#which is ridiculous for an irish drum really

[finnlongman]

What's the humidity like in my house, you ask? Well, I'm now keeping my bodhrán in the airing cupboard more or less full time...

#it does not enjoy the damp #which is ridiculous for an irish drum really

[rosemaryandarsenic]

do u have any hc's for domestic life w/ gareth ..?

DO I! Oh my god, too many haha. Both fluff and NSFW HC’s to follow so minors, this is your warning lol.

- firstly, Gareth radiates dad vibes. He’s always watching for deals on new tech, I feel like he’s the kind of person to get an in home computer and he’s SO EXCITED about it.

- he absolutely has a VHS collection that turns into a CD collection. Even as they lose popularity he keeps those CD’s and tapes, still has a huge stereo even though he could just use Spotify.

- he hates mowing the lawn, def a cool weather kind of guy. Loves the fall and winter, enjoys going out and shoveling the driveway then sitting outside with a mug of coffee or tea.

- goes all out for Halloween and Christmas, wouldn’t be caught dead with Easter themed anything. It took him awhile to get into Valentine’s Day but now he buys you flowers every year in excess. I could see him getting you one of those lego flower sets so you can save them.

- can’t keep plants alive to save his life. Literally manages to kill everything except one pot of violets his sisters got him one year. He guards them with his life. They froze one year and he literally cried and has never forgiven himself for letting them die.

- drinks black coffee, prefers tea to coffee though. A big fan of Irish breakfast tea. Thinks Starbucks is a waste of time. Secretly goes for pumpkin spice season though. Will deny that like his life depends on it. I just know he’s the kind of dad that would take his girls though, wouldn’t let anyone call them basic.

- speak of dad, he’s def the dad that has the treat tax. Like he gets his kids treats and surprises all the time but he always gets a piece of their candy or a bite of whatever. Yknow that meme where the dad is reaching back while driving? That. The dad tax.

- owns a frankly ridiculous amount of socks, none of them match and he doesn’t even know which ones are his at this point. Like, you’re at the store and he tosses a pack in the cart and you’re like, “again?!” And he’s just like, “listen-“

- he’s def messy but if there are dishes in the sink or coffee mugs on his desk he will freak out. ADHD clean if you know what I mean.

- hates typical sports, will not watch them and will not play them. One of his kids asks to join the football team and he’s like, “why don’t you take a dance class instead?”

- he’s the kind of husband who signs you both up to learn salsa and then proceeds to nearly break both of your legs because he simply cannot dance. It’s okay though because he tries so hard and it’s fucking adorable.

- enjoys slow dancing with you whenever possible. When you two started dating he’d play Top of the World by the Carpenters or Our House by Cosby and swirl you around his parents kitchen. His mom caught you one time and nearly cried because it was so precious.

- this man loves his mother. Like, would do anything for that woman. When he met you, it was exactly the same. Huge family guy but has daddy issues so male authority figures are not his fav. If you’re family though, he’d guard you with his life.

- got bullied a lot in HS obviously. If Eddie came back alive he’d tell him about what Jason did and apologize profusely for spilling even the tiniest bit of info. Eddie forgives him completely but Gareth never really lets go of it and feels horrible about it to this day.

- if he ever found out one of his children was getting bullied he’d literally lose it. Like, irrationally angry and has to go smoke in the garage to calm down so he doesn’t kick some 12 year olds ass.

- teaches his kids D&D.

- always wanted kids, but never wanted you to feel pressured. If y’all got pregnant anytime, teens or later he’d literally drop everything to prep for being a dad. Gets scared alot about not being able to provide for you.

- I feel like he’d take up piano as well as his drums, so he would have something he could practice quietly. Finds peace in creating things whether it’s music or art. Literally gets lost in the rhythm.

- so many good flannels and sweaters

- can’t sing for shit but likes to sing to you

- doesn’t know how to do “manly” things because his dad was not around so he asks Eddie to teach him how to fix cars and build shit. He’s really good at sewing and mending things, likes to cook too. Can’t bake for shit but he’ll try if it’s important. Ended up getting really into cars and bikes, never owned a motorcycle though.

- big breeding kink. Like. Aggressively into it lol.

- he rips your underwear a lot because he’s needy and just pulls them off lmao

- has broken two bed frames of yours, once in college and once in your first apartment. Now you just have one of those box frames with drawers that holds the mattress because he can’t be trust haha

- fucks your on top of the dryer while the kids are asleep, or sneaks you into the garage to smoke and fuck in the car.

- begged you to get some type of pet like a cat or a dog when you finally have your own place

- has always wanted a pet snake

- major pediatrician or English/history/music teacher vibes

- took him three years after high school to go to college because he wanted to just find his own way and HS really burnt him out.

- stops drinking around 25, just not into it. Says he likes being more present. Maybe would have the occasional beer or glass of wine on special occasions but really hates hard liquor.

- played with the band into his 30s! They have a couple albums and quit after Eddie had his second kid.

- Jeff and him are life long friends, they still play video games together once a week even if they’re 60 and retired lmao

- does not like being outdoors much but is really good at camping and swimming. Has a big connection with nature when he’s in it, it’s just not very often.

- takes you to drive ins all the time

- gets headaches a lot

- steals your clothes. Like you’ll wander into the kitchen in the morning and he’s wearing your sweatpants that say Juicy or PINK on the ass with rhinestones. Will also wear dresses with you and skirts. A fashion icon really.

- he takes up the entire bed when he’s sleeping, steals all the blankets and talks in his sleep.

- the kind of guy who lifts up his leg when he farts and laughs at it, idk what to tell you about that one

- he loves bubble baths

- literally cannot work blinds for the life of him. Like, he’s always pulling the chord wrong and then getting really mad when they come down lopsided and he has to come to you begging for help because he just can’t do it.

- opens pickle jars on the first try every single time

- smells really good, somehow always sweet but in a natural musky way.

- hates the sound of people chewing but also chews really loudly himself

- one time during sex, you were on top and he grabbed your boobs and yelled, “what’re thooosee.”

- makes jokes at the wrong time, all of the time.

- people think he’s angry all the time but he’s just quiet until he trusts you and then he talks your ear off and gets so fucking loud

- watches TV at full volume with no awareness of his surroundings like a heathen lmao

- collects comics

- will not go within 10 feet of spiders

- constantly dehydrated, chugs water all the time and it’s still not enough

- he’s really good with animals. Y’all have chickens, and he always wanted to work on a farm. Teaches your kids 4H stuff, but doesn’t like the idea of scouts because it “encourages kids to romanticize the military instead of helping the community”

- he loves rock collecting

- buys lots of crystals

- superstitious as fuck

- really good at running but hates working out, he only does it so he can perform on stage and keep up with his kids.

- really into yoga and Pilates, but can’t meditate at all, gets distracted too easily.

- he’s a causal enabler, if you want something he buys it then and there and if you’re debating something he just does it for you. Can’t say no to his partner or his kids.

- he goes to therapy on and off again, practices coping mechanisms and reads a lot of workbooks. Hates the mass produced self help books but wants to stay self aware so he’s always looking things up or calling his therapist to talk about it.

- still has his stuffed teddy from when he was little.

#gareth emerson #gareth the great #stranger things #gareth x reader #rosemaryandarsenic rants

[auyouni]

just say you won’t let go // septiplier

Jack doesn’t know why he does this to himself. 

Really, who else is this self-sabotaging? Asking the straight guy he’s in love with to be his fake boyfriend for Christmas Eve is crossing a line that he never wanted to cross, but, to be fair… He never expected Mark to say yes. He knows it’s for the money, of course, that Jack had just offered up a price that he simply couldn’t refuse, but the genuine excitement on his best friend’s face at the idea of finally meeting Jack’s family had been worth that small heartbreak. He feels guilty for not doing it sooner, hiding Mark away like some dirty little secret – which is kinda accurate, but he is in no way ashamed of being friends with him, or… anything else about Mark, really. The only shame he carries is reserved specifically for himself. 

It’s just so complicated to be around Mark. All sorts of emotional turmoil and their shared concerning past, and really, it was easier to just never properly introduce them than deal with those things in the light of day, where he can be ashamed of how in love he is with him, of how much he’d do or spend just to keep him by his side for a millisecond longer. He hasn’t even really told the few friends he still has – it’s just too much, always too much. 

And, oddly, never enough. 

His fingers drum rapidly on the driving wheel as he creeps along the ice slick roads, suppressing the urge to glance over at Mark as best he can. He’d surprised him when Jack picked him up, wearing a tux that fit him perfectly, hugging his body in ways that Jack really cannot afford to be distracted by tonight. 

Still, because Jack’s eyes are always drawn to Mark, he finds himself looking over when they’re at a stoplight. 

His hands hover over the vents blasting heat, trying to warm himself up as much as possible, head slightly bouncing along to whatever song is on the radio (Roses by The Chainsmokers, he thinks?), the streetlights illuminating him beautifully, with a small smile on his lips as he gazes out at the snow fluttering down around the car… Suddenly, Mark’s head turns a little, eyes catching his, and Jack can see just how excited he is, the genuine joy in his expression at being able to do this with him… He can’t help the smile rising to his lips in response, heart so full of his best friend in that moment that he’s sure he’ll cry. 

He doesn’t. 

It’s becoming easier and easier for him to hide strong emotions from Mark, burdens that only he has to bear, and he’s utterly thankful for it. If he knew… If he knew how Jack truly felt, he’d run the other way and never look back. The idea twists his gut a little, and he feels oddly ill, but he can’t dwell on it because Mark is saying something now, tugging him back down to reality with a soft hand on his shoulder. 

“Jack,” Mark says, a barely concealed laugh in his voice, and the Irish boy is certain that his name has never sounded as good as it does coming from his lips, “the light’s green.” Jack blinks a little, surprised, and turns to see that Mark’s right. His cheeks burn as he hits the gas, wishing it wasn’t so easy for him to be distracted by his feelings for his best friend. It’s ridiculous, inconvenient, and… 

Wholly unrequited. 

“Sorry, got a bit distracted,” he says, a tad sheepish. Mark’s eyes don’t leave his face, and Jack wishes he could see his expression. Does he know? He has to by now. It’s not like you’re subtle… 

“Thinking about how hard you’re gonna fuck me tonight?” Mark asks, voice teasing and just a little bit lower – he knows how to get Jack riled up with ease. Jack splutters, blushing, and now that the words are out there, he can’t think of anything besides Mark moaning and wanton beneath him, begging for— 

“W-who says I’m fuckin’ you t’night?” he asks in lieu of answering, jumping onto the new topic. It may not be safe, but at least it’s far, far away from his real feelings toward Mark. 

“Oh come on, Sean,” Mark says in a sultry voice, leaning forward, and Jack can’t help a small shiver, “I know you by now. You were giving me serious bedroom eyes when I walked out of my house.” Oh, like he could’ve helped that - the beautiful boy had dressed up for him, suit and tie and just… damn.

“I paid for a weekend o’ bein’ my fake boyfriend, Mark – I don’t have enough money f’r sex,” he manages to get out, feeling guilty and disappointed in himself for not being able to afford it. 

It’s quiet for a few moments, the radio the only thing breaking the silence. Here we go again / I kinda wanna be more than friends / so take it easy on me / I’m afraid you’re never satisfied… Jack changes the channel quickly, hoping Mark doesn’t notice. 

“Well… doesn’t being a boyfriend usually involve that?” Mark asks, and Jack’s a little taken off-guard. His head whips to face him, eyes wide, but the other boy is staring straight ahead, looking deep in thought, teeth catching at his lower lip. Jack gulps, forcing himself to look back to the road before he drives them into a sign or something. 

“I-I… I guess, yeah,” he manages, voice coming out a little weak, waiting a little desperately for Mark to continue, though he’s certain that he wouldn’t actually be offering— 

“Well then, you… I mean, you paid quite a bit for the full boyfriend experience…” There’s something a little off about Mark’s voice, something almost kind of… worried? But then Mark’s lips are suddenly inches from Jack’s ear, murmuring, “So I want you to fuck me tonight, sweetheart. Feel your cock deep inside of me, while your parents sleep in the other room… Want you so, so badly, Sean...” Jack’s muscles are tight with the effort of keeping himself from jumping Mark then and there, car crash be damned, and it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do to keep his eyes trained on the road. It’s a familiar game, after all, but one that he’s probably never going to get used to. “My boyfriend.” Jack moans at that, turning a little too harshly into an empty parking lot and hurriedly putting the car in park. It’s all a dirty lie, he knows this – but he also knows that he’s never once stood a chance at resisting Mark when he does shit like this, especially with that one single word that resonates so deeply within Jack. His seatbelt hits something as he tosses it aside – like he cares – and then he’s on Mark, pressing him against the passenger door and kissing him. The boy beneath him wraps his arms around him easily as he kisses back just as eagerly. 

He always knew how to put on a good show, make it so believable that Jack’s certain that Mark wants him just as much as the Irishman always has. When his lips press against his, devouring him whole, Jack can forget that this isn’t real, that he’s not actually allowed to want this. 

But for one whole weekend, he is. For one weekend it’ll be real, Jack will be able to hold his hand, fix his hair, compliment him, tell everyone and anyone who will listen just how much he adores this boy with the beautiful brown eyes and the ridiculous levels of charm, who throws marshmallows at him whenever he wins at a game and tickles him in the worst possible settings and sits with him in his car and has long, deep chats with in the middle of the night, leans against him as he drifts off to sleep… 

It’s all allowed. 

Mark is, for the weekend, only his, and the idea alone is enough to make Jack want to cry. Instead, he just kisses him harder, holds him closer, and tries to let himself believe it. 

“J-Jack, we’re gonna be late,” Mark says a few hickeys later, top few buttons of his shirt undone and hair a mess, still squirming under him as Jack’s teeth scrape along the sensitive skin of his neck. He’s not an idiot – none of these will actually be visible, except for maybe the edge of one, but it’s enough for him. 

“Mhmm?” he hums as a reply, nipping softly at a sensitive spot just below Mark’s jaw. Nothing in the world matters as much to him in that moment as the beautiful sounds spilling from his lips. 

“We n-need to go,” he tries again. “Don’t wanna g-get there after everyone e-else…” 

Jack doesn’t respond for a few seconds, lips meeting his in a deep kiss, taking the moment to just taste him. When he finally pulls away, a string of saliva connecting their lips, he smirks down at him, eyes hooded. “Even if I, say… sucked y’r dick?” Mark bites back a moan, squirming more (he couldn’t help loving the Irish boy’s blowjobs, often trying to figure out casual ways to ask for one – though Jack always seems to offer, anyway), and Jack’s smirk grows, hand sliding down Mark’s side. 

“Fuck.” Mark shuts his eyes briefly, seemingly at war with himself, and then he's peering back out at Jack, pupils blown too wide. “We can't. I wanna make a good first impression on your parents.”

Jack sighs, trying to be upset, but really, he's biting back a smile. “Fine, I guess. But I'm definitely suckin’ you off later t’night, first chance I get.” It looks like Mark blushes at that, but it can't be, right? It's just the lighting, he's sure.

Mark leans in, pressing a short kiss to his lips - and despite its brevity, it's still enough to leave Jack breathless.

“You may also wanna fix y’rself up a bit… ya look a bit sexed up,” Jack tacks on teasingly, winking at Mark, and the other boy rolls his eyes, grinning back at him.

“Hmm, I wonder whose fault that was?” he replies, pushing at Jack's shoulder with a small laugh.

“Um, fuckin’ yours!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not!”

“Really? And who was th’ one whispering in my ear like a damn temptress??? Can't fault me f'r givin’ in, I'm just a man.”

Mark snorts softly, eyes flickering with amusement, and god, but Jack just wants to spend the rest of the night in this car with him, joking and chatting and letting the rest of the world pass them by beyond the fogged up windows.

Let everyone else take the world, Jack just wants Mark.

#fic #septiplier #twenty dollar au #sean #mark #not main

[tommodirection]

Galway Girl

Louis Tomlinson x reader

Masterlist

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: swearing, fiddles, smoking, drinking, wasn’t proofread, written in thirty minutes

A/N: Heylo! This is my first fic for One Direction, so please don’t be mean! This is based off of the song Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran, and for the purpose of this fic, the some writers have been changed! Thank you, and have a nice day!

—

“Mate, listen, I know you’re gunna love it!” Niall assured Louis, gently hitting his shoulder.

Louis sighed, shaking his head, “Niall, I really don’t feel like going out,” he argued, and Niall shook his head.

“This is the one time we get to spend together, in years, and you want to sit around all day? This is Ireland! The best country in the world!” Niall threw his hands up in the air as Louis cringed.

“It is definitely not the best country in the world,” Louis grumbled.

Niall seemed to ignore him, and continued talking. “They have the best beer at this place I wanna go to, it’s just down the street! Karaoke is open too!”

Louis stared at Niall, “You really expect me to sing karaoke?”

Niall shrugged, “I don’t know, if not, there’s a buncha games and there’s an amazing band there, some of the best Irish jig music I’ve ever heard,” he reached his hand out to Louis.

Louis stared at his hand for a moment. He glanced up at the hopeful Niall, and sighed. “Fine,” he grabbed Niall’s hand and he pulled him up.

“This is gunna be great!”

—

You laughed as one of your band mates made a joke regarding the upcoming show. You were going over your notes again, nervous despite having played this hundreds of times.

You grabbed your bow and fiddle, and began playing as the band continued to joke. You moved gracefully, as you did every time you played. Your normal show would normally contain mostly slow songs, so your fiddle sounded more like a violin, but tonight, it was all upbeat.

Word had gotten round that Niall Horan was coming to the pub tonight. Another thing adding to your nerves. All of you wanted to impress him, which is why you were surprised the others weren’t practicing.

“Ey! Y/N! What are ya doing that for?” Fiona, the lead singer, called out to you. “You’re the best fiddler I know, you don’t ‘ave to worry bout it!” She complimented and you set your fiddle down, wiping your hands on your thighs.

“I’m just a little nervous,” you admitted and she shook her head.

“You’ve got nothin’ to be worried bout, love,” Fiona was a bit intimidating. Her accent was the thickest in the bands. You had only recently moved to Ireland a few years ago, you’d barely developed an accent, although you had certainly developed a taste for Guinness.

“Yeah, I guess I just need something to drink,” you paused. “Jamie, will you get me something to drink?” You asked your brother, and he nodded, setting down his guitar.

While you had joined the band, he continued on as a solo act. He was playing after you guys were finished, and you had invited him to join you before the show.

He left the room, leaving you and your band alone. Nancy and Eli began a quiet conversation, leaving you and Fiona.

“Are ya nervous cause of the famous singer comin’ down tonight?” She asked, sitting down across from you.

You nodded, brushing hair out of your face. You were only a little older than Niall, about a year. You were a fan of One Direction from the start. Despite living in Ireland when the band was formed, your favorite wasn’t Niall. It was Louis.

You had been infatuated with his accent, his humor making you fall even deeper. He has a certain air to him, and seeing him become more and more exhausted over the years hurt you. He wasn’t as flamboyant as he used to be, you had a feeling Simon Cowell had something to do with it.

“Well,” Fiona interrupted your thoughts, “I ‘eard that he’s bringin’ a mate with ‘im,” you squinted at her, trying to figure out where she was going with it. “Look at it this way. “E’ll be chatting’ it up with ‘is mate, ‘e won’t even be listenin’,” she finished, leaning back in her chair.

Your brother walked in seconds later, handing you your pint. Maybe Fiona was right. Sure, a part of you didn’t want her to be right, but it did calm your nerves a little.

You took a big swing out of your pint, swallowing it down in seconds.

Fiona stood and made her way across the room, peeking behind the makeshift curtain. Her eyes locked on something, and she quickly turned to the rest of you, giving a thumbs up. Showtime.

You gave your brother a quick hug, and grabbed your fiddle, making your way onstage with the others. Nancy counted you into, and you began to play.

Typically when you were playing, you’d go into a trace, focusing on your music, and nothing else. It was your zone. It made it seem as there was no one else in the room.

You finished the first set of two, and gave a content chuckle, looking at Fiona do a mocking catwalk up and down the stage.

You glanced around the crowd, trying to see if you could get a glimpse of the brunette singer, but it was hard to seem with the lights in your face.

Not even considering the front row, you began smiling at each person who was sitting there, and as Fiona talked, you sat on the edge of the small stage, waving at some people in the audience. Your eyes scammed over the audience again, and this time, your heart stopped.

Niall Horan was clapping, smiling as Fiona told the crowds some jokes. That wasn’t the most shocking part though.

Fucking Louis Tomlinson was sat behind him.

You get your cheeks heat up, your heart racing. There was no fucking way.

Yet there he was, a small smile settled on his lips as he watched the stage. His eyes ran over each member, before settling on you. You felt your breath hitch, and you gave a small little wave, although your hand was slightly trembling, so it probably looked pathetic.

It shocked you even more when he waved back, your mouth dropped and you sat for a few more moments, looking directly into his eyes. They were the most delicate shade of blue.

A gentle nudge to your side threw your out of your trance. You broke eye contact with Louis and looked up quickly. Fiona was looking down at you, a small smirk on her face.

“‘Ow bout we finish up now, yeah?” She teased and you stood up abruptly, racing over to pick up your fiddle.

This was the song you were most nervous about.

