Tumgik
#parisian flat
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
549,000 €
38 m² / 409 ft²
Paris XVIIIe, Ile-de-France, France.
3 notes · View notes
sleepydrummer · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media
Parisian Flat 032c
8 notes · View notes
maisonm1um1u · 2 years
Text
The top 10 Ballerina inspired shoes for Spring 2023 <3!
Here are my top 10 picks for the prettiest shoe of the next season!
1. The Miu Miu Logo Band Ballerina Pump
This pump combines soft femininity with a stylish heel.
Tumblr media
2. The Sandy Liang Mary Jane Pointe Shoe.
This ballet flat comes in both satin and Napa leather for those wanting to play with material!
Tumblr media
3. The Mansur Gavriel Square Toe Ballerina.
This flat comes in a variety of colors, leathers, and textures, but has the signature on pointe square toe!
Tumblr media
4. The Maison Margiela Tabi Ballerina Shoes
These satin ballerina flats add a heightened element with the signature Margiela split toe. The perfect shoe to elevate a feminine classic closet.
Tumblr media
https://www.farfetch.com/shopping/women/maison-margiela-tabi-ballerina-shoes-item-19194602.aspx?storeid=11413
5. Alaïa Black Leather Ballerina Flats
The iconic French fashion house elevates the ballerina flat with a tied up -the - leg ribbon accent.
Tumblr media
https://www.ssense.com/en-us/women/product/alaia/black-leather-ballerina-flats/10690651
6. Everlane's The Italian Leather Day Ballet Flat
This flat comes in multiple shades of the sustainable brand's Italian Leather. They're simple and chic with a small bow detail.
Tumblr media
7. The Loeffler Randall Leonie Cream Ballet Flat.
This flat is simplistic, but elevated by the middle elastic band.
Tumblr media
8. Simone Rocha Satin Ballet Platform Shoes
If you're looking for a way to make this feminine shoe trend more edgy, Simone Rocha's ballet platforms are a way to combine contradicting aesthetics!
Tumblr media
8. Target's Women's Jackie Ballet Flats
For an affordable option: Target offers a classic ballet flat for just under $20 USD!
Tumblr media
10. The Repetto Camille Ballerinas.
Repetto offers a classic ballerina flat shape with a chic but small heel to add a little flare. The cult favorite shoe retailer offers a plethora of colors in the Camille's along with other styles.
Tumblr media
I hope this list was helpful for all my Ballerina shoe lovers! Show me/ tell me about your favorite pair! <3
11 notes · View notes
Text
I am partially regretting choosing a plaid skirt
2 notes · View notes
weed-hotel · 3 months
Text
thinking about the french spoken in all for the game makes me lose my mind sometimes like as far as I remember neil learned/spoke french mostly in quebec (although they might have spent time in france as well?) and kevin learned it from jean who is from MARSEILLE like the accents happening are truly bizarre …. jean moreau speaks french in a singsong lilting accent and neil does too but nasal as hell. they’re all walking around sounding like they’re reciting nursery rhymes. and kevin realistically is an american who learned japanese as his second language and then french for utility (presumably under rikos nose ? again can’t recall canon but if so then not a ton of time to practice/work on fluency) so that’s gotta be the flattest least charming accent in the world. I could think about this forever
0 notes
gracious-freedom · 9 months
Photo
Tumblr media
Stuttgart Closet Closet - mid-sized light wood floor and beige floor closet idea with flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets
0 notes
taylorswiftstyle · 16 days
Text
Tumblr media
The Eras Tour | Speak Now section | Version 7
Reem Acra custom (pictured similar)
During her “All Too Well” speech given on the first night of her Parisian tour dates Taylor said, "I think [this tour has] probably been the best experience of my life … But one thing I wish I would’ve gotten to do is … I wish I would’ve gotten to play all of our tours for you. And this tour, the Eras Tour, is a chance for us to bring you all of my favourite memories from those tours. Tours where I didn’t get to come see you in France—and get to collect all of them and experience all of it together."
And in that moment, a lot of her new costume choices (almost two dozen were added over the course of the opening weekend of the European leg) suddenly made sense. 
Why her 1989 skirts fall closer to their original 2015 tour circle skirt silhouette (the 1989 Tour had 8 dates in Europe). 
Why her Fearless dress so closely honours the black/white fringed Mandalay dress from the Fearless Tour (the Fearless Tour only visited half a dozen places in England). 
And, of course, why her Speak Now dress feels like a more voluminous take on the Reem Acra gown she wore on the original Speak Now tour in 2011. More star power = more skirt circumference. 
It’s even more apt that she would turn to that very same designer to recreate the magic. This particular gown is a custom take on Look 26 from the ‘Glamour A La Reem’ collection featuring beautiful almost seashell-like pleats and crystal embellishments. How amazing is it to see a more glamourous revival of a dress that was once just a simple, shin-length gown? And those ballet flats! 
A fun fact? Even for the dozen European dates of the Speak Now Tour, Taylor actually never wore her previous Reem Acra dress which debuted for the North American dates. For Europe, Taylor actually wore a different dress by Collette Dinnigan that (naturally) involved an on-stage costume change. 
Photo by Kevin Mazur/TAS24 via Getty Images
437 notes · View notes
jaxplaysthesims · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Kyra's Parisian Lookbook ❥
Kyra is a writer, who was recently accepted into the University of Paris' Language & Literature Masters Program. Tune into my new YT video today at 2pm est to meet her AND her boyfriend, as he joins her in Paris to say goodbye. The start of a long distance relationship has uncovered that there may be more challenges they have to deal with if they want their relationship to last.
❥ 01. Off to Class: top | jeans | flats
❥ 02. Date Night: top | skirt | tights | boots
❥ 03. Coffee Date: sweater | skirt | boots
❥ 04: Night Out: dress | gloves | tights | heels
Thank you to all the cc creators ❥ @simstrouble, @madlensims, @jius-sims, @sentate, @gorillax3-cc, @luxysims, @billsims-cc, and @serenity-cc
socials
208 notes · View notes
zombiekillerbiceps · 1 year
Text
Closing In
Leon follows reader home...
Note: thank you to anon for suggesting this premise, ohhhh I did not realize how much I would like writing this - and thank you everyone for your patience!
Content: 3.9 k words, 18+, cnc with enthusiastic consent, stalking roleplay, slasher roleplay, home invasion roleplay, denial, rough sex, taunting, humiliation, crying, overstim, sadism/masochism, Slasher!Leon, obsessed Leon, LeonxReader, fem reader, no y/n. 
-
"I dunno, I just think it's kind of romantic," you say. Your hands fiddle nervously with the tassels on your throw pillow.
"He was a stalker, babe." Leon's voice hides just a hint of amusement. "He cut women up."
"Okay, but besides that-"
"Besides the... The serial killing."
"Yes! Besides the serial killing."
Leon stared at you, an eyebrow arched in judgement. You tried to stay straight faced - by God, you tried - but he had a way of half-smirking his way past your mask with his annoying, pretty face.
"Look, I'm just saying," you roll your eyes, not even sure why you keep talking, "something about... Obsessing over someone like that is kiiind of romantic. What's the point of love if it doesn't make you a little crazy? Y'know? Anne Rice would agree with me."
"Anne Rice was horny for a Confederate twink," he points out.
You gawk for a moment. But like, he's kind of right. So instead of saying anything clever, you throw the pillow at him. He deflects it with his forearm, but that gives you the opening to jump on him. You're wrestling in no time, breathless and sweaty and... Moving against each other...
-
You're out for lunch with your friend, Jessie, at some too-fancy Parisian style café. You sip a caramel iced latte and share a plate of rose coloured macarons. She complains about her studies, you complain about work, and you both come to the resounding agreement that deadlines suck. She complains about her last date, some butch that was more well-read than her that accidentally made her feel stupid. You don't have the heart to tell her that they sounded cool as hell. You tip-toe around telling her about Leon. It's not that you weren't proud of him, it was just... With the nature of his job, what were you going to say? Yeah, I'm seeing this guy who has a gun case built into the dresser and is super paranoid about people visiting his place and won't tell me what he does but he's like, totally a sweet guy and not some psycho? Yeah. Okay.
