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#lesbian multiple times. but i would always walk it back when a friend would express doubt or a male friend would ask me out
dishsaop · 25 days
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does anyone have recommendations for fictional media that has like. actual lesbians in it. not like supergirl Two White Skinny Girls, One Blonde and One Brunette Kiss media, or "its implied lesbianism!!!" but just regular fucking lesbians
#i say lesbians but i guess i mean sapphic#im just like. tired of gnawing#and of men also. sorry men in my life i love you but on god if i have to pretend one more man is butch just to get#content that isnt m/m or m/f im going to turn into a horse and run into the wilderness until im saved from the glue factory by a plucky#young woman except instead of letting her have her formative summer where she trains me and bonds w me and wins a competition w me#im going to commit horse suicide in front of her & change her life forever. just because im so tired of bland CW-marketable women kissing &#digging for scraps in a refuse bin while brushing aside 7002993829292929939292929399394 gay and het romances#m text#i will also take nonfictional lesbians if its like a story#not to be whiny on main but one of the hardest hurdles i had to jump wasnt realizing i was a lesbian. i came out to myself and to friends a#lesbian multiple times. but i would always walk it back when a friend would express doubt or a male friend would ask me out#bc i dont and especially then didnt know very many lesbians in person. and so i had to turn to examples#and all i fucking had were fictional women who liked men. or fictional lesbians who were so cleaned and sanitized and prettified#(you all know what i mean right. the 2 skinny white girls one blonde one brunette. im not crazy right)#and i would be like. i dont feel things when i look at these fictional lesbians so i guess i belong back here#(this is also bc my gender ended up being fuckier than i realized but shhhhh)#I WAS GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THESE TAGS but theyre too long and im lost.#anyway the point is if people werent so fucking weird abt fictional or onscreen lesbians maybe thered be a lot more people comfortable bein#out as lesbian#like sorry but this awful ouroboros of 'all lesbians onscreen have to be cute and sanitized' meaning that people write and believe wlw has#to be cute and pure and sanitized (OR a 'badge of honor' bc good for u u doodled two women together or had it as a background in ur fic)#meaning that therefore all portrayals of lesbianism continue to be like this. is just#and im also gonna be honest theres probably a lot of good sapphic media im just in the wrong circles to have stumbled into lol. so#yknow. personal viewer bias here#but i still like swing wildly between overly brandishing my dykeness as a badge to feel like im proving im lesbian#and like. backing up under a blanket bc i dont wanna be weird or annoying or freak people out#but if people just Saw Normal Ass Lesbians. aough.#im going to watch revolutionary girl utena one of these days even if i struggled w the writing style the first few episodes#I JUST WANNA SEE AN OLD BUTCH ONSCREEN GET SOME PUSSY.#like it also doesnt help im mostly femme4butch so seeing 2 femmes on screen is like. okay cool so what. but only femmes are 'marketable'
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sexydoffyman · 3 months
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Hi, could I request a cod x male reader specifically one with an insecure Alejandro who thinks his boyfriend might be cheating on him with another colleague of his. I love the possessiveness trope lol
CHEATING?
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genre: angst
characters: Alejandro Vargas
A/N: Lotta regret goin on here🐳
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He is jealous, very jealous. He used to be a fuckboy, and he definitely had more than one girlfriend in the past. But with his choice of women, he got cheated on a lot. That is where his insecurity began to grow.
He thought about it and came to the conclusion that he better try it with a dude. And again, now, due to his personality, he got cheated on multiple times. He was frustrated and tired. He wanted to give up on dating anyone.
That was until he met you. You were different because of one thing. He approached the other people. You were the one to approach him. You hung out, had fun, and eventually, you got together. But this time, Alejandro really fell in love. With the other ones, he had them to have the relationship status. He finally understood what it meant to love somebody.
And with his came a little problem. His insecurity really started to shine through. He was scared. Scared you'd find someone better. All it took was your friend to look at you suggestively.
He was fuming. As soon as you got home, he started breaking shit. You tried to calm him down. You wanted to talk to him about it normally. He started accusing you, "Why would you do this to me?" "Alejandro, you really need to sit down and chill out for a while."
He started yelling at you. You tried defending yourself by yelling back. Unfortunately for you, he was the bigger one, so he was able to corner you rather quickly. His hand gestures made you flinch. He was always really expressive with his body language, but you never experienced this.
"Just calm down for a while. Nothing happened!" "WHACK"
Your world went quiet for a while as you fell to the ground. He just kept on yelling, not having a care in the world that you had a bloody nose. He really caught you off guard. You finally caught your breath. Instead of fighting him, you just let him yell it out.
When he was done with his yelling, you finally spoke. "She's a lesbian." A long silence filled the room. "We went to school together, and we used to make sexual jokes all the time." You got up and looked him in the eyes. "You are not the man who I fell in love with." Those words stabbed him like little daggers.
"Wait!" He tried to stop you as you began walking to your shared bedroom. You stopped in your tracks to hear him out. "I'm sorry for accusing you. I should've listened to you." Anger filled your bones, and with one fast move, you punched him in the jaw.
It didn't really phase him. He just looked at you in surprise. When you actually faced him, he saw how angry you were. And the blood on your face that was now staining your shirt. "You didn't even bother to apologise for this." His face showed his horrified expression.
He really didn't want to lose you. He dropped to his knees and begged you to stay. You pushed him away with your leg. It was more of a kick than a push. You were livid. "You first accused me of being unloyal, then you hurt me, and now, instead of saying you didn't want to hurt me, you said you didn't want to lose me."
You sat down and cried. "I thought I found the one." He looked at you as if he wanted to give you all the love in the world, but you wouldn't let him. Tears started forming in his own eyes. "Let me make this up to you."
You ignored him and stood up to get your things. He got up and grabbed your hand "Please!" You slapped his hand away. "I don't want to be with someone as ignorant as you."
All he wanted was to not lose you, but because of his actions, he did exactly the opposite. He fucked up.
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buried-in-stardust · 11 months
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⚠️ Content warnings: homophobia, hate crime, knife attack, graphic violence, murder ⚠️
Fong Hiu-tung, 26, and Lau Kai-hei, 22, were stabbed to death by a 39 year old man in a Hong Kong shopping mall on June 2nd, 2023. The man had purchased a knife just before stabbing Fong Hiu-tung in the back. Lau Kai-hei tried to fend off the assailant and pull her partner away, but failed. After stabbing both of them multiple times, the assailant waited calmly for the police to arrive. The police believe the assailant and victims had no connection and did not know each other.
Fong Hiu-tung was a waitress in a high-end restaurant, while Lau Kai-hei was a hair stylist at a nearby salon. Lau Kai-hei also worked part-time at a bar, which is where they had met. On the day of the attack, the couple had planned to meet with Fong Hiu-tung's family to attend her grandfather's birthday party after visiting the mall.
Fong Hiu-tung and Lau Kai-hei loved each other and died for it. May they rest in peace.
Thread has links and information, but contains a graphic video and pictures. Please proceed with caution:
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Some details on being a lesbian in China below the cut:
From Naomi Wu, an explanation of what lesbians face in China/Hong Kong:
When men attack Toms (butches), they think a lot of things- sometimes in Chinese we say "one lesbian steals two men's wives"- herself and her partner. And for bitter middle-aged, unmarried men like this attacker, they've been told their whole life they are owed a wife to wait on them hand and foot- and they feel robbed and wronged by a young handsome Tom taking what's "theirs". They are angry, entitled, jealous- they want to teach her a lesson. They want to punish her for having what is rightfully theirs when they don't. Then it's "Oh, if you want to act like a man, I'll treat you like one". Most need to justify it to themselves to get started. Of course, the femme/Dee/P is always next, because we will fight to save our Tom, and once we do, they can justify turning their violence on us next. In their twisted head, they decide their unprovoked attack was "fighting 1-on-1" and it's our fault for getting involved. All Toms know the deal, they cannot win, all Toms tell their girls again and again "if something happens, just run, I can take it". When the time comes, all Toms try to buy their girl time to get away- even as they go down under fists and boots…or knives😭 They want to buy us time, but no femmes can bear to leave them, so it never works. But they always go for our Toms first, then us. Every time.
And Naomi Wu on how the assailant would know they were lesbians:
Good questions "how would he know they were lesbian?". See pictures below- Chinese lesbians with a Tom are pretty obviously lesbians, at least to our eyes. Chinese lesbians basically come in three varieties- T, P, and H. Historically that's 99% of us, these days, probably 95% with a bit more variety coming in. Very, very, very loosely mapped- T- Tom/Butch P-Dee/Femme/Pretty Girl/Po H- Half/Futch (Amber [Lau Kai-hei] kind of gives H vibes but not my place to say.) If you see a butch girl like Daniel [Fong Hiu-tung], or my Kaidi [Naomi's girlfriend], or the other Toms you have seen me with, they're lesbian. I'm sure there are some non-lesbian Chinese women out there with that clear Tom aesthetic- but I've never met one. I suppose there are also some straight guys that look like Tom of Finland Leather Daddies walking around with similar-looking straight male friends- it's just not common. That gender expression is as clear a signal to you, as ours is to us. Some girls that look H are straight, some boyish girls are straight- but almost never Tom presenting women like Daniel or Kaidi. Now two Chinese women with more conventional gender expression simply holding hands would leave plenty of room for doubt, and there is the polite obliviousness of Chinese who will pretend they don't know a LGBT couple is a couple, but if I'm out with Kaidi- or with any Tom, basically zero people don't actually know we're a couple at a glance. That's just how LGBT works here, we have a look. Amber and Daniel were, likewise, for lack of a better word- and in a bit of celebration- flamingly, gloriously lesbian and easily picked out of a crowd as such- as Kaidi and I would be. More here: https://popula.com/2019/03/27/the-t-on-chinese-transmasculinity/
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1yyyyyy1 · 3 months
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don't know if you're taking a break on this blog, but your posts have helped me a lot and there is – ironically, i am sure some would say – something comforting in your writing and in the ways you express yourself. you have mentioned multiple times about your decision to remove from your life women who do not add anything to it. my question is: regarding relationships with women (platonic or not), how do you deal with loneliness?
i have always been a very introverted person, partially because i always knew there was something wrong with this world, even before i could name it. the more i grow, though, and the more i learn, my loneliness grows with me. it really does feel sometimes like we're the only ones in the fucking planet. the chances of us meeting one another are almost insignificant. i always knew men were empty but now i have to admit to myself that also every woman i know, see and talk to is a walking corpse. i am not interested in romance (i am a lesbian but too fucked up about sex itself and its implications), but part of me still wants friendship, in a way that my younger self did not.
is this also a thing you feel, from time to time? something you have encountered before?
As always, I am happy to know that my writing is helpful or even comforting in some way :) I know that these are some heavy topics I talk about on my blog and proving that they are not necessarily hopeless is what I care about. I am not on a break right now and I have actually been writing a lot lately, it's just that none of it is enough to wrap up even a single answer and I have been very frustrated by that. I'm still working on answering the messages in my inbox, even if it is something that was sent to me months ago, so please be patient with me.
Regarding loneliness, the truth would be that I'm a very solitary person and I tolerate loneliness or even isolation extremely well, to the point where I'm hesitant to give advice on how to deal with it to someone who is only slightly more sociable. I would be lying if I said that coming to certain realizations about women did not make me feel alienated at first because it did, and I used to be heavily bothered by the fact that the number of women who I had the potential to get along with was much smaller than I had anticipated, but ultimately I felt great relief after allowing myself to recognize that most women were harmful for me to be around and that I no longer had to pressure myself into socializing with them. The more pressing issue I was dealing with at the time was a "certain" ideology making me feel like I was stuck up or bigoted for wanting to distance myself from something that was clearly damaging to me, especially anything that involved obvious abuse and coercion. "Stuck up" for maintaining boundaries, figure that... Shutting down this line of thought alone was enough for me to start getting better and to move on to building connections that were actually productive for me.
I think that dealing with loneliness starts with discerning whether it is a temporary thing for you or a personal quality. You already mention being introverted, but I would take it even further and really allow myself to consider that it could be a genuine preference. Being confident in your introversion is a big deal because I know how unwell the world can make you feel for not being outgoing and how much people pathologize it! I myself used to wonder if my reclusiveness was some kind of trauma response that would go away once I met the right company and was more at peace with myself, which made me feel and act desperate when I look back at it. Nowadays I get a lot of positive interactions on here and I am on much better terms even with people in real life because I no longer get as frustrated by their worldview, but I still find myself in my own company more often than not because not being overtly social is where I am at my best.
With that said, I would not be where I'm at without my current friend circle and I genuinely attribute my mental stability to the friends I've made over the past year. I used to feel extremely unheard and alienated due to my fringe worldview and, having met like-minded people, this kind of isolation is just not something I struggle with anymore. To answer your actual question, I resolved my loneliness by making friends online and by recognizing that my social needs are met through less outgoing activities, like playing multiplayer games or curating an online blog; I was not going to figure this out without acknowledging that I am as reserved as I have always thought myself to be first, which is why I mention making peace with your introversion in the previous paragraph. Even if you end up being discontent with anything other than a long-term real-life friendship, talking to people online is still a good starting point that will give you a general idea for what it is like to be around someone with a similar outlook. I did feel infinitely better after connecting with like-minded women on social media (actually messaging them and interacting with their posts, not just reading or liking them) and it is one thing I recommend doing.
How weak or strong your sense of isolation is really depends on how far you are into coming to terms with the reality of this world's dynamics and there is a very high chance that you will be inconsolable at first, even with the right people in your life. I remember feeling down well into newfound friendships simply because such a major worldview shift was a lot to take in and I suggest not giving up on building connections with people even if it feels like nothing is working out for you. All in all, I choose to build friendships with like-minded women on the internet while maintaining more impersonal contact (professional or otherwise) in real life and I prefer to keep it that way.
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peppusae · 3 years
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[semi eita] ambivalence ch. 3 (nsfw)
note: this fanfic has multiple chapters, so please look forward to more!
ambivalence: semi eita x reader (ft. tendou satori x reader)
genre: smut
word count: 2k+ words
>
ambivalence
ch 3: all night
It’s a bit embarrassing to meet eyes with both Semi Eita and Tendou Satori after that night.
Tendou keeps his promise: You can see that he is dying to ask you what happened, but he remembers his promise and does not ask you anything about Yamagata’s frat party.
And you’re glad, because the sober version of you has already felt like that while remembering all the shameless things you’ve told Semi to do.
It’s even worse because it looks like Semi has the intention of being friends with you; he actually gives you a smile when you pass by each other during changing lecture halls, or when he finds you sitting with your friends at campus while he’s going back to his dorm.
The one time he caught you on your own by your locker, he had come to say hello to you, and you dropped your 589-page textbook onto your foot, almost coughed up your lung, and then blasted away to the library, too embarrassed to even respond back.
No wonder Satori looks so worried each time he looks at me… It looks like Semi hasn’t told him anything, and he is worried sick about finding out what was wrong with me.
It’s a good thing the week that followed was so jam-packed. You had 3 assignments back to back, and working on it during every minute besides your lecture hours meant that the week passed by in absolutely no time.
It’s a Saturday evening, and your usual Saturday evenings were ordering in food with Tendou, and the mad crazy adrenaline you two synergized together forcing you two to have sex - and these were the best kind, because it was during occasions like those when Tendou was his roughest - impatient and slamming into you with all his might so that he can fill you up before you’re food arrived.
Today, you’re laying in the middle of the bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to a little funk and soul while you wait for your meal to arrive.
It’s a bit sad to eat your food on your own, so you watch old re-runs of your favourite show while you eat.
Halfway into the second episode, you’re interrupted by a call - from a number you don’t even recognize.
Usually, you would ignore unidentified numbers, but you remember that you one of your lecturers would call to - very annoyingly - give unnecessary feedback on everyone’s reports.
“Hello?”
“Oh, thank God. I’d have killed Satori if he gave me the wrong number.”
It’s weird because it’s crazy how Semi could recognize your voice instantly when all you said was a simple hello.
And It’s even weirder that you recognize Semi’s voice, too - Not when most of the speaking he did was in a very groggy, whiny drunk voice.
Hearing him now, his voice is much deeper than you recalled it to be, and your hands start to shake.
“Semi?!”
“That’s me. I asked for your number. I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
It’s a bit odd that he would choose you out of everyone he knows and is acquainted with, so when you ask what you can do for him, you can hear a loud sigh from his side of the line.
“Not over the phone, though. Do you know my dorm number?”
Semi Eita is hot. You aren’t going to deny that. You remember everything he’d done and how good his tongue felt as he fingered you as if his life depended on it. The thoughts are embarrassing and it never leaves your head while you finish up the rest of your food, not forgetting to brush your teeth and put your hair up into a bun before you take out your keys and head outside.
Shiratorizawa Academy houses it’s university branch students in dorms divided into two wings of the building. The girls reside in the right wing, and the boys in the left. The academy is actually quite lax about rules, despite this separation; the only rule is that the students were not allowed in the rooms of opposite gender students after dinner at 9 pm.
The gays and lesbians win, for that rule . You think to yourself, finding it a little humorous while you take the lift for the fifth floor. Semi had sent you a text with his dorm room number, and you walk into the hallway, passing by the doors and finally coming across room 514.
Semi opens the door when you give a knock, and he welcomes you in while he gives a little hesitant smile.
No words are exchanged while you enter the room that looks like an exact replica of yours. Honestly, there isn’t much one can do to make their room that much different from another person’s. Because all of the rooms house only one student, the rooms are just big enough to fit a bed, a small cupboard, and a study desk. There’s only so much one can do to decorate.
The bedspreads are neat, and his desk is filled with various textbooks and notebooks, but otherwise, the cramped room is quite clean, for a guy’s place. You glance at Semi, feeling a little awkward all of a sudden, remembering how you avoided him so hard for the week, but you’ve come instantly when he asked for a favour.
“So? What did you wanna ask?”
Semi takes a moment to look at you while he closes the door. The way he takes a step closer to you makes you flinch, eyes going wide and taking a step back instinctively.
“What-”
“Why do you keep avoiding me?”
“Semi, what-”
Your sentence is interrupted when he takes two more steps towards you, and your move back till your back hits the door with a loud smack.
“I’m… not…”
“I didn’t make you go home that night so that you’d avoid me. I just didn’t want to do anything to you while you couldn’t even tell my face from someone else’s.”
“I wasn’t that drunk…” You fib instantly.
“Did you not like it?”
Your jaw drops open. For a moment his upset expression shifts to a little sad one, and it makes your heart race because that was the complete opposite of what your mind was reeling about.
“No! I liked it!” You end up blurting out. “God, I’ve been thinking about you literally every night since.”
