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#frosted country road
seasonalwonderment · 2 months
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Country Lane, Cotswolds, England
Photography by lanw Stokes
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Winter in Finland 🇫🇮
Photographed by Lauri Lohi
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xscape-photography · 1 year
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A Frozen Morning 012 © Xscape Photography 2023
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jadethhh · 1 year
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A frosty morning.
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sarahwroteathing · 3 months
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Giddy
[Steve Rogers x Reader]
Word Count: 2950
Summary: You take Steve on a surprise date.
Request: Steve Rogers, Giddy, Ice Skating
Warnings: None
A/N: I got VERY carried away by your choice of mood word, dear anon. I had a lot of fun with it, and I hope it's just as fun to read. Merry Christmas, my loves!
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You don’t think you’ve ever seen a cuter sight than Steve Rogers sitting in your passenger’s seat for a surprise date. He brought two changes of clothes. A tote bag of snacks. A “fancy coffee” that Natasha taught him how to make, presented to you proudly in a giant thermos. Now he was sitting straight up in his seat, alternating between staring out the windows and staring at you with a goofy smile and bright eyes like this was the best day of his life. 
“Are you excited?” you asked with a laugh.
“Sorry. No one ever surprises me,” he said, looking faintly embarrassed. “At least not good surprises.”
“Nothing to be sorry about! I’ve just never seen you like this before. It’s really cute.”
From the corner of your eye, you thought you saw him begin to blush, and you wished there was a way to admire it more thoroughly without recklessly endangering you both. 
“And you still won’t tell me how long we’ll be driving?” he checked after a moment, earning a narrow-eyed look from you.
“No, Mr. GPS Brain, I’m not telling you how long,”
“Fine,” he said, still smiling, taking a moment to dig through the snack bag. “Here.”
He poked at your bottom lip until you opened your mouth to take the chocolate-covered pretzel he held up for you. 
“Thank you, my love.” 
“Mmhmm. Wait, you ate breakfast before you picked me up, right? You told me you were going to.”
“Yes, I did.”
You didn’t have to look to know he was eyeing you suspiciously.
“Promise?”
“Yes, I promise,” you laughed, holding out your hand for a pinky promise. 
“Just checking… Do you want some apple chips? I got the green ones you like.” 
He was holding your pinky hostage now, dropping a kiss onto the back of your hand as he waited for the specific answer he clearly wanted.
“Of course, Passenger Princess Steve.”
“I don’t know what that means,” he said, not sounding particularly bothered as he released your hand to dig for the apple chips.
“You can look it up. It’s not bad.”
He hummed, depositing an apple chip in your mouth before pulling out his phone. You smiled to yourself as he typed.
“I don’t not drive. You don’t let me drive.”
“I let you drive. Just not my car.”
“I’m a fine driver.”
“Steve. I’m not convinced you’ve ever had to pass a driving test. You drive every car like you stole it.”
“Rude,” he said even as he fed you another apple chip. 
“I fear for my life and insurance rates.”
“Just break up with me now, I guess.”
You snorted. 
“Nah. It’s endearing in its own way. And you’re very good with the motorcycle, at least when I’m on it. Very gentle.” 
“Well, yeah. I don’t want you falling off.”
“I appreciate that,” you laughed.
Things continued this way for about three hours as you drove out of the city and the buildings grew more and more sparse, eventually giving way to frost-covered trees and stretches of snow-covered ground. Steve never lost his smile or his excitable energy, choosing songs that only contributed to the mood. The music had you dancing in your seat and singing to him while he laughed and watched you, joining in for a few lines when he got the hang of it.
By the time you turned off the main road, Steve was wiggling in his seat too, craning to see out all of the car windows. After two stretches of tree-lined country roads, you arrived at your destination, a large tract of land with a few large, well-maintained old buildings and wide open spaces. 
On one such space there was a decently sized outdoor ice rink, a low wooden wall with evenly spaced high posts fencing it in and rainbow colored twinkle lights upping the charm. Three small sets of wood benches like partial bleachers surrounded it on three sides, with a cheerfully painted food truck taking up the fourth side. The chalkboard menus placed just in front of the window advertised an assortment of hot drinks and pastries. 
There weren’t many people here, late morning on a weekday, no more than ten total wandering the scenic walking trails in visual range and braving the ice.
“I’ve never been ice skating before,” Steve said quietly, staring out his window with a boyish grin that set your stomach fluttering. “I never had the money for skates and then…. But that’s what we’re here for, right?”
“It is,” you said, parking in a small dirt lot and shutting off the engine. “If that sounds fun. We can also take some of the trails if you’d rather.” 
He turned to you, responding to you with an enthusiastic kiss that had you giggling against his lips.
“Yeah, it sounds fun. I want to try.”
“Fabulous. I bought you some skates. They’re in the trunk.”
Steve’s eyes got wide again, and he scrambled out of the car so quickly he almost strangled himself with the seatbelt. You followed at a calmer pace, watching with a smile as he unboxed your scuffed up old skates and his shiny new ones. 
“Thank you so much, sweetheart.” 
“Of course,” you said with a shrug. “Let’s go see how they fit.”
You grabbed your coats, scarves, and hats, leaving the skates for Steve to carry as you headed towards the rink. 
“You’ve been skating before,” Steve guessed.
“Oh, yeah. I’ve been skating since I was a kid.”
He hummed, smiling at you with a mix of excitement and nerves as you approached a free space of the bleachers.
You took it upon yourself to help Steve into his skates, and he let you, teasing at the way you fussed over the fit and the laces. You got yours on much quicker and guided Steve to the gap in the barrier with one arm around his waist and your other held out for him to grab onto. 
He wobbled a little as soon as his first foot met the ice, a panicked little grimace flashing across his face as he reached out to you and the wall on his other side.
“It’s alright,” you said, trying to hold in a giggle. “You’ve got it. Hold on until you feel more comfortable.” 
You slid onto the ice seamlessly, gliding along beside him and continuing to steady him until he became a little less wobbly. 
“This is hard,” he laughed, jerking both his arms when he overcorrected his balance.
“It is,” you agreed, catching his elbow. “You’re walking on ice with knives strapped to your feet. It would be weird if it wasn’t hard.” 
“You’re making it look easy,” he said with a flustered smile. 
“Well, of course I am. I’ve had years of practice. Plus, I planned this date very intentionally. I couldn’t show off and perform a super cute romantic cliche if I wasn’t good at it.” 
“If you kiss me right now, I’m pretty sure I’ll fall,” he warned you.
“Noted,” you laughed. “Not what I meant.”
You skated out in front of him, turning smoothly to skate backwards. Steve raised his eyebrows, and you grinned at him, holding out both your hands to him.
“Give me your hands. I’ve got ya. I won’t let you fall.”
Steve glanced uncertainly at the wall, which he had been maintaining a tight grip on as he shuffled along the edge of the ice. You shifted your stance, bringing your hands closer so he could more quickly shift his grip from the wall to you. With a quick breath, he made the change, only wobbling a little before steadying again.
“There you go!” you said encouragingly, now holding both of his hands in yours, towing him gently forward as you skated smoothly backwards.
“If I’m about to take you down with me, let go, okay?” he said, with a giddy little smile that made you wish you could kiss him. But he was right. It wouldn’t take much to knock him over at this point.
“Not a chance. We’re in this together. Look how damn cute we are right now,” you said with a smile. 
Steve relaxed a little, visibly took a moment to appreciate the moment, the two of you skating together with your hands linked, staring into each other's eyes. 
“Are you trying to seduce me?” he whispered to you, squeezing your hands when you laughed loud and carefree at the question.
“Obviously. Is it working?”
“Obviously,” he laughed. 
The two of you made two laps that way, earning a few smiles from the other skaters. Steve wobbled quite a few times, but you managed to steady him each time, maintaining a slow and patient pace with him. 
“You skate better backwards than I do forwards,” he noted as you began your third lap together. “I almost feel bad for slowing you down.”
“Don’t you dare,” you said, squeezing his hands again. “I’m loving every second of this.”
“I kind of want to see what you can do, though. Give you a chance to show off.”
You didn’t want to abandon him on the wall, but the smile he was giving you, somehow already proud before he’d seen you do anything, was impossible to deny.
“Alright, but just for a minute,” you said, slowly guiding his hands to the wall and helping him find a position where he could see the rest of the rink and stabilize himself at the same time.
“I got it,” he said.
“You sure?”
“Yes,” he laughed. “I got it. Go make me fall in love with you again.”
“Steve!” you gasped dramatically, making him laugh again. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be charming you!” 
“You are,” he promised. “Go do it some more.” 
You bit your lip, shaking your head fondly at him as you started moving backwards again, picking up more speed before turning around. You were by no means an expert, but your grandma had enrolled you in several skating classes when you were younger, and you knew plenty of moves that looked extremely impressive to beginners and weren’t all that difficult for you to execute. First, you enjoyed a lap at full speed, enjoying the feeling, and laughing as Steve gave a loud cheer when you passed him. It was the encouragement you needed to start showing off a little more, taking care to only pull out the big guns when you were in spaces of empty ice, safely out of the way of the few other skaters on the ice.
You were halfway through another spin when you heard a brief shout and a heavy thud. When you turned back, Steve was in a bewildered heap on the ice. Biting back a laugh, you weaved quickly through the other skaters, crouching carefully as you slid up to Steve. 
“Are you okay?”
“I fell,” he said, his eyes still wide as they found yours.
“I see that,” you said gently. “Are you okay?”
“I’m bad at this,” Steve laughed, shock morphing into utter delight. 
You smiled hesitantly, reaching for him.
“Did you hit your head?”
“What? No! I just - ” He laughed again. “I fell over. I didn’t get pushed or hit a rough patch of ice I just… Lost my balance and couldn’t save it. And I fell.”
“I’ve literally never seen anyone this happy about falling on their ass in public,” you said, a giggle bubbling up at the sight of that wide, delighted smile still fixed on his beautiful face.
“I feel so normal,” 
“I’d maybe up the angst a little if you want to be normal. Bruised tailbone and all.” 
“Okay,” Steve said simply, flopping straight on his back on the ice like a toddler and sending you into a fit of giggles in the process. 
“That’s not quite what I -” You could barely breathe to get the sentence out, clasping a  hand over your mouth in an attempt to get ahold of yourself.
“That HURT!” Steve called out, still sprawled out on the ice. “I’m so EMBARRASSED!” 
“Steve,” you laughed, letting yourself drop into a seated position next to him. 
“Don’t LOOK at me!” he continued. “Leave me here to DIE!” 
“Incredible,” you said through your giggles. “We found him. The most normal man on the planet.”
Steve was laughing now too, eyes sparkling as he discovered you sprawling on the ice beside him. He wrapped an arm around you, dragging you closer to him and muffling his laughter against your skin, pressing cold little kisses to your face.
“Ready for a break?” you asked as you recovered your breath. 
“Sure,” he said. “But you’re either going to have to teach me how to get up or drag me to the exit.”
You snorted.
“Alright, come on. Scoot closer to the wall. That’ll be easier for you.” 
