#you think we’ll reach 2000?

[jujutsubaby]

🍒 only fans boyfriend!toji headcanons 🍒

☆ pairing: toji fushiguro x afab!reader ☆ summary: blurb in which toji is your bf who helps you take your photos and videos for your onlyfans ☆ warnings: 18+ !! MINORS DNI !! dirty talking, nudes, sex work, penetrative sex, idk what else lol ☆ a/n: i'm having some serious toji brain rot send help

bf!toji who first thinks of the idea of you doing an only fans after taking his millionth video of him pounding into you. he won’t lie, initially it was because he was tight on some cash and didn’t wanna borrow from you again, but he was convinced you could be some insane OF celebrity. “i’m not sure about it, toji. i don’t want randos to see my face…” you surmise. “c’mon, we’ll cover your face, doll, if that’s what you’re worried about. i swear, we could be raking in thousands from this.” the prospect of coming across a large amount of money like that was enticing…

bf!toji who suggests that you start out simple. “maybe just a shot of you wearing somethin’ cute for the camera, i dunno.” after work one day, you both go to a lingerie store and pick out a sheer pink babydoll slip on, with silky bows on the shoulders. at home, you fish out an old mid 2000s digital camera from the garage and present it to toji. “you’re gonna be my sexy photographer, right?” you tease, as you change into the babydoll slip dress. 

bf!toji who totally sucks at taking photos at first, but is a quick learner as he learns all your best angles and poses. turns out when money is on the line, he’s a hard worker after all. pictures of you sluttily sticking out your tongue, and the dress straps falling off your shoulders send toji into a frenzy, and you both take a quick sex break before going back to taking the photos.

bf!toji doesn’t know how to edit photos for shit so you use the minimal photoshop you know to spruce up your makeshift boudoir shoot. not to toot your own horn, but you kinda ate those pics up, and toji can’t get enough of it. at work, he’s partially distracted, fighting off enemies with half a brain as the other half is trying not to get turned on (one time, he did get turned on while fighting and it was awkward to say the least. the guy’s dead now so toji doesn’t really care). 

bf!toji who creates the OF account for you because you’re feeling too shy to do so. the interface is confusing for both of you at first, but you guys get the hang of it pretty easily. you post the boudoir photoshoot and immediately close the laptop because you’re terrified of it flopping. “the damage of no one subscribing to me, toji, i would die,” you say earnestly, feeling nauseous. “if no one subscribes to you, i’ll fuck the memory out of you, don’t worry,” he says nonchalantly as he picks a random show on netflix to watch. he’s not bothered by this even one bit and you think it’s because he doesn’t care but really, it’s because he’s that confident.

bf!toji who wakes up before you the next morning for work and quickly checks to see if your photos gained any traction. “holy shit, doll, wake up!” he practically pushes you off the bed as he shakes you and you groggily wake up, irked at the intrusion of your slumber. “toji, i swear to god i’ll kill y-” “you just got 300 subscribers overnight, shut up.” he says, cutting you off and meeting your lips with a tender kiss. you quickly pull back, eyes widening at the news. 

bf!toji who reassures you that you’re only gonna blow up more, and that’s why you need to post more photos and videos. it starts off small: simple photoshoots and more slutty lingerie. you arch your back as toji gets an ass shot with your camera. he slaps it hard, leaving a red handprint mark and snaps a couple more photos. 

bf!toji who encourages you to start doing videos after reaching over 1k subscribers. you do a little strip tease/dance while toji films, but the first time you do it, toji folds almost immediately and has you pinned under him. you try again the next day, and graduate to longer more explicit videos – fingering yourself, using toys, and live streaming. toji buys you a couple cute masquerade masks to use, too. 

bf!toji who loves it when you get donations during streams. he ends up creating an amazon wishlist for you of things you guys could really use around the house. he can’t remember the last time he bought you lingerie anymore because your donations would usually cover that cost. that being said, he always chooses lingerie for you. he knows exactly what other horny guys are looking for on girls. “doll, i know crotchless panties are awful but i know the male gaze – they don’t give a fuck. look, okay, i’ll buy you that one piece too, don’t give me that look.” he says to you as you throw in a bunch of lingerie of your liking in the cart. 

bf!toji who finally decides to join you in front of the camera, giving your fans what they wanted. the way he sees it, he fucks you senseless for free every night anyway, might as well get paid for it. toji makes a show to tear your nice lingerie off you and leaves visible marks in your skin from his touch as he pounds into you or bites your neck. 

bf!toji who joins you on your livestreams, and they usually end with you bent over a desk, skirt hiked up, and his arousal deep inside you. “you guys think she deserves to cum?” he asks the chat, feeling you clench against him. he knows you're close, and it turns you on knowing it’s out of your control on whether or not you get to feel a release. your fans love your pornographic and lewd moans, but with toji fucking you, you don’t even have to act for them to come out of your mouth naturally. speaking of your mouth, toji especially loves when you have a masquerade mask on while he makes your little throat gag. you love it when he tests your gag reflex on camera in front of an audience, and everyone can tell when they see you soaked through your panties.

bf!toji who surprises you by taking you on a lavish vacation to bora bora when you reach over 10k subscribers. “we built this shit together,” he says, talking about your OF fame and money. you can’t remember the last time you guys worried about paying rent, and he wanted to do something special for his slutty little doll. he got one of those seaside huts surrounded by a private deck. your breath is taken away by the surprise, and toji wastes no time getting all your clothes off and getting you into the water. the makeout session turns into him fingering you underwater as he pushes your bikini to the side. after coming all over his fingers, you give him a handjob under the water, and toji has to quickly climb out of the pool so he doesn’t cum inside it and has to request a clean up on the very first day. 

bf!toji who fucks you more times than you can count in the water, on the bed, in the infinity pool, that one time super discretely under the blanket in the beach. you bring up the idea of filming a little here and there on vacation. “what? the grind never stops,” you say jokingly as you set up the camera on the tripod in front of the bed. he surprises you by using some silk ribbons to tie your hands back while he licks and kisses every inch of your body, focusing especially on your sensitive nipples erect for the camera. he blindfolds you, hands still tied back while he eats you out. the electrifying sensations are amplified in the darkness of the blindfold, and you make an absolute mess on the sheets and his mouth. 

bf!toji who uses the last night of your trip there to convince you to film one more video, this time on the private infinity pool outside your hut. you come out with a black strappy bikini with a sheer babydoll cover up. “don’t take off your clothes just yet, doll. just come in the water.” he commands, and you slowly get into the water. his silhouette looks ethereal in the golden hour of the sunset as you approach him. he cradles your jaw and kisses you deeply and passionately.  

bf!toji pulls away from you and guides you to the edge of the pool that stares out to the pink sunset and the turquoise ocean. “what? gonna fuck me while looking at the sunset like a stupid romantic?” you jeer, poking his chest. he chuckles nervously. “eventually…”

bf!toji who pulls a small black box from behind him and opens it to reveal a big shiny diamond ring. tears start freely falling down your cheeks and you don’t even hear what toji is saying (you feel a little bad – he must’ve prepped this speech for a while but you were far too emotional to process anything). all you do is nod your head vigorously as he gently puts the ring on finger. a perfect fit. and it glistens just perfectly in the dimming sun.

fiance!toji who then fucks you into the sunset like a stupid romantic.

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #toji fushiguro #fushiguro toji #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen smut #jujutsu kaisen toji #toji x reader #toji x y/n #toji fushiguro x you #toji fushiguro x y/n #toji fushiguro x reader #toji fushiguro smut #toji zenin #zenin toji #toji zenin x reader #toji zenin smut #toji zenin x you #dilf toji #jjk toji

[margowritesthings]

The Greatest Gift A Cowgirl Could Ask For

a @rdrevents Valentines gift exchange for @cowboydisaster

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: Arthur Morgan x f!reader word count: 4,400 words warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, explicit language, sexual themes, vaginal sex, mentions of death, unprotected sex, throwing up (TW EMETOPHOBIA), very brief mention of SA in the past, unexpected pregnancy, mentions of Micah Bell a/n: am I britney spears in her 2000 grammy award winning song??? because oops, i did it again. i don't know how I managed to get Bea as my recipient for a SECOND time, but it only felt right to carry on building this universe I've made for her and lying to her about it all week. Whoops.

Bea, my beloved, Happy Valentines Day. You deserve the world and Im so glad I could dedicate this fic to you. Honestly I probably couldn't have gotten the motivation to get back on my feet and write again if it wasn't for you. Thanks for everything you do bby and I hope this lives up to your 'if by some miracle you get me for your gift exchange disregard my prompts and write a TGG prequel' (yes she actually said that) idea. Love you lots xxx

taglist: @cowboydisaster @inkandbloodbound @counteveryfreckle @elifsukirdaghehe @reaveries @delilah-grimes @luvliewriting @mrsarthurmorgan7 @photo1030 @snobbybastard

My Darling Wife,

I’m writing to you from up near Tempest Rim. I’ve tracked this bounty all over the goddamn Grizzlies and I’m ready to come home to you. I miss you so much and I’m real sorry I can’t be home in time for St. Valentines. Hopefully I can catch this bastard soon and make it up to ya. We’ll go to the theatre and sit right at the back, how’s that sound? I’ll move heaven and Earth to be beside you soon, you know I will.

I can’t wait to see you, sweetheart. I’ll be there as fast as I can be with enough money to take you out on the town. Won’t be long, I promise. 

All my love, Arthur

All my love, Arthur

All my love, Arthur

Your finger runs over his looped script, over and over as if it will somehow will your husband out of the crumpled paper and into your bed. It’s been 2 months since the letter arrived, 2 months of the agony of not knowing if he’s dead or alive robbing you of sleep each and every night. You miss him, more than you could ever imagine one person could miss another and you honestly don’t know what you’ll do if he doesn’t come home. 

It’s a 600 dollar bounty, it’s sure to be a tough job you constantly reassure yourself, unable to focus on anything but the absence of half of your very soul in every waking moment. 

The day he comes home starts like any other. Time's arrow marches on, the sun rises and sets over your makeshift family as they work and plan and rob and hunt. You busy yourself planning a job with Karen, cushioned into your schedule between menial tasks so that it’s just that bit easier to not think about him. As usual, your efforts are in vain, but at least the chores are done, your steed Diesel is happy, and, all being well, you and Karen will have about 30 dollars to split between you when the week is out. 

An hour before he comes home, everyone retires to bed, save for John (who’s on watch tonight) and you’re left alone by the campfire. It crackles and pops, embers swirling the air around you. It feels like you stare at the twisting flames until your eyes blur and burn and you can’t tell which are tears of irritation to your senses and which are your heart breaking once more.

Moments before you’re reunited with the second half of your heart, you hear John yelling. It’s instinct that drives your hand into your holster, still resting against your hip despite the late hour, and you perk up like a startled deer, straining to decipher Marston’s words.

“Who is it?!” “Arthur, you dumbass!”

Arthur.

Arthur?

“Arthur?!” It’s a breathless shout, barely heard over the rushing blood in your ears as your feet take you to your husband before your mind can even fathom that he’s here. 

But sure enough, when you reach the edge of camp, heart racing, you see Arthur Morgan riding his chestnut mare straight towards you, spurring her into a gallop as soon as he lays his eye on his waiting wife. Marston probably makes some remark about who ‘decided to show up’, but to you, there is nothing but you and Arthur, two magnets parted by an unnatural force finally reaching each other again with a deafening crash. 

And it is. A crash, that is, when Arthur all but throws himself off his saddle and your bodies collide, great big arms wrapping around your frame. It is then that the tears fall down your cheek, soaking into Arthur’s coat that smells so much like him it truly feels like a dream.

You thought he was dead.

Only when you’re safely in his arms, when he’s pressing frantic kisses to your head, whispering your name over and over into your hair do you allow yourself to admit that fact. You thought he was never coming back, and yet here he is. Words fail you, the overwhelming emotion settling right in your throat.

“Oh, god… oh, darlin’ I-I missed you so much…” 

You feel two large hands cup your cheeks, pulling you in for a kiss that holds everything and anything the past 3 months could have been had you not spent it apart. But everything fits back into place, the world starts spinning again and you’re whole the second Arthur Morgan’s lips meet yours. It lasts a lifetime, it lasts a fraction of a second. You want to stop time, keep Arthur in your arms forever and never again have to go through the torture of being away from each other. The two of you only part to throw near identical scowls at John, who is amusing himself by telling you to get a room.

Unfortunately, as Ms. Grimshaw so often reminds you all, the Van der Linde Camp is not a hotel, so tonight you will not be afforded the luxury of a private suite as John so kindly suggested. There is only your tent, hitched against the gang’s weapons wagon, the old canvas pulled around to offer a little privacy when you and Arthur first started… well, needing the seclusion.

Calloused fingers intertwine with your own digits, Arthur’s other hand flipping John off before his weight pulls you towards your little corner of camp. There's so much purpose in his stride, the need to have you all to himself, not even share you with the lord above or wildlife below, driving him forward. Driving him home. 

When you’re finally, truly alone, the tears welling in your eyes glistening in the candlelight, no words are needed. Soon enough, you’ll talk for hours on end, catching each other up on every little detail of the last few months. But for now, all that there is and all that could matter is right this very second, when Arthur reaches for you, brushing a thumb over the tear tracks on your left cheek. His eyes, looking almost emerald in the dark of night, roam over each and every detail of you with such an intensity in him that you think he’s trying to remember this moment for the rest of time. You’re sure it’s one you could never possibly forget. 

Arthur snakes both arms around your waist, guiding you backwards until the backs of your knees gently hit the cot and you lay back onto it. He covers the full length of you and then some, making you feel so fragile and small. It’s nice to feel breakable for once, to let go of the need to be the strongest in the room, lest you be ridiculed for being too sensitive or too weak or too womanly. Arthur knows just how strong you are, you need to prove nothing to him, so you can submit to his embrace, allow yourself to just breathe for once knowing you can break and there’s re will always be somebody to put you back together.

He lowers himself to your lips, pressing a kiss to them that doesn’t last nearly long enough. Arthur then kisses your nose, then your cheeks and chin, before trailing down to the crook of your neck. Your skin feels as though it’s on fire, so starved for the man you cannot live without that now he’s finally here everything feels that much more intense. The tiniest scrape of Arthur’s teeth against your flesh shoots through every single nerve in your body and you moan right into his ear. You can actually feel him harden against your thigh at the sweet melody of your pleasure. 

Pushing Arthur’s hat off to the side, your fingers rake through his hair, nails scratching at his scalp encouragingly as he nibbles at your skin.

“Oh, Arthur… Oh, I missed you so much…” You breathlessly whisper, feeling your heart skip a beat when he pauses his movements to glance at you from under impossibly long eyelashes, jade green eyes glistening up at you.

“I missed you too, sweetheart. So so much.” His voice is soft, as if he’s handling the peacefulness around you so delicately and it causes the overwhelming emotion to well in your chest and choke up your throat. Arthur sees this, trying not to be too taken with his own surprising amount of emotion himself, and relieves you of your job of a response by directing his attention to the buttons of your shirt. You don’t remember him pushing your jacket off your shoulders, but there it lies on the floor beside the entrance to your tent, so he must have.

Despite the juxtaposition of such dainty buttonholes and such large fingers, Arthur expertly undresses your top half until you’re bare to him. He takes no time at all to take one of your nipples into his mouth, kissing and sucking at it with a hunger you feel right in your toes. You moan loudly, unable to stop yourself after yearning for this very feeling for so long. 

Arthur coos and shushes you and it vibrates across your skin, not helping you stay quiet in the slightest. The hand not tugging on his dirty blonde locks reaches between your two longing bodies to begin to unbuckle his belt. You can feel your own heartbeat throbbing between your legs, your coil growing tighter and tighter by the second. It’s been almost 3 months since your bodies have joined like this, and yet you’re not sure you can wait another minute. 

You’re purring for Arthur, twitching and grinding as your hand fumbles desperately at the belt. His absence from your skin is agony the second he pulls his hips back to sit up straight. Spotting your downright bratty expression, bottom lip protruding in a pout, Arthur chuckles lowly, “Patience, baby… I gotta get these damn clothes off us.” He gestures to his belt, still very much buckled around his waist. Definitely not your fault. He was being far too distracting.

He’s quick, you’ll give him that, shedding his clothes without taking his eyes off you. You burn under his stare, even more so when he crawls back on top of you to slide your boots off one by one and peel your pants and undergarments down your legs.

The heat radiates off his huge body, his cock pulsing with need. The way he’s putting his weight into his arms to stop from crushing you with his weight adds a definition to his already beautifully sculpted body. Reaching down, you brush the tip of your finger oh so gently over his rosy head, finding a bead of cum already leaking, and you snap. You can’t wait a second longer, scratching and gripping at him like he’s the air you need to breathe.

“Please, Arthur, please I need you. S-So long, it’s been so long-” “Shh, I know, princess, I know. I’m gonna take care of you, okay? Gonna take care of your pretty little cunt, I promise.” He soothes you, though his own voice is shaky from the very effort of restraining himself, maintaining his control to not drive into you and ruin you. While he whispers to you, he lines himself up at your entrance and you quiver in anticipation.

In all your years before you met Arthur, you never really saw sex as anything but something to give, or worse, something to be taken from you. You never truly understood, not until you met Arthur, who taught you it’s something to share, to experience. With Arthur, it’s different. It is connection and pleasure and it’s wonderful and god damn it, it’s addictive. So when Arthur slides into you, letting out a visceral, guttural groan as he does, everything is right in the world.

You feel so full, especially when Arthur pushes all the way to the hilt, connecting you completely at the pelvis. The moan that escapes your lips is downright obscene and Arthur crashes down into your mouth to swallow it. 

Maybe it’s the fact that it’s been so long, or the emotion of it all, but you swear you can feel everything. Every vein and ridge, every twitch and movement of his perfect cock as Arthur slowly starts to move in and out of you. 

“Fuck… s-so good, darlin. So tight- y’feel so fucking good, princess…”

You’ve never hurtled so close towards a climax so quickly in your life. His torturously slow, deep thrusts drag into your sweet spot every fucking time and trying to hold back brings a blur into your vision. Your own hips grind against his, Arthur gripping into your flesh to guide you perfectly in time with him.

“I-I’m so close already, Arthur… fuck…” You breathe out, your breath tickling Arthur’s ear and sending a visible shudder down his spine. He looks proud at your admission.

“You missed me that much, huh? Gonna cum for me already, darlin’?” 

He gives you no time to respond, pressing a thumb to your clit and rubbing in time with everything else. You implode, pulling Arthur down to catch the scream you’re about to wake everybody up with. It has never felt so intense, and with every thrust Arthur fucks into you it only grows and grows, shattering you to pieces for Arthur to fix back together again. 

When you return, a rhythmic thudding in your ears, the first thing you see is Arthur, of course. His jaw is fluttering madly, a bead of sweat clinging to his forehead but the candlelight makes him look ethereal. You still can’t believe he’s here, alive.

Tears start to glisten in your eyes. You’ve never cried during sex before, not for anything positive, at least, but somehow this doesn’t feel wrong. Arthur slows again, watching you, and you spot an extra shine to his own jade orbs. He knows. He feels it too. 

He’s right there with you. As he always is.

He brushes a piece of hair stuck to your forehead away, and the gesture is enough to send the tears falling down the same worn path on your cheeks as before.

“I love you, Mr. Morgan…” “I love you, Mrs. Morgan…” 

It seems to become too much for Arthur to stay still, and you’re glad for it. You’re desperate for the friction, already flying towards another orgasm. He’s really fucking into you this time, pulling almost all the way out before driving back in. He’s groaning and growling and you decide in that moment that it’s your favourite sound in all the world. 

“I… I ain’t gonna last much longer, baby…”

“C-Cum in me…” “Huh?” He slows, shuddering at the exertion required to control his movements, “I-”

But you’re not listening to his protests, your nails digging into the skin of his back and ass and anywhere else you can reach to urge him forwards again.

“Please Arthur, I-I need you… I need you to cum with me, I need you with me…” you plead with him, not truly understanding your need but honouring it. You’ve been without him for so long, you deserve him with you now.

He appears to consider you for just a moment, before diving down to lock your lips with his. His tongue delves into your mouth, tasting every bit of you and he starts to pump into you unreservedly. His body grinds against yours and the friction is perfect and you’re so fucking full and before you can even try to hold back, you’re cumming again, stars scattering your vision, heart pounding out of your chest to find release from it’s mortal, physical cage. Your inner walls twitch around Arthur’s length and this time, he doesn’t hold back either. 

His eyes fly open and lock onto yours as you both climax together. It’s vulnerable and strange, but perhaps more connected than you ever thought possible for two people to be. 

Arthur’s cock twitches inside you, pumping out his spend as he groans viscerally, completely losing control of his rhythm as he thrusts into you one last time, harsh and deep. You’ve never experienced this before, with Arthur or any other man, normally erring on the side of caution when it came to such matters, but even as you come down you can’t bring yourself to regret it. Whatever you and Arthur just experienced together felt spiritual, and worth much more than a little risk.

Arthur collapses, even as depleted as he is still considerate enough to collapse onto his elbows and not crush you. He slides out of you, earning a little wince, and rolls to the side so you can rest your head on his chest. It’s like a locket that’s been ripped apart, finally fixed together with the most satisfying click. 

═══════☆═══════

Two months later, life has returned to its equilibrium. You and Arthur are perhaps clingier, still in a sort of second honeymoon phase where you just can’t seem to keep your hands off each other, more so than usual. It’s a side effect of prolonged solitude, you’re sure.

The first time it happens, you blame Pearson and think nothing of it. It’s pretty early in the morning and you’re sitting with Tilly and Abigail, peeling potatoes for the stew tonight. Abigail is venting her frustrations about when John did this and John said that, and everything feels so normal. Pearson arrives, throwing a rather large, rather dead fish onto the table you’re leaning against and you feel the thud from the weight of it vibrate against your back. 

It isn’t until the smell invades your senses that everything starts to feel off. It smells exactly like all the other fish Pearson has ever slammed onto that poor table, which doesn’t explain why you immediately lurch forwards, grabbing an empty bucket and throwing up your breakfast. The fish stench is suffocating and all you can do is get the hell away from it, not noticing when Abigail’s brows knit together almost… knowingly?

You skip the stew that night. 

―

The second time it happens, you try not to think about it. You’re riding Diesel and almost don’t make it off him in time. There is nothing to set you off, no horse shit or rotting animal at the side of the road, and yet in an instant your stomach feels like it has been flipped upside down. 

The sheer volume of your retching catches Arthur’s attention and he tugs on the leather reins in his hands to steady his mare. 

“Darlin’? Y’alright?” 

His concern is evident in his tone and in the tight line between his brows, which deepens when he finds you unable to respond in anything but a frantic nod. He dismounts, spurs clicking against the dusty ground when he approaches you. 