While you want to smash your face against the wall in embarrassment, Semi responds with a little blink, tilting his head to the side.
“Then act like it.”
Those are the last words you hear before you feel his body against you, and Semi kisses you in an urgency that makes you moan as soon as you feel his tongue on your lips.
“The way you act in public and the way you do when I touch you are worlds apart.” Semi states in between kisses, his fingers rubbing circles on your skin from underneath your shirt.You’ve never felt so cornered and so embarrassed, your face heating up already because even the way Semi kisses is you insane, like he wishes you to devour you while he has you pinned against the wall.
“Please…”
“Lock the door.” He says, moving away, and as fast as you open your eyes, they shut right away when he begins to kiss your neck. Your entire body is shaking by now, legs feeling so wobbly as you try to keep your little whimpering sounds as quiet as possible and reach a hand out towards the door. Your hands are shaking like crazy while you lock the door, and Semi does not waste a single second, taking a step away from your neck - which instantly makes you frown - and asks you to strip.
You take a few seconds to get over the high.
“What?!”
“I’ve been really, really patient for long enough.” He says, taking your hand and leading you to the bed where you sit down, legs still feeling way too wobbly to keep standing. “So strip.”
The way he runs a hand through his hair is so hot, and you’ve always known that he was really, really good-looking, but it’s the first time you’re actually attracted to him, so your hands are shaking a lot while you unbutton your shirt, undoing your bra and standing up to take off your pants. Semi cups your face, kissing your lips once again and you lose focus a bit while you try to take off your panties.
“Please, please, please. ”
Semi softly makes you sit down, still not breaking the kiss and you can hear him unbuckling his belt, the sound of his jeans dropping down making you feel wetter than you already are. You slowly open your eyes, watching the way his eyes look a little hazy and half closed, biting at his bottom lip while he peels off your panties and throws them away.
He leans in, and you move back, lips meeting once again feeling his tongue once again in your mouth while he gets on the bed, slowly leading you to the head. When you rest your head on one of your pillows, you aren’t able to open your eyes because you can feel two fingers sliding inside you without warning.
That makes you gasp, the sound of his fingers going in and out of your cunt so loud that you find yourself turning red in embarrassment. You open your eyes, barely able to see the way Semi watches your every move, and eyes going a little wide when you grab hold of chunks of his hair from the pleasure.
Instead of adding more fingers, Semi bends down, tongue slowly swirling around your clit and making you arch your back.
You could swear your brain short-circuited for a moment when he softly sucks on your clit right as he inserts two fingers inside your cunt, curling them inside and making your legs come closer together at how different it feels, like he knew your body so well to be curling in right at the place that makes you see white.
When you pull at his hair and moan once again with shaky legs, Semi rubs his lips on your clit, and you’ve never ever felt this way, so much that you come right away, all over Semi’s fingers.
Your head reels, and you open your eyes, wanting nothing more than to kiss him, but Semi...
Semi is surprisingly, agonizingly slow in his actions - much more so than Tendou.
And not just that, but Semi is mad stubborn.
You learn this from the way he glances at you with his face smeared with your juices - and then plunges another two fingers inside you again.
“S-Semi!”
“You finally called my name.”
“S-Semi, don’t-”
“What? I thought someone like you would want another orgasm right away?”
Your eyes go wide at what he said, and before you could say another word, he licks inside your cunt again, his agonizing rubs on your clit making your stomach form yet another knot right away, your legs shaking much, much more than it did the first time.
You feel so good, but you’re so embarrassed that you try to close your legs, calling his name - But Semi holds both your legs tight and apart, tongue never leaving your clit for a single second, pressing kisses and sucking so softly that your legs shake like crazy.
You don't realize just how much he had you under his control, until you come all over his face yet again, your entire body shaking while you have your eyes shut tight at the electrical feeling you’re experiencing.
“[Name]. How do you feel?”
You finally open your eyes while you try to catch your breath, and Semi is hovering over you now, pecking your lips softly before he slowly lies beside you. You extend an arm to the side, and Semi raises an eyebrow, saying nothing but coming closer to you, burying his face into your chest.
“I will never get enough of that, oh my God.” You mumble, wrapping your arm around Semi’s neck, feeling his hot breath on your chest. You think you hear him chuckle, you think you even heard the rustling of clothes, and you think you also heard the door close, but you can’t recall anything while you slip from the little line between consciousness and sleep.
---
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citylightsbooks · 3 years
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A Women’s History of City Lights: Interview with Nancy J. Peters
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We'll be celebrating Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s 102nd birthday on March 24, and what better way to remember his legacy AND to mark Women’s History Month, than to honor Nancy J. Peters, Lawrence’s business partner, friend, and longtime comrade at City Lights Books. While Ferlinghetti certainly deserves all of the accolades he’s received, the fact of the matter is there would literally be no City Lights without Nancy Peters. Beyond shepherding City Lights through various fiscal crises and providing the steady anchor that allowed Ferlinghetti to travel the world as a poet and activist, Nancy's vision as an editor and acumen as a publisher were a vital key to the success and longevity of City Lights Publishers.
 ***
City Lights: How did you come to know what City Lights was? How did you meet Lawrence Ferlinghetti?
Nancy Peters: In Greece in the early 1960s, I became friends with Nanos Valaoritis and Marie Wilson who were at the center of an international bohemian/surrealist community. They had a large home which was always full of traveling writers and artists whom they made welcome. The Beat writers were among their guests, and City Lights was frequently talked about as a place everyone would meet up someday. I met Philip Lamantia there and in 1965 he introduced me to Lawrence in Paris at one of Jean-Jacque Lebel’s anarcho-surrealist festivals of free expression.  Before a riotous crowd Lawrence gave a show-stopping rendition of his “Lord’s Prayer.” I was impressed by his powerful stage presence. Later that year, when Philip and I were living in Andalusia, Lawrence wrote Philip, asking for a selection of poems for a Pocket Poets Series volume. We corresponded some while we were putting the book together, but I didn’t see him again until 1971 when I moved to San Francisco.
I’d been working as an executive-trainee librarian at the Library of Congress in the fall of 1968. In April, Martin Luther King was assassinated and the impassioned protests that ensued left Washington neighborhoods in ruins. There was shockingly little assistance to residents from the government and my part of the city was under military surveillance, helicopters hovering over my apartment through the night. A Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam took place in Washington the following year. Over 750,000 people peacefully demonstrated. In a small way, I was involved in the planning and, during the protests, my apartment was crammed with fellow activists.
The Library of Congress was an amazing, fascinating place with compatible co-workers from all over the world—thousands of book people all in one place. However, the mission of the Library is to serve Congress, and the institution was a huge conservative bureaucracy serving a conservative and ineffective Congress as I saw it. I believed that if I stayed there I would have little contact with actual books or opportunities for civic activism.
So I moved to San Francisco, where Philip was living and urging me to come, and spent an enormous amount of time at City Lights while I was job hunting. It seemed like paradise, such a stimulating atmosphere where people could sit down to read, share ideas, and have conversations about books, politics, art. One day in early 1971 when I was walking down the street in North Beach, Lawrence hailed me and asked if I would like to help him with a bibliography of Allen Ginsberg’s writings.  After just a brief meeting at the publishing office, Lawrence went to Europe and his editorial assistant Jan Herman suddenly decided to move to Germany. Jan showed me how all the editorial work was done in the office, told me Lawrence “wouldn’t mind,” and so I found myself beginning an exciting new career in publishing.
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 What was your experience taking over as executive director and co-owner in 1984?
The store back then employed seven people: six men at the bookstore and one (me) at the publishing branch. So “executive director” is far too grand a title. City Lights was a small, failing organization by 1982. The store was not founded to make profits for the owners and it never did make a profit. Breaking even was the goal. But every year the losses mounted and there came a time when there were very few books left on the shelves. No one had seen a customer venture downstairs to the lower part of the store for many months.  
At the time, Lawrence was immensely popular and in great demand as a performer and a speaker, so he was traveling much of the time, visiting foreign colleagues, living abroad, finding new writers to translate. At this low point in the store’s history Lawrence told me in a frustrated moment that if I’d like to own City Lights, he would give it to me outright if I would run the business, freeing him to do all the other things he wanted to do. I declined, but told him I would be honored to be his partner. Theft was seriously addressed, and a protracted payment plan was agreed to by Book People, the East Bay employee-owned distributors who extended us credit for a generous period. Savvy booksellers Richard Berman and Paul Yamazaki headed the re-stocking plan. The three of us would go every week to Book People and Lou Swift Distributors to collect enough books to sell the following week. As time went on, everybody at the store consulted book catalogs and took on the responsibility for buying subject sections. I envisioned a participatory structure. If not a co-op, I wanted a bookstore where all the staff had responsibilities and power.
Why the decision not to have multiple bookstore locations around SF?
At one time we seriously considered additional locations. We explored sites in San Francisco’s Mission district and visited city officials in San Jose to talk about a second store there. But our resources were limited, and we were concerned about the time and money that would be required to create a sister store that would embody the same spirit and ethic as the original. During my time as director, the evolving challenges from chain stores and especially Amazon made beginning a new store a very risky enterprise. In retrospect, so many independents were closing that we decided to invest in our present, iconic location. In retrospect I think it was a good decision after watching attempts by other stores fail to duplicate their success elsewhere.
How has North Beach changed, how has it stayed the same? With the exodus of Big Tech and falling rents, how do you think that will affect North Beach and San Francisco in general in the future? Will there be “a rebirth of wonder”?
North Beach when I came to SF was a small bohemian village, where neighbors shared meals on their flat rooftops watching the sun set over the Bay. My rent was $125 a month, cheap even then. City Lights and the Discovery Bookstore (used books) next door to Vesuvio were key places to spend an evening. Two large Italian grocers delivered (no charge) bags of groceries up four flights of stairs to my apartment. The neighborhood was full of inexpensive Basque, Italian, and Chinese restaurants, and many cafes, many of which seemed unchanged since the 19th century. Change happens, and City Lights is well prepared for the future. It’s never easy to predict how things will develop, but the feeling of a lovely Mediterranean town persists, with the wooden buildings painted pastel colors, and the shimmering sea light on misty days. I feel certain that the light of City Lights will prevail for a long time to come.
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 Do you feel that your gender had any impact on your experience during your 23 years as director? Do you have any comments about women in bookselling or publishing in general?
Gender always has an impact. The Beat movement was certainly male focused. Even though the undaunted Diane di Prima was recognized, she was never enthusiastically supported by the inner nucleus of Beat poets. It was a long time before the Beat women came into their own. From the start, Lawrence, who insisted he wasn’t a Beat, had eclectic tastes and was open to women’s poetry. He admired Marianne Moore and Edna St. Vincent Millay as much as he did T.S. Eliot, Jacques Prévert, and Allen Ginsberg. In the Pocket Poets Series, he’d published di Prima and, very early in the series, both Marie Ponsot and Denise Levertov.
Women’s rights and opportunities are always vulnerable and cyclic. The Women’s Movement of the 1970s was very powerful and widespread, its impact on women’s lives enormous. At City Lights we hired more women; we published more women. There have always been outstanding women in publishing and bookselling, and during that time increasingly more women writers were published, reviewed, and were given accolades and awards. Women opened general bookstores and women’s bookstores, founded feminist and lesbian presses. It was a thrilling development, to see so many marginalized writers, and not just women, finding established publishers or creating their own presses. Together they created a larger, much more diverse national literature.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with many talented women at the bookstore. And in the publishing branch: Stella Levy, Kim McCloud, and Patricia Fujii. Gail Chiarello collected and edited our bestselling Bukowski stories. Annie Janowitz proposed the timely Unamerican Activities, and Amy Scholder brought us classics by Karen Finley, Rebecca Brown, and others. I’m happy to say that Amy Scholder is again working with City Lights as an editor.
When did you meet the now current publisher and executive director Elaine Katzenberger? What was her position at the bookstore? When did you know that she was the right person to take over as director?
Ah, Elaine, the woman who can do everything! Elaine began at the bookstore sales counter, then reorganized files and the store accounts, and very soon excelled as a book buyer. She had a great feeling for good writing, so I asked her to become an editor and she immediately began adding excellent books to City Lights’ list. She’s smart, witty, multitalented, and politically astute. We are very lucky to have her at the helm.
What is your understanding or vision of what of City Lights is and what it could be? How has Lawrence’s passing impacted this?
Lawrence’s democratic inclusiveness made him the best-selling poet in the U.S. His moral principles, his courage and resilience are a model to be emulated. He conceived City Lights as an educational institution that would open minds to explore and relate to the world through books. “One guy told me he’d got the equivalent of a Ph. D just sitting in the basement reading all our great books,” he often reminded us.
His “literary gathering place” was to be a fulcrum of San Francisco cultural experience, where our bookselling and publishing could amplify the voices of diverse experiences, connect with other creative communities, and serve as a center of dissent and, at the same time, a force for creating a better society.
Lawrence’s vision will continue to be our guiding light. An optimistic realist, he believed that City Lights would long endure as the co-creation of all the dedicated people who work here and make it what it is.
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gothpanda · 3 years
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A Little Bit of Attitude Ch. 37: Vancouver
WORD COUNT: 5.1K 
A/N: haha three ch in under a week? love that for me
TAGS: @madamsixx @nosebleedblitz​
@emariehorror​
WARNINGS: none
Read On Ao3
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February 5th, 1988
Tucson, Arizona
Nikki popped his bubblegum, resting his leg across his other to get comfortable in the dark green armchair. He waited patiently in the therapy office, looking out the wall-to-ceiling window to the Arizona desert. The sound of the door opening made Nikki's head turn, the on-edge feeling turning into a relaxed emotion.
"Sorry I'm late, Nikki. I had run into a colleague for a minute," said the Dr. grabbing his notebook from his desk.
"It's okay, Ortiz. Felt nice to think of what to say before we started," politely said Nikki, spitting his gum out onto a tissue.
"Good. It's always best to think before rambling during an appointment. Gets all the bases," said Dr. Ortiz, sitting down in front of Nikki. He clipped his pen and wrote down the date on his notes for Nikki. "So, how have we been feeling personally?"
"My mood has been good. I haven't tanked and felt depressed. It feels great to say that. I really haven't felt depressed since being here," said Nikki, scoffing at the fact of being healthy working out for him.  
"Well done then. According to my notes here, you had a group therapy session a couple of days ago with a guest? Is that correct?" asked Dr. Ortiz. Nikki nodded. "And how was it seeing a familiar face for the first time since admitting yourself into rehab?"
"I was happy, then I was scared. Scared and happy at the same time. I don't know how anyone can have those feelings together, but I did," said Nikki, rubbing his hands together, Sammi's face popping in his head.
"Why were you scared?" asked Dr. Ortiz, ready to write down what Nikki was about to say.
"Sammi and I didn't leave on the greatest terms in California. When I saw her, I was scared of what she would say about being around me when I was doing heroin,"
"And how did you feel in the end after she expressed her feelings?"
"Sad… I really didn't realize how horrible Sammi felt about everything from the moment I started. It never crossed my mind the conversation we had when we broke up. I don't want to hurt her like that ever again," said Nikki, continuing to rub his hands together.
"While it may have been a terrible feeling to hear to her side of the abuse, it helps make you a better person living a sober life and get rid of the fear,"
"What if I'm still scared of being sober?" asked Nikki, looking down at his feet
"And what is it that you're scared of exactly?"
Nikki sighed, rubbing his hands on his pants. "What if I'm a terrible boyfriend to her being sober? That's what I'm scared about,"
Dr. Ortiz is taken aback but almost lets out a chuckle. "Why would you believe you'd make a terrible boyfriend? You seemed like a great man to her and only her. Even with your troubles from all of our sessions. So why worry when you'd be healthy?"
"Because I've never been with someone I love without some kind of 'help,'" said Nikki, blushing from saying the L-word. "I've always been under the influence even to a small extent with Sammi because I needed it. Without drugs I'm a timid man who wants to be with the smartest girl he ever met," sighed Nikki. "That's why I'm scared,"
Dr. Ortiz takes a second to think before speaking, ready to talk man to man. "Nikki, I'm not going to be speaking in a way of a therapist but how a normal married man would. If Sammi dealt and stuck around long enough when you had your shit, then what makes you think she's not going to love Sober Nikki?" asked Dr. Ortiz, narrowing his eyes at Nikki.
"But she blamed herself for me dying…"
"And that is when you act like a man and treat her like the queen she is to you. Understood?" Nikki only nodded. "Very good. It's going to be a learning curve but hiding isn't going to work out,"
June 3rd, 1988
San Francisco, California
Boxes upon boxes were scattered among the small place that was now Sammi's old apartment, ready to be filled with every single little thing she can take home. Sammi kneeled in front of one labeled 'photos' as Emma and Sabrina were graciously beside her, putting other things in different boxes. Sabrina organized all of Sammi's books while Emma took the time for her snack break.
"Thanks for the help you two, even if Emma's been eating the whole time," said Sammi, smiling over at Emma in the middle.
"Your kitchen is empty for your information thanks to me so you're welcome," said Emma with a mouth full of banana, Sabrina shaking her head playfully.
"Why thank you, Emma. Is it still hard to believe I'm finally done with school? No more having to deal with grades,"
"Tell me about it. I'm starting to miss it already and I'm only taking a year off," said Sabrina, reading the back of one book.
"Yeah yeah we get it. You two are done with college while my ass is still going to classes," said Emma, pouting.
"Awe you'll be fine," said Sabrina, pinching Emma's cheeks. "Just one more year and then you'll be free to your heart's content," The three girls chuckled along, Sammi continuing to pack her belongings on the living room floor.
"Hey Sam, I have a question," said Emma.
"Shoot,"
"Do you have any regrets moving over by yourself? I'm starting to think about what I wanna do when I graduate,"
"You're gonna leave me and move away?" asked Sabrina, raising an eyebrow.
"You're gonna leave us?" corrected Sammi.
Emma giggled at the two. "No, I'm not moving out just yet. I just want to know what it's like here since it's the 'gay mecca'. I have to be with the lesbians at some point," joked Emma.
Sammi stared into the distance for a moment, pursing her lips as she thought about the question, "Yeah I actually do. I wish I never moved here,"
"What? Why?" asked Emma, scrunching her brows together.
"Think about it. I didn't make any friends here. I only met rude and miserable people when I had the chance to make friends. All I have are bad memories. Me leaving didn't do any good back home with Nikki, leading to another fight with Vince. I should've just stayed in L.A,"
"Damn I never thought about it that way," said Sabrina.
"Me neither," added Emma.