After a couple of false starts, Steve managed to regain his footing, grumbling playfully at the ease with which you popped up from the ice once he was standing. 
You made it to the gap in the wall successfully, and you pretended not to notice the way Steve very intentionally overbalanced as he shifted from ice to snow, falling into you with overly innocent eyes and the fakest apology you’d ever heard. 
“You’re getting too confident already,” you chastised playfully, as he hugged you tightly. “You’re not good enough to start fake falling. You’re going to actually knock yourself over again.” 
“Wow. Meanest teacher I’ve ever had,” he said, barely audible from where he had his face nuzzled against your neck.
“I’m a monster,” you agreed, tugging on his coat until he at least started shuffling back towards the bleachers with you. “Let's get our shoes back on for a minute so we can get our hands on some pastries and hot chocolate.” 
You changed quickly, tucking your belongings neatly under the bench and heading towards the food truck. Steve caught you up in his arms again as you inspected the chalk sandwich board, standing behind you and reading over your shoulder. You swayed slightly along with the music playing from the large outdoor speaker. 
“What do you think?” you asked after a moment. 
“Trying to decide between a croissant and a cinnamon roll.” 
“Easy. we’ll get both. What about a drink?”
He hummed thoughtfully, pointing at the bottom corner of the board.
“What’s this list for? Do you know?”
“I think it’s extra flavors you can add to your coffee or hot chocolate.” 
After another minute of quiet conversation, you stepped up to the window. An older woman with bright silvery hair smiled at you welcomingly.
“Hi! Can we get two croissants and a cinnamon roll, please?”
“Of course! Any drinks?”
“Do you have a favorite?” Steve asked. 
“I think hot chocolate is the way to go,” she said with a bright smile. “I like cherry in mine, but you can’t go wrong with mint.” 
“One of each?” Steve suggested, tilting his head to see your face better.
You smiled and nodded, pulling your wallet out of your purse as the woman rang up your order and read out the price. Steve’s hand disappeared from around your waist for a moment, re-entering your field of vision with his own wallet in hand.
“Hey!” you said, snatching it out of his hand. “I told you to leave that at home!”
“You sure did,” he said, eyes dancing with amusement as you flailed your arm around to keep his wallet out of reach. “Must have forgotten. Oh well.”
“You did not,” you argued, hurriedly shoving it down your sweater before he could get his hands on it, keeping one arm tucked around your own waist to keep it from falling out the bottom. 
“Seriously?”
“I win,” you said proudly, shifting awkwardly to fish your credit card from your own wallet with one hand. 
The woman in the food truck grinned back at you as she handed you your receipt.
“Oh! Almost forgot to ask. Do either of you want marshmallows or whipped cream on your hot chocolates?”
“Marshmallows,” Steve answered, poking at your sides until you squirmed, trying to dislodge his wallet from your sweater. 
“So many you can’t actually see the liquid,” you added.
“My kind of people,” she said approvingly before moving out of view to prepare your order.
“We got a good grade in hot chocolate,” you whispered to Steve, swatting at his hands. “Quit!”
“Give me back my wallet!”
Your dramatic sigh devolved into laughter as Steve kept tickling your side. You unclenched your arm, letting his wallet fall out of your sweater, knowing he would catch it before it hit the ground.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” you said, elbowing him lightly. “Even though you broke the rules of surprise date day.” 
“Won’t happen again,” he promised, wrapping his arms back around you once his wallet was safely stored in his back pocket. 
“Mhmm,” you hummed, unconvinced. “I’ll believe it when I see it, pal.” 
“How about…” He kissed the wrinkle between your brows until it smoothed beneath his touch. “Tomorrow?”
“What?”
“We could do another surprise date day. I’ll leave my wallet at home.”
You laughed, surprised and incredibly pleased at the eagerness and joy in his eyes.
“You really want to?”
“I really want to. It doesn’t have to be - I mean, we could do this again. Or stay in all day. I don’t care.” 
You smiled at him, shaking your head in awe at that soft, excited expression on his face. 
“I’ll see what I can do. For my super cute boyfriend,” you said quietly, giggling at the way his cheeks grew a little pinker. 
“Thanks.”
“Anything for you,” you said. And you absolutely meant it.
*****
A/N: My heart is TOO SOFT HELP! As always, replies, reblogs, and asks are deeply appreciated and provide all the happy writer juice. Love you guys!
Tags: @shifutheshihtzu @internalbullshit @lilasiannerd @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory @iwillbeinmynest @scotlandasshole @netflixa @hardcorehippos @singingprincessstudent @sophiealiice @blue1928 @tinuviel015 @a-book-pressed-rose @bbparker @battlebunnyteardropsinthesun @feelmyroarrrr  @orangespocks @multifandomgirl-us @majesticavenger @buckybarneshairpullingkink @patzammit @pato-el-cerdito
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tangledinlove · 1 month
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the killerverse tracklist
— as compiled by the readers, sorted by artist
spotify
beach house
— superstar and majorette
billie eilish
— i love you, hostage, when the party’s over
boygenius
— emily i’m sorry, true blue, we’re in love, letter to an old poet, voyager
clairo
— bags, 4ever, glue song (with beabadoobee)
the crane wives
— the moon will sing and little soldiers
daisy jones & the six
— the river, look at us now (honeycomb), aurora
ethel cain
— a house in nebraska
finneas
— partners in crime and til forever falls apart (with ashe)
fleetwood mac
— silver springs and songbird
frank ocean
— white ferrari and godspeed
gracie abrams
— this is what the dugs are for, two people, i know it won’t work, i miss you, i’m sorry, feels like, camden, in between
hadestown + heathers
— we raise our cups, wait for me (reprise), all i’ve ever known, flowers, dead girl walking (reprise), epic iii
harry styles
— matilda and sign of the times
hozier
— jackie and wilson, work song, like real people do, nfwmb, unknown / nth, francesca, i, carrion (icarian), damage gets done, to someone from a warm climate, talk, be
keane
— somewhere only we know
lana del rey
— chemtrails over the country club, paris, texas, how to disappear, old money, young and beautiful, jealous girl
laufey
— promise and questions for the universe
lizzy mcalpine
— doomsday and ceilings
lord huron
— mine forever, love like ghosts, the night we met
mitski
— a pearl, francis forever, jobless monday, my love mine all mine, the frost, i’m your man, once more to see you, fireworks, i bet on losing dogs, strawberry blond, i want you
noah kahan
— everywhere, everything, strawberry wine, call your mom
olivia rodrigo
— can’t catch me now, logical, favorite crime
phoebe bridgers
— the gold, waiting room, graceland too, killer, georgia, scott street, day after tomorrow
suki waterhouse
— good looking
taylor swift
— out of the woods, wildest dreams, style, you are in love, this love, suburban legends, say don’t go, all of the girls you loved before, willow, gold rush, ivy, marjorie, right where you left me, it’s time to go, cardigan, seven, illicit affairs, hoax, my tears ricochet, false god, daylight, labyrinth, the very first night, end game, delicate, dress, mine, haunted, you’re losing me, i don’t wanna live forever, the alcott, paper rings
misc artists
a
— when we were young by adele and pretend by alex g
b
— blame brett by the beaches and past lives by børns
c
— father and son by cat stevens, strangely divine by chloe ament, astronomy by conan gray, sunday by the cranberries,
d
— youth by daughter, ode to a conversation stuck in your throat by del water gap, welcome and goodbye by dream, ivory
e
— peaceful easy feeling by eagles, final girl by eva rose, romantic lover by eyedress
f
— hurts like hell by fleurie, wish you were here by florence + the machine, somethin’ stupid by frank sinatra
g
— achilles come down by gang of youths, iris by the goo goo dolls, good stuff by griff, sweet child o mine by guns n roses, cupid’s chokehold by gym class heroes
i
— love wins all by iu
j
— kokomo, in by japanese breakfast, i saw you in a dream by the japanese house, last goodbye by jeff buckley, you were good to me by jeremy zucker, the roads by jonah kagen, seventeen by julianna joy
k
— the one that got away by katy perry, all i want by kodaline
l
— judas by lady gaga, the other by lauv, grown up by leith ross, only you by little mix, please stay by lucy dacus
m
— history of man by maisie peters, tightrope by michelle williams, arms tonite by mother mother
n
— afraid by the neighbourhood and harvest moon by neil young
p
— 26 and 24 by paige fish, decode by paramore, maniac by phoebe green, a match into water by pierce the veil
r
— the ballad of lucy gray baird by rachel zegler, dandelions by ruth b
s
— end of the world by searows, can’t remember to forget you by shakira, i won’t say (im in love) by susan egan
u
— burn by usher
w
— ur so pretty by wasia project, just friends by why don’t we
z
— oklahoma city by zach bryan
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petaltexturedskies · 4 months
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A very cold winter's night, so silent that the air seemed frozen, and, since there was no moon, congealed to the stillness of glass spread over England. Ponds and ditches were frozen; the puddles made glazed eyes in the roads, and on the pavement the frost had raised slippery knobs. Darkness pressed on the windows; towns had merged themselves in open country. No light shone, save for when a searchlight rayed round the sky, and stopped, here and there, as if to ponder some fleecy patch.
Virginia Woolf, from “The Years”
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invisibleicewands · 2 months
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Michael Sheen: Prince Andrew, Port Talbot and why I quit Hollywood
When Michael Sheen had an idea for a dystopian TV series based in his home town of Port Talbot, in which riots erupt when the steel works close, he had no idea said works would actually close — a month before the show came to air. “Devastating,” he says, simply, of last month’s decision by Tata Steel to shut the plant’s two blast furnaces and put 2,800 jobs at risk.
“Those furnaces are part of our psyche,” he says. “When the Queen died we talked about how psychologically massive it was for the country because people couldn’t imagine life without her. The steel works are like that for Port Talbot.”
Sheen’s show — The Way — was never meant to be this serious. The BBC1 three-parter is directed by Sheen, was written by James Graham and has the montage king Adam Curtis on board as an executive producer. The plot revolves around a family who, when the steel works are closed by foreign investors, galvanise the town into a revolt that leads to the Welsh border being shut. Polemical, yes, but it has a lightness of touch. “A mix of sitcom and war film,” Sheen says, beaming.
But that was then. Now it has become the most febrile TV show since, well, Mr Bates vs the Post Office. “We wanted to get this out quickly,” Sheen says. With heavy surveillance, police clamping down on protesters and nods to Westminster abandoning parts of the country, the series could be thought of as a tad political. “The concern was if it was too close to an election the BBC would get nervous.”
I meet Sheen in London, where he is ensconced in the National Theatre rehearsing for his forthcoming starring role in Nye, a “fantasia” play based on the life of the NHS founder, Labour’s Aneurin “Nye” Bevan. He is dressed down, with stubble and messy hair, and is a terrific raconteur, with a lot to discuss. As well as The Way and Nye, this year the actor will also transform himself into Prince Andrew for a BBC adaptation of the Emily Maitlis Newsnight interview.