You stretch, appreciating the summer sun on your limbs and the peaceful breeze around your skirt. Your phone rings. Jessie snatches it up before you have a chance to, and then gives you the most scandalous, shit-eating grin you've ever seen.
"No. Don't you dare-!"
"Hiiiii lover boy," she coos over the phone.
Oh fuck, kill me.
"Jessie, give me the phone!" You reach across the table, the ceramic plate between you clattering loudly against the glass table. You freeze, feeling eyes on you. Jessie opens her mouth in mock embarrassment.
"So you're the secret boyfriend that my best friend keeps hiding from me?"
"Jessie, come on."
She listens for a moment, then laughs. You get up from your chair and walk over to her while she tries to twist away from your grasp.
"mhm, mhm - oh, sorry, I think someone wants to talk to y-"
You finally snatch it from her grasp. You give her a stare with the intensity of someone who can kill by staring. You try to keep your voice as flat as possible.
"Hey, sorry about that. What's up?"
"Is that Jessie?" He asks. He's got that... Quirk in his voice. The one that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. You can feel Jessie watching you and try to keep it cool.
"Yeah, sorry, she's like, literally five years old sometimes."
"She seems fun."
"Babe, I'm kinda busy, did you have a reason for-"
"That's a pretty dress you're wearing."
You freeze halfway to sitting back down in your chair. Jessie tilts her head, giving you that concerned-puppy-dog face she did when she knew something was up.
You clear your throat and find it suddenly dry. You sit back down but you're a little clumsy, your skirt getting caught on the arm rests. You snatch it back, and then trying to regain your cool, you take a sip from your iced latte. You hear him chuckle on the other end. Did it get cold all of a sudden?
"What, uh, what do you mean by that?"
You can practically hear him grin into the receiver.
"I mean," he says, drawing out every syllable. "I can see you. And you look pretty today. That skirt will roll up pretty easy-"
You hang up on him. Mostly in panic. There was no way you were going to do that in public! Your eyes scan the area around you. Pretty cafe patio, pretty park across the street, some people going about their daily business. You can't see him anywhere. He must be fucking with you. He must have known you were going to wear a dress, it's so hot out, and where would he even be hiding?
A cold hand touches yours and you almost jump out of your skin. Jessie's taking your hand in hers, and when you meet her gaze, she looks like she's about to cry.
"I'm so sorry if I caused any issues between you, I totally shouldn't have answered it. I didn't think he'd like, get angry with you," she starts to wetly babble, swaying between guilty and protective. You love her very much, but you don't know what to say.
Oh, it's just this weird sex game we play, I promise this brooding dude who you've never met and only spoken to once is definitely a good guy and not like emotionally abusive.
"Hey, hey, Jessie. Don't worry about it. It wasn't about that he's got this... Thing. Unrelated. But uh, look, I have to go."
She frowns, almost curving her pink lip-glossed mouth into a pout.
"If he so much as leaves a scratch on you, I will kill him."
Your thoughts flit to the bite marks and bruises that are just covered by your dress. If only she knew.
You kiss her cheek, snatch up one final macaron, and take your leave. You try to control your pace, look cool, act natural. Your eyes scan the buildings and alleyways around you. You seriously can't find him.
Your phone rings.
You stare at it for a moment. Your hands are shaking a little when you answer it.
"It's sweet how much she cares about you," he says. An idea dawns on you. You nod and give an mhm sound, listening around you for anything noticeable. A church bell rings just ahead of you and you hear it echo over the phone.
"You're close," you say. You try to sound threatening. He just laughs at you.
"Obviously. How else would I know you're wearing that citrus perfume I love?"
"I wear that everyday." Your voice shakes as you speak, and you can't help but whip your head around. You half expect to see him there, but it's just some guy who gives you a dirty look.
"No, you don't. You only wear it when you're going to see friends. You usually wear the vanilla one. You like that it's so subtle."
You're a little impressed he noticed that. It was kind of sweet, really, if he wasn't totally freaking you out. How did he possibly get close enough to smell your perfume without you noticing?  You start walking again. You want to catch the train home. Maybe you can trap him there.
You use the shop windows as you pass to get a better look, pretending to window shop.
"Do you think I'd look good in that," you ask, with no idea what you're referring to. You're looking past whatever is behind the glass to observe the reflection. A spot of blonde hair, maybe... He got a totally different hair cut? No. Not him.
"Using the reflection. Clever."
He hangs up.
You spin around again, desperately searching the crowd. He was a beefy guy and he moved like a panther, there's no way he was just casually blending in. But, you can't find him.
You wrap your arms around your core. Knowing you're being watched makes you want to shrink into yourself. Yet you can't ignore the excitement you feel. It was kind of romantic, really. Kind of dangerous.
You liked Leon best when he was dangerous.
You set off again, somehow walking a knife's edge between nervous and confident. Both prey and prize. You keep looking over your shoulder as you pass into the crowded underground of the subway station. It's right around rush hour and it's so packed you can hardly move. Other people are breathing your oxygen and you're just recycling theirs. It's tight, and hot, and moving at the exact speed that makes you feel like no one is really getting anywhere. You pull your purse tight to your body and try to shove past people, only to be confronted with more people.
Your phone rings. You hang up. And then, in a stroke of brilliance, you call back.
His ringtone echoes out in the tiled halls. You try desperately to find it, but it only rings out twice, then it's lost in the sea of people.
"Clever," his voice is deep on the other end. "I'm almost impressed."
"Yeah. Why don't you stop hiding?"
"Oh, I know you're eager, but I didn't think you'd want me to cut you up in this crowd."
He's impatient. You can tell by the sharpness of his voice that he's more frustrated than he admits. The threat sends a shiver down your spine, and you can’t help but picture yourself bent over on the filthy tile floor, knife to your throat, fucked within an inch of your life as people step past. The ebb and flow of the crowd pushes you towards the oncoming subway.
"What exactly is your plan?" He asks. You can hear the screeching brakes over the phone. "I know you take the 76 Southbound until Queen Street. I know you get off and walk two blocks to George Street. I know you live in a turn of the century brownstone with a heritage plaque and bathroom sink that takes forever to drain."
You step onto the 76 Southbound near the front. You press your back to the wall and watch as people get on.
"Yeah, well," you say victoriously, "I know you have to go the same way."
And then you see him. He walks directly into your trap, and realizes it too late. His blue eyes widen in realization. The door slams shut behind him.
You hang up.
Some people pile up in front of you, giving you cover from him. You watch him from behind shoulders and under arms. Open, navy bomber jacket and a grey t-shirt with black jeans doesn't exactly scream slasher killer. But, something about how casual he looks keeps your attention. He blends in, he's unsuspecting. And, to your surprise, he's grinning like a fox.
He's broad, and when he moves through the crowd, people make room for him. He scans every seat and every face with purpose. Inching his way towards the back. You realize you have nowhere to go. You start to panic. Maybe you get off a stop early? And then what, he beats you to your house and waits for you?
No, you have to get home before he does. Lock the doors before he can get in. You push closer to the door so you can be the first one off. You turn to track his progress and directly meet his gaze.
Fuck.
His expression drops, his eyes glaring at you from under his brow. You're almost hypnotized by them, frozen in place while he cuts through the crowd.
You're pinned down with nowhere to go. But, surely, nothing will happen in public, right?
He pushes past a few more people and then he's on you. He towers above you, his broad shoulders cutting out other's view of you. You notice how his t-shirt clings to his body. How well fitting his jeans are. You also notice the angry squint in his eyes from under his brow.
"Did you really think you could hide from me?" He brings a hand down to touch your hip, holding it in his grasp. You quiver against him as he leans down, close enough to whisper in your ear. "Don't you know I’ll always find you?"
You turn your head away from him defiantly. Your eyes scan the train, but passengers nearby don't seem to notice. They all have that vacant long-day- commute stare.