After catching wind that Niall was going to be here, your band decided to play a One Direction song. The only song that could easily fit a fiddle in it, was Act My Age, one you knew to be one of Niall’s favorites.

Within the first few seconds of the song, you saw Niall’s face light up.

Your first solo came up, the classic Irish jig, and Niall stood up, and began doing his dance. He motioned for Louis to join him.

Louis was laughing his ass off, holding a hand to his stomach. He continuously shook his head, until Niall hauled him to his feet.

He kept laughing and you found it hard to focus, being able to hear his laugh despite the adrenaline pulsing through your ears.

On your second to last solo, Louis finally caved, and he and Niall both were dancing, Louis’s moves a bit clumsy. Niall was nailing it though, although you had assumed he had a lot of practice, and Louis had very little.

Soon after the song, your performance ended, earning a standing ovation from the crowd. The band bowed and made their way behind the curtain again.

Fiona turned to the group, squealing and opening her arms for a group hug. You all were squished in and shortly after the hug, the teasing began.

Eli looked you up and down, chucking. “I’m surprised she didn’t drop her panties right then and there,” he poked your side and you gasped.

“Eli!” You scolded and he shrugged.

“‘E has a point, love. I coulda sworn ya were gunna mess up yer solo when you were watchin’ the other one dancin’,” she chided and you groaned, throwing your head in your hands.

“You guys are ridiculous,” you stood, grabbing an empty glass, “I’m gunna go get a drink.” You swiftly exited the room, not wanting any more embarrassment.

You stood at the bar, placing the empty pint down. You flagged down the bartender and asked for another, and you felt someone slide in next to you.

“Put it on our tab,” he told the bartender, and he nodded, quickly going to fix another drink.

You turned to the stranger who had just bought your drink, and your knees almost gave out.

“I-I, uhm, Louis, hi!” You exclaimed, sticking your hand out. He took it and gave it a little squeeze.

“You put on quite an amazing show, loved every second of it,” he smiled at you, a genuine smile.

You glanced down at your feet, and looked back into his eyes quickly. They were admiring your face, and you felt yourself blush under his gaze.

“Thank you, it means a lot,” you gave him a bashful smile and drummed your fingers on the table. “What was your favorite song?” These were typical questions you’d ask a normal person after your show, but Louis was far from normal.

He paused to think, tapping his finger against his chin, “I really loved Act My Age, but I did love the original song,” he squinted, trying to remember , “I think it said something like, ‘I wanna be mature, I wanna grow some more’ or something like that?” He suggested and your heart fluttered.

“Yeah, that’s one that I wrote a while ago called ‘Mature’. Fiona really loves it, and it’s one of my favorite songs to perform,” you admitted shyly, and he nodded.

“Yeah, it’s always nice to perform something you wrote, gives you a sense of pride, I guess,” he agreed and you nodded.

You heard a song come on over the jukebox. And your eyes lit up. (Yes, a jukebox. They’d play that music in between shows so they’d last all night). “I love this song!” You laughed and began humming along.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before,” you watched him try and rack his brain.

“It’s an old Gaelic song, one my mum used to sing to me,” you commented and continued humming.

“This might sound like an odd suggestion, but do you maybe wanna play some games?”

And that’s how you ended up where you were. You had just beaten him at darts, you weren’t at all surprised.

He got to choose the next game to play, and he chose pool, a game you had gotten pretty good at over the years. You decided not to say anything, and let the game play out.

That game ended pretty quickly, the same result as the last one.

“Damn,” Louis chuckled, and put his pool stick back in its holder. “You’re pretty good at these games.”

You shrugged nonchalantly, “Well when you play here every weekend, you learn the bar pretty well. And getting to know the bar, means getting to know the games.

He laughed lightly, pulling a box out of his pocket, “I’ve got to go take a smoke quick, you wanna come?” He offered, and you happily obliged, following him out of the bar, your brother’s music playing lightly in the background.

You both stepped out into the crisp night air, inhaling at the breath of fresh air. Louis pulled a lighter out of his pocket, lighting his cigarette and pulling it to his lips, taking a long drag from it.

As he breathed out, it vaporized into the air, the scent already sticking to your clothing.

He offered you the cigarette, and you took a small drag, holding back a cough as you let it out. You only smoked when you were stressed, a habit you’d been trying to break, but you figured you could make an exception for Louis Tomlinson.

After he had finished his cigarette, he allowed you to crush it, putting it out on the sidewalk. You both eyed the door, before looking back at each other.

“I don’t really wanna go back in,” you hinted. And he nodded.

“Me neither.”

“Will Niall notice you’re gone?” You asked, wanting to get away from here with him.

Louis chuckled lowly, “No, he’ll be preoccupied with that little blonde friend of yours.”

You knew Fiona was going home with someone tonight, it wasn’t surprising.

“My place is just down the road. If you wanna head there,” you nodded your head down the road towards your flat.

Louis grinned, “You lead the way, love.”

You grabbed his hand and began running down the street, passing though little crowds and trying to not fall on the road.

You stopped outside of your place, and turned to face Louis, only seeing he was inches away from your face.

You slowly wrapped your arms around his neck, bringing him closer to you. He placed his hands on your waist, leaning down to connect your lips.

It was soft, sensual, sweet, it tasted a little smoky, but you didn’t mind. You ran your fingers through each other’s hair, oblivious to the people walking around you. You were in the zone again. No one existed but you two.

You pulled away, and bit your lip, Louis pressed a kiss to your forehead, wrapping you up in a hug. You sat for a few minutes, swaying under the streetlight.

“I’ve got Doritos upstairs,” you said, and you felt his chest shake with laughter.

“I’m in.”

You led him upstairs, never letting go of his hand. You entered your flat, finally letting go of his hand in order to find the promised Doritos. Your eyes caught the bottle of wine you’d be saving for a special occasion, and brought it out, along with two wine glasses.

You poured two glasses for you and Louis, and took a seat on the couch, legs intertwined.

“So, where are you from?” He asked, shoving a Dorito in his mouth.

“Galway, just moved there a few years ago,” you answered taking a small sip of wine.

“Galway,” he repeated, studying your face again, “My little Galway girl.”

You giggled. “How bout you?” You already knew the answer, but you wanted him to say it.

“Doncaster, born and raised,” he smiled, looking down at his wine. “It’s a beautiful place.”

“I’m sure it is,” you added, and Louis laughed airily.

You spent the next few hours talking about yourselves, talking into the early hours of the morning, both finally passing out, however, before you passed out, you had heard Louis mumble something to you.

“I’m gonna write a song about you, my little Galway girl and a perfect night,” he said, his voice slurring from exhaustion.

“Whatever you say,” you whispered, passing out moments later. The next morning you woke up alone, and all that was there was an apology note.

You didn’t believe what he had said about the song, until about a year later.

You were driving on your way to another gig, a solo one this time. You had turned up the radio. Almost crashing when you heard the opening chorus of the song.

“She played the fiddle in an Irish band,

But she fell in love with an English man,

Kissed her on the neck and

Said “baby I just wanna dance.”

It had to be coincidence, but as you continued listening, you knew that Louis was telling the truth that night. He had kept his word. You quickly jotted down the name of the song and the artist who sang it, Ed Sheeran. You were quite familiar with his work, and knew he didn’t normally write upbeat songs.

When you reached your gig, you quickly Googled who had written the song, and right at the top of the results, was Louis’s name.

—

When you arrived home that night, you decided to DM him. You didn’t expect an answer, but it was worth a try.

y/n:l/n - You really fucking did it, Doncaster.

You got a reply seconds later.

louist91 - what can I say, Galway girl? I keep my word

Tagging @everything-is-alrightt bc I asked her on anon if she wanted to be tagged and she said yes... so... 😂

#one direction x reader #one direction #louis tomilson #louis tomlinson x reader #louis tomlinson #louis tommo #tommo way #galway girl #louis tomlinson fanfiction #boo bear #kenna

[gravelgirty]

Hi could you talk more about caves what you said on that post is really interesting

Sure thing!

First of all, it was an amazing cave I worked in. You never forget that. I'll pick one of my favorite topics,

the FALLOUT SHELTER AGGRAVATION TAX.

Clears throat.

Limestone caves are literally stone libraries in the geologic record of the world. Twice a year the airflow would change and then you'd smell smoke from decrepit old torches dating as far back as 1812. People made saltpeter in these caves, they were natural mines for things that went boom, and one of those 'requirements' meant airflow so you wouldn't suddenly and embarrassingly, drop dead of too much Underground. This is why the coal miners were eternally bemused and asking us questions like airflow. Sometimes you gotta canary. Sometimes you are the canary. This often led to predictable questions that was these old gents trying to be polite, but what they really wanted to know was,

'why the hell are you being paid $10 a trip plus tips to walk us 1.1 miles underground up to 3 times a day and no one has a mortgage gun aimed at your head?'

To which I would say, 'it wasn't quite that bad. If no one shows up at all we get paid $10.' ...Dear Saint Barbara, Chango, and the Gods of Deep Mystery, the things we tell ourselves. $10 a day. Crap. Thank goodness I had Granny's House, dad was paying the property tax, the water was on a well, and garbage was less that $20 a month. A shame we can't afford a TV, but hey, we can stay busy digging up that quarter-acre garden that will keep us fed plus the road kill Deer in the fall.

But the conditions that created saltpeter (I'll go into depth on that later if people are interested) also convinced some weird-ass people in Washington DC that caves were the perfect place to do a DR STRANGELOVE and people could go hide out in the caves, free of...well, nothing, really, because radiation = straight lines +caves, air, irradiated air and water, and everything goes down into the caves...

Look. It made people feel safe, ok? And it wasn't the worst decision the Pentagon ever made, considering they were telling the scientists working with HOT RADIOACTIVE MATTER to stay safe by sticking the stuff on a long pole so they wouldn't have to touch it.

Everybody knows about the bomb shelter President Kennedy was prepared to run to with his family in case of Cold War. It was in the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs (I prefer to think of it as the HIDDEN FIGURES birthplace). FYI everybody who lived here knew where it was. There are only so many power stations one measly little resort that cries that it can't afford to pay for its own water bill can keep.

[insert sniffle boohoo sobbing of the pro-confederates who run that place and while I can't be there for you, try to imagine the joy I am stockpiling for the day when we have another traitorous uprising and this time, the resort doesn't get a GO PASS GO by dangerous romantics and is finally burned to the ground.]

Anyway, the important people like the President, his family, his Secret Service, his staff, cook, maid-in-waiting, bootblack and et al got to go bunker down in the luxurious bomb shelter at the resort, which probably wouldn't be very resort-y after a certain point of Castro going, 'fuck you, you whippersnapper Irish Dog' or Khrushchev throwing a little more than his shoe around. I'm not convinced it was that great of a place to hide, really. I mean...they have lightning rods on the trees over there, and believe it or not, cavers in that country have been hit by lightning while underground. Because. Lightning. If it can bake entire acres of potatoes in the field, two subterranean surveyors with metal measuring tape haven't got a prayer.

I want you to know that I can't at this point go into detail (space restrictions) on the importance of all these caves to Union Sympathizers, slaves on the Underground Railroad, and the Far-Righter MAGAS called Confederates. Trust me when I say, if you didn't know where these caves were, you had absolutely no right to know.

In Appalachia, limestone caves were listed on properties and handed down because of their value. Thomas Jefferson made a point of making sure there were lots of caves to provide nitre for the Gunpowder Committee. I don't know if landowners had to pay taxes for having saltpeter caves (probably), but when the Cold War came around, they definitely and cheerfully sold the access rights to the government because...it was the government. I am not in the least bit joking when I tell you there are people over there who are still pissed off over George Washington's Whiskey Rebellion.

If you really want to get into the psyche of Appalachians, go read up every scene Terry Pratchett ever wrote about Lancre in his Discworld books. Just give them more libraries and a LOT of coffee stations.

Oh, dear. I forgot all about the owling and the Prohibition.

Owling = the practice of moving your herds of cattle from one ridge to the next to avoid a higher payment when the taxman came a-calling.

Prohibition = The Second Oldest Profession.

These days, many of the Fallout Shelter caves are being used for...modern needs. Meth labs, if you're a sensationalist, but if you aren't, bear in mind that hiding out stolen cattle and horses still requires big places out in the middle of nowhere. But when Mr. Gov't Man came around and offered cash for the access rights to grand-daddy's old saltpetre cave? Goodness gracious, we know we aren't supposed to take people's money from them because that's a sin, but...taxes...you know how it is... (most of the mountain folk had no real quarrel with Kennedy despite his heathen dog Catholicism because it wasn't his fault he was brought up Catholic, but when it came to the government...well, it was the principle of the thing).

In short order papers were drawn, and shelters were built and good god, they were ugly. Clapboard shantytowns, I swear. They were stockpiles whacked together with off-brand plank and tenpenny nails for where the selected few could bunker up in the cozy, damp, dripping, chilly, dusty, sneezy, probably-warm-from-stray-radiation environs. I have no idea who the Pentagon hated enough that they would send them to these caves. They had a bottleneck opening for easy defense, yes, but there was no defense against puking yourself to death or accidentally taking off your own skin with your uniform at the end of your shift.

YOU THINK I"M KIDDING?? YOU THINK IT IS A COINCIDENCE THAT CLASSIC DR WHO SHOWS DALEK HISTORY IN AN OLD STONE QUARRY? WELCOME ABOARD!

A fallout shelter's stockpile generally consisted of

*High-quality medical equipment, even though some of that stuff had a shelf life of three minutes.

*Radio Equipment. Which was probably a real belly laugh to the folks running the NARO satellite dishes up in Green Bank, because families in the most rural portion of WV (Pocahontas County) spent their evenings parsing Latin and teaching the young lads and lasses the wonders of shortwave and how to rig up your own crystals in case you needed to jackleg your own.

*Food. God. Awful. Food. It was designed to keep you alive, but you can't say anything more charitable about it. Honestly, I'm surprised nobody tried to corner a government contract on dehydrated water.

*Water. Potable water for drinking, but, I should say, I couldn't find any means with which you could make a potable distillery. Or, how much of this potable water was going to be used to rehydrate the ghastly awfulness of the dehydrated food, or the canned goods that included stuff the military couldn't wait to forget. Go ask your grandparents how much canned horse Circa WWII they ate while they served, m'kay?

*Candy. High energy, easily digestible candy. Flavor optional, at the discretion of the same government that made the WWII Chocolate Bar.

*The containers themselves. Yep, they counted. They were heavy metal barrels and tough buckets or small drums, plus the amazingly dense metal and plastic containers for medical kits, candy, and misc. I'm not sure if they had a requirement other than impervious, waterproof, and on sale. In fact, the smaller drums/buckets were supposed to be lined with the plastic used to wrap the other goods, and convert into a toilet.

Cold War comes and goes. I'm sure what happened next is shocking:

1) medical supplies goes missing in the dead of night.

2) Electronics follows. That probably makes the electricians feel good, because...what good would they have done in the wet, dust-filled atmosphere of the caves?

3) Candy. Candy, did you say? I don't remember seeing any candy..?

4) The gradual disappearance of the food rations is mysteriously in proportion to camping trips multitasking with double-dog-dares. Who needs a frat pledge if Freckles here has never been introduced to the joys of Dehydrated Ketchup?

5) If you think the backyard blacksmiths are making forges with tire rims, do you think metal containers stand a chance?

This leaves the barrels of water, but who would want to drink that stuff? It's been sitting around for how long? Ew. And the boards for those shelters...cripes.

This inadvertently makes up a tiny little side bonus for the hard-working tour guide. Because these shelters are usually ridiculously close to the entrance of the tour caves. You have to take your tour group in stages, see, and once they finish gasping and wheezing their way through the first 300 steps, you have to take their minds off how miserable they are and pause at the shelter with your flashlight, and describe this little chapter of history. By this time the bats are hanging off the boards (your chance to remind them of the exorbitant federal fines for hurting these little mosquito-hunters), the occasional lost salamander, and the beginnings of the Dreaded Cave Cricket (ten minutes with these little monsters and you'll never think pink is an effete color ever again).

And the mold. There are patches of mold the guides have been watching for YEARS. Some of them have even bothered to look them up, because...tourists. They love to stump the guides and use it as an excuse for not tipping you because you haven't taken a Master's in The Encompassing Topic of Karst Everything and are clearly a dumbass, hah-hah I'll spend my money in the overpriced gift shop, peasant.

But no, folks. If you ask them one more damn time if they're sure all the candy and drugs are gone...we're too tired to take your bleeping bleep bleep tip anyway.

[xbellaxcarolinax]

Tinker Bell and Grumpy Girl

Alex x OFC (Sabina)

Word Count: 5051

Warnings: Profanity, CORNY, inaccurate descriptions of Ireland and professional camera’s 😅

AN: So I never thought I'd write something like this. Obviously I don't know these people in real life, but I must admit it was fun and it passes the time. This came about from the many conversations I've had with @didiintheblog. This is dedicated to her! 💙(Hope you like it) I may work on another part, but for now, this is it. Also, I know next to nothing about Ireland, to which i apologize for in advance. I’ve tagged those I think might be interested. Also, no face claim, because I’m lazy. I hope you all enjoy 💙

...

Her eyes follow the rising foam bubbles as she swirls the dark drink around her chilled glass, completely distracted. She blinks, her contacts irritating her eyes. She wished she'd remembered to bring her damn eyedrops.

"Sabina, what's wrong?" Her sister plants her hand over the rim of her beer, stopping her movements. She shifts her eyes lazily to look at the offender, brows knitting in a sort of confusion.

"What? Nothing."

"We’re at a pub in Ireland for fucksake! Can you maybe smile a bit? Could you do that for me?" Her sister, clearly over her shit, purses her lips, slowly removing her manicured fingers from the glass, "Don't waste your Guinness. That's like holy water here." Sabina rolls her eyes with a sigh, lifting the glass to her lips before chugging the dark, hoppy beer in one go. She wipes her lips with the back of her hand, letting out a low belch that had her sister giggling.

"Happy?" She croaks, pushing the empty glass towards her.

"Good girl." Her sister smiles, rushing to finish her own beer.

“So when is this guy supposed to get here?” Sabina drum’s her fingers over the table top, littered with water droplets from their sweating pilsners.

“His name is Danny, and he said he’d be here soon.”

“He could be a creep.”

“He’s not.”

“You met him online, how would you know?”  

“Shut up.” Her sister mutters, keeping her eyes on the door in search of the man that she only knew by photo. After deciding he still needed a few minutes, she scans around the quaint little pub, her eyes falling on someone in particular that made her eyes twinkle.

*Gemma," Sabina warns, "You got that look in your eyes. Cut it out."

"He's cute though," The older sister giggles, "And so are his friends."

"You forgot about Danny already?" Sabina grunts, “Whatever, go get him.”

"Oh, I would, but he doesn’t seem to be interested in me at all. He's looking at you." Sabina jerks to look at Gemma before snorting, leaning back against the wooden chair with arms crossed.

"I'm being serious!" Gemma giggles, "Go look, he's to your left, but don't make it obvious!" Sabina sighs, but shifts her eyes to view whoever it was through her peripheral, but that proved challenging, so she turns her head completely and-

Oh.

Could a pair of eyes ever be so blue?

"He's cute right? Look at that hair, God, Sabina!" He offers her a toothy smile before focusing on the animated conversation his friends were having.

“He’s okay.” Sabina shrugs, lying right through her teeth. Gemma rolls her eyes, leaning forward to get a good look at her.

“If I’m gunna get laid, so are you. There’s only so much tinder can do for you.”

“I didn’t come here to get laid! I came here for you!”

“Which I will forever be grateful for, sister,” Gemma rolls her eyes, “You might as well. He’s hot.” Sabina looks to her left again, watching this hot mystery guy laugh as he spoke with his hands. Whatever he said must have been funny since all his peers roared with laughter, but they must have been halfway intoxicated by now, empty pilsners and shot glasses taking up every inch of their table.

But Gemma was right, even his friends were pretty attractive, probably not as good looking as him in her opinion, but still very attractive. Even the two blondes that sat with them were pretty. It was just a table full of pretty people.

He seemed to hit it off with the ladies too, as not only one of the blondes at his table was vying for his attention, but a couple of other girls as well, seemingly going up to him and squealing ridiculously. Sometimes the squealing girls would go over to the other guys sitting around him, babbling some nonsense, but the live music made it hard to actually hear what they were saying.

Eventually the handsome mystery man turns to her again, as if sensing her stares, winking at her with this little smirk on his face that made her scowl and her heart beat faster at the same time. Sabina turns away quickly, pretending to distract herself with her phone, taping the black screen like an idiot.

“He looks oddly familiar.” She mutters, tossing her phone on the table with little care.

“Yeah, that’s because you see him in your dreams,” Her sister says with a laugh, and before Sabina could retaliate, Gemma reaches over to grip tightly at her wrist, “There he is!” She suddenly squeals, “Danny!”

Well, at least he looked exactly like his photos. Dark hair and blue eyes, and this little gap between his teeth, he was a catch.

“Gemma?” He says her sister's name with a timid smile, the Irish accent strong, yet extremely charming. They hug, and Gemma introduces her to him. They had chemistry already, which was cute considering they met online. The trip to Ireland was meant for them to meet, and since Gemma didn’t want to travel alone, she dragged Sabina with her. Sometimes it felt as if Gemma were the younger sister at times, but Sabina would do anything for her, regardless of age difference.

