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#Gate keeping knowledge
prabodhjamwal · 3 months
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Death Of Public Libraries: Whether Modi-Government Loves To Imitate The Nazi Rule Book One Step At A Time
“One, the key point is that an organisation like RSS or its affiliated organisation like BJP is concerned, stand exactly opposite the very idea for which a public library is established. The exclusivist viewpoint which they promote is an anathema to the very idea of a public library.” Subash Gatade* This adage by Herbert Samuel (British Statesman 1870-1963) sounds prophetic but as of now it is…
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penroseparticle · 5 months
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Buddy, I have Fire Emblem opinions on people you've never even heard of
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welcometoteyvat · 2 months
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society moved on too quickly from furina's demo
#i think about the fontaine brawl that she imagined in her head sometimes like i feel like society needs more characters like that#ramblings!#also when she changes into pneuma form............ i've never seen something so fucking crisp in my life#the lights???? the music syncing?? it's like biting into a juicy apple cannot be topped#also the symbolism................... i was like 'hm. i actually dont really agree with that bilibili analysis video' after thinking it thr#through. <- also known as dumb behavior they almost predicted the entire 4.2 quest#tbh i feel like people also moved on too quickly from neuvis demo because that yellow field of grass is peak#i love when rando characters are dropped in the middle of nowhere contemplating existence#we also moved on too fast from ly.ney's story quest why do i keep seeing him in love with traveler#like his subtle threats to that woman... guys he's killed people dont make him just a flirt#dont mind me im just. replaying fontaine but in my head and via youtube trailers#actually something else is that while i still think most of the sumeru chars look a bit too much like they used skin bleach#the sequence right before nah.ida's burst where she's traveling through her own dreamscape is like. soo good im soooo....#references her character story... full of whimsy and elegance.. visiting children while asleep etc.. knowledge spreading something somethin#i also always liked how the 2 children floating in front of that window looked like they were guarding the gates of wisdom or smth#like sentries in front of a library. but theyre kids so its less somber and more like. idk joyful. house of learning open to all etc.#in a character trailer appreciation mood rn ig
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manyblinkinglights · 4 months
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all the disposable public dive bars in vrchat have fucking BOUNCERS now, ppl with earnest piping little voices asking you to confirm your AGE?! before greenlisting you by username to let you use a door prefab to get in. what has the proliferation of api and moderation tools mcfricking wrought
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thatsrightice · 7 months
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You ever have something and just know that if it gets out it’s going to just run rampant throughout the fandom? Like it could be a piece of fanart or fact or fic idea. Cause I do. And I know it could lead to some amazing fanfics and fanarts and ficlets but I just know it’s going to be spun in a way to push a certain agenda within a fandom. Not a bad agenda, just a certain… theme that’s taken over the top gun fandom.
And here’s my problem: there’s not enough Iceman-focused angst or whump content or just content in general and I don’t want to make that worse for myself so I’m keeping my mouth shut lol
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theygender · 8 months
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The funny thing about playing BG3 right after its release is like. Usually with RPGs I obsessively look up the dialogue for every interaction to make sure I choose the Right Thing but since this game just came out those kinds of guides just... don't exist yet. Like sure I can look up general walkthroughs for different quests, but there's not any articles detailing the approval/disapproval rating for every character on each individual dialogue option like there is for, say Dragon Age, so I'm having to actually fuck around and find out for once
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haggishlyhagging · 1 year
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We must begin to accept what Berenice Carroll points out, that the terms original, innovative, creative, first rank, excellent, are political terms, in that they are terms used by the gatekeepers to exclude women from entry in the ‘worthwhile’ records of our society. They are unsubstantiated terms used to maintain and justify a male monopoly on intelligence. They are based not on the contribution itself, but on the sex of the contributor, and they permit the 'superior' sex to be the producers of 'superior' work.
‘There is something about women who try to engage in intellectual, scholarly and creative work’, says Berenice Carroll, which elicits from many of their biographers a sense of obligation to comment negatively on the quality and originality of their contributions. They are in the wrong place; they are usurping the rights of men who have defined themselves as the rightful thinkers and authorities.
Sometimes the emphasis shifts slightly from what is said, to how it is said, but the value judgements remain the same. Over and over again the women who are discussed in this book have their presentation, their 'style', called into question, and there is usually no more basis for this devaluation than there is for the devaluation of their ideas.
We find that Aphra Behn was too bawdy, Mary Wollstonecraft too rambling and too unsystematic, Catherine Macaulay too dense (she should be left on the library shelves where she belongs!). We are told that it is difficult to understand the appeal of Harriet Martineau's immensely popular writing, and that Margaret Fuller, while she was a good conversationalist, unfortunately could not write!
Reading these commentaries, one can begin to understand how it is that women are helped to disappear. Who would wish to go to the trouble of finding an obscure woman and to read her work, when informed that it is poorly presented, incoherent, badly planned and badly argued, rhetoric and polemic rather than reason, and utterly unconvincing? Only a rare and determined few would have persisted (and would thereby have had any chance of discovering any of the discrepancies), which is one of the reasons women have so often disappeared—without a fuss.
If women are to cease disappearing we must cease operating an intellectual double standard. In the interest of ‘fair play’ I have assumed that, in the absence of well-substantiated evidence to the contrary, women are intelligent, reasonable, logical human beings, who present their ideas in a competent manner. Treating women as positively intellectual and creative, however, in a society which regards them as negatively intellectual and creative, will no doubt be seen as distortion and bias. This gives me little cause for concern: it gives me considerable satisfaction to believe that patriarchy will not know how to use such knowledge biased in favour of women.
-Dale Spender, Women of Ideas and What Men Have Done to Them
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alexa-crowe · 6 months
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i’m just thinking about morena inviting elminster in and then it’s elminster sitting at the kitchen table eating cheese and crackers while morena’s sitting on the other side with eight year old gale in her lap and tara in his lap. and only three pairs of eyebrows between the four of them because elminster said they’d grow back just fine—singeing off one’s eyebrows is a rite of passage in practicing the art of magic. tara immediately does not like elminster because she’s like 🙄 mr. dekarios deserves better than going about with no eyebrows. gale is too nervous to say much of anything because that’s THE elminster aumar, mummy, the sage of shadowdale! and morena’s like oh gods, a chosen in my house?
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esleep · 9 months
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baldy gate looks fun but i don't have a pc that can run it or a ps5 so in order to play it i will have to spend approximately $1500. well there's other pastimes.
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cuddleswinchester · 10 months
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I got to Unlock my MASH knowledge at the con I was at on Sunday. I hope it was impressive and helpful to the kind stranger who would have no idea Charles is My Everything lmao
Tom Atkins was a guest and the person was in line telling a friend hey he was on MASH, it’s the episode where Charles has a toothache, I can’t remember the name (I got you covered stranger)
And Tom was really lovely also. Win win.