"No one's going to help you, sweetheart." He closes in, one arm rests on the wall beside you, his body angled to ensure prying eyes can't see. His free hand slides up your body. It caresses the curves of your hips, the softness of your tummy, the round of your breast.
You flush. Your hands come up to his chest as if that will stop him from pawing at your tits.
"Leon, seriously? Here?" You whisper it, completely embarrassed.
"I can take you whenever I want." He uses that commanding voice you've only heard a handful of times before. "You're mine."
To prove his point, his hand dips between your thighs, and he presses his fingers against your pussy over the fabric of your skirt. It's so sudden and strong, your hand goes to his wrist on instinct. He doesn't stop, rubbing hard enough to make your legs shake.
"Could probably take you right here," he mutters, his breath hot on your ear. You feel yourself get wet at the thought.
"Queen Street." The robotic, automated subway voice chimes out from overhead.
The door opens. You lose your balance, but manage to recover quickly. You move fast, hoping to put as much distance between yourself and Leon as you can. You take the stairs two at a time until you breach the surface, taking in the fresh air like it would save you. But the summer heat brokers no peace, and you know Leon isn't far behind.
You don't look behind you for fear of slowing down. You take one block normally, then decide to cut through an alley way to save time. Every minute was another he could be gaining on you.
As you take a few paces into the alley, your hair starts to stand on end. It's somehow darker here, the smell of mildew and gasoline making your stomach turn. Your cell phone rings. You answer.
"Stop calling!" You snap, betraying more fear than you mean to.
"An alleyway? You're smarter than this." Leon is unphased by your outburst.
You give in, turning your head to look behind you. He stands at the other end, the sun behind him obscuring his features.
Then he moves. With long, easy strides, he makes ground quickly. His hands are stuffed in his pockets and he whistles a slow, off-beat tune. 
You turn and run. Your hand meets the corner at the end of the alley and you use it to redirect your momentum. Full tilt sprinting in a sundress down a public street in the middle of the day probably makes you look crazy. Leon made you look crazy.
You get to your brownstone on George Street. You take the few steps up to the front door. You throw your phone in your purse as you frantically rip through it for your keys.
Fuck, come on, where are they? Lipstick, tampon, water bottle, wallet FUCK! There. You snatch them up like they'll save your life. Your hands shake as you put them in the lock. It turns, and you take one last look to see Leon - oh shit!
He's at the base of the stairs! He takes them by two. You manage to get the door open wide enough to barely squeeze through. His hand slaps against the door but you throw your full weight against it. It slams in his face. He turns the knob. You struggle to hold it against him as you turn the dead bolt. Then the chain. He slams a fist against the door and you slowly back away from it.
A chilling thought dawns on you.
Back door.
You run to the other side of the house, tripping over shoes and a discarded purse as you do, cursing as they steal precious seconds from you. You turn the corner and run directly into the door. Your body stings from the impact. You shakily turn the lock.
Silence. For a few, long minutes, there's just silence. You wonder, disappointed, if he gave up, but take the time to catch your breath.
Your cell phone rings. Sweat rolls down your back as you answer it.
"I got you, motherfucker."
"Did you?" He asks. His voice is cool. Calm. "How confident are you that you got to the back door before I did?"
"I would have heard you come in." You aren't so sure.
"Would you?"
Your apartment is small. You approach the bedroom, then quickly snap the door open. It lies still. Empty.
"You don't scare me," you lie.
"I really almost had you there, didn't I?" He's calling your bluff as you move into the kitchen, "What do you think I would have done if I'd caught up to you?"
The kitchen is still and quiet too. You don't have an answer for him, anxiety knotting in your stomach. You take the turn into the living room.
His arms wraps around your waist with enough strength to lift you off the ground. You scream. You kick at him, but he doesn't budge, dragging you into the living room.
You see a window open.
"Did you climb the fucking trellis?" You ask, shocked and amused at the sight. He tries not to laugh.
"Yeah."
"What are you, Romeo?"
"You said you wanted romance," and then, his voice drops again to that cold, serious tone that makes you feel like prey, "isn't this what you wanted?"
He lets you go and you take the opportunity to run. But his hand is entangled in your hair, the sharp pain making you cry out. Tears gather in your eyes and you whimper. You grab his forearm and try to pull away, but the self-inflicted pain makes you freeze. He rolls his eyes.
"You're just so fucking predictable."
He drags you across the living room floor. It hurts, bare knees roughly hitting the hard wood floor. He lifts you up with an arm around your stomach. Then, he's bending you over the couch.
You try to push back against it. You struggle against him. He pulls your head back by the hair and you nearly sob.
"Please, don't," you whimper. He rolls his eyes at you.
"Not our safe word, sweetheart."
His words make you feel so beautifully helpless. The tears finally fall down your cheeks and, at the same time, you become aware of how soaked your cotton underwear is. His hand comes up and slaps you sharply. You whimper. He does it again, this time harder. The stinging in the side of your face is enough to make your pussy clench around nothing.
He pins you to the side of the couch his hands on your hips. He rolls your skirt up, and makes a choked sound at the sight of you. He tears your underwear down harshly. 
"Please, don't," he mocks with a harsh slap on your ass. "Try and tell me you don't want this."
A finger slides along your slick, from hole to clit. He presses his finger against it just slightly but it's enough to make your hips buck. He gently rolls a finger around your clit a few times, already building that high in the pit of your stomach. He barely fucking touched you and you're already desperate to cum, breath ragged, legs shaking. Leon pulls away. You whimper in disappointment. Then his hand comes down hard against your ass cheek. Then again. Then again. Then again.
The pain is overwhelming. But god, you don't want him to stop. You want hand-shaped bruises on your ass, you want to remember this every time you sit down for the next week.
"You look so pretty for me when you cry" His hand still wet from your cunt comes up and rubs your tears away, leaving an obscene mix of your tears and your desperation for him on your cheeks. The tears keep falling anyways. Then, softly, "you do remember our safe word, right?"
You nod, but you don't say it. You want to go further. You want him to hurt you more. 
“Hey, answer me when I’m fucking talking to you,” he grabs you roughly by the jaw, wrenching your face to look at him. 
“Yes,” you nod, desperately. “I remember.” 
“Wasn’t so fucking hard,” he says. He slaps you again, hard enough to stun you into a stupid, teary-eyed grin.
You hear his pants unbutton, then unzip, then fall to the ground, but you're so overwhelmed you can't move. His hand still in your hair, still tugging enough to remind you of your place beneath him, he lines his hips up with yours.
Then he's pushing into you. One, smooth motion is all it takes, your cunt greedily pulling him in. A high pitched moan escapes his throat, followed by a groaned "so fucking wet."
He fucks you deep and slow. Torturously slow, enjoying every minute of pleasure that he gets. The head of his cock presses against your g-spot, building the high like one boils water. Slowly. Your abdomen pressed against the couch makes it easier for him. The hour of teasing and adrenaline and painful foreplay has you overstimulated. But it’s really the slow, deep fucking that drives electricity through your body. Push and pull, ebb and flow, your face and ass stinging as he works. You’re already bordering on the edge, but his pace doesn’t allow you to go over. You just hover there. And hover there. And hover there. For what feels like hours you’re kept right on the edge without ever going over, building the tension inside you until it fucking hurts, and then you’re crying again. You want him to slam his hips into you, to fuck you into the couch, to do something to make you cum, but he doesn’t.
“Leon, it hurts,” you whine. 
“It’s supposed to.” 
“Please,” you beg, desperation making your voice hoarse. “Please just make me cum, please.” 
“Relax.” 
“Leon-” 
“I said relax. Or I’ll stop right now. Do you want me to stop?” 
“No,” you shake your head, hair falling into your face. 
He takes his time to smooth it back, looking at you like you’re the most beautiful thing in the world. He wipes more tears from your cheeks. When he speaks, though, his voice is so hard and cold. 
“Greedy little whore.” 
With no warning, he’s fucking into you harder. Faster. It only takes a few thrusts before you’re cumming on his cock. Your body tenses so hard your muscles scream, shaking and moaning and gasping for air. Your cunt tightens so hard you hear Leon breathe a fuck, baby. It feels like it lasts forever, and when you finally come down, you’re entirely dazed. 