"If I stayed then maybe I wouldn't have any awkward tension between Vince and now Nikki. Maybe we'd all be living under one roof. It's just something I think about," said Sammi, looking down at the scattered photos.
"Well hey, who needs friends when you have us," said Emma, swinging an arm around Sabrina to pull her into their side. Sammi only smiled at the two with a sweet chuckle before going back to finishing the last of the photos, taping the box shut.
"You do have multiple points. Speaking of which, how are the guys since getting out of rehab?" asked Sabrina.
"They are currently in Canada working on a new album, so that's always good. Tommy, Mick, and Vince left in April. I would say they're doing great since being out. Tommy was a big help going apartment hunting with me," said Sammi.
"What about Nik?" asked Emma.
Sammi sighed. "He went straight to Canada after being released. I haven't heard from him since that therapy session," said Sammi, lowering her eyes from Emma and Sabrina. They could see the change in Sammi's face. Even if she didn't say it loud, the girls knew Sammi missed Nikki.
"You should just go visit them," suggested Emma. "I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world to the guys,"
"Yeah but this isn't a tour date. They're  working this time, and I don't want to be a nuisance,"
"You seriously don't think Heather or whoever is dating Vince doesn't barge in when they record back home?" asked Sabrina.
Sammi did shrug a shoulder in acknowledgment until something clicked in her head. "Wait I just remembered Mick said I could visit,"
"Then go!" shouted Emma and Sabrina in unison.
"Fine! Fine! I'll make some calls after we're home and I'm somewhat settled," said Sammi, standing up on her feet and walking to see what needed to be packed in parts of her bedroom.
June 14th, 1988
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
For being summer in Canada, the country proved to be the coldest place Sammi has ever visited, needing to wear her warmest leather jacket for the trip. She was quick to learn Vancouver was a calm city with still enough action going around. Sammi made a mental note to come back whenever L. A got too hot for her.
With the help of Doc setting Sammi up in Canada, it didn't take any time to find the recording studio Motley was working at. Sammi walked straight into the two-story building, hands in her pocket as she looked at the wooden interior. She stood right in the middle of the lobby where no one occupied the front desk, surprised by the quiet. The sound of steps walking down the stairs caused Sammi to turn on her heels, facing a young man with papers in his hand.
"Uh hey!" said Sammi, smiling politely at the young man.
"Hi… um who are you?" asked the skinny young man, walking down the last steps with hesitation.
"I'm Sammi, sorry to just pop in like this," said Sammi, extending out a hand.
"Like the name. I'm Kevin," said Kevin, shaking Sammi's hand. "What can I help you with?"
"Well I was wondering if Motley Crue was here right now. I'm Tommy's little sister," said Sammi, fixing the strap of her purse.
"Oh yeah they're upstairs with their producer right now. Did they know you were coming?" asked Kevin.
"No, I wanted to surprise them. It's been kind of boring back in California," smiled Sammi to hopefully let Kevin lead her to the boys.
"Well…" said Kevin, looking up the stairs and back at Sammi. "I know their producer Bob might not like you being here but I do know you're pretty special to the guys,"
"Yeah, the guys and I are pretty tight,"
"Alright then come with me," said Kevin, leading Sammi up the stairs. Kevin led Sammi through a spacious long hallway, knocking on the second door to their right. He peeked his head inside once, opening the door slightly. "Um, sir, the boys have a visitor,"
"I said no visitors. These four don't need any female distractions," said Bob in a deep and intimidating voice. Sammi almost regretted surprising the boys if they had this man working with them.
"It's Tommy's sister Sammi, sir,"
"Sammi!" yelled Tommy, Sammi hearing his steps rush out the door. Tommy swung the door open and, in one quick movement, engulfed Sammi in a tight hug, lifting her up in the air. "I've missed you!"
"It's only been 2 months!" giggled Sammi.
"I don't care, I miss you!" said Tommy, placing Sammi down on her feet. Before Sammi could say anything, she soon noticed Nikki right behind Tommy, almost in hiding. Nikki sheepishly had his hand in the back of his jean pockets and a slight smile on his lips.
"Hey, Sammi," uttered Nikki, stepping closer to Sammi. Sammi couldn't keep her eyes off Nikki, first noting every single new thing about the man. He had more tattoos all down his arm of what appeared to be Japanese artwork. It complimented his now bigger biceps and toned body, seeing Nikki's pecs through his shirt. Tommy could see the shock and plan to gawk on Sammi's face, finding it downright humorous.
When Nikki stood right in front of Sammi, Sammi blinked rapidly and cracked a smirk. "Wow. You look…" lingered Sammi.
"Different?" blushed Nikki.
"I was going to say great. You look great with your new look," smiled Sammi, finally one take forward and hugging Nikki like normal. Nikki didn't question anything, wrapping his strong arms tightly around Sammi. She could feel the difference in strength right away.
"Come on, let's not be greedy," said Tommy, grasping Sammi's shoulder and leading her into the recording room.
Without Sammi facing the terror twins, Tommy flashed a smirk to Nikki as if the adults were back to being teenagers in high school. Mick was the first to welcome Sammi in, heading straight for a hug and a pat on her head.
"Ain't this a surprise, Little girl," said Mick.
"You're the one who told me to come," smiled Sammi, causing Mick to shrug his shoulder.
Mick was almost pleased with himself. "Didn't think you'd take the bait," chuckled Mick. Mick looking healthy was Sammi's first thought, causing the smile to stick on her lips.
"Hey Sammi," said Vince, going straight for a hug that was gladly returned. "Finally we can have some fun around here,"
Right as Sammi was close to responding when the sight of Bob caused her to shut her mouth. Bob was a big tall man whose voice matched everything about him physically. He towered over Sammi, glaring down at her with an intense stare. Sammi took a few steps back, almost hiding right behind Nikki.
"Am I really that scary?" asked Bob, breaking into a smile.
"Do you want an honest answer?" asked Sammi, staying beside Nikki. Nikki crossed his arms, puffing his chest to seem as if he was protecting Sammi. Bob nodded. "You're more than a foot taller than me and built like a football player. You are scary to me!" said Sammi. Everyone burst into laughter, any tension dissipating.
"Well I am not a mean person. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sammi. You just came at the right second, the boys are on a break," said Bob.
"I really hope I'm not imposing. I can just go back to my hotel and wait,"
"No!" said Motley in unison.
"Sammi trust us, we need you for a bit," said Nikki, squeezing Sammi's shoulder gently.
"You can stay for the rest of the session if you like, Sammi. I'm serious. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the offices. We'll start recording vocals in 20," said Bob, walking out, having Kevin follow him right behind. Sammi let out a sigh of relief, happy to not bother anyone who was working with Motley.
"See, Sam, you're welcome wherever you go," said Tommy pulling out a chair for Sammi that she accepted.
"I guess I am. But enough about me, how's the album going?" excitedly asking Sammi, smiling with bright eyes at the guys.
As the guys all settled back into their seats, Mick whipped out a piece of paper of every song for their new album, all in Nikki's handwriting. Sammi took the form for closer examination, reading off every circled name of a song.  
"Okay so we have 'Dr. Feelgood'. That one sounds cool. 'Slice of Your Pie', I wonder what that one's about," said Sammi, glaring at all the guys with a smirk.
"Get your mind out of the gut, Samantha," teased Vince.
"Rattlesnake Shake. That one also sounds cool. Kickstart My Heart. That has to be about Nikki. Without you?" stopped Sammi, scrunching her brows together. She looked up at Motley, trying to read all their faces. Vince and Tommy shifted their eyes to each other, looking at Nikki and Mick. Nikki bounced his leg a bit more than usual. "What's 'Without You' about?" asked Sammi. Nikki and Tommy glanced at each other, waiting for one of the two to speak.
"It's a song about Heather and I. You know how record labels are about having love songs on albums," said Tommy, putting on a somewhat convincing smile.
"Oh so you wrote a song!" exclaimed Sammi. "That's awesome. Did you help him, Nikki?" Nikki shook his head. "Well can I hear it? Especially if you wrote it Tommy,"
"It's not done yet, Sam. We still need the instruments on some parts," said Vince, Nikki thanking him in his mind. "Anyway! How many days are you staying in Vancouver?" asked Vince.
"I'm only staying for 2 days. I just wanted to make sure you four were still good and running," said Sammi.
"Awe come on Sammi, you don't have to worry about us. We're adults who have now figured out life. Kind of," said Vince with a proud smug smile.
"Vince is right and we can prove it to you," said Nikki.
"Oh really? How so?" asked Sammi, raising a brow with a smirk to Nikki.
"How about you come out to our rental tonight. We can all make dinner together and catch up especially since I haven't seen you in months," said Nikki, matching Sammi's smirk.
"And whose fault is that, Nikki?" asked Tommy, chuckling at the glare he received. Sammi snickered but hid her smile behind her hands as Nikki faced her again.
"That sounds like a great idea, Nik. I would love that," smiled Sammi. It was like they were in their own little world again, where Nikki only knew Sammi. Vince didn't feel the massive sting of jealousy as before, only by a quarter of the feeling. Nevertheless, he had to admit it was nice to see Sammi happy as well as Nikki.
"I can pick you up from your hotel, Sam. Our place is basically in the middle of nowhere. It's by a small lake!" said Tommy.
"Well isn't that cute. I hope you four are ready for my cooking," teased Sammi, standing up from her seat as she noticed Bob about to walk into the room again. It was time to somewhat finish what the boys started, more vocals on Vince's behalf. Sammi just sat on the loveseat right behind Nikki with a happy smile on her face.
"Okay!" Bob clapped. "Let's get back to work!"
*
Sammi shouldn't have been surprised when she first laid eyes on Motley's rental house that appeared to be a country log cabin. It subtly screamed Nikki and his Idaho roots. A beautiful two-story log cabin in the middle of the green forest with a lake within walking distance. It was a fantastic little escape for the guys after a long day at the studio, calling this home for who knows how long. In the open space kitchen, Sammi and Tommy served the five plates ready for Sammi's food. Nikki set up the dining table with forks and knives, placing the guys' drink of choice. Without asking her, Nikki popped open a bottle of Sammi's favorite red wine and poured a glass for her. It didn't take much energy for Nikki to completely ignore the alcoholic drink. Vince and Tommy set the plates of food on top of each placemat while Mick put the garlic bread basket right in the middle. Everything smelled amazing.
"Okay! Are we all ready to eat?" asked Sammi, walking into the dining room, seeing Motley sat down like well-behaved children with Tommy leaving a spot right next to him. "I'll take that as a yes," Sammi said, sitting beside her brother.
It was a comfortable silence that filled the room. Only the sound being made was of forks hitting the plates that felt like music to Sammi's ears. Silent people eating was a compliment for Sammi.
"I forgot how great your cooking is, Sammi," said Vince, finally taking a breather as he sipped on his glass of water.
"It's just spaghetti with meatballs," snickered Sammi, looking over Tommy to see Vince.
"Yes but we are used to frozen meatballs and pregos spaghetti sauce," said Mick, mouth almost full of food.
Sammi shook her head, taking another bite of a meatball. She glanced over at Nikki right in front of her, smiling at how he ate in silence. "Nikki seems to love my food. His head has been down his plate the entire time." teased Sammi. Nikki only flipped Sammi off in a matter she knew was playful. Sammi notices her glass of wine, looking around the guys. She smelled it and took a sip, happy to know it's her favorite. "Did you pour me some wine, Tommy?" Tommy shook his head.
"I did," said Nikki. "I thought you would enjoy a nice glass of wine,"
"But-"
"Sam, you don't have to quit drinking just because we did," said Mick, patting Nikki on the back. Sammi didn't say anything else, taking another sip of her wine.
"So, Samantha, a little birdie told me you got your pharmacy license. How does it feel being a full time grown up?" asked Nikki, relaxing in his chair.
"I'm so happy I passed, I did not want to react that stupid exam. Now it's just interviews back in L.A," said Sammi.
"Finally settled in at your new place?" asked Tommy, finishing the last of his food.
"Yeah I just need to figure out what to put in the second room. I only have my San Francisco sofa,"
"I'm surprised you kept anything from that tiny place," said Vince. "This might sound so stupid but does a pharmist apply? All I can think of is Walgreens,"
"I am mainly aiming at the hospitals now that most have their own private pharmacy," answered Sammi, finishing the last drop of wine. "Oh! I almost forgot! I finally bought a new car! It's a mustang,"
"Hallelujah! She finally listened!" said Nikki, dropping his head back to pretend he was looking at God.
Sammi smirked and flipped him off. "Great to know you didn't leave your sarcasm at rehab,"
"Oh, I love family dinners!" exclaimed Tommy, being the first of a domino effect to rise from his seat to take his dirty plate to the kitchen. Mick and Vince soon left, leaving Nikki and Sammi alone. They stayed in silence, Sammi scratching her neck as she looked away from Nikki. Nikki kept his eyes on Sammi.
"Do you wanna go for a walk outside? I can show you the lake," asked Nikki. Sammi only nodded.
*
As Nikki and Sammi walked beside the stream, they still kept a fair distance between themselves, keeping a guard up. Compared to how they were only a moment ago, they couldn't speak to each other the same way in privacy. One of them had to break the wall first, but they didn't know who it would be or what they would say first.
"I'm sorry," said Sammi.
Nikki halted, scrunching his brows in deep 11's at Sammi. "What? You're sorry? For what?"
Sammi sat down on the dry grass, inching close to dip her finger in the cold lake water; Nikki sat beside her. "I started to think after the therapy session about how we started, and I realized I wasn't nice. It wasn't ideal to how a couple should start,"
"Sammi-"
"Just hear me out, please," said Sammi, biting her lip as she stared out into the water. "When I got with Vince I knew you had feelings for me, but I didn't do anything about it. I just ditched you and you have to admit that must've hurt, Nikki. Even if we got together in the end,"
Nikki sighed out, pulling out pieces of grass under his feet. "Yeah it did,"
"I should've never gotten with Vince right after we had sex for the first time, and I'm sorry I would go to you when Vince pissed me off, I shouldn't have done that either. I knew how much you cared about me and I still listened to Athena & Tommy. I should've just chosen for myself," said Sammi, finally looking at Nikki.
"Would you have gotten with Vince even if your siblings weren't in your ear?" asked Nikki.
"No… but I think I needed it. I needed that little heartbreak to learn," said Sammi.
"Thank you. I appreciate it, Sammi. I really do," said Nikki with a smile. Sammi sighed out, feeling the weight leave her shoulders.
"Also I'm so fucking sorry I called you by that name. I was just-"
"Sammi, again, I appreciate it," chuckled Nikki. Silence soon filled between them again.
"Hey, have you happened to have any 'demons' hit you up?" asked Sammi.
Nikki dryly chuckled. "If you mean my past drug buddies, only one. Veronica called me when I was in rehab,"
"Oh," said Sammi in straight monotone.
"Don't worry, she finally got the idea we're not getting married,"
"Hope she returned that fucking ring. What did she want?" asked Sammi.
Nikki smiled at Sammi, finding her jealousy amusing. "She said she almost overdosed a week before calling me, only to have her call me high off her ass. So I just wished her well and hung up. I couldn't handle that,"
"You sadly can't fix them all I guess," said Sammi sadly.
"I'm scared, Sam. I'm scared to go back to L.A," blurted out Nikki.
"Why?"
"Because I'm not the same Nikki that left. I know I'm going to lose friends but what if I get home and find out I really had no one this whole time?" asked Nikki, looking down at the grass. "Then what do I do?"
Sammi swallowed away her nerves, inching closer to Nikki as she laid a gentle hand on his bicep. "Hey, look at me," said Sammi. Nikki turned, eye dilating from how close to Sammi for the first time. "You have people now who truly care about you and you alone. I can already see a better relationship between you and the guys," Sammi soon grew hesitant, looking away from Nikki for a second. "And you have me. That's all you need right now after finally getting better. Remember that," said Sammi, squeezing Nikki's arm.
It took all of Nikki's strength to not lean in and kiss Sammi but be a miracle he managed. "Thank you, Sammi. I appreciate it," said Nikki. Sammi rested on her knees and hugged Nikki the best way they could. Nikki leaned into her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
June 15th, 1988
A knock on the hard hotel door almost scares Sammi, jumping off her bed and softly tiptoeing to look through the peephole. When seeing Nikki appear anxious in the hallway, she swung the door open with worry.
"Nikki, what's wrong? Are you okay? Are the guys okay?" asked Sammi in one breath, lightly placing a hand on his chest. Nikki shook his head, walking right into the single bed hotel room.
"I, um, I just really needed to give you something before you go tomorrow," said Nikki, rubbing his fingers together in a nervous habit.
Sammi eyed Nikki, not downplaying scanning him from head to toe. "Okay but just know you're scaring me," said Sammi, sitting at the foot of the bed. Nikki stood right in front of Sammi, pulling out a cassette tape from his jean pocket. He gave it one last look before handing it to Sammi, not looking her in the eye. As Sammi took the cassette, she quickly noticed "Without You" written by Nikki on the front, scrunching her brows together.
"You can play this right when I leave," said Nikki, ready to walk right out of the room. Instead, Sammi took to hold onto his wrist.
"What the hell is going on? Why're you giving me the song Tommy wrote?" asked Sammi.
Nikki sighed. "Tommy didn't write it. I did. It's finally a love song I wrote that isn't disguised… and that's about us,"
"You wrote me a love song?" smiled Sammi. Nikki nodded with a blush on his cheeks. Sammi couldn't help it any longer, standing on the tips of toes, cradling Nikki's face as she leaned in for that kiss. A kiss so soft and kind, Nikki felt his heart burst out of his chest, afraid to kiss again.
"Thank you," whispered Sammi, a smile still on her lips. Nikki scoffed, matching a smile. "But I need to listen to this right now," Sammi said, darting straight to the radio on the desk table. Nikki didn't protest, only groaned as he dropped himself on the bed, hiding under a pillow. The song in its entirety was touching but more so for Sammi, paying deep attention to every lyric. Sammi took the cassette out when it finished, looking over at Nikki's body thrown on the bed. She stretched herself on the bed, taking the pillow off Nikki's face to see his deep red flush.
"I love you," said Sammi. Nikki looked up in shock at Sammi, lips parting as if he wanted to say something. But all he caught was another kiss from Sammi with more passion. The two fell almost into the same old routine, Nikki's hand caressing Sammi's hair, Sammi's hand on Nikki's clothed chest. As Sammi started to lower her hands, the feeling of excitement turned into anxiety for Nikki in a blink of an eye.
"Sammi," whispered Nikki, placing his hands on her shoulders, giving the distance between them.
"What's wrong?" asked Sammi. Nikki slowly sat up, wiping the sweat off his hands. He took a few deep breaths, not able to look in Sammi's direction. "Are you okay, Nikki?"