Dublin had been charming so far, the city had something archaic about it. She might as well enjoy the trip, already deciding the things she wanted to do. They could cover a lot of ground in a month, though Sabina realized that much of her sightseeing would probably be alone as her sister would be caught up with Dublin Danny.

After a few minutes of watching Gemma and Danny talk animatedly with each, their chairs turned towards each other and their knees touching, Sabina decided to order them a round of drinks before stepping out. The pub was hot and she wanted to enjoy the fresh air that wasn’t available to her back home in her polluted city. Leaning against the wall of the pub she watches Dublin’s nightlife commence, young people coming out to party on such a lovely Saturday night. Open signs now flickered on and street lamps began to light up the cobblestone streets.

“Cigarette?” An accented voice asked her, a box of some foreign brand of cigarette in her line of vision. Pushing her hair behind her ear she looks to the person who offered her the sickly stick. Blue eyed, bun-boy was smiling down at her, his eyes a bit glossy, no doubt from all the beer he and his friends were chugging.

“Um, no, thanks. I’m good.” She replies, watching him pull out a pair of shades, shielding his eyes from...whatever it was that was bothering him at night. What an ass.

“You’re here on holiday, yeah?” He places a cigarette between his lips, putting away the rest in his pocket. Lighting it, he takes a drag, inhaling the toxic fumes before releasing it over his shoulder and away from her.

Sabina couldn’t even answer the question by how entranced she was with his simple movements. He didn’t even sound Irish, or maybe she just wasn’t good with accents. He raises a brow, waiting for her to answer, and she clears her throat, turning to look away from him in favor of counting the lines between each cobblestone under her booted feet.

“Uh, yeah, holiday.”

“You’re American.” He states, inhaling more of his cigarette. After finishing half, he smashes the tip against the wall before putting the remainder back in the box. He was so fluid in his motions, anything he did seemed unreal.

“Is it that obvious?” Crossing her arms, she tilts her face in an attempt to make some type of eye contact with him. He was tall, very tall, and very lean. She could tell he was fit from the tightness of his white t-shirt and how it molded over his body like one of those white marble statues you’d see at museums. He was incredibly attractive.

“You Americans have a very distinct accent,” He smiles at her, showing off his pearly white teeth, “I have to admit, I think it’s pretty attractive.”

“Yeah, okay.” Sabina snorts, cracking a smile. He seemed to enjoy that reaction from her, and his smile grows as he leans a bit closer to her. Ahh, he was even cuter up close, even with those stupid shades on.

“Absolutely. It’s charming, really.” He grins.

“Where are you from?” She finally asks him, fiddling with the frayed ends of her distressed shorts.

“Denmark.”

“Denmark?” That explains the accent, “I don’t know anyone from Denmark.”

“And I don’t know anyone from America. I’m Alex, it’s a pleasure to meet you…?” Sabina cocks her head, letting out the tiniest huff of laughter. The guy was cute and a smooth talker.

“Sabina.”

“Sabina,” He repeats, testing the name in his mouth like a new delicacy at a fancy restaurant, “That’s a beautiful name.” Again, he smiles charmingly at her, lowering his shades so that his eyes could peek out from over the black frames, “French?”

“Italian.” She rolls her eyes, more for show than anything else. God, this guy was cute. What the fuck was he doing talking to her? Before he could answer with what she assumed was another charming reply, someone else interrupts him.

“Alex,” One of the blonde girls steps out, rubbing her arms to warm herself from the evening chill, “You coming back? You’re missing the stories.” The blonde looks at Sabina, offering her a weird smile before bringing her eyes back to Alex, “Well?”

He lets out the most dramatic sigh, as if highly inconvenienced, lolling his head to the side to look at her, “I’ll be right there, Alicia.” The blonde nods, giving Sabina one last glance before heading back in the pub.

“Girlfriend, huh?”

“Uh, no, not really. No.” He seemed frustrated, already digging into his pocket in search of his pack.

“Right, well, it was nice speaking with you, Alex,” Sabina pushes herself off the wall with little grace, untying her denim jacket from around her waist and draping it over her shoulders, “I’m gonna head inside. You probably should too.”

“Wait,” He says quickly, grabbing a hold of her wrist, “I’d love to see you again.” She turns back to look at him, brows furrowing. She didn't even shake off his grip, too distracted by his lovely face.

“I’m not in Ireland long.”

“Neither am I. Doesn’t mean we can’t meet up when we have the chance.” He offers her that smile again, super charming, and probably a Scandinavian thing. For a moment, she’s stunned, and for once, her sister might not have been wrong about her assumption. “Let me take down your number.”

“I-uhh, fine.” She finally relents, holding her hand out so that he may hand her his phone. Alex’s grins, digging into the back pocket of his jeans and fishing out his phone, slapping it right into her open palm. She quickly taps in her number, thinking she might be fucking crazy for doing so, but whatever. If he was crazy, she’d block him and that would be the end of it.

“Why thank you, beautiful, you will not regret it.” He gives her a little bow and she laughs with a shake of her head.

“I hope I don’t.” Leaving him to smoke the remainder of his cigarette, she sits back at the table with Gemma and Danny, who were so engrossed in their conversation that they barely noticed her. She leans back against the chair, feeling eyes on her. When she turned, it was that blonde, Alicia, looking at her with a curious expression. Sabina shrugs it off, ordering herself a glass of wine, sipping the drink quite happily. Alex makes it back to his table and the wild chatter and laughter begins again. It was hard not to look in his direction, but she couldn’t help it.

Again, she noticed how these random girls would come up to the table, starting mindless conversations with him and the others, and the Alicia girl was all over him. It made her wonder why he’d even ask for her number in the first place. He seemed to enjoy the attention women gave him though, even allowing one to play with his long, luscious hair. There was a lot of photo taking too, with his friends, with that Alicia girl, with those other random girls. Whenever the conversation or attention would shift away from him for even a moment, he’d literally pout. It was weird, and it bothered her.

Who the hell was this guy?

After a while, she got bored of watching Gemma and Danny and Alex and his attention issues.

“Yo, Gemma, I’m out. It’s late, I think I’m still jet lagged, I’m gonna head to the hotel.”

“Are you sure?” Her sister asks, “What about him?” She jerks her chin towards Alex.

“Attention whore,” She mutters with a shrug, “Too good to be true. I’ll see you at the hotel. It was nice meeting you Danny.”

“Likewise.” He says in his pretty Irish drawl.

“Be careful!” Gemma shouts as Sabina smacks money onto the table.

“I’ll be fine, it’s round the corner. Bye.” Waving them off, she totally ignores Alex who was already watching her, probably expecting some kind of farewell.

“Sabina, hey, wait up!” She hears him call after her, easily catching up with her pace, “Let me walk you to your hotel.” His shades were resting atop his hair, and she got a better look at his sparkling eyes.

“I wouldn’t want to keep you from you cheerleaders.” She responds, searching her pockets for her headphones. She needed to listen to music and ignore him.

“Wait, what?” He asks dumbfounded, “What are you talking about?” So he was gunna act fucking stupid?

“And you can delete my number as well, you won’t be needing it.”

“Woah, what? Stop-hold on, Wait!” Alex jogs in front of her, halting her measured steps.

“Look Tinker Bell, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I really don’t want to get mixed up in whatever mess you have going on with all those chicks.” Confused, he steps in front of her when she attempts to maneuver herself around him.

“Tinker Bell?” He snorts, “What? I thought we hit it off well!”

“You and a whole bunch of people hit it off well. You’re a ladies man right? I’ve been around your type before,” She crosses her arms, “Granted, they were never Danish, but still, you’re all the same. Tinker Bell’s.”

“What does that even mean?” He pleads, stepping in her way again like some kind of football goalie. She huffs, crossing her arms again and stomping her foot.

“Peter Pan’s little fairy friend? The one that dies if she gets no attention? Yeah, a Tinker Bell, that’s you.”

“Totally not true!” His Danish accent was more prominent now that he was pleading, “I’m just dashing.” Well that didn’t help. It was almost kinda cute, but she shakes her head, pushing past him.

“Yep, it is. It was a pleasure, Alex.” He watches her leave, stomping down the road in those cute shorts. He sighs. At least he still had her number.

…

“Come on, Gemma! Trinity College!”

“It sounds boring.”

“But the Book of Kells is there!”

“I don’t care.” Gemma snorts, leaning against the wall as she sipped on her coffee.

“So you bring me out here for your benefit, but won’t do a single thing that I want to do? You’re a terrible sister.” Sabina grunts, dramatically flinging herself onto the plush sofa.

“Don’t you want to go shopping? Buy some souvenirs for Cat, mom and dad?”

“We can still do that, it’s not like I’m denying you,” The younger sister moves her hand around for more emphasis, “You can bring Dublin Danny too. He can entertain you if you get bored.”

“Dublin Danny?” Gemma raises a brow.

“Yeah, that’s his new name.”

“You’re stupid.” Sabina grins when her sister lets out an amused chuckle, “Fine, I’ll give Dublin Danny a call.”

“Perfect.” Sabina’s phone vibrates over the coffee table, and she grabs it thinking it was her friend Cat calling at the ass crack of dawn, but when she sees the unknown number with a +45 call code, she hesitates. Accepting the call, she slowly brings the phone to her ear.

“Yo?”

“Sabina?” That fucking Danish accent.

“...Yes?”

“It’s Alex. Is this a bad time?”

“I thought I told you to delete my number, Tinker Bell.” She could hear the noise of displeasure he makes at the name.

“Really? I can’t say I recall.”

“What, is no one showering you with attention today?” Gemma moves to stand in front of her, hands on her hips and brows raised.

“Is that the cute guy from the pub?”

“Shh,” Sabina hisses, covering the receiver with her hand, “Shut up!” Gemma smirks, pulling out her phone to call Danny.

“What sass,” Alex’s comment has her focusing on his smooth voice again, “Are you American girls all like this, or am I just lucky?” The words were dripping in sarcasm, enough to make her scoff.

“What do you want?”

“I’m free today. I thought maybe we could meet up.” She could almost hear the smile in his voice.

“Right. No.” Sabina wanted to hang up so bad, but she struggled, still wanting to hear his stupid voice.

“Come on, why not? We’ll have a good time, I promise.”

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I’m going sightseeing with my sister and her internet boyfriend.” She could hear shuffling in the background as he chuckled. It sounded like he was cooking.

“So less of a holiday, more of a catfish?”

“Something like that,” She mutters, “But he’s not a catfish. He’s actually not bad looking.”

“Like me, ‘the cute guy from the pub’?” He replies coolly, his ego shining through. Sabina cringes, whispering curses under her breath that was loud enough for Alex to hear and respond to with a short laugh. She hears him call out in Danish for someone, sounding like the name Marco before continuing, “Where are you going?”

“Trinity College.”

“Wonderful place. It has an amazing library,” He comments, “What time are you going? I could meet you there.”

“What makes you think I want you there?” Sabina scoffs. Alex must have been speaking loud despite not being on speaker because Gemma instantly comes running back with a reply.

“We’ll be there at two!”

“Perfect,” Alex chuckles again, “Thank your sister for me. I’ll see you there.” The line went dead and Sabina wanted to chuck her phone across the room.

“Gemma!” She screeches, tossing a sofa pillow at her sister who easily dodges it in a flurry of giggles.

“What! Sabina, come on, don’t be stupid. He’s super cute! And what was that accent?”

“He’s Danish.” Sabina mutters, dropping her head into her hands with a groan. She taps her phone for the time. 11am. Three hours till she’d see this fucker.

“A Scandinavian!” Gemma sings, “How dreamy. He’s a Viking!”

“No he’s not, he’s a Tinker Bell.” Gemma stops in the middle of making her sister a coffee, scrunching up her features in confusion.

“He’s a what?”

…

Trinity College had a large campus. Located in the middle of the modern city, walking into the campus was like walking back in time. It was beautiful, with an east wing and a west, large enough to get lost in.

“So where are we off to first? East or west?” Danny asks the sisters, smiling when Gemma scowled, “Come on Gemma, it’s really not that bad.”

“Thank you, Dublin Danny, I had to convince her.” Sabina pulls out her phone to check the time, 1:55 pm. He was probably not even coming. She was almost disappointed.

“Dublin Danny?” He repeats with a chuckle, scratching at his short raven hair, “Is that what you both have been calling me this whole time?”

“No!” Gemma reassures him, “Sabina is stupid, don’t mind her.” She brings her glaring eyes to her sister, who only shrugs in response while popping her bubblegum.

“I kinda like Dublin Danny,” Sabina says to him, “Don’t you?”

“I’ll take it,” He shrugs, “So when is your friend coming? Alex, right?”

“He’s not my friend.” She says hurriedly, the tip of her converse digging into the dirt in her nervousness.

“Really?” Danny asks, “Gemma says he is.”

“Gemma doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” This time, Sabina glares at her sister who offers her a sheepish grin.

“Fine, not your friend,” Gemma corrects, “Your love interest. Better?”

“No!”

“Well how much longer should we wait? If you want to go see the Book of Kells, then we should leave now before it gets crowded.”

“Let’s just leave now.” Sabina insists, almost pleads.

“That won’t be necessary,” The Scandinavian man appears beside her, dropping and arm around her shoulders and flashing her that stupid fucking smile. Where did he even come from? “I’m sorry I’m late. I’m Alex.” He waves at her sister and Danny before looking back down at Sabina. Her gawking made him chuckle.

“Aren’t you gonna introduce me?” He whispers down at her, and the little hairs on the nape of her neck stand.

“Gemma, Danny.” She grunts, pointing at each of them as she shakes his arm off of her.

“Nice to meet you,” Alex smiles, “And I must thank you, Gemma, for inviting me.”

“Oh, it was no problem.” The older sister grins, loving the tension she created for her sister, “Sabina loves the company.”

“Whatever, Dublin Danny, lead the way, please.” Sabina stomps on ahead of them, and Alex immediately turns to Danny with a curve in his brow.

“She has a nickname for you too?”

…

After years of only seeing it on google images, the Book of Kells was magnificent in person. The colors were so vivid, ancient swirls made with ancient ink to form a grand illustration. It was magical. Sabina could stare at it all day.

“You really like this stuff, huh?” Alex whispers over to her, his hands stuffed in the pocket of his denim shorts. He was bored, and would much rather admire her then an old medieval book. He’s been there a few times anyway, it never changes.

“What does that mean?” She whispers back, annoyed, keeping her eyes on the display as she inched closer to the glass.

“You know,” He waves a hand around before stuffing it back in his pocket, “History stuff.”

“Yeahhhh. Yes. I do.” She rolls her eyes, reaching for her phone in her back pocket for a picture.

“No, you can’t,” He puts a hand over hers to stop her movements, “They don’t allow pictures. Trust me, I tried.” He motions toward the expensive canon camera slung over his arm. Sabina sucks her teeth and pouts, shoving her phone back into her pocket.

“I know,” Alex chuckles, “Something about copyright infringement and flash affecting the ink.” She sighs but nods, adjusting her little backpack that he thought was cute on her. Actually, everything about her was cute, really.

“Fine,” She takes one last look at the book before glancing across the mass of people, “Where’s Danny and Gemma?” Alex shrugs, searching around as well.

“They’re probably exploring another part of the university.”

“How are they just gonna leave us like that? Un-fucking-believable.”

“Hey, hey, don’t get so worked up, grinende pige,” He smirks, “We’ll meet up with them later.”

“What did you just call me?” She squeaks, the unfamiliar Germanic language sounding like gibberish to her.

“Something suitable, don’t worry,” Alex grins, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her towards an exit, “You like books so much? There’s a huge fucking library that way.”

…

“How are you liking Dublin?” Alex eyes her, following her delicate fingers as they type away on her phone, messaging her sister of their location.

“It's cute.” She shrugs, placing her phone down and finding the courage to finally look him in the eye. His eyes were so blue and intense, and fucking gorgeous. Fuck.

“Cute? The city is cute?” He shakes his head, “You’re weird.”

“And somehow,” Her eyes sweep over his face, as if searching for answers, “You look familiar.” He smirked, leaning his chin on his hand as she continued her observation.

“Oh yeah?” He chuckles, “Tell me more.”

“You’re full of yourself, Tinker Bell.” She mutters, taking a bite of her forgotten pastry, “And you said you were free today,” She points out as she chews, “What did you mean by that? Aren’t you on holiday too?”

“Well, no, not really,” He shrugs, “I’m here for work. Four months.” Sabina cocks her head, finally interested in what he had to say.

“What do you do?”

“I’m an actor.”

“Hmm,” She hums, pursing her lips, “Are you any good?” Alex scoffs at her question, pouting his lips in a way that made her gaze gravitate towards them.

“Am I any good? I’m fucking super.” He says haughtily, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“Oh yeah?” She sucks her teeth, “Where’s your Oscar then?” He bursts out in laughter, a grin stretching over his perfect lips before he licks them carefully.

“I’m still working on it,” He finally says, leaning forward on his arms, “But when I get nominated for hottest actor, you’ll be the first to know.” He winks at her after their little staring contest, appreciating the way her cheeks colored. He grabs his camera, fiddling with the lens and looking through it a few times while he continues his chatter.

“So Sabina,” He begins, “You are American, but no American is really American.”

“What?” She snorts, “What the hell are you talking about, cheese Danish?” He rolls his eyes. She had a knack for name calling.

“I mean to say that most American people come from somewhere else, yeah?”

“Uh-huh, some.” She replies flatly.

“Your name is Italian, but are you Italian?” Finally, he brings the camera to his face, focusing the lens a bit more until it was to his liking, peeping through as he points it directly at her.

“You better not be photographing me!” She hides her face behind her hands, peeking through the slits. He still had the camera pointed at her.

“Aw, come on! I’m doing a series of portraits, and luckily you fit exactly what I’m looking for.” He lowers his camera down to his nose, his brows raised up in question, “Are you gonna answer my question, grinende pige?” She makes a low noise of disapproval, still hiding behind her hands.

“Dad is Turkish, mom is Italian.” She mutters her answer, slowly dropping her hands, giving Alex enough time to snap a picture of her. The camera shutters softly, and she blinked at the noise, confused as to why he even wanted to photograph her.

“Perfect.” He mumbles, smiling down to view the image on the tiny screen, “You look amazing.” Again, heat rises to her cheeks as the compliment easily falls from his lips. He then holds out the camera to her, “Check yourself out.” She cautiously takes it, turning it over in her hands to gaze at herself. The image was vivid, her eyes wide and sparkling and hair shining like waves of chocolate. How did he manage to make her look that good?

“How did you do that?” She questions softly, looking up at him with a look that had him swallowing thickly. Alex bites his lip, looking away from her for a moment. When he looked back, her features were twisted in confusion, her attention now on something behind him.

“Do you know them?” She asks, “They’re staring at you.” Alex looks over his shoulder at two girls he most certainly didn’t know, but they certainly knew him. They began to giggle, hands over their lips when he turned to them. He flashes them a quick smile, and they took it as an invitation to approach him.

“No, I don’t know them.” He shrugs, “But they recognize me.”

“What?” Before anything else could be asked, the girls approach. They were nice enough, asking for a photograph and an autograph, then heading on their merry way. Alex grinned at the attention he was given, causing others in the cafe to look at him. He was living for it.

“Okay, I see what this is,” Sabina says, crossing her arms with a laugh, “Tinker Bell, are you famous or something? Am I unaware of your status?” Alex shrugs, taking back his camera when she offered it back to him.

“Something like that.” He plays with the little bun sitting on the back of his head. Gemma was right, his hair is amazing.

“What is it that you’re filming now?”

“TV show. Vikings. You heard of it?” As a matter a fact, she has. Deep in the crevices of her brain, she remembers how her friend Cat would babble on and on about some show with Vikings and hot ass actors.

Oh fuck.

“Wait, hold on.” Sabina grabs her phone, immediately video calling Cat. Alex smiles, amused as she fumbled with her phone, her nails clicking loudly on the surface.

“What’s up, Beany?” He laughs at the disembodied voice, smiling stupidly at the nickname.

“Catherine, can you tell me who this is?” Sabina flips the phone view so that she could see Alex eating his puff pastry with enthusiasm.

“Sabina! What the FUCK!” Cat’s screams were loud enough to be heard throughout the university cafe, and Sabina immediately clutched the phone to her chest in a panic, as if that would silence her friend on the other end. Cat’s screaming continued, much to her irritation, but highly amusing to Alex. Sabina brings her phone to her face, “Cat, we’ll talk later.”

“That’s Ivar the Boneless, you stupid BITCH!” And with that, Sabina ends the call, tossing her phone aside with an embarrassed sigh. Pushing her hair away from her face she met Alex’s eyes, and his blue irises were filled with absolute mirth.

“Seems you’re famous. Congratulations, you’re one step closer to winning that Oscar.” She mutters, clearing her throat before grabbing her bottled water and drinking as much as her thirsty ass could.

Alex barks out another laugh.

…

Grinende pige- Grumpy girl

...

@didiintheblog @inforapound @a-mess-of-fandoms @shannygoatgruff @leilabeaux @youbloodymadgenius

#alex hogh fanfiction #alex hogh #alex hogh andersen #alex hogh imagine #alex hogh x ofc #vikings fanfic #vikings ivar

[freddiesaysalright]

The Most Dramatic Season Ever - Week 1

Summary: It’s your time now! You are ABC’s new Bachelorette and this is your journey! All these men (including our fav BoRhap boys and then some) are competing for your heart! Will you find love? Will you get engaged at the end? Or will you end up heartbroken? Find out, on the most dramatic season ever!

