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#love like ghosts meet me in the woods and never ever are runners ups
literalite · 4 months
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ok i bought lord huron tickets for later this month as a treat to myself soo me and @itsmariejanel were ranking all their songs in a tier list. here's my rankings lmk if u think im right or wrong
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july 2022
1. natalie evans - between the ground and sky 2. solace - life can be beautiful 3. siv jakobsen - birthday 4. long neck - crabby 5. miya folick - ordinary 6. margot & the nuclear so and so's - lost as a lamb 7. jenny owen youngs - lost 8. angel olsen - ghost on 9. rachel bobbitt - what about the kids 10. ichiko aoba - hello 11. emily yacina - white bull 12. katie bejsiuk - vespers 13. jessica boudreaux - cruel summer 14. baseball gregg - cilantro grass 15. queen of jeans - was i ever 16. carmody - trespasser 17. alex g - runner 18. jb dunckel - sex ufo 19. hazel english - blue light 20. daisy the great - easy 21. metric - what feels like eternity 22. soccer mommy - feel it all the time 23. julia jacklin - i was neon 24. layne - she likes boys 25. day wave - see you when the end's near 26. turnover - wait too long 27. pale waves - reasons to live 28. sasami - tried to understand 29. the beths - silence is golden 30. joyce manor - did you ever know? 31. the darling fire - machina 32. jimmy eat world - something loud 33. anthony green - trading doses 34. goon - ochre 35. options - nothing 36. ranasol - oath 37. pianos become the teeth - genevieve 38. smash mouth - never gonna give you up 39. noah cyrus - ready to go 40. chloe moriondo - take your time (acoustic) 41. charlie houston - comfortable 42. king princess - cursed 43. carly gibert - game for two 44. claud - go home! 45. wizthemc - fck love 46. beabadoobee - 10:36 47. sophie cates - nasty 48. exes - toothpaste 49. mothica - bedtime stories 50. heather sommer - me to a stranger 51. salem ilese - crypto ₿oy 52. natasha hunt lee - bad mood 53. milk & bone - borders 54. purity ring - watersong 55. sub urban - paramour 56. julia wolf - hot killer 57. willow - <maybe> it's my fault 58. tove styrke - hardcore 59. hayley kiyoko - deep in the woods 60. muna - loose garment 61. mallory merk - thorns 62. ouioui - (empty) 63. michelle - fool 4 u 64. sara diamond - riverside 65. dua saleh - chosen 66. biig piig - fun 67. misogi - gossip 68. san holo - we will meet again 69. lizzo - grrrls 70. muni long - baby boo 71. post malone - i like you (a happier song) 72. cassie marin - floating 73. tate mcrae - feel like shit 74. summer soul - 0% battery 75. eddie benjamin - only you 76. jay squared - sugar! 77. princess nokia - diva 78. chance the rapper - the highs & the lows 79. jean deaux - chopnscrew 80. logic - in my lifetime https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ZSZU77mEj8X3D91lM0Qar?si=7b6ce8f27cf34575
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brittledame · 4 years
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Pairing: Semi Eita/Reader
Warnings: Explicit, Mildly Dubious Consent, Face-Fucking, Scent Marking, Possessive Semi, Claiming, Mention of violence/gore, Alternate Universe, Fantasy AU, Wolf!Semi, Witch!Reader
Word Count: 9.1K
Summary: After Goshiki and Ushijima are thrown into an alternate universe after getting hit by a truck, they're thrown into a generation-old prophecy to defeat the Demon King that had been terrorizing the land. Joining the whirl-wind adventure, you face off the feared Wolf at a great disadvantage. Prepared to meet your fate in order to protect your team, you never anticipated him making a move on you and for it to end in you promising yourself to him. 
Notes: Inspired by chapter 24 of Haikyuu-bu!! I started working on this in the middle of the 2nd installment to ‘Semi’s Blow Blow Up’ which I’m hoping to get out before the end of September. Also, I let Semi keep his ears and tail in this, please don’t send me to hell for that. Other than that, please enjoy!!
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When Tsutomu and Ushijima ended up on top of a hill surrounded by acres of green rolling-hills, the younger honestly assumed the worst had happened. The bus had hit him and now he was dead in heaven. Of-course Ushijima would be there with him, he’s probably never made a misdeed in his life, meanwhile Tsutomu was slightly shocked he’d end up in heaven after spitefully cutting his older sister’s hair off when she teased his haircut when he was younger.
No, that can’t be right, he can't be in heaven. Everything felt too real. A breeze tousled his hair and he could smell the dirt under his scuffed runners. He couldn’t be dead, meaning that this place wasn’t heaven or purgatory, but someplace else. From the odd-looking trees sporting large purple leaves and expansive Elysian scenery, Tsutomu couldn’t shoot down the absurd idea that he was in an alternate dimension.
Patting himself down, he knew he was physically fine and felt his heart anxiously pounding away inside his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ushijima standing tall, giving the area around them a surveying glance before his olive eyes landed on his shaky form.
“Goshiki, are you alright?” His deep timbre did calm his frayed nerves, it was hard not to trust his dependable senpai.
Nodding his head, Tsutomu responds with number one question of the day: “Ushijima-senpai, where are we?”
He tried to conceal the fear in his tone, but it would seem that he failed miserably as Ushijima places a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“That truck must have hit us quite a fair way away.” Ushijima states, looking nowhere near as panicked as one should in their situation.
Goshiki gives him bewildered look, gesturing to the land in front of them.
“You think we would be fine after getting hit by a truck?” Tsutomu didn’t try to hide his hysteria. “No matter what way you paint it, this place doesn’t look like anywhere in Miyagi!”
“But there’s Shirabu.” Ushijima points somewhere over Tsutomu’s shoulder.
Half scared that he’s going to turn around and it’s some eldritch terror standing behind him, he froze in place. Although Tsutomu knew Ushijima would never put him in danger, Ushijima had no sense of danger; case and point the ghost incident. Gathering his scattered courage, he turns around and is dumbfounded to find Shirabu indeed standing before him, albeit he was now dressed in unusual garments.
“Shirabu?” Tsutomu exclaims, half relived that at least someone with a brain not solely filled with volleyball would see the insanity of their situation.
“Shirabu? No, I am not a Shirabu, I am Elf.” Not-Shirabu responds while pulling his hood off to expose comically long ears. Tsutomu could feel his mind take a temporary holiday, leaving him half-cocked and not nearly prepared enough to deal with this shit.
“We’re in an actual alternate universe…”
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A short trek later, Tsutomu found himself being hosted by Not-Shirabu, who was scarily similar to Shirabu - right down to his mannerisms. Tsutomu could’ve sworn that every time he asked a question about this world, Not-Shirabu fought down a grimace, but never failed to give him a short response. He was polite but was obvious about his distaste towards Tsutomu’s inherently curious nature.
“Shirabu, everyone will worry if we do not return to school soon.” Ushijima succinctly summarises their situation.
“It’s Elf,” Not-Shirabu says immediately. “You want to return to your world?”
At their nods, Not-Shirabu slumps in his chair with a hefty sigh.
“I’m afraid there’s an issue with that. I would love to get you back home, but an evil Demon King has taken over this land. I’m afraid to say that going home is out of the question.”
Tsutomu felt his heart sink at the words. They couldn’t return home? What were they going to do here for a living? They could farm, but Tsutomu is nowhere near well-read in that field compared to Ushijima. Even in this dire situation, Tsutomu was reluctant to admit defeat.
“A Demon King?” He queried, obviously fishing for information about this Demon King. Maybe there was a way to convince him to let them home?
“Yes.” Elf drily responded.
Tsutomu could feel his eye twitch at the Shirabu-like response. Even in an alternate universe, his senpai was a short and antagonistic towards Tsutomu.
Only when he was prompted by Ushijima’s nod, did he continue.
“He is a malicious being with the sole incentive is to spread misfortune across the land. It started with small mischievous deeds, such as cutting individual’s hair into odd styles.” Elf pauses here to raise a hand to his fringe and Tsutomu had to smother the laugh that could threaten his life. “Now he has moved onto terrorising villages and increasing tax prices to an unbelievable high.”
“That is no way to run a country.” Ushijima hums in disapproval.
Tsutomu clasped his hands over his head, already feeling a headache coming on. So we’re going to completely ignore that Shirabu’s weird ass fringe was the result of some Demon King that has apparently ravaged the land by hiking up tax prices? And why did this all sound like something Tendou-senpai would do? He felt latent hysteria rise to the surface again.
“I’m sorry that he got you too, Goshiki.” Elf says solemnly.
Head snapping up, Tsutomu felt outraged at the comment. He worked really hard for his fringe to be this straight. Tsutomu would swear up until his deathbed that bowl cuts were cool.
“Hey! My fringe is untouched by the Demon King. This was my choice!” Goshiki defended his hairstyle, patting at the dark strands, making sure there wasn’t any odd fly-aways.
