#and like i had a great time once my friends got there but most of the stalls were closed and wed basically missed everything

[alluringnectar]

my baby

pairings; loser!ellie williams x cheerleader! reader

cw; interalized homophobia, angst, tribbing, fingering (r! recieving), fluff, bullying (kinda), making out, slur, petnames like “baby & princess” , not proof read yet!

wc; 17k

life has never been better, you were handed the world at the age of 6. you never had to worry about having no friends, or not having the latest designer bag, and certainly not having everybody wrapped around your finger. you were a cheerleader & from that only, everyone respected you. you dedicated yourself into looks: always on diets, hitting the gyms, getting your nails done, having the most expensive makeup and so much more. you were the most outgoing girl known to mankind, never missing a rager or party. your friend groups were mainly other cheerleaders, and the jocks on the football team. they were assholes, but you didn’t care because so were you.

you never once paid attention in class, especially english. clicking your pen and having your eyes everywhere but the board. you snap out of your daze when your teacher announces that there will be a partner project, and she would assign the groups. you hear your name, and you pray that you get one of your friends but instead you hear the name ellie williams.

“you cannot be fucking serious” you mutter under your breath, looking at ellie whose a row infront of you.

“what was that?” the teacher asked you. “nothing.” you mock her tone, earning a laugh from your classmates.

“alright then everybody get to your partners we don’t have all day!” she claps her hands, urging everyone to switch their seats.

you stay in your seat, motioning ellie to

come where you are. why would you have to move? ellie rolled her eyes, not having the best impression of you either. “look,” ellie says “i wouldn’t have picked you either.” you scoff, “great to know we’re on the same page!” you look at her green eyes, and the way she flutters her eyelash. you were about to say something until you felt a tap on your shoulder.

it was a jock, and you end up talking to him for the rest of the period, not caring to look back at ellie, who was doing all the work. “another prissy bitch.” ellie thinks to herself.

as soon as the bell rings, ellie packs her stuff and leaves as soon as she could. she sees her friends, dina and jesse, and she sighs in relief. “you would not believe who i got paired up with.” dina and jesse both furrow their brows in unison. “a CHEERLEADER! i swear this world is against me, i already know im gonna have to do this project with myself.” dina replies, “yikes , you have it unlucky. i would NOT wanna be you.” jesse laughs and that makes ellie roll her eyes & reply “thanks dina that makes me feel a million times better.” “well jesse and I have to get going, good luck with her!” dina yells while grabbing jesse by the hand and dragging him through the hallways. ellie sighs and puts her back against the locker.

you put your bag down, and flop down on your bed chewing on some protein bars after practice. you grab your laptop and check your grade book. and thats when you see it. you’re gonna fail english class. “shit shit shit!” you tell yourself, pacing around your room in circles. you couldn’t give to shits if you were failing english, but what you did care about is being on academic probation. if you’re put on academic probation, you won’t be able to cheer. you can’t let that happen. so you grabbed your phone, and started texting everyone for ellie’s number. when you finally receive a message with her number, you smile and immediately text her.

“heyyy”

“who is this?”

“your partner in english.”

“why are you texting me?”

“do you wanna come over tomorrow to work on it?”

“is this a joke?”

“ why would i be? i have practice, so is 7:30 good?”

“yeah, ill be there just give me the address.”

it’s the next day and you come from practice drenched in sweat. you go into the shower, making sure its cold so you can relax. as you get out, you put on a robe and some uggs slipper and you hear the bell ring.

you walk over to answer, the fact ellie was supposed to come over completely slipped your mind. you open the door, and you see ellie.

“shit! is it 7:30 already?”

ellie takes full notice you’re in nothing but a robe and she blushes.

“yeah.”

“fuck im so sorry- practice had me exhausted-“

ellie reassures you, telling you it was okay because she found it kinda cute that your hair was wet and your lips were plump.

“here ellie, you can come inside, just stay in my room, i’ll get changed and i’ll be there in a sec.

ellie nods, and sinks down into your bed. she takes a moment to take in everything in your room. she took note of the way your walls were stripped pink and white to the little ballerina jewelry box that looked antique.

you walk into your room handing her some snacks. “do you want some?” “sure.”

ellie says. & now shes starting to think you’re not a total bitch.

this time, you ended up getting no work done but for a different reason. you spent your time gossiping to ellie, about who slept with who, or who did what. you never realized how pretty ellie truly was. her freckles decorated her face like how constellations decorate the sky. you look down into her lips, and ellie stops talking about whatever she was. ellie and you spend a brief moment just gazing into each other’s eyes.

you both get flustered and she breaks the silence by saying “um- do you have a hair tie?” “yeah of course here” and you hand her one.

you look at the time and gasp, it’s almost 11:30. were you guys really talking for that long? “ellie, do you wanna sleep over? or i can walk yo-“ “no, ill sleep over it’s fine.” you nod. grabbing blankets for her, “you can sleep on my bed i’ll sleep on my couch.” ellie scoffs “no fucking way, i’m not taking your bed, i can have the couch.”

and due to both of your guys’ stubbornness, you are laying next to eachother, in the same bed staring at the ceiling. you look over and you see ellie has fallen asleep. she looked so beautiful and her front hair pieces fell on her face, capturing her beautiful. you move your hand to tuck it but then you get this wave of disgust. not to her, but to yourself.

what the fuck am i doing? I can’t like girls. am i stupid? i’m not gonna be seen as some dyke on the cheerleader team. my reputation would be ruined.

you ended up falling asleep teary eyed, scared to accept if these feelings are really true and maybe they’ll go away.

it’s almost summer, and the feelings are still lingering and infact they are stronger than before. after acing the project, you still

continued to hang out with ellie. you and her hung out every friday, and it became a ritual. you were starting to fall in love with her, and you knew there was no way out. everytime your asshole friends said anything about her that was negative, you jumped to defend her name like a knight. “you know the project deadline was months ago, while do you still hangout with her.” slightly irritated you snap, “she isn’t even bad once you get to know her, she’s funny and sweet.”

it wasn’t any different for ellie either, expect she was 100% convinced you were straight. you never once spoke of your sexuality to her, and for any matter guys in general but why would you like her? she grew up playing with worms, while you grew up going on constant vacations. but even though she thought it would never happen, she asked the universe for this one thing. she prayed to a lord she didn’t even believe in, hoping he will for once listen to her.

God works in mysterious ways because you’re sitting in ellie’s room drinking vodka blasting music. it’s odd how vodka can make somebody so honest. ellie was rambling about a story with an ex she had named cat, and drama between the two. she developed a habit of gossiping, probably from you. to make sure you’re still listening, she asks you. “how about you, any boy trouble?” its silent, and you look at her and start sobbing. ellie’s heart drops down to her stomach and instantly grabs you, pulling you close to her. “hey was it something i said? im sorry-“ “no!” you manage to yell out between your broken sobs. “i don’t think i like guys.” “what?” ellie says, shocked from what she heard.

“when i look at you, it’s not the same for any guy. sure i’ve made out with guys, but not even that gives me the same feeling of when im talking to you. i want it to be you so bad, ellie.” you hiccup, tears staining your eyes. “but this is all new for me, and i hate myself for being this way, i had everything anyone could ask for and it feels like im throwing it all away.”

ellie’s mind is going in all directions, the fact you like her. the fact shes finally getting her prayers answered. she pushes it to the side, because what you need is comfort. ellie holds you tight. so tight, you cannot wiggle out of her grasp. “hey baby, it all works out at the end, your existence isn’t a sin, people who truly love you, will accept you for who you are. and you don’t have to figure things out right now, take your time.” ellie replies, hovering her hand over your face to wipe your tears.

you’re looking up at her, inching your face closer to hers. she leans in, capturing your lips in a kiss. you’re eager for more, so you grab her hair from behind and sloppily slid your mouth inside. ellie pulls away from the kiss, to get air, saliva connecting you guys to each other.

“hey els?” you say softly, having your knees tucked in.

“yeah?”

“since school is ending, there’s gonna be a rager. do you wanna come?”

ellie smiles at you, accepting your offer.

“i’ll be there.”

it’s the day of the rager, and ellie’s at her house with dina and jesse on her bed. “are you sure you really wannq go?” dina asks. ellie’s throwing her clothes everywhere, looking for an outfit to wear. “yeah,” jesse adds on “she doesn’t look like somebody who would hang out with you, what if this is all a prank?” ellie stops to look at them. “guys, i know you’re concerned but trust me on this, okay?” they nod their heads. “whatever happens, you can always tell us okay? whatever you choose to do , we’re with you.” ellie smiles and pulls them into a group hug. she’s wearing a wife pleaser, red flannel, and some jeans. shes tying her converse, she walks out the door, saying “wish me luck!”

she arrives at the house, and the music is so loud she can hear it from where she’s at. nervously she turns to twist the door knob and instantly she goes looking for you. she’s happy today after what happen yesterday, and she’s thinking to herself nothing can change her mood. until she saw you. you had a red solo cup in your hand. you were with a jock, who made it pretty clear he wanted you. was ellie a joke? was everything you said to her nothing after all? her friends were right. clenched fists, she turns to head out of the party, rushing to her car trying not to cry.

the jock wouldn’t take no for an answer, you’ve made it clear you’re not interested in him. “don’t be like that, i see the way you look at me.” you scrunch up your nose in disgust. “well you must be fucking blind.” and thats when you see in the corner of your eye, ellie. “fuck!” you murmur to yourself. ellie is already going towards the exist. as she’s walking down the steps of the porch. you scream, “wait! it’s not what it looks like, i swear-“

“do you think im a fucking joke? you made me feel like a fool.”

“ellie i swear nothing happened i was-“

“were you telling him your pranked worked? were you laughing about me? it’s done. i hope you had your fun.”

ellie is about to turn your back on you.

“ellie im in love with you!” you yell. loud enough

that people from the outside were looking at what was happening.

ellie looks around, “you’re drunk.”

“yes im drunk but that doesn’t change the fact im in love with you. the man that was talking to me. i was telling him to leave me alone. i only have eyes for you ellie! anybody who knows me has to get to know you first!” you breath starts to hitch, knowing you’re about to cry and how people are listening but you no longer care.

“i use to cry, praying that God took these feelings away. now im praying to God for letting me meet you. God knew I needed you Ellie.”

ellie stands there in disbelief, she doesn’t know what to say but her heart is about to explode. she runs to you, takes your hand and takes sits you in the passenger seat. closing the door, she starts the car and starts driving. she looks over at you, and you’re already staring at her. she places a hand on your thigh, and caresses it. “you’re perfect in every way, ways im not. i couldn’t believe somebody as amazing as you would want me, and im sorry.”

you smile, and place your hand on top of hers, “it’s okay, we were both pretty caught up” you giggle.

she would fight the world to hear that giggle again.

she pulls up to your driveway, and shes about to drive off but you ask her to stay the night. and how could she say no to that pretty face of yours?

it’s all dark, but you hold her hand and she follows you into your room. you play some music on your record player.

“do you like mazzy star els?”

“i dont listen to her much, but her voice is pretty.”

you walk up to her, and hold her by the waist. ellie looks down at you and pressed her lips onto yours. you close your eyes, melting into the kiss. you start getting hungrier for more, and you open your mouth to let her tongue slip into yours. the kisses start getting needier, and she walks you until your laying back on your bed. you straddle her waist, and she puts a hand up your dress causing you to whine.

“you’re okay with this right?”

“of course els, please hurry.”

“please what?”

you look away from her gaze, shyly, you fiddle with the seams of ellies wife pleaser and whisper to her , “please touch me, it can only be you.” and with that, ellie is slipping your dress off. kissing your collarbone all the way down to the welts of your breast. she takes off your matching set of panties and bra. and her cold hands on pinching your nipples make your back arch into her touch. she sucks on your nipples, flicking her tongue on it back and forth earning whimpers from you each and every time.

“n-need you els..” you stutter. “im not going anywhere baby.” she chuckles, her breath on your beast making you close your eyes in pleasure. “im gonna touch you now okay? tell me when to stop.” she slides her fingers between your folds.

“already so wet for me princess” and as she hovers to your face to kiss you, her front pieces of her hair are touching your own face. you’re sloppily making out with her, moaning into her mouth.

then she puts two of her fingers in, feeling you instantly clench around them. you start moaning louder and louder “ellie! ellie faster!” and she listens to you, curling her fingers even faster before hitting you in the g spot. your thighs start shaking. and your grabbing onto ellie’s fore arm, clawing it for any way to feel relief.

your moans reach an all time high and you know you’re almost there. im- im about to cum els!” and she starts sucking on your neck, “let it out for me baby, you deserve it come on.” and you reach your climax, sweating and panting. she takes her fingers out of you and sucks them. “you taste so good, everything about you is so sweet.”

still fucked out, you murmured incoherent sentences. “i wanna feel you against me els, please, please.” and ellie looks at you, grabbing your waist to pull you up. you looked at her in this love dovey expression and her heart skips a beat. “can i take this off?” you ask and she gulps and nods. you take off her flannel. then wife pleaser. then her jeans. leaving her in underwear and her sports bra, which now you’re taking off her underwear.

as for the most part both of you are naked, you place your cunt onto hers. you grind against her lightly. both of you whimpering sweet nothings. “i love you els i love you i love you” as you both of you are sweating, holding onto eachother, kissing as you slide on her and feel both of your holes clenching around nothing. “you’re doing so good f’ me” ellie blabbers. both of you are starting to reach your orgasms as you both moan in a higher octave, clawing at each others back, and feeling yourself twitch.

