side of things. God, this was gonna be tense.

“Kie,” Stella spoke up carefully, prompting Kie’s gaze to connect with hers. “Whatever John B promised Sarah, that’s his issue. But if she’s the only way we can get the map, then we need to let it happen.”

Kie’s jaw was hard. “I don’t want her involved. I don’t want to deal with her.”

“We won’t,” Stella said, glancing quickly at John B before looking at Kie again. “Let John B deal with her.” When Kie didn’t look entirely convinced, Stella let out a huff. “This is bigger than your beef with Sarah. I know you know that.”

Silence fell upon them for a few moments as they all waited for Kie to respond. She sat quietly, hands gripping the log she sat on, mulling over Stella’s words. Stella, in turn, hoped she got through to her sister. They needed Kie to be on board with this, no matter her issues with Sarah. They’d already gotten this far in their treasure hunt—an old beef shouldn’t hinder them now.

Stella remained quiet, waiting for Kie to make a decision, although she silently enjoyed the sensation of JJ’s fingers ghosting up and down her arm, their arms still linked together. It was calming when others would argue JJ was anything but.

“Fine,” Kie finally gave in and everyone instantly sat up. She glared at John B. “As long as I don’t have to speak to her.” John B pressed his hands together and brought them to his mouth, his grin already forming. “I just hope you know what you’re getting us into.”

After John B profusely thanked Kie for agreeing, they killed the fire and got up before heading back to the van, since they had to drive to meet Sarah. The twigs and leaves crunched under their shoes as they went, but as Pope, Kie, and John B chatted while walking ahead, Stella lingered back and grasped JJ’s hand to slow his pace down.

He looked at her, eyebrows raising. “What’s up?”

Stella looked up at him, her fingers ghosting on his chin. Finally, she let the worry come out in full force as she asked, “Are you okay? Did—” she stopped, throat working to get rid of the lump that formed. “Did your dad do this?”

JJ’s jaw worked, blue eyes glimmering under the moonlight as he looked down at her. “Got a good chunk of money to pay in restitution,” he told her. “The old man’s not too happy about it.”

Despite herself, Stella felt the hot tears sting in her eyes. She preferred the pink in JJ’s cheeks when they were flushed when he was happy or even drunk—not the pink and harsh reds that surrounded the cuts and marked the bruises. Stella wasn’t sure she ever hated anyone as much as she hated JJ’s dad. Her throat was tight, unable to say anything except to croak out his name, “JJ—”

“Hey, hey,” he shushed her, hands coming up to cup Stella’s that had been ghosting along his sharp jaw. He held her hand in both of his before pressing a kiss to it, blue eyes locked in her brown. “I’m okay, Stel. They’ll heal. It’s no big deal.”

Stella scoffed, though her concern remained clear. “You can’t actually expect me to believe that.” The flutters in her stomach returned when JJ kissed her hand, when he looked at her with those baby blue eyes she loved so much. She let out a breath. “You’re sleeping over at John B’s, right?”

JJ offered her a small dimpled grin. “When am I not?”

Stella pinned him with a stare. They’d stopped walking and she knew they had to move soon, but she took a breath. “Whenever you can, either sleep at John’s or you sleep at mine. Okay?”

JJ raised his eyebrows, though she could see his gaze soften at her offer. But he kept the mood light as he teased, “You inviting me to your room, shark bait?”

Her heart jumped. “Wouldn’t be the first time we shared a bed,” Stella pointed out. It was the truth. They shared hammocks, chairs, couches, and beds countless times before.

“Yeah, but it’s different now, isn’t it?” JJ questioned.

She looked at their hands before meeting his gaze again. “Is it?” she returned, throat working in anticipation. This was it. This was Stella asking JJ if whatever was happening between them was real, if something more was going to come out of it than a few kisses shared.

JJ’s gaze was intense, deep in a way she wasn’t used to as it stole her breath. “It is.” Steady, resolute, firm. No room for arguments. Thank fuckinf God.

Stella felt her grin appear before she could help it, relief warming her, and JJ mirrored her smile before ducking his head and pressing his lips to hers. She returned the kiss slowly, gently, not wanting to hurt his cut lips. Her heart jumped excitedly as he kissed her, but it was cut short, unfortunately, when John B’s voice cut through the air.