"Remember when I told you I was scared?" asked Nikki. Sammi nodded. "Being with you like this was in that same word," said Nikki, meeting Sammi's worried eyes. "I-I've never been sober and doing this… with you,"
"Not even a little sober?" asked Sammi.
"When I say I was dependent, I really mean it. I needed a bit of something to bring me nerves down,"
"Guess your shyness didn't go away either," joked Sammi, rubbing her finger softly on Nikki's cheek. "Nikki, I'm not going to pressure you to do anything you don't want to do,"
"And trust me I do. It's just what if I'm bad at everything I thought I was good at between us?"
"I don't think it works like that, sweetheart. But I still don't want you to feel pressured to sleep with me. We can just cuddle and fall asleep. It'll be okay," reassured Sammi.
Nikki smiled lovingly at Sammi, leaning in to kiss her softly. "I love you, Sammi Lee. I really do," whispered Nikki.
Sammi's cheeks flushed. "And I love you, Nikki Sixx," whispered Sammi, leaning her head on Nikki's shoulder.
"Come on, you have a flight in the morning," said Nikki, playfully pushing Samami down on the bed. As Nikki stood at the bed's foot to strip down to his boxers, Sammi got under the soft white covers. The two fell back into the routine of late-night tv and cuddles. Nikki having his arm securely around Sammi with her head laid on his bare chest. The feeling of calm security quickly engulfed the two after a long marathon of danger. It was perfect.
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cloveroctobers · 3 years
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ANNA-JULIA “AJ” (JONES) JARLETT
IG bio/info: @/annajj9x_ | 20.1k followers| Athlete | hey peeps can you stop asking me to throw it back cuz the answer will always be no! K thx take it easy 🏳️‍🌈🌻🏒🐶
21 years old
From bath, England
Hockey player as her profession for the past three years
Her position is defense
Their team name is “rowdy alphas”...yeah some team names just didn’t make sense or they’re cringe for no reason at all
Was raised by her mom,(her mom was a teen mom & had her at 17) maternal grandmother, and her paternal aunt (dad’s younger sister, who’s more like a big sister to her at 28)
They’ve made her into the person she is, literally
Her grandmother has a bed and breakfast that they all live in
the house is Victorian style—almost as if they walked right out of charmed! Instead of a big pink house, think yellow AND purple. It was hideous but homey and charming on the inside
growing up in a house with multiple temporary strangers wasn’t odd to aj at all, in fact it felt like the norm. There was always someone around to socialize with so that was quite nice
Her father was a pro baseball player & passed away due to a automobile accident
she has his smile & freckles
aj was also involved in the accident at the age of 6 & miraculously survived with intense injuries
Has scars as a reminder
used to have night terrors because of the accident...it took awhile—years!!! for them to subside
they’re all vague memories now (but the pain is something she’ll always remember) but she preferred it that way
she’s named “Anna” after her mother’s old best friend/roommate and was supposed to be aj’s god mother but she went missing during their uni years
the name“Julia” came from her paternal grandmother who she gets her wide doe eyes from
her athleticism definitely came from her dad
Her mother luckily liked to document things so there’s a bunch of home videos of her dad in them & pictures/scrapbooks that her mom has for safe keeping
She’s more of a klutz, tiny, and wears huge prescription glasses
extremely close to the three most important ladies in her life, so she’s always been able to be open with them about anything!
when she first expressed her interest in liking both genders around 17-18 her paternal aunt was all smirks, “i knew Britney Spears was so your type, yeah?”
more like shakira but Brit was just as pretty
her mother was a “cry baby” so ofc she burst out into tears squeezing aj’s limbs and peppering her face with kisses. She didn’t view her child as anything different... as she shouldn’t & was glad that her daughter trusted them with this significant moment in her life and wanted to be as supportive as she could
got books, watched Ted talks and everything but knew she could come to the source even tho aj was still figuring it out herself
her grandma dipped her head at the new info sitting at the round kitchen table, “been there. had a few broads in my life after and during my marriage with your no good grandad. Thank goodness the bastard died before you even got to meet ‘em.” “Mum!”
what felt like the biggest weight on her chest was lifted. She knew they’d understand but a part of her had a little bit of doubt, she’s heard so many horror stories where those like her didn’t have the support she has and that made her extremely sad to think about
i see her as a person that has/had many friends in secondary. She’s always open to chat and her being on a few sports teams helped her out in her case
very competitive in anything that she does & will guarantee that she’ll beat you. (“ You wanna race to the car from here?”wins. “Who ever cleans the most dishes the fastest gets the last slice of pie.”) majority of the time she’s right but if she loses?? oh don’t let her lose to you, it’s a pity party for the rest of the time ur in her space. Such a sore loser omg
stays active, always working out + has a gym membership and makes sure she goes at least five times a week
she’s very strong, loves leg day & working on her core
she’s about 5’10
loves wearing “gf jeans” since they’re super comfy but doesn’t mind skinny Jeans with rips in the knees every now and then
trainers and chucks are her go-to sneakers
has no issue shopping in the men’s section ‘cause who’s gonna stop her? Nobody that’s who
owner of over a 100 graphic tees + vertical stripped shirts are also her favs, SWEATPANTS/joggers?! How many does she have? A lot. Snapbacks? Plenty. Will she wear them backwards? Obviously.
Physical touch is her love language. She’s comes from a family that has no issue showing their affection by touch. There is NO such thing as personal space and that still stands with aj when it comes to relationships, she sees no other way
It’s what she shows and what she wants in return, if you’re not touching her in some sort of way, then automatically she thinks there’s something wrong or that she did something
Is the jealous type. It has shown in relationships and ruined a relationship or two
Has cheated on a significant other out of pure jealousy & is not proud to admit that
Does have a wandering eye but feels now that she truly understands herself when it comes to relationships, she’ll never act on it again
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I get libra tendencies from her so that’s what I’m sticking with. She likes to keep the peace (unless she’s jealous) , idealistic — always looking on the bright side of things, outgoing, romantic, and professional— especially when it comes to her team; her true leadership comes out, yet she can be indecisive, hates confrontation, self pitying — if things don’t go perfectly how she imagined/planned it to, the world is ending and everyone is out to get her, and can be unreliable—never on time
September libra to be exact
if she’s really in love/taken a interest in you then she gets nervous: blushing, sweaty palms, cracking her knuckles, tongue tied—the whole 9
she’s already defined as a puppy by her coach but when she’s in love? She’s a lovesick puppy!
her fav holiday is Valentine’s Day
thought she was going to be a pro skateboarder growing up but it took one bad fall where she thought she was paralyzed for her to choose something else
she likes her weed on occasion
Obsessed with all types of cheese except cottage, “can I put cheese on this?”
more of a jumpsuit kinda girl or dressy top with jeans & hoops on a night out
has a solid group of mates outside of the hockey team, they’ve all met and hung out a couple of times, as they should since aj feels they’re going to be stuck with her for awhile so why not?
They’re a riot when they all go out, let’s just say that there’s never a dull moment
fav color is periwinkle
enjoys ASMR, mostly in the mornings when she’s waking up. You know how people love podcasts? (Sorry seb & Nicky, she still wants to be on the show soon!) ASMR is her thing
loves tangerines, you can count on it that she’ll have one on her, “where did you pull that from?” “I’ll never share my master plan.” “You’re such a tit.”
Definitely prefers “fresh squeezed” orange juice & will make her own, she has the tools & the strength 😏
Very rare for her to get sick ;) & if she does she’s a complete baby about it
Will fight that she’s sick before she admits it, trying all sorts of horrid remedies & vitamins
loves summer & all things that come with it, the number one thing is leaving bath for however long she can for a new place to enjoy
when she arrived to love island, she was thrilled for the weather. Yes she was looking for love but most importantly a nice get away & that it was (depending on your route that is lol)
closest with seb, vieve, elladine, and tai but don’t tell the others that! (She doesn’t care if you tell Yasmin, honestly)
just because her & seb “dated” and it didn’t work out doesn’t mean they can’t be friends right? It was almost automatic for them to be platonic after it was determined there would be no romance between them, almost like sibs! like those celebs like to say—except this time these two won’t turn around and actually find romance
vieve came with seb so...but no shade aj did like vieve. She gave great advice (while seb sometimes didn’t say the right things unintentionally or what aj needed to hear) when needed, especially from a medical view and is very sweet
elladine was the one who had all the tea & ideas to match, she’s quite organized and always down for DIY’s and could suggest almost anything. If you needed someone to help you get things tidy or match/find your Aesthetic, she’s the friend you call to help
tai was the one she could be a “bro” with, sure elladine has her competive side (or controlling, depends on how you view it) but tai was the one you can run to for much needed “bro hugs”, partying, going to the pubs, playing sports with or against, checking out/flirting with babes, etc...
it was not long after the villa that aj had a revelation with her sexuality & fully owned and labeled herself as a lesbian
She was happy being in relationship with someone else or with herself, life was short and she was young so there wasn’t time to dwell and stress over things so what the hell?! Live your truth the best way you know how ya know?
probably smells like sweet citrus, almond flower, and sea salt
on chest days, she’s a sweets snacker. Loves gummy bears (also with vodka) , swedish fish, sour patch kids, etc...basically shit that sticks to ur teeth
put all her chips into hockey, while it was advised by her Counselors & mum not to do so, aj went about it anyway. She thought about the pros and cons but knew there was nothing else for her. So there were more pros than cons. She was meant to play sports, its what felt right in her soul
Made her feel connected to her father, when she’s on the field she feels that he is with her
 scrunches up her nose when she’s frustrated or confused about something
Doesn’t always grasp concepts right away, she’s a soft dummy but most of us are and that’s okay! We’re all smart in our own ways
Feels like sunflowers are always around her especially if she sees them wherever she is. They must symbolize SOMETHING, therefore she loves them
spf queen. All about it, get with it or let the sunrays ruin ur skin that’s on u
loves a good filet mignon medium-well & is probably the only good thing she knows how to make alongside a salad, baked potatoes, & her oj
sucker for romantic-comedies...it’s basically her life duh!
If she has a dog, it’s a Dalmatian or Great Dane. She needs a companion that’ll keep up with her
loves kissing, it’s her favorite form of intimacy
Quarantine life included the push up challenge for her. Gaining a few pounds in muscle and fat, bothering seb via ft, viewing old letters she wrote to her dad, spending time with her fav ladies since they were now restricted from having guests in their home, and letting boredom consume her + she hated the whole lockdown that came with it, she hated being indoors for long periods of time but she knew that’s what partly needed to be done
Posts a lot of beach, park, outings with her friends & team, moments with her fav ladies, workout videos, and guests at the b&b with their permission and if only she befriends them along the way. She’s just as active on the socials as she is in rl but she’s not obsessed with it, she knows how to live in the now. She’s all about balance!
I also feel like she never keeps her phone charged and it’s always dying on her! She had a car charger but...that’s a jungle. She needs to invest in a portable charger stat
crushing on/finds attractive: Jared Padalecki, Keanu Reeves, Barrett Doss, Camilla Luddington, Sandra Bullock, Adrian Kempe, Harry Kirton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Naomi Osaka, Ming & Aoki Lee Simmons
who does she listen to? Shakira lol!! Bea Miller, Dua Lipa, Daya, XYLØ, Elley Duhé, Stela Cole, Aloe Blacc, Maroon 5, Lewis capaldi, Charlie Puth, girl in red, Hayley kiyoko, king princess, dodie, & tessa violet
Anthem: Icona Pop — we got the world
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sxveme-2 · 3 years
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blueberry pancakes // bucky barnes
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Description: A single mother. Juggling being a mom, a full time pediatrician, and a difficult ex who believed now would be the best time to finally be a father. A soldier ripped out of time. Ex-assassin turned superhero. Learning how to balance a new domestic life with handling demons of his past, while facing the trials of the future. a love story began over something as simple as chocolate chip pancakes with hidden blueberries.
Disclaimer: I do not own any original Marvel characters! All canon plots and canon characters belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. This is an original work. You may not publish it anywhere else
Status: Edited
Note: Takes place after endgame. I have elected to ignore Tony's death and Steve's leaving. Did not happen. Quick Reminder! My works are only published here, AO3 and on Wattpad, thank you.
Chapter Eight: The One With the Party
Warnings: N/A
Word Count: 3083
   Now, nothing in Lily's life ever really came easy, quick, or without some sort of repercussion. It was as though the universe had decided that she hadn't been through enough in her fairly young life already. Hence why it didn't surprise her when the communication between her and Bucky fell off, or more so, never really started. The day at the cafe had been nice, they didn't exactly speak and they were at separate tables, but even Rose noticed the shy glances her older sister would send to the man across the way. Which of course lead to teasing and taunting the rest of the night and for a few days.
Three weeks later, she hadn't seen him. It didn't help that the hospital had scheduled Lily for multiple shifts of overtime and staying late. Which resulted in Hunter spending extra days at Scott’s, and Lily not being at the cafe as often as she typically was. Flu season had come around and all parents believed their kid may have something more serious, but it was simply a lot of flu vaccinations, the odd time an appendicitis surgery. Routine procedures, just a lot of work.
On a chilly day at the end of September, for once, Lily could wake up without having to go to work for twelve hours or more. Her son snoring gently beside her after crawling into her bed from a nightmare the night before, and Joey snuggled at the end. Her deep green eyes fluttered open as the phone on her nightstand buzzed like crazy. Rubbing her eyes, Lily's other hand reached out to grab hold of the device, blurry eyes seeing Bucky's contact pop up on the screen.
With a groggy voice and a confused expression, Lily slid her thumb across the screen to answer, "Hello?"
"Lady Lily! It's Thor! Son of Odin!" a booming voice yelled into the phone, startling the young blonde. Her eyes glanced to her right to check to see that Hunter still laid fast asleep, and to ensure it stayed that way, the doctor slipped out of the bed and out into the hallway. When she closed the door, Thor continued his yelling, "I have stolen sergeant Barnes’s cellular device! I have overheard him and Captain Rogers discussing his feelings towards you!"
Lily winced at the loud voice radiating through her ear. She hadn't met Thor officially, just seen him with the others at the table weeks before. Personally, Lily wasn't interested in blondes, but no one could deny an attraction to the god. You could be the largest lesbian in the world and still would not mind getting down and dirty with the son of Odin. But of course, for the most part, Lily had only been staring at Bucky. And it didn't go unnoticed to many, especially the other Avengers
"I'm sorry? His attraction?" Lily muttered, still attempting to wake herself up from the much-needed sleep she had been woken up from. She wrapped one arm around herself while resting the other elbow on her hand, shivering slightly at the cool temperature of her home.
"Yes! This is lady Lily correct? If so, then I have an invitation for you! Sergeant Barnes does not know about this, nor does anyone else. But it is our dear friend Sam Wilson’s birthday!" he continued to boast, resulting in Lily holding the phone an inch or so away from her ear, "and I believe it would make Sergeant Barnes happy if you came. And bring your friend and sister! Sam has a small thing for lady Rose."
Before Lily could even answer, there was a crash on the other end of the line and the call went dead. Lily could only assume that Bucky had noticed the conversation taking place and shut it down, leaving Lily with a possibly life-changing decision on her plate, but she didn't know that yet. All she knew, was that Gen and Rose would go to any lengths to get Lily to attend the party, saying things like 'it'll be good for you' or 'you can see your loverboy again'. And Lily couldn't deny, she'd love to see Bucky again. But she'd be damned if she admitted it out loud.
-----
After walking joey, the three Osborne’s loaded into the car and drove down the busy roads of New York to Gen's cafe. Scott was picking Hunter up for the weekend, which meant that Lily was free for the night anyway, so maybe the party wasn't such a bad idea? But if you could deduce anything about the blonde, it's that she hated large gatherings and commotion. It made her anxious and paranoid about something that could go wrong. Plus, last time there was any real party like this in her life, she had been shown a video of her husband locking lips with a young brunette who looked about half his age.
"Hunt why don't you go see if there are any treats you can bring for Leila in the back," Lily whispered to her son with a gentle smirk on her face, "I have to talk to aunt Rose and auntie Gen for a few minutes." she continued, ruffling the boy’s hair and sending him on his way to the kitchen around the corner.
The two girls that were sitting opposite of Lily looked at her with matching skeptical expressions, both of their left eyebrows perked with interest as Lily sent her son away. Whenever this happened, Lily usually seemed to drop a ball on the two. Whether it was when she announced her pregnancy, being chosen as valedictorian, or when she shared the news of her divorce. Typically things that Hunter wouldn't understand, or wasn't old enough to know or mature enough to hear. But this was mostly so he didn't grow saddened at the idea of his mother hanging around his idols.
"So I was woken up by a strange phone call from Bucky Barnes," Lily began, and the two girls across from her simultaneously dropped their jaws. Lily held her finger up to signal that she wasn't finished with her story and for them not to jump ahead and get crazy ideas, "but on the other end was actually Thor. He invited us to Sam's birthday party tonight."
This caused shit-eating grins to replace the curious smiles on Gen and Rose's faces. Rose clapped her hands together, while Gen just shook her head in disbelief. These two women were Lily's closest companions in life. Rose was her biological sister that she had no choice but to deal with, sure, but their relationship was more than that. It was deeper and held more meaning than a simple sister relationship. They could lean on each other in times of need and never kept secrets, as far as the other knew. Most kids with multiple years between them aren't as close or never really bond, but Rose and Lily always clicked. Mostly because of their opposing personalities, which was the same as Gen. Gen was Lily's sister from another mister. From the moment they met, they were perfect, and things hadn't changed in all those years leading to this.
"Well, obviously we're going!" Rose exclaimed, pulling out her phone, "I will get the best dresses from my agency and ensure we look unclockable!" the younger Osborne sister beamed while excusing herself to make a few calls, to make sure they looked as good as she pictured. Rose seemed to forget that Lily hadn't agreed to go, but deep down, the eldest Osborne knew she didn't ave a choice.
"This is great! It'll give you a chance to see Bucky again," Gen winked, sipping her coffee. This was typically how the cycle of Gen's setups began, sort of. Lily would stumble across a guy that seemed interested in her, and Gen would stop at no end to get the two on a date. Of course, Lily never really seemed to have any interest in the guy that her best friend set her up with, but maybe this time was different. Maybe Bucky was different. And that's what Gen prayed about as well, "Maybe get to know him a little more. You get chatty when you're tipsy."
