#09 to be specific i guess | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mostlysignssomeportents · 3 months

Text

Worker misclassification is a competition issue

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/02/upward-redistribution/#bedoya

The brains behind Trump's stolen Supreme Court have detailed plans: they didn't just scheme to pack the court with judges who weren't qualified for – or entitled to – a SCOTUS life-tenure, they also set up a series of cases for that radical court to hear.

Obviously, Dobbs was the big one, but it's only part of a whole procession of trumped-up cases designed to give the court a chance to overturn decades of settled law and create zones of impunity for America's oligarchs and the monopolies that provide them with wealth and power.

One of these cases is Jarkesy, a case designed to allow SCOTUS to euthanize every agency in the US government, stripping them of their powers to fight corporate crime:

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/sec-v-jarkesy-the-threat-to-congressional-and-agency-authority/

The argument goes, "Congress had the power to spell out every possible problem an agency might deal with and to create a list of everything they were allowed to do about these problems. If they didn't, then the agency isn't allowed to act."

This is an Objectively Very Stupid argument, and it takes a heroic act of motivated reasoning to buy it. The whole point of expert agencies is that they're experts and that they might discover new problems in American life, and come up with productive ways of fixing them. If the only way for an agency to address a problem is to wait for Congress to notice it and pass a law about it, then we don't even need agencies – Congress can just be the regulator, as well as the lawmaker.

If there was any doubt that Congress created the agencies as flexible and adaptive hedges against new threats and problems, then the legislative history of the FTC Act should dispel it.

Congress created the FTC through the FTCA because the courts kept misinterpreting its existing antitrust laws, like the Sherman Act. Companies would engage in the most obvious acts of naked, catastrophic fuckery, and judges would say, "Welp, because Congress didn't specifically ban this conduct, I guess it's OK."

So Congress created the FTC with an Act that included a broad authority to investigate and punish "unfair methods of competition." They didn't spell these out – instead, they explicitly said (in Section 5) that it was the FTC's job to determine whether something was unfair, and to act on it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

The job of the FTC is to investigate unfair conduct before it becomes such a problem that Congress takes action, and to head that conduct off so that it never rises to the level of needing Congressional intervention.

Now, it's true that since the Reagan years, the FTC has grown progressively less interested in using this power, but that's broadly true of all of America's corporate watchdogs. But as the public all over the world has grown ever more furious about corporate abuses and oligarchic wealth, governments everywhere have rediscovered their role as a public protector.

In America, the Biden administration altered the course of history with the appointment of new enforcers in the key anti-monopoly agencies: the FTC and the DOJ's antitrust division. But more importantly, the Biden admin created a detailed, technical plan to use every agency's powers to fight monopoly, in a "whole of government" approach:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/party-its-1979-og-antitrust-back-baby

Now, this can give rise to seeming redundancies. Take labor issues. The NLRB is a (potentially) powerful regulator that had been in a coma for decades, but has awoken and taken up labor rights with a fervor and cunning that is a delight to behold:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/06/goons-ginks-and-company-finks/#if-blood-be-the-price-of-your-cursed-wealth

At the same time, the FTC has also taken up labor rights, using its much broader powers to do things like ban noncompetes nationwide, unshackling workers from bosses who claim the right to veto who else they can work for:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/02/its-the-economy-stupid/#neofeudal

But the NLRB doesn't make the FTC redundant, or vice-versa. The NLRB's role is principally reactive, punishing wrongdoing after it occurs. But the FTC has the power to intervene in incipient harms, labor abuses that have not yet risen to the level of NLRB enforcement or new acts of Congress.

This case is made beautifully in Alvaro Bedoya's speech "'Overawed': Worker Misclassification as a Potential Unfair Method of Competition," delivered to the Law Leaders Global Summit in Miami today:

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Overawed-Speech-02-02-2024.pdf

Bedoya describes why the FTC has turned its attention to the problem of "worker misclassification," in which employees are falsely claimed to be contractors, and thus deprived of the rights that workers are entitled to. Worker misclassification is rampant, and it transfers billions from workers to employers every year. As Bedoya says, 10-30% of employers engage in worker misclassification, allowing them to dodge payment for overtime, Social Security, workers' comp, unemployment insurance, healthcare, retirement and even a minimum wage. Each misclassified worker is between $6k-18k poorer thanks to this scam – a typical misclassified worker sees a one third decline in their earning power. And, of course, each misclassified worker's boss is $6k-$18k richer because of this scam.

It's not just wages, it's workplace safety. One of the most dangerous jobs in the country is construction worker, and worker misclassification is rampant in the sector. That means that construction workers are three times more likely than other workers to lack health insurance.

What's more, misclassified workers can't form unions, because their bosses' fiction treats them as independent contractors, not employees, which means that misclassified construction workers can't join trade unions and demand health-care, or safer workplaces.

Contrast this with, say, cops, who have powerful "unions" that afford them gold-plated health care and lavish compensation, even for imaginary ailments like "contact overdoses" from touching fentanyl – a medical impossibility that still entitles our nation's armed bureaucrats to handsome public compensation:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/27/extraordinary-popular-delusions/#onshore-havana-syndrome

Cops have far safer jobs than construction workers, but cops don't get misclassified, so they are able to collect benefits that no other worker – public or private – can hope for.

Not every employer wants to cheat and maim their employees, of course. In Bedoya's speech, he references Sandie Domando, an executive VP at a construction company in Palm Beach Gardens. Domando's company keeps its employees on its books, giving them health-care and other benefits. But when she started bidding against rival firms for jobs funded by the covid stimulus, she couldn't compete – two thirds of those jobs went to other firms that were able to put in cheaper bids. Those bids were cheaper because they were defrauding their workers by misclassifying them. Thus, publicly funded projects were overwhelmingly handed over to fraudulent companies. Fraud becomes a fitness-factor for winning jobs. It's a market for lemons – among employers.

Employee misclassification is a pure transfer from workers to bosses. Bedoya recounts the story of Samuel Talavera, Jr, a short-haul trucker who worked for decades in the Port of Los Angeles. For decades, his job paid well: enough to support his family and even take his kids to Disneyland now and again.

But in 2010, his employer reclassified him as a contractor. They ordered him to buy a new truck – which they financed on a lease-purchase basis – and put him to work for 16 hours stretches in shifts lasting as much as 20 hours per day. Talavera couldn't pick his own hours or pick his routes, but he was still treated as an independent contractor for payroll and labor protection purposes.

This lead to an terrible decline in Talavera's working conditions. He gave up going home between shifts, sleeping in his cab instead. His pay dropped through the floor, thanks to junk-fees that relied on the fiction that he was a contractor. For example, his boss started to charge him rent on the space his truck took up while he was standing by for a job at the port. Other truckers at the port saw paycheck deductions for the toilet-paper in the bathrooms!

Talavera's take-home pay dropped so low that he was bringing home a weekly wage of $112 or $33 (one week, his pay amounted to $0.67). His wife had to work three jobs, and they still had to declare bankruptcy to avoid losing their home. When Talavera's truck needed repairs he couldn't afford, his boss fired him and took back the truck, and Talavera was out the $78,000 he'd paid into it on the lease-purchase plan.

This story – and the many, many others like it from the Port of LA – paint a clear picture of the transfer of wealth from workers to their bosses that comes with worker misclassification. The work that Talavera did in the Port of LA didn't get less valuable when he was misclassified – but the share of that value that Talavera received dropped to as little as $0.67/week.

Worker misclassification is rampant across many sectors, but its handmaiden is technology. The fiction of independence is much easier to maintain when the fine-grained employer-employee control is mediated by an app (think of Uber):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

That's why those scare-stories that AI trucks were going to make truckers obsolete and create an employment crisis were such toxic nonsense. Not only are we unlikely to see self-driving trucks, but the same investors that back AI technology are making bank on companies that practice worker misclassification through the "it's not a crime if we do it with an app" gambit:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no

By focusing our attention on a hypothetical employment crisis that will supposedly be caused by future AI developments, tech investors can distract us from the real employment crisis that's created by app-enabled worker misclassification, which is also the source of much of the capital they're plowing into AI.

That's why the FTC's work on misclassification is so urgent. Misclassification is a scam that hurts workers and creates oligarchic power – and it's also a mass-extinction event for good companies that don't cheat their workers, because those honest companies can't compete.

Worker misclassification is having a long-overdue and much needed moment. The revolutionary overthrow of the rotten old leadership at the Teamsters was caused, in part, by a radical wing that promised to focus the Teamsters' firepower on fighting worker misclassification:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/19/hoffa-jr-defeated/#teamsters-for-a-democratic-union

This has become a focus of labor organizers all around the world, as worker misclassification-via-smartphone has infected labor markets everywhere:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/09/22/kropotkin-graeber/#an-injury-to-one

Bedoya's speech is a banger, and it reminds us that labor rights and anti-monopoly have always been part of the same project: to rein in corporate power and protect workers from the insatiable greed of the capital class:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/14/aiming-at-dollars/#not-men

#pluralistic #automation panic #automation #scotus #market for lemons #worker misclassification #ftc #competition #antitrust #trustbusting #ftc act #ftc 5 #unions #labor #jarksey #alvaro bedoya #nlrb #whole of government

364 notes · View notes

generalsdiary · 2 months

Text

09:07 am

gn!reader x Dr. Ratio

warnings: none

word count: 600~

a/n: pure brainrot, not beta read, jamming to sparkle’s theme

description: you do his eyeliner, drabble (fluff)

„hold still“ you dictate under your breath, your hand holding his chin in place.

he sighs. „I am very still-“ „yapping means you are not being still, I'll mess up the line, Veritas“ causing a glare from him. your other hand was resting on his cheek and attempting to make a perfect red line on his eyelid.

it looked... good enough when you were done. you moved your hand away, placing the brush on the nightstand and relaxing your posture. „there“

Veritas brings a small mirror to check your work, „hmm... I've done better. of course I do it every day“ his eyes leave the mirror and catch you glaring at him, „it was a bonding moment, Doctor Ratio“ your tone of voice revealing sarcasm and a hint of annoyment.

„that doesn't clear you away from criticism, especially if you wish to improve.“ his hands pull you back onto his lap, his eyes, the color of an eternal sunset, turning soft, „which would be good for you, you could then do it more often.“ Veritas smiles showing the gentle reasoning to his somewhat harsh sounding words. his swift change in behavior catches you slightly off guard.

„so hot and cold“ responding in a teasing tone.

„ah, I'd say I'm more hot than cold right now, aren't I,-“ his hand cups your chin, „my dear?“

a smile is apparent on your face, as is the eye roll, „and cocky it seems“ making him scoff at your words and look away. „don't worry Veritas, that is one of the reasons I... tolerate you“ you communicate those words in the form of a kiss on his cheek. Veritas' expression relaxes, his eyes closing.

„who's the hot and cold one now?“ his voice but a mere whisper. „unlike yourself, that isn't one of the reasons I like you.“ he waits for a response, patiently scanning your face to see if you'll try to guess. „then what is?“ guessing game isn't worth it at this moment, Veritas very obviously has a specific reason in mind and you feel excited to hear it.

„your kindness. and tolerance, towards... idiots“ to him, those words are completely true, despite his aloof character and at first glance rude behavior he cares a lot. he made sacrifices that benefit… well the whole universe; solving an energy crisis, creating serums, fixing centuries-old issues, and to him, most importantly, he continuously tries to make knowledge available to all people. of course, Ratio would appreciate those same qualities in his partner, not seeking a ‘genius’ necessarily, but rather just a humanitarian, sensible person.