“Oi! What happened to no macking?”

The two of them pulled apart, but John B was grinning, as were Pope and Kie as they looked at the two of them. Stella’s face flushed as JJ slung his arm around her shoulders before they began walking towards their friends. “I’m sure we can make an exception,” JJ said smoothly, cockily.

John B’s grin was wicked. “If it means you’ll finally stop whining about how much you looooove Stel, then yes we will.”

Stella laughed, cheeks flushing, while JJ spluttered. “I never whined!” he protested as they joined their friends.

Pope rolled his eyes. “That’s true. You just bottled it all up inside because you’re emotionally constipated.”

“Sounds about right. I’m the one who made the first move,” Stella said, grinning widely at JJ’s betrayed expression, laughing as he used his arm around her to push her away. Stella continued laughing, along with the others, as she stumbled away, but didn’t lose her balance because JJ instantly caught her hand and pulled her back to his side.

“Whatever. I like an assertive woman,” JJ said with a charming grin, pressing a kiss to Stella’s temple as they neared the van.

Pointing at Pope and John B as they climbed inside, Kie said, “You two owe me twenty bucks, by the way.”

“No, we don’t!” John B argued as he started the van. “It’s after Midsummers.”

Pope nodded in agreement as Kie grinned wickedly before meeting Stella’s gaze as she sat on the back bench. With a giggle, Stella confessed, “It was actually yesterday. Before the summer movie series.”

John B and Pope’s gazes swung to JJ, who leaned back with his arms propped on top of the back bench casually as he said, “It’s true, boys.” John B shook his head and began driving, and JJ added, “Can’t believe you three bet on us.”

Sitting on the floor opposite of them, Pope scoffed. “Can’t believe it took you two this long to get together.”

“Okay!” Stella spoke up loudly, clapping her hands together once and shooting all of her friends a look. “We’re done talking about this.”

They reached their destination soon after that, a spot off in the middle of the woods where a tower stood, the apparent meeting spot John B had set up at Kildare Hawk’s Nest. As soon as he parked the car, Pope slid open the back van door as JJ slapped his knees. “Hit it, boys! We’re goin’. Recon mission.”

But before any of them could even get up, John B turned to face them. “Yo, uh. . . So, uh, I think I’m gonna do this one by myself. . . Tonight.”

Thunder rumbled overhead as Kie rolled her eyes and Stella and JJ fell back in their seats. She raised her eyebrows as JJ drawled a knowing, “Really?”

John B frowned. “What?”

JJ took off his head. “Nothin’.”

John B sighed, fixing his own hat atop his head. “I don’t want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery.”

Kie shrugged, voice sharp and annoyed as she looked at John B. “I just don’t understand why we’re involving her at all.”

Stella let out a sigh as she leaned back, JJ now sitting on the ground next to her, his head resting against her leg as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Kie, we’re not involving her, okay?” John B said, exasperated. “It’s—it’s just, uh, like a—a business meeting. . . Thing.” On the ground, JJ made a crude motion with the joint he held and made a gulping sound, prompting Pope to grin in amusement while Stella rolled her eyes at John B. He was not selling this well. “Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose, all right? Plus, we need the map.”

Yeah, okay. Stella wasn’t quite sure how much she believed that.

Kie pursed her lips, leaning forward as she stared John B dead in the eye. “Promise me nothing’s happening between you two.”

John B widened his eyes, answering breathily, “Nothing is happening, Kie.”

“I’m being serious.”

“Okay!”

Kie was still frowning, as if she was trying to get John B to get the message through her glare. “This isn’t about you. This isn’t about us. This is about her.” Stella pressed her lips together as she watched them. Kie’s beef with Sarah was so damn deep, she wondered if they would be able to do with if she wasn’t on board with Sarah helping out just this once. Personally, Stella didn’t give a shit about Sarah Cameron; she just didn’t like her out of principle for the way the end of that friendship hurt Kie. Everything else was between Kie and Sarah. “Dude, she’s gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing’s happening between you guys.”

John B looked at her as lightning flashed outside and thunder rolled. “I promise.”

“That was really believable,” JJ piped up.