“i think im gonna cum i think-“ “come with me, be a good girl for me please.” she tells you needly, but you can’t even tease her because you want this just as much, if not more. both of you reach your climax, beads of sweat running down each of your fore heads. you disconnect yourself from her cunt. both of your arousals sticking to each other in a way your bodies seem like they’re made to mold into each other’s.

you collapse onto the back of your bed. ellie crawls to lay on your chest. kissing you over and over again, as a way to praise you. you giggle and run your hands through her hair, massaging her scalp.

“shouldn’t we clean up ellie?” you inquire, and you feel her breath on you again as she says “i wanna stay like this.” you nod and you bring blankets over you guys.

“im in love with you too.” ellie tells you.

“i think you showed me already.” you laughed.

“so are we girlfriends?” ellie asks you, looking up at you.

you kiss ellie, and tell her “if you go to every one of my practices.”

safe to say there was never a practice ellie didn’t go to.

#the last of us #ellie x you #ellie x y/n #ellie willams x reader #ellie fluff #ellie smut #ellie x reader #ellie the last of us #ellie williams #ellie x fem reader #ellie tlou #loser!ellie #cheerleader!reader #wlw post #wlw smut #wlw #wlw ns/fw #lesbian pride #lesbian #wlw yearning #wlw community #wlw blog #wlw love #wlw and nblw only #tlou smut #smut #agnst #tlou2 #tlou fanfiction #tlou game

[karinasbaby]

⌗ 𝐖𝐈𝐏 ! | UPCOMING WORKS / WORKS IN THE MAKING.

taglists for all of the works r open !! (via ask or comment ♡)

FANFICS 𖥔 「ONE-SHOTS」

⁛ | SIM JAEYUN — 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍!

PAIRING. virgin!jake x fem!reader | RELEASE DATE. to be decided. (june-july)

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ⨟ what happens when sim jaeyun, the known nerd of the university who also happens to be a virgin gets sick of jerking himself off almost fifteen times a day and decides that it’s finally time to push his notebooks to the side and get laid for once? well to put it simply he tries to bag himself the infamous girl in his university that also carries the title of ‘the best pussy in town’. keyword, tries.

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ────

✶ | KIM MINJEONG — HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE?

PAIRING: fwb!winter x fem!reader | RELEASE DATE. to be decided. (june-july)

𓄹 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ᱺ being friends with benefits with minjeong was a free test to your patience almost every single day. and it’s no different when you coincidentally meet her at a random party. except the only difference is that she’s not testing your patience this time, rather your feelings since the lines between friends and lovers got blurred a really long time ago for her. could this also mean that she broke the first basic rule of being friends with benefits? probably. did minjeong care in the first place? fuck no.

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ────

೫ | LEE DONGHYUCK — 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍? 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊.

PAIRING. lee donghyuck x fem!reader | RELEASE DATE. to be decided. (july-august)

⊹ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ⋮ everyone on campus knows about donghyuck’s crush on you. well except— you, of course. so when the opportunity for him to prove himself that he’s a million times better than your own ex who’s fucking a random girl in another room strikes for him? best believe he’s sweeping you right off your feet and wiping your tears away while telling you that you could just easily ‘cheat back.’ and he’ll be honoured to help.

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ────

UPCOMING SERIES! 𖠇

⋆ ENHA HYUNG LINE — KISSES TO MY EXES!

PAIRING. ex!hyung line x fem!reader | RELEASE DATE. to be decided (july-august)

ꕤ | 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒﹟in your final year of university you wanted to do nothing more than to make up with all of your previous exes for the final time in order to officially close this specific chapter of your life, and you certainly hoped that the final meet up with them to return their items would be nothing more than a simple goodbye— which contradicts the reality of you ending up in their bed.

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ────

⋆ AESPA — SUPERBEING.

PAIRING. alien!aespa x fem!reader. | RELEASE DATE. to be decided. (august)

♛ | 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 %⃨ set in the year 3024, joining your dad whom was awarded for being one of thee most successful astronauts of his generation— on a trip kept hidden from his company around the solar system seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about alienated creatures and overall a good idea right? well, not entirely.

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ────

a,note. hello fr this time :D as u can tell i’ve had a lot of ideas recently, and for now these r the ones i’m willing to write & have been planning to work on. quick reminder that i might switch & delay the dates ! it rlly just depends on which one i’ll finish first :] this is also going to be my first time writing for aespa !! so i’m excited about that :D anywho, this post can also change to either remove or add diff fanfics as i’m planning on making this my permanent wip post so yep ! thank u <3

#— wip !! #enhypen x reader #nct dream x reader #aespa x reader #winter x reader #kim minjeong x reader #jake sim x reader #sim jaeyun x reader #aespa smut #nct dream smut #enhypen smut #lee donghyuck x reader #haechan x reader #nct dream fanfic #enhypen fanfic #aespa fanfic #lee heeseung imagines #lee heeseung x reader #park jongseong fic #park jongseong x reader #park sunghoon x reader #karina x reader #yu jimin x reader #giselle x reader #uchinaga aeri x reader #ningning x reader #ning yizhuo x reader #aespa scenarios #aespa karina #enhypen ff

[simplybakugou]

Could you do another drink bakugo?

⋆ PAIRING: drunk/prohero!bakugou x fem!reader ⋆ WARNINGS/TAGS: swearing; alcohol; all characters are adults ⋆ WORD COUNT: 3003

A/N: taking a break from mystic academia cause this has been sitting in my inbox for so long and i wanted to save it until i got some inspiration for another drunk!bakugou and i finally found the inspo hehe. also when i first started writing drunk!bakugou oneshots, i was 17 LMAO and now as a 23 y/o that has actually been drunk i can write this a little more accurately lol. also i was struggling trying to end this cause i didn’t want it to be longer than it already is (imo) lol so im sorry for the awkward ending. ty for requesting and i hope you enjoy!

© simplybakugou — all rights reserved. DO NOT REPOST/REUPLOAD, TRANSLATE, OR EDIT ANY OF MY CONTENT ON HERE OR ANY PLATFORM

It was a stupid idea. Why the hell would Bakugou go into a bar with the most loud and raucous people he knew even though he’d never drank a day in his life?

He couldn’t think of something he wanted to do less in that moment. He was exhausted, coming from a day of patrolling and hero work. Although his friends also came from their jobs, they actually drank alcohol and wanted to unwind after five years of constantly overworking themselves.

“Are you really not gonna get anything, Katsuki?” Sero questioned, giving the table’s drink orders to the bartender.

“I’m not fucking up my body just to look like an idiot like you dumbasses,” Bakugou huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair. 

“Why’d you come then?” Kaminari quipped, interested in hearing Bakugou’s answer.

“Cause your dumbass wouldn’t stop bothering me about coming out tonight!” Bakugou replied angrily.

“Oh yeah!” Kaminari exclaimed, laughing at himself. “I forgot.”

“It’s good to come out with us once in a while,” Kirishima said, nodding his head. “You’ve been working yourself to the bone since we graduated, man. We haven’t seen you in years.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes. “Don’t be fucking ridiculous. I’m not stopping until I’m number one. You shits can drink all you fucking want but I’m not gonna sit around every week just to catch up.”

Kaminari sighed, shaking his head. “This is why you’ve never had a girlfriend.” Sero nodded along with him.

“And what the fuck does that have to do with anything?” Bakugou snarled, slamming his fist against the table out of annoyance.

“You’re a workaholic, dude,” Sero stated matter-of-factly. “When are you gonna have the time to date? If you slowed down a little you could’ve at least gone out with Y/N back when you had a crush on her in U.A.”

“I did not have a crush on that shitty girl.” Bakugou felt himself getting even more angered just hearing your name uttered. 

“You keep telling yourself that,” Kirishima said, patting his friend on the shoulder only to get shook off by Bakugou. 

The drinks Sero ordered arrived and the rest of the guys cheered each other before downing their beverages. Bakugou sipped on his water he was forced to get after Sero berated him to order something.  

The more alcohol his friends consumed, the more rowdy and even more raucous they got and Bakugou questioned even more why he decided to go out with them. It was karaoke night at the bar and Bakugou swore his ears were bleeding as Kaminari consistently kept attempting to serenade him.

Despite how chaotic it was in the bar that night, Bakugou eventually found himself enjoying it. Kaminari and Sero got the most drunk, getting up to dance and stumbling over one another, which made Bakugou and Kirishima burst into laughter. He would never tell them, but he needed this time out and away from the constant need to work towards his one and only goal. 

The night was going great; until the door to the bar opened. Bakugou turned his head to the noise of the bell ringing above the door. It stuck out amongst the voices and loud nature of the room and he felt his face drop at the sight.

There you were, five years older than the last time he had seen you in person. And you weren’t alone as your arm was looped around the arm of another man.

Bakugou couldn’t help but stare at the sight. He drowned out the sounds of Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, and a few strangers they had recruited at the bar playing drinking games as his focus was only on you. You scanned the area, waving shyly to a few people that recognized you as their favorite rising hero and sat in the corner of the room with your mystery man.

Kirishima glanced at Bakugou, recognizing that he was distracted by something else and looked towards what had caught his eye. He immediately understood the reason for the defeated look on his friend’s face.

“I’m sorry, man,” Kirishima stated simply. 

“Sorry?” Bakugou scoffed. “For what? There’s nothing to be sorry about. We were never together.” The last part Bakugou muttered to himself as he finally tore his eyes away from you and down to his glass of water.

And it was true; you and Bakugou were never together back when you attended U.A. with him and the others. Matter of fact, you didn’t even know Bakugou liked you back then as he made it his mission that you never found out. Not only did he refuse to let himself be subjected to such vulnerable feelings like love and infatuation, you and your peers were constantly bombarded with hero work and dealing with the League of Villains to ever have the time for confessions. At the time, romantic relationships were trivial. 

As things died down by the time class A graduated, Bakugou busied himself with his long-time goal of wanting to become the number one hero. He kept telling himself that it was time to grow up and forget about what he assumed to be a little crush but the more he kept shoving his feelings inside, the more intense they became.

That was why it felt like a punch to the gut to see you laughing with and leaning onto a man that wasn’t him. 

“Hey, dunce face,” Bakugou grunted. Kaminari lifted his head and looked over at Bakugou with hazy eyes. “Get me the strongest drink here.”

“Dude, you really should slow down,” Kirishima urged, concerned as he watched Bakugou down shot after shot. “You’ve never drank before and this’ll probably mess you up fast.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Bakugou said in a rush, out of breath from the abundance of liquids he furiously ingested. He held the next shot glass to his lips, preparing himself to throw it back along with the countless shots he had already done; he felt like he was going to be sick, to no one’s surprise. Bakugou slammed the shot glass down onto the table, still full of alcohol, and he slammed his head onto the table as well. His head was throbbing but he felt like he could float in the air if he really tried. 

Kirishima chuckled at his friend, taking advantage of the situation and taking the shot glass away from Bakugou. 

Kaminari swung his arm around Bakugou’s shoulders. “See, dude, now we’re having fun!” The last word was elongated as he let out a small hiccup.

“Get the fuck off of me, dunce face,” Bakugou mumbled with his head still on the table, causing his words to be muffled. Nevertheless, Kaminari knew exactly what his grouchy friend had said but ignored him.

For the first time that night, Kaminari looked around the room and noticed you sitting alone now in the corner of the bar. He shot up, waving his hand out at you. “Y/N!”

Bakugou’s eyes, which were once closed shut as the alcohol was rushing to his head all at once, shot wide open as he whipped his head up. He felt dizzy from how quick the motion was. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Come on, man, she’s sitting over there all alone,” Kaminari reasoned, turning his attention back to you. You also had finally noticed your old classmates, smiling at the sight. “Hang out with us, Y/N!”

“Alone?” Bakugou questioned softly. He looked over at you and felt a wave of relief wash over him as he carefully watched you make your way to their table, mystery man out of the picture.

“I didn’t know you guys were here tonight,” you said with a smile. You sounded level-headed and Bakugou determined that you were probably the most sober person in the room that night.

“Yeah, we come here a lot after our patrol shifts,” Sero commented.

“All of you?” You questioned, interested as you scanned each of the guys sitting at the table. Finally you locked eyes with Bakugou and he swore your gaze could’ve pierced right through him. He broke eye contact first as he felt his face burning up even more with the effects of the alcohol. 

“We usually have to beg Katsuki to come out. You know how he is,” Kirishima teased, wanting to lighten the mood for his friend. It didn’t work as Bakugou still had a sour expression on his face.

“Wanna get a few drinks with us?” Kaminari offered.

You shook your head. “No, it’s alright. Tonight hasn’t gone the way I wanted so I think I’m going to call it a night. It was nice seeing you guys.”

You waved goodbye to the boys, sending a small smile towards Bakugou as you understood he was in a bad mood but not understanding why. Your back was turned to them as you walked towards the exit and it was a miracle how you didn’t have two vermillion holes in your back the way Bakugou was staring at you leaving.

Bakugou stood up abruptly and he grabbed his coat and wallet. He sloppily pulled out a few bills and slammed them on the table as he made his way out as well.

“Where are you going?” Kirishima questioned.

“Don’t worry about it.”

You cursed at yourself for leaving your jacket in your date’s car as the winter snow began to litter the streets. Your body was shivering terribly. The bar had a few tables and chairs in front of the building and you sat yourself down as you contemplated how on Earth you were going to get home. 