Veritas' words don't fail to make you laugh and ruffle his silky soft violet hair, „and you! are my favorite~“ you exclaim proudly, with a shit-eating grin on your face, knowing he will react to the provocation.

„oh?“ he smirks as well, his hands moving from your sides to your back, he lays back and pushes you with him, making you gasp sharply. „what was it- I didn't catch that, what am I?“ he teases, his voice playful.

„an id-“ Veritas doesn't let you finish your thought, his lips crashing against yours, and when you start enjoying the kiss and the sweet taste of his lips - he pulls away, keeping it painfully short.

„hm... you were saying?“ his hand goes to the back of your head, rubbing your nape.

you frown, how dare he limit the kisses, „an idio-“ once again Veritas doesn’t let you finish the thought, pulling your lips onto his again. you can't help but chuckle and softly mumble between your lips meeting, „my favorite~“, „you mean the only one“, a laugh bubbles up your throat, even in a joke he wants it to be factually correct… or is it a hint of jealousy? doubtful, he isn’t a jealous man to your knowledge. food for thought perhaps.

„yes, the only one.“

#hsr #honkai star rail #star rail #dr ratio #dr ratio x you #dr ratio fluff #dr ratio x reader #veritas ratio fluff #veritas ratio #veritas ratio x you #veritas ratio x reader #doctor ratio fluff

212 notes · View notes

janovavalen · 3 months

Text

✧HER NEW CUT || luke castellan x fem!reader

summary: luke as always admired y/n…from afar, but when she comes to camp one morning he can’t help but talk to her about her very bold hair cut

word count: 3174 (cray cray)

warnings: slight obsession from a far (not joe goldberg type), horrid flirting, y/n had a long to short haircut like taylor russell’s hair type short, slight jealousy, happy and soft ending<3

a/n: for more dramatic feels listen to japanese denim specifically? 3:09 so hope u read fast when it comes to the end bc JAH!

at the camp, luke and his group of friends walked amongst themselves as they laughed at the endless and kind of weird jokes one another was telling.

luke was always lucky with making friends but his friends were kind of—not to be rude—on the weird spectrum. he himself couldn’t say he wasn’t weird either.

‘dude, then the next thing—oh shoot, look who’s gotten out of her cabin this morning’ his friend jake, who pointed over to persephone’s cabin.

as luke looked over he saw none other than y/n l/n. daughter of persephone, goddess of spring and nature. persephone was known for her beauty, and her love, her kind mind towards all even when they’ve done bad.

all of persephone’s children seem to have these traits, but y/n? no. she had them more, she had them down to the freckles on her face that seemed to align like the stars of sirius. the most beautiful, brightest star in the sky.

y/n had been at the camp for only a few months, not as long as luke, but the second she stepped foot into that camp was when luke gave himself over to her willingly. but to her, unknowingly.

as crazy as it sounds, luke has never said a word to y/n. the only thing he did do however? was embarrassingly trip over his own foot, slamming down into the earth below her feet as she stopped her movements, he could remember it alarmist like it was ten minutes ago.

ㆍ୨୧ㆍ

as luke walked out of his cabin he saw y/n walking with her sisters as they laughed and talked together, their laughs seemed to drown out and the only noticeable one being y/n’s.

at the moment, luke had the duty of taking his wooden swords to the swordsman practice field.

as the girl—mainly y/n walked their way across from herme’s cabin, luke tried to make himself look more attractive? cool? so he straightened his back, the wooden swords being in one arm as he confidently walked down the steps—just as the girl passed, he tipped over a tree stump that had grew out of the ground.

when he did, was well hades himself rose from the ground and put hell on earth—the swords went flying into the air, one hitting y/n’s sister in her head.

‘oh my!—‘ as luke fell stomach first into the ground he grunted.

‘oh my gosh! are you okay!?’ a soft and worried voice spoke above him. as he looked up he saw a worried face of y/n…the girl he was so desperately trying to impress.

‘i—im fine! i’m okay, sorry! i’m so sorry emma!’ he yelled to the girl as he scurried up to grab the wooden swords. y/n turned to see one laying lot to far behind her so she went to reach, but at the same time like some two-thousands movie cliché, he went to reach for the same one.

his larger hand being on top of y/n’s who looked him into the eyes she smiled warmly while he smiled back, cleaning his throat.

‘again i'm so sorry’ he nervously smiled at y/n who kept her eyes trained on his own. she smiled warmly and shook her head.

‘don’t, it’s okay, it wasn’t your fault’ she calmly told him while placing her hand on his chest. he took a deep breath while they looked each other in their eyes.

‘y/n? come on we need to get emma to the clinic’ her sister called out to y/n who turned around. luke kept his eyes trained on y/n who called out—‘o—okay! i’m coming right now!’ as she turned back around she was quick to luke in his eyes.

‘well…i guess ill see you around prince charming’ she smiled with a hint of playfulness in her tone. he nervously laughed while holding onto the wooden swords as she walked away.

not without turning back to look at luke how never stopped looking at her.

ㆍ୨୧ㆍ

snapping out of his memory, luke looked over to jack to smirked at him.

‘dude, whatever—‘

‘i mean come on luke! you’ve been obsessing over her for how long? like how many years?’

‘about two i think?’ one of this friends said. jake pointed at them to prove his point.

‘see! two! and not to ruffle your edges but she’s a very pretty girl…she’s not going to wait for you forever luke’ he stressed. luke and jake have been friends for some time now and he was tired of watching luke get jealous every time y/n talked to some other guy at the camp.

and eveytime he let it happen, luke would go into his quiet, mystery guy mode and not talk to anyone for thirty minutes or an hour just falling over the fact the guy y/n was talking to and laughing with wasn’t him.

luke rolled his eyes a bit and shook his head.

‘nah it’s okay…besides maybe he deserves someone else, i don’t think i’m first and only in line anyway’ luke watched y/n sadly as she talked to some camper from zeus's cabin.

he was basically torturing himself as he watched the two laugh, her hand falling along the guy's shoulder.

turning around once he saw that, he sucked in a breath and tried his best to brush that off. the overbearing jealousy putting him through a spiral. a way in his mind.

‘okay—guys let’s just go have dinner, have fun, y’know?’

jake looked over to the rest of the group who sadly shook their head at the effort of getting luke to talk to y/n. sighing he followed luke over to the small outdoor cafeteria.

there were all of the kids who laughed and ate.

‘you guys can sit over there and I'll go and get dinner’ luke told them. some of the group didn’t really eat often, they more often ate their snacks they had saved up in their cabins.

‘i’ll go with you!’ jake called out.

as the two of them made their way to were the food was being handed out, luke failed to notice y/n who smiled up at him and called his name softly.

‘luke is that you?’ she smiled. turning around immediately to see y/n smiling up at him he stumbled to turn around to her completely.

‘y/n! hey! how are you? how’ve you been?’

luke was trying his best to make it seem like he didn’t know she been rather okay.

‘i’m good! i’m good, and you?’ she walked him him down the like of food.

‘i’m good as well! uhm…how’s camp going for you?’

‘good, uhh—me and my sisters have small sleepovers almost every night, we’re also doing some get-togethers for the other demigods to join, you can come whenever you like? i already asked mr. dionysus and chiron’s permission. they said it would be a rather good thing for the demi-gods to put their differences aside and get along as a full community’

y/n was always one for having a soft spot for people. even for her own good. but, that’s what luke loved about her. she was always so caring and supportive of everyone aside from the fact they’re all from different gods. that didn’t matter to her.

nodding his head and smiling he agreed to showing up to one of them—‘yeah, yeah i’ll try and make it if i’m not taking care of other things or sleep’ he chuckled a bit at his own joke while y/n did the same.

‘good good, i hope you can. it was really good to talk to you luke, i mean it. i always saw you a couple of times but you were with other people and i didn’t want to interrupt—‘

‘no! no—you could never interrupt, you can always talk to me, i mean it’ he was quick to shut down her worry in trying to intrude her way through conversation he wasn’t even paying attention in.

she smiled and nodded her head while holding a plate of food.

‘well, i’ll see you tonight?’ she tilted her head to him with a smile on her face full of hope. he mindlessly nodded with a glaze in his expression that didn’t go unnoticed by jake but blinded it her.

as she walked away with her plate in hand and her long flowing hair behind her, jake was quick to hit luke with his shoulder.

one thing that was very different from all of her sisters was that her hair seemed to grow ten times the return speed hair takes to grow. she had the length of hair that almost reached her calves. she always liked it long, and luke didn’t want to lie to himself he loved the way it looked on her.

‘ouu! look at you man! get your game on!’ jake make a corny comment making luke look back at him with a shake of his head but a grin on his face.

‘dude she only invited me to some function everyone is going to be at…’

‘yeah, but she smiled and talked to you? what definitely soldier boy points’ jake nudged luke once more before leaving to the table. when luke was down with his own plate and made his way over to the table, he was bombarded by cheers for him getting somewhere with y/n. finally.

luke only grinned and smiled while he turned around to see y/n eating a bit of her strawberry while looking at him with a small smile.

luke felt his chest tighten and his face grow red and warm. smiling back at her before she turned and he did as well—not before letting his eyes linger on her for a bit longer of course.

‘dude! this is definitely going to be your night!’

ㆍ୨୧ㆍ

later that night, all of the campers made their ways back to their own cabins. luke with his friends and his own sibling in his own cabin.

like had found himself in a predicament. he was trying to decide if the white shirt or the black one would go well with his gray sweats. he wasn’t one for fashion since at the camp everyone wore one thing. but they got lucky and got to pick out some casual clothing away from the orange shirt and regular pants.

‘look at lukey-pookie trying to find a cute date outfit to see his girlfriend!’ one of his siblings called out with a teasing smile on their face. turning to see them he rolled his eyes.

‘no she’s not my girlfriend and i could care less what i wear…’ luke turned back around still trying to decide what shirt.

‘dude wear the black one, chicks did the whole tight back shirt and sweats thing, trust me’ one of his other siblings told him as they sat their doing their hair.

‘really?’

some of the other unclaimed kids nodded in agreement super fast as he hummed to himself and slipped on the black shirt.

‘make sure you flex your jaw and muscles every now and again as well—‘

‘yeah, you have a very defined jaw and your like jacked’ another spoke while they put on their shoes.

luke nervously turned around—does y/n think he was jacked? or does she think he has a very defined jaw? finding himself thinking of y/n and her smile he grew red and cleared his throat.

‘okay whatever, are you guys ready to go?’ luke fixed his shirt and soothed it down while he pulled out his shoes to throw on.

‘yeah we're ready…we’ve been waiting on you for like ten minutes to decide on what shirt to wear…’

‘yeah you literally stood there looking at the wall for a bit. we thought you left us’ they all laughed as luke rolled his eyes.

‘go! get out’ he yelled with a small smile as they did what he said.

while him and his group of siblings and some other that he still referred to as siblings, began to walk their way to where the small get-together was being held, they were imminently introduced with a lot of flowers.

more than usual. there was a trail of them leading down some part of the forest along with some small fires that were stuck on torches like the ones back at camp.

‘they persephone kids do know how to set a mood huh?’ one of the siblings spoke as he looked at the different versions of flowers that slowly grew in their wake.

luke couldn’t help but take notice of some of the flowers that he immediately knew were y/n’s. not to be a weirdo or anything but he saw her growing some flowers every now and again and sometimes wore them in her hair or as a flower crown.

smiling slightly as he heard small sounds of laughter and a bit of music he looked up to see the crowd of campers laughing with and down at each other.

as they walked deeper into the green patch of grass that seemed to form a perfect circle that was surrounded by trees with the light of the moon above to shine down on all the people below.