Word Count: 6k

Tag List:  @psychosupernatural​, @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks​, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @anincurablefangirl​, @assembledherethevolunteers​, @rose-writes-prose​, @queenlover05​, @moon-stars-soul​, @danadeacon​, @deacyblues​, @thesundrop​, @cupidben​, @lostlittlenerd​, @delilahmay39​, @mazzellodeaky​, @queenmylovely​, @loveandbeloved29​, @free-pool-trash​ If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: It’s the first week of dates! This chapter, I’ve inserted pictures and captions for the “talking head” portions of the show.

Warning(s): Mentions of drug use. Mentions of cheating.

Night 1

Week 1 here we go!!!

The guys were all settled around the living room, sipping coffee and chatting casually. There was a bit of an anxious murmur about them as a date card was coming, they just weren’t sure when. A date card meant more time with you, especially if they got a one on one date. Group dates were fun, but they meant competing for your attention. They already had to do that at cocktail parties before rose ceremonies. It wasn’t ideal for quality time with you.

Taron: I really want to see Y/N, but if it’s a group date, I’m hoping my name’s not on the card. I’m holding out that I’ll be the one on one this week. It’s just - I’ve already got a massive crush on this girl. I want to know her more and show her my heart as well. We just won’t have the time on a group date.

Finally, that knock on the door came. Wells jumped up and got the card. He returned to the living room and eagerly opened the envelope. He smiled and a nervous twinge stirred in the men. Which was it?

“Rami,” he began.

Rami held his breath. He didn’t want to celebrate too soon in case it was a group date.

Wells continued. “Joe, Ben, Gwilym, Allen, Richard, Eric, Luke, Kenny, Mike, Wells, and Jordan. Don’t be shy, spill your secrets. Love, Y/N.”

That left Jared, John, John Paul Jones, Taron, and a few other men (Colton, Lincoln, Chad, and Chris) for the potential one on one. Taron crossed his fingers and hoped that this meant it was him. 

“Well, we can’t be too disappointed, guys,” said Joe. “I know it’s a group date but that just means you have to make the time you have with her count.”

They all got up to start getting ready for the date. Joe looked over at Ben, who was combing his hair carefully into place. Joe clapped him on the back.

“You don’t even have to do much, dude, you’re ridiculous,” Joe said.

Ben chuckled. “I need to stand out to her.”

“Yeah, but you’re making the rest of us look like jackasses,” Joe replied.

The group all laughed and then headed out to the limo that would take them to meet you wherever you were waiting for them. As they all clamored in, they began speculating what the date card could mean.

“Maybe she wants us to share something we haven’t shared before,” Richard suggested.

“Yeah, but that could be anything,” Gwilym pointed out. “We’re all still getting to know her.”

“It’s honestly so vague,” Rami said. “How can we even hope to guess?”

They pulled up to a small theater in downtown Los Angeles. You stood outside the door, and the men all cheered once they saw you. Joe rolled down the window and you waved to them as they stopped, laughter on your lips and in your eyes. You were really excited for this date, and for the opportunity for these guys to show more of themselves to you.

“Hey, guys!” you greeted as they exited the car. 

Allen was the first one out and he rushed over to pull you into a hug. He spun you around in his arms and you laughed with joy. The others trailed behind and greeted you more subtly with gentle embraces and cheek kisses.

“I’m so glad you guys made it,” you said. “So, something that’s important to me in finding a partner is laughing together.”

They murmured their agreement back to you.

“Sharing laughter is a really underappreciated form of intimacy,” you said. “As well as - y’know - actual intimacy. They go hand in hand. So what I want you guys to do for me today is think of the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you during sex, write it down in an amusing little anecdote, and then, we’re all going to share them on stage when we’re done.”

“Wait, is there gonna be an audience?” Ben asked.

You nodded. “Uh-huh.”

Ben: This date makes me extremely nervous. I’m quite a private person when it comes to my sex life, and sharing stuff like that - especially with a girl I want to potentially marry - it’s a bit odd.

Joe: Honestly, most of my sexual experiences are funny, so I think I’ve got this one in the bag.

“Are y’all ready to get started?” you asked them.

They all cheered their affirmation and then followed you inside. Once in the theater, they were all given a legal pad and a pen. They scattered throughout the space to begin writing, and you made the rounds, stopping to chat a little with everyone and see how they were doing.

You took a seat beside Gwilym.

“Hey,” you chirped. “How’s it going over here?”

“Hello, beautiful,” he replied. “It’s going alright. I’m quite a romantic so it’s difficult to come up with an example of something funny.”

You smiled at him. “I like that you’re a romantic. But the story doesn’t have to be something super raunchy or anything. Just, anytime you laughed with your partner.”

“Are you sure you want to hear stories of us with other women?” he asked.

“Of course,” you said. “Your past makes you who you are. And that’s just the information I want to know about you.”

“Well, for future reference, you may ask me anything you like,” he said. 

“I think I can drum up a question or two,” you returned. “I’ll leave you to it.”

You continued on to the next man, just checking in. They only had about ten minutes to write their story before the audience would be allowed in. You were really looking forward to this to see what their sense of humor was like, and how well they dealt with discussing things that were awkward. When the time finally came, you sat between Allen and Richard while the audience filled in around you and the men. The first person up was Eric.

Eric told a story about his first time, which was a disaster. It was really good and made you laugh. You snorted when Kenny got up and admitted that his daughter had walked in on him and her mother once. Allen said he once slept with a girl who admitted afterward that she only went home with him because she had a thing for Irish guys after seeing Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You. Everyone had great stories, and your cheeks were already hurting from smiling. Then, Joe got up there.

“I once hooked up with a girl I picked up at a bar,” he began. “Sounds pretty typical. Anyway, we go back to her place, things are getting hot and heavy, and I realize I don’t have a condom. So, she tells me she has some in her bathroom. I find them, rip one open and realize - this girl has glow in the dark condoms.”

You chuckled and waited for him to continue.

“I put one on, and honest to God said to myself ‘It’s like a lightsaber,’” he said. “But the story doesn’t end there. I walked back into her bedroom, swinging my dick back and forth and making the sound effects while I walked toward her.”

You howled at this point, tossing your head back as you laughed.

“The worst part was that she didn’t understand the reference,” he finished. “Needless to say, we only spent the one night together.”

He came off the stage and you dabbed at your eyes. You were grateful for your waterproof mascara.

The rest of the men went, one by one. Gwilym seemed to hesitate in his story and you made a mental note to ask him about it later. All of them had you in stitches by the end. Then came a guy named Luke’s turn. Luke really intrigued you, so you watched him curiously as he stood behind the microphone.

“Hi, everyone,” he began. “I don’t have a story like this, I’m afraid. Because I’m actually a born-again virgin.”

The theater was suddenly thick with discomfort.

“I’ve been saved by my relationship with Jesus, and therefore abstain from sex before marriage.”

Rami: Yeah… Luke made things really weird.

“I am saving my body for one woman,” Luke went on. “That woman who is meant to be my wife. I hope that woman is Y/N.”

You shifted awkwardly in your seat. This was not the direction you were expecting this date to go. No one was laughing anymore and the mood had switched entirely.

“All of you - if you open your hearts to Christ - you can be saved as well,” he continued. “With that grace, you can be truly fulfilled, instead of losing yourselves to temptations. Thank you.”

A painfully unpleasant silence followed. The only sounds were his footsteps as he returned to his seat.

Richard: I sort of wanted to laugh at first. I thought, he’s got to be f***ing joking. But, no, he was serious. Which almost makes it funnier, in a way.

You sprang up from your seat and rushed to the stage, trying to recover the situation. You thanked the audience for listening and the men for sharing. Then you left the theater to prepare for the evening portion of the date.

Back at the house, the remaining men were waiting for the date card. Everyone wanted it to be their own name, but Taron wanted it the most. When Chris Harrison showed up, everyone was on edge as he placed the date card on the coffee table.

“To whoever gets the date,” he said. “I hope you have a wonderful time.”

Jared jumped up and snatched the envelope as Chris left. All eyes were on the former as he broke the seal and removed the card. He looked disappointed, and Taron’s heart leapt. So Jared’s name wasn’t on the card.

“Taron,” Jared read. “Do you believe in magic? Love, Y/N.”

Taron pumped his fist in the air while the other guys congratulated him. He took the card and read over the words, heart racing as he tried to decipher the meaning. What kind of date involved magic? He didn’t think it was a magic show or anything like that. No matter what it was, he was excited.

Back on the date, the sun had gone down and you were joining the men on a rooftop bar that was reserved for all of you. There was a large, wrap around couch where you could all sit. In the center of it was a fire pit, with a warm fire already crackling. You all got your drinks and you took a seat between Luke and Ben.

“Thanks for a very entertaining day, you guys,” you said. “I feel like I already know each of you a little better, and I just want to learn more. Here’s to a great day, and even greater night.”

“Cheers!” they echoed.

You all clinked glasses and you right away felt Luke’s hand on your arm.

“Can I steal you first?” he asked.

“Sure,” you agreed. 

He took your hand and you followed him to a more secluded part of the rooftop. There was a loveseat set up. You took the blanket off the back of it and draped it over your legs.

“So, you said some interesting stuff today,” you said. “I didn’t realize you were so religious.”

“Yeah, it’s the most important thing in my life,” he answered.

“Can you tell me a bit more about that?” you pressed. “Like, how did you become that way or is that just how you were raised?”

“I was raised in the faith,” he told you. “But honestly, I strayed. For a period of about six years, I was completely lost. And those were dark times for me. I was depressed and lonely. I just wanted validation from anywhere I could get it. I became wrapped up in alcohol and sex and anything that made me forget that darkness inside me.”

You were a bit moved by this story. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “Because it was the journey I needed to go on to return to my faith. I came back to church and decided to start over. I was truly saved, in more ways than one.”

“I admire the strength of your conviction,” you said. “I think that’s a really unique story, and I feel like I understand you a little better.”

“I’m glad,” he said.

“But I also want you to understand that I’m not in that place,” you continued. “I’m not very religious, and I don’t believe you have to save yourself for marriage.”

His mouth turned down and he looked away from you for a moment. When he met your gaze again, you saw something like determination in them.

“That’s okay,” he said. “I think we can work through this together.”

“Well, yeah, ultimately, any couple overcomes differences together,” you replied. “I’m glad you’re open minded.”

“Of course,” he said. “I’m not here to pass judgement on anyone or anything like that.”

“That’s good to hear,” you said. “Thank you for sharing.”

“Of course.”

He leaned in, opening his arms, and he embraced you. Just as you parted from the hug, Kenny approached and asked for time with you. You left with him, and Luke returned to the rest of the men.

“Well, if it isn’t Pastor Luke,” Joe joked as Luke resumed his seat on the couch. “Coming to grace us heathens with his holy body.”

A snicker went through the group but Luke just rolled his eyes.

“Make fun of it all you want, dude,” he said. “But I know what I’m supposed to do.”

“Don’t start preaching to us again,” Richard said.

“Look, this might be hard for you guys to understand, but I’m on a rescue mission for Y/N,” Luke said. “I’m supposed to save her.”

“From what, exactly?” Gwilym wondered.

“From herself,” Luke answered. “From things that might lead her astray.”

“You mean like us?” Ben pressed.

“It could be,” Luke said. “I just know that I’m right for her.”

“Look, we all think we’re right for her,” Joe chimed in. “It’s only the first week of dates, dude.”

“Don’t be so confident just because you got the First Impression Rose,” Luke argued. 

“I’m not!” Joe insisted. “That’s why I’m saying this. I’m not sure. Nobody’s sure until you get your next rose.”

“Yeah, just cool it, there,” Allen added. “Keep up that talk and you won’t have many friends.”

“Well, I didn’t come here to make friends,” Luke stated. “I came here for my wife.”

“Alright, then,” Ben concluded shortly.

The group returned to uncomfortable silence. Then Gwilym got to his feet and went to find you. He had had quite enough of that conversation and of Luke in general.

You were sitting with Kenny still, and he was showing you pictures of his daughter. She was a precious little girl, with big brown eyes and the most gorgeous natural hair. She resembled Kenny, but had softer, feminine charms. 

“She’s just adorable, Kenny,” you said. 

“If this goes right, I’d love for you to meet her,” he returned.

Your heart melted. “That would mean the world to me.”

He held your gaze a moment before leaning over and kissing you softly. It was tentative and playful, but with a real genuine affection behind it. You liked Kenny very much. You parted, beaming at each other.

At that moment, Gwilym cleared his throat behind you. You turned and beamed at him.

“Hi,” you greeted.

“May I take some of your time, Y/N?” he asked politely.

“Absolutely,” you said. 

You gave Kenny a quick hug before leading Gwilym over to a private table. You sat on a little booth on one side, and you instinctively snuggled up to him. He draped his arm over your shoulders as you rested your head on his chest.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Good,” you said. “I had so much fun today.”

“I’m happy for you,” he returned.

“I have a question for you,” you said, looking up to meet his gaze. “You sort of stopped yourself today during your story. What happened there?”

He cleared his throat and looked away from you, straight ahead. As if seeing something there that you couldn’t. You sat up and looked at his face. There was suddenly such a deep sorrow about him that you grew worried.

“Gwilym?” you asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “It’s just difficult to talk about.”

You took his hand and squeezed it. “Tell me.”

“Well, I was with one woman for about eight years,” he said. “We were actually engaged to be married.”

“You’ve been engaged before?” you asked. 

It seemed like such a stupid question, but you were just surprised.

“Yes,” he said. 

“Go on,” you urged.

“We were going to get married, but it turned out, she was keeping something from me,” he explained. “A heroin addiction. Apparently it had been going on for years without my knowledge.”

You clapped your hand over your mouth as you gasped.

“I’m so sorry, Gwilym…”

He grimaced. “It doesn’t end there.”

“It gets worse?!”

He nodded stiffly. You waited for him to speak, permitting him to take all the time he needed to say it, though your mind was spinning with questions.

“I didn’t know until…” he trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I came home from work one day and found her on the kitchen floor, completely unresponsive. I tried to wake her and called an ambulance, but by the time they arrived, it was too late...she was gone.”

Your eyes swam with tears as you gazed at him. You were truly in awe of his strength. 

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Gwilym,” you said, shaking your head. “That’s...that’s awful.”

“The hardest part is having no answers,” he told you. “I don’t know why or when she actually started using. I don’t know how she was getting it or how she managed to hide it for so long. I was angry at her, and yet, I missed her. But then I felt I didn’t know her at all. It was a lot to process.”

“I’m sure,” you said gently. “I really admire you for taking another chance on love after something so traumatic. I can’t thank you enough for being here.”

“I’m happy to be here,” he said. “I want to start fresh and find my true love. And I’d like to find out if that’s you.”

“I’d like to find that out too.”

He cupped your cheek in his warm hand and tenderly pressed his lips to yours. You kissed this way for several minutes, though years could have gone by and you would not have noticed. You felt so hopeful with Gwilym. Like he was your fresh start too. You couldn’t wait to see where this journey took you with him.

The remainder of the evening went well. The guys were all open and honest with you, and you felt yourself really beginning to build some serious connections. Also, you got at least a few minutes with each of them. There was a group date rose to hand out, and you were sure of who you were going to give it to. You took a seat among them and picked the rose up off the table.

“I had such a great time with all of you today, and this evening,” you said. “But I’m going to give this rose to someone who really showed me a piece of his heart.” You turned to Gwilym. “Gwilym, thank you for being so brave. Will you accept this rose?”

“With every piece of my heart,” he replied, with a dashingly handsome grin.

You both stood, you pinned the rose to his coat, and he kissed your cheek. You faced the group.

“Thank you again for a fabulous night,” you said. “Goodnight, guys.”

You waved as they all bid you goodnight in return. When you were gone, a few of the guys high-fived Gwilym and congratulated him. He looked over and saw Luke scowling into the fire pit. Gwilym walked over and gave Luke a sarcastic pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, mate,” Gwilym smirked. “Say a few more prayers next time and maybe you’ll get the rose.”

A resounding “OOHHHH!” went through the group before they headed out to catch their cars back to the mansion.

The next day was your date with Taron. There was a lot that excited you about him. He was fun and bubbly and always managed to make you smile. There was a kindness about him - a gentleness of spirit that made you completely drawn to him. You were picking him up at the mansion, and you had a bit of drive to get to your destination. 

You rolled up in a deep red corvette and honked the horn. 

The men were mostly inside. A group was outside by the pool, catching the people who didn’t go on the date up on what happened and what Luke had said. It seemed to disturb most of the other men there as well. Then they heard the car in the driveway.

You beamed at the guys as they started slowly coming out the front door, looks of shock and a bit of jealousy coming over their faces. Then you opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement. A few of them raced forward to say hello and hug you before you had to go. You shared some laughs and greetings with them.

“Where’s my date?” you wondered.

“TARON!” Joe shouted. “YOU BETTER GET OUT HERE, DUDE!”

You giggled as Taron came out of the house, hopping on one foot as he shoved the other into his shoe. His mouth dropped when he saw you and the car. He put both feet on the ground.

“Is this our date?!” he wondered.

“It gets even better,” you said. “But that’s still a surprise.”

You slid your sunglasses onto your face and strutted over to the passenger side door to open it for him. He chuckled and slid into the seat. 

“Thanks,” he said.

“You’re welcome!” you returned before walking back over to the driver’s side and sliding in next to him. You waved to the guys still standing outside watching you go. “Bye, boys!”

They all waved back as you pulled out of the driveway. You kept one hand on the wheel and the other, you offered to Taron. He took it and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of it.

“It’s lovely to see you,” he said.

“You too,” you replied with the widest smile you’d had all week. “I’m so excited for this date.”

“Are you really not going to tell me where we’re going?” he asked.

“There’s a hint in the glovebox,” you told him. “Something we’ll need while we’re there.”

He released your hand and opened the glovebox. He pulled out the hint.

“Oh, my God!” he gasped. “Mickey Mouse ears?! Are we going to DisneyLand?!”

You nodded. He let out a delighted shout and kissed you hard on the cheek. You giggled as he put his on before putting the Minnie Mouse pair on your head.

“This is the best date ever!” he cried.

“Right?!” you agreed. “Okay, what’s your favorite Disney song?”

“That’s a tough choice…” he said. “A Whole New World, maybe? Any of the love ballads. They’re just great.”

“Aw, you softie!” you teased. “Sing it for me.”

He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.

“I can show you the world,” he sang.

Your mouth dropped as he continued.

“Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, princess - now when did you last let your heart decide?”

“Oh my God, Taron, you can really sing!” you cried, impressed. “Your voice is amazing!”

“Thank you,” he returned bashfully. “I love to sing, actually.”

“You’re very good at it,” you said. “What’s the song you sing the best?”

“Another tough choice,” he said. “Probably… I’m Still Standing by Elton John.”

“I love that song!” you said excitedly. “Sing that one for me!”

He launched into it and you were absolutely delighted. His voice was so sweet, you could have listened to him sing all day.

“Seriously, how have you not auditioned for American Idol or something?” you wondered.

“If I’m being honest, it’s because that lifestyle isn’t really for me,” he said. “I’ve always wanted a simple life. A modest home, a wife I adore, and children, of course. I want to be around for that, and being a singer would mean I spent most of the time away from home.”

Your heart melted at the sentiment. That was exactly the life that you wanted as well. 

“I get that,” you said. “That’s always been what I want too. To have a partner for life and raise a family together.”

You glanced over and caught his eye. You smiled at each other.

It was about an hour and half drive from the mansion to the park, so you got to talk to Taron a lot. Getting to know him was actually pretty easy. He wasn’t shy about answering your questions, which made you feel more open as well. 

Exploring DisneyLand with Taron was like returning to your childhood. He was energetic and eager, practically running from ride to ride. You had to stop him a few times. You paused in front of the castle for a few minutes to catch your breath.

“I feel like I’m seven years old again!” you laughed. 

“Good!” he returned.

He picked you up by the waist and spun you around. You giggled, throwing your arms around his neck and holding him tight. When he slowed to a stop, you held each other’s gaze.

“Now I feel like a princess,” you said quietly.

“Good,” he repeated, lowering his face to yours.

He claimed your lips in a passionate kiss that was anything but child-like. It was deep and slow, but not demanding. You pulled him closer and kissed him harder. Though you had been still for several minutes, your heart raced as if you had run a marathon. He made you feel young and giddy, but also desired. It was exactly the balance you were looking for.

“I’m having so much fun here with you,” he said, breathless as you broke apart.

“Me too,” you told him. “I can’t imagine a more perfect date. Or a more perfect man to spend it with.”

He kissed the tip of your nose sweetly, making you wrinkle it as you laughed.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

“Thank you,” you breathed back.

He kissed you lightly.

“Come on,” he said. “We’ve got so much more to do.”

He took your head and led you on. You were beginning to feel the happiest place on Earth was anywhere you were with Taron.

The day at the park was amazing. You had so much fun with Taron. You laughed together, took a few pictures, and you ended up kissing him a lot more after that first one. But, you also wanted to get to know him on a deeper level. To get to the real stuff. The things that made him who he is.