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lunaetis · 1 year
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@silvhers asked :
‘ I appreciate your companionship , Eden . ‘ 🤝
unprompted. || always accepting
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─「エデン」─  despite them getting off on the wrong foot initially, the TRAILBLAZER had nothing but admiration and respect towards the commander of the silvermane guards. the brief time they had spent together trying to resolve the issue in the UNDERWORLD already gave her enough impression and understanding as to what kind of person the other was. regardless of her strict ways of doing things, her determination to help people of BELOBOG as a whole was genuine. the truth she had to face was much harder than one could imagine.
                being chosen means you're carrying the hope and expectations of those around you. CHOSEN ONE is not a blessing, it could easily become a shackle if one wasn't careful enough.
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                " and you'd always have it. a friend, in me. " whether she was upon this planet or not, or no matter how many worlds she might visit in the future, the fact that they had forged a bond of friendship and companionship would never change. if anything, to know that she would become SUPREME GUARDIAN made the future of belobog looking rather hopeful. eden wondered if the other was aware of that.
                " i want to see what kind of future you'd bring to this world, bronya. " her gaze softened, and lips curled into a quiet smile, followed by a reassuring nod. " i'm sure it's going to be a bright one. "
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e-m-ma-lmfao · 9 months
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Much Too Kind
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pairing : astarion x (fem) reader
summary : astarion has found a soft spot for a girl who is much too kind for her own good, too trusting, in such a gruesome world.
warnings : astarion bites.
a/n : i haven't played baldurs gate (so i apologize for my lack of knowledge) but astarion is consuming my brain.
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“Do you honestly feel safe sleeping with him sitting this close by?”
“He’s done nothing but help us this whole time, why would I not?”
“Because he’s a vampire?” Shadowhearts face is blank, speaking as though her words shouldn’t need to be spoken, an obvious thought. She stares into you, awaiting a proper answerings, and she almost scoffs when she doesn’t get what she wants. In return you roll your eyes, continue to ready yourself to sleep. 
When you feel that you're ready to go to bed, Shadowhearts voice is unheard. She is already situated inside of her bedroll, which she had set up farther away from the fire than you liked, in a way of protecting herself from a seemingly harmless Astarion. In all fairness, you have probably been too trusting in the man. But how could you not?
He had been such a tease since the moment you met him. Because he seemed to annoy you, he never left your side. But you quickly grew fond of the pale man, and it was suddenly you who couldn’t leave his side. Astarion had no problem with this, and a weird fondness began brewing in his chest whenever he was around you. He had a burdening soft spot for you unlike anyone else. He couldn’t even bring himself to feed around you in case he scared you off, feeling an unprecedented amount of fear of losing you. The relationship you shared was teetering on a very thin line of romance and teasing gone too far. 
The two of you were an unlikely pair. Astarion was manipulative, and you knew that from watching him work, but he never used it on you (as far as you knew). He viewed you as too sweet for your own good, taking it upon himself to keep you from danger. In all honesty, you probably didn’t need him for that. Sure he helped when you were obviously being lied to and couldn’t tell but you could hold your own in battle just fine. From your point of view he was nothing but trustworthy and helpful. Shadowheart, your ever protective friend, had a hard time seeing the same thing. 
But when you made a fuss about having to sleep in your armour, unlike Shadowheart who had no problem with the matter, he had offered up a spare shirt. You weren’t sure where it had been beforehand but it was comfy, with undone strings hanging from the neckline, and it was large enough to go down to your mid thigh which was perfect. And his scent covering it was an added bonus. You had never thought much about it, but you never wore your heavy pants to sleep, being too hot inside your stuffy bed roll. 
You were usually asleep before everyone else, and the first to wake in the morning, so this never proved to be a problem. And, if you had to think about it, you were usually in a tent by yourself. But with only Shadowheart and Astarion around you didn’t see a problem. 
But when you crawled into your bedroll, at a middle distance between Astarion propped up against a log by the fire and Shadowheart sleeping farther from him, you began to see the problem. Shadowhearts words from before were dug into your brain, what if Astarion was dangerous and he did end up hurting you in your sleep just like she had said. You had never felt any fear towards the man, but her words had planted an unfamiliar distrust in your head.
You were dangerously aware of every noise around you. Unable to sleep, because of your focus on everything around you. The soft snores from Shadowhearts bedroll, and the quiet hum from a bored  Astarion playing with the fire. As long as he was by the fire, seated much too close for comfort now, you thought you’d be able to hear him coming. You think everything is fine, but being so edge you catch the smallest sounds, and you shoot up at the sound of a twig snapping. 
“My, my. Such a light sleeper my dear.” You turn towards Astarion, breath heavy, and a guilty feeling festering in your lower stomach. He’s almost exactly where he was when you first laid down. There’s a smug grin written on his face and you’re not sure why, though you don’t have the energy to question it. With sleepy eyes, you look around once more searching for anything out of the ordinary in the darkness, but you turn back to Astarion in the end. 
“I can’t sleep.” He throws another piece of wood on the fire, the light dancing across his face in pretty patterns from the dispersed light, his white shirt untied just enough to see his collarbones and the beginning of his chest. The sight alone has thrown the tenseness away from your body, and your muscles soften up, posture loosening. 
“And is there any reason in particular?” You meet his eyes again, a flurry of heat covers your cheeks, the look in his eyes telling you that you had been caught ogling him. “You seem so on edge, darling.”
He’s seated, practically the same height as you while he lays against the log, but it feels like he’s staring down at you. His fangs show as he parts his lips in a small, condescending grin. 
“I’m just not used to sleeping out in the woods s’all.” He nods, he doesn’t believe you, and you can understand why because you’ve only been camping in the wild for weeks by now. 
“Are you sure that's all? Cause I believe I heard that vile woman over there talking about a ‘bigger threat’ than whatever’s out there.” He gestures to Shadowheart and the dark, full woods around you. 
You shake your head, pout on your face, nervous that he would think differently of you if he knew what was actually going through your head. He was perceptive enough and, unbeknownst to you, you were an easy read. Of course he had heard the two of you talking, and he knew that you had not spoken ill of him, but it was so fun to tease you. And he knew you had grown nervous in his presence. 
“You’re not worried because of me are you?” Your eyes widen and you shake your head once more. There was  concern written all over his features, the crinkle in between his brows and his parted lips. To anyone else his concern would look fake, you were certain it was real. And to him, it was somewhere in between. He did feel something for you that put him in an unfortunate position, but the idea that you were scared of him sent misery through his bones.
“No of course not!” The comfy bedroll you had been laying in, shimmies down your legs as your torso tightens up again and your posture becomes much too straight for your liking. 
A soft sigh leaves his mouth, “Would you come sit over by me? You feel so far away.” His lips curve at the corners when you seem to think for a moment, but ultimately stand up. You bunch your bedroll up in your arms, not wanting to sit on the rocks. And when your eyes meet his again, he's already eyeing up your legs, you feel suddenly much too exposed. The night air nips at your skin and you hurry over to the spot beside him, throwing the bed roll on the ground and sitting on top of it. 
“Didn’t need to bring that over, silly girl. There’s a perfectly fine seat right here.” His eyes look down to his lap then back up to you, your face flush again. 