“We can’t go home as long as the demon king reigns?” Ushijima interjects, effectively ending the argument before it started. Ushijima was all too used to being the only one to stop arguments between Goshiki and Shirabu, he knew all the warning signs.
“Yes.” Elf says with an apologetic look. “I’m very sorry. If only the summoning of the ‘Otherworldly Hero’ passed on from past generations had succeeded. They are the sole hope we have.”
A silence envelopes the room, heavy and suffocating.
Tsutomu knew that panicking would do nothing but waste valuable energy, but he couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed at the insane situation they found themselves in. A niggling thought heaped more anxiety onto him when it raises a good point. What if they were able to go home, what happens if time passes differently here? A day here may be twelve years back home. What would he do if he went back home and all his friends were old, his parents dead and –
Elf startles Tsutomu out of his downward spiral by suddenly jerking back with a gasp, wide eyes focused on Ushijima’s left hand holding a spoon laden with soup. The sudden motion had caused a cup to fall and clatter loudly against the stone flooring, which went widely ignored as Elf raises a trembling finger pointed at the stoic brunette.
“You’re using the spoon with your left hand. Are you –!” He cuts himself off as he rushes over to Ushijima’s side, not quite believing his own eyes. “The Otherworldly Hero!”
Tsutomu could not point out a time he’s ever heard so much emotion poured into Shirabu’s tone, he was almost swept up into Elf’s zeal before his logic kicked back in.
It was that easy?! Tsutomu internally screamed. This was just getting ridiculous at this point, honestly.
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After a singular trial of pulling a sword out of stone and Tsutomu embarrassing himself and losing Elf’s respect, they found themselves starting a quest. The fanboy within him was super excited that he was going on an actual quest, exactly like the ones in his RPG campaigns.
“Remind me why we need this witch again?” Tsutomu questions, much to Elf’s evident annoyance.
“We need her to get through the Mystical Woods. It's prowled by one of the Demon King’s acolytes.” Elf slides his eyes to give Tsutomu a warning look, not wanting to answer anymore questions.
Gulping at the intimidating look, Tsutomu waved away the twenty billion other questions that came to mind as they made their way towards a tall stone tower. Tsutomu wonders what the witch would look like. Would she be someone they know, or someone completely new?
At this point in the trip, he silently begging any listening deities that she’s friendly. Ushijima and Shirabu have never been the best talking companions in his world and this trip has highlighted to Tsutomu how much he’d taken Yamagata’s and Reon’s friendly conversations for granted.
The tower ahead of them slowly grew in size until Tsutomu estimated it stood at least 5 stories tall. Following in Elf’s shadow, they pause a few feet away from the base. Looking at the structure, Tsutomu was quick to notice that there was no door present. Maybe they were on the wrong side of the tower?
He was just about to voice this before Elf cups his mouth and proceeds to yell up at one of the open windows.
“Hey Witch, come down! I found the Otherworldly Hero!” He shouts, uncaring at the ruckus he was making.
Tsutomu winces at the volume, shocked at how loud Elf could get. Absent mindedly, he wonders if the Shirabu in his dimension could get that loud too. Looking back up at the window, the youngest saw a head peak out.
“What?!” A familiar voice yells back down. The head disappears out of sight before any of them could respond.
No even a moment later, a dark door appears on the once-blank wall before them. Opening, the door reveals a figure that Tsutomu never thought he’d see. He should've expected it, this situation was crazy enough as it was.
Walking out of the dark room, you come to stand out in the sunlight, confirming your identity. Tsutomu blushed when he noted your attire. You looked exactly how you did before their run, minus the dark blue dress that hugged your curves and loose hair. Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to himself, he subtly glances to the side to catch Ushijima’s reaction to your appearance.
With his usual neutral expression, he exclaims your name with no more vigour than any other time he’s said it. Tsutomu put too much faith into Ushijima, he should have expected the lack of a reaction as well.
You give Ushijima an odd expression, looking at Elf to explain what was going on.
“Manager-chan?” Goshiki interrupted. Elf shot him a nasty look at the interruption and ended up sighing whilst rubbing at the bridge of his nose.
“They've been calling me weird names all afternoon too. Just ignore the short Otherworlder.” Goshiki whines at his harsh words.
You pique an eyebrow at the bowl-cut boy. “So I look like someone you know from your world?”
“Yes,” Ushijima answered monotonously. “You look exactly like our team’s manager.”
You hum as you mull over his words. “Curious. So that would mean you're from a world that is directly parallel to ours, a completely different dimension with shared similarities.” Your tone picked in pace and excitement as you spoke, the end of your sentence becoming a smear to the males around you.
At their collective blank looks you made an odd hand gesture in the air. “Anyway… You found the Hero?” Giving Ushijima a curious look, you completely ignore Tsutomu’s existence.
It kind of hurt for one of his kindest senpai's to outright disregard his presence. Reminding himself of parallel universes, he had to actively tell himself that you weren’t technically you.
Wow, he really hated this alternative universe stuff.
“I’ve been told as such.” Ushijima supplies, not at all weirded out by you invading his personal space to prod at his biceps.
Turning on your heel, you make your way towards Elf and throw a casual arm around his shoulders. Not at all bothered by your antics, Elf stands there as you lean against him. Tsutomu knew in his world that you and Shirabu got along quite well, that must have translated into this universe as well.
“Why are you here instead of saving the lands now that you have the Hero at hand?” Your question is a legitimate one, one that Tsutomu would’ve asked if he wasn’t scared of Shirabu’s infamous back of the knee kicks. If Ushijima was supposedly strong enough to take on the Demon King, surely he'd be able to take on one simple lackey lurking in the woods they needed to cross.
“We’re here to recruit you. You’re the only one I know powerful enough to conceal us to get past the Demon King’s pet monsters.” He patiently explains.
“Aw and here I was thinking it was because you missed me. I missed you, y’know?” You teased. Truly, you did miss Elf and all the shenanigans the two of you would get into, but you would never pass up an opportunity to needle him.
Elf simply rolls his eyes at you and shrugs the arm off of his shoulder.
“I mean it. We need you to get through the Mystical Woods without being detected by Wolf.” You frown at Elf’s serious expression, the reality of the situation dawning upon you.
“You know I’m never going to turn down a quest with you, but his senses are ridiculously enhanced. It’ll take a lot out of me.” Running a hand through your hair, Tsutomu recognised it as your nervous tick. “I won’t be much help during the final battle.”
“Don’t worry about that. You can rely on me.” Ushijima simply states but the effect on you and Elf is immediate.
The Hero’s simple words eviscerated your reservations, the conviction in his tone was all you needed to hear. That paired with the large sacred sword still embedded in stone was all it took to convince you it wasn't a fool's mission.
Agreeing to join their party, you rush to grab your wand and some other resources to assist the party later on in the journey before setting off.
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By the time you all stood before the ominous-looking trees of the Mystical Woods, the sun was starting to settle on the horizon, warning you that you had little to no time to make it through before night came along and the true battle began.
“Before we enter, I must tell you all that Wolf’s senses are second to none. He’ll hear a whisper, smell you an acre away, and could destroy you before you could blink.” Your warning only served to scare Goshiki. You rushed to complete your weak pep talk. “But, I’m here so it is very unlikely that he will catch us, much less even be in this neck of the woods.”
Your words did little to soothe the youngest, although he did put a brave face on. You had to stop yourself from cooing at how cute he looked with his chest puffed out and a serious expression adorning his young face.
“Hey, uh, what does this wolf look like? That way if we spot him we can seek some cover.” Goshiki suggests.
Impressed, you gave him an encouraging smile and ignored Elf snorting behind you.
“That’s a brilliant idea, good job Goshiki.” You praised, noticing the way his eyes lit up at it. “Wolf roams around in his human form as far as I’m aware of. He’s taller than Elf but shorter than Hero.”
Elf indignantly huffs at your comment, not all liking your unintentional poke at the sore topic.
“He has pale hair, it almost looks white sometimes. Oh, he also constantly has this really grumpy look on his face.” You continue to list off a series of characteristics that describes Semi to a tee. There was no doubt in Tsutomu’s and Ushijima’s mind about who Wolf was.
“That sounds like Semi.” Goshiki remarked once you finished.
Receiving blank looks from you and Elf, Tsutomu stumbled over his words as he tried to articulate his thoughts.
“Ah, well, the person you just described sounds exactly like my senpai back home called Semi.” Tsutomu let out a small chuckle as he’s hit with a funny nickname for his senpai.
“We’re going to avoid Semi-Wolf so that we can get to the castle, defeat the king and go home, right?” Tsutomu smoothly recovers.
You laugh at the odd nickname Goshiki coined.
“Semi-Wolf you say? I quite like that.” You raise your hand to cover your grin, very amused at how much the ever-serious Wolf would hate it.