“Oh, sweetheart… that’s it, easy, easy… you’re okay…”

You feel gentle circles rubbed into the tense muscles of your back as you try to get through this again. It’s not lost on you that Arthur is speaking to you like a spooked horse, but it actually really does help. (You decide to prioritise peace of mind and not psychoanalyse why that is). Eventually, it relents and you regain your composure, albeit somewhat less gracefully than you’d have liked. 

“Sorry… I don’t know what’s gotten into me, maybe I ate somethin’.”

Your apology for something you can’t help earns you a sad smile from your husband, who places a loving kiss on the top of your head before reaching for your discarded hat and putting it back on for you.

“Y’don’t gotta apologise. I gotcha, darlin’.”

You know he does.

He always does.

―

The third time it happens, the luxury of denial is stolen from you. It’s early enough that your view while you sit with Abigail drinking coffee involves glorious hues of orange and pink scattered around the rising sun. It’s peaceful, tranquil. The warmth of the little metal mug in your hands and Arthur’s jacket around your shoulders is enough to ward off the fresh morning chill in the air.

There is absolutely no warning when it hits, when it happens again. You’re so goddamn sick (no pun intended) of hurling. Your eyes water and your throat hurts a little and you curse under your breath when it’s over. Abi is beside you, rubbing your back in an attempt to soothe you. She waits until it’s over before speaking hesitantly.

“Uh, can I ask you somethin’?” 

You nod, eyes still red and glistening as you swirl coffee around your mouth to take away from the awful, acidic taste lingering. 

“When did you last bleed?”

“What, like an injury? Uh, I cut my hand couple days back, but I don’t see what-“

… Oh fuck. 

═══════☆═══════

The anxiety bounces around your body and you decide that you’ve become far too acquainted with the concept of nausea. You can actually tell the difference between nerves  twisting your stomach and… well, let’s say it as it is:  morning sickness. This is the former, you deduce, spinning both your engagement and wedding ring around your finger to give your hands something better to do than carve fingernail-shaped moons into your palm. He should be home any minute now. Any minute now and it will all change forever.

It’s quite late, but the poker game Arthur was scoping out for potential jobs is known to last a while. You’re the only one still awake, poking the embers of the campfire to keep yourself as comfortable as possible. 

You hear hooves hitting dry dirt first, and it seems to trigger your fight or flight response. God, you’d love to run away from this, but that is pretty much impossible, so fight it is. It’ll be the greatest fight of your life, you’ll soon learn, one you’re privileged to be a part of. But right now, it feels like an all-consuming unknown. 

Arthur can tell something is wrong the second he sees you. You’re terrible at hiding things, especially from him. He always reads you as though you have a poster advertising your feelings printed on your forehead. Arthur dismounts, kissing you tenderly on the temple and wrapping his arms around you.

“What’re you still doin’ up, darlin’? Is everything alright?” You can feel his worry vibrating in his chest as you nuzzle into his embrace. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I just… Can we talk? I kept the fire goin’.” You say it into his shirt, reluctant to move from this hold.

“Of course…” there’s something in his voice, a tense apprehension that really doesn’t help the knot contorting itself in your gut. 

While you’re more than capable of keeping a fire going, Arthur is an expert, and has it healthily burning within seconds of you sitting down on the overturned log the gang has fashioned into a bench. You’re back to spinning your beautiful gold bands around your finger, trying to remember to breathe in and out every so often.

“What’s goin’ on, sweetheart?” His voice is so soft, so kind that it makes you want to cry. But you promised yourself you wouldn’t until you’d told him, because this might just be the most important conversation you’ve ever had, and you definitely won’t get through it if you’re a blubbering mess.

“I, uh… I… somethin’s happened.”

You hear his breath hitch in his throat and Arthur leans towards you, completely enveloping your hands in his. They’re sandwiched in now and you can’t fiddle with your rings anymore.

“What? What happened? Was it Micah? If he’s said somethin’ to you, I’ll kill him, the rat bastard-”

“No, no, it’s… as much as I’d love to see that, it’s not him.” 

The tension releases. Just a little bit.

“I’m pregnant.” 

Oh wait, there it is. 

The silence is deafening, even though you’re almost certain it isn’t actually silent out here right now. There's a fire going and crickets are just metres away, you’re just shutting down with nerves. 

The normally so often tense, fluttering jaw of Arthur Morgan is slack, his eyes wide and gaping at you, occasionally flicking down to your so far bump-less belly. (You should know- you’ve been obsessively looking in a mirror any chance you get for some sort of sign that this is really happening). 

Say something. Please say something. Please don’t be angry. Oh, God please don’t hate me. 

“I-I… You’re pregnant?” He repeats, reassuring you that you haven’t actually gone deaf, though his tone holds no indication of anything but shock. That’s probably fair…

You nod, hands instinctively reaching over your belly. It feels… weird. Holding your hands over your baby. Yours and Arthur’s baby. 

“It happened a couple months back, when you got back from The Grizzlies, I think… I-I’m sorry, Arthur. I shoulda’ been more careful and-and…” You’re rambling, filling a silence that probably should just be allowed to be a silence.

“There… There’s gonna be a baby?”

There. Right there, adorning Arthur’s beautiful features, is the pull of a smile. It chokes you up instantly, so far deep in nightmares of arguments and unhappiness that you hadn’t even considered the good. You start to nod, a little bit of your fringe falling in your face.

“Yeah… There’s gonna be a baby. Our baby…”

“Our baby…” He repeats, his arm raising to brush the hair away from your eyes in such a natural manner it feels like it’s just his instinct to care for you. It is his instinct to care for you, Arthur has shown you that in every minute of every day of your marriage, and suddenly you’re not sure why you’ve been so scared. 

“I’m gonna be a dad?” He still seems in disbelief, but that’s normal. It’s taken you a few days to come to terms with it, and even then the fingernail marks in your palms are still red raw. 

“You’re gonna be a dad.”

It hits him. Really hits him and he all but throws himself into you, scooping you up and spinning you around as he laughs unreservedly.

“Well goddamn, I’m gonna be a Daddy!” 

You laugh with him, worries and anxiety a distant memory as your feet swing around in the air. You’re probably waking the camp up, but you don’t care all that much. Right now, you’re the happiest girl in the world.

A baby. There’s gonna be a baby. Arthur’s baby.

Really, it’s the greatest gift a cowgirl could ask for.

#arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan rdr2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan smut #arthur morgan fanfic #arthur morgan x you #arthur morgan imagine #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan fluff #arthur morgan x f!reader #arthur morgan x y/n #rdr2 fanfiction #red dead redepmtion 2 #arthur morgan rdr #rdr2 arthur #rdr valentines change

[phierecycled]

For anyone who wants to make a dead whizzer/aids joke or argue that it’s fine to do so because he’s not real, read these transcripts which ARE real and see the kind of people you’re aligning yourself with.

White House Press Briefing: October 15th 1982

Press Secretary Larry Speakes takes questions from members of the media. At this point in time, about 1000 people in the US had died as a result of AIDS/AIDS related illness

Q: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement—the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?

MR. SPEAKES: What’s AIDS?

Q: Over a third of them have died. It’s known as “gay plague.” (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it’s a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?

MR. SPEAKES: I don’t have it. Do you? (Laughter.)

Q: No, I don’t.

MR. SPEAKES: You didn’t answer my question.

Q: Well, I just wondered, does the President—

MR. SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter.)

Q: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?

MR. SPEAKES: No, I don’t know anything about it, Lester.

Q: Does the President, does anybody in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?

MR. SPEAKES: I don’t think so. I don’t think there’s been any—

Q: Nobody knows?

MR. SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.

Q: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping—

MR. SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he’s had no—(laughter)—no patients suffering from AIDS or whatever it is.

Q: The President doesn’t have gay plague, is that what you’re saying or what?

MR. SPEAKES: No, I didn’t say that.

Q: Didn’t say that?

MR. SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn’t you stay there? (Laughter.)

Q: Because I love you, Larry, that’s why. (Laughter.)

MR. SPEAKES: Oh, I see. Just don’t put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.)

Q: Oh, I retract that.

MR. SPEAKES: I hope so.

Q: It’s too late.

White House Press Briefing: June 13th 1983

The next year, Speakes again conducts a press conference with members of the media. No less than 2000 people have now died in the US.

Q: Larry, does the President think that it might help if he suggested that the gays cut down on their “cruising”? (Laughter.) What? I didn’t hear your answer, Larry.

MR. SPEAKES: I just was acknowledging your interest—

Q: You were acknowledging but—

MR. SPEAKES: —interest in this subject.

Q: —you don’t think that it would help if the gays cut down on their cruising—it would help AIDS?

MR. SPEAKES: We are researching it. If we come up with any research that sheds some light on whether gays should cruise or not cruise, we’ll make it available to you. (Laughter.)

Q: Back to fairy tales

White House Press Briefing: December 11th 1984

Another year later and AIDS related death numbers reach over 4,200.

MR. SPEAKES: Lester’s beginning to circle now. He’s moving in front. (Laughter.) Go ahead.

Q: Since the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta—(laughter)—reports—

MR. SPEAKES: This is going to be an AIDS question.

Q: —that an estimated—

MR. SPEAKES: You were close.

Q: Well, look, could I ask the question, Larry?

MR. SPEAKES: You were close.

Q: An estimated 300,000 people have been exposed to AIDS, which can be transmitted through saliva. Will the President, as Commander-in-Chief, take steps to protect Armed Forces food and medical services from AIDS patients or those who run the risk of spreading AIDS in the same manner that they forbid typhoid fever people from being involved in the health or food services?

MR. SPEAKES: I don’t know.

Q: Could you—Is the President concerned about this subject, Larry—

MR. SPEAKES: I haven’t heard him express—

Q: —that seems to have evoked so much jocular—

MR. SPEAKES:—concern.

Q: —reaction here? I—you know—

Q: It isn’t only the jocks, Lester.

Q: Has he sworn off water faucets—

Q: No, but, I mean, is he going to do anything, Larry?

MR. SPEAKES: Lester, I have not heard him express anything on it. Sorry.

Q: You mean he has no—expressed no opinion about this epidemic?

MR. SPEAKES: No, but I must confess I haven’t asked him about it. (Laughter.)

Q: Would you ask him Larry?

MR. SPEAKES: Have you been checked? (Laughter.)

hear some of these transcripts here

President Reagan would not even mention “AIDS” for the first time publicly until 1985.

when you make jokes about tragedies and works of art in DIRECT response to such tragedies it’s not ‘just a joke’ about a fictional character, it’s a slap in the face to every victim, every person who lost a partner, lost a parent, a sibling, a friend.

these people in the 1980s were joking and laughing about queer people dying, despite having all the possible power to act up and prevent as many people from dying that did.

it’s 2023. do better

#VERY long post but with good reason #falsettos #falsettoland #falsettos fandom #william finn

[nightmaree-eyess]

One night stand

Abby tlou fic

Summary: you meet abby at the bar and have a one night stand

Smut Mdni 18+, masc abby,first person pov, female reader, public sex, strapping, fingering, nipple play, teasing, stone top abby

Word count: 8436

Scroll down for smut starts at —--

“We gotta get you laid tonight” Dina said

“Yeah, when was the last time you even interacted with a woman that wasn’t platonic?”

Ellie and Dina love giving me shit about my love life. Just because they're in love doesnt mean I have to be! It was Ellie's idea to go to the bar tonight for operation “get me laid” (her words not mine). I'm totally fine with the life I live right now. I'm focused on college and don't have time for messy relationships. But they've been worried about me since my last relationship. It didn't end the best and I haven't been in the dating scene since. I didnt even entertain the idea of a hoe phase.

We walked up to the entrance of the club and the sound of muffled house music echoed through the streets. I stare at the door and take a deep breath preparing myself to enter.

“Are you ok? I'm not gonna force you to do something you don't want to.” Ellie said concerningly

Dina nods in agreeance

“Yeah im fine just hyping myself up”

“You'll be fine and whenever you wanna leave just tell us and we’ll go” Dina said

We enter the club and they're playing early 2000’s music. Maybe tonight won't be so bad after all. Even if I don't get laid, I'm still hanging out with my best friends and having drinks.

“We're gonna go find a table! Will you get our drinks please?” Ellie yells over the music

I walk over to the bar and from the corner of my eye I see a girl, her dirty blonde hair in a french braid, carabiner on her jeans, emitting the most confident, sexy aura that I can feel standing 10 ft away. I lock eyes for a second and she gives me a wink and then she walks away.

“M’ame your drinks”

“Oh shit sorry”

I didn't even realise I was staring. Even though I was staring I didn't even get a good look because she was gone as fast as I noticed her.

I grabbed our drinks and Dina texted me what table they're at. I make my way over and I scan the crowd for the mystery girl. I think I lost her and that wink was the only action I was getting tonight. Pathetic.

“Ah man wtf”

Fuck…

“Shit im so so sorry i wasn't paying attention to where i was going this is all my fault im so sorry let me venmo you for the shirt im-”

They turn around and I realise I just bumped into the girl that winked at me. I stand there dumbfounded and flustered.

“It's ok, honestly. It was getting kinda hot in here anyways so thanks for the refreshment.”

She takes off her button up to expose her sculpted muscles and her patchwork tats. Holy fuck this woman is my dream woman. Now all she's wearing is her wife pleaser and she wasn't wearing a bra because I noticed her nipples hardened.

“Please at least let me pay you back for the shirt i feel awful”

“I know another way you can pay me back,”

I give her a questioning look

“Dance with me.”

I was not expecting that response. But i accepted cause i would be lying if i said i wasn't looking forward to hanging out with this beautiful woman.

“ i don't even know your name”

“Its abby”

She reaches out her hand and I place my hand in hers. They’re calloused and I wonder what she does for work, what her hobbies are, but it's hard to get to know someone when the music will definitely give you hearing damage.

She's pulling me to the dance floor and “Hot in Herre by Nelly” was blasting over the speakers. The music fills me with nostalgia. I'm taking in this woman dancing in front of me. The colorful lights make her look ethereal and so gorgeous. It feels like it's just me and her on the dance floor and no one else is in the room.

She grabs my waist as the song “Crazy in love by beyonce” booms across the club. We barely talk because there's no point if we can barely hear eachother even when we're touching. She stops for a moment with her arm still around my wait. I give her a concerned look at first that melts into admiration. I cant believe out of everyone in the club she chose me. She could've been mad about the drink and stormed off but she didn't. She was kind about it.

We lock eyes. And before I know it she's pulling me in for a kiss. The sounds around me are muffled. I almost dropped my drink to give into pure submission. She holds my face and moves her thumb in circles on my jaw. She smells of pine and citrus and it's dizzying. Her lips are as soft as clouds and I'm already hypnotised.

—----------------------------------------

Our kisses get more frantic, sloppier. Kisses that will leave our lips bruised and swollen. She grabs my ass and I hitch my breath. I grab the back of her neck so my kisses land more deeply. I'm already getting wet and we were just kissing. Wow, maybe I do need to get laid. I break the kiss and a trail of spit keeps us connected.

“Meet me in the bathroom, big stall”

I walk off and make sure no one else follows me into the bathroom. After a minute i hear a knock on the stall

“Its me abby”

Her voice is raspy from yelling and it's so sexy.

I pull her into the stall and start unbuttoning her pants as we kiss when she stops my hand

“Are you ok? We can stop”

“Yeah it's just that…i'm a stone top. I prefer to give than receive.”

I let her take the wheel and we started kissing again. She pulls my hair enough to expose my neck and she plants kisses sloppily. She's definitely going to leave hickeys but I don't care.

She's hiking up my dress frantically. God, I'm already so wet. She cups her hand around my cunt.

“Going commando eh? Less work for me”

Im moaning into her neck while she palms my clit. My legs want to give out already but Abbys is holding me up with her muscular tatted arms.

“Oh fuck abby” i moan in her ear

That must've drove her crazy cause she takes 2 girthy fingers and teases my entrance. Then slowly she slips them in and I enter another dimension

“Oh my god you feel so good”

I grind my hips to match the movement of her fingers. My wetness dripped down her hand. Abby's grunting in my ear and it makes me feral.

“F-faster abby”

I could barely get the words out

“I want you to come on the count of 5. No sooner. No later. Can you do that for me princess?”

I almost came right then and there

“Mmhmm” is all i could get out

She starts counting

‘’1…” she whispers in my ear

“2…” i could cum right now

“3…” she's going faster and she added her thumb circling my clit. I almost lost it.

“4… you're doing great you're almost there”

I'm being loud at this point but I don't really care. This feels so fucking good.

“5.”

I grab a fist full of her hair and mess up her braid. I cum all over her hand and scream in ecstasy. I almost fall over but Abby catches me.

We kissed for a bit and I realised I don't want this to end.

“Wanna come over to my place? I live right down the block?” I whisper

“I would love to” she kisses me

I take her by the hand and let Dina and Ellie know I'm leaving. They give each other a confused look and then put the pieces together. They were probably wondering where I was all night. I'll have to apologise later for ditching them but they'll understand.

I walk up to my apartment door and Abby hugs me from the back taking in my scent, leaving more hickeys, which makes me drop my keys, flustered. I bend down exposing between my legs and Abby cups my ass in her hands.

“Damn cant even wait to get through the door” I say teasingly

I open the door and she spins me around and leads me into my own apartment by my waist. She closes the door and we kiss each other like the world is ending. She leads me into the kitchen on the left and lifts me up on the counter effortlessly.

“You smell so divine, I can smell you from up here” Abby said raspy and deep

That makes me horny all over again

She spread my legs with her hips, planting kisses down my body. She takes my dress off and throws it on the floor. I'm vulnerable and naked now. She presses kisses on the tops of my breasts, leading down to my nipples. She takes my right nipple and starts sucking on it. I tilt my head back in pure bliss and let out a little moan. She works her tongue around my nipple while sucking, giving little flicks with her tongue. It's driving me wild. You need her inside you. But in a different way. You stop her for a second.

“Are you ok?” she asks worryingly

“Yeah of course I just wanna ask you something.”

She looks at you with a blank look

“I-I have a strap that I want you to use on me, if that's ok with you. I bought it because i thought id get more action but-”

She quiets you with a kiss

“I'd love to angel”

Abby smacks my ass as I run into my bedroom to get the strap and dildo. When I return she's sitting in the living room on the couch across from the kitchen.

When she sees the strap her eyes go wide with eagerness. I hand over the strap and she unbuttons her straight legged levi’s and her carabiner thuds to the ground with the jeans. She's wearing grey boxers and god i wish i could kiss her happy trail down to her pussy and eat her out. She puts on the strap and sits on the couch. And pats her lap. I walk over and straddle her. She grabs my hips to ease me on and the dildo slips in. I didn't even need lube since I'm so wet. I slowly bounce up and down, grinding my hips to hit the spot.

Abby grabs your tits and circles my nipples with her thumbs.

“You're so sensitive”

I picked up the pace and grabbed Abby's shoulders for stability. She notices and moves one hand down my body and slowly inches her way over to my cunt.

“Youre so fucking wet for me baby” she says like butter

Abby takes two fingers and circles your clit as you move up and down.

“Oh fuck abby right there. Im gonna cum, im gonna cum. Im gonna-” you scream in bliss as you lower your head in the crook of Abby's neck for stability and she kisses and bites your ear which brings on a second wave. Abby takes her hand and licks it.

“You taste so fucking good baby.”

She kisses me to prove to me that I do.

We ended up cuddling on the couch and I don't know when but I slipped away in blissful sleep surrounded by abbys huge, inked arms.

—----------------------------------------

In the morning I woke up to the space next to me empty. The apartment is quiet and I wonder where everyone is. All that was left of Abby was her scent in the cushions and the memories plastered in the walls. She didn't even leave a note and I never got her number. I guess she’ll just be a memory now.

#abby x you #abby x reader #abby smut #abby anderson smut #abby anderson #abby tlou #Abby fanfic #tlou #smut #abby anderson fanfic #tlou fanfiction #fanfiction #masc Abby #stone top

[moondust-imagines]

Ink Part 2 (Christian Cage x Fem!Reader)

I promised I was only going to write one shots but here we are

Part one here

October 30th 2000 Monday Night Raw

You climbed out of the limo just after Christian, grinning at Kurt Angle as Adam chattered about ‘living in luxury”. All of you had the night off, thanks to Stephanie. Speaking of which, she was sniffling away behind you. She clearly had a nasty flu but was determined to stick around to help out Kurt. You linked your arm in hers as you followed the boys to her locker room where you were going to set up Adam’s ‘party’.

“You sure you don’t want to go back to the hotel hun? That cough sounds awful” You asked sympathetically. Her eyes were red and puffy as she shook her head at you.

“I want to be here for the cage match” She sniffled. You knew better than to try and argue with her.

Once you had decorated Stephs locker room, you sat yourself on Christian’s lap. His arms quickly circled around your waist to pull you against his chest and he gave you a gentle kiss on your shoulder. Kurt paid you both no attention as he was far too preoccupied with Steph curled up on the chair opposite but Adam let out a huff of displeasure.

“Can you two quit it for one day? As a birthday present?” He whined. You knew he wasn’t actually upset about it. It wasn’t like he was sleeping alone at night either.

“Got to keep my girl happy, don’t want to die old and alone like you” Christian teased earning a shove from the other man.

“Alright boys, play nicely” You sighed playfully. You reached down to grab the presents you and Christian had hastily wrapped this morning.

“These are for you, birthday boy” You grinned.

Considering it was a shirt that both of them were given for free, he seemed pretty happy with it. You leant over to give him a friendly kiss on the cheek when he thanked you. Christian huffed and demanded one too, like you’d ever deny him a kiss.

Hunter stormed into the room soon after, probably to check on his wife. As much as the boys tried to keep the energy going, everyone else was clearly having none of it. When they found the streamers and kazoo, it was no surprise that you were all kicked out.

Adam disappeared to meet a friend, you guessed he was getting a ‘present’ from one of the girls. You and Christian had found a quiet corner away from everyone else. You were perched on a table with him sitting on a metal chair between your legs as you played with his long blonde hair.

“You really think we’ll grow old together?” You asked quietly. He looked up at you with those blue eyes that always made you melt and smiled softly.

“Of course I do, your stuck with me for the long run now babe” He replied.

2023 AEW: Dynamite

You wished you could say you didn’t think about Christian often but you’d be lying. Sure, it had been a good few years since he had walked out of your home. He had left you in tears with barely a glance back. You had even tried to warn Jack when they started working together but then you were framed as the jealous ex. You wonder what Jack thought of you now. Adam joining the company had been refreshing, he had always been a good friend to you regardless of Christian. Now you suppose he’s seeing the side of Christian that broke your heart.