Lily Osborne drunk was a sight to see. All of the fear and anxiety she felt seemed to melt away with the ice cubes in her cup. That's why it was called liquid courage. One of the main signs of Lily being intoxicated was her desire to sing. for years, Lily sang in the choir, but always turned down solos, despite being one of the most talented singers that her school had ever seen. She was terrified that people would laugh at her, but if she was home alone, she sang like an angel. Her voice was soft and supple, and her ability to harmonize was unrivalled. Both Gen and Rose secretly hoped that the avengers would be able to be blessed with the sound of Lily's voice because it truly was as angelic as she was.
"I don't know if I even want to go. You know I don't do parties, let alone one hosted by the king of parties himself, Tony Stark." Lily sighed, twisting the straw in her lemonade around as she nibbled on her bottom lip. Her eyes glanced up to see Rose beaming out the window of the cafe, saying something to a designer or somebody on her phone. She looked so excited, and Lily didn't want to be the one to take that away.
Not after the past few weeks, Rose has had.
"C'mon, Lil," Gen sighed as if reading her best friend’s mind. the brunette reached her hands out and cupped Lily's frail and nimble ones, a soft and gentle look on her face, "Rose is excited. For the first time in weeks. Plus, nothing will happen. I'll be there, and so will Rose. Plus, I doubt Mr. Winter Soldier would ever let anything happen to you anyways. Buddies totally whipped."
"Mr. Winter Soldier? really?"
-----
After Scott had scooped Hunter up from the cafe, Lily stole the two adult women away from whatever they were doing, leading them to the car. But, Lily apparently wasn't allowed to drive. It was around two now, and Lily had to get back home to take joey out on his afternoon walk. But no matter the protests she gave, the younger sister was the one behind the wheel and had control over where they went either way. Lily accepted her fate and leaned back in her seat, attempting to figure out where Rose was have taking them.
Recognizing upstate new york, Lily glanced over towards the blonde that sat next to her. The young mom had figured out exactly what Rose was planning in that mischievous head of hers. One thing with all Osborne’s is their ability to not only think on their feet but figure out what was happening around them without anyone telling them. the art of deduction, in a way. But not that advanced, just piecing together their surroundings and doing the math. And with where they were, Lily knew that Rose had the genius idea to take the two other girls to a hair salon to get all nice and done up.
"Yeah no, I can do my hair," Lily stated, crossing her arms over her chest and putting her foot down. No way in hell was she letting another person that she didn't know, do her hair. She had a perfectly good hairdresser down in the suburbs of Manhattan and was fine with just going there for when she needed a haircut. And today? She did not.
"Let me check again...Gen?" Rose swivelled in her seat to look at the back where Gen sat, attempting to hold back a laugh, "Which one of us is the doctor and which one is the stylist?"
This caused Gen to let her giggles escape as she rested her velvety hand on Lily's shoulder, leaning forward towards her best friend, "Rose makes a fair point. You specialize in children's health, she specializes in adult fashion. C'mon, it'll be fun."
Once again, despite her protests, Lily was overpowered and dragged into the salon. The moment she was asked what style she was looking for, she answered, beating out her younger sister in deciding what would look best. She requested a simple hairstyle, possibly a ponytail of sorts. The hairdresser nodded along and got to work. Luckily, no hair was cut off or changed, and it was a simple styling appointment for her and the other girls.
Half an hour later, the three were back in the car, this time, with Lily behind the wheel. The three sang along to the radio as they returned to lower Manhattan, where the suburbs laid. Lily had managed to convince Rose to do her makeup instead of a hire professional, claiming Rose had the same talents as they did. It was true, Rose was a wizard with a makeup brush. Plus, it was fun to see her sister so focused on something like this. All of the pain of the past few weeks forgotten as she created a beige smokey eye on Lily, an a darker version of the same thing on Gen.
After she glanced in the mirror, Lily didn't believe it was her. She looked matured and awake, instead of the typical baby-faced ball of stress she was on a day-to-day basis. She stared into the mirror with a shocked yet elated look on her face, enjoying the feeling of confidence that rushed through her. She was Lily Osborne, full-time doctor and mother, older sister to two siblings, and a survivor of a toxic relationship. But it seemed that all of that confidence shattered when Rose pulled in a rack of dresses for Lily to try on. All tight around the hips and bust, made for girls with hourglass figures who hadn't given birth to a baby. Something that Lily wouldn't be caught dead in.
"Not happening. I refuse."
-----
Compromise. that's the lesson of this section. Taking other’s options or opinions and your own, and finding a common ground. That was the foundation of Rose and Lily's relationship. Learning to compromise with each other to keep the peace. And that was the result of their dispute of the dresses Rose had brought in. Most of them were sleek and tight, almost like a second skin. And as pretty as Lily felt all done up, she didn't have near enough confidence to rock one of the body-con dresses her sister had brought.
In the end, she decided on something a bit more classic and Lily-like. A lake blue dress with spaghetti straps holding it up. It had silver lace decals spread all across both the lower plunging neckline and a-line tulle skirt that hit just below Lily's mid thigh. A piece of mesh fabric kept the cleavage that Lily had tucked in, instead of placing it on display like the majority of the cocktail dresses Rose had brought in. The deeper blue helped extenuate the green of Lily's eyes, which was complemented by the light golden shimmer that laid atop of her eyelid. Her lips were a pink nude with a touch of gloss to create a shiny effect, and her hair was pulled into a pony connected by two criss-cross pieces of hair, with two strands falling forward to frame her face. One word to sum it all up, breathtaking. Lily radiated in her outfit, and anyone who saw her would have no choice but to agree. And if they didn't? They were either delusional or lying to themselves because she was stunning.
Rose, on the other hand, was embracing the small window of time she had left without showing the baby bump. She adorned a burgundy lace dress that hugged her curves like a glove and came to a halter top point around her neck. Her golden blonde hair laid across her shoulders in a curly river, with deep red lips to compliment the dress. Her eyes were done a bit darker than both Lily and Gen's, making her forest green eyes stand out as well. Rose and Lily were blessed with the looks of their mother. High cheekbones, plump lips and a perfectly sculpted nose that tends to make most jealous. Although Rose knew her worth and understood her beauty, Lily had a harder time coming to terms with it due to the anxiety that plagued her mind. It created a constant reminder that she just wasn't enough, and to try harder.
Gen stayed true to her out-of-the-box aesthetic and wore a suit jacket dress that reached her mid-thigh, with a pair of bright yellow pumps to create a splash of colour in her outfit. Her braids were pulled into a high ponytail, and a darker smokey eye created a glowing ring around the amber eyes that she was blessed with. Her plush and plump lips were painted a deep maroon, and she looked like a businesswoman who had men falling at her feet. When in reality, she was the most easy-going and relaxed person you would probably ever meet, and would rather die than ever be stuck behind a desk at a corporate job.
The three ladies corralled themselves into Lily's car and began their journey towards the avengers compound a bit before the event started. Rose had instructed Lily to leave at a time that would make them fashionably late, to keep Thor guessing whether or not his invitation was accepted or not. Plus it built up the suspicion of the others around the man. Somehow Rose knew all of this, and Lily guessed it was because of her extensive work in the fashion industry. Having to tell people what will make them look their absolute best. Both fashionably, and socially. And who was Lily to argue?
When they did arrive, Lily let out a shaky breath before turning off the car. There was no turning back now. They had drove all of this way, and Lily knew Rose and Gen would be pissed if she chickened out now. Plus, she doubted that they would even let her. Honestly, the two would drag her in by her toes if they had to. Out of Lily's best interest of course. They wanted her to move on and live her life outside of work and Hunter.
"Come on Lil, let's go get the tinman to fall in love with you."
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comebeonetwothree · 3 years
Text
Blog #1: The Beginning
05/25/2021
Welcome to my, I have no clue what I’m doing so bare with me, travel blog!! For these next few weeks, I will be driving across the country and back, hitting around 19 states in 8-weeks. 
Post grad life is a strange in between stage of: YES I DID IT and oh fuck I think I’m supposed to be an adult now. That comes with the constant question circling like a gnat on a hot summer day... So what’s next? 
Honestly Grandma, Aunt Karen, Uncle John and Kyle’s mom’s lesbian partner, I have no fucking clue so please stop asking!!!! 
But my actions are an answer to that question. I chose to postpone that whole adult career thing for a little longer. So I’m traveling for two months and I will avoid that question “What’s Next?”
COVID-19 really messed up the picture perfect ending of college, nevertheless, I still managed to have a blast every night in a “socially distant” manner ;) 
Traveling has always been a dream of mine, and I always assumed it would be there when I was ready and I would be ready when it got here.  Sheeshhh was I wrong... who would have imagined a pandemic closing down not only our borders to other countries, but state borders as well. 
It’s now been over a year since I have left New York State, and quite frankly, I am ready to explore. So naturally I got home from college a week ago and now I am off...
 Who
Who cares... 
Three girls, one car... How bad could it be? No, really, if we come back with bruises and cuts all over, I didn’t “fall down the stairs” or “walk into a door”...it’s official, our cycles have linked and we have gone mad. 
The goal is to meet new people along the way, people that touch our lives and make this trip more spectacular. And maybe we will touch some lives as well.
I can only imagine that who we are now will change and evolve throughout our journey, having only started this trip with hopes and dreams. When reality sets in, things will change, and discoveries about ourselves will begin to happen. 
Self-discovery is such an important aspect of this trip for all three of us. Personally, by not having any clue what I want to do for the rest of my life, I  hope the open mindedness of my current state will help me find joy in the simple life and give me insight into my future. 
 What
Whatever man...
Eight weeks of sight seeing, connecting to ourselves and trying new hobbies.
I hate jumping the gun and announcing any new hobbies because, 10 out of 10 times, I do one for a week and give up on that bullshit.
And sorry in advance if this blog takes a back seat... My plan is to prioritize life's natural beauties and learning. 
I’ve always wanted to start writing but was never inspired, and fiction isn't up my ally... I have the imagination of a 12-year-old boy, so go about that as you please :)
While trying to disconnect myself to the social world as best as I can, this new digital age is not going anywhere and as a Communications major, I am not escaping its black hole effect anytime soon. 
Blogging makes this feel less Gen Z and more “intellectual” if you will. 
I hope to keep this blog updated once at the end of every week, including the stops made within the week and the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How’s of that weeks adventures. With some room for special surprises:) 
Overtime this blog will hopefully shape into what it needs to be. I researched many ways to blog and nothing caught my attention, so why would it catch yours? Here I am trying out my own version of this, so feedback is greatly appreciated in finding new fun ways to keep y’all entertained!
 Where
Where are we...
Give or take, there will be 19 states we will stay in. Starting in New York, we will slowly move down south and wrap back around. I won’t be revealing the locations until the following week's blogs, or on my Instagram and Facebook. 
We have secured 75% of the locations we will be staying at, and the rest is a fuck it. Hopefully finding some first come first serve campgrounds, or we’ll just sleep in the car. 
When in these locations, we will either be camping or staying in motels/hotels in cities. Trying to do this the cheapest way we can think of, my glizzy art might just have to make a reappearance (If you don’t know what glizzy is, hop off this blog right now and go to Urban Dictionary. And if you are not familiar with my glizzy art, well you probably should have followed me on snapchat during the last month of college in a pandemic). 
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When
When in Rome...
Tomorrow people, it’s happening...
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 If you are reading this today, its tomorrow!!! If you are reading this tomorrow it’s today!!! And if you are reading this a week from today, go fuck yourself, now you have to catch up... don’t be late again mister!
Why
Why the fuck not...
There is some serious independence when it comes to taking off for two months in a car with friends. 
I still remember when my mom had to drive me to my friends houses, and would talk to their parents to make sure I was safe. 
Going away to college was a leap in the direction of being an independent young woman. But I also went to a small town college and had roommates, making it a great step to the adult world of being fully responsible for my own actions. 
Next level right now.  I will be living out of a car, buying my own food and supplies, and not having the security of my family being a simple three hour drive away... not that I ever took advantage of that (sorry mom). 
Why the blogging... 
Not knowing what I am good at is quite frustrating, four years of college later... so I am going to just try new things until I find my passion. And this blog is a great place to reflect.
Spending two months out of the job force is already a weird concept to me. I've had a job for the majority of college waitressing at a local joint (shout out to Sloan’s NY Grill!). I worked all throughout high school as well. 
Not having any job obligation now seems strange, so let's hope this becomes  self-discovery into multiple opportunities or it will be the most publicly awkward diary ever:/ 
 How
How did you make it this far...
This came about one night drunk at a bar... simply expressing how weird it is COVID can take almost everything away from us so quickly. 
Maya and Mary both have a direction in their life as to “What’s Next.” Both having spent their last semesters of college pursuing opportunities for their future, they have become idols to me. 
I was lucky enough to bring this idea up before they left me for their full adult lives... getting an opportunity to travel with my two best friends. 
Mary is pursuing a teaching degree and spent her last semester as a student teach back home. Maya spent the last few months doing an in-person internship in the city to further her connections in the fashion industry. 
They both have this responsible adult thing going on, and I’m over here saying some dumb shit like “Hey let's take two months off of life and travel!” Weirdly enough, alcohol might have had an influential factor here, but they said hell yessss!! 
The next morning, waking up with a classic hangover, we all texted each other and reiterated the idea of this whole cross country, two-month excursion. 
And now look where we are :) 
 Bottom Line
Sooooo, this is a temporary blog that may or may not last. Don’t get your hopes up too high! I want to share this experience with everyone who has supported us through this crazy idea, and give a shout out to everyone who has reached out and wished us the best!
I am fully winging this and hope it's not too illiterate for you smarty pants out there... I’m just trying to have fun with it. This is not meant to be a job, but a start to finding the answer to everyone's question...
What’s Next?
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artificialqueens · 4 years
Text
&New (Sashea) - Chae
summary: shea is a famous model, sasha is a famous designer. they *attempt* to have a nice, low-key, friendly date. a paparazzi has other plans.
a/n: i just posted this finished product to ao3 and thought why not bless the tl (wait is this even considered a tl.. well anyways) with some Sashea aka my favorite ship ever– whilst also proving i am not dead! also the lil marked line is where the smut starts i really said “cute… but also porn”
AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24913066?show_comments=true&view_full_work=true#main
“What are you thinking about?” 
“Hm?” Sasha looked at Shea from behind her coffee mug, taking a sip of the scalding beverage and carefully wiping around her red lipstick. “Nothing, really.”
“You sure?” Shea raised an eyebrow. If Shea knew one thing, if there was one motto she lived by, it would be that ‘Sasha is always over-analyzing something.’ Today, it could be her coffee at best, or her entire relationship with Shea at worst. 
“I swear!” Sasha laughed, her eyes crinkling up in that adorable way they did, her mouth turning into a little scarlet-colored heart. If Shea knew two things, if there was a second motto she lived by, it would be that she could watch and listen to Sasha laugh forever and ever. 
“What are you thinking about, Miss Coulee?”
“You,” the model answered honestly. There probably wasn’t a day Shea didn’t think about Sasha. No, fuck a day, a minute. They were ‘friends,’ sure, but both of them knew it was much more than friendship.
Unfortunately, the entire general public suspected the same thing.
Yes, Sasha was famous, but Shea was mainstream. Everyone knew about her, the newest model-Instagram-star-actress-songstress-activist-pole-dancing diva on the scene. And everyone caught on when Shea and the popular designer she’d walked for during fashion week were spotted in public together on numerous occasions. Straight social media played it off as business-partners and friends, but any fan with a brain—especially Shea’s young, very queer fanbase— would spot the gay energy from miles away. 
And just like Shea’s sexuality, their relationship was undefined.
“Me?” The coy question was followed by the clack of Sasha’s teeth against the silver fork that held a pastry, which she placed delicately in her mouth. 
“I said that,” Shea affirmed, her expression reading serious, yet her eyes gazing at the blonde with adoration. 
“Why are you thinking about me?”
Shea scoffed. “Why am I not thinking about you?”
“You are a busy woman.”
“Not busy enough for you to leave my head.”
Sasha’s pale cheeks reddened. It was common for them to flirt, she should have been used to it. But every time Shea said something nice to her, she couldn’t help herself. God herself could have been complimenting Sasha and it wouldn’t compare to what Shea Coulee had to say. That was to say God wasn’t Shea Coulee. 
Shea loved it when Sasha stared at her. When her piercing blue eyes bore into her soul like she was solving an unsolvable equation. It was funny how the petite woman considered Shea a goddess (she knew she did), when the only thing Shea wanted to worship was Sasha. Everything about her: her kind smile, her perfectly and uniquely beautiful face, her analytical shenanigans, her voice that sounded like how honey felt sliding down your throat. Almost a year of friendship, and every moment with her felt brand new.
All of a sudden, Sasha’s eyes snapped to somewhere behind Shea’s head, and her face fell. Shea had a feeling she knew what she was looking at, turning around to see a familiar camera nearing the coffee shop. Her heart dropped to her stomach, not wanting this paparazzi bitch to ruin the amazing day she’d planned for the two of them. 
“Let’s go,” Sasha said hushedly, picking up her bag and completely ignoring her unfinished food and coffee mug.
Shea nodded, doing the same, a plastic cup filled with her frappuccino in one hand and Sasha’s own hand in the other. They’d held hands a few times, sure, but nothing beat the rush of interlacing her fingers with the shorter woman’s. She hadn’t really held her before, hadn’t cuddled or snuggled her often, but when she had Sasha’s dainty hand in hers it almost made up for every time she wanted to hug the breath out of her. 
They raced down the street laughing, the entire situation almost comical. They looked like two crazy women, walking so fast it might have been classified as a jog and cackling like schoolgirls. But it felt right. As cheesy as that might sound, there wasn’t a better word for it. Familiar. Comfortable. Right. 
Again, that was implying that everything didn’t feel right when Shea was with Sasha.
Shea led the other girl a few streets down, ducking behind a mahogany door and checking if the coast was clear. The pair found themselves in a small thrift shop—well, small was an understatement. It was a pretty big thrift shop. But it was quaint, and very artsy, very post-vintage. Very Sasha.
The designer, wearing her sunglasses to hopefully conceal her identity (some face mask, especially next to Shea, who forgot hers at home), looked at the shop in awe.
“Shea… where—”
“The internet,” the taller woman replied smugly.
“You went out of your way to find this for me?”
“It’s the least I can do,” she chuckled. “I wanted today to be fun for us.”
Sasha smirked. “With the camera creep on our tails?”
“More fun for us. Keeping you on your toes.”
The blonde laughed, a soft and knowing giggle. She perused the racks of clothing, feeling the fabric of every sleeve, every pant leg, tracing her fingers along the leather of heeled boots. Shea anticipated the well-dressed woman to pick up a garment multiple times, but she never did, not even the ones she thought were cute. Which left them for Shea, of course, but it also left her wondering what kept her from purchasing them. The designer was known to purchase both expensive and average priced clothes, Sasha caring more about the fit, the cut, the style more than who made it. But she was being extra picky today.