Always forced to be the voice of reason, Elf clapped his hands to refocus everyone’s attention.
“We can’t lose focus now. Once we enter these trees we can’t afford to be found by Wolf, even with Witch and Hero on our side, it would be a tiresome battle if he spots us.” His grave tone quickly sobered up the party.
Taking a deep breath, you withdraw your wand, starting to draw out an intricate rune in the air. A familiar tingling sensation overtakes your body as magic begins to flow from the earth up into your fingers and into the wand.
Finishing the last line, a glowing circle with swirling line and sharp strokes stood before you. Fastening the members behind you with a heavy look, you offered them one last chance to back out.
“Are you all ready?”
All three nod back at you, already having steeled themselves whilst you prepared the rune. Turning back to the rune, you finished the casting and walked through it with the three males hot on your tracks. It evaporated as soon as you stepped through it, effectively masking your scents and dampening all sounds. Even Ushijima could sense the tangible weight of the magic casted over his body.
The woods were exactly as you remembered it from when you were a child and wasn’t claimed by the fearsome Wolf. The trees looked the same with rough and peeling bark, along with the ground looking as damp and spongy as the days you ran through it barefooted and free-spirited.
While you didn’t explicitly state that they couldn’t talk, you were secretly glad that they didn’t. It would’ve made your life much more difficult to funnel more energy into the rune to mask them, it was already bad enough that your couldn't completely conceal everyone. Your combined efforts of creeping between the threes on  light feet was counteracted by Ushijima nicking every second tree with the sword's sharp blade, creating a trail of bark.
Eyes and ears stayed vigilant even as you noticed a landmark for the half-way point through the forest. You paused at the large outcropping of rocks resembling a sleeping lady and mouth at them that it you were half-way there. Elf and Goshiki looked relieved whilst Ushijima sported the same bland look.
You were tempted to suggest a short rest before continuing through the woods, where Semi-Wolf commonly prowled. The words died on your tongue as you noticed an abnormally thick fog rapidly approach your group. Not even a blink later and the fog had consumed all visibility below the waist.
You’ve spent your whole life surrounded by magic, you knew that this fog came from an unnatural origin. You had hoped that the fog would stay at that height but those were quickly dashed when you saw it slowly creep up your body. It wouldn’t be long before your entire vision was obscured.
This was not good, not good at all.
Whirling around, you went to grab at your team’s clothing to anchor them to you. As your hands cut throw empty air, your fear doubled. You doubted that they abandoned you, it was likely the doing of the magical woods. While you loved to experiment and witness all types of magic, always keen to expand your knowledge, the magic in these woods never failed to unnerve you even as a young child.
Not only was there a predator out here, the woods were also working against you.
Considering your options, you concluded that you were rapidly running out of choices.
Calling out their names was objectively a stupid choice, but it was the best thing you could do with breaking the fragile magic coating them. It was almost a form a self-sacrifice. If you drew enough attention to yourself, they would hopefully find their way to you - or at least something would.
A few tense moments go by, each call answered with dead silence. Not even the insects and birds dared to make a sound.
Casting a tracking spell was completely off the table. Not only was the fog thick enough that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, it would shatter the meagre concealing magic coating them. At least it was something to protect them, it was much better then leaving them completely defenceless.
“Shit.” You hissed. Worriedly, you eye the magical fog that was becoming more oppressive, feeling like a physical weight pressing down on you.
“I didn’t know good witches like yourself cursed. So unladylike.” A deep rumbling voice sounded right next to your ear. It was close enough to for warm breath to caress your cold skin. Your skin immediately breaks into goose bumps.
Freezing, your mind descends into chaos as it crowds with worrying thoughts. The most prominent one pointed out the fact that Wolf was able to get dangerously close to you without your notice, magical fog aside. There was no doubt about who he was, there was no other that claimed the woods like he has.
You whirl around, trying to find the voice’s owner, full well knowing of whom you were seeking out. Fear coiled inside of your gut, trying it’s hardest to paralyse your muscles and haze your mind over in fear at the thought of facing Wolf alone at a disadvantage.
“You speak as if you’re a gentleman yourself, Semi-Wolf. You don’t have much room to condone my language when you have the mouth of a foul-tempered troll.” You rebuked, falsifying the confidence in your tone. Showing an ounce of trepidation in front of him would be deadly.
Eyes frantically flitting about, attempting to catch a glimpse of a shadow or anything that would reveal his whereabouts. Your eyes were met with nothing but swirling white, not a single sign as to where he could be. This whole situation had you on edge.
He chuckles at your weak jab. The sound reverberated off of the trees and felt like it came from all around you, only serving to further confuse you about his whereabouts.
While every drop of mana was precious, you thought it prudent to at least being able to see your enemy. It should at least put you on equal footing with him. Flicking your wand, you cast a spell to temporarily filter out the fog around you, creating a clear bubble around you and the menacing man before you.
Even though he looked just as you had described to your otherworldly companions, viewing Wolf not even two meters away from one’s self was always a different experience. The first feature that caught your attention was his dark eyes, iris colour similar to richly stained wood, secondly was his elongated nails coming to a fatal point. Claws sharp enough to shear through flesh with ease were paired with pointed canines exposed by his predatory smile.
Your heart speeds up as you recognised how doomed you were, armed only with your wand, half of your mana and a pouch of useless herbs. The fluffy white dark-tipped ears sitting atop his head flick at the thundering sound of your palpable fear. Wolf's smile widened at that, tail swishing side-to-side in glee. This was going to be all too easy for him.
“Found you Semi-Wolf” Your white-knuckled grip around your wand belied your light tone.
“Don’t call me that.” He growls out, eyes narrowing at you. He was not impressed at your impertinence.
You would normally roll your eyes at the needless display of anger, but you couldn’t afford to take your eyes off of his intimidating figure slowly walking around you.
“What are you doing in my territory,” he continues. You knew he didn't care about your answer, it was more so to draw this out.
Fine, you’d bite.
“We’re on a quest, so please kindly don’t interfere.” He pauses to the left of you, now not even an arms-length away from you. Your body instinctively tenses at this, acutely aware that he could take you out faster than you could cast at this distance.
“I can’t let my reputation suffer just because you asked politely to cross through. There’s consequences to encroaching my land without permission.” His tone darkens at the end of his sentence, acting as if you personally offended him by doing so.
You knew he wouldn’t let you go so easily but a girl could always dream, right?
Lowering your centre of gravity, you subtly shift your body into a fighting stance and forcibly relax your wrist. A stiff wrist would hinder casting and it would frankly be embarrassing to be taken down so quickly, regardless of Wolf being the second toughest opponent controlled by the Demon King.
His keen eyes catch onto your slight movements and he moves in kind. It appears that you’re confident enough to take him on directly off the bat and not even attempt to run away. Whether this choice was misguided or made by underestimating him, Wolf was going to make you rued the day you thought you stood a chance against him.
Not wanting to wait for him to make the first move, you immediately cast a paralysing spell. The spell missed widely as he simultaneously lunged towards you at that very moment. This back and forth of casting and dodging goes on for a while and it wasn't long before you could physically feel your mana decrease and muscles grow tired. Maybe locking yourself in a tower for months on end didn’t have the best effect on your stamina.
Knowing you didn’t have a chance in hell against him while half-powered thanks to the prior masking spell, you could do nothing but futilely dodge him and cast the occasional fire ball his way. In the back of your mind, you spared a thought to the rest of the party and prayed to the deities that they were making their way out of the woods.
An exposed root caught your foot as you danced out of reach from a swipe of his deadly claws. Time seemed to slow down as your world tilted and the ground rose up to catch your body. Catching yourself on unsteady hands, you hiss as the rough ground scrapes your palms and knees enough to bleed.
Seizing the win, Wolf walks over to your stationary form, savouring the smell of your blood on the air. It smelt sweet, Wolf licked his lips and nudged you onto your back with his foot. He briefly wondered if you would taste just as sweet. You had put up a good fight and Wolf always loved a good challenge.
Semi-Wolf cages your body with his own, his large hands trapping yours above your head, with his legs pinning yours down. At this point, you had resigned yourself to your fate. You never really thought that you’d die like this, a hot guy murdering you was always a bonus you supposed.
Bringing his face towards yours, your breath falters when his lips floats above yours. Eyes wide, you noticed the hunger in his dark eyes, a hunger that you knew yourself all too intimately. Seeing his lips tilt into a dangerous smirk, your eyes lock onto them much to Wolf’s evident amusement. He uses the opportunity of your diverted attention to closely check you out, his eyes sweeping down your form.
He vastly appreciates the simple dark gown you wore. The dress exposed enough cleavage without becoming a disaster and had a leg slit that exposed a fair amount of soft-looking skin. Wetting his lips at the delicious sight you made underneath him, Wolf knows his evaluating looks were far from one sided, he could feel your gaze burn into his skin in kind.