You’re... vaguely aware of his cum dripping out of you, hot and sticky. But for the most part you just feel like you’re floating. Leon slowly lowers you to the floor, grabbing a throw pillow and tucking it under your head. You close your eyes. 
You wake again when the room is an orange glow, a blanket thrown over you for comfort. Leon is lounging on the couch reading a book, and when you stir, you immediately have his attention. 
“Hey,” you mumble sleepily. 
“Hey. Thought I’d let you sleep, you looked like you needed it. Why don’t I run us a shower?” 
“Yeah,” you smile softly, dreamy fuzziness still clinging to you. “I’d like that.” 
550 notes · View notes
sillysiluriforme · 27 days
Text
Tumblr media
born to miaou kawaii :333 forced to make parisians walking home from the club shit their pants and scream (translation under the cut) he rlly wants to be cute and charming but his hero costume is still a Pitch Black Full Body Leather Suit With Fluorescent Green Eyes so it falls flat a little
"wesh" in this context is like "WHAT"
"j'ai crier et il ma grogner dessus j'ai trop peur" -> "i screamed and it growled at me."
106 notes · View notes
Text
Love To Hate Me || Kylian Mbappé
Tumblr media
Plot: Kylian had it all figured out, he'd finally move away from PSG after one more year in red and blue, so why did this random woman have to come and ruin everything for him?
Warnings: Kylian being very mildly sexist (for character growth of course<3)
Word Count: 1276
Masterlist
Tumblr media
"But you leaked it?"
"No, I didn't."
Kylian's face was a flat line, though with every word she said, his lips inched closer to a frown. His hazel eyes were fixed on her, sat across from him.
"Your team did and given that the main man in your team is your father, I'd say you were well aware it was going to happen."
Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, each strand neatly slicked back. Surely that hurt her head, maybe it restricted blood flow to her brain- maybe that's why she was such a dick!
His life had been perfectly planned out, his career finally making sense, looking like it was going somewhere. Then, the new manager had arrived and so had his stupid, new PR head. What had been wrong with the old head of PR? Nothing! Sure, he was elderly, out of touch, and not very good at his job and his replacement was young and sharp and beautiful and... that wasn't relevant to her work.
How dare she barge in here in her six-inch heels and her tight, tight blouse and tarnish his name? Who even needed heels that high for work?
He was Kylian Mbappé; he'd given everything for this club and for his country and when he'd written that letter all he'd wanted was a peaceful exit from the team. Now, not only the Parisian media but all media in France and worldwide hated him. Maybe the only people who liked him right now were Spanish journalists.
"Kylian, I admire you greatly. You are a brilliant player and I know your worth." Enrique, the coach, said from his seat beside y/n, "So do my superiors and surely you're aware that we really can't let you go on a free transfer."
"I didn't ask to go on a free transfer, I just said I am not willing to extend my contract." he defended.
"But you want to play until the end of the season when your contract runs out, and no team in their right mind would therefore buy you weeks before you become a free agent."
Y/n spoke quickly yet clearly, sure in her words and sure in herself. When she finished, her lips, painted a dark rose, settled in a line, as she blinked once, twice, her long lashes fluttering.
"Last time I checked, dealing with transfers wasn't in your job description," he bit back.
"No, I'm in charge of the team's image which your transfers are really tarnishing, so you've kind of dragged them to my attention yourself."
"I told you, I didn't leak the letter."
"Oh, well if you say you didn't, you must be telling the truth. I will get my goons to slowly torture each of your teammates until one of them admits to the crime."
Her composed watch didn't shift from him. He glared at her. If looks could kill.
"That won't be necessary, Miss Briggs. Kylian, we have two options here." Enrique said, calmly, "Option one, you and your posse agree to start negotiations with us for a contract extension and-"
"I choose option two." Kylian cut in, bluntly, scowling at the entire room.
"Great. So, option two, we'll exclude you from the squad for the Japan tour and you can spend the Summer training with the loft." Enrique declared, standing up and gathering his files from the desk, "Great talk. Very productive."
As the coach exited, his team leaving with him, Kylian sat there dumbfounded. The only person who remained in the room was y/n, as she jotted something down in her notebook. Finishing writing, she snapped the cover shut and slotted her pen into her blouse's chest pocket. His eyes followed it. Glancing up, she watched him watching her for a couple of seconds before she stood up.
"So, that's it, I'm just fucking cut from the squad?" he seethed.
She nodded, easily humming, "Mhm. What did you expect?"
"You know I love this club. You and Enrique can't just march in here and bench me. I'm Kylian Mbappé."
"I didn't bench you." she scoffed, starting for the door.
"Please, I don't know who you are but for some reason, Enrique listens to what you say and I know you had a hand in this. I don't know why he trusts your opinions since you don't even know football, but stay out of my way, okay?"
She stopped dead in her tracks, spinning around slowly, her mouth slightly agape, though her lips curled up ever so slightly in a way that told him he was a dead man walking.
"Luis respects what I say because I'm good at my job. I know that you're not used to working alongside women and maybe your fragile ego can't handle being booted out of the squad but you brought this on yourself, Mbappé. I don't work for you or Luis, I work for Paris Saint-Germain and I'll do what's best for the club. So, here's my advice, from one master of their field to another, get your shit together and sign a new contract or come September time you might find yourself at a club you like a whole lot less than this one. How does the Qatari league sound? Your whole internalised chauvinism thing will go over a treat there. Like one of the locals already!"
With that, she stormed out of the door, her hips swaying, and he was truly alone in the huge meeting room. Hesitantly, he pulled out his phone and quickly punched in a Google search: chauvinism definition.
chauvinism: excessive or prejudiced support for one's own cause or group, in particular male prejudice against women
He frowned, surely that was a bit far. He didn't hate her because she was a woman. He hated her because she was ruining his life. That had nothing to do with her gender. Well, maybe his burning desire for her contributed to his hatred. He'd never hated the old head of PR this much and maybe that was because he was old and wrinkled and didn't wear blouses that tight or skirts that tight or watch him with eyes like that and-
No, he wasn't attracted to her. Well, not like that. Yes, she was a very attractive woman, that was a fact, but he knew lots of attractive women. He wasn't attracted to her, he could just appreciate that she was, well, attractive and- God, what was he doing? Why were his thoughts spiralling like this, perv?
Maybe he just hated her because she was loud and arrogant and seemed to think Kylian was the enemy and that in vanquishing him, she was doing Paris, nay France, a great service. Noble warrior.
Well, she'd made a big mistake.
Maybe journalists and fans would turn against him for a couple of weeks, caught up in the excitement of his gripping transfer saga. That didn't matter because at the end of the day, he was Kylian Mbappé. He'd lead France to that trophy in 2018, even if he'd been a teenager, and he'd scored three goals and a fucking penalty in the world cup final after that. The country wouldn't turn against him for long, that was for sure.
She'd tried to turn him into the enemy but all she'd really done was make the biggest mistake of all. She'd made herself his enemy, and she'd sorely regret that.
Groaning, he stood up, his chair scraping against the floor as he did and stormed out of the meeting room. He wasn't leaving and he wasn't signing that new contract. Nobody could make him: not Enrique, not Al-Khelaifi, and most certainly not y/n.
Tumblr media
Masterlist Chapter 2
109 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
320,000 €
20 m² / 215 ft²
Paris 3e, Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
3 notes · View notes
baeksqt · 5 months
Text
what do I call you? — elisa de almeida
Tumblr media
elisa de almeida x fem!reader
(a/n: another short piece from one barista to another ^_^ enjoy my luvvies)
word count: 805
genre: fluff
The mellow, narrow streets of your small northern town were no small feat against the hectic streets of Paris that you now found yourself working in, during the city’s morning rush hour. The light pink cherry blossoms fall to settle on the awning of your aunt’s cafe. Choosing to work here as you continued job hunting in the city, which you weren’t having the most luck in.
You were behind the counter, presenting the freshly baked cakes on the display fridge, the odd scent of vanilla and coffee filled the air. It was midday and the small cafe was now empty, with a few customers either working or idly sipping their beverages.