“I’m okay here,” You regret looking at him when you see his eyes plead with you, “..For now.” 
He really was cunning. You figured he was scheming. But he truly had no intention of misleading you, just wanted you close. He couldn’t help that he found it so cute how nice you were. Too nice in his opinion. Dangerous world out there, he was just trying to teach you who you could and couldn’t trust. Maybe you would get into more trouble, if you always trusted men like him.  
But no danger if you never have to think about other men. 
“Do you believe the things she says?” His eyes stared into the fire, but you couldn’t take your eyes away from him, that guilty feeling was growing in your stomach. “I know you must not trust me, at least not fully.”
You stay silent, you’re almost scared to talk, in fear you offend him anymore then you already have. You pull your knees up to your chest, arms wrapping around your legs, guilt eating away at your insides. 
He looks at you now, with his eyes he traces your legs where your shirt no longer hangs enough to cover you, up to your face that wears a pout and tired eyes. “Do I scare you?” 
“No!” You sit up onto your knees, facing him fully. “No! I’m sorry Astarion, if i made you feel that way..”
He almost feels bad for a moment. You were too sweet, and while yes he had been worried for a moment, he was only teasing. 
In your moment of weakness, and putting yourself in an easy position, he grabs you to pull you onto his lap. Where he has wanted you all along. Both thighs on either side of his seated form, face much closer to his own than you ever planned on being. His shirt, adorning your body, hangs down your thighs and rustles against his legs. 
“Could you..promise?” His voice is so smooth, and his eyes look so alluring in this position, his hands planted on your hips. Your breath is caught in your throat when he asks, you aren't so sure that your answer before is entirely truthful now. He has too much control of this situation, and it is making you nervous, more nervous then before if that was even possible. 
“I..I promise. Of course, I promise!” You're in such a compromising position and you wish you had slept with pants on. It’s much too cold out on your bare skin, but being on Astarions lap is making your body much too hot.
“Very good.” His head moves closer to you, pulling your body into his and sending shivers down your spine. 
“Astarion!” Your hands find his shoulders, trying to put distance between you but his hold is strong. He has got you where he wants you and there is no way he will be letting you go. His face buries itself in your neck, breath tickling your skin and his nose leaving soft touches against you. 
“You smell..delicious.” His voice was sultry, and so suggestive. You knew what he wanted, had been waiting for the moment he would say something. He was a hungry man with an uncomfortable amount of power over you. And your neck was looking awfully inviting. You hated that he had you feeling so many things, for a man who was so obviously trying to take advantage of you. 
He may have thought you were naive but you were smart enough to know what this vampire wants from you. Even though you were debating allowing it just so he would be happy and full, it tugged at your mind that he might just be using you for this purpose.
Shadowheart may have been right about him being a threat while you slept, but right now he was just as threatening. Would it hurt when he sunk his teeth into your skin?
As if he suddenly became more conscious in his actions, he pulled away, breath heavy against you. “I’m sorry, you are just such an appetising little thing.” He places a soft kiss to your cheek, your silence beginning to fill him with the same guilt you were feeling. He wasn’t sure why. This is what he wanted, sure he had grown fond of you but this is what he needed from the beginning. But it didn’t feel right anymore, not with the way you were so pliable in his hands, allowing him to tease you just so you wouldn’t offend him. 
“Are you hungry?” Your voice, surprising him, sends his eyes straight to yours. You couldn’t possibly be considering what he thought you were. 
“Yes darling, but don’t you worry your pretty head about it.” He lets out a heavy sigh, planting more kisses on your cheek down to your jaw. His attempt to distract you almost works but you gently move your face away, pulling your hair away from your neck. 
“Could I help?” You looked at him with a warmth in your eyes, one he hadn’t seen from anyone but you for years. Your devotion to him pulled at his heart, you were so willing to help him without even knowing if it would hurt or not. 
“You would do that..for me?” His hand finds your cheek, voice sending gentle vibrations through you. You can only nod, scared that if you speak it’ll be nothing above a whisper. 
He takes your hair from your hand, holding it out of his way. A gentle kiss to your cheek. Another on your jaw. And he moves them all the way down to your neck where he intends to bite. 
‘Astarion?” 
“Yes, my dear?” He pulls away, and you can tell it pains him to by the look of disappointment on his face, lips too pouty for how tough he always tries to act.
“Is it going to hurt?”  His eyes are so soft when he looks at you, even though he wants nothing more than to sink his fangs into your flesh. 
“I’ll try to make it painless, but you can hold my hand, yeah?” You nod and intertwine your fingers with his, scared but determined to make him happy. 
He returns to his place in your neck, places a soft kiss before he sinks his teeth into you. Immediately, your fingers squeeze his own and he sends a squeeze back so you know he’s there. He almost feels bad, whimpers falling from your lips, but you taste so delectable that he can’t bring himself to. 
Astarion continues to drink, and you allow it. You only make an effort to stop him when you become dizzy, and your head becomes too heavy for you to hold on your own. Your grip on his hand loosens, and you use his other one to tap at his arm. It seems to snap him out of his trance cause he pulls away, licking his lips. 
“You taste as good as I had hoped you would.” A drowsy smile crashes against your face and your chest swells with pride, but you can’t bring yourself to say anything. The energy is gone from your body. You know he wouldn’t have killed you, but any longer and you wouldn’t be in any condition to fight the next day. You didn’t know if you would be as is. 
Astarion seems to notice, and he moves you to sit inside your bed roll. Your hand still holds his, and you lay on your side to face him. 
“Such a sweet thing,” he rubs your hair flat with his free hand, admiring your sleepy features in the fire light, “Sleep my dear. I’ll keep you safe.”
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visionsofmagic · 7 months
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day 17: jason todd [thigh riding]
࿓ synopsis • while begging jason to start fuck you, you discover how you can get the pleasure you seek from riding his thigh.
―❦ nsfw, f!reader, brat!reader, pet names, begging, clothes on, red hood!jason, punishment, watching, jerking off, good girl/bad girl dynamic, ‘is all I guess? • 0.7k • who didn’t think about riding jason’s thigh whenever you see his MASSIVE thighs. mmh, delicious. enjoy! [kinktober m.] + the last work for the second week of kinktober 2023, yaaay! feel so good to come this far & the last week of it is close to the gates – open your horny sides for the rest of ‘em – see you in the last week/the week of games! *kiss* & thank you for all!
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“really?” he mocks you, a smirk on his attractive face, eyes full of entertainment, understanding what you try to do after he declines the offer of fucking you – he gives you a punishment for being a brat, calling him here, having only a tiny dress on you, exposing every part of your delicate and soft body to his eyes to make him want to bend you over, starting fuck your greedy clit – he indeed has the desire to do that. however, you need to learn your lesson for making him worry about you in a way you should not.