‘whoa…’

‘this is actually pretty neat’ some people spoke behind him as they departed from luke.

jake and luke’s other friends however stayed together.

‘this place actually kind of looks entertaining’ jake mumbled to like who had his focus setting for the only person he came for. jake took notice of this and cleared his throat.

‘she’ll be here, why would she invite you then not show up,’ luke looked at jake and nodded his head, trying to calm himself down and focus on the small gathering around him.

‘yeah…yeah no your right—i’m just going to get some juice, i’ll see you in a sec?’ luke departed from jake who let him go with a nod.

as luke made his way through everyone. some of them gave luke a smile and some gave him hugs, he smiled and hugged his way through and to the small table full of snacks and drinks.

as luke reached the pitcher of juice he poured himself some in his cup and drank it a bit. his eyes still searching for her.

while he did he noticed a small group of what looked like persephone daughters. squinting his eyes as he looked to the very distinctive long hair that belonged to y/n he couldn’t help but take a notice to the very short hair girl that stood next to the daughters.

there was something about her? was it her outfit? no…maybe—once he heard her laugh however? was when his thoughts could come to rest.

it was y/n.

as she slowly turned to her friend who walked up to her from behind her, was when he saw her new haircut.

and boy…did his mind go in a ruckus.

he felt as if his once tight enough grip on his cup faltered as he watched her laugh and move some of her hair out of her eye. their hair was extremely short, more short than he’d ever saw. did she ever cut her hair? he can’t recall. but that didn’t matter, not a bit, not at all.

feeling his mind become blank and his eyes go in a daze, the only thing he could every really focus on was her. she smiled and nodded. talked and laughed with her friends and sisters.

she wore this cute flowing dress that reached her thighs and had skinny straps.

it wa plain (f/c) which he took a note looked amazing on her. he never really saw her in anything other than shorts and the orange camp shirt. so he took his time to absorb her new look.

as y/n moved her hair out of her face once more she looked up and it seemed the stars aligned. her eyes met his and he hurried to turn around .

tightly closing his eyes as he cursed myself for doing so, he took a shaky break and sip of his drink. unbeknownst to him, y/n walked her way slowly up to luke who’s back was turned to her.

‘luke?’ she spoke. he hurried to turn around and let out a nervous laugh.

‘y/n? oh my—what? that’s crazy, i didn’t expect you to be here at all! that’s insane…’ he closed his eyes once more to collect and mentally punch himself repeatedly in the stomach for what he just said.

‘uhm…yeah of course i’m here! i invited you silly’ she smiled at him while he smile back. hit face growing insanely warm along with the tips of his ears.

‘yeah—yeah i just noticed that…sorry, i’m so sorry i just—‘

‘you wanna go somewhere more quiet?’ she suggested. luke looked into her eyes immediately to see her signature soft look focusing on him.

god, could she be anymore beautiful than this? he thought.

only nodding in response, he let her take the cup from his hand and place it on the table.

‘come on’ she smiled at him once more while slipping her smaller hang into his large warm one.

he took another note at how her hand seemed to fit perfectly into his. his mind going insane as if he were some teenage girl with her first celebrity crush.

ㆍ୨୧ㆍ

as the two of them walked hand in hand deeper into the forest and near a more quiet place. luke couldn’t help but let his focus wander onto her and her hair.

while they found a spot near the lake surrounded by some sand and rocks, y/n looked over at him. he gazed down to her and saw how the moonlight traced her face perfectly.

‘i come here to think sometimes. or just talk to my mom…hope i didn't creep you out on how far we are’ she nervously laughed while letting her hand slip from luke’s.

he quickly let his heavy hand chase after hers as she turned to him with her hand holding his again, her grip soft and his worried that some monster would come and snatch her away from him.

‘no! no, no not at all! not at all i like it out here, i like how quiet and calm it is. very calm and quiet…very’ he mumbled and stumbled over his words.

he only found himself like this when it comes to y/n and he was okay with that. she laughed softly as this and shook her head while looking at him over his face and chest.

breathing and and taking a small doing to what his sibling said he clutched his jaw a bit while mindlessly looking away to make his jaw more prominent.

unbeknownst y/n took a notice and noted this for herself.

‘so uhm…your hair!’ he called out, looking back at her immediately while her eyes snapped back at his own.

‘what about it’ she reached up and turned a bit of the hair pieces over me another. it looked so smooth and healthy he shook his head in a hurry.

‘nothing! it looks good on you, really good…not! in a creepy way! i didn’t mean to say that in a creepy way! y’know im just saying, you look good, very pretty—pretty beautiful—very…beautiful…’ he was almost disgusted at himself for saying such things in such a rushed manner.

what was actually going on? y/n couldn’t have liked something like that. she’s too special for that—she can’t like or even go for a guy like him. why did he even think—

‘i cut it for you…’ she quietly admitted.

looking over at her immediately once more he saw her gaze and her hand slightly gripping his own a bit tighter as she refused to look up at him.

‘you what?’ he breathed out. waiting for her to continue he didn’t fail to notice how her arm seemed to pull him a bit closer so he mindlessly let her tug him closer.

‘i cut it for your attention…i thought if i changed something out myself…you’d notice me. it’s stupid but ever since i saw you fall in front of me with your wooden swords i couldn’t get you out of my head. and for almost two years straight i did things like…talking to other guys or laughing at jokes i didn’t really think were funny so you could hopefully look at me? i don’t it’s stupid i—‘

before she could say anything else luke bent his body and face down to press his lips fully onto hers. as the two of them shared a single kiss. he pulled away to look her in the eyes for her to only look at his pink pull lips. placing her hand onto his face and pulling him closer, she smashed her lips onto his once more.

this time, the kiss wasn’t like the last. it was more desperate, full of energy, and all the times he’s thought about her non stop, over and over and over.

her hands found their way to the back of his neck and through his hair while he grunted a bit and placed his hands on her waist.

the two of them sharing what seemed like a never ending kiss. their were fireworks, bombs, sparklers, a full zoo and war going on all throughout luke’s body and mind right now.

he’s never experienced anything like this before and he was so sure he never wanted to experience anything like it except if it was with her and only her.

y/n smiled into their kiss as luke pulled away and gave her one last kiss.

‘i don’t know, what you were denying about what i feel. i have never stopped thinking about you, ever. it’s impossible to forget you and to stop thinking about you, every morning, evening and night even in between, when i wake up for water, i think about you. y/n…’ placing his hand on her cheek as she smiled dazingly into his eyes he let his nose hover and almost touch her own.

‘…your all i ever see.’ he finished as she gave a small smile and laugh. her hand made its way up to his face and her thumb traced over his scar which he closed his eyes on. their foreheads resting on one another.

‘awh luke…’ was all he could say before placing he slips onto his once more.

as he mindlessly and desperately kissed her back she made sure their bodies were close.

the moon seemed to shine over the two as they shared their moment of glory together.

after a bit more of kisses, luke and y/n pulled away from one another as they held their closeness. y/n found herself wrapping her arms around luke’s body as he held her against him.

after a moment of silence luke spoke—‘i really like your hair by the way’ he told while y/n laughed a bit.

‘and i like your shirt, it's very tight. my sisters kept gawking over it. not going to lie that what noises my confidence to walk over to you a bit more’ she revealed making luke feel a whole lot better at how he always got jealous.

needing to know more he pulled apart and packed his hands along her waist—‘wait! so…were there other moments where you got jealous?’ he needed to know, bad.

while desperately looking at y/n for an answer she shyly looked down at the ground and back into his eyes before placing her finger over her lips as to show she couldn’t tell.

just before he could say anymore, she pulled apart slowly from him and made her way through the forest .

‘wait! y/n, baby— please? tell me i need to know!’ he desperately tried to get her to speak.

‘maybe!’ she yelled back with a smile. as luke followed her he smiled to himself and felt a bit giddy.

she actually got jealous over him? possibly even protective? this was too adorable to him.

running up and behind her grabbed her from hind and spinned her around in circles while she laughed. his kisses spread from her face to her neck.

#percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson #percy pjo #percy series #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan

259 notes · View notes

gothicbarbie · 4 months

Text

MY TOP 10 BEST BL COUPLES OF 2023

So I guess I'm a little late considering it's now 2024 in most places, but well, better late than never. I tried and failed to rank top 20 or even 10 kisses... I just couldn't remember them all or even choose... but most of my top couples have some pretty great kisses, so at least there's that! I can, however, rank my favorite BL pairings from 2023, so... let's do it! I will be ranking these from least favorite to favorite because I think it's more fun that way... Also I credited all the gif makers at the bottom but I did list the tumblr user for each specific gif underneath. If someone wants me to remove their gif, please let me know and I will so! I just wanted to pretty up the post a bit.

Also, to clarify, any couple on a show that is currently airing and not complete yet is not eligible to be on the list for 2023. Trust me, there were many I wanted to include!

Honorary Mentions:

Tinn & Gun | My School President

So, spoiler, a different GeminiFourth pairing will be on the actual top 10 so I didn't really want to include both pairings on the list, but I really did love the two of them in My School President. G/F just have such a wonderful and natural chemistry. The way they always look at each other just feels so pure and sweet. I really like pairings where one is secretly pining for the other, but Tinn/Gun also sorta had a hate/love ISH thing going for a little while. The progression of their relationship to actual boyfriends was just so fun to watch and really well done.

Dong Wook & Do Hyun | A Breeze of Love

I watched this BL so quickly that it didn't really resonate with me as well as some other series, which is why these two didn't make the top 10, however, I really enjoyed their relationship on the show. I love hate to love pairings and I found their backstory scenes really sweet as well. I also thought they had a really nice chemistry and there were some strong kissing moments for a kbl.

Jihan & Jaejun | City Boy Log

I didn't include these two on the main list for two reasons, one: the show is not over yet... i don't think? and two: this technically isn't a BL drama? IDK anymore, but regardless I love this series and this couple so dang much! I love the realness of them filming themselves and how their relationship is portrayed so subtly until their feelings just sort of emerge. They have some really wonderful and special scenes or moments together that we don't typically get on other series. I am anxious to see where the rest of the story goes and I hope the actors get another opportunity to work together. The side pairing is great too!

Top 10!

#10. Ai & Songkhram | Destiny Seeker

These two were so damn fun to watch, I really loved the hate to love thing at the start that quickly turned into love (Or I guess always sort of was???). The actors had such a great chemistry together and they had so many fun little moments and bantery scenes together. While the rest of the series felt a little flat for me, their connection continuously kept me interested.

#09. Ze Rui & Zong Yi | Kiseki Dear to Me

Honestly don't even know what to write about these two or how to explain why I like them, because there wasn't anything particularly special about their dynamic that typically draws me in, but I just really enjoyed the actors chemistry together and I really liked the progression of their relationship and how well they meshed together. Their kissing was extremely natural too.

#08. King & Eua | Bed Friend

Firstly, these two are HOT AF, and I really loved the friends with benefits storyline between these two, but more than that, we have a perfect character imo with King, who was continuously there for Eua and always trying to help him and make him understand how much he really cared. The show could be very dark at times but I love that King was always sort of the shining light for Eua.