You were stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to the stage. Adam practically jumped down the stairs, still running high on the adrenaline. He greeted you with a, harder than intended, pat on the back. You walked him back to his locker room, making comfortable conversation the whole way. He stopped just before his door and checked there was no one else in the hallway.

“So, how’re you doing? It can’t be easy seeing.. him every week” Adam said quietly. You had been dreading this conversation with him. He knew everything that that happened between you and Christian.

“It’s fine. He’s preoccupied, hasn’t actually came near me yet” You shrugged. You felt yourself getting self-conscious. It wasn’t unusual in a company with so many people in it to not speak to everyone all the time. But you both had been here for a year or two now. Adam raised an eyebrow at you suspiciously.

“Suppose that’s better than him harassing you as well. Maybe someone’s had a word with him” He mused. He pulled you into a bone crushing hug, promising that him and Beth would have you over for dinner soon. Then he disappeared into his locker room leaving you to wander around by yourself.

You decided there wasn’t much else you were needed for so you shot Tony a quick text before heading for your car. You saw Nick and Killswitch crowding the car parked next to yours and silently cursed fate. You smiled politely at them as you passed. As you rounded your car to get in, you were met with Christian. His phone was pressed to his ear, he must have tried to get some privacy behind your car. He mumbled goodbye and shoved it in his pocket. There was a moment of awkward silence before you went to the car door.

“Leaving early?” He asked. You willed yourself to just get in your car and drive away, it’s what he would do. You just didn’t have it in you.

“Yeah, Adam’s finished his segment. No one else to hang around for” You shrugged. He hummed in response and the awkward silence fell again.

“How’s your back feeling?” He asked. You wanted to roll your eyes, of course he wanted to know. He’d probably rub it in your face for weeks that you were the only one that couldn’t heal up to come back.

“Hurts when I stand up too long, so if you don’t mind” You gestured to your car. His eyes flashed with hurt at your dismissal but he stepped back to let you get in.

“See you around” He muttered as you slammed the door shut.

Once he was out of sight again, you ran your fingers over his name tattooed on your shoulder. You had thought about getting in removed so many times over the years, now you were cursing yourself for never going through with it. His marks were still all over you, physical or not.

#aew imagine #christian cage x reader #christian cage imagine

[kendsleyauthor]

✨Forlorn + Delight✨

Promptober 2023

Print / Trinket Universe (Xander and Grayson)

~2000 words

A sequel to Rabbit. The aftermath of Xander kissing Grayson isn't all sunshine and rainbows-- at least not a first. 😉

@marydublinauthor 🌸

Just ‘cause.

Those two words pulsed through Grayson like poison—Xander’s off-handed explanation for his viciously protective behavior. Just ‘cause. Sealed with a kiss. Twenty-four hours later, Grayson couldn’t settle on precisely how to feel.

Enthralled? Insulted? Terrified? Starving for more.

“Grayson?” Everly waved a hand in front of his face.

They were sharing a snack on the metal rigging high above the stage. The chunk of soft pretzel had gone cold by the time they reached the top of the rigging, but the privacy was unmatched. More and more these days, truly taking a breather meant finding a spot where no humans could bother them.

Everly cocked her head at Grayson, chewing thoughtfully. There were circles under her eyes—more than usual. “Are you okay?” she asked before he could ask her the same.

Grayson eyed their surroundings. The stage looked impossibly small down below compared to the enormity of the stadium. Tomorrow night, the venue would be packed with nearly a hundred thousand screaming people. His throat tightened at the thought that he might not stick around to witness it.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore.” Grayson wasn’t sure how he managed to form the words, but there they were. Out in the open for Everly to gape over.

“What?” she breathed. “What do you mean?”

“I…” He pursed his lips, the words eluding him now. “I never should have stuck around this long. That was a mistake.”

“What are you talking about?” Voice shaking, Everly set her food aside and leaned closer to him. “We need you. Everything you’ve done to keep the Rebellion fund hidden—it’s incredible. No one else can do that.” Her breaths quickened. “What happened? Are we in danger? Grayson, talk to me.”

He put a hand on her arm to calm her. “It’s nothing like that,” he said hurriedly. “It’s… it’s him.”

She frowned, faint understanding flooding her features. “What did he do?” Her voice dropped to a whisper, but her tone sharpened like a vengeful blade.

Grayson was briefly entertained by the mental image of Everly luring Xander to her level so she could deck him across the face. He nearly laughed. No, it was more likely she’d have Micah do the honors. He’d never say no to her. Hell, Micah might even punch Xander of his own accord if he knew Grayson’s feelings were being toyed with.

“He didn’t hurt me,” Grayson said. “I just… can’t be around him anymore.”

“You don’t have to share his room,” she said hurriedly. “We’ll figure out another arrangement.”

“He’ll still be around,” Grayson muttered.

Her shoulders slumped. The mourning in her gaze was unmistakable. While she was desperate to keep the Rebellion fund strong, he knew she was already imagining what it would be like to not have another print on the tour with her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, squeezing his hand on her arm. “I thought… I thought he was safe. Micah said he trusted him with his life. After all this time together, I thought you trusted him, too.”

“I did. It got messy.”

Fresh guilt sparkled in her eyes. “Please, will you just… just finish out the tour? Everything will fall apart if you leave suddenly. At least think about it.”

He sighed. He felt so silly, putting his own lovesick feelings above the work of the Rebellion. But he could focus while Xander loomed in the background. If anything, the funding might be even more airtight if he managed the money remotely.

“I’ll think about it,” he murmured, though he’d already made up his mind. “Can I bunk with you tonight?”

“Of course. Do you want me to go with you to get your things from Xander’s room?”

“No. I’ve got it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

The upside to having a sulky image was that no one questioned when he decided to hole himself up on the bus all day. Xander stared at the ceiling, jaw clenched. Photographers would be crying into their pillow if they knew about the broody expression they were missing out on.

Stupid, he can’t stop thinking. Stupid, stupid stupid, why did you do it?

A ping indicated that the door was about to slide open, set off by a remote electronic key.

Grayson.

“Fuck,” Xander whispered, squeezing his eyes shut for a second. He didn’t move, but he didn’t bother pretending to be asleep, either.

The door swished open. Small footsteps entered the room. Not a single word was spoken.

Xander had never been one to cave in a situation like that. Xander had never put himself in a situation like this.

“‘Bout time,” he muttered despite everything. He turned his head, searching the ground.

Grayson, wearing the same clothes from last night, climbed the steps to the desk beside the bed. He began gathering his belongings. Clothes, notes, sketches, and tiny circuits were scattered across one corner of the surface. Although Xander always muttered he was free to use the entire space, Grayson’s things never moved past an invisible line he had made for himself.

The sight of Grayson stuffing his things into bags made Xander’s heart stutter uncertainly.

“Where were you last night?” Xander asked.

“Backstage,” Grayson answered crisply. “Pulled an all-nighter.”

“You could’ve at least told me you’d be working all night to avoid me. I thought something had happened to you.”

“Something did happen to me.” Grayson threw him a side-eyed glare.

Guilt crawled beneath Xander’s skin, though he didn’t let his mask twitch. Had he completely misread the situation? He thought for sure that Grayson had feelings for him. Yet there he was, scowling and packing up his items like he couldn’t stand to be around Xander for a second longer.

Xander sat up, scoffing defensively. “So, you’d rather sleep on a crate backstage than come in here and talk about this?”

“You’re the one who walked away!” Grayson threw a shirt down into the gathered pile. “And besides—what’s there to talk about? It was a joke, wasn’t it?”

“A joke?” Suddenly, it began to make sense. Grayson assumed that Xander was leading him on. Xander’s face flushed—he hated when he had to spell things out for people. “You think I’d put myself at risk, kissing a print, for a joke?”

“You and Micah have made out on stage plenty of times. It’s all fun and games for you—kissing someone you don’t really want.”

“That was back when I didn’t give a fuck, and Micah would kiss anything with a pulse for attention. Before Everly.” Xander stared hard at Grayson and shifted his legs over the side of the bed to lean closer to the desk. “That’s got nothing to do with…” Us. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. Us.

“Whatever it was, you didn’t mean it,” Grayson said resolutely. 

“I don’t do anything unless I mean it.”

A wry laugh shook through Grayson. He tilted his head back to regard the ceiling. “I know you by this point, Xander. Even if you wanted that kiss, this isn’t going anywhere. Is it? You’re not going to put yourself in danger to make something out of this—whatever this is. Am I wrong?”

Xander was not prepared for the desolate look that was sent his way. Grayson had the exact same look in his eyes when Wyatt had broken up with him months ago. But Xander couldn’t bring himself to answer right away. Grayson was right, in some capacity. He wasn’t sure if he could live the same way that Micah and Everly did.

Grayson’s expression only dampened further. “I can’t do this anymore,” he announced quietly. “I’m going home. Wyatt will let me stay for a while, especially if I keep working on the Rebellion fund from the apartment.”

Blood running cold, Xander found himself at a loss for words all over again. He thought Grayson was only relocating his belongings to a different bus. Not that he was leaving the tour altogether.

Despite everything, Grayson was willing to go back to living with his ex, so long as it meant helping the cause.

He couldn’t recall a single time he’d seen Grayson make a decision that truly made him happy—and apparently, staying in proximity to Xander was the worse choice.

“You know what?” Xander blurted, frustration winning out. “It’s about fucking time. Micah never even asked me if I wanted to be your glorified bodyguard. Guess he figured that I already gripe so much, what’s one more thing?”

Grayson went absolutely rigid, then turned away. Even as he continued to pack, folding his shirts with meticulous detail, Xander kept a glare on him. He saw a tear slide down Grayson’s cheek, and he severely regretted every decision that had led to that tear.

“No… No, I’m sorry.” Xander swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just… I don’t know.”

“What happened to not doing anything unless you mean it?” Grayson snapped, his voice thick. His hands shook. “Why can’t you just say you were fucking around with me? Why do you have to make this so hard? It’ll be easier if you tell me that it meant nothing.”

Xander reached out, gently grasping one of Grayson’s hands to pull him away from the aimless motion of folding. Silence enveloped them as Grayson slowly lifted his gaze. 

Xander didn’t have to close the distance. He didn’t have to lay his feelings out in the open. But he was doing it. Neither of them could chalk up this contact as a spur-of-the-moment reaction. His movements were slow, and delicate, unlike his split-second decision to kiss Grayson backstage.

He gave Grayson a gentle tug closer to the edge of the desk. It wasn’t a command, but an invitation.

Grayson shuffled forward, observing Xander with a guarded stare.

“Can I kiss you?” Xander asked softly.

The air charged between them. He looked squarely at Grayson, searching for any sign that he was too intimidated to say no. But the desire in his gaze was unmistakable, buried under layers of aggravation with Xander.

Grayson’s voice trembled. “Yes.”

Xander tilted his head and brushed his lips against Grayson’s cheek tenderly. From there, it was all too easy to cave into their hunger for each other. Grayson was less chaste, kissing Xander’s lips feverishly. For a moment, Xander held still for him, basking in Grayson’s affection.

They broke apart, eyes meeting. Everything else melted away, and all Xander wanted was more. 

His hands surrounded Grayson, fingertips feeling along his body.  Xander gently plucked up the hem of Grayson’s t-shirt. Grayson put up no resistance, raising his arms. The moment his shirt was discarded, Xander promptly closed the space again and began kissing his torso. He swept his hands behind Grayson, transporting him to one of the pillows on the bed.

Grayson fell back on the plush surface, breaths heavy and eyes fluttering shut. Xander crushed his lips against Grayson’s chest, acutely aware of the tiny heartbeat fluttering maniacally under his kisses. 

“Still think this is a joke?” Xander asked, his breath hot against Grayson’s skin.

He expected a quip in return. Instead, Grayson croaked, “Is this anything? Can this be anything?”

Pausing, Xander pushed himself up on his arms and looked down at his pillow. Grayson looked utterly vulnerable laying there—and it had nothing to do with his size. His eyes begged for a clear answer, desperate to not have his heart broken again. 

“Do we have to decide right now?” Xander murmured, annoyed by the cowardice that held him back from a clear answer.

Disappointment filled Grayson’s dark eyes. “But if I leave…”

Shuddering, Xander leaned down. He could have easily smothered Grayson’s uncertainty with more kisses, but he nuzzled his face against Grayson’s body instead.

“Don’t leave,” Xander whispered.

His hope dwindled with each passing second of silence.

And then Grayson whispered back: “Okay.”

#gt #g/t #giant tiny #gt writing #g/t writing #gt community #g/t community #gt fandom #g/t fandom #gt story #g/t story #gt angst #g/t angst #my writing #print universe #print universe story #printverse #printverse story #trinket universe #trinket universe story #oc: grayson #oc: xander #oc: everly

[bakedbakermom]

Stained

Chapter 1: Sanguine.

Read on Ao3; tagging @today-in-fic @ao3feed-msr

But first, a word from the author. I first wrote this fic when I was about 14, circa late 2000. It was very much a product of its time, both of who I was/how I wrote then, and where the respective shows were in their runs. I found it recently in an archive I will NOT share, and was stunned to find that it actually did have some good bones--and, as is to be expected, plenty of cringe, but I try to look on my past self with indulgence and sympathy in that regard; we are, all of us, unfortunately fourteen at some point. There were even a few beautiful lines in there that I lifted entirely. I don't think I've ever gone 20+ years between a first and second draft, but here we are, in 2023, and I am back on my XF/BTVS brainrot for a second pass (and third, and fourth, as editing commands me). This fic takes place in late season 7 of the X-Files, post-Hollywood AD; and season 5 of Buffy, post-Intervention. Do those seasons line up at all? Nope. But let's be real, neither show was all that great at keeping consistent timelines. Besides, time is an illusion and canon is a sandbox; if we're not going to play, what's the point? As for how a crossover like this works when there are references to one work within the other work? Short answer: Don't worry about it. Long answer: I have lost my mind and you can see my spiral into madness here (contains a few minor spoilers/background info for this fic)

Fic is COMPLETE and will be updated Sundays and Wednesdays.

Scully unlocked the door to room 217 of the Sunnydale Motor Inn and slipped inside, hoping the brief spill of buttery sunlight wouldn’t disturb the occupant. The soft snick of the door plunged her into sudden darkness, but her eyes adjusted quickly; she was getting used to the dark. Inside, little light pierced the drawn curtains, and what did filter through was stained a deep crimson, as if a haze of blood hung in the air.

She eased herself down onto the edge of the rumpled bed that filled half the room and prodded the lump of blankets she assumed was her partner. The lump moaned and shifted, and from the opposite end, Mulder’s tousled head appeared. A shock pierced through her when she saw how pale he had become, how dark the circles were under his eyes; she tried not to think about how he had been sleeping upside down, like a bat. He would only tease her for the comparison. “How are you feeling?” she asked softly, hoping she sounded calmer than she felt.

He groaned, his voice barely more than a croak. “Half dead.”

She lifted one auburn brow and tried to smile. “Oh good, only half.”

Mulder sat up stiffly, his bones creaking and popping like the hinges of a haunted house. The sheets fell away from his bare chest, now a sickly white instead of his usual golden tan. He shoved a pillow behind his back to prop himself up, as if the effort of sitting was too much for his withering body. His eyes narrowed into tiny slits and he winced. “Isn’t it a little bright in here?”

“Mulder, I can barely see you.”

“Oh. Right.”

Something shameful flickered in his eyes and she reached out to take his hand; his skin was dry and frighteningly cold, the bones beneath it not quite right. She pushed the fear down with a thick swallow. “Don’t worry about it. The sun will be down in an hour or so.”

They relied so much on touch to communicate these days. A subtle brush of fingers to say I am here. The pressure of his hand on the small of her back, We’ll be alright. A tear thumbed away from a cheek, Your pain is mine too. A kiss pressed tenderly to a forehead, We’re not done yet.

Touching him was different now. Strained. Stained. Death lived in his skin; it was a void she had to force herself across with every caress, because each time she touched him, she was reminded of what lived inside him. 

What it had tried, gleefully, to do.

Her memories of that night in the graveyard were murky at best, flashes of blood and terror glimpsed only through a dense fog like a stormy night at a drive-in, and it was a relief to her that she was spared the worst details. Her body was healing, and though she knew that repressing emotional trauma was an unhealthy coping mechanism, it was the only thing allowing her to function. The reckoning was coming for her, sure as the sun outside was edging toward the horizon; when the darkness came, it would swallow her whole, just as it was trying, now, to swallow her partner.

The darkness was inside him, a part of him, and she could not touch one without wanting to recoil from the other. She hated the relief that filled her as she released his hand to reach into the paper bag she had brought inside with her. “I got you something to eat.”

His eyes lit up as they landed on the small styrofoam container, the kind usually filled with soup or pasta salad to-go, with the name of a local butcher on the side: Sunnydale Fine Meats. Its logo was a cartoon pig holding up a link of sausage speared on a fork, the little speech bubble near his mouth proclaiming it both local and delicious. Scully found the image horribly macabre. “Beef or pork?” Mulder asked, taking it eagerly from her hands and giving it an appraising sniff.

“Lamb,” she said, and when he wrinkled his nose, “Sorry. It was all they had left.”

“Don’t worry about it, Scully. I imagine it’s a popular take-out spot in this town.” He squeezed her shoulder gently, and she fought not to pull away from the chill of his touch. “Thank you. For all of this.”

He stood slowly, accompanied by another symphony of popping joints. He tightened the drawstring on his sweatpants—when had he gotten so thin?—and carried the container to the microwave in the room’s tiny kitchenette. Her stomach lurched as she realized he was heating the contents. Ninety-eight point six.

Mulder glanced up and saw her staring, then looked quickly away. “Tip from Spike,” he muttered. “Says it’s easier to… get it down… this way. That I’ll get used to it faster if it’s warm.”

“Is it really that bad, compared to..?”

A shudder passed through his body, but not of revulsion. She shouldn’t have reminded him about that, but he answered anyway. “It’s like day-old coffee versus a chocolate shake. With whipped cream. And extra cherries.” His voice dripped with a hunger bordering on lust. “I can handle it, but I’d rather have… well.”

Compassion and pity warred with a visceral disgust and the sudden roiling in her gut pushed her to feet. She couldn’t watch this.

“I’ll let you eat,” she said, too fast, nearly lunging for the door. Stupid, she yelled at herself the moment she realized what she was doing. Don’t give him anything to chase. Not when he’s hungry.

His hand clenched painfully tight around her wrist before she even heard him move, and her heart started to hammer beneath her sternum. She knew he could hear it, watched his pupils dilate as the sound reached him, and his gaze fell on the pulse fluttering in her throat.

The dark centers of his eyes grew inhumanly huge, nearly eclipsing the warm golden green, and his tongue flicked out to lick his lower lip.

Scully stood very, very still.

Her blue eyes were cold and hard as she met his stare. Do not flinch.

“Mulder,” she said carefully, threading steel into her voice. “Let me go.”

He held on, breathing harder than he had any need to, nostrils flaring as he took in the coppery scent of her fear, fingers constricting so tightly she felt the fine bones of her wrist grinding together and the tingling static of the circulation failing in her fingertips. She would have a new bracelet of bruises tomorrow. A sound between a moan and a growl bubbled up from his throat.

Scully’s free hand began to inch toward the chain around her neck when suddenly the microwave beeped from across the room, breaking the tension like a splash of cold water. He stepped quickly away and turned his back to her, shoulders hunched and shaking.

“God, Scully, I am so sorry.”

If her hand trembled as she laid it on his back, they both ignored it. “I know, Mulder. It’s okay. I know.”

“No, you don’t,” he said gently, his voice choked and breaking. “And I’m glad you don’t.”

She forced herself to move closer, to cross the death-black void that had bloomed between them; the fear she felt was a small price to pay to erase the pain written so clearly across his face. She wrapped her arms around his abdomen and laid her cheek against the icy expanse of his back. He flinched as the tiny gold cross on her necklace made contact with his skin; she pulled away just enough to tuck it into her shirt, then squeezed him even tighter. “You’re so warm,” he murmured, placing one hand over hers where it rested against his stomach. “It’s so nice to feel warm again.”

Her throat constricted painfully as she fought away the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, and it was a long while before she trusted herself to speak. Her voice came out small, empty of anything but helpless fear. “What are we going to do?”

He sighed and rolled his gaze heavenward. There were water spots on the ceiling. “Shoot me?”

“Yeah, a lot of good that would do.”

Mulder huffed out a barbed little laugh and turned within the circle of her arms. His hands came up to cup her face, and the defeat in his eyes nearly broke her heart. A single tear slid down his ashen cheek, glinting red in the fading light. Red as blood.

“I’m scared, Scully,” he whispered. His thumbs brushed tenderly over her cheekbone for a moment before he folded around her, his face buried against her neck and his arms painfully tight around her. “I’m so scared.”

She held him as he wept, stroking his hair and whispering soothing words neither of them would remember later. It was not really her words he needed, merely her touch, the comfort of knowing she cared enough to brush up against the monster inside him if it meant that the man could feel the touch of her body, small and warm against him. His tears soaked into the collar of her t-shirt until it stuck to her skin.

No, not tears. Saliva. He licked the place where her neck met her collarbone and moaned. His hands came up to thread his fingers through her hair. He pressed himself tightly against her, and she felt him growing hard against her hip. Her gut clenched, and not just from fear.

“Mul—”

His name died on her lips as something sharp pierced her skin, a sudden warmth spilling down her shoulder. She struggled in his grip, a fly in a web, and he bit down harder.

Scully had an unfortunate amount of practice stuffing down her gibbering panic, translating the adrenaline that threatened to paralyze her into action instead; she summoned every drop of strength she could manage, twisting at the hip, and used the strength of her legs and torso to shove him back. Her hand immediately flew up to press against the wound on her neck as she stared at him, blood trickling between her fingers and her mouth open in shock and fear.

A monster stared back at her from the place where his face should have been, thickly ridged brows and serrated teeth dripping with crimson and eyes gleaming the fevered yellow of a jungle cat. It wore her blood like warpaint, like a sacrificial mask. A growl rumbled forth from what had been Mulder’s throat and its hands clenched and unclenched at its sides as it prepared to strike again. It dropped into a crouch, shoulders hunched, muscles rippling unnaturally beneath the surface of its skin. Its features twisted into something like joy.

Scully wondered if she could free the gun at her hip before it reached her; a bullet might not drop the thing, but she could slow it down.

Even vampires feel pain.

A sudden shudder passed through the creature and a high wail of grief tore from its throat. Slowly, the face softened, melted, Mulder’s familiar features coming back to the fore, dazed and afraid. He touched a finger to his chin and revulsion crossed his face as he realized he was streaked with her blood; the stain of it was shockingly dark against his skin. He turned away, shame-faced, but not before she saw him lick his lips clean.