Sheen has played a rum bunch, from David Frost to Tony Blair and Chris Tarrant. And we will get to Bevan and Andrew, but first Wales, where Sheen, 55, was born in 1969 and, after a stint in Los Angeles, returned to a few years ago. He has settled outside Port Talbot with his partner, Anna Lundberg, a 30-year-old actress, and their two children. Sheen’s parents still live in the area, so the move was partly for family, but mostly to be a figurehead. The actor has been investing in local arts, charities and more, putting his money where his mouth is to such an extent that there is a mural of his face up on Forge Road.
“It’s home,” Sheen says, shrugging, when I ask why he abandoned his A-list life for southwest Wales. “I feel a deep connection to it.” The seed was sown in 2011 when he played Jesus in Port Talbot in an epic three-day staging of the Passion, starring many locals who were struggling with job cuts and the rising cost of living in their town. “Once you become aware of difficulties in the area you come from you don’t have to do anything,” he says, with a wry smile. “You can live somewhere else, visit family at Christmas and turn a blind eye to injustice. It doesn’t make you a bad person, but I’d seen something I couldn’t unsee. I had to apply myself, and I might not have the impact I’d like, but the one thing that I can say is that I’m doing stuff. I know I am — I’m paying for it!”
The Way is his latest idea to boost the area. The show, which was shot in Port Talbot last year, employed residents in front of and behind the camera. The extras in a scene in which fictional steel workers discuss possible strike action came from the works themselves. How strange they will feel watching it now. The director shakes his head. “It felt very present and crackling.”
One line in the show feels especially crucial: “The British don’t revolt, they grumble.” How revolutionary does Sheen think Britain is? “It happens in flare-ups,” he reasons. “You could say Brexit was a form of it and there is something in us that is frustrated and wants to vent. But these flare-ups get cracked down, so the idea of properly organised revolution is hard to imagine. Yet the more anger there is, the more fear about the cost of living crisis. Well, something’s got to give.”
I mention the Brecon Beacons. “Ah, yes, Bannau Brycheiniog,” Sheen says with a flourish. Last year he spearheaded the celebration of the renaming of the national park to Welsh, which led some to ponder whether Sheen might go further in the name of Welsh nationalism. Owen Williams, a member of the independence campaigners YesCymru, described him to me as “Nye Bevan via Che Guevara” and added that the actor might one day be head of state in an independent Wales.
Sheen bursts out laughing. “Right!” he booms. “Well, for a long time [the head of state] was either me or Huw Edwards, so I suppose that’s changed.” He laughs again. “Gosh. I don’t know what to say.” Has he, though, become a sort of icon for an independent Wales? “I’ve never actually spoken about independence,” he says. “The only thing I’ve said is that it’s worth a conversation. Talking about independence is a catalyst for other issues that need to be talked about. Shutting that conversation down is of no value at all. People say Wales couldn’t survive economically. Well, why not? And is that good? Is that a good reason to stay in the union?”
On a roll, he talks about how you can’t travel from north to south Wales by train without going into England because the rail network was set up to move stuff out of Wales, not round it. He mentions the collapse of local journalism and funding cuts to National Theatre Wales, and says these are the conversations he wants to have — but where in Wales are they taking place?
So, for Sheen, the discussion is about thinking of Wales as independent in identity, not necessarily as an independent state? “As a living entity,” he says, is how he wants people to think about his country. “It’s much more, for me, about exploring what that cultural identity of now is, rather than it being all about the past,” he says. “We had a great rugby team in the 1970s, but it’s not the 1970s anymore and, yes, male-voice choirs make us cry, but there are few left. Mines aren’t there either. All the things that are part of the cultural identity of Wales are to do with the past and, for me, it’s much more about exploring what is alive about Welsh identity now.”
You could easily forget that Sheen is an actor. He calls himself a “not for profit” thesp, meaning he funds social projects, from addiction to disability sports. “I juggle things more,” he says. “Also I have young kids again and I don’t want to be away much.”
Sheen has an empathetic face, a knack of making the difficult feel personable. And there are two big roles incoming — a relief to fans.
Which leads us to Prince Andrew. “Of course it does.” This year he plays the troubled duke in A Very Royal Scandal — a retelling of the Emily Maitlis fiasco with Ruth Wilson as the interviewer. Does the show go to Pizza Express in Woking? “No,” Sheen says, grinning. Why play the prince? He thinks about this a lot. “Inevitably you bring humanity to a character — that’s certainly what I try to do.” He pauses. “I don’t want people to say, ‘It was Sheen who got everybody behind Andrew again.’ But I also don’t want to do a hatchet job.”
So what is he trying to do? “Well, it is a story about privilege really,” he says. “And how easy it is for privilege to exploit. We’ve found a way of keeping the ambiguity, because, legally, you can’t show stuff that you cannot prove, but whether guilty or not, his privilege is a major factor in whatever exploitation was going on. Beyond the specifics of Andrew and Epstein, no matter who you are, privilege has the potential to exploit someone. For Andrew, it’s: ‘This girl is being brought to me and I don’t really care where she comes from, or how old she is, this is just what happens for people like me.’”
It must have been odd having the prince and Bevan — the worst and best of our ruling classes — in his head at the same time. What, if anything, links the men? “What is power and what can you do with it?” Sheen muses, which seems to speak to his position in Port Talbot too. Nye at the National portrays the Welsh politician on his deathbed, in an NHS hospital, moving through his memories while doped up on meds. Sheen wants the audience to think: “Is there a Bevan in politics now and, if not, why not?”
Which takes us back to The Way. At the start one rioter yells about wanting to “change everything” — he means politically, sociologically. However, assuming that changing everything is not possible, what is the one thing Sheen would change? “Something practical? Not ‘I want world peace’. I would create a people’s chamber as another branch of government — like the Lords, there’d be a House of People, representing their community. Our political system has become restrictive and nonrepresentational, so something to open that up would be good.”
The actor is a thousand miles from his old Hollywood life. “It’d take a lot for me to work in America again — my life is elsewhere.” It is in Port Talbot instead. “The last man on the battlefield” is how one MP describes the steel works in The Way, and Sheen is unsure what happens when that last man goes. “Some people say it’s to do with net zero aims,” he says about the closure. “Others blame Brexit. But, ultimately, the people of Port Talbot have been let down — and there is no easy answer about what comes next.”
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mcgnagallsarmy · 1 month
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Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #26: Ready & Go Reading Challenge
A fic set in the woods:
Promise of Frost by Eurydice [NC-17]
When a snowstorm strands Buffy and Spike, they are forced to turn to each other for strength, especially when a missing Giles, mysterious visitors, and way too much magic threatens to turn it into a not so very merry Christmas. Set mid-S4.
A fic involving a creative outlet:
Chiaroscuro by OffYourBird [R]
At first, Buffy wasn’t even sure it was him. He was all the way across the gallery, far enough that he was reduced to chiaroscuro in motion—a shock of white hair swathed in rich black leather, his eyes dark and glittering and his skin nearly ivory in the bright gallery lights.
A fic featuring food you have not tried:
Hunger by Sunalso [NC-17]
AU. Spike killed his third Slayer, but Dru was already dust. He's been lost, but when his supper turns out to be more than he bargained for, it leaves him hungry for something else instead. And Buffy? She's just hungry.
A fic involving a train ride:
Vernalagnia by violettathepiratequeen [G]
Vernalagnia: A romantic mood brought on by spring. One that even Angel doesn't dare try to get in the middle of.
A graphic novel:
D-straction Day: All Night Long by HappyWhenItRains [Adult Only]
COMIC: Buffy stops by the crypt to see if Spike wants to go patrolling. He does not.
A fic involving ghosts:
Wine-Colored by OffYourBird [NC-17]
There are so many shades of red, but Buffy sticks to the one she knows best.
A fic set on a bus:
A Place to Call Home by all_choseny [NC-17]
Buffy and Spike have beaten The First, and the Hellmouth is closed for good. Now, at the precipice of a new beginning, the pair must decide to finally give love a chance or walk away from each other for good.
A fic where a main character seeks self-improvement:
Reprise by Holly [NC-17]
Spike came back to life and didn’t bother to tell her. Then he died again before she could chew him out. Buffy makes a wish in front of the right kind of demon to set things right and finds herself propelled back to the darkest period of her life.
A fic featuring a (motor)bike ride:
Open Road by HappyWhenItRains [NC-17]
Life Serial takes Buffy and Spike some places neither of them ever expected to go. We, of course, expected it. They did not.
A fic set in or involving something industrial (factory, etc.):
Death Wish by Sigyn [NC-17]
“World is what it is. We fight and we die. Wishing doesn't change that. You can believe in a better world. I have to live in this one.” Anyanka’s wish was broken, but the world it created continues. Now Buffy must join forces with rebel vampires to create a world they can all stand to live in. But can Spike, Drusilla and Angel actually work with a hardened slayer, who would just as soon see them all dust?
A fic involving a plane ride:
Nevertime by anaross [R]
They lost. But they lived. Spike, Blue, and Angel head north to the Arctic to escape the demons set loose in Not Fade Away. (Don't worry... Buffy finds them.)
A fic set in a snow land:
West of the Moon, East of the Sun by KnifeEdge [NC-17]
I keep having the strangest dream. Every night it's the same thing: a dark room, a big bed, and a silent vampire that I can feel, but not see. I'd be wigged, except it's just a dream, right? It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever willingly sleep with a vampire again...
A fic set in a country other than your own:
Favor by EllieRose101 [NC-17]
Spike asks an impossible thing of Buffy––and is stunned when she says yes. Could he really have gone up in her estimation?
A fic featuring a garden:
Unspoken by anaross [R]
"I've always envisioned him giving Buffy a garden that he could never go to in the daytime, to give her something alive for a change." James Marsters.
A fic set in a museum:
Just to Reach You by Sunalso [R]
Post-Series. Spike and Buffy have been a couple for almost two years. The honeymoon is over and together they're discovering they still have a lot to learn about themselves, each other, and how this whole "normal" relationship thing works.
A fic set in a hotel:
A Totally Random Occurrence by Herself [NC-17]
The stake slipped from her fingers, and she had to take a deep breath to stave off the dizziness descending on her like a hood over her head. "You—I thought you were dead." A reunion in New York City. Set post-NFA, spoilers for all of BtVS and AtS.
A fic involving an escape:
The Writing on the Wall by Holly [NC-17]
There was no body to bury. There was no funeral. There was nothing but the three rules and the knowledge that a thousand years of torment was nothing compared to a world without her in it. Spike embarks on a journey through the Gates of Hell to rescue the one he loves, but in order to save her, he must risk losing himself.
A fic set underground or underwater:
Ten Minutes by FlightsofFancy [R]
Buffy, alone, looking for Oz in the Initiative. She only has ten minutes. She finds someone else. Life of a hero, impossible odds.
A fic involving a road trip:
Ties to the World by honeygirl51885 [NC-17]
Spike is gone, but before he went out in a blaze of glory, he slipped a letter into Buffy’s pocket. That letter takes her on a road trip across America, visiting his ties to the world.