#07. Segaski & Yoh | My Personal Weatherman

I can admit that the big draw to this show for me originally was the sexy scenes and moments, and while I do think the series could have done with some more scenery changes and better storylines, considering the time frame, I enjoyed watching the relationship between the two characters develop. It's nice to get a friends with benefits type of relationship and see how it progresses into more than that. And for a JBL it was nice to see some high heat with a happy ending.

#06. Su Yu & Wu Bi | Stay With Me

SIGH. THESE TWO. So I mean, I understand the criticism of this show and their relationship. So many things are implied but personally I felt like the end half made it pretty clear that these two were 100% a romantic couple. (just wish it was clarified when that change happened) But the progression of their relationship from hate to love was so beautiful to watch. Even if it was just a friendship it was worth it imo to see how close they got. Fair warning, the finale episode is not the best lmao, but I hope we get a second season to sort of fix it? Fingers crossed on that one.

#05. Wan & Ki Tae | Our Dating Sim

This was definitely one of the cutest BL's of the year and this couple falls into that category well too. I really loved seeing them re-connect. I love that they were old best friends (with feelings) that had a lot of issues to sort through and we saw some adorable flashback scenes as well as current scenes. I also love that they got together and were mostly happy instead of having a lot of intense drama.

#04. Li Ming & Heart | Moonlight Chicken

These two... so much to say about them and yet I don't really know where to start. Gemini and Fourth just work so well together and I felt like this duo was even deeper than in MSP. They started out on bad terms but quickly became close and I really loved the progression of their relationship and then I adored how we also got to see them together as a couple too. My favorite thing about them was how hard Li Ming worked to try to understand Heart and how he learned sign language for him and encouraged him to get to know others like him and to put himself out there. They also had such a fun banter with playful moments and scenes. It was just so damn pure and sweet to watch with no unnecessary or stupid fillery drama.

#03. Jae Won and Ji Hyun | The Eighth Sense

Something about this pairing just felt so much different than the typical KBL pairing. The show itself was so much deeper and had a more serious tone than we typically get, which was amazing. The actors nailed the roles and you could really feel the tension and longing between them right from the beginning. I loved their storyline so much and the actors seemed so comfortable together.

#02. Yamato & Kakeru | I Cannot Reach You

This was one of my favorite BL's of the year and their relationship was a huge part of it. I thought I was more into hate to love, but clearly, based on this list, that isn't always the case. There is something so sweet and adorable about best friends turned to lovers. I really love too when we see one side pining for the other, so this couple was extremely enjoyable to watch!

#01. Chen Yi & Ai Di | Kiseki Dear To Me

Good Lord these two... they had the perfect formula for my favorite type of pairing. Hate to love, drama, tension, angst, one-sided pining... it was so painful to have to wait every week for more. But god, it was worth the wait and their chemistry was just so good, their kisses were phenomenal too. Def. a memorable pair and a show I will be rewatching very soon!

THANK YOU to all these wonderful humans for making the most amazing gifs that I used in this post!

127 notes · View notes

ultram0th · 6 months

Text

31 Days of Derek Hale

Day 16: Himbo

Info │ 01 │ 02 │ 03 │ 04 │ 05 │ 06 │ 07 │ 08 │ 09 │ 10 │ 11 │ 12 │ 13 │ 14 │ 15 │ 16

Derek Hale sat in the corner of the bar, brooding over life in general. The sourwolf had a deep frown set onto his face, scowling at nothing specifically— his foul mood creating a dark aura about him.

He finished his whiskey on the rocks and was about to ask for another one, when the bartender (some peppy guy with dyed blue hair) set down a large glass of beer in front of him. The golden drink must’ve been extra-carbonated because tons of tiny bubbles floated around like crazy in it.

Derek cocked his eyebrow up at the bartender. “I didn’t—”

“It’s on the house,” the bartender interrupted him. “It’s a new brand called ‘Bubbly Beer’.”

“‘Bubbly Beer’?” Derek repeated incredulously, almost scoffing at the stupid sounding name. The tough alpha wouldn’t be caught dead drinking such a ridiculous drink.

Still, free was free.

Shrugging his shoulders, Derek brought the glass to his lips and took a tentative sip of the bubble-filled beer. It was sickeningly sweet and the carbonation made the drink more akin to soda than actual beer.

Derek grimaced at the drink, nearly gagging. He hated sweets.

However, the alcohol content must’ve been high, because after that singular sip of beer, Derek could already feel a slight buzz. His brain felt a little foggy and it actually seemed to dull his angst.

“Meh,” he hummed. “Does the trick, I guess.”

Derek took another sip.

The fog settled in deeper, and a dazed grin formed on Derek’s face. He leaned back further into his chair, unaware of the knowing smirk from the bartender. He struggled to think back to what was bothering him in the first place.

He happily brought the glass back up to his lips, but this time he took a couple gulps of the beer.

Derek’s smile grew a little larger, but it almost subsided when he started to feel a little warm. Like a sudden total wave of heat crashing upon him, Derek suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable. His white button down shirt was suddenly a bit too thick for his liking, and having it buttoned up all the way made him feel awkward, almost like he was wearing a large tent.

In an attempt to gain some sort of ease, Derek reached up and undid the top four buttons of his shirt.

“That’s soooooo much better,” he sighed, his goofy grin coming back full force once he wasn’t completely covered. His toned pecs were slightly exposed to the cool air of the bar.

Derek took a few more gulps of the beer.

The legs of the chair groaned loudly as Derek squirmed around. His chest felt heavier and his arms kept colliding with his sides in a way that they hadn’t before… right?

Derek’s heart raced in his beefy chest for a moment, but he quickly shrugged his anxiety away as he glanced down at his meaty muscletits. His massive pecs were barely covered by the button down shirt that they strained against, his nubby nipples poking teasingly against the fabric. His large biceps bulged out of his straining sleeves, constantly bumping against pecs and lats, hindering each one of Derek’s movements. And lastly, the werewolf rocked back and forth on his humongous bubblebutt that strained his jeans to bursting, the big ass making it look like Derek was sitting on a bunch of cushions.

Derek caught a nerdy guy sneak a peek at him from across the bar, and he couldn’t resist lifting one of his big arms to flex a powerful bicep.

The nerd’s jaw dropped, yet he quickly recomposed himself and stood up, slowly heading over towards Derek.

Derek finished off the last of the bubbly beer, setting the empty glass onto the bar.

“Um, h-hey,” the small nerdy guy smiled at Derek. “What brings you here all alone?”

Derek smiled back full force at the other guy, his cock rocketing to life. The ten inch monster snaked down his pant leg noticeably, looking like he was stuffing a summer sausage down his pants.

“Oh y’know,” Derek chirped back, “I’m just, like, totally out here looking for cute guys!” He giggled at the end of his statement, biting down on his lower lip as he ran his eyes up and down hungrily over the nerd’s body.

The nerd smiled back nervously, nearly drooling over Derek’s bulbous muscletits. “Well,” he said, “I’m about to ditch this place, if you wanna come with?”

“Sure!” Derek quickly said, practically hopping out of his chair. He snatched a tight hold of the smaller guy’s hand and began to walk towards the exit.

Derek paused for a brief second, feeling as if something was wrong. His gait was thrown off by the constant jiggling of his bubblebutt behind him, and he had to arch his back slightly to account for his huge pecs. Plus, his head felt so slow.

And he was so painfully horny!

Despite himself, all he seemed to be able to focus on was cock and getting his big butt stuffed full with the nerd’s. His lust took over and that foggy sensation clouded over his brain again, effectively silencing that alarm bell.

“Like, this is totally gonna be the best night ever!” Derek cheered as he wiggled his hips, causing his big butt to bounce wildly, loving the lustful look in the nerd’s eyes.

#31 days of derek hale #derek hale #tyler hoechlin #Muscle #musclegrowth #pecs #straight-to-gay #butt #butt growth #big pecs #Himbo #Himboification #Himbo TF #Femme #Ditzy

183 notes · View notes

gyu-effect · 1 year

Note

hi, congrats for 250 followers!!! i love all your works so far and couldn't wait to read more of your works. i also read your svt as love tropes and i AM DYING bc you wrote joshua as enemies-to-lovers (bc obviously joshua is my bias and the trope is my fav🥲). i guess this is very specific, but for the event, can i req joshua + enemies-to-lovers with the "who did this to you?"???? thanks!!

PAIRING || Joshua x Female Reader

GENRES || Fluff, Enemies To Lovers AU, A Bit Of Angst

WARNINGS || yn's dad being a typical asian parent (sigh), mention of getting hurt

WORD COUNT || 1.6k (i got carried away-)

A/N || Oh my god thank you so so much! i actually am not that great at writing e2l but i had great fun in writing that one so i'm so glad you liked it! thank you for requesting, i tried my best and i really hope you like it too!

TAGLIST || @romeosbreastmilkmilk @y00nzin0 @cecedrake2217 @candidupped [if you want to be added to my taglist send me an ask!]

[09:51]

“i heard your report card came two days ago.”

you stopped on your tracks, turning slowly to face your father who was sitting on the living room couch, reading the newspaper. you let out an awkward laughter but it did nothing to calm down your now racing heart.

“ah, it must have slipped out of my mind.” you said, praying you wouldn’t get into more trouble. “you know how busy i’ve been with cram school and extra classes-”

“go get it now.” his cold voice cut you off as he placed the newspaper down, giving you a look that you were so familiar with. you swallowed hard, mind racing to find some excuse but you just couldn't; the fear was so engraved in you that it felt like your entire body had just stopped responding to you.

“isn’t it- isn’t it too late? how about i show it to you tomorrow-”

“now. i want to see it now. or did you have some reason to hide it?” he stood up and walked up to you, and you tried moving back as far as you could, but your back hit the wall very soon.

“no- why would i-”

“or,” his voice dropped an octave as he bent to your eye level, causing you to flinch, “did you come second again and that hong boy come first?”

your silence seemed to be enough for your father.

he straightened up as he regarded you coldly. “you are so pathetic, don’t you have any shame? i spend millions behind you and you can’t even do the one thing you are supposed to! do you know how embarrassing it is to tell everyone that you, the always second rank holder, are my daughter?”

you could feel your fingernails digging into your skin as you balled your fist in anger. tears stung your eyes but no matter how much you clenched your teeth, your heart still seemed to ache from your father’s harsh words.

“fine!” you finally snapped. “why don’t you just disown me and adopt joshua as your child then?”

as soon as you had finished your sentence, you heard a loud slap and your knees hit the ground. your cheek stung from the intensity of the slap but before you could even take everything in, you felt your father yank you up by your hair.

you screamed as you tried to pull yourself away but that just earned another slap from your father, this time feeling a sting on your lips. finally breaking free from him, you ran out of your house onto the street, blindly running until you finally reached the park.

the park wasn’t actually a park. it was an abandoned playground with a few trees here and there that hadn’t been touched by the development of your posh neighbourhood. yet. you had discovered this place in your sixth grade, and seeing that no one ever came by, it soon became your escape spot for whenever your parents scolded you too much.

you sat down on one of the creaky swings, finally feeling the tears fall down your cheeks.

your lips stung, your cheeks hurt, your head was throbbing but mostly it was your heart. it was clenching painfully at the thought of how meaningless you were to your parents, no matter how hard you tried. it hurt from the amount of hatred that had piled up against your parents and mostly hong joshua.

hong joshua.

the stellar boy of the school. the secret crush of every single girl in your grade. the favourite boy of all the teachers that had taught you.

he was well mannered, sweet, handsome and smart.

so no matter how much your parents pitted you against him, it shouldn't have bothered you since he obviously deserved it, right?

but it seemed like he knew your parents did that, and that’s why every time he would win first he would always smirk at your direction as though trying to rile you up. that sweet boy facade disappeared everytime the two of you were alone or competing with each other.

he made sure to point out all your mistakes every time, never take your suggestions despite being in the same student body for so many years together and argue back for almost everything you said.

in other words, the two of you were sworn enemies and you hated him with your every living breath.

sometimes, you wished he would just disappear so that your life could become easier. everything was so easy for him, while you had to struggle and work hard for everything. even if it was just making your parents proud like his.

you sighed for the umpteenth time, once again blaming joshua for everything.