Before you could come up with a game plan, you felt a heavy leather jacket plop down onto your shoulders. You jumped at the sudden contact, watching as a clearly drunk-but-pretending-to-be-sober Bakugou sat himself in the chair across from you. “Bakugou! What’re you doing here?”

Bakugou ignored your question as he bluntly asked, “Where’s that fucker you came in with?”

You were taken aback by his questions. Only a few minutes ago did you realize that Bakugou, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero were there in the bar with you that night. If he had seen you with your date, that meant Bakugou had seen you when you walked in. 

You sighed, leaning back in your chair and pulling Bakugou’s jacket closer to you as it kept you warm. “He was being… weird.”

“Weird how.” It was a question but you sensed the animosity in Bakugou’s tone as his expression harshened in a way that made his question a statement.

You waved your hands to calm him down. Why was he so upset? “Nothing bad, don’t worry. He’s just some guy I started dating. We weren’t official or anything but I liked him. He said he didn’t like me being a hero and said I should get a job that’d suit me in a feminine way.” You chuckled humorlessly as you recalled the misogynistic comment.

“What a fucking loser,” Bakugou grumbled, loud enough for you to hear and laugh at. He leaned back in his chair, resting his eyes. “You told him to fuck off, right?”

You nodded, amused as you always were back in U.A. with Bakugou’s colorful vocabulary. “Yup. He got pissed and left me here and I left my stuff in his car like an idiot.” 

Bakugou opened his eyes and reached into his front pocket, cursing at himself as his fingers kept missing the opening seam. He pulled out his car keys and tossed them onto the table. You furrowed your eyes at the sight in confusion.

“Take my car to get home.”

You widened your eyes at his insane proposition, looking at the insignia on his keys as an expensive brand. “Bakugou, your car’s worth like a hundred million yen! There’s no way I can drive that!” 

“Just do it, idiot,” Bakugou groaned, placing his forehead on the cold, snow-covered table. “Can’t let you just sit here in the cold.”

A moment passed as you were contemplating your choices only to realize in that time, Bakugou had fallen asleep. You chuckled softly, never expecting to see health-conscious Bakugou who’s always been adamant about never drinking inebriated. 

You grabbed his keys and put them in the pocket of his leather jacket, slipping the jacket onto your arms. You knew you couldn’t just take his car and leave him here like this so you got up and went over to his side, gently shaking his shoulders to wake him. “Come on, big guy. We’re going home”

Bakugou let out a groan as you got him to his feet, your arm around his shoulders and you wrapped his arm around your waist to support him, resting your hand on his hand. You felt his body stiffen in reaction and you looked up at him curiously. His face was red again and you assumed it was a combination of the alcohol and the frigidness in the air. It most definitely was not either of those things.

“Where’d you park your car?” You asked as you slowly helped him walk.

He nodded in the direction ahead of you and you assumed he was referring to the parking lot that was thankfully right next to the bar. The two of you continued walking towards the lot and you found it unusual how quiet Bakugou was.

Once reaching the lot, you were originally going to search for Bakugou’s car only to not have to put any effort at all since his bright red sports car stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the Subarus and Toyotas.

You laughed, shaking your head. “Why am I not surprised by this at all, Bakugou.”

Bakugou flinched and he slowly pulled away from you, shoving his hands in his pockets as he wobbly made his way to his car. “Stop calling me that.”

“What? You don’t want me to call you Bakugou?” You question, confused. “Oh! I get it. You want me to call you by your hero name, right, Dynamight?”

“That’s not it either, idiot.”

“Oh, then, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight?”

“You’re so stupid.” Bakugou stopped right in front of his car and turned around, slowly so that he wouldn’t fall over. He had his signature frown on his face only this time it was out of frustration. “Back in U.A. you’d call me Katsuki.”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” you said, nodding your head as you recalled doing so. “But that was five years ago. I haven’t seen you since then and I just wanted to be polite.”

Bakugou kept quiet but his eyes never faltered or wavered as he kept them on you. You felt like he could burn right through you if he tried as you didn’t understand his frustrations. “Is everything okay, Ba– I mean, Katsuki.”

Bakugou’s eyes slightly widened for a moment and he felt like he was transported back to being a teenager. “No. Everything’s not okay ‘cause I still have this stupid crush on you that I’ve had since our first year in U.A.”

He let out a sigh, feeling a weight on his shoulders dissipate and he turned around back towards his car. You stood in place, shocked at the confession that you did not foresee at all. There was no way the Bakugou Katsuki had a crush on you, especially when you were just teenagers.

“Open the door.” Bakugou turned his head to you as he waited by the passenger door.

“Wait, wait, wait.” You waved your hands in front of you, still unable to wrap his words around your head. “This has to be a joke. There’s just no way– Why would you have a crush on me?”

Bakugou shrugged. “Dunno. Just happened.”

Your face felt hot and it wasn’t because of the weather. So much of your relationship with Bakugou made sense with this new realization. The reason for his cold shouldering you on numerous occasions or annoyed stares he’d give you when you got in a relationship in your second year all started to make sense. It was his way of conveying his feelings for you. 

You shook your head, shaking the complex thoughts from your mind and snapping yourself back to reality as the cold air and Bakugou not having a jacket, since you were obviously wearing it, made you unlock his car with the key he gave you. You watched as Bakugou entered his car on the passenger side.

You knew you needed to give yourself a minute before you could enter the car beside him. How did you feel about him? You always thought he was handsome, when he wasn’t scowling at least, and you enjoyed seeing him mature every year in U.A. Even after graduation, you always watched the news fondly as you watched him evolve into an incredible hero, one that you knew was worthy of becoming number one. 

So Bakugou Katsuki liked you. If your poor previous relationships taught you anything, it was to not turn down a good man when he was right in front of you. Or at least sitting in his sports car waiting for you to drive the two of you home since he was unexpectedly inebriated to do so himself. 

Taking in a breath, you knew what you had to do; you wanted to see where this would go between the two of you. You opened the driver’s side door, sitting in your seat and collecting your thoughts briefly before turning to Bakugou to tell him exactly what was on your mind. You wanted to give it a shot.

And you were intent on doing just that until you turned to look at Bakugou only to see he was once again fast asleep, his chest rising and falling. You chuckled at the sight, taking in how adorable he was in that moment. Slipping his jacket off your body, you draped it over his body.

“Guess you’ll have to stay with me tonight.”

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#bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugo x you #bakugo x y/n #bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #my hero academia imagines #bnha bakugou #katsuki bakugou #bakugou katsuki #mha bakugou #alcohol tw #tw alcohol

[riki-riks-chick]

Jungwon gets jealous after you spend time with another guy (innocently tho). Y/n is not a cheater. Wonie is just feeling possessive. 🙃

Trading Times ┃Y.JW

jealous!jungwon x reader

jungwon gets jealous bc yn is hanging out with her childhood best friend.

fluff! jealous jw, best friend jay, no cheater behavior, yn is whipped for jw, kisses, jw doesn't know how special he is to yn.

wdct: 1.6k

tyy for this request ♡

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Third Person POV~

"Hey, Y/n... Do you maybe wanna hang out later?.." Jungwon asks, wrapping his arms around you as you finish up washing the dishes. "Sorry, baby.. Jay is back in town for the week so he asked me to hang out with him so we could catch up." You respond as he pouts. "Then tomorrow?.."

You sigh, turning off the tap and drying your hands before turning to face Jungwon. "Tomorrow I'm supposed to go visit his mom. I haven't seen her in three years... I promise we'll hang out the day after." You answer as he nods. "Okay.. I'll just ask Sunoo if he wants to hang out.."

You smile, giving him a quick kiss. "I have to go get dressed.. Sorry I couldn't go out with you today.." You mumble as he nods. "It's fine.. Have fun."

You then head upstairs, showering, doing your hair, and getting dressed before slipping into your most comfortable sneakers.

After making sure you had everything you needed, you made your way downstairs. Jungwon had just walked out of the kitchen. "You look so pretty, but you're wearing jeans?" He questions, knowing you hate wearing jeans, and you nod. "Yeah, I only wear skirts when I'm out with you.. They're usually pretty short, so I don't wanna risk anyone who isn't you trying to get an eyeful."

He nods at your explanation. "Okay.. Are these at least comfortable for you? They wont feel too tight after you eat?" He asks as you nod. "I'm fine, they're comfortable.. Now I gotta go, bye Jungwon."

You kiss his cheek before grabbing your keys and leaving the house. As soon as he hears the lock click he lets out the biggest sigh.

Within the next thirty minutes, Sunoo comes over and now he's forced to listen to all of Jungwon's complaining.

"Jungwon, it's not that serious.. She's known him since they were in diapers damn near. If they were anything more than friends, you would've never had a chance." Sunoo explains as Jungwon groans. "I'm not that stupid, Sunoo. I know she wouldn't cheat on me.. I'm just jealous because whenever he comes to visit, she gives him all her attention."

Sunoo nods. "I guess so, but you have her attention all the time, right?" He asks and Jungwon sighs. "Who's side are you on?"

Sunoo only laughs in response. "I'm on logic's side, let's just have fun for now."

Meanwhile, you had just met up with Jay at a cafe that you two used to study and hang out at all the time. He's already order you a drink, so you sit across from him.

"It's good to see you.." He smiles as you nod. "I know, it always feels like it's been forever. We need to see each other more than once a year."

You two spend time catching up, talking about work and just life in general. Eventually he asks about Jungwon. "So, how's your boyfriend?" He questions as you smile, beaming at the thought alone of Jungwon. "He's great.. I love him so much."

Jay smiles at your happiness. "I have something to tell you." You can tell by his dopey smile that he has good news, so you gesture for him to keep speaking. "I have a girlfriend..."

You light up at the news, reaching over the table to grab his hand excitedly. "Oh my god tell me all about her!"

He tells you everything from how he met her down to how they got together. It's all so endearing to hear since you know how badly his last relationship ended.

After talking for over an hour about life, you both went to an arcade together, playing all the games you used to, except you got to win this time.

When your hangout finally came to an end, you parted your ways, planning to see each other around the same time tomorrow.

You got home at around 5pm, ready to see your boyfriend after thinking about what he was up to all day.

"Jungwon, I'm back." You stepped out of your shoes, setting your keys and your bag down as you walked into the living room.

Sunoo was sitting on the arm chair, and Jungwon was asleep on the couch. Some random movie was playing in the background.

"Hey, Sun." You smile as he waves. "Hey, how was your hang out with Jay?" He asks as you hum. "It was fun. How was your hang out with Jungwon?" You question, moving around the couch to ruffle your sleeping boyfriend's hair.

"It was good, he was complaining for the first your though." He replied as you nodded. "Sounds about right."

Sunoo decides that he's gonna go home, saying goodbye before leaving. You wake Jungwon up and he's immediately clinging to you. "I missed you.." He pouts, burying his face in the crook of your neck. You chuckle, kissing his temple. "I missed you too.. Let's order something to eat, hm?"

The next day, you're up earlier, because Jay called and said his mom wanted to meet for a late breakfast, early lunch. You agreed simply because you didn't wanna inconvenience his mother.

Jungwon was still sleep when you finished getting ready, so you sat beside him on the bed, shaking him gently. "Jungwon.. Wake up."

He stirs, humming as he wraps his arms around your waist. "Where are you going?.." He mumbles with a pout in his tone. You ruffle his hair. "I'm going to brunch with Jay and his mom.. I'll see you later.."

He nods, kissing your cheek before burying his head into his pillow. You get up, patting his back before leaving.

Your day is spent hanging out with Jay, and catching up with his mother. She tells you about how happy she is that her son is finally in a new relationship, and how she hopes this one ends in marriage.

You're happy to see Jay beaming whenever he talks about his girlfriend, similar to the way he watches you smile whenever you talk about Jungwon.

You end up spending much more time than usual hanging out with Jay, and when you finally get home, it's around 8pm.

You look for Jungwon, not finding him in the kitchen, or the living room.

You know he usually doesn't sleep this early, but you check the bedroom anyway, and surely there's a Jungwon shaped lump beneath your covers.

You kick off your shoes, dropping your jacket somewhere along the way as you climb onto the bed, pulling the covers off of his head. "I'm back, baby.." You leaned down to kiss his cheek, pushing his hair out of your face.

He didn't seem to thrilled to see you. "Wonnie.. What's wrong?" You question as he sighs. "You've been gone all day... I've just been here by myself.. All the while you're hanging out with Jay.." He pouts, turning over to look at you. You frown, leaning against the headboard. "Jungwon.. You know it's not like that.. It's been almost a year since I last saw him.. We just wanted to catch up.." You explained for what seemed like the thousandth time since you first introduced Jungwon to Jay.

He had always gotten jealous, but you thought things were different now. You'd been with Jungwon for almost three years now after all. It seems that he still isn't too fond of your relationship with Jay.

"I just.. I wish I knew you like he did.. He's known you since you were a kid... He has so many memories to share with you, and I hardly just found out that you used to dream of being a famous pianist when you were a kid.. I know I shouldn't, but I get jealous.." He explains, avoiding your eyes as you take his hands in yours.

"I understand.. I know Jay and I are close, but I promise you.. You know me in ways Jay couldn't even imagine.. You know how I kiss, my love language, the playlist I listen to when I shower, and even every step of my skincare routine in order.. You're my boyfriend.. Jay could never beat that.." Jungwon sits up, smiling at your words as he hugs you. "I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to make you feel bad about it.." He mumbles in your ear, pulling back to kiss your forehead.