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what do you think the chains favorite breakfast foods are (if they eat breakfast)
I WAS HALFWAY THROUGH ANSWERING THIS AND MY PHONE DIED AND DELETED EVERYTHING I HAD WRITTEN, DEATH AND SORROW AND DESPAIR.
Okay I'm good now.
ANYWAYS, I split you ask into two sections: first, their favorite food ever if they can get their hands on it, the second what they like to eat on the road. And then a final unhinged rant at the bottom about the one thing about teenage boys/young men and their food that I'll never understand: Bacon.
Legend--I have a feeling that he likes sweets. Specifically, waffles with whipped cream and berries. They're a little burnt, but Ravio made them for him, so he'll pretend he doesn't notice (and grows to like them better that way). On the road, he'll go for coffee/tea (he's not picky) if one of the others make it, or nothing at all.
Hyrule--does he have a favorite breakfast food? Food isn't very stable where he comes from--Legend and Wild would spoil him so much in regard of expanding his palate. But I imagine that something like a fried mixture of beef/sausage, vegetables, and a starch (perhaps an even poorer version of an already poor person food Shepherd's Pie, perhaps? it could be a breakfast food) would be a sort of filling, tasty, and easy to procure/make/preserve food that he'd like. On that note, I would say something simple, easy to get and preserve, and hardy would be his go to breakfast on the road--maybe meat jerky.
Wild--Also a sweets person. Fruit cake, cinnamon rolls, frosted cupcakes, basically all the little delicacies he could get at a dumb party 100 years ago, he ain't picky, it's for breakfast and it's fueling a day long sugar high. On the road he, unlike the other Links, can be pretty creative with his breakfasts, and he likes his spice as well. So, I think he'd like Meaty rice balls.
Four--direct this question to someone else please. He has four voices in his head fighting to answer right now, and none of them agree. I surely dont know if he doesn't.
Time--Pancakes and farm-fresh scrambled eggs and toast with jam. Malon makes it for him. What can I say. On the road he is a habitual coffee drinker, he wouldn't be functioning in the mornings without it. But he'll also take a poached egg if he has the time (heh).
Warrior--unlike Time who is a habitual coffee drinker, he is a coffee connoisseur. He likes the breakfasts they serve at the castle--a lot of meats and fruits, expensive, and on top of it all, well plated. Not to say that he can't eat simply--he was in a war, mind you--just that he prefers not to. On the road, he strikes me as the kind that would drink those tasteless quick oats (y'know you just add water, shake and go?) and also be very vocal about much time (heh) it's saving him (being none). I don't know what the Hyrule equivalent of those are.
Twilight--our favorite country boy. I think he likes a true southern breakfast. Ham and pan-fried potatoes and eggs over-easy, with a side of cheesy grits and sausage biscuits and gravy like Uli used to make for him (I HC this man has a black hole of a stomach, out of all the Links). On the road he'll inhale a boiled egg or two (salted and peppered if he's feeling fancy) that Wild made for him. I also head canon that Twilight likes tea with an intensity. And not only sweet tea, but like, ALL of the teas. He gets obsessive. I literally have in my detail/subplot tracking documents for BDOR the following entry underneath chapter 8--Tea: "Twilight’s cure to Wild’s voice is tea. His cure to life’s woes is tea."
Wind--whatever his grandma is making, probably with seafood involved. I've had a crab-spinach-egg casserole for breakfast before, it was good, so I'll give him that. On the road, I can see him packing a lot of bread and some meat (dried fish if he can get it).
Sky--This guy honestly has me stumped. Do those on Skyloft eat Loftwing eggs, or are they considered taboo? They have a lot of pumpkins around--do they incorporate them into their meals?@needfantasticstories you know a lot of Skyward Sword lore, bequeath me your wisdom. Anyways on the road he's a meat and bread person like Wind. Practical.
Now, for my rant about young men and their food quirks:
Bacon. Bacon, as I have witnessed, drives the most reasonable of men insane.
I just a few things to say about this. I have younger brothers, and I born witness to many male sleepover parties. I--as the resident nasty fe-male XD--have been (forced) to cook for them in the mornings. Set a pile of bacon in front of them (or really any meat, but I have found that bacon has the strongest affect) and they turn into WOLVES. They start to crowd around and stare as soon as they begin to smell it (which hey, give me space in the kitchen, please!), snatch it up before the grease even cools, and then retreat into their separate corners of the living room/kitchen and scarf it down, all while avoiding eye contact and projecting just how much they don't care about the bacon they're eating (perhaps so one of the others don't take notice and try to steal it). There's an odd little ritual/rules to the thing, too: for example, it's frowned upon to take more than three or four pieces at a time, there has to be enough for everyone, obviously; but if you finish a second and third serving before some poor sod stumbles in and gets himself a piece--why that is acceptable, even encouraged. But at all times, you could feel them watching each other, judging whether each person had taken acceptable amounts. 6 at once, I have determined, is veritably considered too much, as I have watched an entire group of mid-late teenage boys chase another through the house and outside for this crime of greed. Another thing was the presence of literally any other edible food. If there was anything else--eggs, fruit, even something like a few slices of unbuttered toast or coffee or juice sitting out, this reaction was largely tempered--even if none of the boys took the other foods, they would take a meager one or two pieces of bacon and be satisfied, perhaps reassured that other food was present and their hope of a filling breakfast was not in vain. Most, at that point they would restrain themselves from eating anything (other than their bacon tax) and wait so that everyone could eat together. But the mad scramble that occurs when there is bacon and only bacon in the kitchen (even if other things are cooking, nearly done, and visible to them) is otherworldly.
I never saw it with anything else, not eggs, not fruit, not even sausage or any other breakfast food. And it must be noted that I was exempt from their little ritual of judgement--perhaps as the only woman, or perhaps as the cook, I was allowed to take as much bacon as I liked from the pile, once the initial wave had attacked and retreated with their bounty (and the strips of bacon had cooled enough that mortal human hands such as my own could pick them up). And while they behaved like beasts, I was always very politely thanked for making breakfast once it was over and the frenzy had abated.
Anyways, your ask got me thinking about Malon making a pile of bacon for the boys, activating the beforehand undiscovered "PANIC! BACON!" mode in their brains, and just being utterly confused as they turn into animals. Just the boys descend, and then a few shouts of "Thanks, Malon!" drift in on the wind as they scatter like racoons with treasure, leaving an empty plate spinning behind them.
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http-paprika · 5 months
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Bite the Hand / Phillip Graves
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part two - new meat ⋆★⋆ the masterlist ⋆★⋆ previous ⋆★⋆ next
summery after accepting graves’ offer, frost arrives in texas at the shadow company base weary and unsure.
werewolf!au / pairing phillip graves x female!reader / callsign frost / wc 1683 / warnings swearing and brief mention of blood
notes looks like thursdays are just becoming my updating day. this chapter took me forever to write, and i ended up not even including everything i originally planned because the struggle was real. but the banter between frost and graves in this chapter give me life! the taglist list is opened, so let me know if you'd like to be added so you get to see all the next chapters!
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The sun rose between the pines slowly as she drove down the quiet country roads, her limited belongings in the bed of her truck and her third cup of coffee’s steam blowing in her face as she took another sip. Letting the bitter liquid shock her awake and keep Frost alert. She had decided to drive through the night, to spend the long, dark hours contemplating her decision; the pleading of her commanding officer not to leave, and Phillip Graves’ joy when she’d give him a satisfactory response.
As the early sun grew higher, she could feel the heat. Frost knew Texas was brutal for its heat, but it still shocked her. The humid air surrounded the truck, it was thick in her lungs like water as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and pulled onto the dirt shoulder of the road. 
“This can’t be right. Fuck.” She swore and pulled over on the side of the road, turning her hazards on despite the emptiness of the empty road. The directions given to her were poorly written out, and there were no distinct landmarks around to guide her. There was a slight temptation to roll the windows down further and drive slowly, using her nose as a guide. But her tracking skills weren't keen enough for that, it would be futile.  
 “I’m losing my damn mind,” Frost grumbled, before a knocking on the window caused her to jump out of her skin, reaching the closest object and turning to look at the source. Graves smirks at her from the outside, an arm propped against the truck, a rifle slung over his shoulder. His scent was blended with the pines, a natural camouflage that had kept her detecting him.
“Can you not do that?” She asks, a scowl on her face as she rolls the window down further.
“Just wanted to ensure I got myself a soldier who reacts properly. Not sure what a plastic straw would do, but I’m glad to see you’re vigilant.” Graves chuckles, she looks down at the object she’d chosen for defense, quickly dropping it back down. “Also happened to be in the area and noticed you pull over. Guess the directions provided weren’t very useful?” 
 “No, they weren’t.” Frost sighs, rubbing the crease in her forehead, hoping that her meetings with Graves wouldn’t always put her on edge. She eyed the gun cautiously as he shifted his footing. 
 “Good thing I found you then, you can get lost real easily if you’re unfamiliar with these parts.” He states, readjusting the strap of the gun. “And the Shadows aren’t very kind to strangers in their woods.” 
“If you’re attempting to scare the shit out of me, you’re failing,” Frost responds cooly, unlocking the passenger side door for Graves. He gets in the truck, placing the rifle in the back between her two duffle bags. She was close enough now, that Frost could feel the heat radiating off his body, noticed the length of his hair as she pulled back onto the road, and his musk was a heavy scent. He’d just shifted, she was certain of it. Keeping the windows down to dispel his scent, Frost allowed Graves to direct her, following his directions and resisting the urge to ask what he’d been doing in the woods. 
“You don’t scare easily, do ya?” Graves’ eyes were set on her, watching the way she ground her teeth together at his question. “Most of our kind would be intimidated, wandering into the Texas backwoods that’s filled with a vicious pack.”
“Maybe, or maybe I’m just really stupid.” He let out a barking laugh at her response, reminding Frost of the coyotes that her father used to hunt down when they’d steal a chicken or badger the sheep. The sharpness of his teeth and the cackle in his voice made the similarity uncanny. 
“Well, I’d hate for that to be the truth.” Graves shook his head as she slowed the car, reaching a boom gate where two soldiers stood on guard. One of the masked soldiers stepped up to the truck, glaring at the stranger inside but motioning for the other to open the gate once he spotted his commander. “Quiet morning, Diego?” 
“Yes sir.” Even with a mask covering the bottom of the man’s face, Frost could tell he was sniffing her out. His eyes narrowed even as he waved her on; in the rearview mirror, she watched the two soldiers talk, keeping their eyes on the truck. 
“Does your pack have a hard time accepting new blood?” She asks with curiosity, wondering how much of a living hell her life will become. All of this was uncharted waters for her, having never been in a situation like this before. But she knew enough about the distrust packs had towards outsiders, strangers. 
“They’re just a little standoffish at first, weary about you and your scent. But once you’ve had enough of our food, spent enough time in the woods, and among us, you’ll be fine. It’s just a matter of time.” Graves attempts to assure her, but the thought of joining a pack still leaves Frost on edge. Her own father hadn’t accepted her, she was his flesh and blood, yet he still turned his back on her. How much easier would it be for it to happen to those she had no ties to? 