“well, well, who do we have here?”

you whipped in shock towards the direction of the oh so familiar voice, praying it wasn’t who you thought it was.

but like always, your prayers were never answered.

your eyes met hong joshua's teasing gleaming ones, and it took every bit of your willpower not to retort back.

"cat got your tongue, darling?"

you hated that nickname but this time, you just smiled at him, wincing a little at the sting on your lip.

immediately his smirk fell, eyes finally taking in your messy hair and the wound on your lips.

"who did this to you?"

if you had been in your right mind you would have heard the coldness and anger in his voice, but you weren't so instead you turned away from him, hoping he would just go away.

you heard his footsteps from behind you and within seconds you found the boy you hated the most in this world crouching in front of you. your eyes were now at level with his, and he looked concerned.

"y/n." he asked once again, gritting his teeth. "who did this to you?"

"can you just go away?" you whispered, closing your eyes as you leaned your head against the metal threads of the swing. "i don't need you to find another thing to pick on me.”

“pick on-” joshua shook his head. “wait here, i’ll be back in a minute.” saying that, he got up and ran from there. you muttered a ‘whatever’ but within a minute you heard his footsteps, along with his heavy breathing.

opening your eyes, you once again found joshua kneeling in front of you, this time dabbing a cotton bud onto an antiseptic cream. he raised his hand to apply it on your lip but you just turned your head away from him.

“hey,” he said so softly that you nearly turned back to look at him in shock. “i’m not going to hurt you, okay? but we need to take care of that so that it doesn’t leave a scar on those pretty lips of yours, okay?” he continued, still speaking softly to you as though he was afraid you would break if he spoke to you otherwise. the hong joshua you knew had the could speak this softly to you?

when you still didn’t turn to him, he sighed. then, you felt warmth prickle your hands as he took them in his, causing you to finally look at him.

“what are you doing-” you began but he cut you off.

“i’m sorry if you thought i was picking on you.” he said, his eyes filled with so much sincerity that your heart nearly skipped a beat. “i didn’t mean to hurt you, i swear. i just- i just thought you wouldn’t mind if i teased you a bit. it was just that…it was so fun bickering with you and you look so cute everytime you are riled up. i didn’t mean it in a bad way, i swear. if i had known how your parents were…”

his voice trailed off as you mulled his words in your head. was it really true that he had never meant it in a bad way?

the more you thought about it, the more you realised that he might be right. after all, he had never insulted you in front of others, not even if he had beaten you in yet another exam. he had just bickered with you and that was about it.

you wanted to ask why didn’t he try being more nicer to you then but instead you asked-

“you think i’m cute?”

even joshua seemed taken aback by your choice of question but after a second he broke into a laugh. his eyes pulled into the half moons you were so familiar with as he displayed his bunny teeth as he laughed. you always knew he was handsome but right now he looked cute, beautiful and handsome.

“is that what is bothering you?”

“i- no. i mean, yes.” you stuttered, all of a sudden unable to meet your ‘enemy’s’ eyes.

“yeah, i think you are cute. really cute and pretty. especially when you are riled up. or flustered like now.”

“i’m not flustered!”

he laughed once more and this time you couldn’t stop the sudden stuttering of your heart. was just joshua’s laugh enough to make you forget your hatred for him and like him?

no way.

“i’m still mad at you.” you muttered, as he gently patted down your hair. he looked at you apologetically.

“i’m sorry. i really am. i didn’t know i was hurting you. is there any way i can make it up to you?”

“well..” what could he even do to make it up to you? it wasn’t exactly his fault that he didn’t realise he was hurting you. should you just ask him to be your friend? hating one less person seemed to be a great idea to you.

“if you aren’t sure could i suggest something?”

“er, okay?” the cocky smile on his face made you suspicious of what he was going to say but decided to give it a try.

“do you want to go out with me on a date tomorrow?”

581 notes · View notes

vide0-nasties · 10 months

Text

Going to be rambling insanely about Ghost and probably what his feelings on the monarchy would be, coming from one deeply damaged povo to another.

Anyway, specifically around the time the parasite in chief in her idiot hat (thanks Eccleston lub u) died and passed said idiot hat on, I was seeing a lot of (fun and gentle-ribbing, mind you!) posts about Ghost getting razzed about the queen croaking and maybe him being sad about it or something - I don’t really remember bc I have shit for brains and I just latch onto what bits my adhd will allow.

SO. I really don’t think Bruv Innit gave two shits about Liz buying the farm, bc he grew up working class in a working class town to a drug addicted, drug peddling dad, and a fairly nondescript mom who likely didn’t have a way to get her and her kids out of that shit situation (per ‘09 MW lore and some presumption). I imagine dude was dragged around a shitload of council estates and his dad’s friends’ shitty crash pads, no stability whatsoever, where food insecurity was a big ass forever-looming deal, mom had no idea if her 20 year old vauxhall was going to make it another trip to her minimum wage part time job, and school was forever on the back burner bc when it came to school supplies/trips vs eating and keeping the lights on. You can guess which one won.

If we’re also going with him being about 35-40ish, he would’ve been 10-12ish or so around Diana’s divorce and then her death. So, here’s this starving, horrendously abused kid, with his starving, horrendously abused mother and little brother, drowning in a system that is pretty much just letting them sink to the bottom, nothing is being done about the evil sperm donor that ruins everything for them, and he’s obliterated constantly by TV coverage and tabloids and radio DJs talking about this goddamned family’s stupid fucking drama. Charles cheated, Diana left, her poor boys in their fancy private schools with their endless wealth and glowing skin and brand new clothes that don’t stink of consignment shops are sad.

Sorrows - sorrows, prayers. 🫶

It’s a story he’s seen countless times, the only difference is money and coverage. And, realistically, the women in the stories he knows aren’t killed in car wrecks, they’re killed by their infuriated husbands who think they’re owed something catching up. Maybe that’s why his mom doesn’t leave the cocksucker that trapped her, she could’ve ended up another council house Diana that no one gave a shit about.

He grows up, becomes a butcher’s apprentice, joins the army. Straightens his brother out, makes sure his mom is set up nice, finally beats the shit out of his dad. And all the while, there looms the most fucking pointless, parasitic family in England: living off taxes taken from the public, god knows how much land and how many castles, even owning all the fucking swans on the island.

Relics, vampires, leeches.

But, you know, twenty years down the road, he’s pushing 40, his services to the country are done in the dark, the family he tried so badly to save were brutally cut down anyway, and when he goes to Tesco, the price of a fifth of piss Smirnoff is insane, and he’s still got Soap swimming in his head mid-rant bc his mam’s fucking knee replacement appeal has been denied for the third time and she can’t even walk anymore, Gaz is moving for the second time in a year bc he just can’t afford to live close to his parents even on his salary, meanwhile there was a stretch where it looked like Philip was surviving solely by being pumped full of virgin blood and straight stem cells.

So, yeah, if anything he probably said cheers when the news broke and cracked a couple extra jokes that day.

“What d’you call one dead Windsor? A good start.”

Edit: This is picking up some traction. @50cal-fullauto-astarion is my CoD blog if you like my Call of Bullshit stuff, this is my main and I don’t really go into CoD here

#simon ghost riley #modern warfare ii #ghost cod #call of duty #mw2 #ghost #I’m mentally ill and I love that he is also mentally ill and probably looks at the monarchy with disgust #if he can vote depending on whether he’s legally dead or not he voted no on brexit #some rando at base is like ‘how can you make a joke like that think about the children they lost their nan’#and he just goes ‘I’ll hunt those little shits for sport’

312 notes · View notes

faroreskiss · 9 months

Text

The Power of Understanding / Pilot (Part 1 v2)

Rewritten to v2 on: 2023/09/10

Cheat Sheet

Read of Ao3

Chapters: Pilot, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Summary: You have been with the Chain for a while now, as their "scholar" and translator. You know everything about them, because you are from our world. But do *they *know the truth about how you can understand everyone?

A little introduction and world building concept for the Translator!Reader and her adventures. Check notes below for more info!

Non-linear fic.

AU fic, prior to TotK (instead of TotK, chain events happen).

Loosely based on the same reader in my NSFW fic, which is a very loose prequel to this one, and a work in progress.

More background info to come, if I feel like it :D

Warnings: None, maybe some cussing, but nothing is censored. SFW content.

Points of interest: This is your thing if you are into the mystery of chain being able to talk to each other. I am an actual trained linguist IRL, hence this HAD to be written!

You were daydreaming in the middle of the day about him again, amidst the smell of horse shit around you, when you're supposed to be finishing the work you have until the end of the day. Or until a new portal pops up to swallow you all to Goddess knows which Hyrule this time. Damned black-blooded monsters. At least, this gave you some break.

You, coming from our own era, have been acting as the scholar of the Chain for the last couple of years, while hopping from world to world with them. Knowing this, Malon put you to work on the books of the ranch, instead of letting you deal with the cows or the horses, even though you really didn’t have anything specific to do with maths. You thought she was being kind to you, not letting you deal with dirty ranch work, you guessed? She was a sweetheart either way.

You wanted to hang out with Twilight at the same time, so instead of using the little study Malon offered, you took the books and went down to the stables. You continued with your own stuff, while he was taking care of the horses.

There was also this little thing: you were the only one who understood every single one of them, (almost) very clearly, comparatively speaking. Sure they could communicate without you just as well, but due to a bunch of coincidences, you were the closest thing to the “translation magic”, if you can call it that. Maybe it was your Hoshi Sato gene*. Maybe it was the fact that you actually stayed with Link & Zelda in the post-Calamity world, around two years prior meeting the Chain**, maybe a bit of magic was also involved. Hylia works in mysterious ways! Did it almost cost you your brain? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Some Links, of course, understood each other better than the others, especially when their eras were, linguistically speaking, not that far. Time and Twilight were just fine. Legend and Hyrule were already able to understand each other, even a little bit better than Time and Twilight. Sky was a bit further away and had a “funny way of saying things” (according to the Sailor), almost gibberish, but when you listened and when he spoke slowly enough, you could at least get the gist of what he was trying to say. Wind, Time, and Warriors already knew each other from other “incidents” before the Chain, so they already had a way of communicating.

These worlds also did not have many invasions and wars by “outsiders”, if you don’t count things like the Triforce War, Imprisoning War, Sealing War, and of course, anything that had to do with Demise, Ganon & co. and their horrible reincarnations. This meant, not a lot of language change.

In the end, what happened was that over the two years you have been together with the group, you helped them understand each other better. They adjusted their accents, and somehow warped the Hylian they speak in a way that the group would understand (and especially you), when the dialogue was still within the group. Of course, the Old Man would speak more “naturally” with Malon and vice versa, and some of the chain would adjust better (e.g. Twilight or Smithy) to the language of the era they are in. After some point, communication was not that much of a problem. You learnt it all in the end.

Writing?