You smile brightly at him. "It's okay to be jealous.. I can't imagine how you must feel seeing your girlfriend be close to another guy.. I'm glad that you trust me though.."

He nods, pinching your cheek. "I try not to be to controlling.. Otherwise you would leave me for someone else.."

You chuckle in response. "You know what, next time he said he'd bring his girlfriend so I could meet her.. I'll bring you too and we could have a double date.." You say excitedly as Jungwon nods, planting a sweet kiss to your lips.

"That sounds great, baby.."

═════════════

#enhypen #enhypen imagines #enhypen scenarios #enhypen fluff #enha fluff #enha reactions #jungwon soft hours #jungwon drabbles #jungwon fic #enhypen jungwon #jungwon enhypen #jungwon headcanons #jungwon imagines #jungwon fluff #jungwon soft thoughts #yang jungwon

[cinnamokittykat]

Roomates! Soap x Ghost x Konig 🤭🤭???

Oh boy

Like, all of them as roommates for each other? Or with the reader? I'll try and write both but just a disclaimer, I'm not great at MLM content for various reasons lol, if that's what you were looking for :/ So, disclaimer, I'm not poly either so please forgive my mistakes here.

Room mates w/o reader:

- The first thing that comes to mind for me is that the grocery bill would be insane. 3 big, buff men living in an apartment, or more likely a house together.

- Also in my experience guys don't tend to shop very well for themselves so the fridge would be a bachelor situation.

- I do think that Soap would be the one to keep the food situation in check the most? He would at least try to make the groceries balanced

- If this isn't gay polyamory, then I feel like König would get yelled at once or twice for walking around naked

- IF IT IS GAY POLYAMORY‼️‼️‼️ then they most definitely like to walk around shirtless.

- Ghost and Soap cuddle each other on the regular :3

-They all cuddle, they had to get custom big furniture to fit them all together comfortably.

-Soap cooks for his boyfriends the most. Ghost burns things every time somehow.

-They have a tiny little black cat who loves all of them dearly. Koenig sat on a black shirt once, but everyone else thought it was her and he almost got kicked out of the giant bed that night.

-Thankfully she walked in the room right after. She was profusely cuddled. She is also just generally a very spoiled cat since no one really wants children.

Room mates x Fem! Reader

- The boys all had different reactions to you moving in. Soap was excited, he was all for having a new friend, and a cute girl like you around the house

- Ghost, on the other hand, wasn't that for it. A strange girl moving in with 3 strange men? Is she insane?

- König was in the middle. As nice as having a female roommate sounded, he also felt as if it was a less then smart decision on your part.

- It doesn't take long for them to all come around to your presence.

- As the weeks go on, they catch themselves sneaking glimpses at you while in the house

- Sometimes when the stars align them and it's just you and one of them home alone, you often find yourself cuddled up to Ghost or König on the couch more often then not. Soap has already been openly flirting with you at this point, so he does more overt things like taking you out or making food for you.

- As time passes by, you find yourself being taken out to more fancy places, you start receiving nice gifts, all thanks to their lavish mercenary salaries. Eventually, it all comes to a head and you come home one day to them sitting in the living room together.

- "We need to talk." says Ghost. You sit down nervously in an armchair. Johnny clears his throat. "It seems like I'm not the only one who's been treating you, lass." König stares silently with his arms crossed.

- "I wasn't aware it was anything serious..." you stutter out. "Oh, it doesn't have to be, we'll help you move out and everyone can forget each other." Koenig replies. "Wouldn't want to make you choose, you can't date all of us."

-Your heart ached upon hearing that statement. You came to love all 3 of them over the course of living there, but he was right. "Well hold on there, who says she can't?" said Johnny. "You haven't even asked her yet!"

-The men turn to look at you again. "Well, lass?"

-"I... I suppose we could give it a try. If you all are good with it."

#konig #konig mw2 #cod konig #konig cod #konig modern warfare #cod mwii #simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #simon ghost rider #john soap mactavish #soap cod #soap x reader #poly x reader

[rosedere]

The Pearl Brooch

(Yan Sea god! Azul Ashengrotto x Afab sacrifice reader)

Cw: Yandere, (actually this story is pretty tame tbh)

-

“Do you think your roommate is going to get the pearl brooch this year?” 

You stopped walking on the walking trail that led towards the end of the craggy coastline that protected your village. You didn't really know this girl, only that they’d occasionally talk to you once in a while in passing from school, and in cases like this, just randomly running into them on your walking trail.

However, it didn't mean you liked running into them.

”Probably,” you scoffed, kicking a stray rock on the path.

”She does have all the qualities the Great Sea witch wants in his Pearl brides,” you shrugged.

The girl ran a few fingers in her teal strands, combing the black streak, attempting to put her hair in a half-ponytail, half-down hairstyle.

”I would argue he doesn't,” she hummed.

You looked over at her to read her expression; she was merely looking up at the bright, sunny sky above the two of you, enjoying the clear weather that had been a welcomed surprise after the tsunamis that plagued your small village around this time of the summer.

”Okay, I'll bite; you wanna tell me who you think is going to get it this year?” You scrunched your face in annoyance.

”Not her, that's for sure,” your strange friend quickly responded.

”Come on, tell me! Let’s make a wager. I need some money and entertainment since I’ve aged out of the brooch ceremony.” You held your hands in a fist in determination, stopping in front of your strange, tall acquaintance.

She finally stopped walking beside you, smiling towards you with a glint of sincerity. Pausing in your movements, you made eye contact with her mismatched eyes.

”Im afraid to say so in case you let it get to your head,” she shrugged, “and this year is supposed to be a special year anyhow, why ruin the surprise, especially since my accuracy is always certain”.

Confused more than ever, you furrowed your brow.

”So you're saying Alaina isn't the pearl bride this year?” You scratched your head.

”That's a very bold claim to make,” you thoughtfully added.

Your friend only nodded, still walking close to you.

“Is it maybe one of the girls from the inner village—I heard our village leader's daughter has potential to be a bride” 

only silence from your teal-haired friend as she kept smiling to herself, it almost annoyed you, seeming like she wasn't listening to a word you said.

”Okay, what if it's the fisherman’s daughter! She’s got the prettiest eyes; they remind me of a babydoll!” You confidently said.

Your friend only kept walking straight, most likely ignoring your guesses.

getting annoyed at this point, whoever it might be, you decided to have a little fun with your answer.

”Oh well, guess Im going to be the pearl brooch holder,” you laughed to yourself, “I do love the ocean, so I doubt hed need to grab me from the ceremony,” you continued teasing.

Only your friend beside you stopped walking at your answer, only looking down at the rocky and gravel path you were on.

”Oops, sorry if my answer offended you." You apologized, “Im sure you are probably pretty enough to be given—“

”(name)”

You looked to your side in confusion, only seeing her with a small, coy smile on her lips.

”Just be looking out,” she mumbled.

The sea witch is always watching.

-

The next morning, you awoke not expecting much; it was a weekend, meaning you were free to go back down to the ocean down the slope where you lived.

Only as you unceremoniously stepped out the door to your small home did you feel a sharp cut straight through your bare foot.

Recoiling and grabbing your foot to make sure it wasn't bleeding was when you looked down to find the source of the cut now stinging harshly on the bottom of your foot.

You assumed at first it was one of the shells you had left a few days ago on your doorstep, only to discover that you had forgotten it when you went back inside the other day just now.

But when you picked it up to give the intricate bundle of shells a closer look, you realized it couldn't have been any shell you'd found—the way the shells were fused together created a small ornamental piece that was most likely not formed naturally.

Turning it around to look at the back made a soft jingling from where the porous shells were tied using some kind of plant you had never seen. 

But your eyes widen when they saw the small, intricate pearls tied around the shells at the bottom, creating an iridescent shine that would catch in the sun.

just like the rumored brooch would.

quickly dropping the brooch on the doorstep you looked around, You knew no one would have seen what had occurred how far you lived off the grid, but the fear of accidentally being seen and being jailed for touching the mythical brooch was not in your plans today.

You stared in awe at the brooch for a while after settling down, no one had ever seen it before unless you were the recipient. 

Limping on your way, you looked at the entrance besides the side of your connecting house. Maybe the pelican got confused and delivered it to your entrance, thinking your house was your roommate.

Your heart, which was wildly beating before now was calming down.

That's it; the pelican delivered the brooch to the wrong door.

It wouldn't be a crime to deliver it to its rightful owner now.

Bending over, you scooped the brooch up carefully, holding it in your cupped hands. Hobbling down the rocky bank around your yard, you made it to the other entrance where your roommate lived, the lively garden she had blooming to life as you passed by the different vegetation she had.

dropping it as carefully as you could on the stone entryway, you left it in the middle of her doorstep.

Without hesitation or another word, you left, going back to your journey to the sea below.

-

It was around the early evening when you went back home to make dinner that you saw the crowds around your house.

your roommate in the middle of the immense crowd, earring the brooch on her wrist as she showed all of the gawking women and children around her.

”I knew she’d be the last bride of the sea witch.”

”The sea witch must really love her if he added that many pearls to it.”

”Of course he’d pick a young maiden, it means we’ll have a fertile crop season this year.” 

You felt your heart sink a little. Despite not having any interest in being a bride, it still hurt to know you weren't as beautiful to be picked to be the protector of the village.

But despite your dull heartache, you gave congratulations to your roommate before you went inside to make your dinner.

Going about your evening, you went back out to the slope with your dinner in the hopes you could find some rare shells to sell in town.

Little did you notice the mismatched eyes blending in with the throngs of people watching you walk away towards the path to the coastline.

But nevertheless, you went through the various masses of rock and trees walking below to the different sandbanks that were revealed by the low tide. You went about your usual walk, starting from the cliffs all the way down the peninsula in search of shells.

letting your toes be soaked in the crystal blue water, you let the sea foam gather around as you sifted through the sand in search of anything new.

It was only then that you noticed that beyond the receding water was something further out in the rocky seabed besides you. At first, you could only see the darkness like a shadow in the water; small specks of luminescence filled the spot that was catching your attention.

You walked over the squishy sand in pursuit of whatever was in the water, hoping it wouldn't move.

As you approached the dark spot, it slowly began to rise from the water, eyes of a clear glacier looked back at you in the water.

After a few footsteps too close, his silted eyes focused on you, almost as if he were trying to recognize you.

The shadow in the water began to grow, making the everclear water seem inky with a different bloom of obsidans.

You backed up.

It only crept closer to you.

With adrenaline coursing through your veins, you ran carefully, dodging the rocky sands in the water and making it to shore.

Not daring to turn back, you climbed a lone stone wall to get to the top of the cliff.

When it felt like you were safe from whatever that thing was in the water, you turned back to the sandbar. It was not as if you could tell, however, if the creature was still in the rocky shoals. After a few hyperventilated breaths, you made the agonizing walk back through the crowded forest leading to your safe haven.

-

As the day approached for the pearl bride to be received at the festival the village threw, you were reminded of the ceremony every time you stepped out.

Either finding shipwrecked treasure or different pearls and sea glass where you had previously found the pearl brooch from a few weeks ago.

repeating the process with a dull heartache, you would grab them and return them to your roommate's doorstep before going out to fulfill your job.

After all, you were hoping the masses attending the festival would bring new revenue to you since almost everyone from the island and a few from beyond would come just to see the venus be given away.

And today you will be reminded of the event when you watched the townspeople take her away, decorated in frills and lace with adorning pearls, looking like a Venus in a shell.

You were about to walk out early in the morning to avoid the throngs of people at your roommate's door until she called out for you to be one of the few that would escort her to the ceremonial grounds. 

The sudden attention from several men and women made you agree, as you took a spot behind her besides a few of the other people holding her dress and veil.

Quietly following behind the crowd as they sang praises and songs in case the Benevolent Sea Witch could hear them as they got their bride ready.

For living in the town your whole life, though youd never witnessed one of these ceremonies, only ever being occupied looking at the different vendors and stalls of food that would come from all over the island to celebrate the Sea Witch.

As you all approached the harbor, walking down the steep and uneven cliffside you had both lived on for several years unbothered, you could begin to see the many people line the streets eagerly waiting to see a glimpse of the Venus bride, She walked with a slow gait, letting the dress pool around her slim figure, shining like fish scales with every step she took on the sandstone road leading to the harbor's mouth.

You felt bad not being able to see the importance of this festival as the people around you did, but most of your thoughts were revolving around how fast you could make it back home with the few shells you had collected for the week to try to peddle off after the bride would be received.

Suddenly, you felt yourself go off balance. Looking around your surroundings, everyone around you also followed your lead. 

The ground was shaking.

The witch was arising from the depths.

Everyone began to enthusiastically pick up the pace, holding the bride's clothes to make sure she wouldn't get dirty before meeting her betrothed.

Approaching the harbor's mouth, you could see even more people gathered there around the harbor ropes, eager to get a glimpse of the water and the bride.

Looking in the crowd, you saw your friend, her mismatched eyes accidentally meeting yours.

Your breath hitched when you saw beside her—well, what seemed to be her, the same teal hair and the same dark black stripe in her hair, They both looked at you in silent interest as you and the precession walked past her.

Deciding it wasn't worth it to think too much about it, you began to focus on the seascape before you. The aftershocks meant the sea witch was finally arising from the depths.