Pope nodded. “A hundred percent believable.”

Stella lightly knocked JJ with her knee while glaring at Pope, effectively shutting both of them up. John B didn’t dignify them with a response, instead saying, “Anyways, um, I’m gonna take care of business.”

JJ shook his head, playing with the joint. “You’re gonna take care of it so well.”

Stella waved John B off dismissively. “We’ll just sit here,” she said dryly. “In the hot-ass car.”

Pope added, “While it’s lightning.”

They left the back door of the van open as John B got out, backpack on as he walked off towards the tower. The wind rustled outside, thunder rumbling every now and then to accompany the flashes of lightning that warned of a storm rolling in. “Kiara, holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die,” Pope said once John B was gone.

“Exactly,” JJ nodded.

Kie shot the two of them a withering stare before looking at Stella. Her twin merely shrugged. “You know I’m on your side,” Stella said. “But you can’t really tell John B what he can or can’t do.”

“I’m not trying to tell him what to do,” Kie shot back. “I’m just warning him against the kind of person I know Sarah is. She’s gonna fuck us over.”

“Look, we just—we just gotta trust that John B knows what he’s doing,” Pope tried to placate, looking between Stella and Kie. “That he’s using his head.”

Kie scoffed, not really convinced. “I know what head he’s using, and it isn’t the one on his shoulders.”

“That’s a good one,” JJ mumbled quietly where he sat.

They were quiet for a few minutes, just listening to the rumble of thunder, before conversation started up again. Pope had asked about what happened at Midsummers, and JJ launched into the story that led up to the Kooks cornering him in the men’s room while they waited for John B to return with the map.

JJ was saying, “Rafe and Kelce followed me—”

Kie cut him off. “Wait, do you guys hear that?” Her eyebrows furrowed together. “Sh.”

Stella frowned. “What?”

And then, in the distance, over the sound of the wind howling and thunder rumbling, came a girl’s voice yelling, “Please, somebody, help!”

All of their eyes widened, instantly on their feet as JJ grunted, “Oh, wait, no, I hear that.”

“Shit,” Pope cursed as they all stumbled out.

“What the fuck?” Stella muttered, gripping the skirt of her dress so it didn’t get tangled in her feet as she ran.

The voice, Stella realized, belonged to Sarah, and her heart started pounding as they ran towards the Hawk’s Nest, throat already drying in worry. The first thought in her head was that something went terribly wrong, that John B was hurt, and when they all cleared a group of trees towards the base of the Nest, Stella’s fear came true as a gasp ripped through her at the sight of John B lying on the ground, Sarah crying as she cradled his head and begged for him to wake up and open his eyes.

“Sarah! What happened?” Pope asked as they came running over, skidding to a stop, their breathing labored.

Sarah was crying, and Stella’s heart clenched at the sight of John B, unconscious, fear drenching her veins in ice as she instantly gripped Kie’s hand. “I don’t know what to do,” Sarah sobbed. “He needs help. Topper shoved him.”

Anger heated Stella’s skin, momentarily taking over the terror trembling her body as JJ demanded, “Where the hell is he?”

But Sarah just cried, “Oh, please, please, please get help. I don’t care who. Just call someone.”

Stella pushed Pope away as she panted, “Go! Call 911! Go!”

Pope took off and Kie shouted after him, “Pope, hurry!”

They all stood, breathing labored and hearts pounding, unsure of what to do as their friend lay unconscious. Worry weighed heavily on them all, to the point where Stella couldn’t even stop to question the way Sarah was holding John B to her, crying for him, kissing him and begging for him to wake up. No, nothing else mattered other than their injured friend, the tears stinging in Stella’s eyes as she prayed to anyone who was listening that he would wake up. Soon. Now. Please.

#outer banks #obx #jj #jj maybank #john b #sarah cameron #pope heyward #kiara carrera #jj maybank fic #jj maybank fanfic #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank imagines #jj maybank blurb #jj maybank blurbs #obx fic #obx fanfic #outer banks fanfiction #outer banks fic #outer banks fanfic #obx fanfiction #obx imagine #outer banks imagine #obx blurb #outer banks blurb #jj maybank x oc

[wistfulcynic]

relationship goals

Dipping the toe into fic again just for a second, to fire up some tired synapses and also because I saw this earlier and if it isn’t a CS prompt then I don’t know what is: 

Enjoy!