For the evening portion of your date, you were at a little seaside restaurant on Newport Beach. You had the place entirely to yourselves. The dinner set-up was waiting for you as you walked in. Taron pulled your chair out for you and you sat down, thanking him. He took a seat beside you. You picked up your drink.

“To a wonderful day,” you said. “And hopefully many more wonderful days ahead.”

“Cheers, love,” he said.

You touched glasses with a soft clink and each took a sip.

“So,” you began. “I had so much fun with you today. But, I want to know more.”

“What d’you want to know?” he asked.

“Can I ask you why your last relationship ended?”

He paused. Then he swallowed. His mouth turned down at the corners and you wondered if you had crossed a line.

“Course you can,” he said stiffly. “But, it’s kind of a rough story.”

“I can handle it,” you assured him. 

“My last girlfriend and I were together for about three years,” he said. “We lived together and everything. Our relationship ended because she got pregnant.”

Your brow furrowed. “Wait, what?”

“She got pregnant by somebody else,” he explained, a hint of bitterness to his tone.

Your mouth fell open. “Wh - oh my God…”

“Yeah…” he trailed off. “It was a guy I knew, actually. A sort of friend of mine. And when she found out she was pregnant, she confessed everything. She left me because she wanted them to be a family. But, it blew up in her face because he didn’t want anything to do with it.”

You shook your head. “That’s horrible.”

“It is, but then she came back to me, wanting to get back together,” he said.

“Are you serious?!” you gasped.

“Quite,” he said. “And I took her back. I just...I still loved her, and she seemed so sorry. And she had nowhere else to go. We tried to work on the relationship, but things weren’t the same. Then, she miscarried.”

He took a deep breath before going on.

“After that, it quickly became clear that she was using me as a financial crutch because - surprise, surprise - she cheated again,” he said. “I ended it for good and called her parents to come and get her. That was that.”

All the twists and turns of his story had you reeling. You wondered how anyone could be so cruel to someone who was so genuine and kind.

“I’m so sorry,” you said. “How long ago was that?”

“About two years ago,” he told you.

“And you haven’t dated anyone since?” you wondered.

“I’ve dated, but nothing serious ever formed,” he said. “I still want to find that right person for me, y’know?”

You smiled, taking his hand. “I do.”

“And I think I’m heading in the right direction,” he said, holding your gaze.

“I think you are too,” you said.

He leaned over and kissed you gently. When you parted, you reached across the table and picked up the rose that sat on a dish.

“You were so wonderful today,” you said. “We had so much fun at the park, and then tonight was...everything I wanted from you. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your story with me.”

“Thank you for listening,” he replied.

You beamed at him. “So, all that being said. Taron, will you accept this rose?”

“Gladly,” he assured you with a smile.

You grinned impossibly wider as you pinned it on. 

“Come on,” you said. “There’s a surprise for us outside.”

“Another surprise?!”

You giggled and led him to the balcony. He stood behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder. You looked out over the water. Together, you watched as a firework rocketed into the air and exploded over the inky black sky.

“Woah!” Taron gasped.

The fireworks show began, lighting up the night with the blooms. Then, he turned you to face him and he kissed you again. The way he had in the park. The fireworks were a perfect reflection of your feelings. There was something beyond a spark between you and Taron. You could picture falling in love with him. Marrying him. Sharing a life with him.

When you went to bed that night, you dreamed of fireworks and the feeling of Taron’s arms around you.

You looked forward to the cocktail party the following night. There were so many guys you wanted more time with, though you went in with some idea of who would be getting a rose. There were some men you wanted a bit more from before you could make your decision. So, you were sure the evening would be great.

When you got to the mansion, you made a toast and then Ben pulled you aside. It wasn’t just his good looks that drew you to him. Ben had a whole vibe that pulled you in and made you want to know him better. Something in his eyes told you there was a depth to him to be found. And you were determined to explore every part of that.

Luke asked for you next. Luke was sort of an enigma to you. He was a person who - outside of this - you would have probably turned him down right away. The deeply religious side was a bit of a turn off for you. But he was really nice, and seemed so eager to get to know you, too. After your conversation, you felt more positively toward him. 

After Luke, was Richard. He had a quiet way about him, but every time you talked to him, you realized it was a quiet confidence. He was focused, but not harsh. Not to mention, he had a killer smile.

You tried to speak to everyone, but time was limited. Before you knew it, Chris Harrison called everyone in for the rose ceremony. You were a bit disappointed. There were a couple guys who didn’t have a date this week, and you had not gotten time with them at the cocktail party. But it was up to them to get that time with you, and if they couldn’t make the effort, then you assumed they didn’t want it that bad.

You stood before the men as they lined up. Gwilym and Taron stood to one side, since they already had roses and were safe. You still felt great about those decisions. Now, you had a few more to make. You took a deep breath and picked up the first rose. You found the first person you wanted to call.

“Joe,” you said, and saw his shoulders sag with relief when you did. He walked up to you with his usual grin. “Joe, will you accept this rose?”

“I will,” he said quietly.

He returned to the group.

“Rami,” you called, and he approached. “Rami, will you accept this rose?”

“Of course,” he answered.

You picked up the next rose.

“Richard,” you said. He walked coolly over to you. “Richard, will you accept this rose?”

“Always,” he replied.

Then, you called the following men: Allen, Eric, Luke, Kenny, Mike, Wells, Jordan, Jared, John, Chad, and John Paul Jones. Four men remained without a rose - Ben, Colton, Lincoln, and Chris R.

Chris Harrison walked out and stood beside you.

“Y/N, gentlemen,” he said. “This is the final rose tonight.”

You picked it up, hands shaking. You hated this part. Hurting people. But there was no doubt in your mind as to who this rose should go to.

“Ben,” you said.

He let out a deep sigh. “Thank God.”

You smiled as he walked over.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” you said. “Ben, will you accept this rose?”

“It was worth the wait,” he assured you. “O’course I will.”

You pinned it on him. He hugged you briefly and kissed your cheek before returning to the group.

Chris looked at the men.

“Gentlemen, I’m sorry,” he said. “If you did not receive a rose, take a moment, say your goodbyes.”

Colton, Lincoln, and Chris R all said goodbye to the men around them before they approached you one by one to say it to you. All three of them wished you the best of luck. You hated to see them go, since they were very nice to you, but you knew your connections were stronger with the others.

You couldn’t wait to see what the next week would bring. 

#BoRhap #BoRhap cast #borhap boys #borhap cast imagine #borhap boys imagine #borhap cast x reader #borhap imagine #borhap boys x reader #taron egerton #taron egerton imagine #taron egerton x reader #taron egerton x you #gwilym lee #gwilym lee x reader #gwilym lee imagine #gwilym lee x you #bohemian rhapsody #bohemian rhapsody imagine #ben hardy #joe mazzello #rami malek #richard madden #ben hardy imagine #joe mazzello imagine #rami malek imagine #richard madden imagine #Queen #queen imagine #queen x reader #the most dramatic season ever series

[theexecutionerssong]

Who have you met from the spn cast? And what's your impression with them?

Felicia Day: would definitely be friends in another life, told me to enjoy my life to the fullest not matter how old I get and how some people might judge me for it, they are the ones in the wrong. redhead, love her.

Kim Rhodes: a firecracker, doesn’t give two shits about what people think of her, she’s loud and unapologetically herself, a MomTM

Briana Buckmaster: loud and unapologetic too, probably could have been a rockstar, also very sensible and soft. gives you all her attention when you talk to her.

Mark Sheppard: very funny, infuriating, loves his drums, would spend an evening in a pub with him just talking about the world but not a fan of how sarcastic he is. I don’t like teasing much. keeps popping my balloons.

Matt Cohen: warmth. the biggest, tighest, most genuine hugs. remembers me every year, extremely conscious of how the show changed his life and makes a point to thank us personnally every time for it. stole my phone once. apologized for it the year after.

Rob Benedict: unexpectedely very giggly, amazing musician, would love to just sit down to have a long chat with him about music and then sing some jams with him. very good listener

Richard Speight: is able to make the most insignificant story a 30 minute long epic tale, can keep a straight face even when saying the most ridiculous thing ever, calmer in less crowded spaces, good listener as well

Ruthie Connell: the sweetest and kindest and cutest, she’s graceful and gives you her full attention, always brings little gifts and loves hugging people, we have a running joke about our red hair that we make every year, really hoping she doesn’t forget about it next time i see her :’)

Osric Chau: seemed to me like a genuine nice guy, very hardworking, gives compliments freely, once said we looked like we were going to prom on our picture and we were super cute, actually wrote it on the pic during autographs and underlined it 3 times

Alex Calvert: sunshine in human form, so kind and considerate but also lacks in self confidence which is a damn shame but makes you want to tell him that its all okay. Burst out laughing at my joke even though it wasn’t that funny. 10/10.

Adam Fergus: didn’t talk much with him but overall good impression, Irish and proud of it, had a good laugh, willing to listen and to share insights

David Haydn Jones: Had no idea I would appreciate him that much, kind and soft, quieter than the others but no less happy to be here.

Jim Beaver: the grandpa I never had. Caring and goofy, carried me bridal style once when I didn’t ask for it and then jokingly got grumpy about me hurting his back.

Sebastian Roché: my god he’s exhausting but in the good way. Cannot sit still for the life of him, puts on a real show but also quite thoughtful if he feels you need to be serious for a sec.

Katie Cassidy: meh, not really a good impression so I’ll skip.

Mark Pellegrino: I have met him.

(Misha Collins: putting him in brackets because all I had was a 10 minutes zoom session with him but he got straight into trying to get to know me while listening respectfully to what I had to say, managed to even compliment me, and I’m grateful for that. was supposed to meet in June... hopefully I get to next year)

#gaelle parle #Kathryn had to cancel the one time i was supposed to meet her #she was shooting Little Women #and im still upset about that #fun fact i moved to the US in 2012 so i could go to cons #but was too broke once there to afford one #lmao well done Gaëlle #Anonymous #spn cast

[gothicwidowsworld]

Lewis Capaldi #18

Requested - can you do a lewis imagine where you go to visit him on tour for like 2 weeks and when you get there the band is like oh thank god he’s gonna be so happy and y'all are just cute on the tour bus and shit

I kinda changed it a little bit but I hope you enjoy it @megandonaldson. I might make a 3rd part with all the cute shit lol x 

Y/N sighed heavily to herself as she scrolled through the hundreds of pictures and videos in her phone, each one making her heart break a little more. The memories seemed to taunt her almost comically. Readjusting her chin on the plain pillow the girl couldn’t help but sigh again brushing her y/h/c hair that had the audacity to block her view out of her eyes. The low rumbling of the tour bus reminding her how many miles there where between her and Lewis, Tours were nothing new to the girl but this time it seemed to last forever. Don’t get me wrong Y/N appreciated and loved every single one of the bands loyal radioheads but Lewis was home and everyone can get a little homesick now and then. At first Jack would mock his bandmate along with Scotty and Archie but the girl simply stayed quiet before slinking off to call the Glaswegian man she’d grown to love. “Alright this is getting ridiculous!” Scotty stated to his fellow band members who had collected around the faux oak table from his digital drum kit. “She can’t help missing him” Archie argued softly “But she’ll let me go crazy?” Scotty retaliated rolling his eyes. Ripping open the thin blackout curtain Y/N poked her head out “Will you shut up Scotty!” tears pooling at her y/e/c eyes before returning to snuggle back into her cave like bunk. Jack huffed slapping the blonde on the head at his insensitivity “No we’ll just have to deal with it like a family.” his Irish accent seeping through “unless..” he continued signalling for the other two men to follow him to the front of the bus. 

Psyching herself up Y/N did her usual pre show ritual of brushing her teeth while jumping around to get the energy pumping. Soon it was time for another evening of playing to a large crowd who were all dying to bask in the heavenly music (well heavenly for some but that’s a matter of opinion.) they created. “HELLO SAN FRANCISCO!!!” the girl screamed to the sea of endless faces and almost for a microsecond you could have heard a pin drop before a thundering echo of excited screams returned her welcome. With a smile plastered on her face Y/N introduced her bandmates before the familiar chords of Circles pulled her into autopilot. Finally came time for the break in which the band would answer a few questions in an attempt to regain their breath. The questions  were mostly the same as they were at every location along with the occasional cheer interrupting an answer. “Oh okay this ones interesting” Archie started eagerly from the bar stool that had been brought on stage “All it says is Did you miss me?” a knowing smirk working its way across his tanned features “What the fuck” Y/N whispered into the mic from her stretched out position on the floor the coldness of the front stage embracing the y/h girl “Moriarty is that you…” pulling a distorted face mocking Jack’s accent creepily repeating ‘did you miss me’  before realising everyone including the hyped crowd had gone deadly silent “Jeez okay guys I know my impression is bad but damn” the girl chuckled lightly trailing off as she sat up. Out of nowhere a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her tightly “Well did you? I definitely missed you” the familiar scent of Old Spice flooded her nostrils “Lew” the girl managed to squeak out before throwing herself at the man eyes flickering over him to reassure herself he was really there. “Why ya crying eh” Lewis whispered to her wiping away the salty tears that had made their way down from her y/e/c eyes “nah need for tears silly.” the brunet stated cuddling her securely into his side. For those few seconds it seemed as though the young couple were in their own little world neither of them caring about the thousands of people watching the small intimate moment. “Now that you have your boy toy can you be normal now?” Scotty questioned dramatically behind his drum kit sipping at his lukewarm water.  

#Gothicwidow #Lewis Capaldi #Lewis Capaldi imagines #Lewis Capaldi x reader #x reader #imagines #au imagines #gif imagines #au gif imagines #musician imagines #musician x reader #british musician #celebrity imagines #celebrity x reader #celebrity au #oc character #beatrix radio #au

[longhornhudson]

Luck O’ the Irish || Hudrose

Who: Finn Hudson and @longhornmarley​

Where: UT Campus, Finn’s dorm room

When: March 17th, 2020 

Notes: Not really wanting to go to a party after being stood up, they decide to host a pity party for themselves and shenanigans ensue... NSFW

Finn

Finn wasn't in a good mood. He had had plans to go to the beach with his girlfriend but for no reason, she'd canceled at the last second, leaving him with a packed suitcase but nowhere to go. The walk back to his dorm was long but he'd managed to find a few of his friends who had invited him to a party on Tuesday night, an invitation he had readily accepted. For now he just wanted to sleep the last few hours away. That Tuesday had started off great and he was already feeling a buzz from the pity party he'd thrown himself that day so the idea of going to a party with girls and alcohol seemed like a great one. He grabbed some clothes from his suitcase and threw them on, not caring if they matched. He left his room and headed across campus towards his destination, his mouth already watering at the thought of vodka shots and jello shooters.

Marley

How ridiculous could Marley be? She should've known Declan would've cancelled on her. He always did it seemed lately. The two were gonna go on a trip for spring break and she was gonna see for once where this was going to go. She was tired of playing games and while she enjoyed the extra money coming in, she wanted something real. And now it was like a nail closing the coffin. Maybe it truly was time to end things with him. In a weak moment, she had called her ex, Jake, and the two talked. He was one who knew her pretty well and maybe he could have some insight. Though, she should never actually listen what the boy said about anything. After making plans for him to come down in the next few days so they could 'properly talk', she hung up and headed out to go get ice cream. She was gonna need it. As she walked through campus, she saw someone familiar heading towards her and she put on a fake smile. "Finn, hey." She said as they got closer to each other.

Finn

The jock was off in his own world, hands holding imaginary sticks as they pounded away at invisible drums, the song in his head keeping him from noticing all the stares from people as he walked past. He didn't care, the beat was sick and he was in the zone. So much so that he almost missed it when a voice broke through his solo. He opened his eyes even though he didn't need to bother, he had grown accustomed to hearing it lately that it was already familiar. "Marley, hey. What are you doing here? I thought you were heading out of town?" He asked, stepping in line next to her. "I'm on my way to a party. You wanna come?"

Marley

She watched him as he seemed to be jamming out to the music. If she was honest, she found it really cute, but that shouldn't have been something to focus on right now. She wasn't in the right place to be thinking that. Or was she? She was honestly confused by it all. "Oh, um, I was. But things changed. Got cancelled." She sighed and rubbed her neck. "A party? Sure. I thought you were leaving too." She said and looked into his eyes.

Finn

Seeing Marley and talking to her was becoming a favorite of his. She was funny and smart and she didn't treat him like an idiot,  which was always something to appreciate. "Oh. Well that sucks. My plans changed too. Apparently she is staying home until this virus passes so looks like I'll be spending Spring Break at school." He shook his head, shoulders shrugging as the absurdity of his situation.  "You know what? Let's go. A party surrounded by happy couples and horny frat guys isn't where you or I need to be right now. Let's go grab some bottles from our roommates and have a pity party in my room."

Marley

Her smile went down. She felt bad that his plans got cancelled too, but maybe in some way they were supposed to spend this night together? Or was she just trying to find a plus side to the sadness? "I'm sorry. People seem to be going crazy about that, don't they?" She said and took a breath. "Just you and I does sound better than being around everyone. I don't want to pretend to be happy." She thought for a moment. "I don't think there are any bottles in my room so I may not be helpful. However I have money and can give it to you to buy some?"

Finn

If Finn believed in fate, he would think she was playing a game with his life and his emotions. Instead of spending time with who the universe expected him to, he saw more of his tutor than anyone else and somehow Finn was okay with that. He couldn't explain why exactly but if he was having to spend Spring Break away from home, at least he had Marley for company. "I don't see why they need so much toilet paper!" He laughed, looking over at her and grinning. "People are crazy." He nodded, spinning around on his heels a bit to quickly, his head spinning momentarily. "We can head up to the store yeah. But put your money away, this was my idea so I'm buying. If we run out, you can buy next round." After he had regained control, the two of them headed off towards the liquor store.

Marley

Marley couldn't help but laugh at his exclamation and nodded. "I know. I think my roommate may be doing that. I don't know if I can handle being at my place all break." She laughed softly as she looked over at him. She watched him and stopped as he talked. "If you're sure. Maybe we can order food and I can pay for that." She suggested as they walked a different way now that they were going to the store.

Finn

"I can kind of see it because on the one hand if you're isolating yourself inside, you're going go need toilet paper but they're acting like they're going to have explosive diarrhea all day and that's just stupid." He said, shaking his head. It was something he had been keeping an eye on but he wasn't going to let it dictate his break.  "We can definitely get some food. What're you thinking? Pizza? Tacos?" Conversing with her was easy and before they knew it,  they heard arrived at the store. Gathering up all the supplies they'd need, and letting Marley buy their dinner, they left the store,  falling right back into that casual conversation as if not time had passed. "So music huh? What made you decide on that?"

Marley

"Yeah, but it's like people forget showers and wash rags don't exist. You can easily wash yourself or those. I wonder if that's what people did while Rick was asleep on The Walking Dead." She laughed softly again. She shrugged. "Either. Both. I'm good with anything. Though, Taco Bell sounds good always." She smirked at him as she started looking at apps on her phone to get them food. She liked being with him. It was already more comfortable than most people she spent so little time with. "I like to sing and I don't know. I want to try to make it in the industry, but I don't know if I will. I don't think I'm that good."

Finn

"Okay you just became like ten times cooler by knowing who Rick Grimes is." He teased, a playful laugh falling from his lips. The best thing about meeting new people was getting to know them. Sometimes it felt forced, like an obligation you didn't want, but with Marley, everything was easy. It was something Finn wasn't used too but he was thankful regardless.  "I'm behind a season or two so I know Rick left the show but I don't know what happened." As he waited for her to order food, he pondered her words and couldn't help the small chuckle that surfaced again. "If you didn't think you were good, you wouldn't have picked it for a major. I picked mine because it seemed the easiest option but if you love something, nothing will stop you."

Marley

She couldn't help but grin and shrug. "I read the comics and watched most of the show." Marley said proudly. "I haven't watched since the whole thing happened with Carl. I barely know what's happening right now." She ordered their food and put in Finn's address so maybe it would be there by the time they got there. "I guess so. The whole thing makes me nervous. I want to show off my talent, but I feel like I'm barely able to here. What is that going to mean when I'm out in the world? Will anyone listen to me?" She sighed before shaking her head. "Sorry. That kind of got too deep."

Finn

"A girl who likes zombie shows and comic books? Are you even real?!" He shouted, pinching her skin playfully as they walked side by side. "I think we should finish the show together. Or at least until the current season. Wow, trying to get Heather to watch anything with me is like pulling teeth. It's all Housewives and the Kardashians." He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I got blackmailed into joining my high school Glee club after the teacher heard me singing in the shower.... that sounded strange, but the point is, I was good enough for them so I mean, if you need a partner for karaoke night or just as a backup singer to help you shine, I'm volunteering to help. It's the least i can do."

Marley

She laughed as he pinched her skin. "Yes. I even like superhero stuff." She smirked at him. "I'm pretty chill, I think. I don't see why some girls are into that. It's not my thing. I'd definitely like to catch up on the show with you." Marley smiled and looked over into his eyes. "Really? You would like to sing with me?" She was actually surprised. She didn't get many solos or duets in the glee club now, but definitely wanted to always prove how good she was. "You are too sweet. Are you real?" She asked and pinched him back.