“Get away from me,” he growled as she started to reach for him. She snatched her hand back as if burned, as if he would bite it. He collapsed onto the bed, his head buried in his hands. “I can’t—I don’t want to hurt you again.”

“I’m all right, Mulder,” she said, though her knees threatened to buckle beneath her. “You didn’t hit anything important. I’m fine.”

But her hands shook as she grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the nightstand and pressed them to her neck; they soaked through more quickly than she had expected, red blooming across the flimsy paper like roses on snow. She dropped them and grabbed another bunch, ignoring the way his eyes followed the sodden ones to the floor. She forced herself to take a step forward, then another, and then to sit beside him on the bed. Her free hand found his shoulder, and though they both flinched at her touch, neither moved away.

“I could have hurt you, Scully. I could have—” He gulped, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “I could have killed you.”

Her hand on his shoulder tightened and she forced him to turn towards her, not with the strength of her hand—pitiful compared to the strength he now possessed—but with the tenderness of her touch. She cupped his chin and waited for his eyes to meet hers; she held his gaze, blue staring unwavering into green. “You didn’t, Mulder. And you won’t.” She took a deep breath. “You’re just hungry, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding shakily. “Speaking of which.” He pushed himself to his feet and crossed to the microwave, fishing out the container and pulling back the lid. His face twisted and fell as a rancid, metallic smell wafted through the room.

“No good?” she asked, nose wrinkling.

“It’s gone all lumpy.”

“Coagulation,” she explained, the medical doctor inside her rising to the surface. “Clotting factors catalyze plasma proteins into sticky threads, forming gel-like clumps that slow blood loss from a wound.”

“Charming. It looks like tapioca pudding that’s been left out for a few centuries.”

Her stomach turned at that mental image. “I don’t know much about your new… dietary requirements… but I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t eat that.”

He sighed, closing the lid and dropping the whole container into the wastebasket beside the mini fridge. “It’s okay, Scully. I can wait.”

“No,” she said matter-of-factly. “You can’t. Mulder, you’re barely standing. You won’t be able to hold yourself back much longer, and you won’t be any help with research tonight.” She laughed, though there was no joy in it. “You can’t even make it through a single stakeout shift without a sack of junk food, and that was before you took on a ravenous, demonic parasite.”

Her voice grew hollow and detached as she realized what she needed to do. “If you snap and… hurt someone… you’ll never forgive yourself.” And I’ll never forgive either of us. She drew her pocket knife from the front of her jeans and turned it over and over in her palm, hoping she’d cleaned it recently, hoping it wouldn’t hurt too much. “No, Mulder, you have to eat.”

“What are you—?! No—!”

But she had already flipped open the blade and pressed it into the creamy flesh of her forearm, below the bend of her elbow. She pushed a little harder, letting a thick bead of blood well up before slashing firmly downward, opening herself to him with a small whimper of pain. Thick rivulets of red, glimmering like jewels, trickled down her pale skin, pooling in the trembling cup of her hand.

Mulder managed to hold her gaze for a brief moment, his face a silent plea for forgiveness—for what he had become, for the hunger he was powerless to fight, for what he was about to do to her. She smiled her benediction as tears fell from her eyes. “Just don’t take it all.”

As the scent of her blood reached him, the demon’s form bubbled up to the surface—and its face was full of nothing but pleasure. It lunged forward and closed its mouth over the wound, its teeth piercing deep as it suckled ravenously, its tongue probing obscenely beneath her flesh. Its hand closed around her bruised wrist almost tenderly, like an apology, pinning her in place; small sounds of satisfaction came from its throat as it gulped her down. It moved off the bed and knelt before her, its free hand spreading her thighs and gripping her firmly as it settled between them.

Deep inside her heart, in a place she rarely thought of and never shared, she felt a tremulous thrill at the need this monster had for her. She knew all the legends, the place vampires occupied in folklore as seducers and devils. She could rattle off theories about devouring blood being a puritanical metaphor for sex: the penetration of the fang as it corrupts innocent flesh, the blood spilling from the bite the way some women bleed during their first intercourse.

Hell, she’d seen that Anne Rice movie more times than she would ever dare to admit.

But no dusty book of folktales or moody Hollywood film could have prepared her for the desire that flooded in to fill the space her blood left behind as it flowed into Mulder’s mouth. Her heart pounded, her breathing grew rapid and shallow, and maybe she could blame that on the blood loss—but not the way she throbbed between her legs as he tongued her open wound.

Pity it took this for Mulder to finally put his mouth on her.

Through the ecstasy of her pain, she felt him pull away. Her head was swimming, and she drew several deep, steadying breaths, feeling out the weakness in her body before deciding she was mostly all right. Not much worse than the annual Red Cross drive at the bureau. She debated asking Mulder for a cookie; but his refusal to meet her eyes, even as the face of the demon faded away, killed the joke before it passed her lips.

“That’s enough, Scully.” He looked around for a moment, as if puzzled to find himself kneeling between her legs, and dropped his eyes as he moved away. “Um. Thank you.”

“Are you sure? I’m a little dizzy, but you can have more if you need it.”

A small amount of color had returned to his cheeks, but the circles beneath his eyes were still dark as bruises. Even as he shook his head and stepped away from her, his eyes lingered on the still-oozing cut, on the thin trickle sliding down her arm and dripping off the tips of her fingers. It landed on the dingy carpet with a patter like raindrops.

She moved quickly into the bathroom and shut the door; she didn’t want to see him licking the floor.

The face that met her in the mirror above the sink was even paler than usual, her freckles like dark constellations spread across the expanse of her skin and circles under her eyes nearly the same purple as Mulder’s. She would have to return to her room and apply more makeup, and find something to cover the mark on her neck, which she was relieved to see was smaller than she had imagined. She shuddered as she moistened a washcloth and wiped away the crust of dried blood that had formed around the punctures, remembering the heat of his mouth, the way her body had coiled with pleasure even through the haze of pain—and the way his body had responded to the hot pulse of her blood in his mouth. Maybe it was a good thing Mulder couldn’t see his reflection anymore; she found herself unable to meet her own eyes, and she had only been the vessel. How must he have felt, drinking of her very life?

In the medicine cabinet, she found a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide and used it to clean the wounds on her neck and arm. Rummaging under the sink produced only a box of moldy bandages, too small to cover the slash she had made. It was deeper than she had first thought, blood still seeping sluggishly down her arm, and she made a mental note to be more careful next time.

And she knew, eventually, there would be a next time.

They had said the pull of human blood was strongest in newly-turned vampires, and she had witnessed firsthand how he struggled to consume animal blood. If it was a choice between feeding him herself or allowing him to grow hungry enough to snap and prey on a helpless stranger, she would choose to open her veins every time. At least she had a gun and a cross and her FBI combat training to fall back on.

She grabbed a thin towel from the pile beside the shower and ripped it into strips to clean and bind her cut.

As she worked, she found herself slipping with relief into the cool, clinical detachment of science and medicine, pondering the physical reality of what her partner had become, because the mystical side was beyond her realm of expertise. If she sent a sample of his saliva to the lab, would she discover the presence of anticoagulants, painkillers, aphrodisiacs—chemicals to make the victim more compliant and allow a vampire to feed more deeply? And, she thought with a blush, explain my reaction to his bite? Could his pale skin contain some kind of photo-reactive substance that burst into flames upon contact with sunlight? She had seen vampires bleed; what moved that blood through their bodies, when they had no detectable pulse? What sort of electrical activity would she find in his brain, how did he keep from rotting if his cells were no longer alive, and what was the mechanism of the change that came over him when the demon came out to feed?

By the time she had tended her wounds to her satisfaction, Scully had a long list of questions; even without the answers, she felt more secure in her skin than she had in days. Yes, something horrible had happened to her partner. Yes, she was adrift in a sea of paranormal mystery that she didn’t fully understand. But this was not the first time she had found herself faced with a daunting new reality; she had survived all that had come before, and she would survive this too. She was a medical doctor, a trained FBI agent, and a veteran of more than seven years worth of hauntings, monster hunts, and demons—both personal and literal.

She would face this. For Mulder and for herself. She would find answers, maybe even a cure, if not in the science she held so sacred than in the dusty tomes of mysticism and myth. She took comfort in reminding herself that they were not alone in this quest, that Mulder had somehow stumbled across a band of unlikely allies in this coastal town whose sunny days only belied nights filled with terror and death—allies who had spent years battling the stuff of nightmares and usually won. Even now they waited in town for Mulder and Scully to join them.

She stepped back into Mulder’s room to find that night had fallen completely, filling the room with an inky darkness. The lights were off—he didn’t need them to see in the dark anymore—but she found him by scent and touch just the same and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“You’d better get dressed, Mulder. It’s time to go see the Slayer.”

#my writing #my fanfiction #my fanfic #stained #txf #fox mulder #dana scully #crossover #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #the x files #xf fanfic #xf fic #no beta we die like little green men

[peregrine21]

“Royal Gala Escapade” - Alexandra Privet x Fem!Reader

Pairing: Alexandra Privet x Reader (Barbie Princess Charm School)

Includes: fluff/angst

Warnings: homophobia/forced dances w suitor guys

Word Count: 2,266 (wow I hit 2000?! Such a rarity :o)