Words: 1.2k Rating: G Tags: couples goals, relationship goals, married CS, committed relationships can still be fun you guys

On AO3

-

relationship goals: 

It’s an offensively bright Monday morning and Ruby’s working her first shift of the summer at Granny’s new drive-thru when at just past eight a.m. a man pulls up to her window and blinds her with his smile. 

“Good morning,” he says, accepting the cup of coffee she hands him. “How are you today, lass?” 

“Um.” Ruby blinks. It’s far too early for her to be dealing with eyes that blue. And though she’s pretty much exclusively been into women these past few years, this guy’s face could probably convince her to give men another go. “Fine, I guess.” 

“Listen, Ruby.” She’s startled for a moment when he calls her by her name, then recalls she’s wearing a name tag. Duh. Seriously, it’s way too freaking early for this. “Could you do me a favour?” he asks, with a smile she’s pretty sure no one who’s into dudes even a little bit has ever said no to. 

“What kind of favour?” she asks warily.

He hands her a twenty. “I’d like to pay for the woman in the car behind me,” he says. “And tell her I think she’s hot.” 

“Sir, I’m not sure that’s—” 

“And keep the change.” 

He gives her a wink—a terrible excuse for a wink, actually—and drives off. 

Ruby hesitates. She’s not about to help some dude sexually harass another woman, no matter how blue his eyes, but he’s left her something like a twelve-dollar tip and he didn’t seem that creepy. She watches carefully as the next car pulls up. The woman behind the wheel is definitely hot—creepy-ish dude has good taste—with long, blonde hair curled in princess ringlets and an expression that looks just how Ruby feels—that it’s way too early in the morning for any species of bullshit. 

“Hey,” she greets the woman, handing over another coffee. “Um, it’s already paid for.” 

“What?” 

“The guy in the car in front of you, he paid for your coffee.” 

“Did he?” says the woman with a scowl. 

“Yeah. And he, uh, he said to tell you you’re hot.” 

Ruby figures this woman can take care of herself. She looks like she could flatten Mr Blue Eyes if she put her mind to it, and if he’s being a creep she deserves to know. 

The woman heaves an annoyed huff and rolls her eyes. “Thanks,” she says. “I’ll handle it.” 

Ruby gives her a nod and even manages a grin despite the early hour. She likes this woman. 

—

The next day at about the same time, the same man with the same blue eyes and a face that Ruby decides could actually be classified as an offensive weapon pulls up to her window, the twenty already held out between two fingers. 

Ruby glances at her list of orders. “She’s ordered a really expensive drink today,” she informs Blue Eyes. “Blended coffee with two shots of the specialty espresso and like four kinds of syrup, plus whipped cream and praline sprinkles.” 

Blue Eyes laughs. “Well played, love,” he murmurs, almost to himself, and pulls another ten from his wallet. “Tell her she’s devastatingly beautiful and her clever tricks only serve to further inflame my passions.” 

Ruby chokes. “I can’t tell her that!” 

Blue Eyes widens his blue eyes and lets his lip quiver slightly, like the fucking cat from Shrek, Ruby thinks grumpily. It’s still too damned early to be dealing with this. “Fine,” she huffs. She snatches the thirty bucks from his hand and exchanges it for his drink. 

He shoots her a lopsided grin that has her heart actually skipping a goddamn beat and another terrible wink, then drives away. A minute later Princess Curls pulls up, already looking resigned. 

“Apparently you are devastatingly beautiful and your clever tricks only serve to further inflame his passions,” Ruby informs her as she hands over the monstrous coffee drink. The woman’s eyes narrow. 

“So that’s how he wants to play it,” she says. “Thanks.” 

Ruby grins. “No problem, hot stuff,” she smirks, with a far better wink than Blue Eyes could manage. Princess Curls laughs. 

“Not you too,” she protests. 

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” says Ruby. “Have a nice day.” 

“You too,” Princess Curls replies, and drives off. 