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“You want any coffee?” Graves asks her, stifling through the papers in his office. It was still early enough that the building was empty, with no one to ask questions or bother her about her sudden appearance. 
“No, thanks. I had a cup about an hour ago.” Frost declines, surveying Graves’ messy office, the books he had staked on the windowsill, the various photos he had, and odd trinkets placed throughout the room. It was a stark contrast to the office her old commanding officer had, his had been so cold and unwelcoming, but Frost got the impression that this was Graves’ second home. 
“Right, course you did.” He could smell it on her the same way she could smell the dirt Graves tracked in on his boots. Moving to his desk, he placed down papers for her to sign, the contract of employment. “Don’t forget to read the fine print.” 
“I’d hate to accidentally get in a blood ritual because I didn’t read the terms and conditions.” Frost humorlessly chuckles, sitting down to sign the contract, sealing her future.  
“Wouldn’t ask you to do that. I’ll see where your loyalty lies soon enough. No need to spill any blood, well, any more than this job already does.” Graves said, moving to sit down across from her. He could tell she was unsure, taking her time to read over and sign. “Still worried you’re getting ingrained into a cult?” 
“You read my mind.” She looked up from the papers at him, her forehead knit together with a frown. 
“I know you’ve never been affiliated with a pack before, it’s a natural fear. But this is just like joining the Marines, ‘cept this time, you don’t have to be something you’re not. No one’s holding you back now, you can shed that skin.” He pointedly said, watching Frost as she picked up the pen, signing her name down on the contract. His eyes linger on the signature after she passed it over to him, the ink still wet as he picked it up.
“Don’t make me regret this, Commander.” 
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Graves chuckled as he stood, motioning for her to follow him. “Come on, let me show you around your new home, and get you acquainted with the company.”
 Hesitantly, she followed him out of the office as the building slowly began to fill with soldiers as they attended to their duties. As the two passed, the members of the Shadow Company took their time to get a good look at her, taking in the stranger as Graves rattled on about the job. She wasn’t used to having so many eyes on her, wishing she could blend into the background, and hide in the shadows. 
“You got any brothers?” Graves asked, pausing in front of a door, hand on the knob. 
“No.” 
“Well, you do now.” He opened the door, stepping into a smaller room. Three shadows turn to look up at them, quickly standing to attention at the arrival of Graves, despite him telling them not to. “Where’s Lerch?” 
“He stepped out to get breakfast.” One of them answered. The longer Frost stared at them, she came to recognize them as the shadows who’d pulled her from the rubble, Vance and Dipaolo, but the other was new to her. “Why?” 
“Do you remember how I told you boys we were getting a fine new edition?” The three men looked over at her, slightly nodding. They had the same look of uncertainty and suspicion that Diego. had presented at the gate. "Well here she is." 
 As Graves finishes giving the brief introduction, the door opens behind them. Frost turns and stares up at the tall, broad man who entered, her eyes trailed even with the obstruction of his dark sunglasses.
“I see you brought me the new meat, Graves.” The man commented, not breaking the glare. Compared to Graves, the man was a giant, his scent of tabacco and oil consumed the room just as his presence commanded it. Frost could tell why Graves had chosen the man, she could only imagine how intimidating he was on the field. 
“Yes, I have.” Graves put his hands on her shoulders, beaming with pride as he introduced the two. “Frost, this is Lerch. One of the most terrifying men you’ll ever meet, my third-in-command, an expert in lycanthropy, and who will ensure that you're the soldier the Shadow Company needs.” 
Lerch gives her a full smile, a golden canine tooth glinting in the low light of the room, extending a mitt of a hand down to her. “Welcome to the Shadow Company, Frost.” 
taglist: @delusionally-loveless-by-choice / @bacon-sandwich-of-dionysus / @iamcautiouslyoptimistic / @anna-banana27
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rizzstappen · 7 months
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College Au, I agree that you def should write it 👀👀
Ahh okay I’ve been tinkering with this for a bit! Thank you for this ask Danni!!
This is my first time writing for Maxiel and first time writing rpf in years so please be easy on me 😭 but of course feedback and any questions are welcome!! Inspired by this picture and the tags!!
Sorry for any mistakes! But I don’t think I can look or edit this anymore without going insane 🤪 enjoy!!!
Maxiel College AU where it’s a special day during junior year!
“C’mon one more DR!” Blake shouted from across the tennis court. The Austin sun beating down on them making the already humid day feel worse than it actually was.
“Yeah, nah mate,” Daniel called back as the three men walked toward the net where they had set their backpacks down to get in a quick tennis match. “Max is waiting for me. I promised I’d be back on time. He says it’s a special day.”
Daniel had been thinking all day about it.
Before leaving for class Max had whispered to Daniel something about a special day. In his sleepy haze all the Aussie could do was hum and try to pull his boyfriend back into the warm duvet covers away from the busy campus outside their window.
Every morning was a routine once the semester began. Max woke at 7 am for his 8 am lecture. Showered. Got dressed. Kissed Daniel before he headed out the door. Daniel, of course, didn’t have class until 1:30. He liked sleeping in and staying up late. Plus he worked at the local bar which meant late night shifts. Max didn’t mind it. They always made sure to leave the afternoons free around dinner time so they could catch up on the day before Max went to play FIFA or do homework and Daniel went to work.
“He said that? You don’t know what the special day is?” Scotty asked with a slight scoff knowing if he forgot a date Chloe would have his head.
Daniel rolled his eyes sliding his backpack onto his shoulders and hiding his sweaty curls under a black and green hat “no he didn’t say what it was. If I ask he might kill me so I’m off to get some flowers on my way home” he nodded hopping the day would reveal itself when he walked in the door.
After saying bye to Blake and Scotty, Daniel headed out to the local flower shop. It was small with a French exchange student behind the counter who flirted way too much with Max in his opinion. The green eyed student recommended a bouquet of roses. Cliche.
Instead Daniel opted for an assortment of red, yellow and white tulips. Like the ones Max spoke about from his home country. Daniel liked to get flowers often wanting to give Max a little piece of home since he couldn’t travel back to Holland often.
The jingle of his key alerted the cats of Daniel’s return to the small apartment. Once inside the cats curled around his ankles and purred against his leg welcoming him back. Daniel leaned down scratching both Jimmy and Sassy behind their ears with whispered ‘hey guys, where’s dad?’ He toed off his shoes by the door before walking towards the living room. Max wasn’t in his usual spot on the worn leather couch Daniel had practically begged Max to bring back after they found it on the side of the road last year.
“Hello?” He called out the crinkle of the cellophane echoing around the tulips in Daniel’s hand.
“Shit” Max’s quiet voice echoed coming from the kitchen. Daniel made his way over seeing Max fussing over…something? His broad shoulders hunched down pulling at the fabric of his black polo that were tucked into his jeans being held up by a black belt.
Max turned holding a tray in his hands with what should’ve been a cake. The white frosting and vanilla bread had clearly turned into a crumbly mess.
“It’s supposed to be a cake, of course, but I think I took the bread out too soon and it was too hot. Of course I just wanted it to be decorated before you got back-“ Max rambled. A grin spread on Daniels lips “a cake for this special day?” He asked trying to real more information out of his boyfriend about this mystery day.
Max raised an eyebrow and nodded “of course why wouldn’t there be a cake?” He says.
Cake. Birthday? No. Anniversary? No. Daniel still couldn’t wrack his brain about what this special day might be.
Max smirked at his boyfriend as he sets the tray down on the linoleum lined kitchen counter “you have no idea what today is huh?”
Shit. He was caught. Max could read him like a book but Daniel wouldn’t admit it of course. “What?! Of course I know what today is. I got you flowers. Tulips” he grinned handing over the bouquet.
Max inspects the flowers. Not as good as the ones from his hometown but he knew it was the thought that counted. Max looked his boyfriend in the eyes a grin on his lips as he speaks “then what is today?”
Daniel looks back for a moment. What other possible date would be important enough for a cake?
A laugh bubbles up from Max “you don’t even know!” he smirked happily moving to get a vase filled with water for his flowers. “Daniel it’s the day we met in class” he spoke over the water running into the green vase “three years ago, of course” he nodded shutting the water off and sliding the flowers into the water before setting them down “it’s called a meet cute. I think” he said before he gestured to the cake sat on the counter “that’s what Victoria called it. She said it would be cute to celebrate it.”
The words ‘happy 3 year meet cute’ scrawled out in red icing against the white frosting in Max’s handwriting
Daniel was stunned.
3 years. He couldn’t believe 3 years had flown by. He remembered walking into his Horticulture 120 lecture and the only spot left was next to Max at the front row. He was sure he’d drop the class. It was an elective after all. But then he turned and saw Max’s eyes. Blue. Like the Maldives. In that moment Daniel knew he had to stay. So he did and clumsily introduced himself. His braces giving him a slight lisp. But it was the best thing he had done. Now he had an apartment and two cats with that same boy. And they were celebrating meeting 3 year later.
Daniel gives his boyfriend a soft look before his own laughter filled the space between them “oh Maxy” he said “that’s adorable really. Thank you” he says admiring the icing work he had attempted winning his finger into the white frosting and licking it off his finger.
“Happy three year meet cute anniversary” he said leaning in kissing Max’s blushing cheeks.
Max smiled turning to look at his boyfriend “happy three year meet cute anniversary” he whispered before planting a kiss on Daniel lips.
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pinky-ghostface · 1 month
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Two Valentines Day Surprises
summary: It's Valentine's Day, a very important holiday to Alphonse and his Boo, but Seth is across the country and can't get back to them in time. Alphonse wants to cheer the reader up with a sweet surprise, but neither of them are prepared for the true surprise meant for them.
content/warnings: nsfw, femdom, pegging, strap on blowjob, deepthroating, nipple play, mmf threesome, hair pulling, p in v sex, afab gn!reader (no mention of boobs but they are referred to once as "a cruel mistress")
word count: 4.2k
wanna read it on ao3?:
A/N: I actually began this a couple years ago but finally decided to finish it😁 and things have def changed in the canon since I started. I think I thought after the Jessie/Derek situation Seth wouldn't want to settle down just yet in the little town he wasn't wanted in so long ago and would want to explore his freedom after prison and like, go on cryptid hunts or smth😚 so.. ig this is a semi AU where he does odd jobs across the country and experiences everything the road has to offer a lonely cowboy like him lol. and definitely listening to Orville Peck. also frequently communicating w Alphonse and SugarBoo bc they luv each otherrr🥰 and sometimes taking a break from his nomadic life to visit them. enjoy!
꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦
As I pushed my key into the lock of my front door, I heard a muttered curse from inside my home. Confused, I opened the door and peered into the kitchen to see my boyfriend’s very shapely, and completely bare, ass with just two thin strips of fabric tied behind his waist and neck to feign at covering him. “Al? I didn’t think you were coming over so soon?” 
He whirled around, revealing that he was wearing nothing but my favorite apron. “Oh! Hey, boo! Uhh, what time is it… I guess I thought I’d have more time for your surprise, heh.” He grinned at me sheepishly. 