Making eye contact with you, he decided he was going to indulge himself just this once. After weeks of dealing with Demon King’s shenanigans and then having to come back and patrol the woods with nothing in terms of companionship, he was admittedly lonely. He also harboured a lot of frustration and pent-up sexual desires and then there you were, waltzing on in with a form-fitting dress and smelling of ripened strawberries.
Wolf leans down and brings his mouth to your neck. All that filled your mind was the different but all equally as gruesome ideas of how he could kill you in this position. Him tearing out your throat was at the forefront of your mind.
Wolf licks a hot stripe up your throat, tasting your rabbit-like heartbeat. It was almost cute how much he scared you. He was almost tempted to assure you he can be gentle if he’s in the mood for it. From how you reacted to his each and every touch, he knew his self-restraint would truly be tested tonight. He did so love a sensitive lover.
“What are you going to do to me?” Your voice shakes and serves to further spur him on. Temptingly, he brushes his lips against yours, as light as a feather and no where near the pressure you now craved.
This close up you could see the flecks of near obsidian accentuating his mahogany brown irises that swirled with unspoken promises of what he was planning to do to you tonight. He doesn’t answer, choosing to stare instead.
“That doesn’t answer my question.” Pushing him probably wasn’t the smartest decision. Then again, you never would have gotten into adventuring if you had all your wits about you.
Again, silence meets your ears as he rolls his eyes at you in response, much to your shock. The action was unexpected, completely out of character for him, judging from the gossip you’ve overheard from the townspeople.
“I’ve got a much better use for that cute little mouth of yours then asking pointless questions.” He purrs into your ear.
You very nearly swallowed your tongue, eyes wide in disbelief. Your mind was still spinning at the sudden turn the night has taken. You were ready to fight for your life, not get pinned down and get propositioned. His actions spoke leagues, he didn’t leave any room for misinterpretation of what he desired from you. As much as that thought should’ve scared you, a thrill of anticipation sparked down your spine.
Noticing your receptiveness, Wolf planned to test how far he could push you before you pulled back. Testing the waters, he bridges the short gap between your mouths and kisses you. To his amusement, you froze for half a breath before reciprocating, soft lips moving skillfully against his.
Deepening the kiss, he doesn’t wait for permission to lick into your mouth, earning him a gasp. You never really spared any thought to him before this day other than reluctant acknowledgement of his strength, that even armed with an arsenal of spells you’d still struggle to defeat him. Never in a hundred years would you think that he was a good kisser and yet here he was doing his best to thoroughly prove you wrong.
Warmth spread through your body as you tried to pay him in kind, but he was intent on dominating the kiss in every way. Your mind wondered over the thought of him dominating you in another way and your heart gave a concerning lurch inside our chest.
Semi-Wolf ends up breaking the kiss to chuckle down at you after a moan escaped. Embarrassed flush tinging your cheeks pink, you use the break to catch the breath he stole from your lungs.
“That doesn’t answer my question, Semi-Wolf.” You whisper against his lips.
“How much more direct do I have to be with you, little witch? Do you want me to say that I want to fuck that cheeky mouth of yours until you cry?” Heart palpitating, your eyes zero in on him wetting his lips, wondering what else his tongue could do. “Or maybe that I’m horny enough to fuck you regardless of your incessant questioning.”
This time you shiver at the way his deep voice seemed elicit lust to cloud your mind. Horny yourself from countless days of self-imposed isolation in your pursuit of knowledge after your last disastrous quest with Elf, you weren’t exactly in the right mind-frame to deny him.
At the same time though, who said you would make it easy for him?
“Even the big bad Wolf gets lonely guarding the creepy woods.” You goad him, eager to get a rise from him.
Rising to the obvious bait, his grip tighten around your wrists enough to hurt. Meeting his scowl with a jovial expression, you inwardly crowed at how easy it was to rile him up.
“You’d be so much cuter if you didn’t open your mouth. Don’t worry, I’ll fix that for you.” He promises darkly. His thumb presses into your bottom lip and urges you to open your mouth.
You do deny yourself the desire to bite down on his thumb, not wanting to truly make him mad. You just wanted him mad enough to take you without holding back.
Releasing your other wrist, he makes quick work of undoing his pants. Enjoying the view, your tongue licked his thumb, drawing his attention for all of a second before he presses his thumb on top of your tongue. You whine around the intrusion, earning an unimpressed look from him as he reveals his sizable length.
He nearly laughs when he hear you audibly gulp as he shucks down his pants one-handed. His slowly filling dick swelled even more at your groan from just witnessing his length. Even at half-mast he was long and girthy enough for you to wonder if he was going to fit in you.
Not liking the way your attention drifted inwards, Wolf gripped himself and gave a few tugs. To both your fascination and horror, you watched as his cock was stroked into full hardness. At this, you swore to yourself to make it fit, no matter what. There was no way you were going to pass up this once in a life-time opportunity.
Wolf considers the position you were both in and decided that it wouldn’t do. Releasing his cock and removing his thumb from your mouth, he grabs you by the shoulders and forcibly moves you into a new position. You relished the way he manhandled you, you elect to make it easy on him and be pliable for him.
Pushing a hand through his wild hair, he looks over at your new placement. Dress strewn around your legs, the side slit now exposing an indecent amount of flesh as you laid out beside him. Once again grasping your shoulder, he moves your upper body to lean over his spread legs, bringing your face towards his rigid length.
You didn’t fight him as he brought your mouth towards his cock, nor did you wait for permission to start. Wrapping your mouth around the leaking tip, you gave a slight suck before trying to take more of him in all while swirling your tongue around him. His hand moves up into your hair as you slowly make your way down his shaft, cute little mouth already stretched wide.
About half-way down your jaw was starting to get sore from how wide you had to keep your mouth from grazing your teeth harshly against him. You weren’t ready to admit defeat yet, you still hadn’t even taken him fully yet. Throwing caution to the wind, you decide to take the rest of his cock in all the way, sore throat be damned. You gagged at the feeling of him being shoved down your throat, mouth impossibly full as his hips jolt up and keep himself in as you started to pull back.
A loud groan rumbles through the air, rewarding your efforts. His fingers tighten in your hair, locking your head in place. You fight against his grip and win, coming up with a gasp and a thick strand of saliva connecting your lips to his tip. Giving him a withering glare, you lick up his shaft once, twice, before engulfing him yet again. This was for your benefit, hearing him growl as you sucked him off was just a benefit.
He watched on with delight as you forced yourself to choke on his cock, evidently he was too large for you to handle. Not wanting you to do all the work, he started to slowly roll his hips up and took control of your pace by moving you up and down his member by his grip on your hair.
Unable to take back control, you could do nothing but to let him guide you as he fucks into your mouth. This turned you on incredibly, feeling yourself become wet as he pants and groans into the still air. Distantly, you could hear his tail thump against the ground.
While fucking your willing mouth, he’s struck with a brilliant idea. Wrapping a hand around your throat, he’s now able to feel himself being deepthroated. A rush of blood left him light-headed, absolutely loving the fact that he can feel himself when he shoves his cock even further down your throat, not caring that at how you dug your nails into his hips. Your whines about him taking over only served to arouse him further, feeling the vibrations travel along his length.
He feels himself come close as you swallow around him, tongue rubbing sinuously against all the right spots. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he peaked. While he did have a fast recovery time, he didn’t want to waste a moment of not being buried inside of you. Already the smell your arousal perfumed the air, causing his dick to jump in your mouth at the sudden influx of blood rushing southward. The need to be inside of you trumped the joy he felt from you sucking him off.
Tearing you off of his dick with a slick'pop', you were completely blindsided as he throws you against the ground. His hand grasped your thigh, drawing it up as his other shears the thin fabric of your dress off. Now sitting above mid-thigh, you silently despaired about the destruction of your favourite dress. Uncaring, Wolf impatiently batted the rest of the flowy fabric out of his way, not sparing you a second look at you as he shreds your panties and runs a knuckle down your wet folds.
“I’ve barely touched you and yet you’re this wet,” he muses.
Careful of his nails, he gathers up your liquid arousal on his finger and brings it up to his mouth, tasting you. You clench down on nothing as he closes his eyes to savour your taste with a moan. If he drew this out any longer, you were going to have a spontaneous heart attack.
Squirming under him, you made impatient sound. It didn’t go ignored, grinning down at you, he brings bringing his finger back down to teasingly caress your folds, touches much too light for your taste.
“Aren’t you an impatient little thing,” Semi-Wolf drawled as brushes a knuckle against your hole, pausing over it and slightly dipping in.
A frustrate groan left your lips, tilting your hips up to chase his teasing strokes.
“Please.” You begged as he started again with the feather-light strokes.
Normally you would rather retch than beg for cock, However there was always an exception. That exception being Semi-Wolf's cock. It appeared to be the correct thing to do as his eyes flashed with something sinful, a wild look on his face.