“jay –“ his name leaves your mouth as a pray, so sweetly that his cock twitches with pleasure inside his pants as you sit on one of his thighs, palms on his well-built abdomen with muscle, holding them dearly as a source of steadiness. “please – please – I need you!”
he doesn’t say anything, only watching you while leaning to the chair he’s sitting on – eyes darting between your soaking pussy on his thigh and half-closed eyes as you roll your hips forth and back, holding him tight, biting your lips to keep your loud moans escaping.
“need me? you’re looking you’re having what you need pretty,” his long fingers hold you by the chin, making you look down at the mess you’re making on his massive thigh, the hips moving on their own – the warm feeling is coming because of both his clothed thigh and your naked pussy rubbing it. the painful motion makes the pleasure you receive get higher and higher until you begin to bounce on him like a mad girl, rubbing still from time to time.
the edge’s closeness comes sooner than you expected it to be – it feels so different to fuck you on his thigh while jason has his fisted hand under his chin, the elbow on the side of the chair, looking at you with a smirk on his face – his clothes make you go shy suddenly, making you feel so exposed – so weak.
for him – you will always be weak, and this is known by both of you. the knowledge makes jason put his free hand on your hip, moving it in sync with your movement – cock getting harder because of seeing you trying to make yourself cum – and only by using his thigh without even getting permission.
he chuckles deeply, voice huskier than ever, eyes on your face – bouncing breasts with hardened nipples, pussy clenching and soaking wet, dark circle on his pants, and your moving ass cheeks from sides. “what a mess you’re making out of yourself on my thigh baby,” he hold you by neck now, closing the gap between your bodies as he pulls you into himself, smirk is still there, burning you alive. “and only by riding my thigh, huh? always a brat, greedy slut for me, aren’t you princess?”
nodding, you close your eyes, breaths hitting your face, sending another source of warmness into your core, making the climax you seek to reach its highest point.
harder you ride his thigh, the more his cock grows bigger inside his pants – a bulge appears visibly, and he can’t hold himself back from jerking himself off above the clothes – hand moving up and down rapidly, same pace as your hips.
and when you look at it, you moan his name loudest, coming undone at the exact moment he holds your hand and makes you hold his bulge, his dripping precum creates a darker color on his pants.
“fuccck – jason!”
he doesn’t wait for you – to get yourself together, get the power to open your blurry eyes, and witness the great amount of wetness you created – your cum drips from his pants onto the floor, chest raising up and down, hot breathes hit his chest you put your forehead on.
by holding your hair gently, he makes you look at him – a pride blooms in his face, sending chills, “what a bad girl,” he remarks, “ride herself on my thigh and cum shamelessly while I was trying to teach her a lesson. even though I like how you look right now, I don’t want my girl to stay ignorant. so, do you want to be my good girl again, slut?” he asks, the grip on your hair getting tighter.
nodding mindlessly, you let him pick your body up – with bridal style, he holds you, walking to the bed you share. “then, you will lie down and take my cock inside your warm pussy princess. you are the reason why my dick is dripping now after all.”
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❦ tagging: @lilvampirina & @snowprincesa1 & @dookiemeshibear & @chloee0x0 & @marmar-c *lots of kisses!*
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theosbutterfly · 24 days
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the best thing at this party — t. nott
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❝ fighting in only your army frontlines, don't you ignore me i'm the best thing at this party ❞
pairing: jealous!theo x malfoy!reader
context: at yours and draco's annual back-to-hogwarts bash, a pair of weasleys show up uninvited, much to theo's dismay.
words: 2.3k+
warnings: jealousy, somewhat possessive behavior, reader's kind of a bitch, theo's kind of an asshole, marijuana use, alcohol use, vomiting, a little fluff, mainly angst
"so where's the principessa?" you hear theo bring you up in conversation as you and pansy descend the stairs to join the boys in the foyer. "taking extra time to fix up her hair?"
"é un dato di fatto, lo ero," as a matter of fact, i was. you lean a hand against the banister, stopping on the last step, eyes focusing on theo. there's a chance you may or may not have learned italian just to make sure he couldn't insult you without your knowledge—not that it stopped him, but at least this way, you could defend yourself. "it takes time to look this good. but glad to know you noticed my absence."
"ooh, she got you there, mate," blaise chuckles, placing a hand on theo's shoulder, who shrugs it off.
"whatever," he spat, rolling his eyes. "i need a drink."
"finally something i can get on board with," mattheo points a finger at him, and they both turn to head towards the sitting room, pansy trailing closely behind them.
"is pans still trying to get with matt?" enzo asks, tilting his head up at you as they walked away.
"beats me," you shrugged, stepping down the last step and glancing between them. "now, why are you two standing here like a bunch of statues? last i checked, party's over there." you point your thumb towards the parlor, which appeared to be glowing green.
"the gate's still open," blaise shrugs. "draco wants us to watch for 'undesirables'."
"undesirables?" you repeat the word just so he could hear how ridiculous it sounded. "has he gone mad?"
"he wants to make sure no one from the other houses show up," blaise clarifies.
"fuck that," you shake your head. "come on." you link your arms with one of blaise's and one of enzo's, waving a finger up in the air. "colloportus!" the spell causes the front door and front gate to seal shut, as you begin walking with blaise and enzo towards the music. "now, where's dobby?"
your house elf immediately appears in front of you at the sound of his name.
"dobby is here, miss y/n," he looks up at you. "what can dobby do for you?"
you unlink your arms from blaise and enzo's and crouch down to be eye level with him. "fetch me the good liquor from the cellar downstairs, and then come find me when you've got it."
he nods. "dobby is on it miss y/n!"
"what are you doing standing here all alone?" daphne greengrass saunters over to theo, who was leaning against the bar, a drink in hand.
"daphne greengrass," theo greets her. "i'm surprised you're here. wouldn't the head girl disapprove of rowdy parties as such?" he waves his drink towards the crowd that had turned the malfoy's parlor into a makeshift dance floor, and she chuckles.
"i'm turning over a new leaf," she shrugs, taking a sip of her own drink. "it is our last year, after all."
"thank merlin for that," you walk between them, and lean over the bar to reach for four shot glasses.
"y/n," daphne's voice is strained as she clears her throat. "nice to see you."
you stand up straight after retrieving what you were looking for and turn your head towards her. "i'd say the same, but i'm not a liar."
theo shifts his eyes between the two of you, slightly amused at the way daphne takes a deep breath to keep her composure while you throw her a close-lipped smile.
"where'd you get the bottle, y/n?" he cuts in to prevent a cat fight from breaking out between you and daphne, and eyes the bottle of fire whiskey in your hand.
you look at him. "i had dobby fetch it from the cellar," you say. "pans and i are gonna drink it dry."
"just the two of you?" he raises an eyebrow, condescension painting his features. "does draco know about that?"
"why?" you challenge. "are you gonna go run off and tattle on me?"
before he could reply, another voice cuts in. "oi, malfoy! are we getting pissed or what?"
you turn your attention away from theo to the one of the weasleys you'd found lurking around the corners. "well, you're quite the impatient one, aren't you, freddie?"
heat rises in theo's chest when he gets a better look of the guy under the green light, and realizes its a weasley. what the hell was he doing here? and why were you allowing it?