Cloudy with a cool chill in the air, the quiet breeze was now noticeable as the hanging plants swayed, with the shopkeeper’s bell chiming, notifying someone’s arrival.
You lift your head to see Elisa, the regular you slowly acquainted yourself with over the last few months—as well as your neighbour.
Once you set the last cake stand down, Elisa is already waiting for you at the counter, throwing you her toothy grin.
“Good afternoon, to my favourite barista!” Sending you a salute, she was dressed in her practice gear, the dark blue ensemble fit her well as your eyes raked down her body.
You walked to the other end of the bar, meeting her hazel eyes, matching her smile, your heartbeat skipped for an instant. Feeling your cheeks heat up, you quickly turned to the coffee machine to get set on making her usual order, the standard flat white.
As you steam the milk, trying to get the right amount of foam to build up in your pitcher, you look over your shoulder to see Elisa setting her bag down at one of the booths by the front of the restaurant before meeting you back up at the counter.
“You weren’t here this morning,” you say as you pour the hot milk into the small ceramic. “My aunt asked for you.” Creating a small heart in the coffee, dragging the milk pitcher across slightly.
Elisa lets out a low chuckle and confesses “I woke up surprisingly late, so I wasn’t able to grab breakfast.” You turn back towards Elisa, placing her coffee on a saucer and sliding it towards her. As she reaches for it, her warm hand brushes against yours, and you can't help but notice the crinkles around her eyes as they light up in gratitude. She whispers a small thank you, and you can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having made her day a little bit better.
As you untied the apron from your waist, you slid into the comfortable leather booth and rested your chin in your hand. You swirled the warm peppermint tea around in your cup, taking in the aroma and feeling the steam rise to your face. You looked across to find Elisa watching you with a hint of a smile as she took a sip of her coffee. Her hair fell slightly forming a delicate curl above her eyes. The atmosphere in the cafe was peaceful, and the low chatter of the other patrons provided a soothing background noise.
“What? Is the coffee bad?” With knitted brows, you leaned forward a little, eyes swiftly darting between the coffee cup and the Parisian’s calm expression.
“No, no, the coffee is good, I promise,” she reassured you, drinking up a small spoonful, “I told your aunt to pass on my message to you, but I don’t think she did.” She continued.
You shake your head slightly, trying to retrace if your aunt had said anything about Elisa before she hastily left before lunch. “I don’t think so either,” you murmur to yourself “What was it?” Looking on inquisitively, taking another sip of your tea.
Elisa takes a small breath, her face slowly turning pink. “Well, we should hang out more often, outside of all this,” she gestured to the cafe, “you mentioned that small jazz club around the corner, you haven’t gone without me, right?”
You hummed in response, feeling yourself blush at her sudden shyness, making you feel a little giddy at the unexpected confession.
“I bought two tickets for Sunday, my aunt doesn’t like jazz anyway.” You teased.
“Sunday works!” The player perked up.
Elisa completed her sentence and then cast a glance at the time on her phone. You realized that it was time for her to leave. She took a sip of her coffee, finishing it in one go, and then both of you got up from the cosy booth. It was time to say your goodbyes. As usual, she would wait for you to close the cafe before embarking on the walk home together.
And with that, the shopkeeper's bell chimed, notifying Elisa’s exit.
108 notes · View notes
sewerfight · 18 days
Text
The Third Man: Harry Lime is an opportunistic sociopath who, while understanding very well the bonds of man, wouldn't hesitate to cover up his crimes using whatever means he has at his disposal. The moment Holly tries to rekindle the moral impulse in his friend is the moment the man Holly professed to know dies before his eyes, and is replaced with a murderous, duplicitous doppelganger. As Harry switches from purring charm to the flat expressions of a man who sold more than his soul at the crossroads of capital and Vienna, the audience can only pray Holly untangles himself from Harry's seedy embrace pain free- although the film proves this hope a pipe dream, in the end.
The Lives Of Harry Lime: in this episode of an increasingly unbelievable radio play, our beloved anti hero Harry Lime falls head over heels for a Parisian gambler over the course of less than three hours, resulting in her husband trying to blackmail him. He reveals his identity as The Great Harry Lime to them both, and the couple make him their Third. Man, that is! His bisexual silly nature and # money mindset makes him jump out of airplanes for their financial benefit, as he fulfills both the role of their unicorn and courier. Unfortunately his whore ass is double crossed by them, but as always, the cat that is Harry Lime, manages to land firmly on its feet ;) oh yeah there's zither music by like. Anton Karas btw
30 notes · View notes
undeuxs · 2 months
Text
wolfstar (remus x sirius), long au with suggestive themes
Tumblr media
thinking about parisian!sirius, who moved out from london with his family when he was barely 12, and now being 21 his beloved childhood friends, james, peter and remus, are visiting him for the first time in paris.
sirius gets so excited about them coming over that he starts annotating which pubs are worth it and which aren't. he gets more and more nervous when their reunion is approaching that he finds himself trying to guess which places in the city will the boys like better.
"james would love to hang out anywhere, only because we will be together... but maybe he would like it even more with a pint or two."
"peter... that boy would follow us everywhere. even if we plot a murder, he'd choose to be there with us."
and then there is remus. remus.
most of the time sirius has to stop and truly think to himself, "what will remus like?"
truth be told, he has not seen them in such a long time, sirius sometimes has this thought that they may feel like foreigners to him now. he knows what they look like. he knows how their voices sound through the phone. he knows that james has a big crush on this red haired girl from university. he knows peter trains every morning with james against his own will.
but what does he knows about remus that remus dares to admit to him outloud? being realistic, not too much.
so sirius keeps repeating the same question, like a mantra in his head, "what will remus like?"
"the louvre, probably, he likes art. but no... that is too cliché for him..."
"headquarters of the communist party? it's nice and it has history. oh, but he will think i want to come off as some know-it-all..."
luckily when they arrive sirius doesn't have to worry about such questions anymore. between what james and remus planned beforehand, their excruciatingly long to-do list covered almost everything you could do for several weeks.
it is james who shows the biggest excitement among them, hugging sirius thrice when they finally meet, the way a true big brother would do. peter seems nervous, as if the city would swallow him. and remus, always sweet remus, who has grown taller than sirius and now sirius has to tilt his head backwards to get a full view on his face.
although they do not hug, their smiles are enough.
the boys are staying at sirius' place, who, since starting university, moved out and now gets to live in a beautiful, perfectly decorated flat just in the center of the city, away from his awful family.
they go out, explore the city, play records at sirius' apartment, smoke a lot and drink a lot. it's always sirius' treat, and even though they offer to pay him back, they forget about it when james and remus have to carry a pretty much wasted sirius to the taxi.
they all have their individual bedrooms (thank god sirius' place is huge), therefore one night, when remus slips under sirius' bedsheets, sirius doesn't know what to do. sure that night they drank heavily as they are used to do, but is remus that drunk to get his own bedroom wrong?
they fall into comfortable silence, until remus speaks, his words a low whisper, coated in sweetness and truthfulness which makes sirius doubt whether he is supposed to hear them or not.
"i missed you a lot."
sirius tries to conceal he's started to feel nervous by slowly rolling to one side. in a gentle motion, as if otherwise he would disrupt the quietness of the moment, he gets the pack of cigarettes that rested on the bedside table.
"want one?" he offers.
"enough for tonight i'd say."
in the end, they share the cigarette. the only sound in the room being them inhaling and exhaling the smoke, with open windows.
"you've grown handsome, you know?" sirius chooses to break the silence, admiting the truth that remained unspoken among the friend group. remus is now the tallest one, his chiseled jawline and soft stare makes him objectively handsome.
"are you hiding your girl from us, or?" sirius inquires, giving the fact that remus had not talked about any girls he was curious about with them.
remus shows the most delicate smile sirius has ever seen. even surrounded by darkness, sirius still manages to contemplate remus' eyes looking straight into his.