—

The war of wills continues for the rest of the week, escalating to the point where Ruby begins to worry that the diner won’t have the wherewithal to handle the stakes of the warfare. On Wednesday, Princess Curls orders another massive coffee with a side of chocolate chip pancakes. On Thursday Blue Eyes gives Ruby a fifty and a slip of paper on which grilled cheese, onion rings, chocolate milkshake is written in such perfect handwriting Ruby is half convinced it’s a font. 

“She’ll call in this order at about twelve-thirty,” he tells her. “Make sure she doesn’t lay down a dime.” 

On Friday Princess Curls orders three coffees and enough breakfast food to feed an army. Granny chuckles to herself as she cracks eggs on the grill and Blue Eyes hands Ruby a crisp hundred-dollar bill with a flourish. “Tell her that her beauty puts the dawn to shame, and add a fruit salad to her order,” he says with a smirk. “Chocolate chip pancakes and extra-crispy bacon doth not a healthy breakfast make.” 

“No,” mutters Ruby, “I don’t suppose they doth.” 

—

On Saturday she’s off drive-thru duty and feeling a bit let down. She didn’t realise how much the romance of Blue Eyes and Princess Curls brightened her morning until she found herself facing a busy weekend without them. And she has Monday off. She gives herself a bracing pep-talk then swings through the doors from the kitchen with a pot of coffee in each hand, stopping short when she sees Blue Eyes grinning his weapons-grade grin as he leans against the counter. 

“Regular for me,” he tells her, just as the door jangles and opens to admit Princess Curls. “She, on the other hand, has become addicted to those sugary monstrosities.” His grin softens as Princess Curls approaches and he slips an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple. 

“Hold up.” Ruby sets both pots down on the counter and puts her hands on her hips. “Hold the fuck up. Are you telling me that all that crap with the buying your coffee and the telling you you’re beautiful—that actually worked?” 

“It did,” laughs Princess Curls. “About ten years ago.” She holds out her hand to Ruby. “I’m Emma Jones and this is my husband, Killian.” 

“Husband,” repeats Ruby faintly, shaking the proffered hand. 

“Afraid so,” says Emma, and Killian gives a long-suffering sigh. 

“Can I help it if after ten years my wife is still the most beautiful woman in any room?” he asks. “No offence, Ruby.” 

Ruby holds up her hands. “Absolutely none taken.” 

Emma and Killian find seats in a booth and linger over their breakfast—more pancakes for her, toast and poached eggs for him—and when they come to the counter to pay, Ruby waves their money away. 

“You’ve tipped me so much this past week, it’s my treat,” she says. “Just—never change, you guys, okay?” 

Emma and Killian exchange a look, then wrap their arms around each other and turn back to Ruby. “We won’t,” Killian promises, with more solemnity than Ruby expected from him. Emma nods in agreement. 

And they never do. 

--

#cs fic #cs ficlet #cs ff #cs ff au #ficlets #profdanglaisstuff #based on a prompt #happily married couples are still hot #relationship goals

[realhankmccoy]

I Don’t Really Care, Do You?

“Just don’t make me dumb, man, I want to keep everything about my mind totally intact,” I told my friend at the lab.  I was totally willing to go through the procedure but I didn’t want it messing with my intellect any – my job and lifestyle were too important to me.  They promised me a whole new masculine experience, that they could bring out the man in me in ways that were easily accessible through epigenetic therapy.  I’d be fitter, more energetic, more attractive and just altogether healthier.  It was in the beta testing process and they said they’d throw in a couple of thousand dollars if I signed off, too.  I’d only need to take a few weeks off work for an outpatient trial.

“That didn’t seem so bad,” I said after the doctor finished up removing the slow drip from my arm and the infusion was complete.  Took two different bags of fluid but I mostly felt fine, if a little faint at first.

I got home and realized I was pretty tired so I stripped down and went to bed.  I started noticing the changes the next day already.  I did have more energy.  My face seemed handsomer, just a tad.  After two days I was feeling pretty into this.

It was the third day when I started noticing that I was getting beefier.

That was cool, I thought, but then I noticed I was feeling hornier, too.  I ignored it at first, but by the end of the day I was jacking off in my bedroom, hard.  I got up off my bed, still stroking my dick, to check myself out in the mirror.