“Something on your mind?” Shea asked.
“No. Just… none of these are speaking to me.”
“Suit yourself,” the model clutched a fur jacket and a PVC skirt in her hands, ready to snag the cute plastic earrings at the cashier before checking out. 
“Are you at least getting some inspo?” she asked again.
“Yes! I think. I don’t know. If it’s from this. I’m inspired, though. I’ve been inspired,” Sasha played with a lock of her curly blonde hair. 
“By…”
“You.”
Shea smiled. “Me?” she mimicked Sasha’s earlier response. 
“Shea,” the russian rolled her eyes. “Stop making fun of me when I confess my undying love,”
“Is that what we’re doing now?” Shea feigned surprise. “In the middle of the store?”
“Let’s buy you some lesbian earrings, I don’t think I’m going to get anything. Today,” she added.
It was when they were at the cash register when they simultaneously spotted the paparazzi—again. The same one. Across the street. Coming closer. Fuck.
Sasha bit her lip, not wanting to abandon the clothing Shea seemed so excited about. She didn’t have much time to think, so she mustered a “could you put these on hold? We’ll be back eventually,” before sliding the worker a twenty for their hassle. Whether or not they accepted that offer was yet to be found out, as Sasha and Shea were already out the door.
Their rush to escape the prying eyes of the cameraman took them to the metro, into a subway car, breathlessly plopping down in the only two open seats. Would either of their management teams let something like this occur? No. 
Well. Too late. They were off, hopefully away from the paparazzi for good this time.
The pair kept their heads down in order to attempt to conceal their identities, as if that would do much on a crowded subway. But attempt was the key word in this situation. It didn’t stop them from stealing glances at each other the entire ride, smiling stupidly at absolutely nothing.
“So, Shea,” Sasha started.
“So, Sasha.”
“Where are we going?”
“Dummy, you’ll see, that’s the whole point.”
“You did not just call me a dummy.”
“What if I did, blondie?”
“Perpetuating not only female stereotypes, but hair color stereotypes? Tsk tsk,” Sasha shoved the taller woman’s arm lightly. Shea giggled in that full, sexy way that her voice always sounded, her voice trailing off into nothing, the pair falling into comfortable silence for a few moments. 
“What?” Sasha asked, her voice laced with a joking tone.
“Nothing, I just like your face,” Shea replied with a wink.
“Oh my god, I swear I’m going to kill you one of these days,” Sasha rolled her eyes playfully, her cheeks flushing pink. 
The train stopped, Shea perked up.
“This is us,” she said, her pearly white teeth peeking out from a satisfied smile.
Once again their hands interlaced in a gentle display of affection, Shea more familiar with public transport (despite a couple years of not using it) than Sasha, leading her through the complicated catacombs of the metro station.
They emerged in a park, and a smile immediately found itself creeping onto Sasha’s face. Reluctantly, they severed their skin-to-skin contact at the sight of the crowded lawn, Sasha dubitifully following Shea’s path.
Their altitude heightened and the amount of people decreased, and the sun shone bright on the two girls as the hill they climbed steepened.
Shea stopped, smiling at the sight of a familiar footpath. 
“It’s still here!” She pointed out, mainly to herself, almost jogging through an overhang of trees. 
Sasha scurried after her, the sun disappearing briefly behind the leaves before reappearing even brighter than before in a small, protected, deserted clearing, overlooking the entire city.
Shea stood at the edge, looking like nothing short of a painting with a slight breeze ruffling her long black hair, set against the picturesque landscape.
Sasha appeared behind her, the sunlight bringing out her rosy cheeks and freckles. 
In that moment they were joined together in the same work of art.
“Shea, this is so beautiful,” was all Sasha could say.
“I came here to think when I was younger, after school. I kind of hated my friends. And then I met new ones, and then we came here at night and we drank and we smoked. And then, you’ll never guess,” Shea explained excitedly. Sasha hung onto her every word like it was gospel, wanting to retain every single slice of the taller girl’s life.
“I think I have some idea,” Sasha laughed.
“I had my first kiss here, too. Only good memories. I haven’t been back for a while, but I guess I just never found the need to.”
“We’re coming back, Shea. When we get chased by paparazzi, we’ll go here,” Sasha said, her eyes darting from the city to Shea and back again, not quite sure which sight was more beautiful.
They found themselves laying in the grass, side by side, staring up at the clouds. Cliche, but so, so wonderful.
“I’m just glad we ditched that creep,” Shea mused.
“I just— what does he want? What does he want out of seeing us together?” Sasha pursed her lips.
“I think you know just as well as I do.”
“Yeah, the fans get even more fuel for their shipping fire.”
“We are always together… “
“Of course, but we’re not together together.” 
Pause.
Shea turned her head to Sasha, who was already looking at her. 
“What if I wanted… to be together. Together,” the words weren’t exactly unplanned, but they still sounded alien to Shea’s lips.
“Shea—”
“No, it’s fine if you don’t. I just thought, natural progression.”
“Shea, oh my god, I think I love you,” Sasha’s warm hands were on Shea’s cheeks. 
“Wh-” and the word was cut off by the most magical, euphoric, shiny sparkly fiery kiss that Shea had ever experienced in her life. The first thing she registered was the taste of coffee and vanilla still on Sasha’s lips. The second was each time their tongues found their way into the others mouth it an entire fireworks show exploded. The third was her arms snaking around the pale girl’s small waist and her own arms tracing up and down Shea’s side. 
“I love you,” Sasha repeated against Shea’s lips, catching them between her own red-stained mouth. 
“I love you, too, Sasha Velour. That’s what I wanted to say today. Thank you for making it easier,” Shea kissed the other girl’s nose.
“You put together this whole day for us, for it to get ruined, for you to bring me here?”
“We were coming here no matter what. Only good things happen here. Sasha, you’re the best thing yet.”
Sasha blushed, unabashedly now, then pressed another kiss onto Shea’s lips. She traced the side of the raven-haired woman’s face, Shea sighed into her mouth.
“Would you like to be my girlfriend?” she asked, Sasha laughing at the obvious question.
“Nothing would make me happier. Really.”
The gaydar of the world was correct, it seemed, in picking soulmates in the two girls.
Under the light of the sun, in the grass, with the breeze sliding over their faces, they were Living & New.
——
The door clicked shut.
And Sasha’s pale, slender hand dropped from the handle. She turned around, eyes scanning the woman taking off her jacket.
Shea looked back with a smirk, finding it hilariously sexy when Sasha tried to give ‘the look.’
“There’s no need for bedroom eyes, we’re already in your bedroom.”
“Really? I would have never guessed,” the blonde teased as she took their coats and shoes and placed them by the door. They’d come in so excitedly that they headed straight for Sasha’s room without thinking.
“But it’s okay,” the taller woman padded over to Sasha, lifting her chin up to face her. “I like it here.”
“You’d better, especially since you’ll be here so often” Sasha leaned in close, her voice a playful whisper.
“Will I, now?”
“Hmm,” was the Russian’s response, as her lips were already interlocked with Shea’s.
Their lips moved together familiarly, the feel and taste of each other’s mouths still fresh in their memories. Almost immediately Shea’s hands reached for the hem of Sasha’s turtleneck, beckoning her to remove it, and Sasha smirked as she pushed Shea back onto the bed. The woman was silhouetted against the nighttime cityscape behind the bed — similarly to earlier that day at the park. 
Sasha broke the kiss with a soft bite on Shea’s lip, wiggling out of the taller girl’s grasp. Shea made a noise in protest, but the blonde shushed her. She walked to the other side of the bed, so now her back was to the giant plexiglass window. 
“You want my shirt off?” she teased, watching Shea scan over her quizzically. 
The model nodded.
Sasha chuckled softly while slowly stripping off the cotton top. Her bra was lacy and white and pushed her breasts up slightly in a way that drove Shea mad. Shea crawled over the bed, beginning to unzip her own dress frantically.
“No, babe, wait,” Sasha smiled. “I thought you’d like a show.”
Shea’s eyes widened. “No way.”
“Yes way.”
“You spoil me,” she brought her hands to her heart. “This is so fucking sexy.”
The slight growl in the model’s voice sent a shock from the back of Sasha’s neck to her core. She fumbled with the zipper of her pencil skirt, trying her best to remove the stiff fabric in a provocative manner. Of course, the designer could fall flat on her face and Shea would still find it sexy, but Sasha was nothing if not a pleaser.
To Shea’s surprise and delight, Sasha was hiding a pair of matching white garters underneath the long skirt. All day. Just for her.
“Holy shit.”
“Like what you see?”
“Fuck, Sasha,” Shea raised a hand to beckon the shorter girl over. Her palms hovered over Sasha’s hips as she took the girl in entirely. “Can I—”
“Always,” Sasha bit her lip, brushing a finger through Shea’s dark hair. 
Shea guided Sasha onto her lap, the motion causing her minidress to ride up as she pressed her lips onto Sasha’s once again. Kissing Shea was an experience that could only be described as heaven on Earth, her lips encapsulating the entirety of Sasha’s psyche, the way her tongue intertwined with hers intoxicating and addicting and beckoning to push deeper into the kiss. Her hands threaded their way through Shea’s long black hair while Shea’s roamed Sasha’s small frame, feeling every bit of soft exposed skin and every inch of scratchy lace. 
Sasha felt Shea’s lithe fingers unclasp her bra, and hummed softly in affirmation as she let the other woman slide it off. Shea’s pillowy lips latched onto the crook of Sasha’s neck, tracing short and gentle kisses, sucks, licks, and bites down her clavicle. She looked up at Sasha to see her blue eyes blown out and dark, a pale finger swiping over her cheek and a smile creeping onto her stained-red lips. Shea smiled back mishieviously, taking the girl’s nipple in her mouth and swirled around the bud, her other hand cupping the other breast. Sasha let out a moan at the sensitive contact, greedily pushing the back of Shea’s head closer. Shea nibbled playfully in response and let out a muffled laugh into Sasha’s chest.
“You’re so needy!” she smiled. She pulled back and continued to knead the other woman’s breasts. 
“Shea, I made a mistake,” Sasha bit her lip. Shea confusedly paused, worry glazing her expression.
“Baby, are you okay?”
Sasha couldn’t stop herself from grinning foxily. “I shouldn’t have got you so worked up, now I have to wait for you to fuck me.”
Shea snort-laughed, her hands instinctively reaching out and touching Sasha’s arms. “You little shit! Get on your back already!”
Sasha contentedly obliged, getting comfortable at the head of the bed. Shea took off her dress in the meantime, crawling in between Sasha’s legs. 
“Is this better, my fair lady?” Shea asked sarcastically.
“Yes… but….”
“But….”
“Your mouth is up here, and not down there!”
“I hate you.”
“I love you!”
Shea smirked and crashed her lips on Sasha’s once again, her hands gripping at the hem of the pale girl’s underwear and shimmying it lower. She disconnected the kiss and stripped the rest of Sasha’s garters off, taking a moment to admire the woman laid before her. Sasha was thin, with toned arms from her hours of drawing and sewing, broad shoulders and smaller breasts and a tiny waist. Her skin was airbrush-smooth, and freckles dusted her collarbone and shoulders and thighs. Shea wanted to kiss every little spot on her body.
“You are so beautiful,” Shea breathed. 
“I’m beautiful for a mere mortal, but that’s nothing next to a goddess like you.”
Shea’s cheeks grew warm, the praise making her heady. “If I’m Aphrodite, you’re nothing short of Athena.”
“The lesbian love story the Greeks didn’t deserve,” Sasha laughed. Her hands were kneading at the sheets under her, and although Shea could tell she was trying to be intelligent in the moment, she was obviously growing impatient. Shea looked down and could see the wetness coating Sasha’s pussy and had to hold back a chuckle at how well the girl was holding herself back. 
Conversation ceased as Shea leaned down, fulfilling her self-promise and kissing up Sasha’s milky thighs, nearing closer to where Sasha wanted her the most. Shea avoided it, kissing around her pelvis and nipping where the skin was soft. Again, her mouth drew nearer and Sasha whimpered.
“What do you want, baby?”
“Shea…”
The model looked up with a glint in her eyes.
“It’s okay, Sasha, you’re with me. You don’t have to be so uptight, especially not now.” She kissed right on top of her clit. Sasha whined.
“What do you want me to do, baby?”
“Just—just… you know, just—”
“I don’t know,” Shea smirked.
“Goddamnit, just eat me out already!”
“Don’t have to tell me twice, princess.” 
And Shea was licking languidly down Sasha’s folds, savoring the way she tasted and going back for more. She probed around her entrance, the soft sounds Sasha was making before gradually growing into prolonged moans. The designer’s voice wasn’t high pitched naturally, so it translated into musical and full sounds under Shea’s touch and Shea couldn’t get her unique moaning out of her brain. She flattened her tongue against her clit and immediately a strangled ‘mmph’ sounded above and two small hands found themselves buried in Shea’s hair.
Shea licked, pressing harder with each pass as Sasha got more and more worked up. Her voice was breathy and her hips were bucking off of the mattress and her head was turned to the side, and she just looked so pretty with the sheen of sweat coating her forehead and her hair around her head in a curly halo.
Sasha’s hands roamed to her own breasts, the motion being impossible to hold back as she kneaded them in time with Shea’s mouth. The taller woman hoisted Sasha’s thighs upwards and continued to lick, sucking over and over again at her clit, now at a better angle.
Sasha’s thighs were trembling as the pressure in her lower abdomen increased, her calves spasming as the sensations became too much to handle. She couldn’t stop herself—even if she wanted to— from letting obscene, low, drawn out sounds escape her throat. Shea’s mouth felt too good to suppress it, and Sasha was willing to let it go for once. If not for her own good, for Shea. 
Sasha tried to catch her bottom lip in between her teeth, but as soon as she bit it another shock of Shea’s tongue brought out another moan and her head was knocked back and her lips open.
It was when Shea heard her name being yelped over and over that she knew Sasha was close, and registered that she herself was probably dripping wet. If the nonverbal sounds turned Shea on, her own name almost sent her over the edge.
Shea brought her hand up to gently hover around Sasha’s entrance, continuing her assault on her clit. 
“S-sh-oh my god, oh my fuck-” was something along the lines of what Sasha rambled on about, gasping for air as her orgasm reached it’s very climax. Shea felt her tense briefly, before her entire body relaxed and Sasha was muttering softly and finally breathing regularly again.
Shea’s mouth was swollen, her tongue sore, her body tired. She fell beside Sasha on the pillows, turning and watching as the blonde regained her senses. She was a vision, wrapped up in the sheets with her makeup smudges and her eyes half shut and tired. Suddenly, she seemingly remembered something and turned to Shea.
“Do you need me to, now?”
“What, fuck me?” Shea smiled. Sasha nodded.
Shea looked down at herself. She was wet, that fact was undeniable. She was also tired, but as her arm tingled at Sasha’s feather-light touch, her energy inconspicuously returned.
Shea kissed Sasha softly, all lips and no teeth, as Sasha’s hand made its way lower and lower. Sasha cherished Shea as if she was a goddess — well, to her, she was. She wanted to feel every part of her warm skin, register it’s softness and make sure it was real and that the beautiful woman lying beside her was, in fact, tangible. Sasha caressed her thigh and moved inward, trying to fit her dainty hand in between Shea’s thighs.
Shea’s breath hitched when Sasha’s fingers hovered over her clit, and she gave the other woman more space so her hand would slip lower. Sasha gently slid her hand through Shea’s already-slick folds, and a little whimper drew itself from Shea’s throat.
“You sound so pretty, Shea,” Sasha’s voice was soft. 
“I-” Shea was interrupted by her own whine as Sasha pressed against her clit. “Not as g-good as—fuck—you, I bet.”
“I beg to differ,” Sasha replied with a smirk and a breathy tone, massaging small circles now. Their faces were nearly touching, but Shea threw her head back now, mouth stuck in an ‘o.’
“Aah—agree to disagree-ohh-” Shea looked back with wide eyes. “Right there, fuck, that feels so good,” her hips were doing their best to grind forward, knocking into Sasha’s pelvis a little.
Sasha had an idea, then.
“Darling, prop yourself up,” she smiled, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. Shea only had it in her to follow Sasha’s orders without a word.
With some maneuvering, Sasha managed to hook a leg over Shea’s and entangle herself in the other woman so that she could feel the heat from her sex on her own. Shea understood the scenario exactly, a giddy smile plastered on her face.
“Sash, you know me too well.”
With a considerable amount of effort, Sasha managed to bring their genitals into contact, and the sounds that escaped both women’s lips could have come straight out of a porno.
As they grinded in time, rubbing their pussies together, feeling probably the best they’d ever had ever and completely disregarding a need for lube because they were already wet anyway, they wondered why the hell they hadn’t thought of scissoring before. 
“Holy shit, Sasha, if I’d had known, fuck,” Shea tried to get out, but the pressure or Sasha against her clit just drowned out the words.
Sasha was basically post-verbal at this point— quite an achievement for someone such as herself— and she grabbed into Shea’s thigh in a vain attempt to ground herself. A feeling like this made her feel so high she wasn’t sure she’d come back down.
And so their cunts rubbed together, the only sound in the entire large three-story house the almost-hypersexual moans of the pair as those grew louder and closer to screams than anything.
“Shea, Shea, Shea, I-I think, oh god I’m going to—” Sasha frantically jerked her hips and yelled her relief as her second orgasm tore through her. The rush of fluid onto Shea’s pussy was enough to get her throbbing, and it wasn’t long before she finally got her release, shouting Sasha’s name.
The next few moments were a blur, the two women beyond spent, muscles sore and heads light. Apparently they both managed to hobble to the bathroom and tidy themselves up a bit, because the next thing Sasha fully registered was cuddling into Shea’s side. Shea didn’t even get that far, the moment her head touched her pillow, she was fast asleep.
Moonlight mixed with the lights of the city, basking the entire room in a periwinkle afterglow. It was entirely possible someone in one of the high-rise apartments across the street saw their whole ordeal, and the thought made Sasha laugh. If they’d known who they were, if they’d known what Sasha and Shea were doing, their lives would be over. The only thing that meant more to Sasha than Shea herself was Sasha’s work, her designs. To have that taken away was impossible, and she knew Shea felt the same about walking a runway.
Sasha squeezed Shea. In the privacy of her home, she could get used to this. In the light of the stars there was nobody to stop them from loving each other. No prying eyes and paparazzi stalkers. It was Sasha and Shea. And during the day, they could both have what they loved.