Funny enough, Wild, Sky, and Twilight had similar scripts. Time and Wind had more similar writing systems. Wild, Wars, Legend, Time, and Rulie were also better at understanding the scripts of their respective eras. Overall, other than a couple of hiccups, most understood the others’ script to an extent.

And then there was Wild. Also known as “The Cook” nowadays. The rest of the chain didn’t know you called them the Chain in your mind, and had your little nicknames for them. The nicknames most likely revealed a bit too much, and even though most of the secrets were out nowadays… You knew better than to risk more. You have caused enough damage, you would think sometimes. Even though you just couldn’t resist the urge.

Anyway… Wild, his case and communication issues… were complicated.

According to the rest of the chain when you guys first met, whatever he was saying (and vice versa) was almost complete gibberish at first. Some terms and special names like “deku,” “korok,” “Hylia,” “Hyrule,” “rupee,” and such were still there, albeit with a different accent, and they helped, but it was not enough. You only found out later that it was kind of… your fault.

In the end, he was also able to communicate with them just fine. Each Link had their own… language variation and accents, so to say. Some of them did not even have the difference enough to call it a “dialect” comparatively. As you thought, language change is a slow enough process, and with the lack of ‘conflicts’ (for lack of a better word) compared to your world, no wonder they were still somehow able to understand each other. .

The Goddesses work in mysterious ways indeed.

How did it work for you, though? There was this little secret that… First time around, when you first dropped into Wild's Hyrule, “Hylian” was basically a weird mesh-up of English and Japanese to your ears, after the enchantment from the Great Fairies you have received. It was “so you could slowly understand and grasp and communicate”, you were told.

Oh boy, it really felt like a genie granting you a wish, but in its own twisted way. You found that out later though.

Second time around when you first met the rest of Links, though? The first enchantment… kind of messed everything up. Second time around, you actually ended up learning real Hylian. At least, the Hylian that was used as a lingua franca between you guys.

Of course, some learning skill enchantment was definitely not out of the deal this time as well, thanks to Rulie & Time and their fairy friends, and of course the Smithy. But what a disaster it had been! Well, it wasn’t your fault that the first time the enchantment was made, nobody calculated that you would meet the Links from other eras.

You also naturally know the reason behind why Links in kind of irrelevant eras could decipher each other's texts, even when they didn’t understand the words all the time. Some were based on the Latin alphabet, and some were on Japanese kana. No way you could clearly explain it to them.

“Oh, by the way, you are made by a game company called Nintendo, and this guy is called Miyamoto…”

Yeah, no. That didn’t go well last time. Nobody even understood what you meant.

That was a battle to fight for another day… Now, you need to focus on the budget of the Lon Lon Ranch. And not be distracted by Twilight’s statue.

________________

Notes:

Fanciest and most OP translator you will ever know. Star Trek Universe.

"You” already spent three years with Link and Zelda in Wild’s world and were enchanted by the Great Fairies (with Zelda’s involvement) for the improvement of learning abilities.

128 notes · View notes

brunchable · 1 year

Text

Thurber's Model — PT. 2 || William Thurber × F!Reader

Word Count: 7.1K Genre: Romance, Secrecy, Sneaking Around, Off-Limits Reader, Overwhelming Attraction Warning: Explicit. 18+ Only. unprotected p+v sex. Parings: William Thurber x F!Reader Summary: It took you about a week to learn the pattern of your parent's movements during the night and when you finally did, you sneak out of your family Manor to meet William in his dormitory. A/N: This is for the precious @classicrebound, I know this took A WHILE but I hope you Ben Barnes fans enjoy.

Part 1

William had his eyes on you the whole time. He wasn't even listening to the compliments he was receiving for his artworks anymore. Was it bad that he wanted you even more now that he knew you were out of his league?

As discreetly as possible, you looked down at the piece of parchment in your hand. You groaned inwardly. On the paper clearly written was the name of William Thurber.

This could not be happening…….

William has made a reputation for himself, known for his family's bankruptcy. He earned a scholarship at Miskatonic with his extreme talent at portrait painting. Though your father admits that Will was born to be an artist, he specifically warned you to stay away from men like him, stating the idiom, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." You would have never guessed that he was below elite society when he wore such sophisticated suits and styled himself rather nicely.

William waited until your parents, Mr. Dixon and Joe were ahead of him and you before he grabbed you by the arm and dragged you towards the small hallway behind the grand staircase. It was dark and, most importantly, private.

“Get your hands off me!” you demanded.

“We need to talk,” he said through clenched teeth.

“We have nothing to talk about.”

“I beg to differ.” He forced himself to ignore you soft warm body pressed up against his.

You tried to push past him, but he wasn’t having that. He gently pushed you back against the wall.

“William, let me go! They’ll notice our absence.” you look up to his devilishly handsome features, "And I do not wish to speak with you. Y-you tricked me! You knew my father was Dr. Reid didn't you?!"

“No! I did not. He was the last person I'd thought about being your father—"

You cut him off, averting your eyes, afraid that you might end up kissing him instead, "This was just a mistake, one better off forgotten.”

A mistake? The most passionate night of his life was a mistake? Your first time and that’s what you thought?

That grated on him in the worst way. “Is that what you think? Is it because you now know who I am? The son of a ruined man—”

“No, of course not! I am not that shallow. But if my father finds out about this, he will have you expelled.”

"The only way he'll find out is if you tell him what we did, right now." His eyes raked all over your face, "Or if we get caught."

God, his scent is so hypnotising, what is this man made of? You thought to yourself. Clearly he already made the conclusion that you'll be meeting each other again. He wasn’t wrong. The thought of an escapade just like Romeo and Juliet sent thrills down your spine. You might as well live the life of your fantasies before you leave the country in a few weeks time.

“One week.”

William's brows became knitted together in confusion,“What do you mean?”

“Give me one week. I'm Thurber's model, aren't I?” You tilt your head, your hand cupping one side of his face, your thumb brushing his soft lips, "I have plans already in place. You gave me your address, I know where you live. Wait for me."

A small smile twitched on the corner of William's lips and leaned in for a kiss but you released his cheek and stepped back into the foyer after making sure that it was empty. “Until we meet again, William.”

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

One week later.

You looked over at the grandfather clock clock with much eagerness. You couldn't wait for the time to come when you could sneak out of the house. 09:59 was the time.

It took a long time to figure out your parent's routine, and even longer to suck up the courage to sneak out. You had to sneak out though. You yearned for the risk and for the thrill of rebelling against your parents.

Of course, that freedom would be short-lived. You could only stay outside until 2:00 in the morning at most. Before 2:30, your father always wakes up to get a drink of milk. Usually, he won't check in on you. It's when your mother gets up at 2:40 to put away your father's milk and clean his mess that you have to worry about. She always checks on John and you before she returns to bed.

You watched the clock intently, every tick and every tock of the hand. You lay in bed in your brother's clothing. The ones you sneakily stole from the backyard after the maids left it in the sun for it to dry. Underneath it all you wore your nightgown, so that when you come back, all you have to do is hide your brother's clothes in your wardrobe and jump back into bed.

Moonlight streamed through your clear, glass window that was opened, just a crack, and spilled onto the wooden floorboards below.

Almost there. You thought to yourself, almost there. Then, the clock's hand ticked to 10:00, in an instant, sat up in your bed, your gaze wildly darting from one corner to another throughout your entire room and carefully, quietly, turned, and slipped out from under your covers and off the side of your bed. Your bare feet were soft on the dusty floorboards, and you tip-toed over to the balcony doors. Your palms were sweaty, and your breathing came in hard and rapid gulps.

You inhaled a deep, long breath, and relaxed to the sweet scent of home. Before you started to ever so slowly open the squeaky doors to your balcony, you quickly turned back around. In your excitement to get away you had forgotten to wear a sweater and shoes. It was the middle of December out there, and you'd be stupid to not wear more clothing. After throwing on the sweater and wearing your brother's loafers—which you stuffed with a handkerchief since it's too big on you—you returned to your task of climbing down the balcony and through the lattice covered with vines.

You heard a shuffling sound in your parents' bedroom, but you dismissed it and decided it was the family dog, Otto. You landed softly in the snow then you turned and ran full blast out the gates. Freedom at last.

It was freezing outside, even more cold than you imagined it would be. The wind blew hard and seared through your sweater as though it was nothing. The snow added to the cold weather. As you ran through it, you got bits of snow inside your loafers where it would melt and freeze your toes.

You slowed your run to a steady jog and crossed your arms as you did so. You shivered and huffed and you were sure that your face was flushed and red. When you woke up in the morning you would probably have a cold but you didn't care. You needed to see William. Even for an hour and a half. Any amount of time would do.

As you walked the empty streets, you tucked your long hair underneath your brother's flat cap. You were disguising yourself as a bloke because there was no way on earth would they allow in a lady inside the men's dorm where William lived.

You arrived at the block of red bricked dorm, some of the windows still had their lights on as you observed from afar. You dug the piece of parchment to make sure you were at the right place. The laughter of a group of boys headed towards the dorm caught your attention.

By the luck of the Irish. You thought to yourself because William was one of them. You scurried your way across the road and discreetly joined the group as they entered their dorm. They were either too drunk to notice that there was one additional person with them or you just did not have presence. You stayed closely behind William's tall structure and followed him as they dispersed to go to their own rooms.

You lowered your cap and kept your gaze low as you followed Will up the wooden staircase. Both of you made it up to the second floor until William grabbed you by the arm and slammed you against the wall, "What business do you have sneaking in here boy?"

You tilt your head up and meet with his hardened eyes which softened as soon as he realised who you were, "(Y/N)?"

"Shh." You hushed him, pressing your slender finger over his lips. William scanned the area, making sure it was empty before he practically dragged you up one more level where his room was located on the third floor.

He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. It's been over a week since he last saw you and thought that you were never going to show yourself again. William couldn’t stop thinking about you, there were nights where he couldn't sleep because he needed to know where you've been. He didn't expect you to dress yourself as a man and have the courage to go inside his dorm.

William shoved you into his room, scanning the hallways left to right once more for safety measures that no one saw both of you. He shut the door and locked it before turning around to find you, now with your hair down and slightly messed from being tucked from underneath the cap. God, you looked immaculate even in men’s clothing.

You expected him to have a messy room, it wasn't a surprise since you haven't met an artist who was neat and tidy. Your father certainly wasn’t, hence why your mother always cleans up after him.

"You have until one in the morning to stare at me, Thurber." You smiled softly at him. One that got his heart skipping a beat.

"Do you have any idea how much I looked forward to this day?" he asked, his lips kicking up into a sensual smile as he moved closer to you until there was barely an inch of space between you, "You probably kept me waiting on purpose." he said as he leaned down and brushed his lips tenderly against yours.

Your breath hitched, wanting to capture those lips. You leaned forward to kiss him but he retreated with a teasing smirk on his lips. Your stomach dropped as you watched him eagerly while he grabbed a sketchbook on his desk as well as a pencil case, "You can take the space on my bed."

“Like this?” You played innocent all the while staring at him innocently as you unbuttoned the dress shirt top to bottom painfully slow, revealing your sheer lace nightgown that was tucked under your slacks.

If you weren't too busy removing your top clothing, you would've noticed the clenching of William's jaw as well as the hard bobbing of his Adam's apple as you stood in front of him with nothing underneath that damned nightgown. His dark obs followed you as you sat on his bed, in a way where you flaunt your curves. You gathered your hair to one side, revealing your neck and collar bone to William before smiling sweetly at him.