"no, not interested at all in girls."
sirius stops asking then.
after that night, they start looking for each other's eyes constantly. james and peter seem to not notice this, or rather choose to ignore it. under the table their knees brush, their bodies craving for some closure.
all of them keep going out. they go to every touristy place in the city, drink and smoke and joke around. they laugh a lot.
one night while on their new favourite place, a famous leftist bar next to sirius' place, remus sits next to sirius, then whispers in his ear, a grin plastered on his face: "viens me faire un bisou."
at first he did not understand his thick english accent while trying to speak in french, but, oh, when the realization hits him... sirius' mind goes blank.
"what?"
"a guy over there said it to me, what does it mean?"
remus is drunk, but so is sirius, and this situation couldn't be worse now that james and peter are looking at them pretty much confused and curious at the same time.
"nothing important, it's a joke about tourists."
sirius can tell that remus doesn't believe him.
and so that very same night remus goes to sirius' bedroom once again.
"what did it mean, sirius? the french phrase, i mean." remus mutters, getting under sirius's sheets with an upsetting casualness.
sirius could lie, of course. but something in the back of his mind tells him not to do it. like a man standing in front of a cliff ready to jump, he responds.
"give me a kiss."
and this time they lose all of their inhibitions.
neither james nor peter will know that sirius admitted what that phrase truly meant. they won't know as well how one of remus' hands caressed sirius' long hair, or how sirius pulled the tallest one closer against him.
it is a secret they keep to themselves. the cigarettes they smoke after daring to touch each other, the long conversations when no one could hear them. breaking a secret vow and creating a new one, with the prospect that they could embrace freely each other again and again.
night after night, remus keeps going to sirius' room. and, as if desire had taken over them, both become bolder.
it is in pub's restrooms where they kiss each other without shame. sometimes the sounds of belts undoing and zippers going down accompany the fervor of the kisses. although this only happens whenever their friends start a heated discussion with at least three other people in the pub because, of course, only james potter could manage to get three or four parisians to discuss in english with them.
if their friends notice the change, they don't say anything, and sirius is glad for that, because remus' hand sometimes rests on his leg, and sirius' door does a pretty loud sound when it's locked.
remus and sirius kiss each other whenever they can, rough and softly, with their hands tracing the other's body. their skin was craving that exact feeling for such a long time, now they cannot stop, asking one to separate from the other would be like trying to separate tissue from bone. it is in those casual moments when they are the same thing: two boys, with complex minds and complex hearts that secretly longed for their forbidden equal to embrace them.
49 notes · View notes
deadboyfriendd · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Cochise l: Nellie
Summary: A dark stranger blows into town, bringing Hell with him. Little did he know, Hell was already here, in the form of you. The air here is stale and the residents stagnant. This town was as wild as the west was able, and you are the most wild thing about it. 
Warnings: Fem!Reader, Outlaw/Doc Holliday!Eddie Munson x Reader, wild west/Tombstone AU!, Sherrif!Steve (he has a mustache), guns and gun violence, death of minor original characters, period-appropriate death, drug use, angst, fluff, save a horse, ride a cowboy, wet dream, smut included, feminine rage embodied and I gave her a gun
My content is 18+ Minors DNI
Word Count: 4.4k
Author's Note: This is for Drac <3 thank you for beta reading!
Find the series masterlist here!
When the dust blew in from the East, Hell came with it. 
And Hell hath no fury like a woman’s reproach. 
1890. From the ashes of the Civil War rose a phoenix of economic expansion and spurs the great migration west. Farmers, ranchers, prospectors, killers and thieves seek their fortunes. Cattle drovers turned cow towns into armed camps with murder-rates higher than those of modern-day New York or Los Angeles. Silver is discovered in Arizona, and the prospectors dragged their young wives and their Parisian fashions with them. Siphoned together out of greed, hundreds of Texas outlaws banded together to forge a new way forward, resulting in the birth of early organized crime. 
Out of this chaos came the great legendary lawmen, and none as mean as you. 
The air was stale this time of year, heavy enough to flatten a lizard, when the turn of the season brought the green back to the ironwoods and the snakes back from their hides. When it brought the heat back with a haughty laughter and a heart full of vengeance. The sun cast down a glare that warped the mirage of the desert backdrop of Cochise County, turning from a comforting radiation to a wasp sting when the night turned. The cereus blossom fragrant with rot that filled the stagnant night air and its timely beauty– and ultimate untimely death. 
He reaped a certain morosity with him, spurs scraping across the floor like a toll, steps sure as snow in the northern country– as they dragged the dust from his heels eastward. His skin was of alabaster, and his clothes of obsidian. He was not from here, and it drew a shudder from the mesquite doors upon their sun-dried hinges. The dirty faces of prospectors, drunks, and cattle drovers turning to peer at him under sweat-laden brows. 
The Whispering Sands was not the ritzy bar, no, that was the bar located in the lobby of the Grand Hotel up the holler. No, Your dealer was as straight as a Christmastime wreath, your doors hung as crooked as your dealer, and if you didn’t carry when you walked through, you had spares. There would be no clean men and women with their Parisian dresses and costly hat pins occupying this place. This was the lowest of the low. 
He peers at you from under the brim of a coal-stained, honest-to-God gunslinger wool Stetson, lined with the hammered silver and turquoise-inlaid band. It laid flat across the top and around the brim. You hadn’t seen one like it since your wedding night on the ritzy hardwood grounds of the Grand Hotel herself. He takes a seat in a singular fell swoop, frock coat flaring outwards and casting a soft breeze over your presence. Single-breasted, large notch lapels. Beneath it, his dark pinstripe trousers folded under the weight of his body, the silver brocade vest above the black cravat remaining stiff. From where your eye connected with him, you could see the nickel plating of a Colt 1873 single action revolver, sheathed under the oiled ellipse of the leather-bound shoulder holster. It was apparent he wasn’t here to push cattle. 
It was a fleeting gaze, the kind that rattle each of your vertebra and settled in your coccyx. A single golden curl slipped over a broad shoulder and swung heavy in the tension between your two bodies. 
There was a resonant patriarchal tenor that buzzed amongst the patrons in this space, tense on the outcome and flat-lining in deliverance. They tried to avert wandering gazes from this new resident— strung together words in staccato, interrupted by morbid curiosity and on-looking eyes. Michael Doten– amicably monickered “Mudsill”, shattered this hum like china. He was a worm of a man, slimy in all of the worst ways, and, on this day in particular, aptly under the impression of laudanum and drink. He shared these sympathies with his own father– a man no more than fifteen years his senior. 
He slinked through the door with the demeanor of an old tom-cat, crooked in stride and greasy to the touch— not that you could fathom anyone wanting to touch him at all. He demanded a house whiskey with a slovenly belch– a concoction made from your own sarsaparilla, burnt raw sugar, and chewing tobacco. 
“Michael, I’d say you’ve about had enough today.” You chided, firm in your answer. The stranger peered a doting gaze towards you, then turned it toward ‘Ol Mudsill from a downturned hat– wistful in demeanor and daring in residence. He watched as Michael cast a thumb of brown saliva onto your floor, intentionally ignoring the existence of the spitoon a mere few feet from it. 
He sneered towards you through leather-laden eyelids, a protuberance straight from the aforementioned spittoon, and filled with piss and vinegar, “Now,” He started, “ – if I wanted an old bitch telling me what I can and can’t drink, I would have considered marrying.” It was a slimy statement with a profound lack of remorse. It dripped from the gaps of his rotting teeth like a tar. 
“I wouldn’t marry you, even if I was fixin’ to face death herself.” It wasn’t the first time you had denied him a drink, nor was it the first time he had spoken ill toward you. You doubted it would also be the last. You were a harum-scarum, devil-may-care woman, tough as nails and pretty as a mink stole.
“You don’t listen too good, now do you?” Mudsill spit back, standing now. Your fingers grazed the pearl handles of the Remington Model 1890 tucked away in the fold of your dresses. You hoped to God you didn’t have to use it. 
Before ‘Ol Mudsill could think of something to say back, the dark stranger stood, “That’s no way to talk to a lady.” 
“Is that a fact?” Mudsill raises a wiry brow towards the man, standing erect in front of him. 