“Looks hot,” I thought, stroking it slowly.  If this stuff made my sex drive a little stronger, that was fine with me.

I started getting obsessed with checkin’ out the changes in the mirror, and I had so much energy that I started working out.  I’d be doing pushups on my hardwood floor and getting excited over how I was going to flex in front of the bathroom mirror after I finished a set of 50.

I went back to the lab and they didn’t seem to think it was a problem.

So I figured, what the hell, I might as well enjoy this.  Pretty soon I was hanging out in just my underwear all the time.  That didn’t make me dumb, I knew, it just felt good.  I might as well get into it, I figured.

Only problem is I got used to it pretty quick.  I hate wearing clothes now, dudes.

I looked in the mirror one day and I just looked so fucking good with these thick pecs and the thicker stubble on my face.  I figured I should have fun with a haircut so I got kind of a high and tight, cut real short though, and that just turned me on.  Even my facial structure has changed from this shit they’re doing to me.  My ears look like they stick out more, like some dumb ape or something, and that just makes me hard.  I’ve hot this thick abdomen and these beefy deltoids.  I feel like I look more like a football dude, even, and I started watching football even.  Might as well have fun while I’m stuck in outpatient anyhow.

They told me it wouldn’t alter my mind any but it’s like I’m addicted to working out, flexing in the mirror, taking selfies, hooking up – with dudes – I just find em on my phone.  I stopped reading.  I look at these hairy legs and I get hard just touching em, I rub a hand across my pecs and my nipples are hard right away and I feel my cock jump up wanting a piece of the action.  All I can think about is my goddamn cock, man.

So I took another week off work because I’m not ready to go back, and told myself on Monday I’d start getting ready to get my life on track.  I just procrastinated the whole day, jacking off in bed, mostly, slowly stroking it.  I guess my new bod’s so awesome that it’s just depressing to think of going back to the office.

My alarm goes off on Tuesday, and I throw it against the wall and say fuck it.  One more day of fun’s not gonna hurt.  Dudes, I look so fucking good.  At least I’ll be productive today, I tell myself.  So I start off the day with a ton of pushups, make myself a protein shake, and I look so ripped in the mirror that I figure I’ll score myself a hookup on my phone.  Guy comes over, and his hairy, hard pecs crushed against mine – my rubbing the short beard I’ve got started all up on his asshole, and that turns him on enough that he’s letting me lift his legs and plow the shit out of him..

After he’s gone, I’m back in front of the mirror saying “you fucking stud.  Yeah you fuckin’ ape boy.  Fuckin’ just want to fuck with dudes, don’t you, gaywad.  Yeah you jocked up fuck.  Just want to get naked and fuck, don’t you?”

Still hard, still horny, so just stroking my dick slowly while I put the game on for ambience.  I don’t know how Thursday’s gonna shake out but today I just went out and bought a basketball hoop for the driveway so I could burn off some of this energy.  Felt fuckin’ great, too, goin’ out in the sun in just some shorts and Nikes working on my game.  Soon as I was back indoors though, man, just stripped back down to my underwear – I can’t stop admiring this body.  Gotta get another dude over here to mess around with.  Fuck work, man, you only live once, right?

Think I’m gonna pick up a big screen for the bedroom because that’d be pretty cool, and I just found out gay dues have their own hockey leagues you can join so I’m thinking of that.  How hot would that be – those dudes are fuckin’ built, man, and I could pick it up pretty quick I bet.

Fuck, let me know if – oh, fuck it, I’m gonna order a pizza and see if I can find a hot hookup for tonight.  Some dude with pecs as thick as mine and who’s like me slapping this cock all over his tongue for a couple of hours while I tease the shit out of his hot jock ass.  Yeah man.  Fuckin’ hot, man, I could pump a full load into some dude’s muscle butt and be ready to score again two hours later.  That’s how good I feel.  Friends with benefits, whatever you want to call it as long as it’s none of that lovey-dovey or dramatic shit – I’ve got em on the phone.  Sex, muscle, good food and workin’ out, so glad I met those lab rats.

Then I realise I really am feeling dumber.  I’m jacking my jock cock in front of the mirror and all I can think about is hooking up.  I don’t know if it’s my lack of willpower or the lifestyle change or what.