Brief Description: Alexandra is your Lady Royal and your parents threw a ball with suitors to find a prince to marry you off to before they hand down the throne.  Oops turns out you’ve been secretly dating your lady royal for a year and a half and that may or may not come to light in front of everyone t the ball. Initial reactions not so great but Alexandra is there for you through it all :)

~~~

You were finishing up your makeup as Alexandra curled your hair for you in preparation for the royal gala. This was a major gala set up by your parents to finally find you a suitor, and you were already anxious. Little to their knowledge, your continued distaste in the princes wasn’t just due to some of their demeanors or appearances. Even you could admit several of them were quite handsome, well mannered, chivalrous, and respectful. They deserved a princess who could truly love them, but that wasn’t you. Your heart already belonged to Alexandra. Publicly, she was merely seen as your lady royal; behind closed doors, however, there was much more between the two of you. Royals weren’t known to take same-sex courting lightly, as they saw it as a threat to their lineages, so you both decided to keep your relationship secret. You'd have nothing to worry about if only your parents weren’t traditionalists who wanted their daughter married to a prince before handing down the throne.

As you stared into the mirror touching up your eyeliner, Alexandra noticed the nervous look on your face, “it’ll be fine darling, we’ll be together all night.” You close the felt tip pen momentarily and give it an extra shake, “I know love, but I still don’t think our courtship will go over lightly if it gets out tonight. I'm just afraid of what could happen”. Alexandra combed through your curls with her fingers to fluff them out. “Well whatever happens, I’ll be right there with you”. After a few more touch ups in comfortable silence, a knock on the door could be heard, followed by the butler’s voice: “Princess, you are expected to enter in 5 minutes”. “She’s just about ready, we’ll be right down!” Alexandra called back. You gave her a nervous glance and she cupped your cheek in her hand, rubbing it over with her thumb before leaning in for a light kiss. “I’ll be right with you darling, promise.” All you could muster was a small smile before she led you out the door, her hand on your lower back as you walked to the grand staircase for your entrance.  

You reach the top of the staircase and take a deep breath, Alexandra’s hand still on your back. After a few minutes, your name and title are announced, followed by Alexandra’s name and position as your Lady Royal. Upon hearing your names, the two of you begin the descent down the staircase. You exhale as you descend the extensive and elaborately embellished staircase, not one person in the room looking away from you. Your appearance wasn’t what worried you; Alexandra had made sure every detail of that was perfect. It was the line of princes at the bottom of the staircase and the hushed voices of guests bidding on which one you’ll pick. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, each prince was announced one by one followed by the proper formalities: their name was called, they bowed, and you curtsied and thanked them for coming to the event. Of course all of this being purely ceremonial, there was nothing much to look into. But that didn't stop guests from reading into each greeting to see if you favored any of the princes more than the others. One prince, Nicolosi, was definitely bolder than the others as he called claims on the first dance with you in his greeting to which you couldn’t say no without being seen as rude or uncouth. Naturally, after the formal greetings were over the king, your father, announced for the ball to commence. Nicolosi was quick to take your hand and pull you to the center of the ballroom. The music began, and the two of you started a waltz as the rest of the guests danced around you, giving ample distance for the both of you to have space and some sort of private conversation. He tried to get to know you, asking about interests, opinions, and more baseline questions as if this was some sort of school orientation. You entertained his small talk until the dance was over and you were able to thank him and part ways. To your annoyance, however, it didn’t even take 15 seconds for the next prince, Alexander, to come and ask for a dance. Similarly, he made small talk as the two of you danced; it didn't take much effort or thought as royals were taught ballroom dancing from a young age. Alexander, au contraire to Nicolosi, chose the conversation questions of what you were looking for in a relationship to which you attempted to answer vaguely as not to give anything away. The next prince, Bradley, delved into opinions on political and social matters which led to some disagreement and an awkward second half of your dance. Of course following was Gabriel, Theodore, Tristan, and probably a dozen more lined up. After half a dozen dances and forced conversations, you had to excuse yourself to take a breather. 

Both your parents - as well as Alexandra - followed suit as you made your way to the banquet for something to drink and dine on. Your father tried to dismiss Alexandra but you insisted she stay with you as you took a breather from all the princes prying and prodding with their questions and conversations. You started to fill a plate as he attempted to gauge your feelings toward the princes, but you ignored his questions and made your way up to your place at the table with Alexandra. The princes were next to fill their plates and the general guests after. As you ate, you did have to answer to some of your parents’ prodding but remained vague and still showed a general disinterest in all the suitors thus far. Even in the slightly passing thought of settling for one, you couldn't bring yourself to consider any of them. The only thing making this slightly bearable was finally having Alexandra with you again as she rubbed your arm as a form of silent support. You observed the princes as they ate, noticing much roughing around, several spills, loud laughs and remarks, and more. You couldn't help but roll your eyes at their lack of  etiquette, cleanliness, and maturity. Once your appetite had been sustained, and slightly diminished, you rested your head on Alexandra’s shoulder as you continued to spectate the crowd and observe the behaviors of the suitors. You noticed your mother with a concerned look glancing at you and couldn’t tell if it was because of the boys’ behavior or your outward affection towards Alexandra. You almost stopped caring, unable to imagine a happy future where you settled for one of the princes. There was a massive chance your relationship with Alexandra would finally be exposed tonight given your parents wanted a choice made by the end of the night. Alexandra noticed the worry on your face and the tension your body held and placed a hand on your thigh, rubbing it with her thumb. You took a deep breath and exhaled in exasperation, and she turned her head slightly in your direction, “Whatever your decision, I’ll be right there with you.” You smiled as she raised her voice, clearly wanting your father to hear her next statement, “I understand this is all a lot for you, but I’m absolutely sure your father wants nothing more than your happiness.” He agreed with her statement as you both looked over at him. “Exactly! I know you haven’t been keen on all this romantic stuff, but it would be too overwhelming to rule the kingdom on your own. It’s not that your mother and I want to rush you into marriage, we just don’t want to put the entire weight of the kingdom on you alone. And, of course, we want you to be happy with whoever you decide to start a courtship with. That’s why we made sure you’d have so many options tonight.” You understood his reasoning and told him so, but still were nervous on how he would take your decision. As much as his reaction sounded like he’d be open to you courting your lady royal, it didn’t seem definite. 

The dinner concluded, and the ball became more of an informal mingling. Several of the suitors had become intoxicated and started acting more brash and uncouth. You made your way back down to the main floor with Alexandra in tow, choosing a quieter area this time towards a wall. In a few moments, Bradly noticed the both of you and walked over, his gait wobbly, and leaned against the wall with his hand. You started to scoot back, but he adjusted his position to be right over you. Some of the other princes started to gather nearby, either watching what he would do or waiting for their own moment with you. You tried scooting away but then Bradly planted his other hand down boxing you in, “nuh-uh, noohh, you’re not going anywhere, you’re such a pretty little thing. Why waste it on them when you could have me, I –” Alexandra quickly cut him off as she pulled you out from under his arm and into her own, “I’d say that’s quite enough, this is not how a prince is supposed to act.” He stood up, visibly aggravated, “Who are YOU, … to tell ME,.. how to act?!, YOU’RE just an assistant, … I’M a prince, … so I think you–” 

“ENOUGH!” You cut him off.  “I’m not picking any of you!” Your father stood from his seat in shock, your mother with a jaw dropped expression just the same. “You know who I pick?, I pick Alexandra! That’s FINAL! She treats me with care and respect! She can tell when something is off and knows how to help! She has more elegance, maturity, manners, and skill than ANY of you have exhibited thus far during and prior to this ball!”. The entire room was silent, and Alexandra held onto you ready to make a run for it as the tension built in the room. Sure enough princes started screaming and throwing their fits, guests were going wild between their own confusion and the bets several of them had placed on which prince would be chosen. You were overwhelmed with all the yelling and chaos that your frustrated outburst had started. Alexandra, however, was ready. She snapped you out of it and pulled you out the nearest door and into the garden. You both ran, some suitors and guests following. She took you through turns and passages, losing the crowd before running up to your room and locking the door. The chaos was too much, and you just threw yourself onto the bed, her plopping beside you. After a few minutes, you were finally able to collect yourself a bit and take in the reality of what had just happened. You started laughing. Tears formed in your eyes, and Alexandra also laughed beside you. Neither of you really knew how to feel but just had to get all of the tension out of your systems.

“Did I really just do that?” you turned your head to look at her. “I believe you did, darling,” she turned her head to look back at you. “Well, I suppose it’s out now, though all those princes might be mad at me for a while. I don’t take it they’ll fancy coming to our wedding”, you laughed at the latter half of your statement. Alexandra just looked at you wide eyed with the most loving look of admiration gracing her face, “You mean…” You smiled, “Yes darling, I mean I would like to marry you. If you’ll have me, that is.” “Yes! Yes, I’ll have you!” tears formed in her eyes. Neither of you had ever thought you’d really get to this point; it had always seemed like a far out fever dream that you two would ever actually marry each other. "What about your parents, will they be alright with you marrying me?” she asked, a concerned look on her face. You turned on your side and cupped her cheek in your hand, “Why don’t we worry about that tomorrow, and for now… can we just cuddle up and sleep? I kinda don’t want to worry about anything else for tonight.” She giggled and replied, “I think that sounds like a plan,” before getting up and taking your hand in hers to pull you up with her. She then helped you out of your gown and the two of you got out of your formal attire, pulled down your hair, and took off your makeup before cuddling up together and turning in for the night.  

About an hour later, your father opened your door quietly and once he saw you two were there and fast asleep, closed it with a small smile. He had said after all that your happiness came first and he could see Alexandra brought that to you. Frankly, he was glad to know you would be in a loving relationship with her rather than in a questionable one after observing the princes’  behaviors himself at the ball. Although this was rather new and unconventional, your happiness was most important to him and your mother, and they would figure out how to deal with any discourse amongst other royals if need be. There was no reason to worry you about that when you had finally chosen your queen and had a wedding to plan. This was a time for you to be happy with your soon to be wife. 

The End :)

Writer’s speech:

 Hope it’s alright, I haven’t really written in a hot second (lol sorry for that, I’ll try my best not to go awol for a massively extensive period of time again). I guess this would be the first x reader with Alexandra that I’m aware of which I have been saying I’d write for a while now. Anyway, expect more to come, I have several plans and probably some Nana Bassler (anime: Plunderer) x Fem!Reader coming up next. Def will have some extra fluffy romance and flirting planned for her as well as a few spicy fics in the works as well :) Hope y’all have been doing well and I look forward to engaging with y’all and providing y’all with more content soon! 

Note: I would also be glad to get “x fem reader” ideas and maybe requests for the characters I write for, I will be sure to make a post listing those characters later. May also set up a formal sign up for tag lists.

#barbie #barbie princess charm school #miss privet #miss privet x reader #alexandra privet #alexandra privet x reader #miss alexandra privet #miss alexandra privet x reader #lady royal #princess reader #x-reader #romantic #angst #forbidden romance #courtships #royal ball

[peonyslumber]

Everybody wants to love you

S5|in-villa|Chapter 1|Suresh/Mc| 4,761 words

Author’s note: Story title idea from the song ‘Everybody wants to love you’ by the artist Japanese Breakfast. Chapter title idea from the song ‘More’ by the artist The Greeting Committee.

I decided to rewrite season 5 with my own fanfic. Check out: @kvngdomheartz and @luckyqueenreign. They’ve got good Suresh/Mc fics. Chapter 1 will be loosely based on volume I, including, both Episode 1 and 2. I do use some information from s5 like dialogue and some challenges, but it’ll be written completely by me otherwise. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 - More

I took a deep breath before my heels clicked hard against the cobblestone. My hand was still on the car door frame before closing it. I looked up at the entrance to the villa.

This was where I was going to be staying. To find love, friendships, and of course, the 50k prize in the end. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

My thoughts were interrupted once an energetic girl came sweepingly in sight.

She waved to me, “Hello! I’m Dana.” She flashed a smile before linking her arm with mine to head into the villa.

My head turned to face her, “Hey, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Myrna.” Returning a smile back, “Is it only you here? Or where is everyone else?”

Dana whirled around, “This other girl Kat is getting the champagne bottle ready for us. She can’t find a cork opener, and she said it was vital.” She studied me before saying anything, “I need your advice on something.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, “I’m not sure if I’m well equipped in fashion.”

She grinned, “Me neither. I would ask Kat, but I know she isn’t the most unbiased person.”

I would rather know more about this Kat than help her with her wardrobe but saying that would be rude.

“She sounds like a piece of work.” I pursued my lip, “But I doubt she’s that bad. Maybe she just needs to warm up to us. I have some mates back at home who acted cold until we got closer.”

She twirled her hair, “I suppose you’re right. This is where we’ll sleep.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was standing in the villa’s bedroom. It looks even more vibrant than from watching it on television.

“I can’t believe we’re going to be sharing a bed with blokes we barely know.”

My palms begin to get clammy, “Oh, yeah! How could I have forgotten that!” I forced a smile.

Her eyes twinkled, “You’re nervous. Relax!” She squeezes my shoulders, “You can always tell them to go sleep on the daybeds. Your choice.”

We entered the dressing room. She started to dig into an orange bag, and clothes started flying everywhere until she reached the piece she wanted.

“Is it bad?” She raised her eyebrow. “I’ve been thinking about changing my style. I bought a new wardrobe for this.” She placed her head in her hand, “Who knows if it’ll be worth it.”

My feet stammered back.

People spent money on buying new clothes to be on this show? Now that I’m thinking about it… I probably should’ve invested more into it too.

Leaning against the wall, I peered over at her. The full bathing suit pressed against her chest. The bathing suit had a blue and yellow flower embroidered on it.

“You want my honest opinion?” I asked her, raising my eyebrow.

She nodded her head.

I sighed, “Your fashion sense seems to be stuck in the 2000s, babes.

Her hand massaged her temple, “That was what I was afraid of. I thought that it would be better to switch it up a bit to remind myself nothing is permanent.”

She bit her lip. Putting back her swimsuit before turning back to me, “You’re lucky it’s summer because you’re sweating so much that it’s becoming humid in here.”

I narrowed my eyes, “Jeez! Thanks, Dana.”

Before I could leave the room, and escape from who seemed like the only person here. A head popped into the room.

I jumped back, cupping my body from being caught off guard, “Girl, I thought you were a human Shih Tzu.” Shaking my head.

A shriek came from her mouth, and she stared at the ground, her mouth agape.

“Close your mouth, Kat. Before flies can lay their bodies in your gigantic mouth. It’ll be like a palace for them.” Dana playfully bumped her shoulder into mine.

Kat properly regained her composure, her heels clicked against the floor with each step she took entering the room, she poked Dana. “Not funny!” Lifting her finger, “I’ll have you all know that my hair is liked by many.”

Dana looked over at me before returning her gaze to Kat, “Yeah, who? Bartholomew?”

She raised her eyebrows, “Wait!” Followed by gasping, “How did you know about him? And his name is Bartholomew A. Bittlebun, JR.” She rolled her eyes.

I folded my arms, “Isn’t that from that one girl who starred in that handsome actor Rafi’s movie?” Tapping my chin, waiting for Kat’s response.

Kat furrowed her brows, “Hmm… yes! She only got like fifteen seconds in screen time...”

While Kat talked I worked on fixing up my mascara and lipstick. I sprayed some of my hairspray in my hair before turning back to Kat and Dana.

She reached for Dana and my wrists, “But that’s not why I came here. We need to not waste the bubbles they have!”

Interrupted immediately by a ping has us standing in the bedroom waiting.

“Girls! I got a text.” She yelled then quickly began to read it out for us.

Hope you girls are settling in nicely because we have a surprise for one of you. A burnt-out match that came to be reignited. #HereComeTheBoys #FirstCoupling

Our eyes landed on each other.

“What could that mean?” I asked them while playing with my hair.

Kat shrugged, “Why don’t we go see for ourselves?” She signaled us to follow her.

We were walking too slow, “Can you babes hurry up?” She linked our hands together.

We could see the view from the living room, but before we were out on the lawn, she released my hand.

“You made my hands all moist.” Kat hissed, glaring at me.

“And we all know there’s only one time when that’s acceptable.” Dana chuckled.

“Oh, you’ll find out soon when I hump one of these guys like a large hunk of log.” Biting her lip, smirking.

“I could see you being a tree hugger.” I clicked my tongue, nodding my head.

“Shouldn’t we establish a few things first before going out there?” Dana said, swallowing a lump in her throat.

Kat shook her head, “The only thing to remember is to stay out of my way. I don’t care much about cats, but I’m willing to claw you lot if you steal my man.”

Dana snarled, “They’re not yours to claim, Kat.”

Kat shrugged her shoulders, “Let’s see about that.” She gathered herself, turning back at us, winking before walking out first.

She strutted her stuff, running her hands through the loose sides of her hair.

She stopped in front of a preppy blonde hair boy.

Her hands swayed their way to her hips, “Hey, blondie, do you like what you see? Could I possibly be a bit of you?” She pouted her lips.

He stuttered, rubbing his nape, and left blushing.

She rolled her eyes, “Never mind! I like men who go after what they want, and it’s clear you’re not my kind of guy.”

He objected, “Not at all! I mean, you’re drop-dead gorgeous, and I’d care to take you out on a picnic date.”

Her head snapped in our direction, and her eyes enlarged.

“Well, that’s just factual. I’m like Madonna before Madonna. You look far too clean. I’m into bad boys, but my nan wants me to find someone like you. I can’t see why, like, what’s wrong with my taste? I have great taste...”

Dana looks over at me, “Hey! There’s no reason why we should be letting her have the spotlight. Let’s make an entrance.”

I straightened myself before walking out there with Dana.

“Oi! When can we get a piece of the action?” She yelled out.

A hunky man with trousers came jogging up to us. “My bad loves. The name is Alfie, I’m the kind of guy you call to get your wooden floors installed while pretty boy Eddie over here is the one you call to find out what’s the best product to make those hands smooth.” He raised Eddie’s hands for us to see.

We peered over and admired his soft hands.

“See what I’m talking about?” He laughed before being playfully knuckled in the shoulder.

“Hey! I’m not just a pretty face, you know.” Eddie rolled his eyes, “People just don’t look beyond my face, right? To see what’s inside my heart? I have so much more to provide, like love, attention…”

Kat interrupted him before he could finish, “Pipe it, Eddie! I need to know the cream asap.” She turned to us, “I’ve never wanted a pair of hands to brush against my cheek as much as I do now.”

Dana giggled before heading to the kitchen. While Kat and Eddie went over to the pool to talk about his secret to modeling hands.

I flashed Alfie a smile, “So what do you do? Are you a construction worker?” I tilted my head.

He chuckled, “No. No. I’m a carpenter. I work exclusively with wood. What about you?”

I let my hands drop to my side, “I’m an office worker. My job is to sell and present services and products.”

“Ah! A sales representative. I’ve met a few while working the job. They’ve always seemed to be pushy.” He looked down, then up, “Not that I’m insinuating that you’re pushy!”

I bit my lip, “It’s alright. I have to be persistent. One of the things I strictly put away when I’m not working.” I messed with my bracelet, “What brings someone as good-looking as you on Love Island?”

He turned his head, “I want to meet someone that I can see myself growing old with. I haven’t found much luck on the outside, so I’m hoping that’ll be different here.”

Dana came back with three bottles of water. She handed one to me and the other to Alfie.

“I can see where you’re coming from, Alfie. Inside here. I at least know people’s motives, there are only three. Love, money, and the game. Are you playing the game, Myrna?” She looked over at me, taking a sip of her water.

My gaze fell to the ground, “No. I do not appreciate or participate in games.”

Dana’s gaze landed on something behind me, and I could hear footsteps.

“Myrna?” A husky voice said behind me.

I knew who that voice belonged to. A guy I thought I’d never see up until today.

I gulped before gaining the courage to turn around. The corner of my mouth lifted, “Suresh? I can’t believe it’s you!”

“Long time coming, don’t you think?” He flashed his arrogant grin.

I knew him far too much to notice the way he brushed his fingers against his belt, hiding the fact that he was nervous. Nervous to see me. Nervous to know what I’ll say.

“Why are you here, Suresh?” My brows bumped together, “I know your strongest suit isn’t in relationships.” My hands landed on my hips.

“Ouch!” Eddie yelped, picking up something from the ground, “why was there a sharp thorn on the ground? Someone could’ve seriously hurt themselves.”

Kat placed her hand on his shoulder, “Hunny, now that’s just nature.”

Dana shushes them, “Myrna, you know him?” Pointing at Suresh.

A familiar face with a tribunal past, and I’m not just saying that because he’s a corporate lawyer. If only he did right in our relationship. We wouldn’t need to stand glaring at each other on love island.

“That’s a good question. After what he did, it made me realize I didn’t know him at all.”

Eddie came chiming in, “My ears were tingling, how juicy do you think it is?” He asked Kat.

“As juicy as a peach, hunny.” She beamed.

“I’m sorry, guys, but I need some time alone.” I walked pasted them and headed to the rooftop.

I dragged my foot towards the coach. My bum was comforted by the soft cushion as I held a pillow against my body.

I didn’t think my past would follow me. In fact, when I saw him, all I wanted to do was to wake up from this nightmare, a nightmare that seemed to have gone on way too long. Some hidden feelings resurfaced once I heard his voice. It brought me back memories of the good and bad. It was always him and I against the world, we did so much together that it was hard once it ended, and I had to learn how to be alone again.

I lowered my head.

I thought going to therapy would help, and it did for a short period. I couldn’t get over what he did. I couldn’t get over him, sometimes, I would wake up and look over at the space beside me, wishing he was there to comfort me. I tried to stop dreaming about him, but he would always pop up no matter how much I tried to get him off my mind… I just couldn’t shake him.

I lifted my head when I heard clacking.

The heels tapped against the stairs as Suresh slowly came into view.

He swung his body back and forth, “Hey, you.” He hesitated to take a seat next to me.

“Don’t ‘hey you’ me.” I hugged the pillow tighter, “What are you doing here, Suresh?”

He placed his hands on his thighs, “Well, I would be lying if I said I came on here looking for a fresh start.” He took a deep breath, “I came on here because I wanted to rewrite all the wrongs I did. I couldn’t sleep, or go on about my day without being haunted by what we had. I don’t know what came over me, but… I heard from a mate of mine that you were going to sign up to be on this show. I thought, ‘wow! This would be a great time to have an excuse to see you and redeem what we once shared.’ And I plan on doing that. As long as you’ll have me.”

My lips quivered, my nose crinkled, and my eyes began to well up.

“I’m Sorry, Myrna.” He wrapped his hands around me and indulged me in a hug, “Don’t cry, beautiful. Especially over me. I promise you…. I won’t make the same mistake twice. I’ll prove it to you every day as long as I live because… our story doesn’t deserve a goodbye.”

Our conversation is soon interrupted by Kat yelling for us to come back down.

He helps me off the couch and leads the way to the garden.

He bit his lip, “Just so you know, I’m here for you, and only you.” He placed his hand over my shoulder.

We rejoin the group.

Kat threw her hands up, “Finally! That felt like forever waiting for you two. It reminds me of this time in Basildon where I had to wait in a line with like six elders that took forever to move forward.”

Dana shook her head, “Anyways…” she continued, “I guess we should get ready to couple up.”

“Myrna, you should go first.”

Kat looked like she was about to object but Dana stopped her.

“Great! I’d like to couple up with this person because I feel like there’s some unfinished business. I want to couple up with Suresh.” I tried to hide the twinkle in my eyes.

Suresh flashed his cocky smile to the lads, “Thanks, beautiful. I was hoping you’d pick me anyway.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, “What a shame! A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be with an undeserving fish flopper.”

Alfie turned to him, “What’s with the comebacks mate?”

“I’m a lover, not a disser.”

Alfie shook his head, “But he’s right! Even if he couldn’t execute it well. Being pied off by a girl picking her ex is at a new time low for Alfie boy.”

Kat clicked her tongue, “How did your speech become somewhat worse than Eddie’s? But, my turn, because Alfie seems to be dead set on the second best in the villa… I’ll couple up with Eddie. My nan better be happy right now.”

Dana flashed a nervous smile, “Right! My turn. There are not many options I have to choose from. Unless you count the missing cork opener. I’ll couple up with Alfie because I’m hoping he’ll change my view on love.”

Everything came to a halt once Dana’s phone pinged.

“I got a text!”

Islanders be ready because it’s about to be Finn-tastic with a Finn-surprise! #BombshellComing

Kat beamed, “Ooh, a new boy!” She turned to Eddie, “Sorry, babe.”

Dana raised her chin, “Now who could walk in here?” She tapped her chin.

A long redhead muscular man that had dashing tattoos, and abs saluted us, “I’m Finn. I had to make sure I looked my best for the pretty ladies in front of me, and to try to fix a cork opener, which now that I’m here, would be pointless to have.”

Kat took the cork opener from his hand, “I have been looking all over for that damn thing…” she took a step back making sure to take in the sight of him, “Wow! You’re such a hunky spice tool. With tattoos.” She turned to us, “I hope nan doesn’t mind!” She whispered quietly.

“I’m glad we have you, geezer. Now we can finally play pirates of the Caribbean.” Alfie nodded to him.

Eddie’s face went pale, “More competition. How fun.” Laughing nervously.

Dana patted Eddie, “Don’t worry, guy. I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”

Finn’s phone pinged, “I got a text!”