“Surprise? Thought we were just gonna do dinner and a movie at home.” My eyes slid over his body as I took off my coat.
He smiled and moved closer so that he could loosely circle his arms around my hips. “I know, but I could tell you were kind of bummed about Seth not being here for Valentine’s Day, and I wanted to do somethin’ nice and romantic for you to cheer you up.” 
I smiled a little sadly and leaned my head into his shoulder. It was hard not seeing our other partner every day, but we both understood how important traveling and going on adventures was to him. We texted and called often, and Alphonse and I had been together long enough before Seth crashed back into Al’s life and cannonballed into mine that we were more than okay on our own. We talked about him daily, and on days when one of us missed him a little too much the other would be there to reminisce, joke, cuddle, and comfort until the ache went away. 
“But I guess that didn’t really work out, huh?” Al said, interrupting my thoughts. 
I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?...oh.” I looked over his shoulder at the rest of my kitchen for the first time since walking in. I guessed I hadn’t smelled the burnt cupcakes that were sitting dejectedly on the stovetop. They were black on top and red goo was periodically dripping over the sides of the muffin tin.
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “You’re lucky I already cleaned up the spilled cake mix from the walls, the eggs I dropped, the… exploded buttercream frosting.” He shuddered. “Sorry, baby. I kind of messed up your kitchen for nothing. I don’t think those abominations can be saved.” 
I smiled up at him and brought my hand to his cheek. “Al, it’s fine. Really. It won’t take too long to scrub out the muffin tray, so we can have even more time together tonight. I’m glad you came over early!”
He pulled me closer and buried his head in the crook of my neck, whining. “I know, but I had, like, a whole thing planned out! I was gonna make a bunch of red velvet cupcakes for you so you could take a break from baking for once, and turn the lights down and do the ‘rose petals on the floor going to the bath’ thing and meet you in the bathroom with the cupcakes like this,” he gestured to himself with one arm, his face still in my neck. “And I was gonna feed you your cupcakes in the bath and give you a back rub and maybe even try to call Brown Eyes if he hadn’t left his rest stop yet…”
“Babe,” I said, halting his rambling. “We can still do all that, even without the baked surprise. I mean, I was pretty surprised just coming home to this, anyway.” I ran a finger underneath the apron ribbon on his waist. ‘I have so many treats already in the fridge for us, you have no idea. We’re gonna have a great Valentine’s Day.” 
He held me tighter and nodded but said nothing for a moment. After a few seconds, I heard him sigh through his nose. “I just miss him, y’know? This was supposed to be the first Valentine’s we all spent together. It just sucks we didn’t tell him we wanted to do something sooner so he could have time to get up here. I wanted to make it up to you a little bit.” 
Oh. I turned my head to look at him so that he was forced to take his head off my shoulder, and I wound my arms more fully around his waist, he and I chest-to-chest and my face looking up at his pouting one. “Alphonse, you don’t have anything to make up to me. I know this isn’t what we were picturing, but it isn’t either of our faults, and I’m still prepared to have an awesome, romantic, sexy Valentine’s Day with you. Seth should be stopping for the night near New Mexico in a couple hours; we can talk to him then. Until then we can have plenty of fun on our own, right?” 
Al smiled and leaned in even closer so our lips were just barely touching. “Yeah,” he breathed. “That sounds good. Now we’ve got more time to spoil each other, anyway. We don’t need that crybaby to have fun.” 
I laughed against his mouth. “Careful. You looked about ready to cry, yourself when I walked in.” His lips curved up playfully for a moment before quickly leaning in to kiss me. My hands gripped his waist more firmly in surprise, and he tightened his arms even further around me, pressing us fully together so his hands could move up my back. My left hand drifted downward to shamelessly squeeze his bare ass cheek. As my fingertips drew closer inward, they brushed something… plastic? 
I broke the kiss to look up at him in shock. I was met with cocked eyebrows and a toothy grin in silent response. “That would be the other part of your surprise. You’ve been puttin’ out vibes that you wanted to take control lately, and I thought tonight would be the perfect time to make a night of it.” 
I gasped in elation, smiling wildly, and kissed him hard for a moment. As I pulled away, I gave him a light swat on the butt and told him, “Get the strap.” 
“Yes, Boss!” he said, still grinning, but instead of moving past me to reach the bedroom, he turned around and retrieved my bubblegum pink strap on dildo and harness from behind the coffee pot on a nearby counter. 
Naughty boy, he’d planned out more than I’d thought. 
He handed it to me, smug as ever. I undressed quickly and performed the awkward, yet familiar dance of shimmying into the harness. Al and I exchanged one more lingering, messy kiss before he took a step back and sank to his knees. 
My eyebrows quirked in surprise as I gazed down at him, amused and loving. “Aw, you wanna choke on my strap, baby?” I teased. He smoothed his hands up my thighs, half-lidded eyes never leaving their gaze. “You know I’d love nothing more,” he mumbled against the tip. He took it into his mouth, sucking softly, and worked his way to the base quickly. As the tip hit the back of his throat, he pushed on, gagging slightly. I raked my nails through the hair on the back of his head, grabbing a handful to help him down. He choked loudly, and his hands tightened on the backs of my thighs, nearly making my knees buckle. A strand of drool hung down, reaching his chest, and he moaned deeply through his nose as he continued to deepthroat me. By now his cheeks were rosy flushed and tears were begging to fall from their perch on his long, dark lashes. “So pretty,” I murmured, pushing my fingers through his bright, slightly bleach-damaged hair more gently now, softly scratching his scalp. He looked up at me with an expression that could only be described as adoring, and I loved him for it. “My good boy.”
“Mmm…” he groaned at the praise. 
I tugged him off my strap and squeezed his shoulder, telling him to get up. When he got on his feet, he kissed me hard, wet mouth exploring mine, our teeth clashing a bit. He held on to me tightly and I embraced him, enjoying his being so desperate already. It was really no surprise he had such an oral fixation with all the lollipops he sucked on all day. 
With my arms around his waist and hands rubbing his lower back, I turned my face upwards so my lips could brush his ear and whisper: “Since you’ve done such a good job of getting my cock wet, I’d guess you were ready to let me bend you over that table and make you see tweety birds.” 
He lifted his head up from my shoulder and smiled dopily. “If I had to guess, I’d say you were onto somethin’, boo.” He leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine to whisper to me huskily. “I want you to mess me up.” 
With that confirmation, I pulled him with me toward my kitchen table, kissing him all the while. I turned us so his back was to the table and ran my hands up his chest, to his shoulders, to his neck, and gently began to tug at the bow holding the apron up. “I have been dying to tear this off you since the second I walked in,” I huffed hurriedly. 
Alphonse leaned down so our faces were even and looked at me with dark, dilated eyes. “Well, I promise not to keep you waiting if you promise not to tease.” I laughed and gripped his chin harshly. “Al, sweetheart, you’re really not in a position to be making deals like that.” I slowly pulled at the ribbon string in my hand until the bow loosened, and the light fabric that sparsely covered him fell off his defined chest, spilling around the attractive “v” of his hips and exposing his dark happy trail. “If you want me to give you what you need, you’ll need to accept that I can do anything I want to you.” I leaned in to nibble and suck at his neck, and he sucked in a harsh breath through his teeth. My other hand teased down the top of his shoulder, his collarbone, his chest, and paused to tweak a nipple. He yelped a bit, and when I let go of his chin, his head rolled back. My hand continued down to his hard cock, his raspy breaths keeping time with slow, languid strokes while his hips tried to buck up into my fist. I circled his tip with my thumb lightly, teasingly.
“You’re a cruel mistress, you know that?” he said to the ceiling. “Doesn’t mean I don’t love it, but it’s true. And as for what position I’m s’posed to be in, I’ll let you worry about that.” He opened one eye and looked at me. “You know I’ve never objected to you doing anything you wanted to me before.” 
“Hmm,” I mused, finishing a necklace of hickies across his clavicle. “Well, if that’s the case…” I grabbed his hips and turned him around quickly. He grunted in surprise and planted his hands on the table quickly to catch himself. He looked back at me with wide yet delighted eyes. “You wouldn’t mind if I finish what you started, would you?” I held the base of his plug in my fingertips, twisting it just a little, for emphasis. 
“Hah!... “Course not, Boss. You know I’m yours to play with however you please.” he said, a bit strained, and leaned even farther over the table. “Good,” I whispered, and eased the buttplug out of him. He exhaled slowly and forcefully, and eased his back into an arch. I placed it on the counter next to me. I smoothed one hand up his spine, admiring the pale expanse of his back and the cute pink bow still tied around his waist. With the other, I lined my pink dildo up to his hole and slowly, slowly, began to push in. “Mm!” Alphonse cried, stifled. I eased in carefully, rubbing his back and cooing at him the whole time.
Once completely inside, Al moaned loudly and pushed his hips back more to try and grind on my cock. To his disappointment, I almost completely pulled out of him. But before he could protest, I swiftly pushed in all the way, rubbing against his prostate. 
“Fuck, ohh, christ,” he choked out. I laughed a little at his reaction and kept fucking him the same way: slow and hard. 
I took the time to admire him- his fluffy hair mussed up, his cheek smooshed into the table, his eyebrows drawn together wantonly, and deep, rhythmic moans falling from them. My eyes drifted lower, loving the way the sheer of sweat on his lean back made his skin shine. Even lower, that bubble butt was still making me lose focus, rippling from the force of my hips meeting it with every thrust. 
And with every thrust, the base of the dildo ground into my clit, making me drive forward more quickly, more harshly, chasing the sweet sensation. I unknowingly gave Alphonse exactly what he wanted, it seemed, because he melted beneath me. His knees nearly gave out and he looked back at me, panting slightly. “Does that feel good, baby?” I grinned at him. “Nnghh,” he replied, letting his head fall back down. 
The building pleasure below and seeing his sweet expression gave me an idea for something else I wanted from him. 
I slowed down and pumped into him a few more times, then pulled out gingerly; he whined in confusion and tried to turn around. I leaned over him fully and put my lips next to his ear. “I want to ride your dick so I can see your pretty face when you come in me.” He picked his head up again, leaving behind a small pool of saliva, and grinned tiredly and replied, “If I can walk to the couch, you can make this already good Valentine’s Day a great one, boo.” 
When I pulled him up, the apron fell off him completely and he hugged me around my neck, leaning most of his weight on me. It must have looked funny, this lanky guy hanging off me, half-carrying him to the living room, and shoving him backwards onto my couch. He fell with little effort and a small oof. He looked up at me as I wriggled out of the harness, kicked it aside, and moved to straddle his thighs, and he said breathlessly, “Come take what’s yours.”
His dick was flushed pink and leaking against his stomach. So pretty. I took it in my hand and stroked it slowly, and at the same time leant forward and kissed him firmly. “I intend to,” I whispered against his lips, to which he smiled and squeezed my hips in his hands. I lifted my hips and guided his cock to my hole, and slowly sank down, moaning. I was already so wet from fucking him, and he slid in so easily. As the backs of my thighs met his hips, he threw his head back and let out a long, low sound through parted lips. With one hand on his chest and the other beside his head, I began to rock slowly, murmuring praise to him all the while. His hands slid up my body and he was begging me to go faster between whimpers, so I gently took his wrists in both my hands and pinned them on either side of his head on the armrest. He flexed his arms, but didn’t try to break free. His eyes were squeezed shut as I sucked on his neck, leaving a new rainbow of hickies. 