It was give and take. It was upsetting. But it was life, and the comfort of seeing each other after a hard days work made it all worth it, somehow,
Living in the sunlight, Loving in the moonlight.
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thotfuss · 4 years
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I kind of agree with the other Annonymous writer, I have both your ex and your feed. She apologizes for the things she did wrong and never says a bad word about you. She fully admits to things. It does feel wrong to keep calling her out as an abuser because she has been getting targeted and crucified because of your words. Is that not just as bad really? Friends and family, of course, will always take your side ALWAYS. You should listen to your heart. I am sure you loved her once.
I’ll be honest, I wrote a really angry stream of consciousness response to this, deleted it, considered not answering this at all, wrote out an actual response, told myself I didn’t owe it to anyone to explain, deleted that, and then wrote it again. Maybe this is my fault for talking about it or referencing it on here, but I never used her url or name, and I never went into detail. I saw it as me using my own blog to express my feelings, which, maybe I shouldn’t have. So I’m sorry if that’s the case. i was never “calling her out,” simply expressing my own feelings on my personal blog, i’m sorry if that was irresponsible. But I am not okay with the messages I’ve been getting lately. This is one of...5 similar ones sitting in my inbox rn? So I am NOT answering this to put my ex on blast or to target and crucify her, and I DON’T owe this explanation to anyone but for my own peace of mind I’m going to explain! (under a read more for abuse tw)
First of all, even if she DID admit to things she did wrong and apologizes for them, it doesn’t make it...not abuse? I seriously doubt she’s getting targeted and crucified, I haven’t posted her URL on here, haven’t even used her NAME, and her family and friends were extremely supportive of her and her actions when all this was happening.
It took me MONTHS to even be able to consider labeling what happened as abuse. Even after my therapist, my family, my friends, EVERYONE who knew about even a FRACTION of what was going on, had said that it was categorically emotional abuse I still felt like i was exaggerating or asking for attention. and to be honest, I still feel like that! 
My ex was insecure. I wrote everything that happened off as her being insecure for SO long, because every time I brought up an issue she would say I “wasn’t supporting her,” and that I should “know how it felt” because of my own issues with mental illness. But when I look back at some of the things that happened-I went to visit my sister back in September, and when I told my ex, she threatened to break up with me if I went. She also threatened to break up with me after my sister gave me a string bracelet she’d made me before leaving for college, because my ex thought that if I put it on, I’d be “replacing her.” I wasn’t allowed to hang out with my family in any capacity unless she was there. I wasn’t allowed to have other friends, I wasn’t even allowed to spend time by myself. She got angry if I spent time on homework, if I went home to do laundry, even if I wanted to sleep. She would say I’d rather sleep than spend time with her, so I was averaging 5 hours of sleep on a GOOD night. she lived about 30 minutes away from me, and I work a lot of night shifts. 
I would often go home before going to her place to change, feed my frog, etc, and she would get FURIOUS over this. She forced me to keep my location services on at all times, despite my telling her that it made me incredibly anxious and paranoid. If she saw me at my parents’ house, my apartment, the store, ANYWHERE without me having told her that I was going there, she would call me until I picked up and explained. 
She forced me to put her fingerprint into my phone so that she could go through my phone whenever she wanted. When I expressed discomfort, I was told both by her and her mother (who genuinely thought everything I’m outlining was an okay way to treat someone, which made it really hard for ME to tell that it wasn’t because I was surrounded on all sides by people telling me the opposite) that if I didn’t have anything to hide, it shouldn’t be an issue. She read through old chats of mine, and got upset about things I’d said to people before I’d even MET her-telling my friends I loved them, etc. She would monitor my social media activity, and if I was active somewhere and hadn’t messaged her back in a few minutes, she would call me repeatedly until I picked up. If I didn’t pick up immediately-If I was in class, at work, asleep, etc, she would later cite that as a reason she couldn’t trust me.  There was one morning where I woke up and she had turned my alarm off, and was on my phone scrolling through my phone calls and asking why I had called a certain number the day before but hadn't called her (I had called my dentist's office to reschedule an appointment.) While I was at work, she texted me calling me a fucking asshole and a cheater, based off of this situation alone.
I’m an art major, and I draw a lot! I like drawing portraits, I’ll sketch people in class, etc, and when she saw that she would accuse me of being in love with the nameless stranger I’d sketched in the coffee shop or something. She told me that the figure drawing class I was taking was “basically cheating,” to the point that I dropped out of it. She would go through my sketchbook constantly, which is something that’s very personal to me and I told her this. She once again cited that if I didn’t have anything to hide, it should be fine. She got angry at me for drawing fictional characters, even guys, which. I’m a lesbian! But she would get jealous and have a meltdown. 
She CONSTANTLY accused me of looking at other girls in public, even though I truly never was. I was driving us home from somewhere once, and looked in my sideview mirror to merge lanes, and she thought I was checking out the girl who was walking by on the sidewalk and blew up at me. Multiple times, she would get upset at me while we were driving somewhere and try to jump out of my moving car over an issue such as the one I just mentioned. 
She would get mad when I wore makeup to class or work, or even dresses or nice clothes. I would tell her that I just LIKED that dress, or that I just enjoyed doing makeup, and she would say I was only doing it to ‘impress other girls.’ On the other hand, she got upset several times when I DIDN’T wear makeup when we went out, because she said I wasn’t making an effort for her. 
She got upset at me when I didn’t finish meals, which she said triggered her own issues. I explained several times that my own anxiety (not food-related, just general) messed with my appetite a LOT, and made it hard for me to eat sometimes. 
She also gets mad when I don't finish my food, and stuff like that. I get that that's because of her eating disorder, obviously, but she still takes it out on me. All of this, when I react defensively or show that I'm hurt by her accusations, she says that i'm not giving her the "reassurance" she needs.
When I brought any of this up, she would have a melt down and cite her insecurities and mental health issues. I have major anxiety and depression issues, I've been hospitalized for it before and go to therapy once a week and am also on a lot of medication for it. When I had depressive episodes, bad days, or anxiety attacks, she would often get mad at me, and said I was sulking, or she said that it must mean I didn’t love her because she didn’t make me happy enough. I usually ended up comforting her over it.
On the anxiety note, I also tend to break out in a rash on my chest and neck when I'm anxious, and I will clarify that this looks NOTHING like hickeys. My neck gets red and blotchy, and I get itchy. when this happens, she LOST it every time without fail, melting down and telling me over and over "stop lying! just tell me who it was who did you do this with," etc, etc.
She told me that if we broke up, she would probably let her own mental health issues get worse, and would stop eating all together. She also flat out LIED about this when I brought it up later, saying that I was the one who had threatened to hurt myself if we broke up. She told me this, and other people this, and made up similar stories, so much that I started to believe it. I was apologizing for my own existence by the end of it, for every word out of my mouth, I was going crazy. I didn’t even REALIZE how bad it was, until I mentioned to my sister that I hadn’t driven the 30 mins over to her house one night due to the bad weather, and she had called me and called me until I picked up, forced me to send her pictures of the roads(?) and then said she’d “rather have someone who would drive on bad roads for her.” This wasn’t even near the worst thing that had happened, but the fact that my sister CRIED over that made me take a step or two back. And I left. Like...a few weeks after that. and it was HARD, it was the hardest thing I”ve EVER had to do, because i GENUINELY thought I was condemning someone to die. Like she fucked me up that bad! I still feel guilty. But I did it! She told me that nobody else would ever love me like her, that nobody would accept my mental health issues, etc, but guess what! I did it! 
And she STILL tried to contact me, refused to leave me alone, showed up at my WORK with a letter and flowers wanting to work it out (and sure she says this was romantic, whatever, but she forced me to unblock her number and hug her and now cites that as me “still feeling the same”) and made like...several different accounts to message me on here after I kept blocking the new ones she made. 
I have NO idea what she’s saying about me, and I don’t care. I want more than anything to move on. I hope she’s happy, I do! I get really, really, angry about it sometimes and I feel horrible for the way her isolating me made me cut off some very important people in my life. I’m still hurting, but i’m HAPPY. I want to move on, I don’t want this to be who I am, it doesn’t define me and I’d love to move on and meet other people and not have this fucking haunting me! And she keeps finding ways to bring it up. I wish her no ill will, and I”m not saying she’s a bad person. I’m not! But I am entitled to my feelings in the matter, I”m allowed to say that it sucked, I’m ALLOWED to say that it was abuse because there are things that happened that I haven’t even told my therapist, because it’s too hard to think about. I’m allowed to move on. Please, please allow me to move on. 
I’m not going to answer anything else about this, maybe I shouldn’t have talked about it in any capacity on here, maybe that’s my fault. But please stop messaging me about it. 
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liesofthelonely · 4 years
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( AMY ADAMS. FORTY FIVE. CIS FEMALE. SHE/HER. ) in texas, JACQUELINE WELLS is more commonly known as JACKIE. they’ve been living in newton for FORTY FIVE YEARS and currently AN AUTO BODY SHOP OWNER. some say they are REALISTIC & A WORKAHOLIC but i’m more inclined to believe those that say they’re SELFLESS & RELIABLE. if you walk by their house, you can sometimes hear DROPS OF JUPITER by TRAIN playing from their window. ( sunflower seeds, helix piercings, overalls, marc jacobs daisy perfume & gasping for air after a swim. )
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hi there, the name is quinn & i die for this roleplay’s plot, as a motorbike lesbian wannabe this is so perfect, bless the admins for this ! also i have to say i very much suck at writing intros but here goes nothing heh. & not to forget my love leah who has brought me here !
jonathan & jennifer were blessed with not just one baby in 1974, but unexpectedly two. the discovery turned out to be dizygotic twins consisting of one boy and one girl & the wells couldn’t be more proud. like old fashioned / traditional parents, they had one of each gender and both a never expressed secret favorite by nature.
the wells kept up the tradition of naming their children starting with a ‘j’, jackson being named after jonathan’s father jaxson, the girl named jacqueline, not to be confused by or shortened to jac or any of that ‘nonsense’, they were old fashioned after all.
skip jump to their high school experience; jonathan was a busy ceo who was almost never home though he dearly loved his children which he expressed through taking them on trips all over the country and even internationally ! jennifer was an interior designer, a career she put on hold raising the kids, but when they both got sent off to school, she picked it right back up.
like the ultimate high school cliche, jacqueline became head cheerleader whilst her brother jackson achieved the quarterback position with ease & long story short; the wells were easily the talk of every single day they roamed the halls. not to forget their parents were huge sponsors, too. each wells twin with their own clique, almost owning the school itself with how much power they had. 
however they weren’t exactly the nicest people, they did try to please their parents every day, get a+ grades and spent their summers volunteering in third world countries in order to best their resumes. out of all relationships jacqueline had, the one she had with her brother was the best. they understood each other better than anyone else did, not even their parents came close to how much love they had for each other. when crashing parties, they always arrived & left together, it was as simple as that. they had each others backs. they were watertight, nothing less.
so, yes you might feel it coming, when jacqueline turned 21 and spent the perfect birthday dinner with her family, she flew that same night over to california to spend one of her last summers as a student at a friend’s villa. partying her ass off, expanding horizons sexually and swimming in her massive pool, completely losing track of time, it was her friend who found out about the heartbreaking news. the wells residence had gone up in flames overnight, a gas leak the police stated in the papers. which left jacqueline with the inheritance and no close family left.
it was something jacqueline never processed fully, til this day she still believes she’s living in some sort of fucked up dream. or nightmare, rather. there’s lots of times she just zones out, thinking of her family. she most definitely changed personality wise, going from stuck up bitch extrovert to easy-going introvert who’s very reliable but doesn’t talk about the past. any talk about her family is either dismissed or easily changed in subject.
in honor of her father and jackson’s wishes, she chased their dream instead of her own. she stayed in town instead of fleeing it, leaving her fantasies as a lawyer like she always hoped to become, she bought land with the inheritance’s money and built an auto body shop. as the business was under construction, jacqueline used her status and the family’s money to teach herself everything that was to know about cars, motorbikes, any alike vehicle & keeping a business that was to be taught by fellow owners/mechanics of auto body shops.
over time her name changed from jacqueline to jackie, making it both easier for fellow residents & making her feel closer to her deceased brother. she’s changed the business’ name multiple times but eventually stuck with ‘jackie’s all’s well’. 
she’s also very open to any customer, resident of newton or not, all is welcome or rather ... all is well haaa. but in all seriousness, she’s not picky and would love to help anyone. but also in my defense, i don’t know shit about cars so pls don’t come @ me. that’s all for now !
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chasingshhadows · 5 years
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I probably shouldn’t jump in on this but it’s bugging me so I’m just gonna say this and then be done with it.
There’s a lot of talk in the Roswell fandom right now about biphobia, specifically around characters (Michael) being made to “prove” their bisexuality, and perpetuating negative stereotypes (promiscuity).
And I really, really don’t want to invalidate anyone’s feelings because if that’s what you’re seeing in this show, that’s valid and it’s hurtful and I’m sorry you’re hurting. I’m not writing this post as a way to brush your feelings under the rug and say your experiences and trauma are negligible- I’m writing this because I’m seeing a lot of people that I’ve come to care about hurting and maybe, just maybe, I can show a perspective that doesn’t hurt.
(and also before I say any of this - I am an unrepentant Michael stan and an endgame, soulmates, nothing-will-ever-compare Malex shipper, so, context is key.)
Because I just... don’t agree that what we’re seeing is hurtful to the bisexual community. 
The first part, regarding characters needing to “prove” their bisexuality in order to be seen as “true” bisexuals is in fact a massive problem in the bisexual community - every day, we’re told we’re not really bisexual unless we’ve “done both” - the moment we end up in a relationship where our partner is the same gender as our most recent partner, we’re suddenly “no longer” bisexual, because we’ve finally “picked one.” If we don’t literally keep a 1:1 ratio and jump back and forth like hopscotch, our identity is erased.
I’ve experienced this and it’s damaging. My father literally told me that I needed to sleep with multiple people of both genders for him to see me as valid - I was 18. He also told me once I “settled” (read: married) - I would either be lesbian or straight depending on the gender of my partner. My best friend, who is gay, told me “hmm I just feel like you’re gonna end up with a guy, in the end.” And that’s just the beginning. So when I say what I say next, I hope you know that I do it from a place of experience and solidarity.
Michael sleeping with, and catching feelings for, two people of differing genders on the show is not the show making him prove his bisexuality - it’s the show letting him express it. Your best friend telling you she won’t believe you’re bi until you’ve slept with “both” and a show portraying a character that sleeps with people from different genders are two very different things. 
I have watched a lot of queer television. There’s a queer character on a show? especially a bisexual one? Holy shit I am so there. It is the one and sole reason I started watching Roswell. I chase representation, hard. There is nothing more enticing in a new show than the idea that I might get to see myself in it.
That said, it is still incredibly rare to see bisexual characters on television, especially bisexual men. And I’m not talking about in the last 5 years, because in just five years I have witnessed a rapid shift in television to include more queer characters. 
But I didn’t grow up in the last 5 years, I grew up in the last 20. So I can count on one hand the number of bisexual characters I have ever seen that have been with (romantically or sexually) people of differing genders in any meaningful way, and I don’t know, probably never that those people weren’t just side characters.
So this is new, for us. Having a character canonically attracted to multiple people, regardless of gender, is a new thing we’re getting to see on television. And of course Michael shouldn’t have to sleep with people of different genders for people to believe that he’s bi, but no one whose opinion mattered ever doubted that he was bi when he said he was bi. So for me, this representation of him being with different people is representation of me. And I am Here For It.
More than that, there’s this idea that if a bisexual character enters a differing-gender relationship after leaving a same-gender one, that a show is abandoning queer representation because that relationship is “basically het.” 
I’m not het. I’m not straight, none of my experiences are straight. I am queer (of the bisexual variety) and any relationship I enter into will by default not be straight because I’m not straight. There is more to the queer experience than the way that people look at you on the street and there is abso-fucking-lutely more to the bisexual experience than the way you’re treated when you’re in a same-gender relationship. 
No this doesn’t mean that there isn’t a difference in experience (and oppression) between same-gender and differing-gender relationships from the perspective of the bi person - there absolutely is. But in both cases, a bisexual person will always always always feel unseen. So that difference is one of content, not quantity. 
So - I don’t think that Michael dating/sleeping with/whatever he’s doing with Maria is invalidating to the bisexual experience. I think it’s a chance for us to finally see the bisexual experience. Finally see that it can just be that easy, to find a connection with anyone and see that gender just doesn’t really come into play at all because it’s not relevant to bisexual people - at least, not to me. 
Now, the second part, the part where people are feeling... insulted, I think, that Michael sleeping with Maria after sleeping with Alex is perpetuating this very damaging stereotype of promiscuous, incapable-of-committing bisexuals.
I’m gonna take those one at a time (promiscuous/commitment issues) because I think they’re two different things.
I think a character, bisexual or not, being portrayed as promiscuous (by definition:  having or characterized by many transient sexual relationships) is 100% a non-issue. 
The real issue is that promiscuity is seen as a negative stereotype at all. The real issue is that being sexually expressive or sexually active is seen as morally reprehensible, as something that damages their character as a person.
And unfortunately this is a two-sided coin, the other side being that asexual, sexually shy, or sexually non-expressive is also seen as negative, but while I deeply feel it’s important enough to mention, it’s not the issue on Roswell right now.
The argument here is that the show is portraying Michael as promiscuous, which feeds into this stereotype that bisexual people can’t make up their minds and just go around sleeping with anyone and everyone without reservation or caring about anyone’s feelings and that not only is that the norm, it’s basically expected (see: my father). 
And if Michael were the only character on the show displaying these behaviors, I could understand why people thought that the show were actively trying to push said stereotype - even if I don’t see that stereotype as a bad thing anyway. 
But he’s not - not even close. Max and Cameron and Liz and Kyle - all of them have engaged in casual sex and both Max and Liz have hopped beds during this season. Casual sex (while again, not a universal experience by any means, nor should it be) is normal for adults of this age, and the show is portraying it as normal.
And by normal I don’t mean that like, it’s not messy - of course it’s messy and people get hurt and people do and say shitty things because they’re human. But the fact of engaging in casual sex, or sex with multiple partners within a short(ish) time frame, is not in and of itself problematic. 
Now, to the part about the commitment issues - there’s this notion that the show is trying to portray Michael as having abandoned his feelings for Alex to hop on Maria... and here I’m kinda just.....confused. 
“Where I stand, nothing’s changed.” “I never look away, not really.” 
The show has made clear, intentional, explicit attempts to show that Michael is ass over teakettle in love with Alex and has been since he was a kid. But they’ve also made it clear that Michael hasn’t been celibate since Alex left - casual sex is a part of his life, he said it episode one.  