“She’s ready,” a villager from the front said.

You all, in unison, let go of her clothing, stopping a few meters away from the decorated area where the ceremony would take place. You could see her walk slowly and elegantly towards the ceremonial ground as you all stood in awe, watching for her to take her place.

Looking up at the sky, you noticed the clear and sunny sky seemed to waver a bit—not exactly cloudy and stormy, but the sky was turning a light gray.

A rumble shook you once again, causing you to fight to stay upright as a mass of darkness began to form in the crystal waters ahead of you.

“He’s here!”

“The Benevolent Sea Witch”

A few people began to run to the waterfront and bow in respect.

You stayed with a few other spectators, watching the bride eagerly fix her hair in anticipation.

The first thing you saw was that the dark, meaty tentacle rose from the water.

Then it was followed by six more monstrous-sized tentacles.

It was when he rose that you felt yourself gasp.

The monstrous entity looked around the crowds of people praising him.

But the sea witch did not say a word, only scanning the crowd before resting his eye on the ceremonial grounds in front of him.

A noise was made that sounded like gargling or clicking—you weren't entirely sure—before he crawled closer to the harbor, opening ever so slowly.

Your eye was caught by the huge nauctulus shell around his neck, which was shining gold.

It reminded you of the few shells you found littered around your doorstep.

His many tentacles eventually came into clearer view as he began to lift the two that you presumed acted as his second pair of arms began to slither on the sandstone towards the shell.

“My highness”

The tentacles stopped slithering.

“Im afraid your people have tried to deceive you, my highness.”

You felt someone grab both of your arms from behind. 

Wildly trying to flail out of the grasp, you soon felt them tugging you towards the monstrous being looking down straight at you.

Or who was behind you.

Your weird friend was walking before the monstrous being, who was staring with icy-slit hues.

“Your endless sea is right here.”

You flinched as they threw you down on the ground, only a few meters in front of the huge tentacles.

Too scared to look up, you only looked besides you to see your friend and her double beside and behind you. Your roommate was confused as she stood with the veil and brooch on her intricate dress.

A loud rumble resounded above you; the sky was not a dark and angry one; rain seemed imminent.

“You dare lie to me.”

A powerful timbre spoke from what seemed to be everywhere.

A tentacle began to rise and violently swipe at the harbor ropes where everyone was gathered, many people being violently tossed in either direction, some hitting into buildings while a mass of unlucky ones were thrown into the deep frigid harbor below.

“She had the brooch of our almighty.”

“The gifts were laid on their doorstep.”

“Please have mercy on our mistake.”

You were still trying to absorb the scene laid out for you in front of the harbor opening, but you failed to notice the large tentacle start to slither and writhe towards where you were being held against your will.

The cold, suctioned tentacle began to wrap around your waist, attaching to your skin.

It twitched around you before it grasped hard around your waist, causing you to yell.

“This is my bride,” the voice boomed once more.

You felt yourself being lifted from the ground, everyone around you shrinking into colorful dots as your familiar land became distant.

Little did you know this was the last time you’d seen the village you lived your whole life in.

Waves of torrential size rose from the now-dark and raging waters before they swallowed everything and everyone you knew.

Watching the punishment of a divine being was the worst thing to have witnessed.

And it was your last memory before you were engulfed in your beloved sea, and your life before being crowned the benevolent sea witch's wife and Queen of the depths.

-

Note: oh man the temptation to make this an actual fic fic haha.

also forgot but requested on Ao3 by a guest <3

#yandere twst #yandere azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x yuu #reader insert #yandere x you #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere x reader #yandere azul ashengrotto x reader

[blade-that-was-broken]

This doesn't happen anymore but idk I spent so much time trying to find it in my papers that I have to toss it into the internet void

The moment Spruce raced past John’s gesture for a hug, Branch saw his confusion and hurt. JD glanced around, like he thought maybe he got the wrong troll - despite them being the only ones there - but then he saw Spruce go to Branch for a hug and ignore him. He could see JD’s heart break. 

JD loved hugs more than anyone really knew. He struggled  a little with too much at once - which Branch knew he loathed - but he tried not to let that stop him. 

Branch managed to jump back, sliding out of Spruce’s reach. “Whoa!” he just grinned. “Look at you! Someone’s got some crazy reflexes! Come on, let me give you a hug! I haven’t seen you in years!”

“And whose fault is that?” he asked, flatly. 

Spruce stumbled. “Branch…”

“I’m not here to fight. It’s not about me. I’m here to ask for your help.” 

“For what?”

“The perfect family harmony-”

Spruce rolled his eyes then turned to glare at JD who was busy checking out one of the pools, curiously. He tipped his toe in and that jumped back a little, like he felt or saw something he wasn’t expecting. Spruce was glaring. “Did he put you up to this? He really needs to let it go.” 

“JD has nothing to do with it-” 

“Look Bitty. I’m happy to see you but him?” 

“It’s been twenty years. You’re still mad?” 

“It’s not like he apologized.” 

“Are you sure we are in the right place, kiddo?” JD asked, looking back at him, his head tilting a little. As much as JD had seen so many photos, they had all changed in the last twenty years. Spruce was no exception. Clay and Floyd wouldn’t be either. Without that connection of actually remembering them physically, it made it a bit more difficult for JD to identify those people from his past. 

He was probably missing most of the conversation. They had already talked a bit about it, that Branch should do the explaining. Although JD had a habit of making friends with people, there was a history here and their family held grudges. But then again, JD had lately been letting Branch do a lot of the leading lately. It turned out fine, most of the time, although Branch couldn’t help but be worried about the implications. Maybe he was overthinking it, which was entirely possible too. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Spruce demanded, stepping forward. “Is this a crack about my weight?” 

JD looked absolutely bewildered but finally took a moment to actually look at Spruce a little closer. JD shifted a little, as he often did when it came to people approaching him when upset. Some kind of mechanism, Branch learned, from living out in the wild. It wasn’t something he could really entirely shake. Not that he had tried to much anyway. He was very confused and Branch knew the feeling. “What? Why would I care about some dude’s weight? Each the nachos, man. You run a restaurant.” 

“What?” That seemed to make Spruce even more upset. “Some dude?” 

JD skipped back over to Spruce and looked at him curiously again, but he stuck close to Branch. Another normal thing. The two of them physically kept together when on adventures and other things. Safer that way. It was normal now. “This is one of them right?”

“Excuse me? You’re acting like you have never met me in your life!” Spruce yelled. 

“Not that I can remember,” JD chuckled, nervously. He was trying to play off his discomfort with humor. Just more normal JD things. Branch supposed they had always been normal to him but did Spruce know that? Did he remember some of those things from their childhood? 

“Just because I changed? That is so shallow and I never thought… How have you gotten worse?!” 

“Whoa, dude, chill! Don’t take it personally. I just-” 

“Don’t take it personally? How could I not?”

“Spruce-” 

“It’s Bruce now. And I think it’s time you leave. Obviously the Great John Dory has just become a worse person and I don’t need that. I’ve got a good life with a wife and family! Something you clearly do not have.” 

“SHUT UP!” Branch yelled.

They looked over at him. 

“Would you give it a rest and let us explain?” 

“What is there to explain?” Spruce sneered. “John Dory is here, making fun of me, trying to make me do a family harmony after twenty years of no contact, topping it off with pretending he doesn’t even know me.” 

“He’s not pretending!” Branch shouted, exasperated. 

“What?” 

“He’s not pretending. JD doesn’t remember the first twenty years of his life.” 

“What? What are you talking about?”

“When I was about six, JD stumbled into Pop Village with only the memories of the last couple years. He didn’t know who I was or knew my name.” 

“It totally freaked him out,” JD nodded. 

“I mean, we are kind of freaking out Spruce here.” 

“Yeah. It gets crazier!” JD added. 

“It what?!” 

“Yeah. The King was all like sweet, you can take care of him and I-”

“Where was Gramma?” 

“Asked where was his parents and B was just like dead.” 

“A long time ago.,” Branch frowned. It took a long time to work through that. 

“Yeah. Anyways, I asked B who raised him and he said-” 

“You,” Branch snorted. 

JD grinned like it was an inside joke. It kind of was. Their entire reunion had kind of become an inside joke for the both of them. Although it started rocky, things swung into humor pretty quickly. JD never held what Branch said or acted against him. Part of it was probably because he was young and part of it was simply because JD could find things to laugh at. And it was kind of funny. “And then I was just like ok lets do it.” 

“Let’s… do it?”

“Yeah. Been taking care of this little daredevil ever since.” 

“Daredevil?” 

“It took us a bit to build his confidence but he can keep up with me easy.” 

“Better, old man.” 

“Eh… maybe debatable but you're probably not wrong!”

[livyjh]

Come Sail Away ch.2

Bff’s dad!Joel Miller x Plus size!Fem!Reader

Series rating: EXPLICIT 18+

Chapter 2 rating: PG-13

Word count: 2.6k

Summary: Your spring break has been saved by your roommate and best friend, Sarah Miller. She’s invited you to come on vacation with her and her dad, a man you’ve never met. But you didn’t think twice before accepting her invitation. When you finally meet her dad, Joel, you have an instant crush on him. You thought it was one sided… he proves you wrong.

Chapter warnings: being silly, little touches, sensual eye contact, the male gaze, drinking alcohol, being drunk, mentions of body parts, Sarah being a bad friend for a few hours, embarrassing yourself, flirting, rejection, throwing up, walking around without shoes.

A/N: I’m just gonna post every chapter after I finish it. So it may be inconsistent but I wanna give y’all more story!! I’m so excited for you to read this chapter. Trust me, you’ll wanna read the next one too.

Series Masterlist

Joel Miller Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You, Sarah, and Joel got a drink at the bar on the main deck before going down a couple decks to your rooms that were right across from each other.

Joel had an outside room with a small balcony, you and Sarah were going to share an inside room.

You all toured the small rooms together, hanging out in Joel’s stateroom until the captain called for everyone to go to their assigned lifeboat areas for emergency preparedness procedures.

It was boring and you and Sarah were making little remarks and jokes during most of it but you got all the important information.

After that, everyone was free to move about the ship.

“Let’s go to the upper decks to watch while we sail out of the port.” You suggest with a smile.

“Great idea. And more drinks.” Sarah giggles.

“You two are gonna be a handful aren’t you?” Joel laughs.

“We’re adults that can handle themselves, dad. Don’t worry.” Sarah patted his back and you three went to the elevators to go up a few decks.

Once you got to the right floor, you went to the outdoor bar and restaurant where there was a great view off the front of the ship.

You each got a frozen piña colada before sitting in some of the beach chairs around the pool.

“We’ve gotta lounge out here tomorrow. Get some sun.” You turn to Sarah with a smile.

“Oh, one hundred percent.” She laughs and nods.

Sarah is sat between you and Joel, the sun shining as it got lower in the sky.

“What should we do first, ladies? Dinner?” Joel sits up a little to look at you both.

“Oh my god, yes.” You nod.

“I’m starving.” Sarah puts a hand on her stomach.

“Me too.” You and Joel say in unison, making you blush while he huffs a small laugh.

You three get up and go up one deck to the buffet, filling your plates with delicious food before finding a table to sit at.

You eat and then do a little more exploring with Sarah, Joel got tired after dinner and went back to his room. You’ll miss the smell of his cologne.

You and Sarah find out that there’s not only a karaoke bar on the ship, but a casino, 5 restaurants, and an adults only pool area with 4 large hot tubs.

This was going to be the best vacation ever.

***

The next morning you girls met Joel for breakfast at the buffet and talked about what to do that day.

“There’s a music trivia contest at 1 at the lounge on the top deck. I really want to go to that.” Sarah smiled.

“Let’s do it.” Joel nods. “You in?” He looks at you.

“Of course.” You smile and take a peak at Joel’s collarbones peaking out of his cute button up shirt.

“Good.” Sarah sighs happily. “Oh, and pool time, right, Y/n?”

“Yes please. I’m dying for some vitamin D.” You groan.

“I bet you are.” Sarah snorts a laugh and it makes your face warm, you notice Joel trying to keep staring down at his plate like he didn’t hear anything.

You finish breakfast and then tour the gift shop, play slots for a little while at the casino, and then head up to the rooftop lounge.

You could really feel the ship moving up there, it was making you a little dizzy. Sitting down at a table helped.

“Welcome to trivia!! Today’s category is music from the eighties!” A short man with a microphone at the front of the room caught everyone’s attention.

“This is gonna be a blast. We’ve got this.” Joel held up both his hands to high five you and Sarah.

You each slapped one of his hands and a woman brought a paper and pen to your table.

The paper had a space for a team name and then 10 blank lines for naming songs. You three had a short conversation before deciding on the team name: The Texas Rangers.

“You’ll be getting audio clues today! We’ll play a short clip of the song and you write down your guess.” The host smiled to everyone. “Whichever team has the most correct answers will win on-board credit of $50 per person.”

“Song number 1.” He looked at the woman who had passed out the papers. She was now standing at an entertainment system with a computer. She clicked a button and music began.

Upbeat synth played over the speakers and you all instantly knew what it was.

Sarah began writing, ‘Take On Me’. The music stopped after a few seconds.

“Alright, that was an easy one.” The host began. “The second song will be a little harder.”

A heavily mixed electric guitar comes on with a rocking intro. You recognize it but for the life of you, you can’t remember what the song is.