Even worse, I start thinking it feels hot to be dumb.  You know, that I should really just roll with this jock thing I’ve got going on, and fuck if it matters if I ever read a book again.

I don’t really care about stuff like that.  Do you?  Who really cares unless they’re messed up in the head and aren’t having a good time?

The thought has me boned, and I’m jacking my cock to the mirror, saying “Fuck it, I’ll be just a dumb jock.  Fuck if it matters.  Fucking hot dumb jock,” and I am so beyond boned, dudes.  I never had considered it from that angle, that these guys wouldn’t dumb me down so much as I’d choose to just not want to do the same stuff I used to and would start finding the dumb jock lifestyle so appealing.

And then I have this revelation that that’s how all the guys who look like me really are.  They never decided to be dumb or anything.  It’s just, man, you get so into the muscle and feeling good and the workouts that it just kind of happens, you don’t have time to do a bunch of stuff that you can just get somebody else to do for you, and that would only make you look like a dork socially.  You know, the different between the in crowd and the out crowd.

So fucking hot to me, this revelation, and I realise it’s happening.

“Dumb fucking jock.  Aww man, you dumb fucking jock.  So fucking hot,” I say as I beat off hard in front of the mirror,.  And then I’m groaning with pleasure and soon I’m shooting this big white juicy load that explodes all over the mirror.

[thanksjro]

All Hail Megatron #15: Dang Bro, That Sure is a Redeemable Dude Right There

So, before we get into Season 2 of MTMTE, I thought it would be prudent to take a gander at all the stuff Megatron’s gotten done in the IDW publications. Y’know, for plot reasons. And also because of this little nugget of info I found forever ago:

Of course, just jumping straight into the 15th issue of a run isn’t going to give me a proper understanding of what happens narratively, so here is a very brief rundown of the events of AHM #1-14.

First thing I see- cover with Megatron holding the American flag in one hand and Optimus Prime’s head on a fucking pike in the other.

Shane McCarthy wrote several issues of this run. So expect some Empire of Stone vibes.

2009 Josh Burcham appears to not know how to color black people’s skin. I have no idea if he’s improved on this deficiency in his skills, but a person can hope.

Megatron kills a literal skyscraper’s worth of people. (was that allowed in 2009? I thought we were still being weird about that sort of thing back then, with 9/11 and all.)

A fighter pilot looks at a photograph of his significant other. This is how you know he’s going to die.

Megatron slaps a plane so hard it explodes, and then laughs about it. While all this is happening, Optimus is fucking dying on Cybertron. This makes Jazz very upset.

What seems like the entire goddamn US military is called in to deal with this intergalactic terrorist attack.

The Decepticons destroy all the bridges and tunnels connected to NYC.

Los Angeles and San Diego are also under attack.

Estimated 200K people dead. This is issue #3.

Megatron holds all of NYC hostage.

The Decepticons annihilate a destroyer-class warship.

San Francisco and Washington D.C. are overtaken.

Air Force One has been destroyed.

Megatron acts like an asshole to Starscream.

The Decepticons attack all of the United States.

The President of the United States is dead.

Megatron ripped the Matrix out of Optimus’ chest.

The shit that’s happening to America is also happening at all the other Autobot outposts.

This is also about the time that Overlord starts his terrorizing of Garrus 9.

Megatron says that the destruction of those weaker than himself is a “reward”.

Megatron doesn’t believe in the sanctity of life.

Beijing and Israel are destroyed by the Decepticons.

Megatron commissioned the Insecticons as beings of pure torment, for reasons.

Megatron commissions Bombshell to do some really fucked up shit to Hunter O’Nion.

Megatron waits around for Starscream to Starscream it up, then beats the everloving shit out of his employees.

Megatron doesn’t believe in an academic approach to warfare, for some reason.

Megatron’s totally cool with NYC getting nuked.

Megatron was planning on reprogramming his troops into being nice fellas once he beat the Autobots.

Megatron believes in ownership in those beneath him. He’s completely convinced that anyone in the Decepticon forces is essentially his property.

Megatron knees Optimus below the belt. That’s just poor sportsmanship.