Finn

"You're like my version of the perfect girl." He laughed, shaking his head. "I mean you like superheroes and comic books. You're not afraid to eat tacos... WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!" The jock shouted, garnering a few looks from the people scattered around them but Finn didn't care about them. For the first time in his young life, public opinion meant nothing to him. "We have to make this a weekly thing. We pick a day that works best for us both and we watch as many as we can. Deal?" He asked, holding out his hand for her to shake. "Of course I will. I'm sure you're going to outshine me and in this case, that's what I want you to do." His nose crinkled as they finally seemed to make it back to the dorms. "Owww! My throwing arm!" He feigned injury and laughed, ushering her inside before anyone noticed.

Marley

A blush filled Marley's cheeks as he said that. No one had ever referred to that before. "Shh." She said as she looked around and blushed more. "I'm sure other girls are like me. I'm nothing special." She put herself down. "That would be nice. It would be a nice break from everything and we can get caught up fast." She smiled at him as she walked inside his dorms. "Oh, please. I could barely hurt a fly let alone you."

Finn

Finn couldn't help but raise a brow at her obvious cut down and he shook his head. "Hey none of that. You're awesome. I haven't known you long but you're pretty great. I'm sure there are other girls out there that are like you but I'm not talking to them, am I? Don't cut yourself down. I'm just telling you what I've observed so far. Take the compliment. Please." He smirked, nodding his head when she agreed to his demands. "Its a date. Well, not like a date date but you know, a date. Friendly date among... friends..." He trailed off, rolling his eyes at himself before closing the door behind himself once they were inside. "You're right. I was teasing. I mean, did you even pinch me? I couldn't feel anything."

Marley

She blushed and shook her head. "You're sweet, but I'm really not. And I'm okay with that. I like being a wallflower." She said and looked into his eyes. "But thank you. I appreciate you saying all that." She smiled and looked at him. "A friendly date is perfect.  It'll be nice to have something to look forward to." Marley laughed and shook her head. "Shut up." She playfully pushed him.

Finn

"Can I be honest with you Marley? I've never been a fan of all the popularity that I've received. I find it confusing and chaotic. I mean, one mistake and you're getting slushies to the face but then you do something else and you're back on top. There were many times when I considered giving it all up because I just want to be normal, you know? I don't want to be known as 'the jock' or be defined by the girls I date. I've always been envious of the wallflowers because they're kind of who I feel more connected too and who deep down, I'd like to be." He confessed with a shrug. "So I look forward to learning from you on how to be a wallflower." He teased, holding the door open for her as they walked inside and up to his room.

Marley

She looked into his eyes as he said that. It was nice to hear someone didn't care about all that stuff. Maybe they were soulmates or something. But she couldn't think like that. Not right now. He had someone and she kind of did too. This was just a friend thing. "Thanks, Finn. I really appreciate all that. I've struggled with things like that for a long time and it's nice to know you don't follow all that." She told him as they went up to his room. "I guess we beat the food." She commented and smiled at him.

Finn

"Of course, Marls. What are friends for?" He said, his nose crinkling as he held the door to his dorm room open. He heard the buzzer, a sound indicating that someone needed to be let in and he laughed. "Speaking of food. Please make yourself comfortable and I'll be right back." He knew she had already paid for the food but Finn knew the building better than she did and he didn't want her to get lost. After meeting the delivery man outside, and paying the fee and tip, he carried all the food back upstairs, knocking on the door in case Marley was in the bathroom or something. "I'm coming in! I hope you're decent." The jock joked, before entering and laying the food on the table. "How much did you order?! There's enough for four people here."

Marley

She smiled happily at him as she walked inside his room and looked around. It was nice and seemed very much like Finn. She was going to say something just was the buzzer rang and she nodded. "Okay. I'll be here." She smiled and watched him go before she kicked off her shoes and sat down. She couldn't believe this was how her break was going so far, but she liked it already. Maybe it was good she stayed in Texas. She looked up as she heard the knock on the door and laughed as he entered. "Do you think I just get naked or something in people's homes?" She asked jokingly before shrugging. "I covered the basics. Besides, if we're drinking, we'll be hungry at random times and there will still be food."

Finn

"I didn't mean it like that!" He yelled, shouting over the sound of the music coming from next door. "I just meant like if you were in the bathroom or something. I don't know why I said decent, it was the first word that popped into my head." He grinned, putting the food on the counter. He nodded his head in her direction and laughed. "That's very smart. I never would have thought of that and then I would have been arrested by campus police for trying to break into the 7-11 because I got hungry." Pulling each item out of the bag, he opened it to identify what it was before grabbing a couple of forks for the two of them. "Do you want a beer or some wine? I don't have much else seeing as how I wasn't planning on entertaining tonight but you're welcome to whatever is in there."

Marley

She laughed as he shouted and nodded. "Sure you didn't." She teased him as she watched him get some food for them. "I would've tried to stop you from doing that. Especially when a lot of places are open all night." She laughed softly and just kept watching him. "Anything is fine with me. What did you get at the liquor store?" She asked as she sat crisscross applesauce on his couch.

Finn

"Well your head might explode if I had said that I did mean it so..." He smirked, shrugging his shoulders as he walked past her and into the kitchen. Hearing that she would have stopped him made him laugh and he nodded. "I'm sure you would have. You might be tiny but I've no doubt you're strong." The junior laughed, coming back into the living area holding two bottles. "I got two cases of beer and a bottle of wine. Its supposed to be for the barbecue but I'm not sure if that's still going to happen with the flu going around."

Marley

"So you did?" She smirked and raised her eyebrow as she looked at him. "We don't even know each other that well." She teased and watched him closely. "I can be." Marley flexed her arm muscles she barely had. "See." She grinned and laughed. "Well, I can give you money to buy back whatever we drink." She told him and smiled. "I'm good with anything to start with."

Finn

"This time, no. It was a slip of the tongue. Scouts honor." He held up two fingers before smiling at her. "I was never a scout but I promise I wouldn't lie. I had no expectations other than having a fun night with my friend." He explained, watching when she flexed. "Nice. If you ever want to make those bigger, join me in the gym and we can get you on some weights." When she insisted she pay him, he shook his head. "No you won't. These idiots don't need this much alcohol anyway. It'll be fine."

Marley

"Oh, so how can I take that as scout's honor if you were never one?" She teased him. "That's all I have as expectations as well." She laughed as she flexed and put her arms down. "I go to the gym quite often, actually, but we can do something. I'm always down for that." She gave him a look. "If you're sure, but the offer is there. I don't want you to pay for everything."

Finn

They had decided to watch something on Netflix but they had been drinking so much that he barely remembered the title of it or anything that happened in it. They had ended up mostly laughing and playing drinking games until they couldn't anymore. Now, they were laying on the floor of his room, the air conditioning on full blast as they tried to calm themselves down. "I haven't laughed that hard in so long. My sides are killing me, Marls. Who knew you were this funny?"

Marley

Marley never got this drunk. Hell, she never had this much to drink. A buzz here and there in high school, but never something like this. But she liked having this moment with Finn. She liked laughing and trying to breath as they laid in his room with tears streaming down her eyes from laughing too hard. She took a deep breath as he spoke and she poked him. "Hey, I am always this funny. People just don't get my humor." She smirked at him and looked into his eyes. "I haven't clicked like this with someone in a long time."

Finn

"Its because it goes over their head. Your jokes are too smart for the average bear." He laughed, shifting his body so he was facing her. "You haven't? I want to be all like 'yay!' because that means you like me but also, I feel bad that you haven't met anyone as awesome as me before." The jock teased her again before laughing. "But yes, I feel the same. You're not like the other nerds. You're crazy hot but also really smart."

Marley

"Good thing you're more than average." She smiled at him and watched as he moved so they were now just staring at each other. "I like having you. You're definitely worth the wait of meeting someone awesome." She assured him before laughing too only because his was so infectious. "Thank you? I guess I kinda have a sexy librarian thing going on." She said and let her hair down to do some weird sexy move with her hair that made her laugh more.

Finn

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!" He shouted, nodding his head before resting his chin on his arms. "Well you can have me whenever you want, Marls. I'm not in demand right now so we can spend as much time together as we want." He added, reaching out to grab her hand. "Just call me Captain Awesome." His head nodded and he smiled at her at her next words, wiggling his eyebrows. "Oh definitely. I might have to start making it a part of my routine. St...stopping by the library I mean." He was distracted as he watched her let her hair down, taking the opportunity to scan her body, suddenly wondering what she looked like naked.

Marley

"That can't be true. You're an amazing guy and I'm sure you get loads of compliments." She smirked at him. "You're not in demand? So you can spend all your time with a little old nerd like me?" She teased and her heart jumped as he took her hand. She looked down at their hands and rubbed his skin with her thumb before back at him. "Yeah? I'd like to see more of you. There. More of you at the library." She said and stared at him. "I'm sure the librarian thing is better without my glasses." She said softly while looking at his lips.

Finn

"Just because you think I'm amazing doesn't mean everyone else does." He admitted with a shrug. "I've been called an asshole, an idiot, retarded and it really hurts. So I don't know, hearing nice things that don't have to do with my football skills is really nice." He hadn't meant to get sentimental but he needed her to know just how much her words meant to him. "Yep. All the time in the world." He smirked, nodding his head. "So lets make it a habit then. I'll have to get you to give me a tour though because I don't know where anything is." Her statement found him shaking his head as he leaned in closer to remove them. "I mean you're hot either way but the glasses definitely add to the fantasy."

Marley

"Well, they should. Because it's true." She said and stared at him. Her heart ached at him being called these things and she reached out to touch his cheek. "You're none of those things. Anyone who says you are obviously has no idea who you are." She told him and smiled. "Good to know there's hope for me." She laughed before nodding. "A tour you shall have. I can even make a map." She teased and let him take her glasses off. She could see mostly fine. She usually wore them to read but got used to wearing them more than contacts. "You really think I'm hot?"

Finn

Finn just smiled at her words, leaning into her touch as he felt the mood of the room shift. Or it had for him. Instead of laughing and having a good time, and despite the alcohol coursing through his bloodstream, he was fighting the urges that he was thinking about in his head. "I'm yours whenever you want me, Marley." He whispered, eyes drifting down to her lips. He propped himself up on an elbow and scooted closer to her, their noses inches apart. He really shouldn't be doing this but he wanted too. "100 percent." He complimented, bringing his hand up to her face, thumb grazing her lip for a second before he took a chance and closed the distance between them.

Marley

Everything changed quickly. Neither were laughing but now were very focused on each other. She watched him closely and her heart started racing as he said he was hers. Part of her knew what he meant, but that didnt stop the feelings arising. No one had ever said that to her. "And if I always want you?" She asked him softly. She moved closer as he did and leaned into his touch. As their lips met, she closed her eyed and pressed a passionate kiss into his lips.

Finn

"Then I'll be there." If he were sober, he would never have said these words to her, not that he didn't think she was attractive because she was but because he didn't want to give her false hope. With his on again off again relationship, he couldn't really get involved with anyone seriously, even if that is exactly what he wanted. But luckily for him, he wasn't sober and saying these things meant everything in the moment. When she returned the kiss, he shifted himself on top of her, breaking the kiss briefly to adjust themselves more comfortably on the floor. Grazing his thumb across her cheek, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her once again, this time rougher and more wanton.

Marley

The words made her heart flutter. She knew if the alcohol wasn’t flowing through her system, she never would've done this. She didn't do these things with Declan and she barely did them with her ex. Sure, she lost her virginity to him but that was different. They were together longer and she thought she was in love. She barely knew Finn and while she was definitely starting to like him, she wasn't one to do this. She sighed as their lips parted and she looked up at him as he moved to be on top of her. Looked up at him and smiled as he moved her hair before she met his kiss again and released a moan into it.

Finn

The moan that slipped out of her mouth sent a shiver up his spine and he shuddered, thankful that the kiss was hiding the flush of his cheeks. He had never been confident in his skills, had never really been with anyone since high school, and she had made him feel like shit when it was over, so his confidence in his skills was almost nonexistent. He was suddenly very glad that they were both drunk so that she wouldn't be disappointed in him when it was over. His fingers hesitantly trailed down to the hem of her shirt, lifting it up as he grazed the soft skin on her belly.

Marley

The feeling of his hand on her bare skin made chills go through her body. Her heart was beating like crazy and she could only think of wanting more from him. Wanting only him. She kissed him deeper as a hand tangled into his hair while the other ran along the sides of his shirt.

Finn

When he felt her fingers in his hair, he shivered, his body reacting exactly as it had way back in high school. It was a turn on for him and he couldn't help but moan into the kiss, fingers working her shirt higher and higher... he took a chance and sat her up before pulling her shirt over her head, tossing it to the side before removing his own. He allowed himself a moment to take in her form, his breath hitching slightly. "You're beautiful babe." He whispered, leaning in to kiss her again before guiding her back down to the floor.

Marley

Hearing him moan into the kiss turned her on more than it probably should've. She felt his fingers going up her skin and when he lifted her up, she helped him remove her shirt before watching him do his own. She looked over his chest and stomach and smiled up at him as he said she was beautiful. "And you're handsome." She said and kissed him back as she moved back to the floor. Her hands trailed down the skin of his bare back and back up softly.

Finn

Her nails teasing his skin caused goosebumps to pop up over his skin, the sensations quickly overwhelming his body. It had been so long since anyone had touched him like this and it all felt so good. Breaking the kiss to her lips, they trailed along her jawline ad down to her neck where he nipped and sucked the soft flesh. His hands caressed her body and down around to her waist where he fumbled for the button of her jeans, finally working it open, the zipper falling open with little pressure. It wasn't fluid, or perfect, but he managed to push them down and away from her body.

Marley

She sighed happily as he started kissing her jawline and making little marks on her skin. She moaned happily and lifted her hips to help him to take off her pants. Her own hands moved to his front and started to undo the button and zipper there. She was nervous, yes, but she was wanting him more by the second.

Finn

Once they were both down to their undergarments, he realized just how much he couldn't hide his body. He had always had body issues and now knowing that Marley could see it, he would have been self conscious had they not been too drunk to care. His lips left her neck after leaving several marks there, a sign of their activity that would be hard for her to disguise. He placed tentative marks along her collarbone, nipping at the flesh extended above the cup of her bra. Nimble fingers easily worked the clasps to free it from her body, his tongue swirling around the nipple briefly while he worked her panties down and away from her body.

Marley

He was amazing. She was definitely enjoying his body and the way he was kissing her and leaving marks all over. A moan left her lips as he swirled his tongue around her nipple and lifted her hips again to let him take off her panties. The chill from the air conditioner hit her and she suddenly felt very exposed. She was never like this in front of anyone and she was unsure if he would like her body. She bit her lip as she looked up at him and her hands move to take off his boxers so they would both equally naked.

Finn

Being naked in front of Marley, the cold air hitting his bare ass, felt both good and weird. This was a huge step for the two of them and they were both drunk and probably wouldn't remember it in the morning, which was something Finn didn't want to think about. He left feather light kisses down her body, first her breasts and then her belly, tongue swirling around her navel. His dick was hard and he knew he was ready. Scaling back up her body, he pressed his lips to her once more before lining up at her entrance, eyes locking with her. "Are... are you sure?"

Marley

The kisses down her body was sending her through the roof. She was more turned on than she had been ever and she looked up at him as he lined himself up. Marley was more than ready for this. She may regret how this happened, but she wouldn't have regretted being with Finn. "Yes. Please." She begged as she spread her legs wider for him.

Finn

Seeing her mannerisms and hearing that she wanted it, he nodded, kissing her again before grabbing his dick and guiding himself inside her wet folds. It felt so good and he whined into her mouth. She was tight but still allowed him room to fit comfortably inside, almost like two puzzle pieces. He sat inside her for a brief second to give her time to adjust to him before slowly moving his hips.

Marley

She took a deep breath as he entered inside her and it out into the kiss. She touched his cheek and looked up into his eyes before smiling and nodding at him for him to move. The slowness was nice. It was like he fit perfectly inside her and hit all the right places. "Finn..." A moan left her lips and she moved her body towards his.

Finn

He smiled down at her, touching her cheek softly before leaning in to kiss her, his hips starting to pick up speed. Now that he was inside her, and he could feel her getting wetter and more into the act, his body reacted of its own accord, his alcohol riddled brain telling him to speed up. But he didn't. He stayed at the steady pace he was at, hips burning already. His whispered name leaving her lips sent a chill straight up his back and down to his dick. He moaned, eyes slamming shut as he pushed further inside her.

Marley

She kissed him back only for a whimper to leave his lips as he sped up. Her eyes closed as he kept going and she panted with every move. With the sudden push deeper inside her, she let out a loud whine and her nails dug into his skin. Her legs locked around him tightly and she pushed herself against him for more.

Finn

Her nails digging into his skin caused him to whine but he kept going, knowing that it would be worth it in the end. Leaving marks on the other person was normal and to be honest, Finn liked it. It meant he was doing a good job. He was close, could feel the pressure inside, and he stopped kissing her, his blue eyes staring into hers. He sped up his hips, face contorting before he spoke. "Marley I'm close."

Marley

She held him tight as they kept moving together. She hadn't felt pleasure like this before and she really didn't want it to end. It felt perfect and she released little whines to let him know just how good this all was. She sighed as he stopped kissing her and looked up at him as moved faster now. "Okay. Just keep going. Please." She begged him; wanting to get to that point herself. She knew it was close, she could feel it, and she wanted to experience with him.

Finn

Finn wanted to hold on as long as he could, wanted them both to seek the kind of pleasure they'd both been missing so he pushed himself further, his lips kissing her hard while his hips burned and throbbed. He hadn't realized just how out of shape he was until now but he swallowed down the pain and kept going like she wanted, fingers ghosting over her skin and down between her legs while his lips broke the kiss and trailed down to her neck, nipping at the soft flesh before sucking on it.

Marley

She kissed him back and moaned into his mouth. It was growing harder to hold back any sounds and she started to make louder ones; especially when his lips went to her neck. A hand moved up to his hair and she grabbed it tight before she knew her release was coming. "Finn... now. Please. Now." She begged him as she felt the wave of pleasure take over her.

Finn

Her moans and whimpers for him sent another chill up his spine and the tightness in his belly to become unbearable. Holding her tighter, he continued biting her neck, his fingers playing with her clit as she panted quicker and begged for him. As soon as he felt her fingers grip his hair, he cried out her name before releasing deep inside her, his cum coating her walls.

Marley

The pleasure was just pulsing through her as he rubbed her clit. Her sounds were getting louder and louder and she gripped his hair and back with her fingers as he cried out her name. Her walls pulsed around him and she whimpered as her body started to slowly come down for her high while still feeling so much pleasure.

Finn

Finn continued to moan as Marley's orgasm coated his dick and he shuddered, licking his lips before leaning down to find hers. They rode out their orgasms together before collapsing against one another, their breathing heavy and their bodies spent. "Damn." He whispered, giggling softly before making eye contact with her. "Are you okay?"

Marley

This was all definitely crazy. She never expected to do something like this. Not with someone she hadn't known very long. However, it was amazing. She felt amazing. She looked at him as he spoke and she nodded. "Yeah. Yes. I'm.... I'm good." She smiled at him. "Are you? Was this?"

Finn

Finn hadn't known Marley long and yet the way they fit together, the way their bodies moved so in sync, it was like they'd been having sex forever. He just hoped that once the alcohol wore off completely, she wouldn't regret what happened. "This was great, you were amazing. I mean, it's crazy but a good crazy." He said, biting his lip as he pulled out of her, falling next to her on the rug.

Marley

She was relieved he said that. She thought it was good, but she didn't want to assume anything. She watched as he moved off her and took a deep breath as they laid their together. "Good. It was great. It really was." She told him.

Finn

He smiled, leaning over to kiss her again. It was short and brief but filled with hidden meaning. "It really was. I, uh, did you just want to spend the night here? It's late and we're still drunk.. I wouldn't feel right if you left." He asked, grabbing her hand to hold. "If I can move that is. My body feels broken."

Marley

She kissed him back and smiled softly at him. "You want me to stay?" She asked and rubbed his hand softly with a grin on her face. "Yeah. If you don't care. Sure." She looked deep into his eyes and laughed softly. "Broken in a good way, I hope." She moved and laid her head on his chest.

Finn

"Of course. It would make me a shitty person if I had sex with you and then made you walk home alone. My boys out there would make it a game and I'm not going to do that to you so yes, you can stay." He explained, his nose crinkling as she rolled over onto his chest. His fingers automatically ran through her hair as they tried to come down from the high. "Definitely in a good way. My legs are jelly. I'm so glad I don't have class or practice tomorrow because I'd have to call in sick."

Marley

She nodded as she listened to him. " Right. Better this way if I stay." She took a breath and relaxed into his body. She laughed softly and closed her eyes as she buried her head into him. She wasn't sure what to say, but was glad he was still enjoying this."

Finn

"Exactly. I'm saving both of our lives right now." He laughed, fingers tracing up and down her arms. He was getting tired, the exhaustion of their act finally wearing on him and as the room filled with no sound but their combined breathing, he let his eyes fall closed, arms wrapping tighter around her as they fell both fell asleep.

#para: loti #para: marley

[prismatic-bell]

As promised to @turninghoziest, I’ve just got back to the hotel, and I have highlights to post. AND BOY ARE THERE HIGHLIGHTS.

So this was a seated show for about one song, and then we all jumped up and started dancing, except in balcony, so a few songs later he looked up and was like “I see you all who are seated too, so you know, the seats you’ve been assigned are a suggestion, you can feel free to stand if you like” and a couple people jumped up to start dancing there too.