“Wait, dad, what is it?” Sarah looks at Joel with a slight panic in her eyes.

“Never Let Me Down Again.” Joel points at the paper as he whispers to Sarah.

“Yes! Thank you. I could not remember what it was.” You roll your eyes at yourself.

“All good, honey.” Joel nods at you.

The song clip stops and the announcer continues. “Here’s number 3.”

“Jitterbug. Jitterbug. Jitterbug.” Then it cuts off.

“Easy.” You and Sarah say at the same time and she writes down ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’.

“I’m glad you were raised with good music too, Y/n.” Joel nudges you with his elbow.

It sends shivers down your spine and you almost can’t hide it. You laugh to disguise your body movements.

“Y- yeah. Yeah my parents love eighties music. I mean, I do too.” You shrug and tuck your hair behind your ear, a nervous tick you had.

The host kept going through all the songs. There were a couple tough ones in there. One of them Joel didn’t even recognize.

The female host walked around to collect papers to be tallied.

A few minutes later, the announcer got on the mic. “Alright. Our winning team is… The Texas Rangers!”

You clapped and Sarah let out an excited squeal, Joel smiling wide.

“Nine out of ten correct. Impressive.” The announcer nodded to your table. “Everyone else, better luck next time! We’ll see you again tomorrow for another round.”

The short man walked over after turning off the microphone and putting it away. “Good job, folks. May I see your room keys so I can credit that $50 to each of your accounts?”

You all got your room keys out and handed them to the man. He took out a phone with scanner attached, scanning each of your room keys. He pressed a few buttons and then handed the keys back.

“You’re all set!”

“Thanks.” Joel nods.

“This was fun.” Sarah adds.

“We should come back again.” You smile.

“Definitely… now, let’s go get drunk in our bikinis; poolside.” Sarah waggled her eyebrows. She turned to look at Joel. “Dad, you wanna come hang out at the pool with us?”

“I’ll catch up in a bit. You girls go ahead.” He smiles and wraps an arm around Sarah, kissing the top of her head.

“Have fun.” He smiled and winked at you, something he probably didn’t realize had any affect on you. Luckily you were about to go change into clothing that was meant to be wet.

“Thanks, Mr. Miller.” You smile and bat your eyelashes a little.

“Call me Joel, sweetie.” He put a hand on your shoulder. “No need to be so formal.”

Your body was radiating warmth throughout your shoulder where Joel was touching it. “Y- yeah. Sorry. Joel.”

He lifts his hand off your shoulder and gets up. “Don’t worry about it. See you two later.”

He walks away and leaves you in a whirlwind of feelings while he and Sarah are totally oblivious.

“Alright. Let’s go.” Sarah stands and pushes in her chair.

“I’m so ready to be drunk right now.” You laugh.

“Me too, bestie.” Sarah giggles.

***

You and Sarah are sitting poolside working on your third or fourth drinks when Joel appears on the other side of the deck.

Sarah spots him and flags him over. “Dad! Over here!” She points to the open lounge chair on the other side of you, it being the only open one nearby.

You were in your sexy two piece bikini, something you felt more confident in with every drink.

Joel walks over and greets you both. “Hey, glad y’all are still here. I fell asleep for a bit when I got back to the room. The waves are soothing.” He laughs.

He looks so fucking hot with sunglasses on. They’ve got a reflective blue tint on the outside and you can’t tell for sure but you think he keeps looking at you as he’s speaking.

He sets his towel and book down on the little table between your chair and his before he sits and leans back. He turns to you. “How’s the pool?”

“We haven’t gone in yet.” You answer softly.

Joel gulps and nods, turning away from you. “You two put sunscreen on?”

You nod at him and he leans forward to look at his daughter. “Sarah? Sunscreen?”

“Yes dad…” she sighs. “We should probably reapply though. There’s no cloud cover.”

You nod in agreement and get up. You grab your can of spray sunscreen and start with your arms. You spray it on and then rub it into your skin, next was your stomach and chest.

You’re too tipsy to realize but when you spray your legs, you’re bent over, ass up, right in front of Joel.

When you stand up and turn back around to face your chair, you notice Joel’s towel is now covering his lap and his eyes are on you, no sunglasses.

Oh.

Oh.

Sarah was turned away this whole time and boy, did you give Joel quite the accidental show.

You lick your lips and let out a soft breath, staring at Joel’s face, his eyes busy running up and down your figure.

You both snapped out of it when Sarah’s flip flops scraped the pavement as she turned around. “Y/n, will you get my shoulders?”

Your brain is going a million miles an hour and you can’t form words right now. So a nod would have to do.

She thanks you and turns around. You spray her shoulders and rub it into her skin, stealing one more glance at Joel.

He gave you a small smile, one that was very shy compared to how he’d been looking at you a minute ago.

You and Sarah sat back down and you felt like you’d completely sobered up from that short moment.

“I need another drink.” You hum, holding your empty glass as you stand.

“Can you get me another piña colada, por favor?” Sarah hands you her empty glass.

“Of course.” You smile and head to the bar.

You get yourself a shot of vodka, taking it at the bar before bringing back a piña colada for you and Sarah each.

Joel eventually leaves for dinner, saying a quick goodbye.

Around 8pm, this cute guy comes over and sits in the now empty chair next to Sarah.

“Hey.” He smiles at her.

“Hey.” She grins back.

“I saw you from across the pool… you’re really pretty.” The man bites his lip.

Sarah laughs nervously. “Thank you… you’re very forward.”

“You like that?” He asks.

“I mean, yeah.” She nods.

“Well, then how about you and I go get dinner?” He leans over to look at you. “If it’s okay with your friend.”

Ugh. He really put you on the spot. You didn’t want Sarah to leave your side but you were also pretty drunk and wanted to get out of your bathing suit.

“Yes. She will meet you back here in half an hour. We’re not wearing real clothes.” You laugh.

“Thank you.” He smiles and then winks at Sarah. “See you soon.”

He leaves and Sarah looks at you with excitement and guilt. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know. But you deserve a vacation fling after all of your hard work at school this year.” You smile.

“Let’s go get changed.” She nodded.

***

Sarah tells you she may want to bring him back to the room for a bit later. You tell her you’ll stay out finding stuff to do till midnight.

After you’re both changed out of swimsuits, Sarah leaves for the pool again.

You leave the room not long after her to go explore the ship some more.

You end up getting a few more drinks throughout the night while participating in karaoke at the same place that the trivia was at earlier.

You give Sarah an extra half hour past midnight and then stumble back to the room. You knock lightly and wait a minute but don’t hear anything. You use your key card to unlock the door but when you turn the handle and push, you find that the deadbolt is locked too.

“Sarah?” You say through the door while knocking.

After a few minutes, you realize you’re too drunk and tired to keep doing this.

You turn around and knock on the new door in front of you.

When the door swings open, you find exactly who you’re looking for.

“Joel.” You smile.

“Hey, what’s going on?” He asks, rubbing his eyes.

“Oh shit… did- did I wake you up?” You slur.

“Not really.” He shakes his head. “Are you okay?” He looks you over.

“Yeah I’m just drunk… and I wanna go to sleep but your daughter brought a guest back to the room and I can’t get in.” You sigh.

“Come in, sweetheart.” Joel stands back and holds the door open.

You look at the space between him and the wall and you know you’re gonna rub against him as you pass by but you’re tipsy and you want it so you go ahead, faced away from him.

Your ass rubs against him as you pass by and head into the room. He closes the door and you go straight out onto the balcony for fresh, warm, night air.

“Oh my godddddd!” You nearly shout. “This feels soooo good.” You laugh.

“Y/n, be careful.” Joel follows you outside and helps you back in.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” His hand cups your elbow as he leads you.

Your breathing picks up and you snort. “I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” You mumble.

“What?” He asks, now a little flustered.

“Nothing.” You sigh and kick off your shoes before crawling into the single king bed in his room.

“I think the couch turns into a bed.” He says, mainly to himself, as he pulls the blankets over you.

“Nooo, it’s fine. It’s fine. Don’t-“ you hiccup, ”don’t wanna make you sleep on a fuckin- a fuckin couch bed.” You say, eyes half closed.

“Come cuddle up, Mr. Miller.” You smile.

He stares at you, cheeks turning pink. “This is inappropriate. You’re my daughter’s best friend.” He shakes his head.

There it is again. Another wildly sobering moment.

You sit up, chest and face heating up. You are so embarrassed. You swear he was like, sexually checking you out earlier… and now… oh god, you’re gonna puke.

You run to the bathroom and throw up until you can’t anymore, rinsing your mouth out before opening the bathroom door. Joel is standing right there.

“Are you okay?” He asks, eyes sad.

“Yes. I’m fine.” You quickly move past him and leave the room, walking out without your shoes.

He calls after you once but doesn’t chase you as tears start to run down your cheeks.

You end up going to the top deck lounge to fall asleep in a booth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joel Miller taglist: @evyiione @chyannealaniz @cesspitoflove @supersingle @jrosie25 @blackfemalenerd @bongsrconfusing @milly-louise @farintonorth @brittmb115 @ashleyfilm @steverogers123

Join the tag list here.

#fanfic #fanfiction #smut #pedro pascal #joel miller #imagine #joel miller smut #joel miller x reader #joel miller x y/n #joel miller x you #joel #joel tlou #joel the last of us #joel x reader #joel x you #joel x y/n #Joel x plus size reader #plus size #plus size reader #joel miller x plus size reader #joel miller tlou #no outbreak!joel miller #no outbreak au #au #tlou au #the last of us au #cruise ship #spring break #sarah miller #Livyjh

[heavenknowsffs]

Sorry for another vent post but here goes

#like i'm not looking for a relationship ok ? but i met this guy and we've been hooking yp #but like he is being all sweet and caring and he is great don't get me wrong #he's like eddie munson i'm not gonna lie #but at the same time he doesn't get my jokes and when i make a sarcastic comment or something funny he always thinks i'm being honest #and then he's too sweet if it makes sense in normal convos? BUT if i am ganuinely distressed (which i am a lot you guys know) #he is just not very emotionally intelligent 😬 and like it's all fun and wtv but i feel like he might like me more than i like him #and i called him babe once bc i had this girl friend who calls everyone babe and i spent like 3 days with her so i called him that #and now he always calls me babe and i'm like 😐 pls stop but i can't tell him to stop bc it will seem rude #and yeah my friends that know him are like he's such a cool guy and so sweet and everything and it looks like we're dating #but like we're not man we're not i met him a few weeks ago #anyway i think in reality i'm trying to find bad things about him just so i can justify not liking him and sabotage the whole thing bc + #+ i'm too afraid lmao #i think i'm emotionally unavailable and don't want a relationship or feel ready for it at all #i feel like i'm starting that age most ppl have at 18/19 of exploring and just vibing except i should have gone through that then #but i never got the change bc of abusive relationships and being at home and not having freedom to just exist #and now i do and i feel like if i start dating someone i'll lose my freedom again #which should not even happen in a healthy relationship but that's how i feel #maybe will talk about this to my therapist see what he says #i think i know what he will say like 'you're just afraid don't think about it too much tell him how you feel' #and i HAVE told him generally how i feel and that i don't want to move mad about it and he was like 'no were just getting to know eachother

[deus-ex-mona]

little brothers and their will to #slay, man </3

#while yes yes this post technically does apply to the simp bros i wanna cry about my own bro in the tags so you have been warned~? #so to start off my monthly existential crisis rant i just wanna say that… i’m so so soo envious of my bro. like to a really unhealthy extent #he’s tall enough to reach the top shelves. i can barely touch them if i jump. he has so many friends and even a gf. i have 0 irl friends. #he is able to sit in one spot and focus on his studies. i can’t even sit down for a full half hour to *eat* without getting up to take a nap #he’s learning how to drive. i can’t. he was admitted into university. i wasn’t. he’s able to find what he likes and stick to it. i can’t. #like mannn. he thrived in the course he chose in tertiary education while i lost my passion for it in the middle of my first year. #he’s good at picking up everything he tries (puzzle cubes; bball; you name it he’s good at it) while i’m just. bad at everything i try lol #he’s very good at his studies (aside from languages) and sports. i’m not good at anything at all. #he gets told that he has a great sense of humour. i’m just. boring and annoying. lolllll #he’s super sociable and he has good relations with pretty much every single family member (sans me). i’m not in contsct with most of the fam #heck he was pretty much the favourite from the moment he was born. his baby pics still get brought up from time to time bc of how cute he is #(granted it’s bc he looks like a bby m*ch*l*n man (like the tire company mascot) and he’s super cute in them but still) #and he’s also a guy and content with being a guy which is just… not fair y’knowwww~~~ asian family boy biases and all (cries) #our father pretty much cast me aside once my bro was old enough to hang with him. and even before then the bias was as clear as day. >:((((( #i make the dude mad? i get screamed at and whaccced. bro gets the dude mad? he gets a lesson on how to throw punches instead!!! like wow!!!! #he’s the only one who got to escape any direct physical harm from the guy and yet!!!! he was the 1st one to be singled out for trauma focus #idk if it’s bc of his age back then or whattttt but i can’t believe i had to friggin’ ask my therapist back then for a trauma assessment :( #2015 was a different time… my bro managed to succeed in school while i was rejected from the drama club for being too depressed :(((( #but i’m sure my bro has his own share of struggles… and i’m glad that he has a few groups of friends to chill with. really. #but i just can’t help feeling extremely envious of him. i could never tell him any of this though we hardly talk at home lol #and he pretends not to know me when i approach him in public lmfaoooo. i don’t blame him though; i’d do the same if i were to approach me #so yeah. if you read this i’m sorry for being cringefail and bad at everything~~ am i still allowed to pollute your dash~? <3 #and also. idk if i’ll be able to continue sischange over this week bc i’ll be handling 2 workstations by meself :( and idk how tired i’ll be #but we’ll see ok~? sorry for having zero time management skills am i still qualified to be a legit adult~? #sunday’s 🧂saltfest🧂