Blood rushed throughout his body, particularly to the place where he didn’t want it to go because how was he supposed to focus when the shape of his shaft was squeezed up against his slacks, he was aware that you took note of that when your eyes flickered at the outline of his length behind the fabric.

"Are you comfortable like that? You can't move for a while, you know." William cleared his throat and shifted on his seat.

"I'm aware and I'm comfortable." You quickly replied.

Will jerked his head, "Alright."

He starts to sketch the outline of your body, eyes flicking back and forth trying his best to focus, but his cock wholeheartedly disagrees with the way it’s pulsing in his slacks. He can already feel the precum leaking into his briefs and William shifts uncomfortably at the thought that he's in this confined space with you getting harder by the second.

The movement must catch your attention because you look towards him and then down at my lap. “What’s wrong, William?” You asked as if fondling his name.

“Stop it. Don't talk.”

"But I want to talk, you don't want your model falling asleep now would you?" You tell him.

William pauses and notes that your thighs are pressed together, "You have a problem, (Y/N)?"

“Yes, you’re the problem.” A deep blush bloomed across your body, and William wanted to trace its path with his tongue, mark you with his teeth and touch. Proclaim to the world who you belonged to, who you should belong to.

A growl leaves his throat as he fights aside the thought of pouncing onto you on that bed, "Let's talk about something else."

"What do you want to talk about? Mister Thurber?" You blink innocently as you fondle his name one more.

“We cannot tell a soul about anything that happens tonight.”

“Never,” you whisper, “Whatever happens…stays between you and me.”

“Yes.” His eyes are wild with fire and you have a feeling that he'll be a different type of man with you tonight, “I think if you asked me, I would do just about anything you wanted at this point.”

“So…kiss me,” you command, tilting your chin upwards and staring into his eyes. “Press your lips to mine and kiss me like you mean it. Like I’m all that matters to you.”

“You are all that matters to me, (Y/N).”

“Prove it.”

"My art shall prove it for you. Now kindly stop trying to tempt, you little minx." William cracks a short teasing laugh as he holds his opened notebook in front of you like a shield. In minutes he got engrossed in his sketch work.

You elicit a shy smile and try to even out your breaths as Will sketches you—but suddenly a thought too tempting not to ask entered your train of thought.

"William?" You cooed sweetly, trying your best not to move a muscle.

"Hm?" His deep silky voice hummed.

"Do you always draw your models like this?" You asked in a heartbeat. The thought of him doing this to other ladies made your stomach turn and it wasn’t the nicest of ways.

The silence was loud when he didn't answer straight away. Only the friction between paper and pencil could be heard.

". . .No, just you." You notice Will licks his teeth as he grinned and you wish you could squeeze your eyes shut at this moment in attempts to calm yourself down. You feel like you're ready to combust, and William is making it worse.

Did he feel it, the electric current running between us? Or was it only in my imagination?

You observed him closely. You really liked his short black hair and the way that his dark brown eyes twinkled when he smiled. He was also handsome, you decided, not really knowing why that mattered, but it did.

William was trying to stay focused on the task at hand, but he can’t deny the desire he had to reach out and touch you. His eyes are scrolling slowly from your neck all the way down to your feet. Everywhere his eyes focus, and you can feel it. His gaze lingered on you for a second before he looked away as if he was searching for a hint as to what was going on in that beautiful head of yours.

William's eyes dipped to your breasts as his hands kept sketching away. You followed his gaze and noticed for the first time just how thin your nightgown was. Your nipples were so hard they showed clearly through the two layers of flimsy material. His molten gaze pinned you in place, erasing your earlier chill and leaving a deep, fiery ache in its wake. Your heart thudded so hard against your ribcage you half expected it to leap out of your chest and into his arms.

As the wind howled outside, the soft creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath your feet mingled with the sounds of both your breaths—yours shallow, William's deep and even.

“Are you holding up alright?” His voice was full of gravel, dark and rough.

You couldn’t bring yourself to speak, but you managed a small nod.

The heaviness of the air caressed you like a bold lover’s touch, and you knew, deep in your gut, you stood on a dangerous precipice. The slightest movement from you, and you would fall. The question was whether you wanted to save yourself, or if the pleasure would be worth the eventual pain.

You glanced at the clock, it was just past midnight. William glanced at his wrist watch and put down his notebook and pencil, "Is it almost time already?"

"Yes, unfortunately, are you almost finished?"

"Far from finished, I want to get every detail." William rose from his seat and sat down on the space next to you. William's touch skimmed down your neck and over the curve of your shoulder. You shivered, your skin blossoming with a thousand more goosebumps.

Oh, God. Every ounce of oxygen disappeared from your lungs. The fact that the warm light of candles was the only thing that illuminated the room didn't help.

“You should go home, I'll walk you back.”

You shook your head. “Take me, William. I will leave in a few weeks. I don't know when I'll be back. Take me.” You whispered, "Make me yours."

You know you said you didn't want to be any man’s property, but William. . . You just knew he wouldn't treat you that way. He would treat you as an equal.

William groaned, and with that one sound, you knew he’d made his choice. Breathe. Even when there was no oxygen, no air, nothing but him. Breathe.

He dipped his head, but instead of kissing your mouth, he kissed the hollow of your throat. It was so soft it was more a whisper of breath than a kiss, but it was enough to make your knees weaken.

You were a lightning rod, and William was the strike that lit you up from the inside out. You closed your eyes and stifled a moan as he dragged his mouth up your neck, inch by inch. Just as the lazy possessiveness of his touch lulled you into a semi-stupor, he yanked you toward him with one hand and sank his teeth into the curve between your neck and shoulder. Hard. Almost as hard as the thick arousal pressing against your stomach and causing your core to throb with need. William's other hand clamped over your mouth, muffling your surprised yelp.

“Tell me.” His voice lowered. “What would your father think about this?”

He remained still, his muscles coiled with tension. He couldn’t claim you the way he wanted outside these walls, but right here, right now, when it was just the two of you? He was going to take you until you were both utterly ruined.

“He'll be everything but happy—but I don’t care. I want to be selfish for once. I want to be with you.”

“You want to be with me even though you're not supposed to?” William hissed out a breath and released your throat, only to curl his hand around the back of your neck. He yanked you to him again, crushing your mouth to his, and your world imploded. Tongues, teeth, hands.

You devoured each other like the world would end and this was our last chance to feel something. Perhaps it was. But you wouldn’t think about that now, not when your bodies pressed so tight against each other you might as well be one, and you were falling, falling into an abyss you never wanted to get out of.

Your sister was right. You could tell everything from a kiss.

You tugged on William's hair, desperate for more. More of his touch, his taste, his scent. You wanted to fill every inch of your soul with this man. He drew your bottom lip between his teeth and tugged. You gasped, so aroused you could feel your wetness slicking your thighs.

He leaves a wet open-mouthed kiss just at the base of your collarbone before lowering his mouth ever so slightly. His tongue darts out to taste your skin and he traces your bare skin delicately as you mewl beneath him.

“Quiet,” he rasped. “Or someone will hear.”

He swept his palm up your inner thigh to your core and let out a low groan when he discovered how wet you were. The room wasn’t that big, but the anticipation made it seem endless. You glimpsed yourself in the full-length mirror mounted on the wall, and your skin burned at the sight: He fisted your hair with one hand and used the other to unbuckle his pants. His cock sprung out, thick and hard, the swollen head dripping with pre-cum.

God, I needed to taste him. No one had ever turned you on as much as he did. Every word, every touch, every glance. You wanted it all. You scooted out of the bed and knelt in front of him. You stared at him with pleading eyes. William hadn’t finished nodding before you took him in my mouth, savouring his groans and the way he pulled your hair as you eagerly licked and sucked.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” he grunted, pushing his cock deeper until it hit the back of your throat. You spluttered, your eyes watering from the sheer size of him.

You moaned out an unintelligible response. Your hand drifted between your legs, but you didn’t make contact before he yanked you up and captured your mouth in a hard, starving kiss. He has waited for this moment. You could taste it on his tongue, feel it in the roughness of his hands as he squeezed your ass and helped you move until you were straddling his lap.

When he was younger he hadn't cared and never bothered trying, going from one woman to the next had made little difference to him. Over the years, things changed, he'd changed and he wanted more in his life, but no matter what he did nothing changed. He'd dated some wonderful women that would make any other man drop to his knees and thank god that he was alive, but not him.

He hadn't been able to return their feelings and it just about killed him when he couldn't force himself to love them. He could easily think of five of his past lovers that would have probably given him a good life as they grew old together, but he hadn't felt anything for them. Hell, he couldn't even get it up for them without thinking about the woman currently running her fingers through his hair as you urged him to continue with soft little moans that had his cock jerking in appreciation.

This was the woman that his body craved day and night and it would accept no substitutes. It was something that he'd have to worry about, but later. Right now he was going to enjoy the freedom to touch you. Whatever happened later he'd deal with it. Right now, nothing else mattered but you, the woman moaning his name.

"Stop," you said, panting hard as you tried to catch your breath.

Stopping was the last thing that he wanted to do, but he did. He wasn't an asshole and would never force a woman to do anything that she didn't want. It was a struggle, but he somehow managed to pull away from you.

As soon as he made a move and made sure that you were okay, he found himself shoved down onto his back. By the time the movement registered in his mind, you were already climbing over him and gripping his cock by the base as your pert little ass wiggled above his face. He didn't waste any time in raising his face to continue lapping at your slit as his arms wrapped around your body, holding you still.

"So much better," you said in a throaty whisper as you stroked his cock curiously. When you ran your tongue from the head to the base, his hips jerked up in response and when you wrapped your lips around the tip and lightly suckled, he swore that he saw God.

As his head hit the bed he brought you down with him, too greedy for you to allow even a second of separation. Your hard nipples brushed against his stomach, back and forth as you moved your mouth over his cock, taking it as far as your naturally talented mouth would allow while you rode his tongue.

He gripped your ass, restraining some of your movements so that he could slide his tongue in and out of your core to mimic what you were doing to his cock. He ran his tongue slowly between your slit, loving the moan you released around his cock. What you were doing to him felt fucking fantastic, but what he was doing to you was life altering. As you both took your time licking, suckling and nibbling, the only sounds that could be heard in his room were moans, groans and whispered pleads never to stop.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

A loud cry escaped your lips as you struggled to continue giving him pleasure, but you couldn't. You just couldn't take it any longer.

With another strangled cry, you released him from your mouth and was forced to rest your head on his hip less than an inch from the large erection that you'd been worshipping only seconds earlier. Your body tightened as your back bowed, seconds away from what you already knew would be a powerful orgasm.

You bit your lip as you pleaded with your body to hurry before he stopped. He hadn't yet, but in a few seconds he would realise that you'd stopped pleasuring him and he would demand that you continue. Men could be selfish jerks, you thought as you licked your lips hungrily.

Just when you thought that he was finally going to stop, he didn't. Oh no, not even close. His arms tightened around you, holding you securely against him as he devoured you and there really was no other way to describe what the man was doing to you. It felt good, so good……too good.

You tried to pull away, but the damn man refused to give you an inch. Your good hand clenched into a fist, gripping the soft comforter in a death grip as a muffled scream of pleasure like nothing you'd ever heard before ripped from your throat, taking your breath away. The surge of pleasure that rocked your body left you boneless and barely able to softly cry "Stop" as William continued, making your body prepare for another orgasm that would no doubt kill you.

"Shhh, it's okay," William said soothingly as he pulled away and gently rolled you off and onto your back where you lay panting as your overstimulated mind tried to figure out what just happened.