"time is of the essence, darling," fred tells you. "george and i are trying to get a taste of this drink you've got before we inevitably get kicked out of here."
"what are you doing here, weasley?" theo speaks through gritted teeth, and looks at you. "you invited them?"
"of course not," you shrug. "they snuck in."
theo's eyes narrow at you. "and you're offering them a drink instead of throwing them out?"
"they ditched their house colors to don ours for the night," you tell him, eyes focused on fred. "i think that deserves them a little taste of slytherin."
theo doesn't miss the way fred's eyes trail over your body, and rolls his eyes. "maybe even more than a little," fred smirks.
you giggle at his words, but before you could walk away with him, theo grabs the back of your arm, pulling you close, his lips right above your ear. "cosa fai?" what are you doing?
you tilt your head up to have your eyes meet his. "mi sto divertendo," i'm having fun. "dovresti provarlo qualche volta." you should try it sometime.
you yank your arm out of his hold and don't give him a chance to respond, waltzing away towards the crowd.
"merlin, she is fit," fred comments, watching the way your hips sway as you walk away. "is she seeing anyone?"
"if she was, it certainly wouldn't be you," theo tells him.
"we'll see about that, mate. excuse me," fred throws him a smirk, before walking away to follow you across the room.
theo watches as he does, bringing his glass up to his lips to finish of his drink.
"do you-" daphne starts, but he doesn't let her finish, slamming his glass down on the bar and walking off.
"you all look pissed," pansy stumbles over to the guys, who were seated in a secluded area of the manor that was somewhat devoid of all the noise from the party in the parlor, passing around a joint.
"not as much as you, it seems," mattheo chuckles as she falls beside him, head falling against his shoulder. "where you been?"
"drinking with y/n," she says, eyes slowly fluttering close.
"that was your first mistake," enzo tuts, taking a long drag and inhaling. "that girl can drink double her weight in alcohol."
"mhm," pansy hums, eyes fully closing as her body falls limp against mattheo.
"alright," mattheo shifts, just enough to wake her and get her up on her feet. "look like someone's had enough for the night. come on." he begins to the guide pansy out of the room, his eyes telling the guys that he'd be right back.
"what the bloody hell did they even drink?" blaise asks, shifting his eyes between theo and enzo.
"fire whiskey," theo blows smoke out of his mouth and takes another drag. 
blaise's eyes widen. "and they didn't think to share? bloody wankers."
"they were too busy sharing it with y/n's new conquests," theo replies bitterly, passing the joint off to him.
"seems to me she's sharing more than that," enzo cuts in, raising his silver flask to point at you and fred on the opposite side of the room, where surely enough, you were tucked between him and the wall, one hand beside your head and one hand on you waist.
"oh, bloody hell," theo rolls his eyes, pulling a chuckle out from enzo.
"who is that guy anyway?"
"fred weasley," theo grits out.
"you're bloody kidding," blaise snickers, leaning forward to flick off some ash from the a joint. 
"oh, i'm bloody serious," theo nods. "he's been eye-fucking her since she showed him the tiniest bit of attention. it was quite pathetic, if you ask me."
"what's with the bitterness, mate?" enzo asks, attention shifting to theo. "you jealous?"
theo scoffs. "jealous? please. non durerà in alcun modo." no way that's gonna last. you weren't exactly the "relationship" type.
enzo shakes his head. "no clue what that means, but it didn't sound nice."
"you know how y/n is," theo tells him, hand motioning towards you and fred across the room. "it's nothing but a game to her."
"so what?" blaise asks, handing the joint over back to enzo. "you bitter she won't let you play?"
"who won't let who play?" mattheo rejoins them, and sits back down beside theo.
"theo's jealous fred weasley's got his claws in y/n," enzo catches him up.
"alright," theo stands from the sofa, no longer wanting to hear anymore of it. "i'm done with this shit."
unfortunately for theo, the second he headed for the bar and away from the boys, you were also already there with fred.
"alright, freddie, what's it gonna be?" your body was bent over the bar counter, fred's eyes trailing over it as you tried to reach for two different bottles. "rum or brandy?"
"oh, i'm in the mood for something much tastier, love," fred flirts, causing theo to roll his eyes.
"bloody hell," you hear theo mutter, and stand up straight after taking a hold of the two bottles you were looking for. "can't you two do this elsewhere?"
"well, no one's forcing you to stand there and watch," you retort, eyes shooting him an ice cold glare.
"for merlin's sake," he groans, clearly frustrated. "if you wanna fuck him, at least do it in one of the many private rooms upstairs so you can at least keep some of your dignity."
the words fall out of his mouth before he can stop them, making you scoff and set both bottles down before getting close to him to make sure he hears you loud and clear. "fuck you."
you walk away from both of them and head for the corridor, while fred looks at theo.
"that-"
"don't fucking say anything, weasley," theo cuts him off, and leaves him behind, legs immediately following after you.
"y/n, wait!" he takes grab of your wrist and pulls to make you stop and turn to look at him.
"get off!" you shake his hand off your wrist, arms crossing in front of your chest as you looked at him.
"oh, smettila di essere una tale stronza," oh, stop being such a bitch. he tells you.
"you know what theo-" you start to give him a piece of your mind, when an uneasy feeling suddenly creeps into your stomach and slides up the back of your throat. 
fuck.
you immediately push past him to head for the nearest bathroom and he follows, as your knees hit the cold tile floor and reminiscents of what you ate before you started drinking came pouring out into the toilet in front of you.
"alright," theo winces, crouching down beside you to take a hold of your hair and gently rub a hand up and down your back. "let it out."
"ugh," you complain, swinging your bedroom door open and proceeding inside as you tucked your now messed up hair behind your ears. "this was not how this night was suppose to go."
theo chuckles behind you, closing your door and tossing your heels down on the ground beside your dresser.
"oh, i'm so glad you find this amusing," you spat, undoing your hair and placing the bobby pins down on your vanity.
"i just find it funny that even after two years of drinking, you still can't hold shit down," he says, taking a seat at the edge of your bed.
you mimic his words, but don't actually say anything. "ugh!" you groan loudly when it suddenly becomes much harder to tug your dress off. "why is this not-"
you stop when you feel cold fingers trail across and down your back, your skin feeling like over a hundred degrees. "hai dimenticato di aprirlo, farfalla." you forgot to unzip it, butterfly.
your eyes threaten to flutter close at the deep sound of his voice, goosebumps rising upon your skin, as he slowly unzipped the back of your dress. "theo…"
his hand lingers above your lower back, as he leaned down, lips just right above your ear. "potresti fare meglio di weasley, lo sai?" you could do better than weasley, you know that?
his breath on your ear makes a shiver run down your spine, as your head tilted back against him. "mostramelo meglio allora." show me better then.
to anyone else, this would seem odd. but to the two of you, this was just how you worked. one second you were bickering, and the next, whispering sweet nothings. it was a dance that you both knew all too well.
though the thread he used to keep you at a distance threatened to snap, theo holds himself back—you were draco's baby sister. he wasn't suppose to want you. he couldn't.