New chorus in Nina Cried Power, which I couldn’t hear most of but there were like seven new names in the song tonight, including Springsteen. Also if you’ve ever wondered if “it’s not the wall, but what’s behind it” was a reference to current American bullshittery, he fucking let LOOSE on that line and it most def is.

Apparently he now just gets the whole audience to yell “raise em on rhythm and blues” when he does J&W. But, like last time I saw him, he still grins like a little kid when we do.

I heard you, Tumblr contingent who started yelling at that one line of Dinners & Diatribes, don’t think I didn’t.

....okay I’ll be honest most of the first half of the concert is a blur because of something that happened about a third of the way through which is, I made a post today about how Sing is a metaphor for eating out.

HE ADDED IT TO THE SET LIST TONIGHT. IT DIDN’T EVEN SOUND FULLY ORCHESTRATED. Fish recorded part of it and while they all sound good, they’re not as polished as they were on the other songs.

And then the little fucker followed it by: “that was a song off the new album called To Noise Making. Which is about........all I ever do, really.”

I FEEL SO CALLED OUT

WHO TOLD HIM

DOES HE HAVE A TUMBLR

(Was this a proud admission or just a cheeky joke)

(How the fuck did they get it even to a mostly-a cappella orchestration in, what....six hours?)

So Fish and I decided to learn how to say “I love you” in Irish, and found a way to say it that means “you delight me” and it’s like...more the way you’d say it to a friend or colleague if you were saying “oh, I love that!” in English. So we yelled it after Sing while he was changing guitars, and he kind of paused for a second like he was trying to figure out if he actually heard that, and I guess our pronunciation was pretty reasonable for something we’d learned two hours prior because he walked up to the mic and went “you too.”

(As a sidenote, everyone who said it in English got “thank you.” I think we accidentally raised the bar for getting a cheeky reaction.)

If you feel bad because you can’t master the clap/snap for Almost, don’t. Suzanne couldn’t keep up either. She’d almost get the rhythm to the “don’t have to think, just keep the hands moving” point and then have to start playing instead.

From Eden?????????? Is now a ballad?????? And I’m gonna need it????

He and Alex got into a headbanging contest and looked approximately as ridiculous as you’d expect of a pair of nerdy white Irish boys trying to headbang and play guitars at the same time to look. It was great.

Alex decided to make the drumset his bitch. By which I mean he climbed up onto the drum kit and put a foot on top of the bass drum and just started playing right in Rory’s face. I’m not entirely sure what was going on there and I don’t know that I want to, but it was pretty fucking funny.

Lots and lots of new orchestrations. At this point I’m pretty sure he makes like Captain Barbossa and treats the original orchestration of Someone New more like guidelines than actual rules.

He got all of us to sing happy birthday to Thandii, and looked unreasonable levels of delighted that we, um. Tried. Loudly.

And then.

Stagedoor.

(I’m not over it.)

(I’m never gonna be over it.)

Band all gets on the bus and then Thandii comes back out. Please keep in mind only Andrew and the set crew are left inside, and the set crew are busy with strike.

SHE IS CARRYING FOUR BOWLS OF OATMEAL.

I realize they were little bowls, but Jesus.

So we wait maybe another 20 minutes, I’m going to say...30-40 total? And he comes out. Rather than him moving down a line his handler had us line up and go to him, which worked really well actually and more people should do it.

So I asked him to sign something, and told him I had something for him.

(I wasn’t ready for this.)

(You’re not ready either.)

Couple of books, a tee shirt, and some Irish sweets, since he’s mentioned having a hard time getting them in the US.

I told him “okay, so, I’m known for being like, scary good at this with people I know, so we’re gonna see how well I do with someone I only know through their Instagram.” He made this like genuinely touched face and thanked me, and I told him there were sweets and why.

(You ready?)

(You think you’re ready.)

(You’re not ready.)

I tied everything together, but it wasn’t wrapped, so he spots this little red bare edge of a package crimp and goes “are those McVities Digestives????” And his handler actually had to stop him from dismantling the whole thing right then and there when I said yes. Apparently the appropriate way to distract Andrew Hozier-Byrne is with Irish cookies. He actually looked like he was going to cry a little when I told him I brought him Irish sweets.

(Big mood. If someone told me they had some Stefanelli’s for me I’d make the exact same face.)

At which point he decided that instead of shaking my hand and saying it was nice to meet me, which is what he was doing with everyone else, he was going to give me this giant impulsive hug and call me the sweetest.

(You weren’t ready either, were you.)

SO THAT WAS MY NIGHT. HOW WAS YOURS.

[matan4il]

Some Eurovision 2018 thoughts

Because I promised @isabellaofparma I would post these, that’s why. I should note, I wrote most of this before the rehearsals and saved it as draft, so there are only a few added touches before posting. Also, can’t believe it’s almost a year since ESC 2017. @beautifulhusbands, remember when we chatted about last year’s competition? Good times. OK, here are a few thoughts about some of the songs by country... Hungary - thing for me is, I love rock songs at the ESC, so a rock song has to work really hard for me not to like it in this competition. Still, this one feels particularly authentic, so major kudos, it’s my fave rock song this year (sorry, @i-want-messed-up-with-you-4-ever, though the Netherlands’ country rock entry is nice too. @letthebluerain we also have a cute light rock song from Romania, but I have to admit I’m always disappointed when I don’t get a song in Romanian from the country I was born in. But I actually adore that we have more than one rock song this year, I like this diversity). @isabellaofparma, I still love last year’s Hungarian entry more, but that’s because it became one of my fave ESC songs ever, not because this year’s offering isn’t good. FYR Macedonia - I saw some people saying this song is a mess of genres, but I don’t think that’s the issue. You can throw in five different musical genres and as an idea, it could still work well. For me the problem is every time I get into a particular portion and genre and I start enjoying myself, the song switches over. So I’m left unsatisfied by the whole thing. Greece - I like this song. I adore all songs that are in their country’s native language rather than in English, even though I get why so many choose to perform in the latter. So this song gets points for that, has an ethnic sound to it which I also like and generally, it seems like Israelis tend to like the Greek songs. So yeah, one of my faves this year. I think it has a real shot at being the winner. (isn’t @nvrtickleadragon Greek? I like relating songs and countries to people. So go you!) Belarus - this may be weird but the singer reminds me of the guy who played the (more) openly gay teenager on Witness (I miss that show so much). That does things to me. So I like this entry, but it may not be for the right reasons. I think how this will do will greatly depend on how it’s executed on stage. Italy - I have to say, I adore the Italian tendency to send songs in Italian as it’s one of my fave languages. This entry is nice musically, though I think one of the singers is not as good as the other one and the disparity takes away some of my enjoyment. Also, I’m not fond of the tendency to send 'from the headlines’ songs, though relatively to the genre, this one is nice. All in all, my feelings are it could have been better and it could have been worse. At least the hook is catchy. (I believe @robertjacobsugdens is Italian, right? Again, me with the relating stuff to people thing. I do believe you guys will do well this year even if this isn’t my fave entry this year, nor my fave Italian song to the ESC) Also, technically, I wanna rant over the fact that there actually ARE pacifist bombs. For example, there are bombs used specifically to destroy other bombs in a controlled manner that saves lives. So. I don’t know. I don’t like an oversimplified message is what I’m saying, I guess. Kinda makes you wonder why I listen to ESC then, right? ;p France - This is another one ‘from the headlines’, so once more, I’m a bit meh. It’s a nice, lovely tune, I adore that France always sing in French, but the song becomes too familiar too quickly in my opinion. I’m sorry, @iamarobronniffler, I think you guys will get a high score, but I don’t think it will win... I also think it was sort of hurt by being one of the first songs to be released, which means people had loads of time to get used to it... Personal pet peeve is that the singer pronounces ‘Mercy’ not like the English word the name derives from, but like the French word ‘merci’, which is a nice touch, but it starts bothering me towards the end of the song, when the name is repeated (and mispronounced) so much. Denmark - ok, so on first listen? It’s a really strong entry. The drums are epic, the staging is good, the production of the song is tight, the legend behind the song of Vikings who decided not to fight is cool, it is a catchy song, Rasmussen has stage experience so the odds of him faltering on the night are slim, thus this song has SO MUCH going for it. Usually, if you have a song like this and you come from one of the two blocks (the Soviet or the Scndinavian ones) I feel like you have it in the bag. That’s how I felt about Sweden’s Heroes and Denmark’s Only Teardrops and they both won. But I feel like one thing that works against the song is that it has something about it that’s almost too serious and in a year where a lot of things are less so, plus this year is very innovative while this song is classically epic, that may work against it. Also, I feel like years when the Scandinavian countries send more than one strong entry, that end up splitting the Nordic vote and negates the block advantage. This year, you have Finland with a strong entry too, plus Sweden being Sweden. Basically, I feel like this could have been the winner in a lot of years, but probably not this one. Portugal - feels like an attempt to send a song in the same genre of their winner last year and I think the odds of the same country winning twice in a row with the same type of song is slim to none. That being said, I think this year’s offering is lovely and way better in this genre than last year’s Portuguese song. Sorry, I still don’t think that guy should have won. Sweden - hmmm, this will do well, first of all because it’s Sweden (really, @stulot, it’s ridiculous what an empire you are in this sense) and because it has a nice, young Michael Jackson vibe. But I really don’t think it’s gonna win. It doesn’t stand out enough in my opinion. Plus, the Danish and Finnish contenders are stronger IMO, so my guess is a lot of Scandinavians votes are gonna go there rather than to Sweden. It’s a good song, it’s just not enough of a competition when even within Scandinavia, it’s only the third strongest song. Ireland - the song is sooooo sweet, it’s almost too much so. It gets a bit better once you realize it’s actually about a relationship that has ended, it gives the idea behind it a bit of a twist than if it were just a declaration of sickeningly sweet love, but the real gem for this entry is the clip. It’s openly showcasing a same-sex couple and I am SO happy about that! Despite its gay reputation, ESC is actually more heteronormative than you’d expect, so that clip made me really happy. I want it to do better than it might have otherwise for that alone. I'm glad they’re bringing it to the stage in Lisbon too. I’m annoyed (though not surprised) that Russia said it would cut this song out. Thing is, Russia is allowed to do that in the semi-final, but not in the final, so for that reason if nothing else, I want Ireland in the final. (person from fandom that this made me think of, @dannymiller-irish-fan. Promise I’m done with the tagging now... I think) Cyprus - this is a very typical ESC song, it’s fun and tightly produced so it will do well, but I’m not happy about the lack of originality, plus the pushing of the ‘sex sells’ angle is not something that I subscribe to. Bulgaria - this song feels very current, easily a pop hit you could hear on the radio rather than on the ESC stage. I enjoy it, I think a lot depends on the live performance, how the staging will go, how will their voices blend live, but I think it can be the winner. Estonia - it’s weird, I think her voice is stunning beyond measure, the song is perfect opera pop, I enjoy it whenever I hear it and yet it’s not a song I can see myself listening to outside of the competition. Maybe because it’s not exactly one you can sing along to. All the same, another possible winner IMO. Finland - So this is the strongest Scandinavian contender in my book (so @youslicetheginger, I think you guys have a shot). The song is classic ESC, it’s also well produced and performed, which is really important, so that takes a bit away from the fact that it’s not that original. However, you gotta add in two more advantages, both originating in Saara Aalto being the one performing it (beyond the fact that SHE CAN FUCKING BELT). One is that she was on singing reality shows in both Finland AND the UK before the contest, which probably makes her the most established artist of the whole lot before the competition. That matters because while the Scandinavian vote is split up this year, she can make up for it through fans of hers from outside Finland and Scandinavia. The other is her being open about her engagement to a woman. This, together with the possible LGBTQ reading of her song, I think can also get her a lot of votes. So basically, out of the Nordic countries, I believe she’s gonna place highest. And I’m definitely a fan. Iceland - the most interesting things about this clip and its video: the church you can see in the clip, the streets Ari (the singer) walks down in it, are ones I’ve seen and walked too, which was pretty cool to me. Ari means Eagle in the Scandinavian language, which is a cool coincidence with the fact that in Hebrew, the same name means lion. ‘But Alice, these interesting tidbits have nothing to do with the song!?’ you say? Exactly. Sorry, Ari, you look like a lovely guy, you damn well can sing, but this is the biggest bore fest this year. You deserved a better song. Norway - This is the definition of “don’t know when to call it quits”. What’s worst to me is Alexander tried to make it better by saying kids keep asking him how to write a song and this was his reply to them. Either he’s lying and just trying to get the audience to go all ‘awwww’ over his very banal song, an inferior version of the song he had won with in the past... or he’s honest, in which case, STOP LYING TO THE KIDS, Alexander. That is NOT how you write a song. Ukraine - I think this is such a cool, different song performed by a cool, different artist, it’s upbeat, it’s not preachy, it’s unique, it’s catchy, I love it. I don’t think it will win, but it’s another one of my faves. Spain - this love song made me think of @imre-gr, of course. It is sweet and lovely. It was the first song I heard that made me smile, so how could I not think of you? But then, I have to admit that it is very much the typical ESC love duet and while it’s a very good version of it, in a year full of unique and different songs, I don’t think it stands a chance to win. Sorry. :( Israel - honestly, my first reaction when the song was first released was, ‘ok, so we will not win this year either’. I still think it’s too divisive to win (I know the bookkeepers disagree, but I think they mainly rely on how many views the song clips get on YouTube and that is NOT a measure for which one will win the ESC), I think the song’s too original, too creative and TOO out there, not enough people get why the chicken bits were included, too many people started arguing about whether this is a feminist song or an anti-male one, but I was happy to see it was less divisive than I anticipated and that a lot of people have responded so positively to the song, to its message of self-empowerment and to Netta. I can’t think of anything better than so many people seeing a woman who is clearly nothing like the thin ideal of beauty in our society singing “I’m a beautiful creature”, getting that she means it and agreeing with her. Netta in simply who she is conveys a real message and spirit of change for the better. The song itself tries to tackle a serious issue but without being preachy or heavy about it, make it fun for people when they sing about feminism and embracing yourself and your strength as you are. I feel like this attempt sometimes means the lyrics aren’t clear enough (as the song is inspired by the #metoo movement, ‘stupid boy’ doesn’t feel like a harsh enough term for the sexual harassment the song refers to, plus it can too easily be used to make it seem like the song is anti-male, because people take it as if ‘stupid boy’ is referring to all men rather than to jerks who take advantage of women), but I still appreciate what it tries to do. And at the end of the day, I think Netta is fabulous, I think she got her message across, I think her song became popular way beyond the bounds of the competition, so in my eyes, even if she won’t win the contest, she’s a true winner and wonder woman. I’m proud of you and thank you for representing in such an amazing way a huge part of the beauty of my country on its 70th anniversary. <3

#esc #eurovision #Eurovision 2018 #netta #netta barzilai #toy #Israel #Israeli Music #what am i doing with my life

[buzzworddotie]

The Vixen Bites Back

This is going to be an overview / opinion on all the goings on across Episode 2,3 and Untucked!!

To start I've officially gotten over my lack of remembering names and continue to be 100% in love with this season, because even if the challenges are a bit Wah-Wah the fucking Queens are everything!!

First off, I'm just going straight there. The Vixen. I thought initially she was going to bug me because she was seeking drama for dramas sake. However, as I think Cracker rightly says, this girl is SMART. If you didn't catch episode 3 and specifically Untucked for that one, well you've missed out on a Queen telling it exactly how it is, pulling no bullshit and finally speaking all the truth!

Yes The Vixen, Yes! This Queen and Aquaria have been going in on each other and it has not been one sided. Aquaria was giving it all that on her high horse about Cracker stealing from her. She wasn't afraid to mouth off when she felt safe and hidden from her "foe". However The Vixen had zero issue in calling bullshit once Aquaria decided to dodge the opportunity to confront Cracker back in the workroom, which was weird since she did say that it was her intention to do so...

Yet for some reason as episodes pass, Aquaria decided to go ahead and poke the bear some more. When she called out The Vixen for that wig swap what was she expecting exactly? To not get bitten back?

The genius of The Vixen is that she is prepared and able to argue back. And not in a bitchy way, she is able to have her bullet points lined up and completely call out anyone's shit. She's clever and I imagine she would happily go toe to toe with anyone in a debate. Where it all fell down for Aquaria however is that she is unable to bring the debate back to her.

Aquaria is like the embodiment of social media culture. She is happy to say something that may cause some controversy or be a bit bitchy so long as she feels safe, like any keyboard warrior. But there is nowhere to hide here so once she suddenly has to take a rebuttle, she immediately feels "attacked". And she's not, she's not attacked, she's not being bullied, she is simply getting her comeuppance for the things she says. But since she doesn't have the wit to stand behind what she says, she feels hurt.

Look I'm all for empathy, to my detriment at times, but it is hard to feel sorry for Aquaria in these confrontations with The Vixen. And I don't think that means Aquaria deserves to be attacked or have her character assassinated but I also don't think that The Vixen should have to monitor what she says to her.

The Vixen made it clear that she is ready to stand her ground, she doesn't scream or threaten, she simply provides a logical argument. Take the wig scenario, Aquaria mentions that clearly the runway doesn't matter in her view, so The Vixen can obviously rebutte that that statement makes her poking about the wig redundant. And she's right.

In Untucked we see the whole situation get brought up again only now even Dusty gets to comment on her feelings of Aquaria being cold outside of the show. This all results in Aquaria "crying".

Aquaria's emotions came from being called out and it was an instant defence mechanism. It wasn't because of any one thing hurting her, it was embarrassment. Jesus, we've all been there, done or said something to look dumb or make a mistake and once we get caught or called out sometimes it can be easier just to play the victim a bit. Or is that just me?! It's not right, but it happens. And it doesn't make Aquaria a bad person, it just makes her a bit immature.

The Vixen does an incredible job of pointing out the facts here with a level of fourth wall breaking that would put Deadpool to shame as she highlights the fact that to the viewer she will be painted as the "angry black woman". I'm not even going to pretend I can relate to that, I'm whiter than Casper the ghost, but there are some Drag "fans" out there who spew some of the most vile and racist shit you can imagine. It's something I can't wrap my head around to be honest and I don't think the scumbags who do that are actual fans.

From what I can see, the black community has been historically ground breaking in terms of Drag. The very show they are watching was created by a black Drag Queen. It is one of the most diverse shows that there is on TV.

But the fact is most, if not all, of the Black Queens who have been on Drag Race get horrid, racially driven abuse and it is disgusting. It's as if they like the white girls who try to act like black girls but not the actual black girls.

So to see The Vixen put it out there plainly as she did was a champion moment for her. And even her response when Aquaria mentioned that she understood, and I believe she did, was simply to tell her to act like it. That was brilliant. She didn't go after her, she didn't row with her she simply asked her to prove herself by her actions, not just her words.

I mean, clearly this was back then and I imagine we will see growth from Aquaria in this sense but in the larger scheme of things and the social media culture around Drag Race I think The Vixen has done an incredible job of speaking up and fighting for something that I believe she really came to the competition to fight against. The Vixen could prove to be one of the more important contestants to come on this show in terms of calling out the bullshit behaviour that happens online and I am here for it.

And while the race issue is one that does not deserve to be diluted, I think her points even go beyond race. This ability to say whatever to someone and not to be prepared for an argument back is 140 character behaviour. To play the victim, to pull the "bullied" card is done so readily at times and I am so happy to see an intelligent and strong person who is ready and able to reach through the screen and confront the keyboard warrior.

And on with the show...

With my thoughts on The Vixen out there I'll move on!

The Pharmarusical episode featured Andy Cohen who I am not here for ever since that moment where he insulted Trixie while she was RIGHT THERE but he showed up anyway for the mini challenge and for that weird cameo during the performance.

I thought Monique Heart got it a bit rough during critiques because I thought she was pretty good during her performance but then what do I know? Really love her though, a stunnah in drag and seems so lovely and sweet, I hope her momentum starts to take off. She was hilarious during the Ep3 mini challenge as well, I cannot wait to see what she's got planned for Snatch Game!!

I'm keeping an eye on Blair as well, I get the feeling this could be that Queen that does a Dela/Jinx in Snatch Game should she make it that far.

Cracker continues to shine for me, I don't know what it is there is just something about how she carries herself or her delivery or something that is so endearing. She puts the C in C.U.N.T.

I don't think Cracker has had a chance to peak yet but I feel like she's on a steady rise.

Asia is another one that I just love, her sense of humour seems so great and I said it in my first post and I'll say it again as a Queen, beautiful, as a boy gorgeous. As soon as she blew up her fringe during that runway I was sold, it was beyond cute it was fucking extra. Yes the gag of her face was funny during during the App challenge but I felt like the runway really won that for her and I was so happy to see her with a win. I'd love to see Asia go all the way.

This isn't even a review anymore, it's not linear at all but I need to interject and just throw Mayhem Miller's lip sync in here right now because WOW! I knew she'd be an incredible lip syncer and I was proven right.

This also leads me to wishing we saw more of a genre mix with LSFYL songs because there is something so badass seeing ladies who rock celebrated on that stage and I think that grungy rock music makes for a really exciting battle. Don't get me wrong, I adore me some pop and I live for soul and disco but my heart beats to a good drum and bass line so I do hope we see a bit more rock tunes added to the mix.