Finn, you have twenty four hours when you’ll be able to couple up with a girl of your pick. The boy in the couple you break up, will be left single and at risk. #SourHearts #TakeYourChoice

Finn glanced over at the boys, “Sorry, mates. No hard feelings.”

The boys simmer down, leaving the area in silence making it become awkward real fast.

Finn looks amazingly good, but somehow, I can’t help but gawk over at Suresh.

“Can I feel your tats?” Kat asked Finn.

He grins, “Sure thing! Don’t forget to compliment my biceps when you do.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, “So looks like I should be worried. Kat looks like she’d be a bit of Finn.”

Alfie observed Finn, “Hey, man! Who knows he could have immaculate taste and choose Dana.”

Dana flashed him a smile.

“Boys. Boys. Boys. All will be told when it comes.” He winks at them.

“So good at being mysterious. Not the best though, not like me. Myrna could never go for good, she’s always strived for the best.” He said, confidently smirking.

“I’ve got more up my sleeves than I can show, but, if we’re talking about based on first impression, all of y’all are a bit of me.” He boldly makes eye contact with me, “If Suresh is your ex Myrna then you can do better. But must I say, he’s got great taste. Must be because you’re delira to meet.”

I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug, “Grafting pretty hard already.”

Suresh pulled me closer to him, having his hand on my waist, “Pull all your cards. It takes more than a couple of words to get her.”

Finn chuckled, “Does it also take a couple of words to lose her too?”

In the corner of my eye, I could see Suresh’s knuckles turn white.

I knew that stung Suresh, especially if it reminded him of his wrongdoings.

My phone pings, “Y’all know the cue. I got a text!”

Islanders, be prepared because you’ll be taking part in a lovely couples quiz hosted by your personal pirate Finn #HowWellDoYouKnowThem #QuizThatCouple

Suresh whispered into my ear, “This should be easy. I could never forget anything about you.”

I nodded my head, “It’s hard to forget someone like me, babe.”

Kat clapped her hands together, “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but we should have a chat with our couples, even though I know Eddie and I don’t need a chat privately. I feel like I’ve known him my entire life.” She sent a prideful look my way.

We all agreed. Suresh and I went over to the daybeds.

We sat closely, nothing out of the ordinary between us.

Suresh broke the silence, “It feels good to finally be talking to you again. I know we’ll ace this quiz, we’ve always been good at doing things as a couple. We were like missing puzzle pieces for each other. Fit so well together. There was never a boring moment between us. You’ve always been the light of my day. I just hope you know that, and I won’t make the same mistake and lose you.”

I looked down at the ground, “I’ll admit hearing you talk has me right in my feelings. I know admitting all this… the past you… would have a hard time conveying your feelings, and confessing your mistakes. So I’m happy to see that improvement from you. I… I want us to work. I know it’s early in our couple in here, but I want to give it another shot.”

Suresh’s thigh brushes against mine, and he raises his head, his gaze lands on my lips.

“I want to kiss you so much right now, but I’m resisting for you.”

“But what if I don’t want you to resist? We’ve always been good at physicality, let’s see if we still have it?”

He brushed his finger against the bottom of my lip before planting a kiss on them.

The heavy exhales brush against my cheek. I should be stopping this, keeping the distance between us as possible. But being near old flames has never felt so good as it does when it's snuggled behind Suresh’s eyes. The lust pulls me in, fire, daring me to touch it as my heart skips a beat feeling pure excitement. Every last piece of control in my body breaks, and I move my lips to him, curious and lustful about the past flames, the flare. The hand that was once holding my face climbs its way down to my waist, and it doesn't take much effort until Suresh climbs on top of me. In a moment our bodies turn into hungry animals. Making it seem as if we are the only people on this earth.

We stop as we hear a cough. Dana stood there, flushed.

“Sorry. To interrupt. But… I got a text!” She avoided our gaze.

Suresh and I regained our composure.

Islanders, don’t worry the time has come to get to know your new couple. Please would you head over to the fire pit for the couples quiz. #CoupleGoals #TestingTheWaters

“Hooray!” Kat exclaims excitedly.

We all head to the fire pit sitting in our couples. Finn stands in front of us with a deck of questions.

“Are all y’all ready to rumble? I hope y’all are good with quizzes.”

Kat smirks, “Oh, Peach, let me tell you something. I went to this bar in Basildon and they’d have quizzes there, and who would’ve guessed it… I won each one, so bring it on!”

Dana chuckled, “I don’t know if I’m that confident. I’m not that good at quizzes, but I could never turn down one.”

“I’m confident that I’ll be good at this. When it comes to our relationship I was always the winner.” I playfully bumped my shoulder into Suresh’s.

“Hey! Hey! Now let’s just say… I let you win. If I didn’t you’d become a sore loser.” He sent an air kiss my way.

I turned back to Finn, crossing my arms.

Finn grins, “It’s about to get saucy in here mates. I hope you’re ready.” He looks over at Suresh and me, “I’m in a pretty chaotic mood, so Suresh and Myrna, you’re up first.”

Suresh relaxed his shoulders, “Bring it on! I know Myrna like the back of my hand.” He sent me a smoldering look.

“What is Myrna’s favorite date?” Finn lifted his brow, wondering if Suresh would guess it right.

“I’m going to say… our Monte Carlo trip. We had a blast! And Myrna was always a sucker for romance, and what’s more romantic than that? I’d go into specifics but that would be telling. The dinner on the boat was everything…” He grinned at me, placing his hand on my thigh.

“You’re correct! Although, I’d prefer something more laid back for a date. Like a picnic on a beach… maybe I’ll be able to take one of you girls on a date… don’t want to go into details, you’ll just have to see.”

Eddie shuffles in his seat, “Got to remind us, huh? Don’t play with all these girls’ hearts if you actually just want one in particular.”

Finn brushes Eddie’s comment off, “What is Myrna’s biggest turn off?”

Suresh confidently looks over at me, “Definitely a man who doesn’t know what they want. Myrna wants to feel secure.”

“Then why is she trying to be with you again?” Finn crosses his arms, looking sternly at Suresh.

“Clearly because I’m the better option. Y’all aren’t even competition to me at this point.”

Finn cackled, “Sure, mate. Next question. Has Myrna ever flirted to get free stuff?”

I flashed a fake smile.

“No, never. She didn’t flirt with anyone else, and if she did I would know about it.”

Finn smirked as he looked down at the card, “And that my friend… is where you’re wrong.”

Suresh did a once over before rubbing the back of his nape.

“Obviously that’s half true. I never needed to flirt to get free stuff. I remember being in this store, the Pumpkin store, and there happened to be a man there who offered to give me something free that cost at least $65. Who am I to turn that down?” I asked the group.

Kat nodded her head, “Yeah! You’re right! It’s not our fault we’re hot and people happen to reward us with gifts because we blessed them with our presence. Nothing bad about that. She technically didn’t flirt then.”

Wow! This was the first time Kat was being nice. That shocked even me, but deep down I knew she was going to come around eventually.

“Enough. Enough. Finn did it again. It’s time for Myrna to answer questions. What is Suresh’s biggest turn on?”

I squeezed Suresh’s hand, “Obviously, during foreplay, he would go nuts for a bit of role-playing.”

Finn checked the answer, disappointment plastered across his face, “That’s the right answer! Again… What is Suresh’s biggest regret?”

I bit my lip, “I- that’s tuff. I’ll say his biggest regret is not being able to go on that cruise with me and our mates. He was pretty bummed out about that.” I snickered remembering the moment a little too well.

Finn made an imitation of a buzzer sound, “Wrong! His biggest regret was cheating on you.”

Suresh looked down, and I slowly laid my head on his shoulder.

“I think you lads need to find another thing to be the bud of the joke, don’t forget I was the one cheated on, not you, or you or you.” I pointed to the boys, “So be a little considerate, okay?”

They all nodded their heads, and then the game continued.

There was a bit of laughter, and embarrassment as the rest of the islanders got quizzed. When it was over I chose to dip my toes in the pool, soaking in the good weather and feeling the cool breeze brush against my skin.

I felt someone sit next to me, and I lifted my sunglasses, “Oh, hey, Suresh, what’s going on with you? I saw you and the blokes working out…”

He sighed, resting his head on my lap, “Uh, yeah! Kat kept on flirting with Finn, and Eddie was upset but he wasn’t going to outright say that. I’m so glad we’re not having to deal with anything like that. Makes me wonder what they have in store for us next.”

I brushed my fingers through his hair, “Well, the least we know is that there’s going to be a recoupling, but I doubt he’ll pick me.”

I knew Finn sort of had been eyeing me. Oh, who am I kidding, he’s even let Suresh know, but I didn’t want Finn to interrupt Suresh and I’s reconnection. Plus, there were things I needed to know, and It was going better than I thought, and something I have been wanting for a while. Maybe I’ll have a chat with him later but for now I’m going to spoil myself by soaking in the moment, something I rarely ever do.

#litg fanfic #litg s5 #litg ex in the villa #love island the game #litg suresh #suresh x mc #litg season 5 #Peonyslumber: fics

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Another Puff of Ash from Popocatépetl

Popocatépetl, Mexico’s most active volcano and second-highest peak, sits just 70 kilometers southeast of Mexico City and 40 kilometers west of Puebla. The towering stratovolcano has been erupting for decades, with near constant venting from the crater punctuated by the cyclical growth of viscous lava domes and explosive blasts of ash and volcanic bombs.

The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured an image of one of the volcano’s recent bouts of activity on January 27, 2024. According to Sébastien Valade, a volcanologist at National Autonomous University of Mexico, the brown part of the plume contains ash. In winter, winds often blow the ash to the east, as this image shows. In summer, the wind direction switches and often blows ash to the west and north.

“The ash is thin and not very high in the atmosphere, but there’s still enough of it to have minor impacts on nearby communities,” said Valade, who has developed a platform called MOUNTS (Monitoring Unrest From Space) that tracks Popocatépetl’s activity using data from several satellites. “Compared to what Popocatépetl is capable of, you can think of this as a little hiccup.”

Mexico’s Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (CENAPRED) reported that the ash plume reached heights of roughly 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) on January 27 and led to minor ashfall in the towns of Nativitas, San Pablo del Monte, Ixtacuixtla de Mariano Matamoros, Zacatelco, Chiautempan, Santa Ana Nopalucan, Tlaxcala, Totolac, and Panotla. When volcanic ash—made of shards of glass and pulverized rock—falls on nearby communities, it can cause respiratory problems, contaminate drinking water, and harm livestock and crops.

The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center, a NOAA group that tracks ash hazards, issued several alerts to pilots that day. Ash poses a risk to aircraft by blocking engine fuel nozzles, clogging air filters, and causing a range of other problems. According to one recent study of ash dispersal based on two decades of satellite observations from NASA’s MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor, there are more than 100 airways that can be affected by ash from eruptions at Popocatépetl.

The current level of activity at Popocatépetl regularly produce explosive eruptions that rank as about 2 or lower on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI), according to Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program. The highest value on the logarithmic scale is 8—an eruption so powerful that it would eject more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of material to heights of 25 kilometers or above, akin to the massive supervolcano eruptions that have occurred at Yellowstone in the United States or at Mount Toba in Indonesia.

Geologic evidence indicates that Popocatépetl, named for the Aztec word meaning “smoking mountain,” has produced at least four extremely explosive “Plinian” eruptions that ranked 3 or higher on the VEI index since the mid-Holocene, with the most recent in roughly 40 B.C.E. It has produced 37 known eruptions with a VEI of 1 or higher.

The most recent eruptive period began in 1994 after a 70-year period of quiet. “We saw about a decade of intensifying unrest that reached a crescendo of activity in the early 2000s,” Valade said. During the past decade, the intensity of the unrest had been gradually fading. “By early 2022, it looked like the eruption was on track to die out completely,” said Valade.

Then, in mid 2022, NASA’s OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) sensor and the European TROPOMI (Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument) sensor began to detect increasing levels of sulfur dioxide emissions—a sign that fresh magma was entering and refilling Popocatépetl’s magma system and nearing the surface. This proved to be the first stage of another period of activity that peaked with a particularly explosive round of eruptions in May 2023.

Since then, the intensity of activity has been slowly fading, said Valade. He added: “But I expect we’ll continue to see sustained activity in the coming months and years because of that recharge period in 2022.”

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

#science #space #news #nasa #earth observatory

[tbyfandoms]

I don’t know how gossip and stuff like that works in the hayden fandom (as I’m so new to it) but I just wanted to speak my mind on the whole rachel podcast thing because it’s been ruminating in my thoughts for a few days and I can’t move on LMAO

So, if you’re down for a little discussion, please feel free to read! If gossip or speculation and stuff isn’t your thing, no problem! Sexual topics will be talked about so keep that in mind in case that’s something you’re not too comfortable with! anyways, here we go…

Alright, so I know the podcast rachel did where she talked about her sexual experiences was literally two months ago but I just need to get my thoughts out on it rn

First of all I’m gonna say I’m 100% all for women being open and honest about their sexual experiences! Like we have a right to not feel shame in speaking about these things openly, but I’m gonna be honest, rachel talking about not having an org*sm (censoring bc idk how tumblr flags stuff and I don’t wanna get in trouble lmao) from penetrative sex until she was 38 lowkey gave me the ick

Like it’s so very obvious people are going to assume the fact she’s basically saying hayden never gave her any sexual satisfaction (correct me if this is a reach) and my jaw kinda drops at that realization??? Like you’re telling me over the ~10 year relationship you had with this man, he not once made you feel good? And the only way you were able to feel satisfied was by your own doing???

As I said, she’s obviously, obviously, entitled to her experiences and opinion like who’s to judge her for that??? But it’s the fact she’s said it now. It’s just kinda ironic to me that after all this time she brings this stuff up, coincidentally when hayden’s career is taking off again, as if the public and media won’t connect the dots on who she’s talking about

Like ya’ll idk maybe it’s me but imo that’s kind of petty to do 😭 like this man was with you for a very long time, he’s the father of your child, and yet you’re gonna make him out to be a guy that doesn’t know how to please his partner…

Maybe this is all such a reach so please take this all with a grain of salt, I’m really just rambling rn and maybe won’t even feel the same after I write this all out, but for now this is how I’m feeling!

It’s just all kinda spiraling in my mind because truly why would you say that (I’m more-so finding a problem with it because she did it so publicly and on a random podcast). And maybe this makes me a hypocrite because I literally just said women should be able to be honest about their sexual experiences LMAO BUT CMON???

Idk maybe it’s just me being defensive of hayden and the fact I literally don’t know this woman at all and this is the first impression I’m getting of her, but it just rubs me the wrong way. Like idk about ya’ll but I know if hayden christensen just looked at me, I’d lose my mind. So imagine being in a relationship with him, where I’m sure he can figure out how to make you feel good especially giving the duration of your relationship, just for you to then turn around and throw it all back in his face when it’s been literal years since you’ve been with him…(also same goes for that adam brody guy she dated in the early 2000s, like it’s not just hayden this reflects on!)

Also she talked about how she misses her ex bill hader (whom she coincidentally dated when she was 38) because of his um…big d!ck. So she’s also throwing into the mix that apparently the reason she couldn’t get off with hayden and adam is because they’re small???? IM SCREAMING DSKDJDH

But again maybe I’m taking this all out of context or not looking at it the right way or whatever, so sorry if this ramble of nonsense is giving you the ick, but so be it

I probably missed a lot of points I wanted to make so maybe I’ll come back to this later, we’ll see

The last thing I’ll say is, literally watch any of hayden’s movies where he’s in a romantic relationship with someone and genuinely tell me you think that man doesn’t know how to make someone feel good, specifically with penetrative sex (because that’s what rachel was talking about)??? It’s the way he’s acting and yet I can still feel the sexual tension and attraction through the screen. Just imagine him in real life. I shall leave some gifs below to further prove my point because…yeah I don’t understand

Exhibit A:

This scene from Awake literally has me screaming every time I watch it DKSJSH like the hand placement??? The kissing??? Yeah I GET IT, it’s not sex but just trust me on this ok

Exhibit B:

This scene from Factory Girl. Literally my most favorite piece of proof that goes hand in hand with the fact I cannot grasp the idea THIS man does not know how to please a woman I-

Really you guys just have to click on the account that posted these and look at the whole set because…I rest my case. Just look at the way he rolls his body on her *screams*

Ok sorry, bye that’s all I’ll say for now. I feel like none of this makes sense and I SWEAR I’m not trying to shame rachel, I just felt really put off by that little tidbit she decided to publicly share so yeah here’s my current thoughts on it. Please no one jump me, if this is truly an awful take I will delete it 🫣

#hayden christensen #xoxo gossip gal

[totesarchives]

Kids R' all white

The Whitest Kids U’ Know know what’s funny

By Jane Borden

Although stand-up comics focus on perfecting one strong 20-minute set, the key to becoming a respected sketch group—faced with an hour to fill and striving to build a recurring audience—is to never let the joke well run dry. Since last February, The Whitest Kids U’ Know have been prolific, debuting new, inventive material every Sunday night at Pianos on the Lower East Side, while amassing a loyal fan base and a library of more than 200 sketches.

When challenged with generating that many original bits, a group is bound to repeat some premises. “We write a lot about war… and robots,” Trevor Moore, 24, says. The performer is surprisingly subdued for someone who, in one of the group’s short films, is comfortable swinging a bat on a Queens street and screaming to a second-floor window with child-like excitement, “Hey Bill! Come on: Race War!”

The group formed in 2000 when Moore met Sam Brown at an open mike in the city. “I had a pen that I pretended was a rocket ship and I just flew it around on stage for a couple minutes,” he recalls. “I don’t think anybody liked it but Sam.” The two School of Visual Arts students soon hooked up with another, Zach Cregger (strikingly handsome, predictably pursuing an acting career) and the perpetually unclothed-on-stage Timmy Williams, a student at Brooklyn College at the time. Darren Trumeter, 25 and the last to join, went through a rite of passage, as Moore recalls. “At a party, he was talking about getting in the troupe and we said, ‘Punch Zach in the face.’ So he goes over, taps Zach on the shoulder and punches him. We were like, ‘Yeah, you should be in.’”

…AND NOTHING BUT THE SPOOF Timmy Williams, Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore, Sam Brown and Darren Trumeter, from left, in black and mostly white.

After WKUK had done stints on stages at SVA and in comedy clubs around town, Pianos’ owners approached them to fill the bar’s Sunday night spot. “The crowd we try to appeal to isn’t the kind who pay $25 and a drink minimum,” Cregger, 25, says. They are, however, the kind who linger, hanging out with one another and the troupe, and return week after week.

The back-room attitude of Pianos also allows the troupe to take risks. Before launching into an impossibly high-pitched, a cappella duet sparked by news of Spielberg’s new Tom Cruise vessel The War of the Worlds, Moore announces, “Sam and I wrote this an hour ago.” It was awkward, nonsensical, childish and the funniest part of the show.

In fact, their scenes work precisely because they’re so bizarre. WKUK doesn’t remind you of anything else: They’ve had no formal training, rarely see other sketch shows and don’t even name comedic influences. When Brown, 23, attempts to explain the inspiration behind “War of the Worlds,” he says, “Trevor was listening to ‘Godzilla’ by Blue Öyster Cult…” Then Moore finishes his sentence, “So I guess Blue Öyster Cult is one of our main influences.”

Of course, not every risk returns a reward. But even the scenes that last too long or wax too wordy have something interesting or funny at heart. Their writing always puts the joke front and center. They don’t use props and always play themselves. “We’re not good enough to remember different names,” Moore jokes. “We try not to do sketch sketch… where everyone comes out in matching suits and stuff.”

They just do a lot of sketch. “Even though we write so much about pirates,” Cregger admits, “we try to do each scene in a new way. There’s one where there are a bunch of pirates in the crowd being loud and Trevor is shushing them—the whole sketch is just him saying, ‘Pirates! Pirates, quiet!’” Moore interrupts with sarcasm, “But then we’ll write another one where we’re pirates attacking robots on the sun—so that’s different.”

Hopefully their off-center humor will reach a larger audience soon. The group’s television-pilot teaser is in the pitching process with a few networks. Seeing a fresh perspective like theirs on the air would be a triumph for any comedy fan, but especially for those who agree with their opinions on most TV routines. “Putting a celebrity in a wacky situation bores the shit out of me,” Cregger says. Moore adds, “And if I see one more scene about a gay priest…”

“We do plenty of gay jokes,” Cregger admits, “but at least we have a new angle on it.” “Right. Our gay robot sketch is hilarious,” Moore jokes. “Oh yeah—that’s the one with the pirates in it,” Brown shoots back.

__________

This article first appeared in Issue 493 of Time Out New York, an entertainment and events guide magazine. Whitest Kids U’ Know cofounder Trevor Moore credited the piece with boosting the sketch troupe’s popularity; following the article’s publication in March of 2005, “you couldn’t get into our shows,” he said. Time Out New York released its final print edition in 2020 and is now available exclusively online.

Text and image taken from Reddit.

#the whitest kids u know #whitest kids u know #wkuk #time out #time out new york #march 10-16 2005 #time out New York issue 493 #Jane borden #magazine #archive #digital archives #trevor moore #zach cregger #sam brown #Timmy williams #darren trumeter #2005 #interview

[wild-karrde]

One Step at a Time - Part 5

Master List | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

A/N: As always, thank you to my absolutely wonderful beta-reader @teletraan-meets-jarvis for giving this chapter a read for me (and for being a perpetually willing person to bounce ideas off of. I APPRECIATE YOU, TJ!)

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: language, canon-typical violence

Word Count: 6.2k words

Sorgan was not at all the green, sunny paradise from Chuckles’s dream. At least not initially.

“ARNI! MAKE SURE NITA’S STRAPPED IN AND THEN GET YOUR CHEEKS IN THIS SEAT!” Chuckles shouted as his knuckles turned white around the freighter’s steering yoke. The ship rocked in Sorgan’s stormy atmosphere, the winds seemingly buffeting the ship from every angle. Chuck swore under his breath as his eyes flicked over to the guidance display, trying to find a more favorable place to bring the ship down through the storm. Lightning flashed outside the port window, and he felt himself flinch involuntarily at the instantaneous crack of thunder that followed. His clenched teeth creaked and his hands clenched the controls slightly tighter as Arni practically dove into the co-pilot seat next to him, yanking the flight harness over their shoulders. Nita squealed as another massive bolt of lightning ripped across the column of clouds in front of them. 

“What do we do when we’re scared honey?” Chuckles asked over his shoulder. “You got my bucket?” 

“Yeah.” Nita’s voice quaked, but Chuckles tossed a quick glance backwards and smirked as Nita’s honey gold eyes disappeared under his helmet. Her voice continued to shake as she began to sing. 

“I’ve been to many moons and all the stars in the sky…”

Chuck grinned at the familiar song. I really need to teach her some more songs. Bet Arni knows a few. The kid’s a walking archive. 

Arni swallowed hard, and he felt them look at him for direction. “See if you can find us a hole in this storm to drop in and a flat place to land,” he instructed under his breath. “A clearing or forest edge would be preferable so we can maybe shield the ship under a tree or something.” 

The young Twi’lek nodded, swiveling the guidance display to face them before furrowing their eyebrows in concentration. “Looks like the clouds thin out about thirty degrees east of your current heading.” 

“Swinging thirty east,” Chuck confirmed, tilting the steering column. “Dropping to 2000 meters altitude.” 

“There’s a clearing three klicks north. Should be able to land there.” 

Chuck nodded, easing the ship lower. Rain began to slap loudly against the hull of the ship as he dropped below the cloud cover, and the wind picked up, rocking the ship back and forth even more violently. The emerald tree tops of Sorgan’s forests seemed to reach up through the mist and fog like spindly fingers as Chuckles continued to ease the ship down, his eyes scanning for the gap in the trees Arni had mentioned.

“You sure it was three klicks, kid? I feel like we should see it by now.”

Arni squinted at the nav display a little harder, punching a few buttons. “Yeah, should be dead ahead, about a quarter click I think.” They glanced over the top of the display, their eyes scanning the ground below before they extended a long, thin blue arm and pointed. “Maybe in that gap where it’s just fog and no treetops are poking through.” 

Chuckles followed the line their finger indicated, spotting the gap in the treetops. “Alright, bringing her down. We’ll try to park under the far edge under the trees there.” The ship dropped down into the fog with a low rumble. Suddenly, there was a sickening metallic squeal and the entire freighter began to roll to the right. Branches ripped through the gloom, slamming into the front viewport. Nita screamed and Chuck swore, a sweat breaking out across his palms as he tried to keep the freighter upright. 

“ARNI, WHAT HAPPENED? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A CLEARING?”

The young Twi’lek’s eyes were wide, frantically flicking across the display. “I… I… I was-”

“HANG ON!” Chuck braced his heels against the floor as he pulled back on the steering mechanism, trying to regain some altitude. The ship’s engine roared, but on the starboard side, the normal roar was quieter, interrupted by a loud, irregular whirring and clattering. Tree limbs slammed against the transparisteel, leaves smearing across the wet surface and sticking. “We’re losing altitude and starboard engine’s out. We need to set her down. Now. Everyone brace!” Chuckles shouted. Arni’s eyes grew impossibly wider. 

“I’m sorry,” they whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

Chuck’s eyes were focused on the altimeter. “100 meters… 50… 20… Here we go.” 

Kamino’s waves raced up towards his trainer as the ship plummeted downwards in an uncontrolled spin. His hands fumbled for the eject cable. He pulled. Something was wrong. He pulled again. The eject sequence started. But his cockpit viewport didn’t budge. The ejection charges under his seat ignited. His canopy was just beginning to open. His helmet wasn’t on all the way yet… 

The ship crashed into the ground, bouncing once and then skidding into a line of tree trunks. It rocked against the timber before slamming back down and coming to rest in the mud. Chuck tried to steady his breathing, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply before releasing the controls and the memory that had come rushing to the front of his mind. His fingers inadvertently drifted to touch the scar that tore across his cheek from one corner of his mouth. He exhaled sharply.   

Not your best landing. But definitely not your worst.  