[theygender]

You know... part of the reason I had a hard time coming to terms with being a lesbian growing up was because I didn't want to be like my mom. I had been through a lot of trauma that was directly related to her choice in women, and there's definitely something to be said for the difficulties that that caused me, but that's not what this post is about

My point is, when I was a kid the idea of anyone ever thinking that I was like my mother made me angry, and that combined with the internalized lesbophobia that I developed made me especially sick at the idea of anyone ever thinking that I was a lesbian. Even worse, I felt like the homophobes in our family expected me to become a lesbian because of their bigoted ideas that gay parents "corrupt" children. I didn't want to be a lesbian because I didn't want to prove them right and I didn't want to be compared to my mother, so I fought hard against ever being interpreted that way

But now, as someone who's reconnecting with my mom on my own terms and finding out that she's changed for the better? As someone who's secure in their identity as a lesbian and grateful for the opportunities that I've had to engage with the LGBT community throughout my life? As someone who loves my mother in spite of her flaws and recognizes the struggles she faced growing up in the 1970s as the first out LGBT person in a homophobic southern family? I'm proud to be as openly gay as I am and I will not be apologetic for it

I WILL look as queer as possible at our family reunions. I WILL make you respect my girlfriend's pronouns. I WILL speak openly and honestly about the woman I love. I WILL be who I am with no compromises. And I will not engage with you if you don't accept this

My mom had to spend way too many years trying to conform to heteronormative standards for her family's acceptance. She had to hide who she was throughout her childhood, and she had to go through conversion therapy when she was outed. Even as an adult she wasn't able to present the way she wanted or speak openly about her partners. She was the first out lesbian in a family full of southern conservative christians, and she had to live through the hell that her family created for her all alone

...But I am the second out lesbian in a family that supports me for who I am. And I'm the first out nonbinary person in a family that supports me for who I am. And I openly and proudly love all the trans people in my life, who are also fully supported by my family. And there's nothing any of my conservative relatives can do about that. I'm accepted by the family that matters, and I have to be afforded the same respect as everyone else at family gatherings. The homophobes no longer have the power in this situation. I get to be who I am, and if they don't like it they have to leave. They spent decades making my mom's identity a problem for her, and now I'm going to make my identity everyone else's problem. Get with the program or die fucking mad

#i really am proud of how much my mom has grown as a person #and im happy that we have supportive family members now too #my grandma. my great grandma. my grandpas wife #my great grandma was the only one who accepted my mom as a kid and shes always been sweet #when i was in high school i had a huge crush / sort of fling with a girl named tori and i guess my mom talked to her about it #my great grandma said she had heard i had a 'good friend' named tori and when i confirmed she told me how wonderful she thought that was #and that she thought we should go to college and get a nice apartment together after we graduated #i didnt even realize that she /knew/ that i was interested in girls before then but that conversation was so sweet #my nana took some time to adjust to trans issues but once she understands she does a great job of being supportive #she accepted my previous best friend (who i called my brother and my mom called her son) as her grandson #and after my mom explained it to her she always got his pronouns right #my mom has had to explain my girlfriends pronouns to her as well but now she makes sure to use the right pronouns for her too #my grandpa is probably the most conservative person in our family. BUT his wife is extremely sweet #her only reaction to my trans girlfriend was to say that one day the three of us should all get together and have a girls day #and whats he going to say about my girlfriend when his wife is being so supportive of her? #what is ANYONE in our family going to say about me or my mom or my girlfriend when all three of the family matriarchs are supportive of us? #you dont come into nanas house and be mean to her grandkids. you dont act like a dick in front of grandma betty #no one can talk shit about my mom for being a lesbian anymore when im there being an even BIGGER dyke and theyre required to be nice to me #and if any of my cousins ever come out theyll be safe now too #i painted myself into a big enough target that every other target would look tiny in comparison #and now that my grandmas have said that no ones allowed to shoot at me everyone has to put down their guns #and im pretty fucking proud of that tbh #thank you for paving the way for me mom. i know you went through a lot #ill take over from here #rambling

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

so my mom mentioned to my brother that i didnt have the best of times at pride the other day because like people were at least 2½hrs late so i was just kinda sat there alone for a long time.

and my brother has told me that next year, hell go to pride with me and hell get his best mate to go too, and is he trying to tell me something? are one of them, or both of them queer? or is it just aggressive allyship? i cannot tell.

#kai rambles #i appreciate the sentiment #because like the first 2 hours of waiting were Not Fun for me #because see i developed fainting attacks recently #they might be non-epileptic seizures we're not sure #but i was like its not gonna be a problem if i faint because we're having a picnic and watching the parade #and if the worst happens #itll be my friends around me to wait for me to wake up #so like you can imagine the terror i was feeling when i was there alone #like i have a card explaining everything that ill wear but i got that when i was staying at my moms 2 hours away #and it only has hers and my brothers numbers on it so not the most helpful and i dont have one for my friends #because like i need to have that conversation with them first #so i didnt even have the card with me #so if i fainted it would be strangers around whod probably be calling emergency services immediately when they dont need to #and i was so scared that it would happen that i moved from a bench to the floor because at least that way if i hit my head #less likely to have a second brain injury #i was texting my mom the whole time #and like i had a great time once my friends got there but most of the stalls were closed and wed basically missed everything #so not the best time #and i appreciate that my brother being like ''if they let you down again i'll- you know what? no matter what i'll go with you'' #its very sweet of him

[torchickentacos]

13

13: Favorite Food

Hello!!! I LOVE food, and absolutely can't choose just one, so here's a top five. Longer post where I just talk about food.

Seafood. I just have to have the entire category here. I was pescetarian for a long time and would still be if I was just eating for myself. Flaky white fish battered and fried, sushi, oysters, salmon with herbs on top, crab and lobster, shrimp, the lil dudes in the shells, all of it. I have not met a fish I don't like. Seafood, especially sushi and shelled things, are a rare treat for me, but when I do eat it I'm in HEAVEN. But one of the best ones is fried tilapia with cajun seasoning or a southern seafood boil. My seafood tip: find a place near you that does seasonal seafood/rotational menus. Way more likely to be fresh.

Biscuits and gravy. Southern comfort food number one, in my opinion. Flaky biscuits coated in WHITE gravy, not like. turkey gravy. My mama always used chipped beef instead of sausage, but it's good just about however you make it.

Apple dumplings/apple pie. Same category because they're sort of the same dish but repackaged. Look, you've got a crust, apple, spices, and sugar. That's gonna be good no matter what you do with it.

Anita's breakfast burritos. A rare indulgence for my family but it's SO GOOD.

Finally, outback steak. It's more of an association thing because one night it was just me and my grandma, and we were hungry and she was like "let's be real fancy and get outback" because that's fancy shit to me. Last legit fancy resturaunt I went to was my Uma's 100th birthday dinner like eight years ago. ANYWAYS granny and I just stayed in and watched netflix and had a great time on the couch in the basement eating steak watching queer eye.

#long tags and talk about history and culture. food inspires conversation and connection #tw food #food #I feel like i'm somewhat exposing my redneck culture here #we got DUMPLINS AND BISCUITS N GRAVY AND FRIED FISH AND SEAFOOD BOILS #not my fault southern cuisine is top tier #I once had a friend say like. you're not that southern you're in (state) #like ok i have a whole rant but basically it comes down to the fact that culture is generally much more tied to #things like upbringing and practices and tradition and lifestyle than actual physical location #it's SO INTERESTING I had a class about it #but basically the area I'm in used ot be all farmland and mountains #now it's basically a central hub for data centers and airports and stuff #and people move in and out all the time #but my family. both sides. have been here for a super long time #so our practices and culture are deeply rooted in the area and it's survived #even though most others like that have left the area #so when I call myself southern it's not about the actual location or those around me #it's about learning to can tomatoes and talking like my great grandparents did and cooking food they made and hearing stories about the #farm they had with the animals they raised and the coal miners and stuff like that #I really urge you guys to look into your family history and learn about it #ask family members if you can #like i learned that a lot of my family was actually involved in one of many 1900s labor/worker's rights disputes #the names shouldn't be there and shouldn't connect me to any of it in a doxxing way #so if you want some history look up the harlan coal wars / bloody harlan #kentucky coal miners were tired of being sent to die for work basically #ALSO food is history #hence how it spurred on my usual long tags

[theinternetkilledmychildhood]

!!!! Something in my life went well for once!!!! Details in tags (slightly hindered by tag limit)

#so my romantic life has been a fuckin shitshow for years and even more so in the past few months #but i meet this guy at work last week who I really clicked with #we both got drinks at a sort of evening event nearby (the chalet at mass MoCA for those of you who know) after work last week #i ended up meeting a lot of new people and talking a LOT with him which was lovely #it was the most social I've been in months and i really enjoyed myself #and like. i gave him my number after work (which was how i ended up going to this thing in the first place) and afterwards??? he texted me #telling me he was really glad to see me there and he had a great time #and through our conversation i got indirectly invited to come over to his place and make/drink homemade wine spritzers (my recipe) #and at first i wasn't totally sure if this was a making new friends thing or maybe something more? #he's about 6.5 years older than me and we'd only talked twice (once at work and once at the thing) so it could've just be friendly #but we had that wine spritzers date last night and hung out for like. over 4 hours?? mostly just talking #oh boy did we talk about fuckin everything. he also told me I'm a very beautiful person in the course of that conversation #which... not many people have done in the past couple years. i can think of maybe one or two. so it's a big thing for me #and when we went inside to watch a few episodes of a show he recommended #he turned to me after the first couple episodes (which we were intermittently talking through) #and very matter-of-factly said can i ask you something? and when i said yes he said how do you feel about cuddling? #and of course my touch starved ass who already had a developing crush on him immediately said I'm a big fuckin fan of it #and we just. sat and watched like three more episodes of this show like that. very comfortably. #mostly holding hand(s) while he had his arm around me and i had my head on his shoulder (which was lovely) #but also??? with his hand between my thighs??? not doing anything but just like holding my leg #and we were like that for most of the last episode and a half of this show #and that was it! it got late and we both had to work so I left a bit before midnight #we chatted a bit and he hugged me on my way out but it wasn't anything more than that #and y'all. i fuckin. the slow pace? the honest and open communication? the clear respect of me and my boundaries but also attraction to me? #((which i barely comprehend btw)) #god its so nice to be into someone whos also into me who's like. older and at a semi similar level of emotional and mental stability?? wild #so yeah im. very much reveling in the least dramatic and most wholesome slowburn of a romantic entanglement ive had in my entire life #GOD. to be treated like an ADULT by another ADULT. it shouldnt be this crazy but it really truly is. #ive had no choirs by florence in the machine stuck in my head since i walked home and its exactly everything i feel rn #personal

[starkidlabs]

At this point it feels like I’m not even back at square one. It’s more like I’m at the lowest point my life can possibly get.

#before I started uni my life was shit but I had one friend and the hope that uni life would make things better #it did #but unis over #now it feels like that one friend I did have has forgotten about me and hasn’t got any time for me (which is fair but it’s sucks) #I only see my undergrad uni friends once a year (I love them still but I don’t even get texts nowadays) #as for my postgrad friends I haven’t heard from them at all - they barley even spoke to me at graduation #I also lost my long term boyfriend of 4 years which was great ✌️ #so really back to square one on that front #but really I’m even lower than square one #I don’t have the hope of going back to uni because I’ll never be able to afford a PhD #as for a job it really feels all sorts of hopeless - I’ve had a couple of interview at this point but I doubt I’ll get the jobs and at this #point it seems really hopeless applying to most places because every job I apply to has 100+ applicants and even if I have the exact #experience required I get overlooked #then this whole thing with my sister - we’ve always had a good relationship - I’ve always loved being with her - but she said I was a #harasser and that she felt like she was in an abusive relationship with me because I asked for her help with something #the help being something pretty insignificant overall - like few minutes of your time - check over something for me and help me download it #I just this has absolutely wrecked me - I can’t believe she thinks of me that way as an abuser? because I asked for her help #I always help her in anyway I can - it feels like I’m lying about this because how can she think I’m abusive over such a small thing #I just don’t think I’ll ever get over it #I don’t think I can have the same relationship with her again. I can’t ever ask for her help again. and I certainly don’t want to help her #anymore if it’s just gonna be a one way street where I help her for hours on end but can’t ask for her help without her viewing me as #an abuser of some kind #I just have no one but my parents now - I’m so lucky to have parents that love and care about me #but I just want to cut off all my hair and runaway. I just want to be a different person because being myself has gotten me nothing & no one

[literalgrill]

Do NOT Support Hard Drive On Patreon

You might see friends today suggesting you support Hard Drive on Patreon today. You know, the funny video games version of The Onion? As a journalist, I will firmly tell you DO NOT GIVE THEM A DIME.

The CEO has pushed out all former staff that have built the site up to its current greatness and has been pushing the use of AI. The staff begged to have a Patreon before basically all being pushed out, but the idea was refused until now, when it will only line the pockets of a single person instead of hard working writers.