As I worked my way up to his jawline, I heard him suck in a harsh breath and he tried to sit up quickly. I blurted his name, confused, and sat back to look at him. His wide-eyed gaze was fixed behind me, towards the door, and I heard a low chuckle. Before I could turn around in surprise, or get myself off my man’s dick so I could fight off an intruder, a warm, rough hand curled around my waist and a familiar face leaned its chin on my shoulder.
“Well, ain’t this a pretty sight to come home to,” a deep voice drawled. He may have also said something teasing us for having so much fun without him, but Alphonse or I’d have no way of knowing because once I- ahem- removed him, we were all over Seth, hugging him and asking how on earth he made it all the way here. Once we’d settled in a pile, all of us kind of sitting on everyone else, he began to explain.
“You knuckleheads really thought I’d miss Valentine’s Day?” he laughed between kisses. “I’m no dummy, I know how y’all feel about it. I just thought I’d surprise you and tell you I was farther away than I was, but I’ve been making my way back to you for the last five days.” He had one arm around my shoulders and cupped Alphonse’s face with the other. “I thought when I got back y’all would be moping around, missin’ me. Instead, I come home to you both screwing like jackalopes without a care in the world.” he teased, pouting. 
Alphonse huffed. “What, we’re just supposed to spend our favorite holiday cryin’ our eyes out over you? That ain’t fair!”
“Mmm, I think he just means he missed being included in our cuddle puddle,” I purred and leaned my head on Al’s shoulder. 
“That, or the idea of you two being horny-sad thinkin’ of me keeps me warm on lonely nights.”
I glared at Seth. “You aren’t helping.”
He laughed. “No, but I love the look on my bubblegum prince’s face when he’s trying to be mad at me.” He leaned in close so he was an inch from Al’s flustered face. “But really he’s dyin’ to be put right back on his back so I can really show him how much I missed him.” 
The poor man’s blush deepened, and he grumbled a little. 
I smiled and wrapped my arms around Seth’s shoulders, pulling him back so we were both staring at Al. “I think he needs us, don’t you agree? Maybe you could help me put him back in his place.”
“Oh, no, sugar, this here’s your battle. As much as I’d love to beat the brat out of him, I’m too tired to really give it my all. I’d prefer to hang back and take a more… supporting role.” He smooched the side of my neck and leaned back. 
Grinning at Al, I put my hand on his chest and started to push him back down like he was. “Well, baby? You gonna put up a fight now that you know big bad Seth’s not gonna force you to sit pretty for me?”
He shook his head and grabbed my hand to kiss it. “I’m his brat, but I’ll always behave for you, boo.”
Seth chuckled and moved to straddle Al’s thighs behind me. “Well, he knows what’s good for him, that’s for sure.” 
Alphonse began to reply. “Shut up, man- agh!” 
I yanked his hair sharply. “Maybe not. But we can correct that together some other time. Right now, I only care about enjoying the rest of my evening the way I’d dreamed of spending it, with both my boys.” 
He whimpered softly. “Yes, Boss.”
Seth was so close to me I could feel his chest pressed against my back. He rested his chin on my shoulder again. “I always love to watch you work, sugar,” he breathed flirtily against my ear. He reached around me for Alphonse’s cock, and the second he touched it Al let out a huge sigh. He pumped it up and down in his fist a few times, surely enjoying the way his pearly precum dripped over the pink tip. I lifted my hips up so Seth could help me guide it in, and sank down, more easily this time and no less pleasurable. I could feel Seth smirking against my neck as he held onto my hip with one hand and held Al’s hand with the other. 
Al was already settled back into our former rhythm with his free hand gripping the side of my thigh, head thrown back against the armrest and eyes closed in bliss, moaning with each bounce of my hips. “So glad you’re here, Seth,” he panted. “Mm! Ahh, I missed you so, fuck, so much. I really did.” 
Seth let go of Al’s hand to trail it up his stomach teasingly. “Aww, Al. Well, I had to come take care of you, didn’t I?” Al’s back arched to meet his touch. I’d do the same; we were both so starved for his affection. Seth smoothed his hand back down Alphonse’s torso, all the way to where our bodies met, and ran both hands all the way up my body to my shoulders, forcing me to lean back against his warm, broad chest. “Take care of both of you,” he purred. And without warning, he brushed his fingers over my nipples, sending electricity running through my body, especially my clit. I moaned his name loudly and threw my head back to rest on his shoulder. He continued to circle my nipples lightly, and my hips began to move faster even though my legs were starting to burn. Alphonse flexed his hands on my thighs and began babbling brokenly and bucking up into me at the increased sensation. Seth grabbed my hips to help me bounce and at the same time left a wet trail of tender kisses across the back of my neck and shoulders- not skimping on the teeth, either. 
“Fuck, please!” Alphonse cried, his eyes squeezed shut in pleasure. 
“What do you need, baby?” I panted. I was getting close. 
“Aah, m’gonna cum, please Boss, can I cum? Pleeease…”
I was about to reply when Seth spoke. “Not ‘til our sugar does.” And he began to rub my clit quickly with wet fingers. My back arched hard in shock and ecstasy so that I could hardly move at all, but they both helped me move on Al’s cock, moving faster, rubbing harder, pushing me through pulsing, all-consuming pleasure… until I fell from the threshold, rocking against Al’s cock frantically while he called my name, and falling against Seth’s chest once more into strong, safe arms. Al moaned sharply once more, and a warmth filled me and sent another wave through me. Once I opened my eyes again, Seth laid me down next to (on top of) Al and knelt down beside the couch, smiling down at us.
“Seth, honey... I missed you so much too. I’m so glad you could be here, tonight wouldn’t have been the same without you,” I said as I tucked Al’s head under my chin. 
“Me too, babe. Although it seemed to me y’all were gettin’ on just fine on your own…” he glanced at the strap on discarded next to the coffee table. 
Al laughed wearily. “Sure, but I ain’t this fucked out unless the both of you were involved in messin’ me up.”
“How’re you feeling, by the way? That looked like it took a lot out of you.” I said, squeezing him tight.
“Yeah,” he breathed. “It was a lot, but like… so good. Y’know. I’m really good.”
“Mhm, don’t I know it.” Seth remarked. “Once sugar here works that magic, you’re a goner.” He leaned over Alphonse to kiss me, his tongue sliding over mine. 
Alphonse let out a long sigh. “Guess I’m the one who needs the bath now.” 
Seth huffed a chuckle into my mouth and broke away to look at him questioningly. 
“I was gonna run a bath for us so we could spoil each other and eat cupcakes in it.”
“Not like that last part was gonna happen,”I snickered.
“Hey!”
Seth gasped. “You tried to make cupcakes? I was wondering who got stabbed over that stovetop when I came in.”
“Boo said it wasn’t that bad!”
I giggled, knowing their bickering was loving. “If you two are done, I think we should get on with the rest of our night. All of us are hungry and probably sore, and I know I want to spend more time cuddling in our actual bed now Seth’s here.” 
Al grinned. “Yeah, you’re right.” He looked up at Seth. “I’ve been waitin’ to get my hands on you for a long time now, Brown Eyes. We gotta take advantage of a night like tonight.”
“I agree,” Seth murmured. “We’re not gonna do a thing but enjoy each other’s company.” Then he kissed him, long and deep. After they parted, he stood up, grunting. “I’m gonna go draw that bath y’all were talking about so you can rest. I’ll be back for you in a minute, so don’t go anywhere.”
“Say draw one more time,” I pleaded, smirking.
“Draw-er,” he obliged. “And don’t go teasing me about it, neither.”
“Us? Never.” Al smiled deviously. Seth stared sternly at us, then winked and turned to the bathroom. Alphonse nuzzled deeper into my arms and sighed contently. I planted a kiss into his hair and thought about how lucky I must be to have two amazing boyfriends to cherish and  surprise me everyday.
꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦
A/N: I loved writing this sm and I hope you enjoyed reading it! I hope to do more stuff like this, and soon. this is actually my first fanfic (first inspired by Valentine's Day with your Submissive Boyfriend audio rp by SweetKinkAudio on p*rnhub) and I'd love any criticism or advice if you're willing to give me any💖💖💖 happy valentine's day!!
taglist: @dizzy-n-busy
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Cowboy Up - Pt.1 - Ryan x Dutton!reader
Um so I watched all of Yellowstone last week and as a result, my multi-year writer's block was broken by a need to see more of Ryan because I am obsessed with Ian Bohen. Idk how many parts this will have or how often it will get updated as I'm in the last few months of uni but I hope y'all enjoy!
Pairing: Ryan (Yellowstone) x Dutton!Reader (Kayce's twin sister)
WC: 1053
Next part
Disclaimer: Beyond watching Yellowstone I have zero/little knowledge of Western riding and the ranching lifestyle but I do know horses so that has certainly influenced this! I'm also English so writing dialogue correctly for them is not my strong point! If you find any issues please let me know!
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The sun was just beginning to dip below the mountains and the cold was starting to set in when she joined him on the fence.  Neither of them spoke for a while, just looking out at the vastness in front of them, all that was theirs but came with so many conditions.  
Eventually she broke the silence, “so you told him?  How’d he take that one?”
Wordlessly he opened his shirt where the ‘Y’ was just starting to scab over, still red and angry.
“Motherfucker,” she swore, “this ain’t fair Kayce.  He doesn’t just get to do this.”
He shook his head, “dad does whatever he wants and there ain’t no consequences for him.  That’s why I gotta do this.”
“Shit man.  What’s Monica gonna do?  Besides worrying about you getting your ass shot in the desert miles from civilisation?”
Kayce chuckled, “beats getting my ass shot in the middle of Montana miles from civilisation.  She’ll be okay, her family will help and she’ll be a teacher.  Just like she planned.  It’s you I’m worried about here with dad and no one else to speak sense to.  ‘Cept Lee”
“Well I’m leaving, dad be damned.  I’m not gonna be a pawn in his power trip.  Gonna go see this godforsaken country and win it all so that when I come back he can’t question whether it’s where I wanna be,” she declared.
Her brother rolled his eyes, “you ain’t talking about the same him now.”
“I don’t know what your talking about,” she denied, staring out at the darkened mountains.
Kayce shoved her shoulder, “you can’t bullshit to me y/n.  That’s the one problem with being twins, ain’t no way to lie to me.”
“I’m just a kid to him, he ain’t ever gonna see me any other way if I stay here,” she admitted, “hell if I stay here no one will ever see me as anything more than his kid.  ‘S why we both gotta do this Kayce.”
He nodded, “no way to stand in the sun in this state, always gonna be a shadow.”
“When I come back I’ll be able to stand in sunlight so bright I’ll have a fucking halo.”