“Yeah, that’s a fact.” He said back, quietly. It was a discerning quiet, the kind where you figure trouble might be brewing. 
“Well, for a man that don’t go heels, you run your mouth kinda reckless there, don’t ‘ya?” The stranger said, standing a little more erect– like he was fixing for trouble, though, by the context of the rest of the conversation, you’d say trouble had already been brewing. Now, you waited for the pot to boil over, “No need to go heel to get the bulge on a tub like you, huh?”
Mudsill glared toward him though tight lids, a reckless abandon only a drunk could possess, “Is that a fact?”
“That’s a fact.”
“Well, I’m ‘real scared.” Musill replied with a bobbling nod of his head, reaching for the firearm tucked away behind his waistband. 
“Damn right, you’re scared. I can see that in your eyes.” The stranger followed the movement of his hand momentarily, eyes settling over the worn wood of the stock before meeting back up with his eyes,  “Yeah, go ahead, skin it. Skin that smoke-wagon and see what happens.” 
“Listen Mister, I’m gettin’ awful tired of you–” He was cut off, the stranger landing a stinging, open-palmed blow to his face. 
“I’m gettin’ tired of your gas, now jerk that pistol and go to work.” Mudsill stared back, stunned. Frozen like a scared lizard. Another blow. “I said throw down, boy.” A third blow landed across his cheek, harder this time. You could see where the blood filled his mouth and covered his teeth. “You gonna do something or just stand there and bleed?” 
“No?” The stranger raised an eyebrow, reaching upwards to put a forceful hand on mudsill’s shoulder, “Now, come on, Junior.” 
The wire snapped behind ‘Ol Mudsill’s eyes, and with a sleight of hand, he reached for the worn pistol tucked into his overcoat. The dark stranger was fast, but you were faster. The pearl grips cold and smooth against the sweat of your palms. Quickly and in one motion, you stepped out from the bar, hand forced steady only in fear alone. 
“You’re bluffing.” Michael sneered towards you, taking a step forward, closer to you with the barrel now in your direction. It was enough for the stranger to bear his arms as well, though, he wouldn’t need them today. The barrel met Michael’s forehead. 
“I don’t bluff.” Your thumb met the hammer, pulling it back enough for a deafening swell click, “Now your family may be back to rush me, but that won’t stop me from blowing a canoe through your head first, y’hear?”
His eyes widened, and he pulled the barrel back from you, finger leaving the sheath of the trigger and thumb only staying tucked around the grip enough to keep it held. 
“Don’t come back here. Ever.” You ordered, and he nodded slightly. 
“Yes’m” 
The stranger spoke then, pistol still planted firmly against the back of the offender, “And you’re gonna drop that weapon right here, Michael.” He ordered. 
The worn colt clattered against the floor as he tossed it from his waist-height to the ground. The stranger took this as the opportunity to grab Michael by the collar and drag him out the front doors like a calf. You could see the durst stir from outside, but didn’t sense a further commotion. You sat idly in one of your stools, letting free an exasperated sigh as you threw your head down against the bar. You didn’t sign up for this when you found yourself out west. 
You felt the stock of a pistol press into the meat of your upper arm, “Here. Keepsake. Hang it over the bar, Nellie.” The stranger spoke back to you, sliding the firearm across the worn mesquite bar top. 
You raised a brow at him, more at the moniker, but also at his enthusiasm, “Nellie?”
“I had a horse like you once,” He released a breathy laugh between his words, maybe more nervous at the fact that he was comparing you to a horse, “ —even after she broke she was meaner than hell, but prettier than a mink stole. It’s a pleasure, Mrs–”
He thought it was foolish, comparing you to that mean old mare, but he didn’t have time to dote on it before you stopped him mid-sentence. 
“Ms.” You corrected. 
He couldn’t help the way his eyes flitted down to the ring on your finger, a single thin gold band that he dwelled on for just long enough for you to notice the cogs attempting to turn in his head. 
 “Dead.” You clarified, and he felt his heart contract as the word left your lips. 
“Sorry to hear that.” He dips his head low, only now taking off the Stetson to greet you properly, “Name’s Munson. Edward Munson.” 
You shook your head, forcing that still-bruising ache away to push a smile, “Ain’t no changin’, may God have willed it, Mr. Munson.” 
He matched your smile, handsome cheeks creasing deeply around the curvature of his mouth, “Just Edward will do, ma’am.” 
You pulled open the humidor, nimble fingers gracing along the stack of cigars beneath its lid. You chose the one with the cleanest-looking wrapping, one that looked sufficient enough as a thank-you, before offering it to him. He took it with a nod of his head, thick fingers wrapping around the base gently before pulling the kerosene vase near him. You watched the smoke roll from between his lips in a vapid crescendo, all too graceful and all too beautiful. 
“I take it you're not a prospector?” You questioned him gently, voice sure, yet smaller than his resonating alto. 
He laughed softly, the kind that heaves itself from the chest. Hearty, “No ma'am.”  
“Then how does someone like you find yourself in a place like this?” You leaned an elbow on the bar, chin resting firmly in the warmth of your palm. You tried to ignore the sweat building between the flesh. 
He looked down at the cigar between his fingers, twirling it around and feeling the paper it was rolled in, “Well I find I could ask you the same thing–”
The bell above the door was shrill in the staleness of the air, the resonance of the prior entanglement floating back up in a cloud in an attempt to re-settle over the old furniture like silt. The man that waded through its wake was tall, but not gangly, no, he did not share the demeanor of a scarecrow. He looked like he meant business.
You pulled your attention away from Edward for a brief moment, your eyes tearing from his personage and settling over the familiar face, “Hello, Sheriff.”
“Hello, ma’am.” The sheriff tipped his hat towards you in greeting, peering briefly at the man sat at the bar in front of you, “‘Ol Mudsill seems pretty shaken up, did somethin’ happen again?”
“Nothin that Edward here couldn’t handle.” You watched as his eyes flicked back and forth between you and Edward, like he was trying to piece a puzzle together but there were too many missing pieces, “Sheriff, this is Edward Munson, just unloaded from the train in Tucson.”
“Pleasure’s all mine.” He reached a broad hand out to meet with the sheriff’s. 
He accepted the offer, hands locked together in a firm grip, “Steve Harrington.” 
“Pleasure.” Edward mentioned, politely. 
“You have a place to stay, Edward?” He asked, hand still interlocked with his for a brief moment. 
“Not as of yet. Know of anyone housing?”
“I’d say the Grand Hotel just across the way.” 
+
The walk to the other side of the road is brief, but the sun beat down against Eddie’s back like a brand– the eyes that followed his movement, the hands that held the iron. The dust kicked up behind him and collected at the bases of his boots seemed to slow his stride as he sunk into its softness. He would have to have them polished tomorrow. 
Steve turned to him, boots casting a hollow thud as they stepped up onto the decking of The Grand Hotel, “I am inclined to ask, what exactly happened back there?”
Eddie cleared his throat, righting himself, “Just some drunk. Got all riled up when she wouldn’t serve him and started waving his gun around.”
Steve shook his head, removing his hat to run a finger through the hair beneath it, sand ripplying against his scalp beneath his finger, “Christ, well, thank you for handling that for her. She’s been through too much this year.”
“She dealt with that right on her own, sheriff, the only part I took part in was getting him out.” 
Their boots made a clunk against the sun-rotted wood on the staircase of The Grand Hotel, stairs creaking in affliction. There was a moment of silence between the two men, tense and fleeting, like there was still something to be said. 
“Her husband died last spring.” Steve finally mentioned, understanding that it wasn’t his place to tell. 
“She mentioned it.” Steve felt a relief at him knowing. He didn’t want to be the one to have to bear the shock of the statement. 
He sighed before continuing, “Shot and killed on that bar floor. ‘Couple of bandoleros robbing the place.”
“Chist–- She seemed capable.” Eddie mentioned to him, raking his hair back under his hat. He felt the sweat bead around where the band met his skin. 
“But still, no woman should ever have to bury her husband.” The sheriff said, reaching up to place nimble hands on his hips, “‘Specially not that young.”