I know they might have provided laughs before, but Hard Drive is a shell of what it was once. Let it die and support the people who actually made those moments of joy possible. Don't believe me? Check out what former employees are saying below:

Kevin Podas: Okay you know what, I would feel bad saying nothing about this, so here goes:🚨SAVE YOUR MONEY🚨

We passionately advocated for a Patreon at Hard Drive & were aggressively shot down. The talent & people who built the site were pushed out. To see this now is beyond upsetting. For the past few years or so I put a lot of myself into this website. I pitched a ton of jokes, got over 120 articles published, & met a lot of great people. I'm sure if you've been following me for some time you could easily see this.

However, there is a lot of misinformation. I was eventually promoted to Managing Editor of the site & was ecstatic. Grateful for the opportunity. Felt like all of my hard work in the comedy mines was finally paying off. But things took a turn for the worst, & each day there were new surprises that affected our livelihoods. These were all very avoidable surprises, mind you.

A patreon was going to be our hail mary, but alas, for some reason, the power that be did not want it. Causing us to leave a dream job behind. "At least we did all we could," we consoled ourselves afterwards. I put a lot of myself into this project. I pitched all sorts of ideas that could have helped-- we all did. Merch collaborations, Patreon-integrated YouTube content, so much more. And most of them were shot down out of sheer stubbornness and nothing more. To see lie after lie spread, and multiple big publications and YouTubers that I am a fan of promote this Patreon under these pretenses is incredibly upsetting. There are so many receipts.

Please share this and consider pulling out if you've already put money into this. On Hard Drive using AI, also from Kevin Podas: I can't personally confirm that part aside from some of the recent header images for articles on both Hard Drive and Hard Times are being made with AI. As far as writing, it's been mentioned in the past, but I personally do not know. Maybe others do, maybe not. MORE From Kevin Podas suggesting the owner denying a Patreon being set up earlier cost an artist a job that was replaced by AI: We had a social media person who was awesome! He made the images until this AI implementation. He had to leave because ad revenue was low and a Patreon was aggressively refused.

Luca Fisher: at the risk of burning some bridges, i have to back up kevin here. i've only been part-time, in-and-out of hard drive since i got in last year, but i can corroborate that management doubled and tripled down about not hosting a patreon/crowdfunding and that many other suggestions and ideas, including mine (and ones much smarter than mine!), were shot down in really long, apocalyptic threads of everyone left on deck desperately trying to come up with ways to keep the lights on. managerially it has been messy and sad

i've written for multiple publications that have long since died, ones that were in the process of dying, and ones that, in this case, are soon to be put in the ground. it is sad and sucks every time. i don't know what could have been done differently, but i do know that a lot of great writers and content creators were left shorthanded and unhappy by the way things have gone. and it is sort of puzzling to see the sudden championing of patreon after we were all told plenty of times that it couldn't work and we should move on also, just to add my own personal two cents here, i was really disappointed by the shuttering of many different article sections on the site over the past 6-8 months. i understand cutting corners in a deficit, and i know it had to be done. that said…

all in all, i'm really sad to see this all happen. i don't fault anyone, if only because i don't really know enough about how this all can happen to make sense of it. games journalism is in a sad, sorry state, and will likely no longer be a thing in the next decade

VideoSealMan: I'm gonna say this because I think I deserve to. For months, MONTHS on end I was bugging Hard Drive management about a Patreon. Often I got ignored for a week+, but when I actually got a response I was encouraged to - of all things, write up a Google Doc pitching the concept I did it regardless. I wasn't the only one trying to sway management on a Patreon, but so fiercely was I fighting for it that last night, I was accused of making this comment directly by the CEO! With no evidence whatsoever! After I'd been gone for over a month.

I vouched so hard for Patreon because I wanted all the writers and creatives working with Hard Drive including myself to get paid better. When I actually got a response, the idea was often shut down. Eventually due to the state of my company, my pay was cut for a second time I confronted management alongside a couple other important figureheads at the org and told them that if we couldn't do a Patreon - I could no longer financially justify staying there. The answer was still no, so I left. Baffled at the decision, but whatever.

It is unendingly frustrating to know that myself and many other people who put their soul into Hard Drive LEFT because of management's absolute refusal to compromise on a Patreon, to then see them launch one anyway a month later and get over 1000 people pledging money. I'm seeing a lot of things float around about greed and people being fired. No one was fired. Everyone who left, left because they were sick of management's decision-making. And honestly, management is a lot of things but I would not call them greedy. (From my experience.) They did genuinely make an effort to pay people as much as possible. I found the pay very fair for a while. I am not disputing that I was paid what I was owed - yet management frequently feels the need to remind critics of that. Lmao, yes. I was paid what I was owed. No one is disputing payment. You did the bare minimum a business owner should do and paid everyone their due, very well done. I make no allegations of greed, cheating or foul play. I make allegations of poor management and incompetence that has fucked over other people.

Basically the only people left at Hard Drive have been there for about 2 months. They will reap the rewards of this successful Patreon I and so many others passionately fought for for so long. We will not see a dime.

I do not know the new people at Hard Drive, But I feel bad for them. They were haphazardly thrust into Hard Drive's workplace with little to no explanation on how anything works, or given any context on the state of the place. Even now managements feeds them half-truths and misinformation about other people's grievances. I am broke and have been for a while. I had to move out of my flat in Reading and back with my family because of how little money I was making. This has basically doomed my flatmate to moving back in with abusive parents, which is something I feel guilty about every day. If we had gone with the Patreon I worked myself hoarse over back then, this could have been avoided. Some of my other good pals could also not have been fucked over.

It was a bad judgment call, but it's not a crime. It's just management getting it wrong.

So should you give to the Hard Drive Patreon? I don't know! I don't think any of the new people working there to patch up the holes left by the recent mass exodus have any bad intentions. Maybe they deserve it! But it is not the same site you knew a year ago, or even a month ago. Myself and many people who were there far longer than me and did far more for it than I did are all gone now because we could not deal with management's terrible decision-making and dogass communication any longer. That's what you should know, imo

I had an agreement in place with management that I would receive the next 8 months of revenue from the Hard Drive YT channel from my leaving in November. This was a deal I appreciated, and thought was very fair on management's behalf. So far, the deal has been honoured for 2 months. However as of last night I was removed from the Hard Drive Slack without warning, and as an editor for the YouTube channel. This means I no longer have any way of verifying how much I am owed, I just have to take their word for it. I'm sure management will make their own statements full of half-truths and weird language on the many cases being brought against them - I'd take everything they say with a pinch of salt if some of the screenshots I've seen of them talking about me are any indication lol

To management; I do not want to talk to you. I want you to DM me a screenshot of how much I'm owed every month and then send me the money per our agreement until June, then we can go our separate ways. Do that and admit to your mistakes, and maybe you can recover your reputation! That's it from me, lol. If they pull out of the deal and fuck me over I'll have more to say, but most of what I know is other people's stories of incompetence and poor decision-making, lol. I genuinely get no pleasure out of doing this; I do not think management is evil - I just think they're really bad at what they do and it's cost other, more talented people, lol. You should believe the writers imo

One last thing I wanna say btw, management did often stress that no one should try to make Hard Drive a full time thing. They were transparent about that, and that is fair. I was working on it because at a few points, I was lead to believe we actually were doing a Patreon. Many other ppl have similar stories of being strung along by management changing their minds and stop-starting shit every 2 weeks. We all made the fatal mistake of overestimating our manager - who would tell you one thing one day and something totally opposite the next week lol

Hunter R. Thompson:

I'm not your dad, but speaking as a Hard Drive writer, I don't know that funding Hard Drive on Patreon is worth it

The driving talent on the back end—behind the kickass site I joined in 2019—have peaced out over the years as the site's been (in our view) increasingly mismanaged. Mismanagement like, not setting up crowdfunding before the ship sank and all its best crew failed; or publishing a screenshot of Andy Ngo pedojacketing a trans writer, complete with her deadname; or a disgruntled ex-writer getting falsely accused of shit-talk, by actual staff. I'm grateful for the writing I've gotten to produce for HD (and will forever be kicking myself for not writing even more, in the four years I've had to do it!! i'm a dumbass!!!) but it is very much no longer the site I signed up for.

I don't want to resign as a contributor altogether, because I'm open to the idea of the site recovering and bad practices being retired as finances level out-- it would just be dishonest for potential backers to not be Aware Of The Circumstances, I think.

Jeremy Kaplowitz: i truly don't want to start shit, but feel compelled to say: i want to see Hard Drive succeed w/o resorting to throwing former writers & editors, myself included, under the bus. surely there's a way to save the site without building it over the corpses of those who left. my $0.02 i don't blame anyone who wants to sign up for the HD patreon and i support the website, but that includes those who worked on it for years, have complaints, and don't deserve to be treated like bitter assholes like this kind of stuff is just objectively true, meanwhile there's these new writers who joined the site after i left (meaning, in the last ~3 months) claiming people are liars. decide for yourself if you care, but this is what happened! [Quotes this Tweet]

Seth Finkelstein: Writing for Hard Drive has been a privilege the past few years, and it makes me so angry to see people I looked up to get jerked around behind the scenes. The amount of grenades the editors jumped on our behalf is immense, and I don't think the way they're being treated is right.

Other Bits On AI: We do know for sure however that AI art has been used by the site. Its fucking owner confirms it here:https://twitter.com/MattSaincome/status/1743040541603123622. Seems the owner pushed AI written articles as well! TayFabe: My vaguetweet is making the rounds & these made me apoplectic. - owner regularly lobbied using ai. Once he tested it & said ai was writing better satire than 25% of the HT/HD writers. - ai images were used on the site & socials w/o consulting the team or disclosing it publicly I found the ai bit relevant to include bc 1) it illuminates a stark change in HD's current direction & leadership, 2) ai images have previously been used on the site and (since deleted) ig posts, 3) ai content fucking sucks, and repeatedly pushing to use it is a telling quality The "handful of writers who chose to leave" includes 2 editors-in-chief (both cofounders who wrote a combined total of >1,000 articles & defined the voice of HD), & at least 3 other editors. These guys put in WORK since 2017, so cool to be corrected by ppl who joined in Nov 2023 [Link to mentioned vague tweet from post.] More from TayFabe: owner continuously lobbied for using ai in every possible way. No one else wanted to do it, but he kept on, saying ai was writing better satire than 25% of the HT/HD writers. Also, ai images were used on the site & socials without public disclosure or consulting the team.

The owner has responded now multiple times in a private discord... Thank you for people sharing screenshots! First Screenshot:

Kevin's Response: He banned me from the server for speaking out, so no, I didn't see it. And he gave no indication of a timeline, it was just "we'll do one when *I* say so" and gave every inclination he was totally against it. It bred an environment that pushed our hands to have to leave. Screenshot Round Two:

Kevin's Response: "Starting one in 3 months" is an absolute lie. He denied it, I have screenshots and others who can confirm. No timeline was given. Just "this is what it is now" and like, I couldn't live off of that. I wanted to do more but he was allergic to good ideas from others around him.

Matt, owner of Hard Drive, responds publicly on Twitter.

Matt: Kevin, the patreon launch was delayed because I didn't think it would work. Everyone is happy that it did work. Everyone who left the site because we didn't have money to pay for creative content which didn't revenue is welcome to return home. But unclear why the hostility.

Hard Drive paid out literally every dollar it had, then a bunch more, to creative people who worked on the site. When we ran out of money, we couldn't pay anymore. We did our best.

Kevin: Right, and my point of this thread was that it was completely and totally avoidable. This is reasonable to be upset about. How could I have been any more clear?

Matt: If we knew with 100% certainly that the community would have supported us via patreon, we would have done that. We didn't know. We had tried 4 years ago and got no support. We were wrong this time. We did our best to figure it out. We paid all the money we could.

Kevin: So you knew with 100% certainty this time? Or you took a leap of faith?

Matt: It was a last gasp panic effort after ad rates got cut in half on january 1st due to seasonal spending changes. We didn't know it would work. We were embarrassed to ask for support. We wanted to figure it out.

Kevin: Every site has a Patreon. Every YouTuber, comedy group, etc. But you insisted that nobody cared about Hard Drive. Which is wildly untrue. I know you see that now, but again, I think you can see why I and many others are pretty upset. A last ditch panic effort was long overdue. A couple more things from Matt:

It was about the size of the hole we needed plugged budget wise, the time I had left of personal resources, and the past data I had about us trying a patreon (which turned out to be a bad indicator). I didn't think the Patreon would help us fast enough. I made a bad estimation

aka "if we make $1000 more dollars a month via patreon, which would be 10x what we got last time, we will not solve any of our problems. If instead we try to plow down path B, we might make it out in time." That was the thinking. I chose the wrong path, but didn't mean to Kevin also retweeted this comment from the user Matt was responding to: So you're saying that you're bad at running the business, didn't listen to any of your employees until after they were forced to leave their jobs, and now you're going to get more of the money from the Patreon that was their idea in the first place? Matt's Response: Respectfully, I made a mistake delaying the patreon decision. But keeping a comedy site alive for 9 years is not easy, there are lots of potential ideas, and think overall we've done a good and honorable job. Will leave this thread in peace now to allow people their space.

Sorry for linking to Elon's hellsite (derogatory), but sources need links so...

#video games #patreon #hard drive #ai critical