"dovresti dormire un po'," you should get some sleep. he lets himself stay beside you for one more moment, before finally pulling away—to your disappointment.
"you're not gonna stay?" you grab at the sides of your dress to keep it from falling down as you turned to look at him.
"non posso," i can't. he shakes his head at you, despite your forming pout. he didn't know what he'd get himself into if he stayed, and a part of him was afraid to find out. "buona notte, farfalla."
good night, butterfly.
part 2 coming soon!!!
re-entering my slytherin boys era bc tension with theo is the BEST kind of tension, and hopefully this didn't disappoint.
reblogs and comments are deeply appreciated <33
click here to be added to my tag list!!
tags: @helendeath @freshlypickledpancakes
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blorbfoosh · 3 months
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Stop KOSA.
I know, I don't this stuff, but I keep on seeing this everywhere and not gonna lie, it's f r e a k i n g me out. I think we all know what KOSA is at this point, it's a bill that will restrict almost everything that we know in this time.(if passed, of course.) Information that will help our queer friends, help us express ourselves, and just genuinely know more about the world, gone. I just don't get it. It's the twentieth century, people can date the same gender or not have to choose at all. Everything can and will happen. So why hold on to the past, where everything has to be black and white? Why keep holding this gate closed? Free will, free speech- It exists. Hell, America's literally called 'The Land of the Free.' Act on it. Passing KOSA won't keep us safe. If a five-year-old can cuss, that's on the parent for not monitoring them. The internet is a vast place with it's ups and downs, and just because some little down might affect you does not mean you have to stomp all pissy on our lawns and subsequently ruin what we take joy in. The U.S. does not own the whole internet, it's all over the world. We've got one more day. So spread the word. Get this trending. Reblog it. Just- Do whatever you can. I don't want this bill passed just as much as the others who've reacted to other posts. The toll it will take on the internet will be devestating- And I don't want to live in a future where all wells of knowledge are locked away. Speak up, speak out.
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helenanell · 17 days
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Every Saturday || Challengers
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Every Saturday || Challengers 
Art Donaldson X Fem!Reader 
CW: Kissing. Emotional affair. Infidelity. Angst. Yearning. Bittersweet / slightly sad ending.
Notes: No smut. No use of y/n. Set after the events of the film.
(This is not connected to my other Challengers story - ‘Breath Of Life)
Wordcount: 4K
This is the response to a request from @anehkael :
‘Art, exhausted by the pressure of competition and his wife, decides to escape for a day. He ends up at a local tennis court, where he meets a talented and charismatic female player. Their instant connection on the court turns into an unexpected love affair, but Art's professional and marital obligations threaten to keep them apart.’
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You had always known that tennis would never be your vocation. Vocation implies dedication; a calling to pursue that ever evasive thing in life: utter fulfilment. 
You love it and you know that you’re good, really good, but you’re also realistic. 
The expanse between ‘really good’ and ‘great’ also contains the capacity to make something your career. You don’t have the capacity to go pro. Which is fine. Totally fine. 
You content yourself with filling all of your free time on your local–and free to use–court. Hours that would otherwise be whiled away on the realisation of your own loneliness or swiping right on dating apps only to panic and ignore any messages you receive. 
It’s Saturday evening and the sun is waning, its outlandishly burning rays absorbed by clouds as it sinks down the horizon. 
You’ve just wrapped up a match with a woman who you see at the courts from time to time- shamefully you don’t remember her name. She did tell you it once, the first time you met, but then a month passed before you saw her again and you felt too awkward to ask. Besides, there’s no post-match conversation between the two of you, the woman is in a perpetual rush and always disappears immediately after you finish playing. 
You, on the other hand, have nowhere else to be. 
A young woman with nothing to look forward to beyond the hits of adrenalin and the all too temporary sense of fulfilment that comes with beating other amateurs at tennis.
You’re alone as you sit down on the bench at the edge of the court, chest still moving with erratic breaths. Your skin is already adorned with beads of sweat but when the sun dips down even further, its light is replaced by a swathe of blue shadow and your burning flesh immediately pebbles at the sudden change in temperature. 
Your body is seized by a reactionary shiver, so you jump up off the bench and hurry over to your bag, crouching as you unzip it and dig around for your sweater. 
Your fingers have just closed around the soft fabric when you hear the metal gate to the courts creak open, the chainlink shaking as it shuts again. 
“You forget something?” You call out. 
As you’re presuming it’s your acquaintance, you don’t bother to look, busy pulling the sweater over your head. 
Your head is awkwardly pushing through the neck hole when a distinctly male and very amused voice hits you square in the side of the face: 
“Not to my knowledge.” 
You go still, your sweater settling down onto your torso of its own volition. 
Your mind has a sort of detached recognition for the voice: you’ve heard it before, but perhaps not in person. On the radio, or a movie or…or in a post match interview on tv. 
You scramble, pivoting violently to face the new arrival. 
“What the fuck?!” 
You’d meant for the exclamation to be internal, but in your shock it tumbles out of your mouth that’s already agape. 
Art Donaldson, the champion tennis player– infamous and beloved athlete– is standing in your shitty, free to access local court. 
A genuine, full watt smile spreads across Art’s face before he lets out a soft chuckle. 
“I’m sorry if I startled you.” 
You watch, dumbfounded as he saunters closer to you, placing down his bag and racket just beside yours. 
Fuck, his racket…it probably costs more than your practically antique car. 
“I'm sorry, but are you lost or something?” You blurt out. 
Art straightens up, hands placed on his hips as he surveys you. He’s enjoying your panic, you realise. Not in a malicious way, just highly amused. 
“What gave you that impression?”
You let out a clipped laugh. “Well…you’re standing here when the exclusive country club is fifteen minutes that way.” You point over his shoulder. 
“I know where it is.” He answers simply, still smirking. 
He’s toying with you. And never one to back down from a challenge, defiance rids you of your nerves. 
“So why aren’t you there, Mr Rich and Famous Tennis Champion?” 
At that Art tilts his head, as though he’s been given new information and has to reassess you.
“Because I don’t want to be.” He responds. “Why are you here?” 
You shrug, brushing past him to gather up your things, heart beating punishingly in your chest. 
“Because I want to be.” 
“But you’re leaving.” Art points out, bordering on exasperated despite his goading tone.
“Because my match is over.” You throw your bag over your shoulder and turn to face him, unable to stop yourself from teasing him back. “Oh, did you think I’d stay just for you?”
“Yes.” He answers unabashedly. It glues you to the spot. “I caught the tail end of your match, you were great but you were holding back. I’m guessing you don’t encounter many people here who challenge you.”
His tone injects some defensiveness into your veins. “I don’t need to be challenged, I’m not a professional. This is fun for me.” 
Art quirks a blonde brow. “Oh, but being challenged is very fun.”
“Are you offering?” You shoot back sarcastically. 
“Yeah, I am.”
And just like that you’re gawking at him again. “Are you kidding?”