“Since you asked so nicely…” He moves down your body, coming to a stop at the apex of your thighs.
Face so close to your core, his mouth started salivating from how good you smelt. Blowing onto your pussy, he elicits a cute squeal and ended up having to pin your legs down to keep you from kneeing him in the head.
He delivers a long lick between your wet folds and swallows your taste as he prods at your entrance. Judging he had enough fun, he delved straight in. Clawing at the soft ground under you, your chest heaved as his tongue thrus in, swirled around, rubbed against your walls and pulled out. It wasn't long before he had you incoherently begging for something, anything, yet he continued in this fashion until he had your hands tugging at his hair, careful of his furry ears, and writhing on his tongue.
Eating you out like a man starved, he didn’t stop until he felt your thighs tense around his head, signalling how close he brought you with just his tongue. He’d like to think that he wasn’t a cruel man but the nasty look you gave when he pulled away had him second guessing himself.
You were more than ready at this point. Ready to start cursing at him if he didn’t fuck you right now, you opened you mouth for him beat you to the chase. Heaving himself upwards, he presses his chest against yours, inadvertently bringing his hips close enough for his dick to slap against your drenched folds.
Gripping himself, he wordlessly slicks up his length by rubbing it through your juices. Lining up with you entrance, he barely presses in and your hands fly up to dig into his arms. Not minding the bite of pain, Wolf didn’t stop you from digging in your nails as he slowly slid in.
Reminding yourself to breath, you took shallow breaths and forcibly relaxed your muscles to help take him in, ignoring the sharp sting of pain that paired with his girth.
Shoving his engorged cock into your wet hole, he didn’t hesitate to slide down to the root regardless of how tight you were. Tears rise to your eyes unbidden as he pushes his way into you, feeling like his cock alone could split you in half. Muttering a half-assed incantation under your breath, you banished the edge of pain away, unmasking the pleasure at being so completely filled.
His thick cock that filled every space inside of you so well, that you started to believe he was made for you. The same thought went through his mind as he begins to mindlessly pound away into you, loving the way your wet hole takes him so well and tightens perfectly around him every time.
The angle he pummelled into at had you seeing stars. You raise your hips to meet his a few times before he grabs the back of your right knee with one hand, pinning your leg up against your chest. A wrecked moan rattles you as the pose opens you up more, changing the angle and allowing him to hit even deeper inside of you, now experiencing fireworks.
“You like that, huh?” He growls roughly.
You couldn’t spare the breath to answer him back with him fucking the life out of you, instead you nodded helplessly.
A pleased noise rumbled through his chest. You were such a supple little thing, taking every inch of him like you needed it, no matter the pain it initially caused you. Such things stroked his ego, paired with the wrecked expression on your face and the fluttering of your walls around his cock, he was intrigued by you. Being impressed and interested in someone with his possessive nature was never a good combination, and  he couldn’t stop himself from becoming enamoured with you while fucking you into the ground.
He litters your neck and chest with kisses, bruises, and bites that you knew would take a while to heal and vanish. The bastard was infamously territorial, you should’ve known that it would also translate into sex as well. Having half the mind to slap him for marking up, you couldn’t deny the way your heart leaped and pussy clenched around him with every rough suck he delivered to your soft skin.
He couldn’t let you go now he’s had a taste of you. He knew you would be perfect in tempering him, weathering his moods and give yourself fully to him like were right now. You already proved yourself worthy by not backing down or running away. Pupils blown wide, possessive thoughts consume his mind, devising different ways he could make you his. From the way you thrashed under him, shaky moans joining the symphony of your bodies colliding together, he conjured a way he could make you his.
Feeling him pull out was nothing of concern to your bliss-filled mind. It was when he didn’t slide back in that raised alarm. Opening your eyes, you blinked away tears from your sight to make out his proud-looking expression. Whining, you raise your hips up to force his tip to slide in further. Semi-Wolf denies you this by pulling his hips back further, removing his cock all together.
“Do you want me to continue fucking your greedy hole?” He says, eyes piercing through your soul.
Showing your frustration, you glare up at him and dig your nails into his arm, making him wince at the strong grip.
“Yes.” You hissed through clenched teeth.
He considers your answer for a short moment before moving his dick again. This time though, he merely sits it between your slick folds and rolls his hips. The position was perfect for his cock to graze against your clit, a moan slipped out before you could suppress it.
“What would you do for it?” He questions, rolling his hips again, putting more force behind it this time.
Eyes rolling into the back of your head, the constant stream of stimuli from him rubbing against your sensitive bundle was overwhelming. Seeing that you weren’t listening to him, he stopped his motions and watched as frustrated tears gather in your eyes as he ripped away your building orgasm.
“I said, what will you do for it?” He leans down to your ear, teeth gently tugging at your earlobe.
Existence now solely staked on you reaching your peak, the words rushed out of you without a second thought.
“Anything.”
He smiles at that, a shudder going through your body at the beautiful sight. He flashes his canines at you, happy that you wouldn’t need any convincing.
“I was hoping you would say that.” He presses your mouths together in a relatively chaste kiss. Confused, you kissed him back with vigour and chased his lips when he drew back. “How about becoming mine?”
A flash of heat sears through your body at his question. Mind going in a hundred different directions, it gets thrown around into different scenarios. First you were making out, fucking and now he was asking you to be his? You literally just met the guy. While yes sex with him so far has been immaculate, you couldn’t just swear yourself to him at the drop of hat.
All these thoughts should’ve been enough to deter you, to encourage you to finish yourself off and walk away. Instead, the horny part of you overrode all common sense. A strong, attractive partner by your side with a drool-worthy dick? You didn't need anything more.
Hands cupping his cheeks, you graze your thumb over his bottom lip and pull him closer.
“Yes. Now fuck me before I finish myself off.” His eyes flash at your threat, promising you hell for that.
Sealing your fate, you fasten your mouth over his and slip your tongue into his mouth as he grabs himself and lines up with your entrance and thrusts back in like he never stopped.
Pace faster than before, you arched you back as his cock presses into you, feeling impossibly deep. Unforgiving now in his thrusts, he didn’t hesitate to make himself a place inside of you, needing you to feel him even when he was finished.
It felt like your veins were filled with molten magma as he repeatedly hit all your sweet spots without even trying. All of your arousal and pleasure amassed into a tightly coiled ball that sat low in your gut and grew with every growl and thrust he gave. This time you protected it with all your might, you’d most definitely curse him if he pulled the same stunt twice.
Wolf buried his head into the crook of your neck, panting into your skin as he pistons himself in and out of you, chasing his own orgasm to no end in sight. Scraping his canines along the column of your throat, you shudder around his cock and tantalisingly squeeze him. Rewarding how sensitive you were, he attaches his mouth to you and buries his fangs into your flesh.
It felt like a supernova went off of inside of you the very moment his teeth pierced your flesh, flinging your head back fast enough that you almost knock yourself out as Wolf fucks you through the most intense orgasm of your life.
His hips don’t falter their pistoning as you tighten up immensely, feeling like a second skin from the way you gripped at him. Blood filling his mouth, he greedily swallowed every drop of the sweet substance, not at all surprised that it tasted just as sweet as the strawberries you smelt like.
With one last thrust, he pulls out and gives himself three rough tugs before he finally spilled all over your thighs. He very nearly purrs at how he solidified his claim over you, his scent seeping into your skin strong enough for any non-human person with a decent nose would know exactly who you belonged to.
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“Will you grant us passage through your woods now?” You asked, sarcastic words shattering the silent atmosphere that enveloped your bodies as you both recovered.
“Maybe. Depends what you’re scheming.” He glances over at you from the corner of his eye, not bothering to turn over.
“We’re going to take down the Demon King.” Semi-Wolf chokes on mid-air and whirls around to face you, propping himself up on his elbow.
“Are you serious? If you had started with that, I would’ve walked you guys through and joined the fight.” You bite your tongue to stop yourself from laughing. This whole time Semi-Wolf wasn’t the dangerous servant of evil you had him pegged for, instead he was begrudgingly guarding these woods. He must being doing it for something, albeit you didn't know what for.
“What did he do to warrant your anger at him.” You were blatantly curious. It wasn’t often that you were wrong in how you perceived someone, plus it was interesting to catch a glimpse into the life of someone who was close to the maleficent Demon King.
“He said my wardrobe was hideous.” Wolf grumbles under his breath.
“I’m sorry, what? I couldn’t hear you.” You grin at him while cupping your ear and leaning in close. You had heard him perfectly fine, it was just fun to see this side of him.
Teasing him was much too fun, you were already getting comfortable around him. Who could’ve guessed he would be all soft on the inside? Elf was going to get a kick out hearing that. Whether he’ll believe you or not is entirely another story.
Annoyed, Wolf bats you away as you laughed at the pick blush betraying his stern look.