-/-/-
2 years later…
 Montana has its charms all year round, but fall has a particular appeal.  The leaves had started to turn, there was a chill in the air that only seemed to get  stronger and there was still a frost on the grass that the sun hadn’t hit.  
With the sun keeping the cold from their bones, the Yellowstone ranch hands were occupying themselves keeping their roping skills fresh.  Rip observed from the sidelines as the new hand struggled to keep up with Ryan who turned to lecture the kid about keeping his eye on the steer.  
Lloyd rolled his eyes when he missed the horns again, “you gotta try harder than that if you wanna be a wrangler!”
“He keeps pulling the damn steer too early,” the hand argued back.
Ryan glared at him, “don’t fuckin’ blame me for your bad skills.”
Before they could descend into an all out brawl, the group were distracted by the sound and sight of truck coming down the road.  They watched it pull up in front of the barn, trailer in tow.  A rare silence occupied them as they watched a young woman step out, adjust her hat then stare out across the ranch in front of her.
“Well I’ll be damned,” Lloyd muttered, “she’s back.  You fuckin’ know about this?”
Rip said nothing, but his face gave the answer.  The other hands who recognised her muttered between themselves about what she was doing back after so long.
The new hand leaned over towards Ryan, “who the fuck is that and why does everybody care?”
“That is y/n Dutton,” he answered without taking his eyes off of her.
“I didn’t know John had another daughter,” he responded.
Ryan shook his head, “hell kid you gotta lot to learn about this place.”
“She’s fuckin’ hot mind,” the hand murmered.
The older hand spat out his words, “you keep words like that off your tongue if you want to keep it.”
Lee stepped out of the barn and stepped around the truck to greet her, “the prodigal daughter returns.”
“I don’t see Beth anywhere,” she laughed bitterly, “but it’s good to see you Lee.”
He hugged her, “I’m glad you’re back.  Been a long time coming.”
“I came back for me, not for him remember that,” she turned towards the corral, “think I’ve given them enough of a show to explain it so they can pick their jaws up off the floor?”
He gestured for her to follow him towards where the ranch hands were all still quietly watching.  She strode over to the group, smiling at Rip who nodded back at her.
“Where’s that mare of yours?” He asked.
Y/n shrugged, “a champion barrel horse would be wasted on this ranch.  Sold her for more money than I’m ever gonna earn in the rest of my lifetime.”
“You ain’t rodeoing anymore?” Lloyd questioned.
“I did what I set out to do when I went on the circuit.  Saw this godforsaken country and won it all.  It’d get boring to win it over again,” she moved her gaze towards where Ryan was watching her, “ain’t no one gonna question where I wanna be now.”
Rip nodded, “afraid we ain’t got a horse to spare for you y/n.”
“I got that covered Rip.  Got one coming up tomorrow from a ranch in Wyoming.  Some fuckin’ old school boys who don’t know how to be nice to a horse they didn’t ruin,” she explained, “man’s wife broke it and now she’s dead ain’t no one gonna ride him gentle.  Figured he might stand a chance with me.”
Lloyd chuckled, “always were a soft hand.  Figured that’s how you won it all.”
“Guess that question that remains is, do you have a place for me?  Not in the house but here,” she clarified.
Lee looked at Rip then back at his sister, “I reckon so.  You gonna stay in the bunkhouse?”
“Oh fuck no,” y/n laughed, “I didn’t drag that thing all the way from Texas to sleep with these fuckheads.  It’s looked after me in worse places.  Think it’ll do just fine here.”
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ardl0 · 2 months
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A hidden path to America’s dinner tables begins here, at an unlikely source – a former Southern slave plantation that is now the country’s largest maximum-security prison.
Unmarked trucks packed with prison-raised cattle roll out of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, where men are sentenced to hard labor and forced to work, for pennies an hour or sometimes nothing at all. After rumbling down a country road to an auction house, the cows are bought by a local rancher and then followed by The Associated Press another 600 miles to a Texas slaughterhouse that feeds into the supply chains of giants like McDonald’s, Walmart and Cargill.
Intricate, invisible webs, just like this one, link some of the world’s largest food companies and most popular brands to jobs performed by U.S. prisoners nationwide, according to a sweeping two-year AP investigation into prison labor that tied hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of agricultural products to goods sold on the open market.
They are among America’s most vulnerable laborers. If they refuse to work, some can jeopardize their chances of parole or face punishment like being sent to solitary confinement. They also are often excluded from protections guaranteed to almost all other full-time workers, even when they are seriously injured or killed on the job.
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kristinamae093 · 3 months
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I found the incorrect quotes generator and I had to share a few, because there are some GEMS in here, lmao! 🤣😬👉👉
And I'd like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Wishing you blessings and lots of good fortune in 2024!
(There's a few F bombs and light innuendo)
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*Kyla teaching Constantine to drive and taking Liam along for the ride*
Kyla: That's a pothole. To the left!
Constantine: Take it back now y'all *Drives into pothole*
Liam, sticking their face into the front over the center console: Cha Cha real smooth.
Constantine: I don't think that's how the song goes.
Kyla, crying and gripping the handle: Please just take me home.
Constantine: Country Roads.
Liam: To the place.
Constantine and Liam in unison: I Belong!
Kyla, crying harder: What the fuck?
----------
Constantine, waking up after a nap: I had a bad dream.
Kyla: What was it about?
Liam: No, don’t ask that!
Kyla: Why not?
Liam: Cause he’ll answer!
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*Liam and Kyla flirting with each other yet again*
Constantine: And you two are sure you're not dating?
Liam: 100%.
Kyla: Of course not! Why would you think that?
Constantine: I wonder why that possibility would even cross my mind, Kyla. I wonder.
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Constantine, texting group chat: What flavour of ice cream do you guys want?
Kyla: Moose Tracks is good!
Liam: What the fuck is that!?
Kyla: *Gasp* How dare you insult moo-
Liam: No. No no not that. What the hell. Why do you spell flavor like flavour. It’s like you have flavor but then this guy shows up and is like “Oui Oui Would you like chocolate flaVOUR or vanilla flaVOUR.
Constantine and Kyla: what?
Liam: I don’t get it why add the EXTRA u when it’s PERFECTLY FINE AS IT IS!?
Constantine: You done now?
Liam: Yeah ok.
Constantine and Kyla: ...
Liam: ...Can I have the Mint Chocolate chip flavour?
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Kyla: We need a distraction.
Liam: Is anyone here good at jumping up and down and making weird noises?
Constantine, whispering: My time has come.
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Kyla: Self care is stuff like taking a bubble bath or putting on a lot of make up if you like that, or taking a nice warm nap and stuff like that basically.
Constantine: Self-care is the burning heat when rage washes over you. Self-care is when you feel the bones crack under your powerful fists. Self-care is the fear in your enemy's eyes.
Liam: Self-care is stealing someone's birthday cake just to eat the frosting.
Constantine: If you touch my birthday cake I’ll make you eat your hands.
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Constantine: Ladies, gentlemen and Kyla, I want to show you the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld!
Liam: A llama?
Constantine : No.
Liam: A baby llama?
Constantine : No!
Liam: A baby llama with a little hat on?
Constantine : NO!
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Kyla: *sucking on a popsicle*
Constantine: Pfft, you practicing for when Liam gets here?
Kyla: *takes a huge ass bite out of the popsicle*
Constantine: *Concern*
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Kyla: Love is weakness and an evolutionary mistake.
Constantine: You are literally making a Valentine’s day card for Liam.
Kyla, pointing their hot glue gun towards Constantine: You’re on thin fucking ice.
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Constantine: My bad, It’s a knee jerk response.
Liam, holding Kyla's unconscious body: WHOSE KNEE JERK RESPONSE IS TO START THROWING BRICKS AT SOMEONE???
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Constantine: Hold on! I’m having one of those things... a headache with pictures.
Liam: What the fuck?
Kyla: He's having an idea.
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Kyla: Do you think different paints have different tastes?
Constantine: They do.
Liam: ...Why did you say that with such certainty?
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Liam: If I say I love you, will you say it back?
Kyla: Yes.
Liam: I love you.
Kyla: It back.
*Later*
Constantine: Why is Liam crying face-down on the floor?
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Kyla: What time is it?
Constantine: I don’t know, pass me that saxaphone and we’ll find out
Constantine: *BLASTS the saxaphone*
Liam: WHO THE FUCK IS PLAYING THE SAXAPHONE AT TWO IN THE FUCKING MORNING
Constantine: It’s 2 am
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Constantine: Do you mind if I slyly mention that you’re single?
Liam: Do not do that.
Constantine: You won’t even notice!
Kyla, entering: Constantine, you wanted to see me again?
Constantine: Liam's single
Liam:
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Liam: Bet you can’t eat 15 crayons!
Kyla: Bet you I can!
Constantine: *sips coffee, checks to make sure 911 is still on speed dial, and goes back to reading the paper*
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Kyla: Why do you let me win when we race up the stairs? You’re the faster one.
Liam: Erm... it’s nice see your smile when you win!
*later*
Kyla: He's probably just staring at my ass, isn't he?
Constantine: Yeah, probably.
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Constantine: That shirt looks great, Kyla.
Kyla: Thanks.
Constantine: But I bet it would look even better on Liam's floor.
Liam: Are you hitting on Kyla... for me?
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Constantine: Everyone, calm down! We're grown-ups, let's deal with this like adults!
Liam: So, we're just going to wing it and hope for the best?
Constantine: Obviously. Now, Kyla, pass the shovel.
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Kyla: *kisses Liam*
Liam: !
Kyla: ...Did you steal my chapstick?
Liam: Did- did I what?
Kyla: My chapstick, Liam. Did you steal it?
Constantine: Kyla, for the love of God, not this again.
Liam: I- No, I didn't steal your chapstick. We use the same chapstick.
Kyla: No, there is absolutely no way we use the same chapstick, because it was only sold on one Etsy shop two years ago and they discontinued it, and I loved it so much that I bought the last of their stock, and I keep it in my freezer so it doesn't go bad. It's been discontinued for three years. No one uses the same chapstick for three years. So unless you've been eating a whole fuck ton of something that's flavored like chocolate and popcorn, you absolutely stole my fucking chapstick.
Liam: Chocolate and popcorn?
Constantine: Why do you think it got discontinued?
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Kyla, gardening: Hey, can you bring me the hoe?
Constantine: Yeah, sure.
*A few minutes later*
Constantine: Here you go.
Kyla:
Constantine:
Liam: Why am I here?
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Constantine, excitedly: Heeyy!!
Kyla: Hey, someone's excited.
Liam, deadpan: Yeah, and it's making me sick.
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Constantine: I dare you to kiss the next person who walks into this room.
Liam: Screw that, I’m not kissing any of you.
*Kyla walks in*
Liam: Fine, I’ll do it. Rules are rules you know.
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I hope at least one of these made you smile 🙃.
@ao719 @queenrileyrose @angelasscribbles @tessa-liam @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf
@bascmve01 @busywoman
@belencha77 @mysticalfangirl @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog
@malblk21 @sfb123 @emersyn-in-cordonia @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys
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