Art holds his hands up placatingly, as if showing you he’s not concealing a weapon. “Deadly serious.” He says. 
You look around the abandoned park, searching for hidden cameras. This has to be for a prank show. It has to be.
“I can’t play you.” 
Art frowns as if disappointed at your lack of self-belief. 
“Sure you can. I was watching you, I'm certain you can keep up.” 
You hold his stare, his blue eyes glinting as his expression settles into something anticipatory. You glance at your racket that’s sitting on the nearby bench.
“Don’t go easy on me.” You order. “I’ll know if you do.” 
“I don’t doubt it. Come on, quit stringing me along and pick up your racket.” 
You reach down, your fingers hovering above the racket as you grin at him. 
“Careful Donaldson, it sort of sounds like you’re calling me a tease.” 
His cheek dimples as the corner of his lip tugs up. “Prove me wrong then, pick it up. Play tennis with me.” 
Eyes still on his, you curl your fingers around the racket and straighten up, raising your eyebrow. 
Challenge accepted. 
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The moment Art wins, you let yourself fall to the ground.
You lay down, uncaring of the harsh surface beneath you as you suck in breaths, your throat aching, your whole body shaking with exertion. 
You’d never felt like this after playing tennis. 
Whoever you’d gone up against before, it had always felt like you were waging war on a one person army across from you: you would bear down on them with all your might to achieve victory. You were an attacking force.
But playing with Art it hadn’t felt like a battle it had felt like…a joining. You were so attuned to all that he was and every move he made, that it felt like you had become one with him. 
For a brief moment in the daunting expanse of time, it had felt like only the two of you existed, only the stars bearing witness. 
Stars. 
Only now as you’re staring up at the sky, do you realise that night has well and truly fallen; the harsh automatic floodlights throwing your exhausted form into stark relief. 
You let out an almost giddy laugh. 
In your peripheral, you see Art run over, easily jumping and clearing the net to get to you. But you’re too tired to move, so you just lay there inertly as he comes to stand over you, placing one foot either side of your hips.
He smiles down at you.
“How you doing down there?”
All you manage to do as your eyes drift shut, is lift up your hand and flip him off. 
Art lets out a full-bellied laugh that catches hold of you and takes you along for the ride. With your breaths slowing, you find yourself able to laugh along with him. 
“Okay.” He begins, shaking off another chuckle. “Let’s get you up.” 
You feel a shift in the air and open your eyes to see Art stepping to the side of you before he’s leaning down and holding out his arm for you to take. 
Like you, he’s drenched in sweat, but neither of you even really notice as drops of it fall from his cropped blonde hair and onto your body.
With a dramatic groan, you sit up and grab onto his arm.
Art tightens his grip and pulls you up, placing his free hand on your back for extra support and tugging you close. 
You’re quickly back on your feet, but as you sway slightly Art keeps his hands on you. 
“You good?” He asks genuinely. His face is so much closer than you realised. 
When the hand on your back begins to rub soothing circles, a traitorous flutter appears in your stomach. 
You’re suddenly extremely grateful that your face is already flushed. How embarrassing, fawning over a married man who likely just wanted to play some tennis in relative peace and with no absolutely no stakes. 
God you needed to have sex.
Your own thought startles you- the same effect as being doused with a bucket of ice water. How desperate were you, that playing tennis with Art had got you so worked up?
No, actually you knew the answer to that. The experience had been beyond any sort of intimacy you’d ever felt. You want him. 
You shake your head, scolding yourself as you pull away from him, stepping back. 
But Art follows you, closing the small distance you’d created. As concern blooms on his features, his hands settle on your arms, bracketing you in his hold. 
“You’re not okay?”
You blink up at him. “What? No, I am. I’m fine.”
Art narrows his eyes, unconvinced. “But you shook your head.” 
When one of his thumbs starts brushing back and forth on your skin, the answering heat that begins to pool in your belly tells you it’s time to leave. 
“Did I?” You ask airily as you shake out of his hold and pick up your racket.
“Yeah, you did.” 
“Well, I didn’t mean to. I’m fine. That was great. Really great.” Each word is forced out.
As you walk over to the side of the court and start gathering your things, you feel him walking up behind you. 
“Yeah, it’s the panic in your voice that’s so convincing.” 
You shove your racket into its case, your back still to him. “I don’t think you know me well enough to judge my moods. You don’t know me at all.” 
He’s by your side in an instant. His hand is hovering over your waist, as if he wants to hold you in place to stop you from leaving but knows he has no right to do so. 
“Look, will you please slow down? I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable.” 
You let out self-pitying scoff as you turn away from him again and throw your bag over your shoulder. 
“You’ve not done anything wrong. This was…I’ve never felt like that playing tennis. Or ever, really. So thank you.” 
“So why are you running away?” 
You halt, your sneakers scraping against the abrasive ground. Art’s voice has taken on a new severity; a frustration that even he sounds confused by. 
“I’m not running, I’m just going home.”
You’re stepping out of this court and extricating yourself from his orbit that he’d so easily pulled you into. You’re not just attracted to a man who’s one half of America’s Favourite power couple, you also really like him. 
But this court isn’t the real world and he’s almost certainly just passing through. If you can get out now, he’ll be gone: by the time you wake up in the morning, he’ll likely be on a flight with Tashi Duncan, en route to his next competition.
When you walk away and out to the gate, you’re beyond grateful that Art doesn’t call out to you again.
But instead of the disconnect you hope to feel once you're free of his presence, instead there’s a tugging, as if he managed to tie a cord around you and is pulling on it in the hopes he can reel you back in. 
You keep walking until you reach your car, still tense as you peel out of the parking lot.
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Exactly a week after you first met him–almost to the hour–Art Donaldson reappears in your life. 
As you’d played your weekly match with the woman whose name you still don’t know, he had been watching. You’d caught him in your peripheral vision, leaning up against the fence and tracking your every movement. 
You curse him and thank him in the same breath. 
You curse him because he’s only going to exacerbate the issue that you’ve been having, which is that he’s taken root in your mind. He’ll burrow his tendrils deeper and stop you from thinking of anyone else for a long time. 
You had been so sexually frustrated after meeting him, that you’d actually committed to a date with a Tinder match for once. You’d just been there for the sex, which you might have felt bad about had your date not made it clear that he had had the same motivations. 
It had been fine. 
You’d thought of Art the entire time. 
And you thanked Art, because…well, you thanked him because you’d been desperate to see him again. Tortured by the ghost of his touch and furious at yourself for the way you’d left things.
It’s a good thing your opponent is always seemingly in dire need to be somewhere else, because she leaves the court with such rapidity that she doesn’t spot the world famous tennis player making his way over to the now open gate. 
Your breath stutters in your throat as Art approaches. It’s the same time of day you’d first seen him the week before, so the light is at the exact same point of fading into darkness. But this time, he seems to be bringing the shadows with him. 
Art looks utterly forlorn. And yet, he still manages to smile at you as he approaches. 
You’re still standing on the centre of the court, your racket hanging in your hand. 