Nita whimpered quietly. Chuckles’s eyes snapped back open. He ripped off his flight harness, turning to Arni and gripping their shoulders. Their cheeks were tear stained as Chuckles’s eyes roved over them, hands cupping their face and turning their head back and forth, inspecting them. “Are you hurt?” he asked quietly. 

“I’m sorry,” they repeated.

“Arni. Are you hurt?” 

Arni swallowed hard, shaking their head. “I don’t think so,” they rasped. 

“Wait here for a second.” Chuckles scrambled across the floor on unsteady legs to where Nita was strapped into her jumpseat. He knelt in front of her, carefully removing his helmet from her head and then the flight harness. Her silver hair was mussed and her lip was trembling. Her golden eyes were wide with fear. Chuckles looked her over carefully as well. 

No blood. There’s that at least.

“Are you more hurt or more scared, honey?” he asked quietly. 

A tear slid from Nita’s eye, tracing down her cheek. Chuckles cupped her face, brushing it away with his thumb. “Nita. Are you hurt? I need to know.”

She took a deep shuddering breath, her eyes darting over his shoulder to where Arni sat watching them with a look of horror on their face. “More scared,” she said, but Chuck didn’t miss the way she cradled her left arm to her chest slightly. Her eyes met his, almost pleading, and he understood. 

“Arni, can you see if you can get the hatch open?” he called over his shoulder.

“Is she-”

“She’s alright. Just a bit shook up. See what you can do about the hatch.”

Arni hesitated, watching them carefully for another moment before standing from their seat and limping towards the ship’s main door. 

“Your ankle-” Chuck started.

“It’s fine,” Arni cut him off. They punched the buttons to open the hatch, and the door shrieked in protest but slid upward. “Ramp’s not working though,” they murmured.

Chuckles watched them for a moment, but the look on their face made it clear pressing them about the ankle was the wrong move. He sighed. “Take the tool kit and see if you can find the problem.”

“Yes sir,” Arni said quietly. Chuckles knew they didn’t mean it maliciously, but the words cut him anyway. Before he could think of a response, the young Twi’lek had dragged the tool kit out the hatch and dropped down out of view. 

Chuckles sighed again. One step at a time. 

He turned back to Nita. “Alright, let me see your arm, honey.” 

“I didn’t want them to know,” Nita said softly. “They think it’s their fault.” 

“It wasn’t,” Chuckles said gently. “We’ll get them fixed up next. But right now, I need you to tell me how you got hurt.” He reached for her hand, and she flinched when he took her arm and carefully rolled up her sleeve. The little Pantoran sucked in a sharp breath as another tear leaked from her eye. 

“When the ship rolled over, I fell on it hard,” she said, her voice shaking. 

Chuckles cautiously ran his hands over her forearm, gently feeling for anything out of place and watching her reactions. Nita didn’t wince again until he got to her wrist, squeezing her eyes shut when he flexed the joint slightly.

“Can you make a fist for me?” he asked. Nita did her best, but it was clear the effort was hurting her. “Can you wave your hand up or down at all or rotate it?” Chuckles requested. The little Pantoran screwed up her face and tried, but whimpered when her wrist was moved at all. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Alright, that’s ok. You don’t have to do any more.”

“Is it broken?” she asked fearfully. 

“It might be. We’ll keep an eye on it. Lucky for you, I’ve broken enough bones in my time to know how to splint a wrist,” he joked, standing and going to retrieve the medkit. “I was the main reason our twin medics got their names.” He clicked open the medkit and began digging around for the materials he needed. 

“What were their names?” Nita asked, wiping her nose. 

“Sticks and Stones,” Chuckles replied, grinning. “Because-”

“Sticks and stones may break your bones?” 

“Yeah. Exactly that.”

“But they were medics? They shouldn’t be breaking bones.”

Chuckles giggled lightly as he set out a bandage. “I was pretty reckless in my training days. The rest of my squad was too, but I was definitely the worst, always coming in with broken fingers or toes. Nothing too serious. A broken nose once, and a busted collar bone on one really bad fall. They got so sick of seeing me that they threatened to give me a real break if I didn’t stop being such a jack-... such an idiot.” He placed the splint against her wrist and she inhaled sharply. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. Just a sec.” Gingerly, Chuckles began wrapping the bandage around her arm. 

“What are they like?” Nita asked, digging her teeth into her lower lip while Chuckles wrapped. 

“Sticks is a bit of a stick in the mud, pun intended. He was always the most annoyed with me, scolding me and muttering while he fixed me up. Stones was…” His eyes flicked to the magenta star halfway down the back of his helmet as he remembered painting it. “He was brave. A bit reckless, like me. Always had the best jokes though. And a stash of candy hidden in the medbay. He and Sticks would bicker all the time, but they were best friends, even if they were very different. Stones was always the first one to run in and look for those that needed his help.” 

“Is he one of your stars?” she asked. Chuckles’s eyes met hers. “Arni told me what they mean,” she said quietly. With her uninjured hand, she reached over, brushing her palm across the scuffed symbols painted on plastoid. “That’s a lot of stars.”

“It is. And they all burned brightly.” A lump unexpectedly rose in his throat.

“What happened to Stones?” Nita asked. 

“He and Sticks were deployed with our wing one mission. Normally they hung back at Coruscant, but not that time. Guess it was supposed to be a large campaign, so they figured having more medics on hand would be a good idea. We were sent out in our fighters while they stayed behind on our Venator to prepare for incoming wounded from the ground assault. Unfortunately, while the fighters were deployed, the Separatists attacked the fleet. They were almost defenseless until we could turn around and hustle back. Our Venator was hit pretty badly. Sticks was in the medbay, but Stones was going out to find wounded throughout the ship. There was one hallway going up in flames, and he was helping move wounded out of it. The hull had been weakened in the attack already, and unbeknownst to the troopers, a gas line had been hit. The gas was leaking into the hallway and finally floated to where the flames were, and that was all it took. The explosion breached the hull, and about a dozen of my brothers were killed instantly. The airlock was able to seal and keep the whole ship from going up, but Stones had just gone back in for more wounded a few seconds before the explosion happened.” Chuckles’s eyes burned, and he huffed out a laugh. “The supporting officer had told him it wasn’t safe, but he was stubborn. Apparently told the admiral if it wasn’t safe for him, then it was even less safe for his brothers that were hurt. He really gave him what for with a few choice words before ignoring orders and going back in. And that was that.” Chuck’s voice trailed off as he got lost in the memory. 

The way Sticks was standing in the hangar when we got back. We all knew.

“Stones was very brave,” Nita stated after a few moments. 

“Yup.” Chuckles’s voice cracked. “He was.” 

“Like you.” 

“Probably braver.” 

“You saved us when you didn’t have to.” 

Chuck paused, looking up at her. “Of course I did. There was no way I was going to leave you.” He finished wrapping her bandage. “I was trained to help people, to keep them safe at any cost, just like Stones. You and Arni needed help, so in that moment, there was never a doubt in my mind about what was going to happen next. We were all getting out together or we weren’t getting out at all.” He gently squeezed her fingertips. “Not too tight?” 

She shook her head. “No. It’s fine.” Nita raised her head and sniffled. “You should go find Arni.” 

Chuckles pushed himself to his feet. “Will you be alright in here?” 

Nita nodded. 

“Alright. I’ll be right back. Maybe take a look around and see if anything else looks too broken.” 

She nodded again, hopping out of her seat and carefully picking her way towards the back of the ship. Probably to grab some snacks first, Chuck thought as he picked up the medkit and headed for the hatch. 

The rain was still falling in heavy curtains outside, and the sound of droplets hitting the leaves in the trees overhead filled the air along with an inescapable damp chill. Chuck leaned against the hull for a moment, his eyes scanning the outside, searching for any sign of the young blue Twi’lek. 

“Arni!?” he called. 

No footprints in the mud. Where the kriff is that kid?

A shuffling sound underneath him caught his attention, and he noted a pair of muddy boots poking out from underneath the ship. Hopping out of the hatch, he crouched down and peered underneath. Arni had propped themself up against one of the tree roots the ship was balanced on and was working at a panel they’d pried open on the underside. They didn’t look at Chuck as he squatted down and shuffled under the ship next to them, dragging the medkit behind him. He noted Arni had their left leg propped up on part of the root and wasn’t really moving it. 

“You gonna let me work on that ankle?” he asked softly. 

“S’fine,” Arni muttered. 

“I saw you favoring it.”

“I said it’s fine.” 

Chuckles’s mouth dropped open a little bit at the frustrated tone in the youngling’s voice. The kid’s never had an attitude before. He watched Arni for a few more seconds, their brow furrowed and their tongue poking out as they worked at some component in the panel. Suddenly, a shower of sparks shot out, and the Twi’lek yelped, stuffing burned fingers into their mouth, but not before swearing loudly. 

“Dank FARRIK!” 

Chuck remained silent despite his shock at the curse. Arni’s eyes flicked up to him as they slipped their fingers out of their mouth to examine the burns on their fingertips before they heaved a frustrated sigh, leaning forward and hiding their face in their hands gingerly. Chuck carefully shuffled forward with the medkit before plopping in the mud next to Arni, his back resting against the tree root. Without a word, he reached over, taking Arni’s thin hand in his and turning it over. There was a cut on their index finger and a few bubbling blisters already beginning to rise on the pads of that finger and their middle one. Chuckles popped open the medkit and rooted around for bacta before carefully applying some to the burns, rubbing gently at the damaged skin. Arni was quiet, their head still hanging as Chuckles worked, bandaging the fingers gently before reaching over to their other hand and beginning the process over. 

“You know, it’s alright to make mistakes,” Chuckles said quietly after he’d applied bacta again. “We all do it. Me especially. It’s not the end of the galaxy.” 

Arni huffed. “I wrecked the ship.” 

“Actually, I wrecked the ship seeing as I was the pilot.” The burns weren’t as bad on this hand, so Chuck used only a little bacta before beginning to bandage. “You know what happened?” 

Arni nodded. “I had the scale off. I zoomed in on the display and I didn’t realize it had adjusted the scale as well. So it wasn’t measuring in klicks anymore. We missed the site I’d picked by half a klick.” 

Chuck glanced at them, smoothing the edge of the bandage down. “You learned something then about how the nav display works.” 

Arni swallowed hard before nodding again. 

“And are you going to make the same mistake again?”

“No, sir.” 

Chuckles sighed, releasing Arni’s hand and leaning over to nudge his shoulder against the youngling’s. “You know, I don’t like being called that.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t know. But I’m not your commanding officer, Arni. I’m not going to reprimand you. You’re a kid. You made a mistake, and all things considered, not a huge one. We’re all ok, the ship is fixable, and we’re where we wanted to be.” 

“I hurt Nita.” 

“Nita fell over on her arm and hurt it. If anything, I need to teach her how to not brace with her arms when she falls hard or else that won’t be her last broken wrist,” he joked. His mirth did little to quell Arni’s anxiety, their shoulders slouching more as they studied their newly bandaged fingers, flexing them experimentally. Chuckles huffed, leaning against Arni’s shoulder again. 

“I know I’m not who you thought you’d be stuck with, but I wasn’t kidding when we picked out that name. We’re a family now. And families take care of one another, even when they mess up. So, will you let me take care of that ankle while you take care of the ship?” 

Arni’s mouth twitched contemplatively for a few seconds before they finally relented, giving Chuckles a small nod. Chuck patted them on the shoulder before turning and wriggling down to where Arni had their ankle propped up. Carefully, he pulled it into his lap, ignoring the smear of mud it left on his pants. Arni didn’t make a sound, but he noted them digging their teeth into their lower lip as he slowly removed the boot they wore. 

“You put weight on it, so I don’t think it’s broken, but we’ll do our best to keep you off it for a bit to give it time to rest.” He took another bandage out of the medkit and began wrapping the ankle tight enough to keep it from flexing too easily. Arni worked in the panel, trying to keep their leg still. 

“You having any luck?” Chuckles asked after a few moments. 

“Not really. I think we may have damaged the main ramp circuit when we impacted. Cracked a few components. I can fix it. Just need the right parts.” 

Chuck gently slipped their boot back on, carefully refastening it. “Well, get me a list of what you need, and I’ll see if I can track it down.” He helped Arni out from under the ship, slipping an arm around their torso to help take some of the weight off their foot. The two of them tilted their heads up in the rain to look at what was left of the starboard engine. Arni sucked air in through their teeth and Chuckles resisted the urge to swear at the sight of the mangled engine that was nestled in the limbs of the tree next to them. It wasn’t on fire anymore, but smoke was still trickling from its scorched housing. 

“Well, good thing we’d planned on staying here for a while,” Chuckles observed. “But we can fix that.” 

One step at a time. 

—

The rain abated by early afternoon the following day, giving way to a moderate humidity accompanied by a cool breeze. Chuckles and the two younglings had managed to get the inside of the ship cleaned up from where items had come crashing loose during their landing. With Arni’s help, Chuck had identified a small settlement near them, and as soon as the rain stopped and the sky cleared, he pulled a covering over the lower half of his face along with a tinted pair of goggles and a hooded cloak and trudged into the town, leaving Arni and Nita behind to watch the ship. 

Arni had protested at first. “You can’t go alone. We’ve got to look out for each other.”

“And you will. You’ll look out for Nita here on the ship.”

“But-”

“Kid, you can barely walk. There’s not exactly a paved street out there waiting for you. Stay here, rest your ankle, and watch the little one.”

Arni’s face fell, and Chuckles rested his hands on their shoulders. “Hey,” he said softly. “This isn’t punishment. I don’t know what I’m going to find there, and I’d rather the two of you stay here in case things go bad or in case it’s dangerous.” 

“But what about you?” 

“I’ve got a blaster. I’ll be alright. You two just keep working on the ship, and I’ll be back in a few hours, alright?” 

Arni didn’t appear pleased, but hadn’t argued it further. 

Now, as Chuckles picked his way through the mud, he was progressively more glad he’d left the two of them behind. 

I’d have been carrying Nita by now. Her little feet would have slipped all over the place, and I’m barely able to keep my balance as is. Arni would have had an awful time with that ankle. 

His eyes flicked up to where the sun was starting to descend towards the horizon. 

Still. Better get a move on. 

A few klicks later, he heaved a sigh of relief when he finally saw a telltale plume of smoke coming from a small group of what appeared to be wooden, dome-shaped buildings. Following his nose, he picked out the one that appeared to be the common house and stepped inside. 

The day’s dwindling sunlight trickled in between the slats on the wall. He could see water dripping onto a few tables from where the rain had leaked through the cracks, pooling in certain places on the floor. There were a few patrons milling around: two humans huddled at one table, a Rodian and a Weequay playing some dice game at another, and a suspicious looking Klatooinian nursing a mostly empty bottle of spotchka in the corner, his eyes darting around but not really focusing on anything thanks to his alcohol-induced haze. Chuckles’s eyes settled on a woman running a rag over one of the tables, sweeping bowls into a stack to be carried off and cleaned. She wore a dark maroon tunic and grey trousers with a filthy apron covering her front. Her hair was a deep shade of black with the first few streaks of grey beginning to extend from her temples and one from her forehead, streaking back into a messy bun on the back of her head. A scar split her lower lip with a few more peppering her forearms. Her hands and forearms were strong, clearly used to a hard day’s labor. Everything about her presence gave Chuckles the impression she was the one in charge inside of this building. 

Here goes nothing. 

“‘Scuse me,” he said. 

The woman’s sharp amethyst eyes snapped up to look at him, raking over him quickly before settling on what little she could see of his face, seemingly piercing through the tinted goggles to peer into his soul. 

“What can I get you, hon?” The question was worded politely, but it felt more like a demand.

“I’m hoping for a job.”

“We’ve got bone broth and spotchka, my friend. Gonna have to settle for one of those I’m afraid.” 

Chuck tried to hide his disappointment. “Know of anywhere else that might be hiring around here?”

The woman scowled at him. “What makes you think this is the place to find employment?” 

“Looking for a place to settle with my kids. Sorgan seemed like a good place to do it.” 

She huffed a mirthless laugh. “Whoever told you that must not like you very much.” The stack of bowls she was carrying began to teeter precariously, but before they could fall, she rocked them back against her shoulder with practiced ease. She blew a wisp of greying hair out of her face. “Sorry.” 

Chuckles followed her over to the next table where she began her routine again. He stacked the glasses there before she could reach for them, cradling them against his chest while she glared. “Please.”

“Do I look like I make enough to pay you anything?” she said, clearly becoming irritated. “Look around you. This is about as full as it always is.”

“I’ll work for food then. For me and my kids. You don’t have to pay me. Just keep us fed. I know bone broth doesn’t cost that much to make.”

She reached for the glasses, but he pulled away, and she rolled her eyes in response before turning on her heel and trekking back behind the main counter. “If I fed every asshole that came in here with a sad story, I’d be running a soup kitchen, friend.” 

“Thought you said not many came through here,” he countered. She narrowed her eyes and was clearly about to tell him off when a loud slam on the wooden countertop interrupted them. Chuck looked to his left to see the Klatooinian ignoring him, choosing instead to glare at the woman. 

“You shortin’ me on spotchka again, Ry?” 

The woman gave him a tight smile. “As I’ve told you before, Broog, you get the same size bottle as everyone else.” Chuck could see she was doing her best to be cordial, but her fingers had started to drum nervously on the countertop. He makes her uneasy. He eyed the blaster at the Broog’s hip. 

The Klatooinian snarled. “Even if that were true, I should get more than the standard bottle. ‘Specially with everything going on right now. I’d hate to have to tell my clan this place isn’t welcoming.” 

Ry’s eye twitched, but she scoffed defiantly. “You really threatening the person that feeds you every day and makes sure you leave here drunk every night?” 

“Someone else could do it just as easy as you,” Broog slurred, and Chuck wrinkled his nose at the stench of his breath. “Sounds like buddy here wants a job. Maybe he could run this place better.” He went to rest his hand on Chuckles shoulder, but before his palm could settle, Chuck gripped his wrist, twisting it violently and almost certainly breaking it before he slammed the Klatooinian’s face down onto the wooden counter. It was as if all of the tension, frustration, and anger that he’d been carrying within him and pushing down for the last few rotations exploded in that instant, and a surge of satisfaction ripped through him as he felt the Klatooinian’s wrist fracture in his grip, almost as if for an instant, the galaxy was a little more balanced. 

The entire common house went silent. Ry took half a step back. 

Chuckles leaned down, speaking quietly in the Klatooinian’s ear. “It’s rude to threaten people, buddy. Especially nice ladies like this one here. Now, when I let you up, you’re gonna pay your tab, tip handsomely, and then get out of here. Understand?” 

Broog snarled. “I’ll beat your ass once you let me up, that’s what I’ll do. And then I’ll take what I want from this bitch before I see her place burned to the ground.”

“I don’t think so.”

Chuck dug his thumb into the Klatooinian’s wrist until he felt the bones crack and give further. Broog whimpered. 

He sighed in disappointment at his pinned quarry before rasping directly into Broog’s ear once more.

“Apologize.” 

Broog’s beady eyes darted up to where Ry was standing, having recovered, her hip cocked and her arms crossed in front of her. “‘M sorry. Now call your man off.”

“Louder.”

“ALRIGHT. I’M SORRY RY.”

“And will you be back?”

“NO. KARKING HELLS. NO.”

“Good boy.” Chuckles released him, patting him on the shoulder as he yanked the Klatooinian’s blaster from its holster at his hip. “I’ll be keeping this. Now, pay the lady. Don’t forget, leave her a good tip.” Broog yanked out as many credits as he could fit in a single hand, tossing them on the counter before he stormed out, snarling under his breath. 

Chuckles jerked his chin at the stack of credits on the counter. “That enough?”

Ry’s eyes flicked to them. “Not really. He owed me for about three more months of meals, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. Especially if he doesn’t come back.” She smirked, blowing the grey strands of hair back out of her face again. Her teeth dug into her lip as though she was thinking for a moment before she leaned over and swept the credits into an apron pocket. Straightening, she stacked the bowls in her arms once more, swiping at the stack of glasses Chuckles had set down. “We start cooking just after dawn for the mid day meal. Don’t be late…” 

“Chuck.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Really? That’s your name.”

“‘S the one I got.”

She shrugged. “Alright. Just after dawn. Don’t be late, Chuck.” 

He smiled under his face covering. “Yes ma’am.” 

—

Chuckles was back early the next morning, reaching the common house just as the sun crested the horizon. Most of the mud from the rain had dried, but there were still several large puddles in need of side-stepping as he carefully picked his way to the building’s entrance. He sported the last clean shirt he could find on the ship, rolling the sleeves up over his forearms and slipping on a vest to keep his commlink in. Arni had managed to rig up a rudimentary device that would allow them to at least message each other throughout the day, and Chuck had promised to buy them actual commlinks when he could find someone that was selling them. 

For now, it’s better than nothing.

He still had his face covered, wearing the dark goggles and a cloth mask over his nose and chin. When he stepped inside the common house, the place was empty with the exception of Ry, who was leaning her elbows on the counter, scrolling through a datapad. Her eyes flicked up to him as he stepped through the door, appraising him once more before raising an eyebrow. 

“You always keep your face covered?”

He shrugged casually. “Had a bad accident a few years ago. Got some scarring. Figured you wouldn’t want to scare your customers.” 

“Yeah because nothing says hospitality like a guy with his face totally hidden.” 

“You could always just put me on manual labor tasks in back.”

“Careful what you wish for, Chuck.”

There was a rustling behind Ry, and a female Togruta stepped out from where Chuck assumed the kitchens were. She had pale purple skin peppered with light scars and a white diamond and stripe pattern that framed her turquoise eyes. Her lekku were a similar shade of turquoise and striped with white, wrapping over the shoulder of the grey tunic she wore and dangling down her back. She didn’t speak, instead raising her hands and making rapid signs to Ry. Ry cast a nervous glance over her shoulder at Chuck before signing back, and only then did the Togruta appear to notice him. She gave him a shy smile, and he waved. 

“Hi.”

She didn’t answer him, instead refocusing on Ry, continuing to rapidly sign at her. They carried on a wordless conversation for a few moments before the Togruta huffed a sigh, taking Ry’s hands and giving them a squeeze, her thumbs grazing over the woman’s knuckles. She gave Ry a final fond look before her eyes darted to Chuckles one more time as she came around the counter and stepped past him and out the door. Ry watched her go before staring Chuckles down. 

“Who was that?” he asked innocently.

“Our cook.” 

“Seems like you two have a… special working relationship.” 

Ry glared at him. “I don’t talk about my personal life with my employees.” 

“You know I have kids.”

“I know you say you have kids. For all I know, you could be lying through your teeth. Assuming you have teeth since I can’t really tell with the whole face getup.” 

“I’ll just have to bring them with me someday so you know I’m not lying.” 

Ry tossed a rag at him. “Get to wiping the tables.” He gave her a mock salute before heading over to the first one, carefully sweeping any dust or leftover crumbs away. Ry resumed reading whatever she was looking at on her datapad, occasionally tapping away at the keys. 

“How old are your kids?” she asked after a few moments. 

Kriff.

“Uh… thirteen. And five. I think.” He made a mental note to actually ask them at some point. 

Her eyebrow raised. “Not off to a strong start on convincing me you actually have kids.”

“They’re adopted.”

“Uh huh.” 

The silence settled for another few moments before Chuckles felt emboldened enough to ask a question. 

“What’s the cook’s name?”

“Why, you going to ask her out to dinner?”

“Not when she’s clearly spoken for.”

Ry glared at him over the top of her datapad. “Oksann.”

“Where did you learn to sign like that?” he followed up. 

“Nope, you don’t get to ask two. That’s not how this works.”

“I’m surprised it’s working at all, what with your sunny disposition.” She glowered at him, but said nothing. “Fine. What’s your next question?”

She leaned forward on her elbows. “What happened to your face?”

He sighed. At least this isn’t a lie. “Ship crash. Was learning to fly, stalled it out, something went wrong with the eject. I wound up slamming into the canopy with my helmet halfway on. There was metal and transparisteel everywhere, and unsurprisingly, I got sliced up. Wasn’t pretty.”

“Apparently still isn’t.”

“You could say that.” He could smell the first wafts of the bone broth beginning to drift from the back where Oksann had emerged from. His mouth watered and his stomach grumbled loud enough for Ry to glance up from her datapad again. 

“You didn’t eat today?” 

“That’s another question.” She rolled her eyes at him before disappearing into the back, emerging a few moments later with a steaming bowl. “Here. Eat. I need you on your feet for the whole day.” He just stood there staring for a moment, his fingers flexing nervously. Ry could clearly sense his nerves, although she certainly hadn’t identified the source. “It’s not charity. Consider it an advance. Or quality control. Whatever.” He stepped towards the counter hesitantly, and she set the bowl in front of him. 

“Could you…” he paused. 

She gave him a confused look before it appeared to dawn on her. “Really? I can’t see you while you’re eating?”

“I… I’m not accustomed to people seeing my face. Not yet.”

She sighed. “Alright. But for the record, I promise you I’ve seen worse.” She turned, resting her back against the counter. Chuckles took the opportunity to read her datapad over her shoulder. Inventory. A message from Oksann. News updates. Nothing too concerning. He pulled the mask down, blowing cautiously on the first spoonful of broth before bringing it to his lips. 

It was the best soup he’d ever had, and he couldn’t keep an audible satisfied sound from slipping from him. 

“I see why you keep Oksann around,” he teased. “By the way, is ‘Ry’ short for anything?” 

She sighed. “Ryena. But no one calls me that anymore. It’s just Ry.”

“Got it.” 

Chuckles finished his bone broth as quickly as he could, eventually picking up the bowl and tipping it back to empty every last bit into his mouth before placing the bowl back on the counter with a clatter. 

“Thank you,” he said after pulling the covering back up over his face. 

Ry turned, taking the bowl and giving him a smirk. “Well, at least I know you have teeth now. I could hear you chewing.” 

Under the mask, he grinned. “If you say so.”

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @gjrain20-starwars @moonstrider9904

#karrde writes #fanfiction #fan fic #star wars #the clone wars #tcw #one step at a time #osaat #OC Chuckles #Chuckles #OC Arni #Arni #OC Nita #Nita #Chuckles Ayyshu #Arni Ayyshu #Nita Ayyshu #Clone OC #Jedi OC #Pantoran OC #Twilek OC #found family #fluff #angst

[fanfics-cause-i-can]

Don’t Leave Me: Chapter 1

In which this time the newest villain is different. This time, he’s not akumatized. He’s just a normal human. But sometimes normal humans are the most dangerous, and our two heroes find that out the hard way.

Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir AU: In which Ladybug is realizing she does have feelings for Cat Noir, and in which Cat Noir still loves her.

Author’s Notes: Hiya! So imma just apologize now because yes this has some angsty stuff. Sorry but also ✨ not sorry✨. So as for some background info, this is chapter one of a story I’ve decided to work on because the idea popped into my head and I wanted to run with it. It’s probably gonna be a bit messy because I reaaally don’t want to edit it, but we’ll see.

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Akuma Trouble

Word Count: ~2000 words

Unedited

Running swiftly along the Paris rooftops, Ladybug winced as she saw another group of people get turned into pigeons. Rolling her eyes at the ridiculous situation, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath and try calling Cat Noir. Again.

“Has the cat got your tongue? Leave a message,” his voicemail said. Ending the call, this time without leaving a message, Ladybug sighed and rubbed between her eyes, trying to work away the impending headache she felt.

“Fe-line alright m’lady?” A voice said from behind her. She sighed without turning around.

“I’m fine kitty. Just tired and so very ready to go home and sleep for the next year,” Ladybug said. Her black clad partner came to stand beside her with a half smile.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” He agreed with her. They both knew that things had gotten harder ever since Shadowmoth found out how to break past the magical charms Ladybug gave to people they saved, and Cat Noir knew how much pressure Ladybug was under now that she was guardian.

“If only she would let me help her.” He thought to himself. He straightened up and held out a hand with a more enthusiastic smile. Ladybug glanced up at him and saw the hopeful shimmer in his eyes and it immediately reminded her that she wasn’t alone, and never would be. “Come on m’lady. We’ve got this one. I bet we could do it in record time today too.” He smiled. She took his hand and smiled back.

“You’re right. We got this.” She replied. When they got to the Tower, Mr. Pigeon cackled down at them from within the ball of pigeons circling around him.

“Well well well. If it isn’t the bug and the kitten.”

“Ha ha. Hilarious. Just as hilarious as the first ten times,” Ladybug grumbled under her breath, her tiredness giving way to a sudden spurt of sarcasm. Cat Noir stifled a laugh through a cough before nudging her lightly with his shoulder. She looked up at him and he winked, making her break out into a small smile and easing the tension in the air.

“Go right, I’ll go left,” she muttered to him. He gave a small nod before watching her call upon her lucky charm. A red bag fell from the air and she caught it, opening it up and smirking at the contents.

“Nevermind kitty. I think todays akuma will be a bit more simple than we thought.” Cat Noir looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She reached in the bag, snatching a handful of the contents before whistling to get Mr. Pigeons attention.

“Hey birdbrain. You hungry?” She threw out her hand, scattering breadcrumbs from the bag all over the concrete ground. The flock of pigeons all flew directly for the scattered food, despite the cries of protest from Mr. Pigeon himself. Ladybug dumped the rest of the crumbs out in a pile and Cat Noir watched with an amused smile as she used her yo-yo to swing up to the defeated villain. He leaned on his staff and kept an eye out as his partner gently grabbed the bird call and broke it, capturing the akuma and setting free the white butterfly.

She swung the deakumatized Mr. Ramier down to the ground as he apologized the entire time.

“I’m so sorry Ladybug, I truly am. I don’t know what happened, I just-…”

“Mr. Ramier,” interrupted Ladybug, holding up a hand. “It’s okay. I’ve told you this before. Cat Noir and I will always be here for you. We’ll always be here for anyone who gets akumatized. You don’t need to apologize,” she placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “We all get mad, we all get upset. It’s called being human.” Mr. Ramier gave a timid smile and nodded. Ladybug reached into her yo-yo, pulling out a new charm for the pigeon lover and smiled as she handed it to him.

Cat Noir watched with a loving smile as she threw her lucky charm into the air, scattering magic ladybugs all over Paris to repair any damage caused. Mr. Ramier walked off with a wave and then Ladybug let her superhero facade slip. Her shoulders slumped and she rubbed between her eyes again, causing Cat Noir to stare at her with a concerned look.

“Are you sure you’re okay m’lady?” He asked gently. “I know it’s been a lot lately. And you know that you can talk to me. I’m you’re partner after all.” He said. She sighed and looked at him, eyes tired.

“I would say yes, I’m fine, but I feel like you’d call me out on my lie,” she said with a half smirk that appeared for only a second. “I’m just tired. And I’ve got a wicked headache, probably from lack of sleep. On top of this, I’m running out of excuses to tell people about me disappearing all the time. Oh, and homework is a thing that I never do.” She listed off. Cat Noir winced, knowing exactly what she was feeling. The pressure of having a double life, it wasn’t easy.

“How about this. Do you have anything pressing going on tonight?” He asked. She raised an eyebrow before thinking for a moment.

“I guess not. It’s a Friday after all.”

“Perfect. Then you go home, get some rest, and meet me back here, on top of the Eiffel Tower at say, ten, okay?” He said.

“Kitty…”

“Nope,” he said, popping the P. “You, m’lady, need a break. If only for an evening.” He said. Then he softened his eyes and grabbed her shoulders. “Please Ladybug.” She bit her lip before nodding reluctantly. Cat Noir gave her a quick hug, and tried to ignore his pounding heart, before letting her go and watching her leave with a wave.

“Now for actually planning something,” he muttered as he started running towards his own house.

<<<{}>>>

“He suggested it, and besides, he’s right. It’s been forever since I’ve just talked to him, plus we both need a break,” Marinette said from her spot on her bed. Alya nodded in agreement.

“I know you do. You work so hard girl, not just as Ladybug, but as Marinette too. You need to take a minute for you.”

“Well hopefully tonight goes off without any problems,” Marinette yawned. “I hope he doesn’t plan something that means having to move any more than necessary. I think I’d fall asleep.” Alya just laughed at her friend with a shake of the head.

“Go get some rest Marinette. Then go have a good night with Cat Noir. You deserve it,” she blew a kiss at the screen before it went black, leaving Marinette alone to be devoured by her own thoughts.

“We can’t do this Tikki. He’s too strong, and getting stronger every day,” Marinette said, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes to prevent tears from falling. A small pressure on her forearm made her look to see the small red kwami gently hugging her arm.

“Just because Shadowmoth is getting stronger, doesn’t mean you aren’t. You’re doing amazing Marinette. You need to have more faith in yourself and Cat Noir.” Tikki told her. Marinette sniffed before pulling her blankets up to her chin, Tikki snuggling in close to her cheek.

“I know, Tikki. I’m just worried. Cat Noir and I… we’re just kids. I can see it on his face too, this is taking a toll on us both. And just imagine, if my magical ladybugs couldn’t fix the damages afterwards who knows if Paris would even still be standing. Who knows how many people would be hurt, or worse.”

“Well it’s a good thing you don’t have to worry about that, isn’t it?” Tikki smiled. “Things will be okay Marinette. Remember how many Ladybugs there were before you and remember that no matter what, they all made it through. And so can you.” Marinette smiled at her kwami.

“Thanks Tikki. You’re the best.” She said quietly before drifting off into a much needed sleep.

On the other side of things, Adrien Agreste too was laying on his bed with his own thoughts.

“Why won’t she just let me help her Plagg?” He said. The kwami of destruction, who was currently searching through Adriens room to find some cheese, stopped and rolled his eyes.

“Because she’s a Ladybug. In all my centuries of working alongside Sugarcube and her holder, never once did any of those holders ask for help if they needed, because they never think they need it. It’s the stubbornness of every Ladybug.” Adrien let out a small huff of disappointment before sitting up and watching the small black kwami flit about his room.

“Well I already knew she was stubborn. But-…” he rubbed his hands down his face, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. “We’re all each other has now. Shadowmoth has taken away so much. We need each other.”

“If I was you, I’d just focus on the job at hand. Finding me more camembert,” Plagg replied. Adrien chuckled, but still felt a pit in his stomach.

“Fine. But let’s make this quick. I still need to set up for tonight.”

<<<{}>>>

Marinette woke up hours later, just before nine, feeling only slightly more rested than before, but ready for her meet with her feline partner.

“How about something to eat and then a short patrol Tikki?” She asked as she climbed down from her loft bed. Her kwami yawned before nodding eagerly at the promise of food. Marinette chuckled before grabbing her purse and heading down the stairs where her parents were sitting in the living room.

“Oh, there you are Marinette. We were wondering if you were ever going to come down,” her mom smiled. Marinette yawned and smiled back.

“Sorry mom, I fell asleep. Turns out I’m pretty tired. It’s been a big week,” she replied.

“You overdo it Marinette. You’re always running, doing things for others. You need to rest more,” her mom tutted. Marinette went over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

“If only you knew, mom.” She thought to herself. “Don’t worry about me mom. I know what I’m doing, and besides, if I can help people I will.”

“I know darling.” Her mom said lovingly before patting her on the cheek. “Dinner’s in the fridge if you want. And there’s some leftover macarons from today downstairs in the back.”

“You’re the best, mom,” Marinette said before running downstairs to get Tikki some food.

A plain, unbranded box was soon filled with the leftover macarons, some for Tikki and some for Cat Noir, unbranded just so Cat Noir didn’t suspect anything.

Cat Noir. She was so thankful to have him. So proud to be able to call him her partner. And so very concerned about him.

She had grown attached. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that if she didn’t have Cat Noir, she wouldn’t still be doing this. His undying loyalty, his commitment to her and their job, and even his everlasting positivity in any situation. If something ever happened to him…

“Well it’s a good think nothing will ever happen.” She told herself.

“It’s almost 9:30 Marinette. Don’t you think it’s time to go?” Tikki said, bringing her out of her thoughts. Marinette turned and forced a half smile grabbing the box and going back upstairs past her parents who just waved and said goodnight, and back into her room.

“Come on Marinette. Have some fun tonight. Relax. Enjoy the time with Cat Noir.” Tikki told her. Marinette just nodded and called upon her transformation, snatching the macarons before swinging out of her room and into the darkened Paris sky towards the Eiffel Tower where her partner was patiently waiting.

#slight angst #just a bit of angst #fluff #fanfic #mlb au #mlb fanfic #miraculous chat noir #miraculous fanworks #miraculous lb #miraculous ladybug #character injury #it’s fine tho #fanfiction #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #miraculous fanfic #cat noir #ladybug #hurt cat noir #he’s fine tho #kind of #I think #possibly #ANYHOO

[fthunter]

hiiiiii i’m mimi and it’s been a minute since i’ve rped so please be patient with me. but i am very excited to be here !! also this intro got away from me and is way too long so i apologize in advance ok.. but yes let’s plot maybe ?? 

(   hwang hyunjin  ,  cismale  ,  he/him  ,  twenty two  ) $$$  —  i'm  pretty  sure  i  just  saw HUNTER SEO  headed  out  of  the  estate  .  it's  weird  though  …  i  didn't  see  them  with  their  SKATEBOARD  .  i  didn't  know  they  left  the  house  without  it  .  i  feel  like  i  can  never  catch  them   ;   they're  always  so  busy  …  guess  that  makes  sense  since  they're  a PROFESSIONAL SKATEBOARDER  .  have  you  met  them  yet  ?  they  live  in  MAGNOLIA LANE  ,  so  you  might've  missed  them  .  i  think  you'd  like  them  a  lot  ,  actually  .  i  swear  their  aura  is  YELLOW  ,  and  that  seems  like  your  vibe  .  maybe  you'll  get  lucky  and  run  into  them  sometime  .  i  can  always  tell  when  they're  coming  up  the  hill  ‘cause  they're  constantly  blasting  SUGAR  by  BROCKHAMPTON  …  it's  pretty  much  their  anthem  at  this  point  ,  so  if  you  hear  it  ,  you'll  know  they're  around  .  y'know  ,  the  other  day  ,  i  saw  a  tabloid  with  them  on  the  front  page  that  said  "  HUNTER SEO AND VANS TEAM UP TO GET KIDS NEW WHEELS DESPITE RUMOURS CIRCLING HIS RELATIONSHIP STATUS  “ …  do  you  think  that's  true  ?  guess  we'll  see  what  the  neighborhood  watch  thinks  !

BASIC INFORMATION

full  name :  hunter seo nickname(s)  : hunt, h, seo preferred  name(s)  :  hunter birth  date  : may 21st 2000 age  :  twenty two   zodiac  : gemini gender  :  cis male pronouns  :  he / him romantic  orientation  : biromantic sexual  orientation  : bisexual nationality   : south  korean / canadian ethnicity  :  asian

BACKGROUND

birth  place  : jeju-do  ,  south  korea hometown  :  vancouver  , canada social  class : born middle class, currently upperclass father  : dae-min seo mother  : soo young moon sibling(s)  :  older brother - leo seo pet(s)  :  sunni the german shepard previous  relationship(s)  :  tba.

SKILLS  &  ABILITIES

physical  strength  :  strong and athletic intelligence  :  hunter isn’t overly intelligent, he never did well in school and his grades were just good enough to get him to graduation. he knows a lot about sports, but that’s really it. language(s)  spoken  :  english & korean . drive  : yes ride  a  bicycle  :  yes play  an  instrument  :  very little guitar for campfire purposes

PHYSICAL  APPEARANCE  &  CHARACTERISTICS  

eye  color  :  dark brown hair  color  :   changes frequently depending on his mood glasses  /  contacts  : doesn’t need them but will sometimes wear glasses without prescription for the aesthetic height  :  5′11″ build  :  medium/strong exercise  habits  :  literally cannot sit still, so he is incredibly active. his favourite way to workout is through physical activities like sports.

MANNERISMS

accent : hunter was raised from the time he was four in vancouver, his accent would be considered canadian but sometimes he will mispronounce things in both languages due to his korean parents having very little of the english language and always speaking korean at home and english everywhere else. quirks : drums on everything using either his fingers, pencils, cutlery or anything that can remotely resembles drum sticks, hums all the time, can’t sit still hobbies  : anything active and athletic. he loves to go for bike rides with his skateboard under his arm habits  : is always late, looses everything all the time nervous  ticks  : fidgets a lot, rambles fears  : spiders, never reaching his full potential positive  traits  : free spirited, friendly, charming, witty negative  traits  : careless, flakey, can be inattentive

IMPORTANT  /  BACKGROUND

TW: car accident, death of a family member.

early life for hunter was pretty easy, he doesn’t remember living in south korea ( despite having visited several times since and hearing all the stories ). he was four years old when they moved, his parents taking them to start over in vancouver, canada. the family of four moved to a new country where they knew no one and had nothing. despite that, they figured it out rather quickly. his parents established themselves with a restaurant and the boys settled in school, making friends easily and helping their parents out once they were old enough.

hunter’s first love was skateboarding, it was something he did for fun with his friends after school or when his parents didn’t need him at the restaurant. he used his tips from helping his parents to buy his first board when he was eight. it was neon green and very tacky, but he loved it and took it everywhere he went.

hunter was a natural. it was talent combined with fearlessness that had the likes of tony hawk approaching him and giving him pointers. all things that helped him achieve skills and reach the professional level by the time he was thirteen. that was the same year he went to his first x-games and won gold. after that the medals and sponsorships kept rolling in.

however, he was still a teenager and attended school as regularly as he could. of course, things were a bit different -- he was a local celebrity. his popularity at school skyrocketed, which hunter took with stride. he had always been easy going. if he’d broken an arm or a leg, people lined up to help him out. if he missed school for a competition or to work in some aspect, other students had the notes he missed ready for him upon his return. but with the good always came the bad. some of his classmates grew jealous, spreading lies and rumours about boy. they couldn’t touch him, there were too many eyes on him all the time but they could verbally assault him. it never bothered the youngest seo.

all the attention, on the other hand, did influence his relationship with his brother. leo didn’t like that hunter was the golden child. that he seemingly had everything and everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. the older seo wanted nothing to do with his younger sibling. despite living in the same house, they rarely spoke. hunter couldn’t understand why his brother hated him, he didn’t know what he had done or what he could do to make things right. but he didn’t stop trying. that didn’t happen until later.

the thing was, hunter was likeable, he was an all around good guy. he cared about everyone, he was funny and charismatic, a bit of an air-head. like anyone he had his strengths and weaknesses. while he could charm a room, he was perpetually late. he had broken a few world records and achieved many firsts in the skateboarding world, but he had a hard time committing to anything and anyone. he never let anything phase him, but it also appeared like he didn’t have a care in the world.

tragedy struck one winter day when hunter was sixteen. he’d just gotten his license and a new car to go with it. he had convinced his dad to close the restaurant for thee afternoon and go for a drive with him. they’d driven out of the city, taking the winding roads of british columbia towards the mountains. hunter took a turn too quickly, slipped on a patch of black ice and they’d hit a transport tuck head on. he didn’t remember anything after that. he’d woken up in a hospital later on with everyone telling him just how lucky he was to be alive. his mother was weeping, his brother was nowhere to be seen and his father -- his father didn’t make it.

from there he began the long road to rehabilitation. hunter was put through rigorous physiotherapy and was told he’d probably never skate professionally ever again. but hunter didn’t like that answer. he refused to have this be the end of his career. he was sixteen years old, he’d just lost his father and the sport was all he knew. it was pure determination that kept him going.

the doctors quickly discovered there was nothing they could do to stop the young boy. he was going to skateboard again or die trying. he managed to do it, to heal enough to get back out there... but the moment he was at the park, board under foot but without his father ( his biggest supporter ) there to cheer him on.. he couldn’t do it. he couldn’t push himself off the edge, quite literally, and do the only thing he was good at, the only thing he knew. hunter became a shell of himself. he’d put his everything into skateboarding, then his everything into physiotherapy and then he had nothing. he didn’t know what to do with himself or who he was without the board and his father.

for two years hunter was a ghost, he’d given up on everything. including winning over his brother, who now had even more reason to hate him. hunter had to agree, he hated himself too. it wasn’t until his senior year, when he was cleaning out the spare room of the house so they could sell that he found a box containing his fathers old items from his university days. photo’s, yearbooks, diploma’s, hoodies. hunter had always known his father had spent a lot of his time volunteering, the man had spoken of it fondly, encouraging his own boys to give it a try. but. hunter had always just brushed it off, ignored it. amongst all the items was the proof, the pictures of his dad smiling brightly doing the thing he loved. hunter was inspired, in a last effort to feel close to his father once more he decided he would take up volunteering.

of course, he knew only one thing. hunter began to work with children from diverse backgrounds who held the same passion and got the same thrill he once did when it came to skateboarding. he began to work with kids like him, who could have lost it all but decided to keep going and fighting for what they want after hardships. he taught them to skateboard and to recover through the love of a sport, in doing so he found himself healing as well. he was back on his board and it was like he never stopped.

naturally, people caught wind of this -- hunter seo, the child prodigy of the sport was back. it was a lot of pressure but he took his time. one competition at a time, one win, a few losses and then on to win a gold medal at the olympic games. that was what really solidified his re-entry to the sport and had brand deals and support returning to him full force.

hunter seo was once again making a name for himself in the sport. no longer the amazing child prodigy, no longer the child of tragedy, but the top ranked male in the sport and household name ( well, if you cared about sports or were on social media that was ). part of his charm, however, is that despite everything -- he’s still the same hunter he’s always been.. just with a few more bumps and bruises.

WANTED CONNECTIONS / PLOTS

platonic ───  unlikely  friends ,  other athletes he meets up with at competitions and events  ,  a  nice  wholesome  best  friend  &  confidant  ,  someone  who  will get high and talk shit with him  ,  a  party  buddy , someone who is also as free spirited as hunter and they go on adventures together , neighbours , and of course any other form of friendship really

romantic ─── first  kiss  /  first  relationship  /  first  love ,  a  past  or  present  unrequited  crush  from  either  side ,  exes  on  good  or  bad  terms   ,  friends  with  benefits ,  a one  night  stand

negative ─── someone  who  just  doesn't  click  with  him  ( this is probably someone more uptight who can’t stand how hunter seems to not have a care in the world ) ,  friends  who  had  a  falling  out ,  his biggest competition

#willowintro #once again i am apologizing because i rambled on about him too much #but also it's late so i'll probably plot for a bit and then interact first thing tomorrow <3

[donttalkaboutmemes]

Dinosaur (2000) Sentence Meme

Under the cut you will find 110 sentences from Dinosaur to use for your enjoyment!      

1.      “Some things start out big, and some things start out small. Very small. But sometimes the smallest thing can make the biggest changes of all.”

2.      “Oh, I always have to go when stuff’s happening.”

3.      “It’s a cold-blooded monster from across the sea. Vicious, flesh-eating.”

4.      “You keep that thing, one day we’ll turn our backs, it’ll be picking us out of its teeth.”

5.      “Things like that eat things like us as snacks.”

6.      “You’d better hurry up. It looks hungry.”

7.      “It’s okay. We’ll teach him to hate meat.”

8.      “Watch his head. I…I mean watch it. He could bite.”

9.      “This monster’s got no teeth. What’s he gonna do, gum us to death?”

10.   “Look at that sweet little face. Does that look like a monster to you?”

11.   “Come on! Pick on somebody your own size!”

12.   “It’s a shame you don’t like kids.”

13.   “Let’s hope he’s found some new material.”

14.   “I’m known as the professor of love and school’s in session!”

15.   “I’m a raging epidemic of romance.”

16.   “To hear him tell it, he put the prime in primate.”

17.   “Listen and learn from the master.”

18.   “Don’t jump into the trees after the first boy with a cute backflip.”

19.   “It’s more fun if you keep them guessing.”

20.   “If I cute backflip doesn’t work, guess.”

21.   “You’re never going to forget this day, so make it one to remember.”

22.   “If you mess up, don’t worry. They’ll never remember.”

23.   “Make ‘em look good, son.”

24.   “With my charm and your brains, no problem.”

25.   “Look what just pulled into town.”

26.   “Hey, haven’t you heard? I am the action!”

27.   “The clan still has one bachelor.”

28.   “It’s never really been his best event.”

29.   “He’s got a tougher hide than mine.”

30.   “If only there was someone on this island for you.”

31.   “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

32.   “Walkin’ backwards, huh? Well, let me know if that gets you there any father.”

33.   “Keep those little legs movin’ or you’ll get left behind.”

34.   “All this pushing and shoving about, just for a place to sleep. I’m not used to this kind of behavior.”

35.   “You wanna get to the nesting grounds alive? Show some backbone.”

36.   “He doesn’t normally warm up to strangers.”

37.   “This is my family. We’re all that’s left.”

38.   “It is the most beautiful place there is, child.”

39.   “Will we find anybody that looks like us there?”

40.   “The last few days, I’ve seen ‘em all shapes and sizes. Who knows what we’ll find.”

41.   “The hard job now is just getting there.”

42.   “An older woman like myself, it’s…well…it’s positively indecent.”

43.   “Why aren’t you uphill with the young bloods?”

44.   “Hm. Let the weak set the pace. Now there’s an idea.”

45.   “Better let me do the thinking from now on.”

46.   “Don’t worry. That’s how my brother treats newcomers. No matter how charming they are.”

47.   “You sure know how to catch a girl’s eyes there, stud.”

48.   “I couldn’t be catching nobody’s eye if I was you.”

49.   “Since when do we take orders from the likes of him?”

50.   “I could hold that monsters brain in the palm of my hand.”

51.   “Better to keep our heads down with this bunch than get ‘em bitten off by those things.”

52.   “You just consider yourself lucky that’s all that’s following us.”

53.   “Hey, wake up. Enough with the beauty sleep. You’re ravishing already.”

54.   “I believe you left a wake-up call for the dawn of time.”

55.   “The charm never stops around here.”

56.   “Unless you got a death wish, you and that little parasite better get moving!”

57.   “I made a real impression on her.”

58.   “That, children, is what’s known as a jerkosaurus.”

59.   “And with that, the ice is broken.”

60.   “We’ve got a lot of first-timers here. Make sure they get it.”

61.   “If this is your first crossing, listen up. There is no water til we reach the other side.”

62.   “On your feet. We can’t let those things eat you.”

63.   “I’m just gonna walk right into that lake until the waters up to my eyeballs and soak it all in.”

64.   “Maybe the rains collected somewhere else.”

65.   “Take a scout and check the entire perimeter.”

66.   “Enough! You have to be strong now!”

67.   “We’ve never gone this long without water. If we keep going like this, we’ll lose half the herd.”

68.   “We save the half that deserves to live.”

69.   “I always did like big girls!”

70.   “I think they’re scared of me.”

71.   “Who wouldn’t be? You are pretty scary.”

72.   “A lot of us are on our own now.”

73.   “Why did you help that old one?”

74.   “Is that you talking or your brother?”

75.   “We watch out for each other, we all stand a chance of getting to your nesting grounds.”

76.   “You led them right to us!”

77.   “You can’t sacrifice them like this!”

78.   “If you ever interfere again, I’ll kill you.”

79.   “I’ve got blisters on my blisters.”

80.   “Hey, uh, you don’t look so good. Let me help you.”

81.   “Save your pity. I just need some rest.”

82.   “If you change your mind, we’ll be in those caves. It’s dark, but at least it’s dry.”

83.   “It’s the dark part I’m having trouble with.”

84.   “May I remind you that he’s one of them?”

85.   “Looks like he’s one of us now.”

86.   “If I could sleep that deep, I’d be in paraside.”

87.   “If you could sleep that deep, honey, you’d be dead.”

88.   “Why is he doing this, pushing them on with false hope?”

89.   “It’s hope that’s gotten us this far.”

90.   “Why doesn’t he let them accept their fates?”

91.   “It’s your choice, not your fate.”

92.   “Back to what? It’s gone. We’re not meant to survive.”

93.   “How dare you wase that good fortune by simply giving up!”

94.   “The worst of it is you allowed an old fool like me to believe I was needed, that I still had a purpose.”

95.   “I, for one, am not willing to die here.”

96.   “Our survival, our future, is over these rocks.”

97.   “Watch them, they’re tough. If they can do it, so can you.”

98.   “He’s led that monster right to us!”

99.   “If we scatter, he’ll pick us off. Stand together.”

100. “Welcome home.”

101.  “Move over, everybody. Bringing in babies is what I do best.”

102.  “Somebody wants to meet you.”

103.  “Oh, aren’t you the sweetest little small fry I ever did see.”

104.  “Meet your dad. He’s not as crazy as he looks.”

105.  “Let met get a good look at you. Yup, you’re your father’s son.”

106.  “Hey, look what I found! New neighbors!”

107.   “Are you ladies up for a game of monkey in the middle?”

108.   “None of us really know what changes, big or small, lie ahead.”

109.   “One thing is certain, our journey’s not over.”

110.   “We can only hope that in some small way, our time will be remembered.”

#ask meme #rp meme #roleplaying meme #sentence meme #disney meme #dinosaur