“Doesn’t matter. There’s no way you could lose with me helping.” A different, more gentle sort of warmth fills you at his claim, no matter how self-assured it may come across to some.
No longer wishing to antagonise him further, you simply hum in response. Not giving it a second thought, you slip your hand into his.
“Ignoring the fact that you destroyed my favourite dress,” Wolf had the common decency to look ashamed, withering under your harsh glare. “Were you serious when you asked –”
“Yes, I was serious.” He cuts you off. A nervous look replaces his serious one, scratching at the back of his head as he contemplated his next words. “Look, it wasn’t a smart move to do that to you in the middle of… yeah. I don’t know what came over me, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of you being someone else's. It's weird how connected I felt with you in that moment."
Looking away from the tree he was studying to avoid your gaze he was met with your stunned face painted a soft pink.
“You’re an idiot.” You say bluntly. Okay, he was definitely not the big monster you were led to believe. You almost felt like a fool for being so scared of him at the start.
“Hey!” He indignantly shouts, squeezing your hand as punishment for your insult.
“I’m joking, I swear it. It was a dick move but I forgive you.” Suddenly feeling shy, you look away from his intense eyes, not liking the way it felt like he could read your very soul. If Elf were here he’d probably scoff at you being demure after -
“Crap, my party! They probably think I’m dead.” You hurriedly get up and brush off the debris from your now short dress. A slight breeze picked up, causing you to shiver at the weird sensation of it caressing your bare legs and reminding you of the cum drying uncomfortably on your skin.
Ripping a piece of your sleeve off, you make quick work of cleaning yourself off as Wolf tugs on his pants. Seeing the way he eyes your legs, you narrow your eyes at him, shaking your head when he feigns an innocent look.
Giving the small glade one last look over, you both set off into the now clear woods. It took what seemed like a short eternity before you broke the tree line of the other side. On the other side, you find a pacing Goshiki, a bored-looking Elf and a peacefully dozing Ushijima.
Looking over at your sudden appearance, it took one sweep of Elf’s perceptive eyes to know what exactly had went down during your disappearance. You blush as he raises an unimpressed brow at you, ignoring Semi-Wolf’s presence by your side out of pure spite.
It took a bit to convince them that he was here to help and help he did. Armed with the scarily one-minded Hero and one pissed of Semi-Wolf, the crimson-haired Demon King didn’t stand a chance against them.
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chickensarentcheap · 3 years
Text
Never Gonna Be Alone
A Tyler Rake/Established Female OC fic
Summary: A lot changes in five years. Now a family of nine, the Rakes are splitting their time between Australia and New York City. With Dhaka nothing but a distant yet still painful memory and the dirty work mostly behind him, Tyler is healthy and thriving. Not only as a husband and father, but as the acting founder and boss of his own mercenary business and co-owner of his wife's well loved and flourishing bookstore. But while love and domestic happiness abound, the past and its secrets are never far behind.
Huge thanks and tons of love to @tragiclyhip​ for never letting me give up! It’s thanks to her I ever actually finished off the last fic, or started this one.  And she also made my incredible banner! <3 <3 <3
Warnings: none
Tagging: @c-a-v-a-l-r-y​, @alievans007​, @innerpaperexpertcloud​, @tragiclyhip​
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Prologue
FIVE YEARS LATER
******
The stand sits fifteen feet above ground and wraps halfway around the gnarled and twisted trunk of a centuries old Kapok tree. No hunter has made use of it in years; the stairs leading upwards weakened by harsh weather and neglect, wood cracking and bowing under the soles of well worn combat boots. Despite the added weight of gear and a kevlar utility vest, long legs and a wide stride make it easy to navigate the missing steps. His movements are purposeful and quiet; careful to avoid even the slightest snap of a twig or the rustle of dried and fallen leaves or the scratch of dirt and pebbles against the pitted and fragile wood. Any sound is a detriment in this environment; the lush and dense landscape so eerily still and silent that even a hint of noise would seem deafening. The slightest of movement has the potential to stir up the wildlife, which in turn would draw unwanted attention upwards from the banks of the Mekong River.
Even under the thick and expansive umbrella of the forest the heat is stifling. Humidity oppressive and choking. A thin layer of sweat gathers on his brow; errants droplets burning his eyes and gathering on the ends of his lashes. His shirt -long sleeved to not only provide cover in the jungle but protect from scrapes and cuts and the burn of the sun- nearly soaked right through; darkened patches under the arms and at the small of the back, the fabric clinging to dampened and slick skin. Fine beads settle around his mouth, and when he drops into a crouch at the top of the stand, he swipes his tongue over his top lip in an effort to clear away the sweat. It had been an hour hike through the jungle; moving swiftly and silently as he listened to directions being given through a transmitter he sports in his left ear. It’s sweltering and he’s thirsty; head pounding and his hands begin to tremble as the beginning stages of dehydration begin to settle in. He takes the time to remedy the situation. Shrugging off the rucksack slung over his left shoulder and dropping it onto the floor of the stand; hands shaking yet able to tear open the zipper. There’s two bottles of water packed in amongst the gear; extra pairs of socks in case of treks through swamps and marshes, two full clips of ammo that will only be used if someone on the other side is able to pinpoint his location and launch a full scale and fully armed search.
He hopes it doesn’t come to that.
Downing half a bottle of water, he uses the remains to cool himself down; splashing a handful of the liquid against his face and then dumping the rest over his head. Ten years ago, the elements wouldn’t have bothered him as much; he would have been thirty seven years old and still in relatively good shape. Physically AND mentally. And despite a consistent and punishing routine of heavy lifting, core training, and cardio, he’s definitely feeling the effects of both age and decades of hard and often dangerous living. Knees stiff and aching from the brisk hike over rough terrain and then through mud and thick brush; the arthritis that takes up residence in the small of his back and the right hip making its presence known. He’ll be sore tomorrow; every step he takes will send pain shooting through him, and for the next week he’ll wonder just why the hell he ever said ‘yes’ in the first place. Each stiff movement and slow step and aching muscle will remind him of just how things HAVE changed over the years. Gone are the days when he could skip a few days sleep; able to function on both little rest and minuscule amounts of food and drink. There’s no way he’d be able to do THAT now; push his body to the limits he’d been testing for so long. That man no longer exists. The one that would take the most dangerous and unpredictable jobs in hopes of catching a bullet. Who’d almost pray, beg and plead each and every time he went out that it would be his last; one sniper’s shot away from finally being put out of his miserable existence.
Things changed, of course. When he’d been least expecting them to. There’s way too much to lose now. It’s why every decision he makes now...every movement...matters so much. Even the smallest of mistakes can change the course of the future; one misstep potentially blowing his cover and leading to his untimely -and likely extremely brutal and bloody- demise. An hour away a helicopter waits for him; on standby to whisk him back to Vietnam and that little ‘hole in the wall’ hotel he’d been staying in. A quick shower and he’d back in the air; rushed to the nearest backwoods airport where a private jet would take him home. It’s been four days now; two spent in the planning stages before his first ‘hit’ in Laos and then the trek to Cambodia. Two for the price of one, Anil had said, although money matters very little now. These kinds of gigs are more a service; wiping out the dregs of society more of a gift to humanity than anything else.
He normally doesn’t take on jobs. A total of three in the past five years. This is the fourth AND fifth. The skills and the mindset quickly and effortlessly returning, the first kill a lot easier than he’d thought it would be. It’s like riding a bike; once the gun is in your hand and you’re peering through that scope, your finger easily finds and pulls the trigger. And this job had been impossible to turn down; the dirty and vile details hitting home and preying on his ‘human side’. Anyone in his position as a husband and father would have been enraged and disgusted. Drug runners and weapons smugglers that moonlight in abusing and torturing their wives and exploiting children. Sometimes even their own. People that evil don’t deserve to live; even a bullet between the eyes considered too kind. But it’s all he has time for. No ‘face to face’ meetings. He can’t be seen or even identified by name in order to protect his OWN family. He has to remain a ghost. An urban legend of sorts. Talked and gossiped about in drug circles and even among the local police and military who’d either been paid off by the criminals or had been hopeless and hapless when it came to stopping the activity. Nothing will be known about him. No glimpse of his appearance, no chance to hear his voice or even know his name. He’ll be known for just those ‘lucky shots’ he’d gotten in. Turned in to nothing more than rumours and speculation that will continue spreading long after he’s gone.
***
“T...you there?” Yaz’ voice through the earpiece. The reception is spotty; words broken up by heavy static.
He uses a forearm to wipe the mixture of water and sweat from his face, then lays a finger against the transmitter clipped to his vest. “I’m here.”
“Hot out there today, isn’t it.”
He smirks, then begins pulling pieces of a semi automatic rifle from the confines of the rucksack; hands moving quickly and efficiently as they snap and twist the weapon together. “I don’t want to hear your bitching. You’ve got air conditioning. I’m the one out in this shit.” His voice is low and quiet as he speaks. Even the smallest of sounds can travel great distances; echoing through the jungle and making its way down to the banks of the Mekong.