Only as he gets closer do you really register that he’s not in sports gear. Instead he’s dressed in jeans and black t-shirt. 
“You never told me your name.” He says, still making his way over. 
The statement jolts you out of your reverie. Had you really…he didn’t know your name? The evening you’d shared had been so intense that you already felt like you knew him and he knew you. 
You give him your name and he smiles almost gratefully, as if you've bestowed him with a gift. 
When he comes to a stop before you, you find more words waiting on your tongue: 
“Why are you here?” 
Art pushes his hands into his pockets, eyes dropping briefly to the ground. 
“You didn’t ask me that last time.” He says quietly. 
You scoff, gesturing at his clothing and the clear disparity between his casual attire and the tennis court. 
“You’re clearly not here to play another match.” 
“You shouldn’t presume.” He teases. “Maybe I secretly love the feeling of denim and sweat on my skin.” 
Despite yourself, you laugh and it causes Art’s dimples to make an appearance. 
“Well, that would make you a psychopath.” You say.
Art’s eyes skitter over your face, it’s brief but unnerving. It’s probing. Then he steps closer, so close you can feel his breath on your face. 
You’re suddenly sure that meeting his gaze will open up a horrible, confusing can of emotional worms, so you set your eyes on the racket in your hand, twisting the handle around in your fingers. 
Art is undeterred by your withdrawal: “Let me walk you to your car?” 
The question sounds so much like a hopeful supplication, that you have to look at him. When you make eye contact, his brows draw together as his gaze turns entreating.
Your eyes widen slightly as your heart sinks. You know what this is. A goodbye. 
“You’re leaving New York.” You say flatly and with the utmost certainty.
“We have a flight in a few hours.” 
“Art.” You say admonishingly, a sharp pain in the shape of that ‘we’ digging into your chest. “You shouldn’t be here.”
We. ‘We’ meaning him and Tashi Duncan. Art and his wife. 
He says your name for the first time and it makes your heart stutter. 
You’re pathetic. You scold yourself internally. You’ve only interacted with this man once before. He’s a professional athlete with a beautiful wife. He can’t be wanting for anything more.
So then why has he been driven to this run-down public court? Why did he spend an evening playing with a stranger? An amateur stranger.
Why has he felt the need to come and say goodbye to you?
You know why:
It’s because the two of you have started something that you can never finish. You’re both enamoured with the idea of a connection that can never be fully realised. 
Art reaches out and tentatively touches your arm. 
“Please let me walk you to your car.” 
You can’t bear to see his face, not when his words sound so sorrowful. So you nod shortly and then move past him to collect your things. 
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The walk to your car is made in utter silence, but Art remains close to you the entire time, his arm brushing yours. A couple of times you even feel the touch of his fingertips, as if he’d gone to take your hand but stopped himself. 
As if to compound on your delusion that in this moment only your and art exist, your beaten up red car is the only vehicle in the parking lot. It stands bright against the darkness as an ominous ending point: the moment you reach it, you both know whatever this nascent but potent thing between you will be stifled.  
You don’t let yourself dwell on how Art might have got here if his car isn't here. Whether fear of being spotted had him parking elsewhere, or he was staying somewhere so close that he’d been able to walk to you.
You both slow your pace as you approach the vehicle. You want to stop completely but you know you have absolutely no rational reason to. 
Once you reach the car, you dig your keys out of your pocket. 
“Thank you for walking with me.” You say on an uneven breath.
When you turn to unlock the door, Art steps up behind you, his arm crossing into your vision as he closes his larger hand around yours, stopping you from completing the action. 
You go still, relishing the contact but feeling awful for wanting more. All you find yourself able to do is stay still and wait- wait for him to do something that he shouldn’t. 
You let out a conflicted sigh as his other hand lands on your shoulder and turns you around to face him. He then takes your hands in his own. 
Your sight can’t help but snag on his wedding ring and he must be watching you so closely that he notes the very brief flicker of your eyes.
“It’s just a ring.” He says the sentence like he’s afraid of it. “It doesn’t mean what it used to. To either of us.” 
“But you are still married.” You reply, hating how small your voice sounds. 
“Yes.” 
“And you’re leaving.” 
Art’s hands tightens on yours, his thumbs running over your knuckles. “I’ll be back in New York.”
“When?”
He reaches up and cups your cheek, fingers sinking into your hair.
 “I don’t know.” His tone is somehow simultaneously mournful and apologetic. “But I will.” 
Even though you know you need to pull away, you lean into his touch. 
“I guess I’ll see you then.” You say, trying and failing to sound unaffected. 
“You will.” Art concurs softly. His heavy-lidded eyes drop and his hand shifts, his thumb running along your lower lip. Then his other hand is on your thigh, rising up beneath your skort. 
“Art.” His name is meant to be a warning on your tongue, but it comes out as a whispered plea. 
His thumb drops away and then he’s cradling your face in both hands, he closes in and presses a slow, sweet kiss to your lips.
But his next words are anything but chaste. “Unlock your car.” 
His command is feverish, his hot breath skimming over you as he kisses along your cheek.
Only then do you remember that your car keys are still clutched in your hand. You're holding them so tightly the metal grooves are digging into your skin.
“Art, you have to go. You have to get on a plane. We can’t have sex in the back of my car.”
You let out a small gasp as both of his hands fall from your face to encircle your waist, then they go lower, gliding over the curve of your ass before settling just beneath, causing your skirt to ride up.
“I have time.” He mumbles against your jaw, moving down to press desperate kisses to your neck. “We have time.” 
His words are so glaringly false to both of you, that a visceral melancholy appears between the two to you and as it grows larger forcing you apart.
Art strains to stop his kisses, his lips lingering as if he’s fighting against an engrained instinct to be connected with you. When he presses his forehead against yours, his hair tickles your skin. Then as his hands shift to grip your waist, you rest your own on either side of his neck. 
You feel a tightness in your throat, panicking as you realise how deeply entangled you already feel with this man you’ve only met twice. You don’t know him. He’s a stranger. 
And yet, you can’t let this unknown being go. 
But you have to. 
You force yourself to say the words, making them sharp and swift like the severing snip of scissors: “Art, you need to go.” 
He nods, his forehead brushing yours where you’re still pressed together. But he doesn’t move, instead his lips press to your forehead as he encircles your body with his arms. The hug is the same sort of crushing yet comforting force of gripping someone’s hand when you’re afraid you’ll lose them in a crowd. 
When Art buries his head in the crook of your neck, he places a gentle kiss there. You raise your arms and squeeze him back. 
“How often do you come here, to the court?” He asks, another kiss placed on your neck. 
“Every Saturday, the same time.” 
Art pulls back and takes your face back into his hands. His eyes alight on each and every dip and curve of your face as if he's mapping your features like they’re the stars of the night sky. As though he’s memorising patterns so he’ll be able to find you again. 
“Then I’ll see you on Saturday.”
You smile sadly, smoothing back his hair. “Which Saturday?” 
His answer is another passionate kiss.
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