He gently brushed your hair out of your face as he pressed a tender kiss against your lips all while the proof that the man hadn't found any relief pressed against your hip.

"You okay?" he asked, giving you another one of those tender kisses that you were really starting to like.

"Mmmmhmmm," you sighed happily as you found yourself leaning in and kissing him. Right now, you couldn't think past how good he made you feel, how much you wanted him, needed him and suddenly nothing else mattered but you and him.

William growled in approval as he returned your kisses and his cock brushed against your sensitive skin. You reached between you as both of you took your time kissing and when you found what you were looking for, you didn't hesitate in running your hand over it. You couldn't imagine enjoying the way a man felt in your hands like this before. The hot, silky skin that covered the large erection felt incredible and you realised as you took your time running your hand over him that you weren't in a rush to finish this.

You were finding your aching all over for him. It shouldn't be possible, especially not after the incredible orgasms that he'd just given you, but you couldn't help it. The sexy little growls he made every time your hand skimmed over the large head had you shifting your legs as you tried to ignore the need growing inside of you until you couldn't ignore it any longer.

You were both breathing hard, the kiss becoming more aggressive as William reached between you and cupped you between your legs, careful not to get in the way of what you were doing for him. You tried to be good, tried to stay still, but when he ran one long, thick finger between your folds you were lost. You shifted your legs, desperate to give him more access. He growled approvingly as he slid his finger inside of you, matching the way you were moving your hand over him.

Unable to wait another minute, you released him and hooked your leg over his hip. With a gentle nudge, you had him turning over onto his back. He removed his hand from between your legs so that he could wrap his arms around you and take you with him, which was more than fine with you. Better than fine actually.

You shifted back, rolling your hips with the movement. When you slid over his erection you both groaned long and loud and when you moved to do it again, the tip of his erection came to rest at your core.

"Are you sure?" William asked, against your mouth.

"Yes," you said in a harsh whisper as you pushed back, taking the tip inside of you. His loud groan encouraged you to take more, but the problem was that he was a bit bigger from what you remember, but you didn't allow that to discourage you. You wanted this man and you were going to make damn sure that you had him.

A startled gasp escaped your lips as William suddenly thrust, filling you halfway. In the next second you found yourself on your back and William pulling out only to thrust back in, filling you all the way. As you lay there, digging your nails into his back as he stretched you a little too much, you were torn between screaming in frustration and screaming at him to move. You rolled him back over until you found yourself splayed on top of him.

"It's all yours, princess, but you gotta move before I lose my fucking mind," he groaned softly against your lips as his hands moved up to cup your face while he kissed you.

It took you a few seconds to realise what he'd said and done and when you did, you couldn't help but release a satisfied moan as you tentatively rolled your hips. His answering groan was all the encouragement that you needed to continue. You might not be experienced in this position, but you were more than willing to keep doing it until you got it right, you decided with a throaty groan as William slid one hand between them and cupped your breast as the other one moved down your back and palmed your ass as you rode him.

"Don't stop, (Y/N)," he said on a groan as he moved his mouth to your neck just as you registered his hand leaving your bottom and moving up your body to palm your other breast.

"Or what?" You asked breathlessly as you picked up the pace, taking him deeper and harder each time.

"I'll make you forget how to walk and we both know you like your walks." he promised tightly as he moved his mouth back to yours, kissing you and sending you over the edge.

You felt him grow inside of you and if Will hadn't suddenly released your breasts to cup your face and keep your mouth right where it was, you probably would have screamed in pleasure, well, screamed louder. He felt so good, sliding in and out of you as the large velvety head rubbed against you in just the right way.

You tried to make it last longer, but the second that you heard your name leave his lips in a strangled growl, you lost it. A violent orgasm tore through you, leaving you breathless and unable to so much as move as pleasure assaulted your body. You never broke away from William's mouth, somehow knowing that it wouldn't be as good without this connection. Everything about this moment felt perfect, felt right. You couldn't explain it, didn't want to look too deeply into it and wreck this moment.

Long after your bodies were sated, you lay on top of him, kissing him leisurely as you enjoyed the way that he held you. For several minutes you allowed him to hold you, comfort you and make you feel wanted, loved and cherished, but all too soon you realised that you didn't have an excuse to remain in his arms.

"Oh dear, look at the time. I must go." You hopped out of William's arms and hastily plucked your brother's stolen clothes from the floor and began wearing them.

"Allow me to walk you home." William sat up from his bed dressed himself as well.

"Oh no, no need, dearest William. I can walk myself home." You tucked your already buttoned up dress shirt in your pants—until William took you by the chin and tilted your head up.

"I must. If anything happens to you, I won't be able to forgive myself."

You felt your cheeks heat up, "You're too sweet." You placed your palm over his cheek, "This isn't a scheme to figure out where I live now, is it?" You teased him.

"You have me all figured out."

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

William accompanied you all the way to your father's mansion. Though you were dressed as a man, one could never be complacent. Sometimes a drunkard walks the street and picks on innocent passersby for a fight.

“What are your plans later on in the morning?” William asks.

You cleared your throat before you answered. “I thought I’d go for a walk in the park if it’s a beautiful day.”

“Wouldn't it be far too cold for a walk?” he asks.

"Yes but as long as there isn't a breeze that would take me away, you can get used to the temperature." You shrugged, "I also like to watch kids have a snowball fight, it reminds me of my childhood."

"I wish I could join you, during your walks."

"Well? Why don't you? Father introduced us to each other and we could say we get along well. . .maybe too well." You laughed sheepishly and looked away from William.

There she is again with that charming laugh. How does one stay away from her when her whole being just pulls you in? William thought to himself all the while laughing along with you.

The way William looked at you at the night of the exhibit didn't go unnoticed by Dr. Reid. In fact, after the little private conversation between you and William, Dr. Reid had a word with him.

"I saw the way you were looking at my daughter." Dr. Reid said discreetly as he stood next to William, "She is quite the beauty wouldn't you agree?"

William thought of his answer very carefully, "Yes, Sir, I agree."

"She was looking at you the same exact way—I've never seen her look at a man like the way she had her eyes on you tonight." Dr. Reid swirled his wine around before sipping it, "I want you to stay away from her and we won't have a problem."

"I'm sorry?"

Dr. Reid pivoted to face William this time, "You're a talented artist, Thurber. You should focus on that. Unless you have anything good to offer my family, don't even think about lining up to pursue my daughter."

"—Don’t you think? Will? William?" You nudged him out of his trance as both of you stopped right in front of the side of the mansion where the balcony of your room was.

"Hm?" He snapped out of it.

"Where did you go just now?" You chuckled and nodded towards the sky, "Help me up?"

"Just got lost in thought."

"Am I a bore to talk to now?" You teased, nudging him on his side with your elbow.

William gave you the sharpest worried gaze, “No! Of course not.”

“Oh William~ I was just teasing you.” You laughed, “Well? Are you going to help me up the balcony?”

William bent his knees and held his hands together for you to use as a boost to get onto your balcony. You hauled yourself up, trying to be as quiet as possible. You turned around and gazed down at William, who was admiring your beauty from below.

“Would you like to come up?” You asked.

William blinked, did he hear that correctly? “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh come on, Mister Thurber, don’t make me ask you twice.”

William nervously looked around, even though no one but you was around, he felt as though he was being watched.

“You’re killing me, princess.” He muttered and reached up at the ledge with his long arms. Unlike you, he climbed up that balcony effortlessly. Before you could even take another breath he was already in front of you. Yours was a story destined for a tragic ending, but when you were already on a train headed off the cliff, all you could do was hold on tight and make every second count.

William drank you in, not missing a single detail. The wisps of hair curling around your face, the nervous anticipation in your eyes, the way your chest rose and fell in time with his own uneven breaths. Part of him wanted to march over, rip off your clothes, and fuck you right then and there. Another part of him wanted to savour the moment—the last wild, beating seconds before both of you destroyed whatever was left of your boundaries. He was a rule follower by nature. It was how he’d survived most of his life. But for you, he would break every rule in the book.

“So.” You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, your hand trembling. “Now that we’re here, what do you have planned, Mr. thurber?” He smiled, slow and enchanting, and a small, visible shiver rippled through your body.

William grabbed the back of your neck, pulled you close, and crushed his lips to yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your body warm and pliant against his as he plundered your mouth. To him, you tasted like mint and strawberries, and he wanted more. Needed more. His heart was a loud drum in his chest, beating in time with the throbbing in his cock. All of his senses sharpened to near-painful clarity—the taste of you on his tongue, the feel of your skin beneath his hands, the smell of your perfume and the sounds of your little whimpers as you clung to him like you were drowning and William was your last lifeline.

You backed up in your room, pulling William in with you without ever parting your lips, until you landed on your mattress with him on top of you. He rubbed his thumb over your clothed nipples, and you fought back a moan as you arched into his hand— The floor creaked behind your bedroom door. You and William froze in unison, your breathing harsh. You’d gotten so wrapped up in what both of you were doing you’d forgotten all about the people sleeping just a few feet away. You both heard another creak, followed by the shuffle of someone getting out of bed. Your father, if the direction of the sound was any indication. William cursed under his breath and pulled his hand away. It was the smart thing to do, but you still wanted to weep at the loss of contact.

“I guess that’s my cue to head home.” William whispered against your lips. He gently pushed himself aside while he straightened his shirt.

“It’s very late and it’s cold outside,” You scooted closer and rested your chin on his shoulder, “Stay.”

William turned his head towards yours, “You want me to stay?”

You nodded, “We don’t have to do anything but sleep. I have to admit, I feel good being in your arms.”

William chuckled to himself, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse, “I’m starting to think you’ve put me under your spell.” William slipped out of his shoes and jacket before gathering you carefully into his arms, tucking your head into his shoulder and aligning your frozen limbs with his. You felt stiff enough to shatter due to the absence of his warmth, but bit by bit, your muscles began to relax until you lay pliant against him. Pliant and sleeping. It didn’t take very long. Maybe fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes for you to regain yourself. Fifteen minutes for him to lose himself.

At the crack of dawn, your skin buzzed with the warmth of waking up from a deep sleep. You looked up to the same ceiling but this time, William’s dark eyes blocked your view. They were constant yet unfamiliar. Your head eases back when you feel his fingers in your hair, playing thoughtfully with the strands.

“You’re awake.” You said, barely keeping yourself awake.

“So are you, you should go back to sleep.” William whispered and leaned down, leaving a kiss on your forehead. You hummed in return.

William sat still on the side of your bed to make sure you were back into deep sleep before he got up to leave. The sun was peeking slightly in the horizon when William walked out of the balcony, the freezing temperature nipping his skin. Slowly, William climbed down the same way he used to get up to your balcony. He landed on both his feet on the grass with a soft thud.

“Mister Thurber?” Dr. Reid blurted out confused as to what the lad was doing in front of his house. Dr. Reid stood in front of his house, looking well-decent, while William looked, well, like he just woke up, half of his shirt untucked and his hair slightly dishevelled.

“D-Did you just jump down from my daughter’s balcony?!”

Tag List: @intothesoul @ladywhistledownx @ellooo0ooo @mikeikax @fangirlingsimp @misshall14 @iamgettingalife

#ben barnes #william thurber x you #william thurber x reader #william thurber x y/n #ben barnes x you #ben barnes x reader #ben barnes x y/n #ben barnes fanfiction #ben barnes fanfic #ben barnes fluff #ben barnes smut #the cabinet of curiosities au #william thurber

287 notes · View notes