The river sits fifty yards to the south; muddy and heavily polluted and dotted with boats belonging to local fisherman. One vessel stands out from the crowd. A large and expensive houseboat; the chrome that lines the powerful motor and makes up the railings on the top deck sparkling in the sunlight. His mark is inside; meeting with some of Anil’s people acting under the guise of weapons buyers. When the time is right, the man in question will be led out onto the bottom deck and he’ll have one shot to get the job done. It’s another reason Anil had personally sought him out; his marksmanship impeccable, no other employee coming close to possessing that level of skill.
“You good?” Yaz inquires.
“Yeah…” he snaps the magazine in place and then switches off the safety. “...I’m good.”
“I’ll let you know when there’s movement. Going silent for now.”
He tears off the lid of the second bottle of water and takes a single sip before setting it down; using his sleeve to wipe both the opening and every side of the plastic. He can’t leave any trace of himself behind. Not a drop of sweat or a hint of saliva or his fingerprints. He’ll wipe the stand down before he leaves; methodically cleaning anything he may have come in contact with. IF his location is discovered, money talks. Anyone remotely related to his mark will pay to get answers, and the police will take what’s offered and collect every shred of possible evidence. He can’t take that chance. A single, unattached person may not care. Had he still been the guy living in the rundown and beaten up shack in the outback, he wouldn’t have thought twice about covering his tracks. But lives depend on him. A wife and seven beautiful little humans that count on him to protect them and keep them safe.
He CAN’T fuck this up.
Up in the stand he’s well hidden; camouflaged by the abundance of thick, lush greenery. It’ll be a tough shot through twisted and tangled branches; not even a foot of clearance between wood and leaves. Depending on exactly where his mark is led, he’ll compensate for that; pulling to the right or left in order to prevent the bullet from getting too ‘dirty’. He’s made tougher shots; mostly in his SASR days. And there’s no doubt he’ll make this one.
He bunches up the ruck sack and places it near the edge of the stand, facing the river. He’ll use it as both a ledge and a form of cushioning; balancing the long barrel of the rifle will provide stability and muffle the sound of the shot, disguising where it had originated from. He winces as he gingerly lowers himself onto his stomach; the cracking in his hip and the soreness in both knee and shoulder reminding him that he’s not as young as he used to be. Forty-seven is ancient in mercenary years. Most never make it that far. The odd few get to retire peacefully, but the majority are taken out by a bullet; one too many lapses in judgment and the smallest of errors leading to their deaths.
But most never get to have what he does either. A normal life with a family that loves him ; thousands of miles away, anxiously awaiting his return. It’s why he’s so careful; every decision he makes and every action he takes is done with them at the forefront of his mind. And he thinks about them now; warm and safe in the confines of a townhome in New York City. Four days ago they’d travelled from Australia and he’d promised to meet up with them as soon as the job was finished. It’s their third Christmas there; an eight bedroom brownstone in Gramercy Park. The kids especially enjoy spending the holidays there. Quickly falling in love with the idea of a white Christmas and enjoying all of the outdoor activities; sledding and skating and seeing the tree at Rockefeller Centre and visiting Santa and the reindeer in Central Park. And while life in the Big Apple had never appealed to him, the draw of Gramercy had been impossible to resist. Quiet and quaint; tree lined streets and a private park and neighbours that mind their own business and don’t ask too many questions. He’d initially worried about standing out like a sore thumb; tanned skinned and the array of tattoos and scars and the ‘Down Under’ accent. It turned out to be everything he HADN'T expected. The feeling of small town life within an enormous city.
The back of his hand swipes at the locusts and mosquitos that hover close to his face; their buzzing and humming both tickling and irritating his ears. The right isn’t as good as it used to be; hearing slightly muted and distorted thanks to years of both firing and coming in close contact with weapons. It’s another drawback to getting old. Along with his eyesight. Needing glasses to read or to spend anytime staring at a computer screen.
“They’re on the move.”
He blinks sweat from his eyes and wipes his lips and chin on the sleeve of his shirt. Then he settles in; bending his left leg at the knee and wriggling his stomach against the wood beneath him. The latter is mind over matter; as if the simple movement and the way he presses the toes of boots against the stand will improve both shot and stability. His finger hovers over the trigger; other hand lightly supporting the barrel of the gun, allowing the rucksack to bear the majority of the weight. Anil’s people come out first; identified by the tan linen suits he’d been told they’d be sporting. The ‘Mark’ is a middle aged man, clad in casual attire; olive green cargo shorts and a simple white golf shirt. He’s short and stocky with greying hair and a noticeable limp; a run in with a rival drug crew years ago resulting in the amputation of his leg and the acquisition of a prosthetic device.
His jaw clenches and his lips settle into a thin, pursed line. His heart hammers in his chest and both his shoulders and his chest tighten. It’s adrenaline. That unmistakable rush that comes before an imminent strike. He remembers it well. And it’s both surprising and disheartening how much he’s actually missed it.
As they chatter and laugh, one of Anil’s men places a hand on the Mark’s back and ever so slightly turns the other man in Tyler’s direction. It’s all he needs; just enough of the Mark’s forehead to ensure a ‘kill shot’. And he takes it; the sound slightly muffled but still deafening as it echoes through the jungle and stirs birds from their perches and wildlife from the safety of their nests and dens. The bullet easily tears through layers of leaves and bypasses branches; finding its target and sending the Mark sprawling backwards and then down into a pool of brain matter, fragments of skull, and quickly spreading blood.
“Target’s down.”
The words are simple. To the point. And as chaos erupts down by the river, he calmly begins his retreat; pushing himself up onto his feet and slinging the rifle over his shoulder. There’s no pressing need or rush; Anil’s people have made their quick escape and the screams and shouts are coming from startled fisherman and colleagues of the Mark that had been inside the houseboat. He has time; methodically cleaning every inch of both the stand and the stairs and making sure he’s left nothing behind.
“I’m heading back,” he says, shouldering the ruck sack and taking the stairs two at a time. He’s suddenly anxious to get on his way; feeling the relief that sets in as he begins his hour long trek.
A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. Not from the success of the mission or the satisfaction that comes with ridding the world of yet another monster. It’s one of happiness. One of peace.
The realization that each step he takes brings him closer to home.
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timmyrx2000 · 6 years
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Dipper Steps Up: Chapter 6
Chapter Index: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Chapter 6
When Wendy and Dipper left the Shack, the sun had just set. The night insects had not yet tuned up, but bats twittered overhead and out in the forest the woodpeckers, who didn't give up until the light was almost gone, drummed away. "Where are we going?" Dipper asked as they stepped off the trail.
"Into the woods," Wendy said. "You bring a flashlight, dude?"
"Yeah, I have one of the prototypes Grunkle Ford made."
"Good deal. I got the one I use camping. We'll need light on the way back."
In the gathering twilight they hiked on, uphill and down, skirting thickets of huckleberry, boggy growths of cobra lily, and stands of trailplant, threading their way through second-growth fir and pine forests, passing expanses of tree stumps and seedlings. "Dad logs all through here," Wendy said in one clearing, the air sharp with the scent of freshly-cut wood. She switched on her own flashlight and said, "Not far now."
Finally, they reached the cleared crown of a domed hill. Stars spangled the sky overhead, lots more than Dipper had ever seen in Piedmont, where the light pollution from Oakland and San Francisco dimmed them. No moon yet—it was gibbous and waning and, because of the recent change to Daylight Saving Time, it wouldn't rise until nearly eleven.
Creatures howled in the distance. Like the panda duck that Dipper had tried to win for Wendy, the species were indeterminate. In Gravity Falls, they might be anything. Wendy stood beside a stump and took a deep breath. "OK, dude, I know you won't freak out, but this might be rough on you. Remember I'm here for you, though. Wanna hold my hand?"
"Anytime," Dipper said. Her hand was warm in his.
"OK, Gramps, I brought him!" Wendy yelled into the night.
Dipper looked at her, but she had turned off the flashlight and he saw only her silhouette against the stars. "Huh?"
"He said not to tell you till he got here. Gramps! It's me, Wendy!"
In front of them, a greenish fog coalesced. Floating a couple of feet above the ground, it pulsed and brightened and then shrank in on itself, transforming into a hulking, bearded human figure.
"Oh, my gosh!" Dipper said. "The ghost from the Northwest mansion!"
"Dipper," the apparition moaned in its deep, rumbling voice. "I have to talk to you. I mean you no harm!"
Dipper almost sagged with relief. "No problem, sir! Wendy, I'm not afraid of him. You look a lot better, Mr. uh, Lumberjack. Your beard's not on fire, and your missing eye seems to have healed up. And the, uh, axe in your head's gone."
"I'm not haunting anyone now," the ghost explained, self-consciously straightening the blow tie it wore on its . . . beard. "I have no wish to terrify. When you're a ghost, you can take many forms."