I mean Aja doing Alanis Morisette Ironic is flipping awesome! YouTube that shit.

Mayhem landing in the bottom this early on is probably exactly what she needed and a chance to see her perform was welcomed.

Eureka was fucking annoying as hell episode 2, Asia has the patience of a saint! I enjoyed Eureka during her stint on S09 but so far on 10 she's not doing anything to win me over and feels kind of out of place to me.

Monet was great during the Ep3 mini challenge, as an Irish girl I just loved her weird Irish thing that just came out of nowhere but when she did the "Erin go brea" singing I was in stitches, way to not just attempt some Paddy whackery SNL nonsense and just be funny and irreverent with it girl.

Also these fucking sponges turning up in every episode is getting ridiculous and I hope it never ends, I hope they don't even point them out they just keep using them like Monique during Untucked.

Poor Yuhua sashayed away Ep3 after a brutal challenge performance and too much air guitar. And by too much I mean any. I really liked her but I feel like she gets that the hard work starts after the show so I think we will get more from her.

Kalorie of course went Ep2, again a sweet queen but I don't think she was going to bring much more to this competition, the standard is so strong this year. She's a beautiful queen though.

I covered alot around Aquaria and The Vixen above but I will say that Aquaria has the potential to turn shit around for herself and I think she has the ability too. If she can accept her mistakes and learn from them she will do well, she's not afraid to act a fool in challenges and her runway is great.

I am afraid The Vixen might falter on challenges particularly when it boils down to acting or comedy in comparison to some of the others, I just get that vibe from her but she was funny in the Ep2 and 3 performances so hopefully I'm wrong because I really like her at the moment.

Dusty Ray Bottoms and Kameron Michaels are 2 I always forget until last. Which is weird because I don't dislike them, I thought both performed great on Ep2 and Dusty on Ep3. I adored Kamerons runway, someone on Reddit made a Final Fantasy VIII connection and I fucking loved it even more, I don't care if she never even heard of the game in terms of costume I lived for it.

Dusty's story of how he was treated when his parents found out he was gay was heart breaking. It's hard to imagine anyone getting treated like that just because of their sexuality, it would be amazing to see that situation get resolved for him but i think he's obviously done an incredible job of not letting it hamper his own life.

Unfortunately, Dusty on the runway Ep3 was a let down for me and i think she needs to win over the judges big time because should she land in the bottom, I don't think she'll stay.

Am i missing anyone? I don't think so.

Oh wait, I am. Alyssa Edwards was the choreographer on Ep2 and all I can say is the producers better find every opportunity they can to get her back, back, back again.

To finish up, despite some piss poor challenges this season really is all about the Queens. If you follow the show, make sure you get behind them on social media and all the rest. And leave all that bullshit racism and threats to the side, it's ugly and pathetic.

Looking forward to Ep4 which is the End of the World Ball. Love that they are getting another design challenge so soon!!

#drag race #rupaulsdragraceseason10 #rupaul #rupaul's drag race #the vixen #aquaria #mizcracker #monet x change #monique heart #drag #drag queen

[junker-town]

The women of the Scottish Highland games

Masters competitor Katy Horgan throws the hammer on Day 1 of the Phoenix Scottish Games | Faron Images

Why women are flocking to one of the oldest, most “manly” sports in the world.

In Steele Indian School park in downtown Phoenix, palm trees sway behind white tents filled with meat pies and haggis for sale. In one of the largest, raucous Celtic bands (one named the Wicked Tinkers) rock out multiple times a day. Outside, bagpipes create an almost constant din. In the middle of the festivities, a metal fence surrounds the main event: Men and women in kilts and sneakers, many tattooed, forming loose groups around heavy objects in a makeshift “arena.”

On a warm, cloudless Saturday in March, the type you’d rarely see in any month in Scotland, the 56th annual Phoenix Scottish Games were held.

Highland games are a centuries-old Scottish tradition, but even in the U.S. they date back more than 180 years. Now, hundreds of these competitions take place around the world every year, although they have evolved considerably since the 11th century.

Notably, they are no longer a men-only contest.

Heather MacDonald, clad in a green tank top and dark red tartan kilt, puts chalk on her hands and takes her turn throwing the “braemar,”a 13-pound rock likely plucked from a patch of local wilderness. The games’ nine events also include the caber toss, which is effectively throwing a telephone pole end-over-end, and the sheaf, in which competitors stab a hay-filled burlap sack with a pitchfork and fling it over a bar. Both are major crowd-pleasers.

MacDonald competes in the women’s amateur A class, the highest class for amateurs. The Phoenix games do not have professional-class events for men or women, so everyone competes as amateurs.

However, in most Highland competitions with a professional class, women have to scrap for equal recognition. They don’t have an official pro circuit like the men. Women have to apply for “pro” status, and the paid travel and prize money that come with, for each competition they attend, and only if it’s available.

A women’s pro circuit would mean more opportunities to participate, and better prize money and potential sponsorships. For now, women like MacDonald compete for accolades and progress towards equality in a contest designed specifically for men nearly 1,000 years ago.

Michelle Crownhart, 62, has been competing in Highland games longer than almost any woman in the sport. The Phoenix resident sits in a camp chair under a tent, watching women throw a metal weight. She’s smoking a cigar and drinking a Kilt Lifter, a beer made by Four Peaks, one of the games’ sponsors.

Crownheart was formerly the athletic director of the Phoenix tournament. She started competing in 1994 because one of her daughter’s teachers was the athletic director then, and convinced her to show up. She learned how to do all of the events on the fly. Back then, organizers would pull people from the crowd, hand them a signup sheet and let them compete if they seemed inclined.

Only five women participated in 1994, Crowheart says. “Out of the five women, I finished fourth, so I was happy, but I fell in love with it.” This year, she wants to take first place at the World Masters Championship in Ireland.

Shaena Montanari

Heather MacDonald preparing to throw the Braemar stone.

Crownhart was also one of the first competitors in the Women’s World Championships, which used to be held in Phoenix but recently moved to Oklahoma. She says that only in the last year or so have women been given pro designations, despite their small, yet mighty, representation: “It’s taken that long.”

Women’s participation in the games grew quickly over the last decade. In 2009, 201 women participated in Highland events, according to a database of athletes and results on the North American Scottish Games Athletics (NASGA) website. In 2019, that number climbed to 702.

Competitors in Highland games can generally sort themselves into whatever class they feel they belong to: lightweight, masters or the A, B and C amateur. To participate as a professional, an athlete needs to be deemed worthy based on skill and reputation by the games’ organizers. Women can be invited in the same way as men if a competition offers a pro class for them. But men are the only athletes officially classified as pros on the NASGA database.

“There isn’t even a place on the website to enter a score as a pro if you are a woman,” MacDonald says. When someone asks her how to go pro as a woman, she says it isn’t really a “thing” like it is for men.

MacDonald, a former discus, shotput and hammer thrower at California State University Fullerton, got into Highland games 14 years ago during her last year of college. She believes the women’s classes have “exploded” with athletes in the last five years largely because of the community. In college, track meets sometimes felt overly competitive. That’s not the vibe among Highland games athletes. “We’re the Island of Misfit Toys because we all come from very different backgrounds,” MacDonald says.

Amaris Saldate, another athlete at the Phoenix games, is a chaplain who used to be a professional rodeo barrel racer. She describes herself as “not a sporty-type girl at all,” and jokingly refers to her body type as “the Michelin Man.”

She found the sport by accident. Two years ago, she walked into the Phoenix games after finishing an exhausting shift at the Phoenix Veterans Administration, which borders the park where the games are held.

“There’s this crazy, small little blonde lady running around in a kilt and throwing shit, and I was like, ‘What is she doing?’” Saldate laughs. The blonde lady was Rachel Smith, a Highland games athlete and co-organizer of the Phoenix games with her boyfriend Tim Timm, the athletic director. They invited Saldate to a weekend practice, and from then on she was part of the crew.

The earliest records of Scottish games first being held in the United States are from Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1836. The games have continued and spread across the country, even in places with thin connections to the Scottish diaspora.

The Phoenix games, like others, also put on a handful of Scottish and Irish cultural activities over the weekend — like pipe and drum performances, and dance competitions — and host representatives from more than 50 clans. Richard McBain, the acting chief of the McBain Clan was the “chieftain of the games” in Phoenix. Unexpectedly, he is also from Tucson.

While the games’ organizers strive to create a fun atmosphere, many of the athletes are competing to qualify for even bigger competitions.

MacDonald’s goal is to be invited back as a pro to the Scottish Highland Gathering and Games in Pleasanton, California, which are the largest in the country, drawing crowds of more than 30,000 people. Until recently, the prize money was much better for pro men than women.

“And that’s a huge, huge deal,” MacDonald says. “For a long time, we were like, ‘What the heck, why are we getting 50 bucks for fifth place and then the fifth place for the men gets like $600?’ That’s ridiculous.”

Fortunately, some athletic directors are now going out of their way to give women a better cut. The director of the Pleasanton games even raised the top prize for women to $2,500, which is the most MacDonald has ever seen.

At the Alaska Scottish Highland Games, only the pro men were paid, until Jeni McDaniel took charge. As athletic director, she got approval to have women pros compete instead of men at the 2018 games.

“At first, there was a little bit of resistance,” McDaniel says. “But I said, ‘I promise you these women are going to put on a show.’”

The event exceeded expectations.

“The majority of our vendors ran out of food and ran out of beer. It was pandemonium. We broke all-time records with attendance,” McDaniel says.

She credits the games’ success to the novelty of having women pros compete. In 2019, McDaniel obtained funding for six pro men and six pro women to participate.

“They are phenomenal to watch,” she says. “With any pro at any level, you are being paid to put on a show for the crowd and they deliver tenfold.”

Women participating in Highland games can dream big in a variety of ways. No one competition represents the pinnacle of the sport. There’s the World Masters Championship for athletes over 40 years old. There’s the International Highland Games Federation Chile tournament, where qualifying men and women amateurs get a paid trip to compete. Even the Arnold Sports Competition, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famed multi-sport event, has an indoor Scottish Highland games, though only one of the four amateur classes is for women.

MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Heather MacDonald competing in the caber toss in Pleasanton, Calif.

But when the women aren’t focused on competition, they enjoy being part of the strong community that characterizes the sport above all. In Phoenix, Timm and Smith are ringleaders, organizing weekly practices for anyone in the area who wants to try heavy events for the first time. Timm calls the group “an incredible family.” At the games, he shows off a table of prizes for the winners, which includes handmade Viking axes.

This year, Timm created replicas of Scotland’s famous Dinnie Stones for the event. The real Dinnie Stones are two granite boulders with metal rings attached to them. The goal: to lift the two rocks, one weighing 414.5 pounds and the other 318.5, off the ground for as long as possible. The record is 41.00 seconds. The replicas, which Timm made by pouring mortar into a hole he dug into the ground, come in at 252 and 261 pounds each. Some of the competitors called them “Timmie Stones.”

Without passion like Timm’s, Saldate might never have discovered that she is a natural Highland games athlete, which she credits to her “ranch worker DNA.” She is competing in the open division at the Phoenix games, but she wants to qualify for the Arnold Sports Competition in Ohio, and eventually go to Scotland to see the sights and compete.

Though lifting heavy objects is a solo endeavour, competitors cheer each other on. Saldate bought plastic tiaras to hand out anyone who breaks a record. And elites, like MacDonald, often travel together to Highland or other strongman competitions throughout the year. She prefers road trips. “It’s part of the experience of being a little community, it’s part of the fun,” she says.

Being a Highland games athlete can feel like a lifestyle more than a hobby, filling the hours outside of day jobs. And sadly, because of the coronavirus pandemic, most of the fun for this year is likely over.

The Phoenix games took place the first weekend in March, at the precipice of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.. The Las Vegas Highland Games in April were soon canceled, as was the World Masters Championship.

“It’s been kind of a bummer,” Saldate says. She was planning a trip to the Las Vegas games with other Phoenix-area competitors.

Because of social distancing, athletes are now limited to practicing at home. MacDonald says she has heard about “backyard games” being held around the country so competitors can stay sharp and keep posting numbers to the NAGSA database. MacDonald is currently rehabbing an injury, and has her sights set on 2021. Of the eight competitions she had planned for the rest of the year, seven have officially been canceled.

She misses the sport and her fellow women throwers. And though they’ve set up Zoom dates, they only help so much.

“We didn’t form these connections with people out of nowhere, we all still share our common connections and want to be involved with the Highland games,” MacDonald says. “We can’t do that right now, but the connection that we created can still be preserved.”

[podcake]

Podcast Teatime: Boston Tea Party

Hello again, readers! To cap off this fine interview month, I scored big with pulling aside the creators of Greater Boston Alexander Danner and Jeff Van Dreason for some talk and tea.

(The following is a direct copy-and-paste from the email) 

Question One: I’ve always liked the semi-documentary style of your show. The way it often starts off with an interview that somewhat reflects the central topic of the episode is a nifty framing device. Is there any reason why you chose to do this? JVD: For one thing, our show is set in a real place, albeit a skewed, alt universe real place. Since we mention factual events and history, there’s already some bleeding between fact and fiction, past and present. Further, the show is about a community - a geographical area larger than a city. We have a large cast, but our thought process was the more individual voices that we hear from in the show, the larger our community feels, the more similar to a city and its surrounding areas it sounds. 

The answers we select from our interviews match the tone of what we’re going for, both for the show as a whole and the individual episodes. Some of them are funny, strange, sad, or a mixture of all of the above. It’s a nice, refreshing way to start, I think - hearing something real and authentic straight from someone’s mouth. It’s not written, it’s not rehearsed, it just is.  Finally, it was a good way to make the show more diverse, which was a huge concern for us giving that most of our cast members in Season 1 were white.

It’s a city. Cities are diverse, so it should have a diverse feeling.

Question Two: What is it about Boston that drives you write an audio drama based around it? Are you from that city or do you just personally find it interesting enough to write about?

AD: We’ve both lived in Boston for a long time, but neither of us is originally from here. We’re actually both from different parts of New York. For me, Boston very quickly felt like “home.” I love living in a city that you can reasonably cross from end to end on foot, and pass through such very different places. Boston’s one of the oldest cities in the US, so for good and bad, there’s a lot of history here, and Boston loves wearing its history openly. So it’s easy to find inspiration, both for quirky moments and dramatic.

JVD: Boston is such a weird city! So much of it makes very little sense. There’s this huge sense of working class ethos mixed with higher ed academia, it’s seriously progressive while also being incredibly old fashioned. There’s so much history and it surrounds us everywhere, but then there’s also a ton of development, so you have these old buildings next a bank-sponsored skyrise, the old Trinity Church is dwarfed by the John Hancock tower, but it’s also reflected in its windows. 

That’s Boston in a nutshell; this tiny, old little church directly next to and reflected in an imposing glass tower, Boston’s tallest skyscraper. In the Greater Boston universe, much of what’s happened in the past  remains in the present somehow; the sticky streets from the molasses flood in the North End, the fact that Wonderland is still an amusement park, the trash fire on Spectacle Island – and those are conscious decisions rooted in the fact that our history still surrounds us everywhere we look, whether we’re aware of it or not. 

There’s even some antiquated laws that are technically still on the books in Boston. I remember hearing you can challenge someone to a legal duel on the Boston Common because that law has yet to have been thrown out or redacted. And part of that weirdness to me is urban alienation. Every time I take the Red Line, I think of how weird it is that all these strangers are crammed together in this underground moving box, and everyone acts like they’re completely alone, ignoring the humanity, the community all around them. 

And that’s really a city in a nutshell. We’re all literally in the same situation, we have so much in common, but people sit seats apart from each other. They’re afraid of even their clothing getting too close to another human being. And I get it, because people are afraid of standing out and looking weird, or encouraging weird behavior from strangers. But I feel like the harder we try not to connect with other people? The weirder we all look! 

Question Three: Greater Boston is often described to be a sort of slice of life meets magic realism show…with a subway. Was this the genre you were aiming for or do you deem Greater Boston to be something else entirely?

AD: I think that description captures us pretty well. I worry more about the humor/drama balance than about nailing down a specific genre descriptions. That said, magic realism has certainly been a major influence on my my writing for many years, as have contemporary slipstream authors like Kelly Link. JVD: I appreciate the fact that our genre and tone are difficult to pin down. We wanted to create something complex, something that felt more like a novel in audio form, something that defied classification. It can be a tricky thing to balance, honestly, and we’re both very conscious about making sure some episodes are funny, some are more serious, while all of them sound a little…off, weird, strange, different. That’s the Greater Boston blend we’ve always been going for.

Question Four: Your cast of characters are colorful, to say the least. Is there anyone in particular that’s the most fun to write for?

AD: Well, they’re all fun to write for in different ways, especially because we’ve really tried hard to give them all unique voices. But I don’t think anyone will be surprised to hear that there’s a particular pleasure in writing Mallory. She was only ever meant to appear once, giving her recounting of Leon’s death, back in episode four, but she was just too much fun to write not to revisit her. And now she’s an important part of the full ensemble.

JVD: Mallory is a blast, but she’s also very difficult to write because you constantly have to come up with new and creative ways to swear! I’m not sure I can pick a favorite, honestly, but I love writing scenes with Gemma and Charlotte. They just have such an interesting and complex relationship. I really like Nica too and I use her to express a lot of my personal frustrations and demons. And Leon. Leon’s character is so finite that it’s easy to slip right into that voice.

Question Five: You’ve gotten to collaborate with quite a few people including those behind Ars Paradoxica as well as cameos by Lauren Shippen, Rick Coste, and Ryan Estrada. What was it like getting to work with them and what do you think it’s done for the show?

AD: Oh, it’s so much fun! We’re very lucky to have so many wonderful people who’ve been kind to our show. Getting Beth Eyre in for a recurring part through Season 2 was especially exciting, and she was wonderful! But one of my favorite aspects of this community is how gamely people step into help out on each other’s shows. So many of us have appeared on each other’s shows at this point! (I’m especially proud of my turn on The Infinite Now, in the episode “The Martian Thirst Trap.”)

Of course, that we were allowed to actually *write* a piece of arsParadoxica was a particular honor. They allowed us to write something thoroughly ridiculous for their characters, which was generous and a delight to be a part of. And “Curses” won’t be the last bit we guest write for other shows–but I think we’ll have some announcements to make about that closer to 2018.

Question Six: One of my personal favorite things about Greater Boston has always been the music selection. How exactly did you manage to get a soundtrack that screamed, “This an alternative version of Boston!”

AD: The music began with Dirk and Emily, who are old friends of mine. I actually know Dirk from my days in making comics, and we long talked about collaborating on a project. We *meant* a comic, but Greater Boston became the first project we actually worked on together. He and Emily happened to be talented musicians, playing primarily Irish folk and maritime traditionals, which is perfect for representing Boston. 

They then brought in Adrienne, who introduced the hurdy gurdy to our sound, which was a brilliant addition. Jim, who brings in the drums, is someone we both know through our teaching jobs. We kind of pull talent from all over our lives. Dave Lewis, whose original piano music appeared in season 2, is someone I hadn’t spoken to since middle school, but the show brought us back in touch!

BONUS: I’m sure many people want to know what pushes you to keep writing and creating your work. In something as rickety as the podcast scene, you never know what audience you’ll attract and what success may come your way, so what is it that keeps you determined in such a broad and still growing art field? JVD: A lot of what initially pushed us into the genre of audio drama was our frustration with trying to publish our fiction and produce theatrical work. It’s really difficult to do either of those things and what I love about podcasting is that you can just do something independently. 

It takes time, it takes work, it takes hours scheduling and recording and producing, but you’re able to make something complex and beautiful on your own and with the help of your friends. It’s more collaborative and hands-on than writing a story, and there’s more evolution in story than a produced play. And in either case, you have time to build an audience. 

Neither of us had dreams of producing the next podcast smash when we made Season 1. We just wanted to get our writing and stories into as many heads as possible. We’re actually blown away with how much Greater Boston has taken off. That’s not to say we’re some kind of runaway podcast smash, but it thrills us so much to know we have an audience. A small audience, but a dedicated one. That’s so huge to us. It’s a tremendous responsibility, in some ways. We don’t want to disappoint people. 

We don’t want to let anyone down. But it’s also thrilling and pushes us into wanting to make our show even better, with each new episode and season we write and produce. We also have to credit how nurturing and supportive the entire audio drama community is. It’s one of the best artistic communities I’ve ever encountered and it feels incredibly exciting to be a part of it, right now especially. I think in many ways, we feel really lucky that the show came out when it did, because we were among a lot of other fantastic audio dramas being released shortly before or after we kicked off. I think we’ve both longed to be in a community like this, where we can pop into each others shows or help record something for each other or even write something for another show. 

There’s something so rewarding about that to me. It’s the type of creative situation I’ve looked for my whole life.

AD: And the fact that audio drama is still a growing, developing field only makes being a part of it more exciting. Right now, it’s possible to jump in, and right away have your voice heard, and even feel like you’re influencing the direction the form is heading. The whole experience has been creatively invigorating.

It’s always these creative duos that give me some of the best answers. Hopefully you feel as warm and fuzzy as I do after that interview and are eager to check out Greater Boston for yourself. Thank you all for joining me for tea…now get the fuck off my Red Line.

#greater boston #alexander danner #jeff van dreason #the greatest boston there is #q&a #podcast teatime #the infinite now #ars paradoxica