The Grand Hotel is the essence of luxury in the west. Well, as luxurious as they could ship by train. Mahogany covered the expanse of the palace in a grandeur scale, only being broken by the pin-striped wallpaper covering the upper half of the wayne-scotted wall on the second floor. The taxidermied elk that hung above the bartop was shipped from the northern country, as were many of the axis and whitetail deer that hung on other walls. 
This seemed to be the only place in this town that a fine layer of dust hadn’t settled over. 
The velveteen nature of the drapery that hung over the stage to the left in a heavy abismality had remained nearly untouched by the traces of the desert around it. The gold of the drawstrings that held them back still contained the luster under the light. 
He couldn’t help but to search for you in the madness of coiled, unabashedly tentative curls piled on the heads of the women in the large bustles that scraped between tables and each other. You looked like you belonged here, but he knew where you would be. 
This night’s show had ended already, the lingering patrons also taking residence within the palace. The backing curtain drawn to a close and the actors retired to their quarters. Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, overrun, overplayed. Edward thought about it. Of all the things in the world to know, why learn The Devil’s craft? He figured if it was the only thing left to know, he’d probably learn it, too. 
There is a man of about five foot, ten inches sat at the bar, elbows rested against the glossy finish of the bartop. He is a burly man, Eddie can see that even from his sitting position. Steve guides Eddie towards him, taking his own seat next to him. Eddie stayed standing. 
He looks back behind him, Steve muttering a few words that Eddie couldn't seem to hear over the drabble of lobby patrons, “Milt. County Marshall.” 
He sticks a rough hand out, and Eddie takes it in a firm clasp. 
“Edward Munson.” He shakes his hand once, Milt was a man of few words. 
Steve buys Eddie a drink. A golden bourbon, not watered down like many of the bars out west did for reserve. Real golden bourbon. An import. A thanks. 
They settled on a less-occupied corner of the palace, one that lacked faro tables and drunk patrons. On the opposite side of the baby grande that played anything its player knew how. 
“Her husband was a good man.” Steve said between sips, sweat dripping down the crystalline glass like glitter, “Too good if you’d ask me. It’s what got him killed in the first place.” 
He felt the pang in his chest, a tightening of muscles like tears, “It’s a shame. Pretty woman like that having to run that place by her lonesome.”
Steve chucked a bit in agreement, looking back over his shoulder like you would somehow appear, “That isn’t by our choice. She could have her pick if she wanted it.” He took another sip of his drink, and Eddie knew he was right. You were pretty, sullen skin like satin, hair like ribbon. He’d pay all of the money in his pocket just to touch. 
“She doesn’t?” Eddie questioned, looking over to meet Steve’s eyes. 
“I’d reckon not.”
He tried not to think about it, instead focusing on the piano. He watched the woman sat on top, the way the lace of her undergowns flowed upwards with the swing of her ankles. He watched the man play with skilled– albeit drunk– fingers. 
This place was lively, perhaps a little too lively for the hour. People still yelling obscenities and praises over faro, ice in glasses. He felt the sweat from the glass beneath his fingers, and it matched the band of it building beneath his cap. His collar felt tight, like someone had been pulling it from the back. Shouldn’t it have gotten cooler when the sun went down?
“I’d reckon I’d better turn in for the night.” He said suddenly, placing the glass down on the bar in front of him, about a milliliter of fluid left watered-down and pooling at the bottom. 
He ascended the mahogany staircase to his quarters, where he would retire for the night. However, as he stripped himself of his frock coat and underclothes, he couldn’t help to peer towards the luminescent glow coming from The Whispering Sands upper floor across the bend. 
The curtains billowed outwards towards the street below, casting a light over the sand beneath it like a halo. White linen backlit by yellow butane lighting. And there you sat, all woman. He’d have half a mind to buy you some night clothes, and the other half a mind to burn them if you even had them. 
He watched the way your skin rippled at your lower back as your bare skin pressed against your vanity stool, and the way your skin stretched over your shoulder blades as you pulled your hair to the side, raking through it with the brush in front of you. Your lips fell into a supple pout in concentration, and your lashes kissed your cheeks as you looked down. He could feel the windowsill digging into his palms, it grounded him– kept him from free-floating into the stagnant desert air. 
The Grand Hotel is a loud place, and it never sleeps. The faro games did not stop on his account, and he didn’t expect them to. He closes his eyes, a glass breaks. A fight breaks out downstairs in a triad of commotion, shuffling, and yelling. This was the first time he had been in a bed in days, yet, it felt horrendously unceremonious. Sleep would not evade him in the way he willed it. 
The flooring creaked, drunk patrons hit the wall outside of his quarters with intense, muffled thuds. Two people in the suit next to him were clearly of relation. He tried to ignore the way the oak headboard creaked and hit the wall in a rhythmic fashion. He tried his hardest not to think of you. 
This place did not sleep, and he knew he wouldn’t either. So instead, Edward collected his hat and gun, pulling his trousers back on and lazily doing his shirt back up. 
The night air had cooled some, less blistering than when the sun was out, yet it remained stale. He walked a bit, eyes still shimmering with the adjustment of light from the palace to the stark darkness of the desert. Light traveled a lot further here, darkness even further. The hum of the palace dimmed as the distance between them grew, air heavy like a barrier that stopped the noise from traveling. 
He settled himself in the soft sand beneath him, back planted firmly against the knotty base of that twisted old ironwood. Someone else still awake at this unholy hour plucked delicately at old piano keys– these ones slightly more out of tune and reverberated off of the walls with a static hum that resonated through the otherwise empty streets. Sleep evaded in a thankless percussion. 
And there you were. 
He allowed his fingers to trail over the delicate expanse of your shoulder, brushing soft curls over its bridge. Soft presses of his mouth trailed from your year to the valley of your clavicle. He pressed your gowns down your shoulder as he went, the loose garment sliding off with ease.
In your glorious, supple nature. All woman all the time. Your hands, nimble and soft, were forceful against his chest as you pushed him back against plush white linens. Fingers as sure as death and as right as rain. The haze from the butane lamp cast a glow around you, baby hairs illuminating around your head like a halo. 
Slowly now, but with an urgency, you right yourself in between his knees, undoing the buttons of his shirt in a way that made him want to beg just to feel a finger brush against his skin. He whined as he watched you with wide eyes.
His buckle made impressions on the inside of your thigh, a welcome breeze blew through the open window, gracing the overlaying flesh in a ritual of human intimacy. Songs of “Oh- Gods” and small giggles creating perfect songs- a gathering drum backing and an underlying hum of the desert around you. You could feel his hands on your back, fingers his fingers unwrapping you from linen bed sheet confines and introducing you to your own bedroom like an heirloom– a home in which you yourself haunted. The palms of your hands feeling the smooth surface of stone beneath the skin, and the dewey droplets from his own flesh dampened them with a waxy residue. 
His fingers pressed firmly into the plush of your outer thighs, and your skin was soft. Calves skin, another import. Too soft for this place. Too soft for this sadness. 
“So soft.” He whispered, voice a tenor to its usual pitch. 
He watched where your bodies connected, the way you slid up and down on him, the way his fingers rippled your skin where they dug in, the gyration of your hips. Your hair is down this time, braid long since combed through, and the ends of it tickle as they brush against him. 
“God, Nellie.” He isn’t particularly introspective or anything, but he does know that he’ll never feel something like this again. 
Your tender touch a velvety petal trailed down the expanse of his chest where it heaves, nothing left to impede your touch. No overcoats, no holster or gun. Your hands like the claws of the bobcat pawing into the sand where his heart lay in an unmarked grave.
“Edward,” You whispered against the shell of his ear, his hands pressing the center of your back to bring you close against your chest. It was a plea. It read like a prayer. “Take me, please.” 
His upward thrust slowed from long, meaningful bass crescendos to harsh uneven staccatos. Your breaths became erratic in nature to match. Your release washed over you like a storm, rolling and violent and all at once. His own followed suit. 
Edward realized then that this was how the west would be won. If it wasn’t, he’d wage the war himself. 
183 notes · View notes