And Michael tried with Alex - and Alex turned him down (honestly, for good fucking reasons, even if they break my heart). He tried and gave Alex everything he had and Alex walked away. 
And Michael ... has no choice but to try and move on. And he doesn’t even do it right away, it’s not like it’s the next day or even the next week. His bed has been cold for weeks, months, before he even looks at Maria like that. And him looking at Maria like that? Caring about her and finding her attractive and wanting to touch her and be touched? Does not in any way negate the way he feels about Alex even if he’s trying to make everyone, including himself, believe that it does. 
Is sleeping with his ex’s friend a shitty thing to do? Sure. I personally have very nuanced feelings about that whole thing and its place in media, but I won’t deny that what they’re doing is not just hurtful to Alex, it’s knowingly hurtful - Michael knows that what they’re doing will hurt him and he does it anyway.
But them making choices that are hurtful doesn’t make Michael a poor representation of bisexuality - not every underrepresented character needs to be a paragon of the moral high ground for them to be subversive to their stereotypes. In fact, I really believe that forcing underrepresented identities to always be perfect and do the right thing and make no mistakes and subvert every stereotype is far more problematic because it makes a statement that that identity is only worthy of respect and love when they behave.
So - let Michael misbehave. Let him sleep around. Let him try to drown his heartache in another person. Why should he have to be perfect when everyone else gets to be flawed?
No one is harder on queer representation and queer media than queer people - and I get it. We’ve had so much bad representation and we’re sick of it and that’s understandable. But it’s turned into this thing where every slice of representation has to be Perfect or it’s Garbage, and it’s leading creators to not want to try because they’re so harshly run off every time they do. And when they don’t try, they don’t learn, and when they don’t learn, they don’t do better.
And even if the show decides to ignore literally every precedent they’ve set thus far (would not be a first, believe me) and call it quits on Malex for good, Malex isn’t theirs anymore anyway. The instant the first fanfic posted to AO3, the millisecond that first AU gifset hit Tumblr - Malex became ours. We have enough on screen and off screen content to play around in for years to come and I really hope to see all of you on that journey with me. 
If even after reading this, you still feel hurt and misrepresented and insulted by Michael’s relationship with Maria, come pop into my chat or my inbox and let me weave you tales of how that never happened, let me erase that reality from your whiteboard and replace it with something you love. Canon is just a craft store of materials - if you don’t want to use the red beads, then don’t. There’s a whole aisle of blue ones just down the way.
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c-atm · 5 years
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Bittersweet meetings pt9
I’m sorry...What did you ask?”
Lapis rested her elbows on the table top with her hands interlaced, her blazing blue eyes steeled and aimed directly at Steven. “Have you ever considered dating one of us?”
Steven couldn’t find anything to say, completely sideswiped by the question. He knew them all for a long time and,the answer was not easy for multiple reasons. Garnet and Pearl was basically raised with him and his sisters; Amethyst, Rose and Nora. His affection for them was deeply familial. Plus Pearl is a lesbian and Garnet is asexual and possibly aromantic, so no. Jasper is his cousin so that was also a no.
There was Peridot,who he never really felt anything more than friendship for but, Steven has  her found to be attractive due to her energetic and nerdy attitude and she was very cute in her own right. He’d be lying if he said he never thought about it once and again with her.
Lapis..Well she was a looker thanks to all her swimming. Sometimes she can be direct, blunt, sarcastic (but hell they all could be, given the right circumstances.), and a bit withdrawn. That being said she can also a very deep minded person, very fun, and quite loyal; It goes without saying that she had a lot of romantic admirers and for a quick moment in time he thought he was one of them. The more he got to know her though, the easier it was able to identify his feeling as a deep friendship.
Finally, there was Connie and really what can be said about his view of her, of ‘them’? They excite and calm each other better than anyone else. They share jokes, glances, and gestures that reserved for them alone. They see through each others lies, know each other idiosyncrasies,and at times are the reason for their darker behavior traits. 
It's always been strange to him, despite not knowing her as long as she knew Jasper, They always seemed to have a certain chemistry and endearment towards each other. It was natural for them to fall into each other...Even when he was gunning for Stevonnie’s affection and Connie was with Jasper, they still held each other as a top priority. They are each other partners in crime, confidants.. She’s his berry to his biscuit.  
Steven stared at Lapis who felt anxious, despite never changing form or position. It was her eyes that gave it away, they were a bit misty. “Why you ask that? What you heard something?”“Beside the common gossip about me and Con-”
Lapis annoyed growl put him on edge..more so than the question in general, he was hoping his little tease would make her smile. 
“Can you not and answer the question, Steven?”
Steven sighed, scratching his head. “I don’t know..I have had glancing thoughts..Nothing solid or to make a move on.”  Despite telling the truth, it felt like a lie to him; more-so, it felt like he was lying to himself. 
Lapis eyes widen at his answer and a sly smile formed on her face. “Really, Who?”
“Lapis, what with this interrogation?” Steven smirked as he continued. “ Trying to get something out of this?” 
Lapis gave him a stone faced glare before snickering a bit. “Maybe if this happened a few years back, like the seventh grade.” .
Steven blinked “Wait what? You saying you had a crush on me?”
Lapis shrugged “Not saying I had a crush on you...but I did consider approaching you. .”  
“Why you never said anything?”
Lapis sighed and turned her gaze to the ceiling. “ Reasons.  For one I thought you still held a flame for Stevonnie, at the time.”
“Granted, but I had already moved on from them by then.”
“Still...Second I don’t know if you noticed, but you were a hot topic in school. A lot of people admire and crush on you..you don’t know how much I have heard girls and some guys whisper about you.”
Steven chuckled a bit. “You didn’t want to get lumped in with those types. I get you.”
“Exactly, exactly” Lapis gave him an impish grin before continuing. “Beside I know you and you ain’t that great..”
Steven shook head, chuckling “That’s why you had a crush on me huh, Lappy?”
“Oh, deflate that ego of yours, Universe.”
Steven  held his hand up in mock surrender. “Ok.. Ok.. So Stevonnie, public status,what else?”
Lapis chuckle taking a sip of her root beer. She placed the cup before giving Steven an accusing look, she shook her head with a smirk leaning back. “Nah. you don’t need to know, at least not for free.
Steven nodded his head left to right in consideration, not noticing the minuscule lick of Lapis lips as she watched amusingly. “What you wanna know?”
“You know; what I want to know. Those dreams.’
“Never said dreams, said thoughts, passing thoughts at that”
Lapis sat up with her arms crossed and leaned across the table, pressing her breasts against her arms slightly, getting closer to Steven “.Between us, how much of those thoughts catered to me.”
“Umm-hmm-hmm.”
Steven, rose quartz pink,  raised his left index and tried to speak but nothing came out. He just kept looking at Lapis who was now looking back at him with a slightly  seductive glint in her blue eyes.  
“I just wanna know how much times you thought about me. Not like I’m gonna get mad.” 
‘No, you might think something equally as bad though!’ Steven mentally screamed as he remained silent. “I don’t know Laps, things might change if we continue.” 
He hoped his joking demeanor would dissuade her from prying especially with how deeply she been looking at him ..                                   
“Pssh, really? I just told you that I crushed on you and it not like were all of a sudden an item.or is it you never thought about me that way;  afraid to hurt my pride, Steven..”
“OH! So you did crush on me!”
“This isn’t about past Lapis,  this about you.”
Steven shook his head cockily as he took a sip of his drink, and leaned back. “ Sure, so we just gonna gloss over the fact that you had a crush on me back when.”
“Oh whatever, Universe....Beside not like I never caught you checking me out around the pool. ”
Steven took a gulp of his durian soda . “Pleading the fifth.”
Lapis smiled victoriously before pinching his cheeks “ I’m a sexy thing, you can admit it.”
“Yeah-yeah, objectively.”
Lapis let go with a smug smirk before sitting down.“Oh i’m sure you’re being objective. Which is why the three of us caught you gaze wandering, a multiple of times.. You ain't that subtle. You have your own little garden of beauties and you know it.” 
.Steven groaned as he pointed a finger at the bluenette  ”It’s not like y’all haven’t done the same to me!”
Lapis arched an eyebrow and shrug. “I still do when you dress up. Can’t say for the Peridot and well..you'd know better than i would about the third one.”
He ignored the bite ate the end of her statement with a cocky grin. "Scandalous, Laps. didn’t know I had your eye.” Steven took a bite of the last slice of pizza.
Lapis allowed a bashful smile to envelope on her face. “Well, it’s not like you’re the only person and it’s not a lust filled gaze or anything...It’s totally innocent and observatory.”
Steven smiled gently at his ‘date’ placing the pizza down on his plate. “Aww, that kind of sweet Lapis. Like a nice little water guardian.”
 Lapis took the half eaten slice and bit into it crust first .“You got a nice ass though.”.
Steven aghast face imitated a tomato as he try to find the words to respond to Lapis nonchalant admission. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, give me my pizza and what the fuck!?”
Lapis shrugged as she took a larger bite through the remaining pizza before putting back on Stevens plate, who quickly ate the rest. She gave  him a jester's smirk after swallowing the slice. “Ey, that’s the consensus of a number of girls..and some boys.” 
Steven shook his head, while laughing gently and expressively raised his arms in surrender. “ My family wears weight well...Still didn’t expect that from you.”
“Which is why I said it…” Lapis paused and arched her eyebrows before pointing at her friend. “Who else told you this, cause that was way more calmer than I expected.”
“I’m not deaf and our student body haven’t exactly master stealth and subtly.”
“True enough.” Lapis sat up and stretched the arch of her back with a grunt and sighed when she relaxed, throwing herself on top of the table face down. “Meow” 
“Pfft! I approve the prostration Lazuli.”
 "Ha! Not even in your wildest..” The bluenette turned to face him a bit of an amorous light in her blues. “Or maybe I'm wrong about that, huh?”
Steven didn’t say anything but he did give her a playful smile. Feeling a bit relaxed as he turned to the window feeling a bit jolly and a bit tired. His eyes widen as he saw Connie walking pass across the street with Stevonnie and Jeff. He couldn't help the bloom of his cheeks, when he saw her in an old jacket of his he left at her place a few weeks ago.
 While Stevonnie and Jeff was in conversation, Connie was a few steps behind them listening to music from the portable music player he got her. A gentle smile graced his lips as he saw the Strawberry and biscuit buds in her ears, and the red smile on her face as she held the the player close to her chest; hugging it. He chuckled a bit as Stevonnie gave their sister a teasing smile and despite not knowing what would said..It made the president speed up her pace to catch up with Jeff..Though she never did put the player away. 
He couldn't help the felling of adoration within looking at Connie actions. The pride in his heart knowing it was his actions that caused her to act so bashful, blissful and a bit air headed. ‘Have you ever considered seriously dating one of us?’ 
His eyes widen at the thought or Stevonnie's side glance towards him before following the two. He didn’t know.
“Ready to go?”
Steven turned to the swimmer quickly red faced as he looked into her prying eyes the color of her namesake. ’Have you ever considered seriously dating one of us?’ Lapis question hit him harder than he expected and god damn it..
He now has a definite answer.
“Yes.”
He just hopes that the ‘signs’ he caught on were him misreading...or that Lapis won’t hate him after tonight.
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girls-scenarios · 5 years
Text
The Silenced
Idol: Doyeon (Weki Meki)
prompt: please do a doyeon scenario where she gets casted in a drama but she needs to kiss a girl (reader). She hates it at first but then gets feelings for the reader. (Doyeon from Weki Meki. Ps. Please make it fluffy 💕)
Writer: Admin Lee
A/N: the drama that the reader and Doyeon are cast in is similar to The Silenced (a really good SK movie!!), however, in this tv-remake the title also serves as an allegory for South Korea’s treatment of the LGBT community (in general). Doyeon doesn’t know much about the plot other than the fact that it is a thriller series. Your character: Juran & Doyeon’s character: Yeondok. I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I’ve last posted :( I’m about to graduate from high school, so finals and AP exams have been keeping me busy.. I hope you can all understand! Anyways,I had a lot of fun writing this scenario! The Silenced is by far one of my favorite films, and I thought it’d be cool to put it in a sort of series-form for this request. Hope you enjoy!
Warnings: Internalized homophobia, angst
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A few weeks after Weki Meki’s Crush promotions were finished, Doyeon had discovered that, after meeting with the CEO of Fantagio, she was to be cast in an upcoming drama. Specifically, a series remake of the 2015 movie, The Silenced. She remembered bits and pieces of the film, as she had seen it shortly after it was released. Needless to say, she was excited to act in something other than a rom-com, as many other female idols have done in the past.
Conversely, you were cast in a rather unconventional way. It wasn’t really a “official” audition, but apparently some employees sent out by the production company had attended a short film festival held at your university, and consequently saw your acting in one of the films. They were thoroughly impressed, and had contacted you a day or so later, asking for your interest in the project. You were quick to agree, of course, as this could be your big break in the acting industry, especially since you hadn’t yet decided to audition for an entertainment company.
So, without either of you knowing you would be side-by-side for the next few months as you filmed the first and only season of the drama, you and Doyeon went on preparing for the roles ahead of you.
-
It was nearly two weeks before the filming was scheduled to start, and you were called in for a script-reading of the first episode with the whole cast, as well as a costume fitting to ensure that everything was as good as it could be before the real work begun.
You arrived at the building and found the correct room without a hitch, and upon entering, were greeted with the director, writer, and one of the producers. They introduced themselves, let you know how excited they were for you to be involved in this project of theirs, and handed you the script along with a good-luck wish for your first big production. Then you made eye contact with Doyeon. You knew of her, of course, Weki Meki had been a group you followed and enjoyed listening to. Your face flushed and your eyes darted away, looking down at the script you had been handed moments ago. It was almost surreal to be this close to someone you admired - a celebrity at that. She, on the other hand, looked nonplussed.
Thankfully, the director clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention, and beckoned the actors over to the table nearest to him. Everyone then took their seats and buckled down for the reading of the pilot episode.
-
It was nearly a month into filming; three episodes down, and fortunately your relationship with Doyeon was improving quickly. Filming side-by-side proved to be a good catalyst for the betterment of your chemistry both on-set and off. You had discovered that the cold-looking idol you had met on the reading day was nothing like the Doyeon you knew now. Her façade was now thoroughly broken through, and it gave way to a bubbly, goofy, laid-back girl who always knew what to do to make someone laugh. She relaxed you, and you did the same for her. The dynamic shared between the two of you allowed a sense of peace whenever filming a particularly tough scene, and you were grateful for it.
At the end of this past episode, your character - who was struggling with tuberculosis - had been making strides in her recovery due to the medicine she was being administered. Doyeon’s character, at first a serious, speculative girl, had now opened up; even going as far as breaking the rules to bring your character outside of the confines of the manor they were living in for a breath of fresh air and an adventure through the forest surrounding the area.
Today, the filming for the fourth episode had begun.
Just before you were to begin filming, the director had approached you about a twist he had wanted to put on the series.
“(Y/N), I know I haven’t talked to you about this before, but I’ve been mulling it over for a while… I want to add a little more to the girls’ relationship, you know? When I was going over the original movie, the undertones - intentional or not - that their dynamic has makes me think that they would work really well as ‘more-than-friends’ if you get what I’m saying. It’s be a really fresh perspective to get out in the mainstream media, don’t you agree?”
At first, you were taken a bit aback, but within seconds everything sort of clicked. After taking take outside of work to watch the movie yourself, you could now look back and completely see where the director was coming from. And though he had phrased it like a question, you had realized that it would be in your best interest to comply. However, this was not to say you weren’t happy to do it, this could be a huge step in the right direction.
“Yes, completely. I’d be more than happy to do it! Have you talked with Doyeon about it?”
“I’m just about to bring it up with her. I’ll see you on set!” He replied, leaving you to finish getting ready.
-
The scene began in a room tucked away from most everyone’s eyes at the boarding school, and it was you and Doyeon’s characters who sat together under the dim light of an old lamp, sitting close together on a quilt.
“I’m getting better,” you began with a hopeful tone, nudging the other girl with your elbow. “Maybe I’ll be picked to go to Japan with you when the examination comes. Everyone knows it’s a given that you’ll go.”
Doyeon’s character stayed silent, picking at one of many red flowers that sat in a vase in front of her.
“Wouldn’t that be fun?” Your character continued, prodding the other again.
To this she nodded, yet her focus was diverted to the petal she clutched between her fingers.
“Yeondok.. Is something bothering you?”
“No, not at all,” She replied with a light lilt to her voice, looking at you with a soft expression as she brought the petal to your lips. “It’d be great to go with you.”
To this you moved even closer to her, intertwining your fingers while chewing on the petal thoughtfully. She turned to face you, looking into your eyes for a moment with a sense of nervousness you hadn’t seen thus far. Her hand now felt clammy as she clutched yours tighter, swallowing the lump in her throat. You knew it was in the script that she had to kiss you, but she wasn’t making any move to. So, to prevent having to re-film, you brought your free hand up to her cheek, stroking it with your thumb gently as you attempted to calm her down, hoping it would seem natural on-screen.
“Yeondok,” You began, your voice barely audible as you brought your face closer to hers. With your lips now mere centimeters apart, Doyeon seems to have finally gotten the nerves to take the reigns. She kisses you and your eyes flutter closed before she breaks it unceremoniously moments later. Doyeon stands and walks off-set without warning, giving no time for the director to properly cut the scene.
“Doyeon!” You called after her, but your voice fell on deaf ears as she stormed off.
-
It’s been days since that scene was filmed, you’ve attempted to talk to Doyeon multiple times about what had happened, but every time you had approached her, she somehow managed to avoid you each time. It eventually came to the point where your chemistry on set was being affected, so the director suggested that you both have a heart-to-heart for the sake of the show.
-
“Doyeon, please, I don’t know what I did wrong. If you’ll actually talk to me about it, I’m sure we can work this out and finish the show with no problems.. But I just need you to talk to me.”
She turned to you, expression unreadable.
“I- I don’t…I think I like you,” Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she stumbled over her words, and her voice was shaky. “But,” she continued. “My career, my family.. I can’t be a lesbian.”
“Doyeon,” You started softly, attempting to hide the surprise in your voice at her revelation. “There’s nothing wrong with how you’re feeling, you know that, right?”
She shook her head, not meeting your eyes. “I’m scared.”
Your brows furrowed as you frowned, reaching out a hand to rest on Doyeon’s shoulder. She flinched at this, and you almost pulled away, but she put her own hand on top of yours.
“It’s going to take time for me to figure all of this out.. Will you be here for me?” She asked you, her tone almost desperate.
“Always.”
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