The only reason Megatron survives a gunshot to the face is that he messed with Starscream’s head earlier in the day.

Thundercracker caught a nuclear bomb, tossed it into the stratosphere, and shot it. I don’t think he realizes that the fallout is still going to spread across the globe.

The Matrix is still in Decepticon hands.

Starscream’s head is in a friggin’ dark-ass place.

Then there’s some stuff setting up Galvatron and Cyclonus’ whole deal, but who cares about that? On to issue #15!

Motherfucker, that’s a Radiohead song-

The proper story of AHM ended with issue #12, and the issues after were split into two separate stories, written by two separate teams, which detailed events taking place after the main story was resolved. A series of epilogue scenes, if you will. We’ll only be looking at the first story, because it’s the only one that’s relevant to what I’m doing here.

Our official writer for “Everything in it’s Right Place” is Nick Roche, who we’ve run into several times over our journey through IDW. A majority of the story beats will be attributed to him, of course, seeing as Roberts was, at the time, only mentioned as assisting, and also not employed by the publishing company.

Our story opens with Prowl getting socked in the face by Springer, because he’s upset that his grandpa has gone AWOL. Perceptor’s also missing, but this isn’t about him. Prowl, whose shins are looking especially shiny today, lets Springer know that they’ve “got Kup back.”

See, once upon a time, Kup was stuck on a little planet called Tsiehshi, where Shockwave was growing one of his ores. Kup became addicted to the… thrall, I guess, of the crystals, and it drove him mad, making him hallucinate that he was being attacked by ghosts. What was actually happening was he was violently murdering his rescuers with his bare hands. When the Autobots finally managed to get him off the planet, he got shipped to Kimia, where the smartest boy in all the galaxy, Brainstorm, could work his science on him.

Guess they don’t call him Brainstorm for noth-

I’m so sorry.

Springer very much dislikes the fact that some dweebs in a lab are poking around in his Pap-pap thinking meat. He’s even less thrilled when he finds out how exactly they fixed said thinking meat.

Kup’s now a Pretender. The Stormbringer miniseries covered this process, and let’s just say, Springer’s got every right to be concerned, considering that the last time someone tried something like this, Cybertron was made completely uninhabitable. They’ve made breakthroughs, however, as Prowl keeps saying. He says it a lot, actually.

This is because Prowl is a bastard, and is also using the Pretender tech to make Kup into something for his own agenda. Which, I hopefully shouldn’t have to tell you, is kind of a shitty thing to do.

Springer is shown footage of Kup kicking some ass, and notices that he’s got something in his mouth. This is his vape rig, full of medicinal marijuana.

Dammit, Prowl, let me make a weed joke! This is because you’re a cop, isn’t it?

Prowl continues to be a complete and utter fucker in his internal monologue until Springer asks to see Grandpa. They head to the lab to find Kup in pieces, though it’s completely medically sound in this case. Kup has a minor absolutely-horrific hallucination, but he’s okay once he gets his cy-gar back.

We get a flashback to Prowl making sure Perceptor put the nasty, nasty bad-time programming into Kup’s head, because he’s sick of losing the war, and a single old man will surely turn the tides. Or, at least, it will when he’s damn charismatic and folks listen to him way more than they do Prowl.

Back in the present, Springer asks that Kup not be told what happened on Tsiehshi, because it’s kind of a major bummer. Prowl reflects on how only the cool kids get paid attention to, and assumes that the Decepticons are a much more organized machine. Clearly he hasn’t heard about how Overlord lives his life.

Anyway, so Kup is now a mouthpiece for Prowl, and he doesn’t even know it. That’s pretty fucked.

So, what have we learned from this experience? Well, even though Roberts didn’t personally assist on the actual Megatron-related portions of AHM, we can see where the character was, and I think that’s far more important than deconstructing Prowl’s whole deal at the moment.

God, I don’t know that redeeming this bastard’s going to be possible, James, but somehow I think you already knew that, given how you’ve written the guy in the past.

Yeah, you fuckin’ thought I forgot about Literally Hitler Megatron, didn’t you?

Well I didn’t.

#transformers #jro #All Hail Megatron #issue 15 #Hannzreads #text post #long post #overthinking about robots #comic script writing