"Dude," Wendy said, squeezing Dipper's hand, "this is Archibald Corduroy. He's, like, my great-great grandfather!"
"I wondered about that!" Dipper said. "I saw his picture in your house—uh, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Corduroy."
"You treated me well," the ghost said. "I regret tricking you and then turning you into wood."
"That . . . was sort of scary," Dipper admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
The apparition shrugged modestly. "Well, I am a ghost."
"Yeah. Uh, excuse me, but I thought that after Pacifica let everybody in, you had gone on to, you know, your reward."
"I could not bear to leave this forest that I loved so much in life," the ghost said, gesturing with a sweep of his glowing arm that took in all the surroundings. "Also, once free of haunting the hated Northwest house, I wondered what had become of my family. I soon discovered I have a mighty descendant in Daniel, and a beautiful one in Wendy." The ghost floated next to Dipper and confided: "She likes you, boy!"
"Aw, Gramps!" Wendy said, laughing. "Cut it out, dude! Look, I brought Dipper, like you asked, so just tell him what you've got for him, OK?"
The ghost backed away from Dipper, towering over them both. "He's a brave, intelligent boy, Wendy. You could do a lot worse."
"I really like your great-great granddad," Dipper said to Wendy.
Wendy giggled. "You guys! C'mon, Gramps."
"Very well. Dipper, the root of your friend's trouble is another ghost from the past. An evil one. Well, I say 'evil,' I suppose I went a little overboard myself, but my anger branched out from the betrayal the Northwests committed against my friends and me—no, no, I'll cut that short. Forget it. I'm sorry for the bad things that came from my long hatred, leave it at that. But now an ill-intentioned spirit is trying to possess your fiend Taylor. If he succeeds, terrible things will happen. You have to stop him."
"How?" Dipper asked, his throat feeling tight.
"I'm a lumberjack, not an exorcist," the ghost said a little irritably. "You must discover the way to help. Speak to the boy's family. Seek out his mother. Tell her. She will sense the truth of what I've told you. And beware! The spirit that threatens your friend is implacable, his grip as strong as cypress roots!"
"Dude," Wendy said, "you have, like, a really good vocabulary for a nineteenth-century lumberjack!"
"Being an outdoorsman doesn't mean you have to be illiterate, girl." The ghost started to dim.
"Wait, wait!" Dipper said. "Uh, sir—who is the ghost? That would help!"
"You already know in your heart," the fading ghost said. "It is a spirit that wishes to reincarnate—for revenge!"
"Bill Cipher?"
For just a second the ghost became a little brighter and clearer. "Who? No! Think human!"
And Archibald Corduroy went out like a candle flame in a wind.
"Who did he mean?" Dipper asked in the sudden darkness.
"I'm stumped," Wendy confessed. "Man, Dipper, you took that whole thing a lot better'n I expected! First time Archibald appeared to me, I totally freaked!"
"When was that?"
"Fall, two years back, after you an' Mabes went back to California. Along in October. I was in the woods behind our house cuttin' down some deadwood for the fireplace, and there he was, floatin' right in front of me. I kinda attacked him with my axe, but that went nowhere fast. He eventually calmed me down and told me who he was and all, and said he was gonna watch over our family and protect us, and since then I never saw him again—until I started asking around about the Northwests. Few days ago, he appeared to me in a stall of the girls' bathroom at school. Now, that was awkward. Anyhow, he seemed to know you were gonna come to Gravity Falls and said I needed to get you an' him together so he could tell you something, and he said you might be scared, so not to let you know who I was takin' you to see. You weren't scared, though. Good for you, dude!"
Dipper shrugged. "Those first ghosts I ever saw, the ones in the Dusk 2 Dawn, scared the heck out of me. Mainly because of what they were doing to Mabel and your friends. But I've kinda learned that most ghosts don't want to hurt you. Who could be haunting Chuck Taylor, though?"
"Dunno, man," Wendy said. They'd both switched on their flashlights and were headed back through the woods.
They didn't talk much. But when the lights of the Mystery Shack gleamed through the trees ahead, Dipper stopped in his tracks and said, "Reincarnate. Oh, no!"
Wendy stopped too. "What's wrong, Dip?"
"No," Dipper said. "No, no, no. I hope I'm wrong."
"About what?" she asked.
He swallowed hard. "Nathaniel Northwest."
The rest of the week flew by without any substantial developments in the case. Grunkle Ford lent Dipper a few detection devices and taught him how to use them, and then Grunkle Stan drove the kids home the next Saturday.
They spent Sunday and Monday brushing up for the CAHSEE that the school would give on Tuesday and Wednesday, and to their relief, the tests didn't seem all that hard. "I hope you didn't get bored and start putting down random answers," Dipper told Mabel after the last exam ended.
"Nope!" Mabel said. "I learned my lesson after the test I took in fifth grade that said I should be busted to kindergarten."
Chuck had seemed OK, and that afternoon, their first practice since the early spring break, he recovered his playing form again, pitching hard, hitting hard, running full-out. The Thursday practice was good, too, and Dipper began to think that everything was all right again.
Saturday brought a big game with the Bay City Blues. Their win-loss record tied Piedmont's, and Coach said that the teams were a pretty close match in ability, too. The Blues had a good pitching staff, some good hitters, and typically racked up scores of five to ten points in a game. They weren't the most spectacular team, but like the Panthers they played a steady, relentless game.
Saturday morning, the game started out well. Bay City won the toss and chose to take the field. Their pitcher had game: he struck out both Mike and Petey with three pitches each, and Dipper began to think the Panthers were doomed to an early loss.
However, Chuck, looking healthy, belted out a solid double, and following him at bat, both JD and Barb managed singles, sending Chuck home for the first run of the game. Unfortunately, Jon J sent a sweet high fly ball deep into left field—and right into the fielder's glove.
Chuck's pitching began unsteadily. The first batter racked up one strike and three balls before hitting a single. The second man up got a double on the first pitch, putting the runner on third and ready to score. From the bench, Tripper watched Chuck wipe sweat from his face, kick at the mound, and then lean forward, looking determined.
Off on the sidelines, Mabel, in her cheerleader costume, acted subdued. The Panthers had a bigger crowd than ever—their away games had frankly pitiful attendance, just the kids' parents and maybe five or six students—but now the bleachers were nearly full of cheering kids and adults. Except Mabel's enthusiasm had ebbed. Dipper knew she was worrying about Chuck.
However, Chuck promptly struck out two Blues in a row. The next two batters both got on base, though, one single, one double. Then when Vance McCall stepped into the batter's box, Chuck took his time considering his first pitch. McCall was the Blues' best hitter by far.
And he proved it by pulling a low fly to far right field, where it hit and bounced, for a moment looking as if it would go straight to Petey DeFoy—but then it bounced again, taking a bad hop deeper into fair territory, making it hard to field.
McCall wound up standing on second base. The first two Blues scored, and there went Piedmont's lead. As though to apologize to the fans, Chuck struck the next guy out with three fast pitches.
Second inning began with X-Man getting a single, trying to push it into a double, and getting tagged out. However, then both Hi-Ho and Bobby made it to base—Hi-Ho successfully stealing second before Bobby's single put him on third. Dub struck out, and it was Dipper's turn.
He'd been working hard on his batting. He let a ball go by, choked up on his grip, and took a swing at the next pitch—and connected. It was a grounder, skipping just past the third baseman and running right along the foul line.
Miracle of miracles, it didn't cross the line, and Dipper made it to first! More, it took Hi-Ho home—Dipper's first RBI. For a moment, it looked like a Piedmont rally, but Big W's hard grounder was snagged by the Blues shortstop, who fired the ball home just in time for the catcher to tag Bobby out.
The Blues couldn't get anything going in the bottom half, and the second inning closed with a 2-2 tie.
The Panthers came to bat for the third inning. Coach sent Dipper and Krenk in as subs and asked Chuck how he was feeling. "I'm OK," he insisted, though Dipper thought he was sweating harder than usual. It was a dismal inning, three Panthers coming up to bat, two being put out, one getting on base, and then with Jimmy in scoring position on third base—Krenk went down swinging, one, two, three, to retire the side.
In the bottom, Chuck's pitching was noticeably slower and less accurate. Still, he held the Blues to just one run, though that put them ahead again, three to two.
Before the turnover, Coach walked out and asked Chuck, "You gonna be OK? I can pull you."
Dipper saw Chuck shake his head and heard him mutter, "I think laying off practice last week put me off my game. I'll stay in."
In the top of the fourth inning, Mike, first up, got a single, and Chuck matched it. Coach called for time out and said, "Pines, you're faster. Go in as a pinch runner for Monohan."
Though he felt a flutter of anxiety, Dipper did. He led off second, tense, ready to jump back if the Blues pitcher suddenly turned and threw to the second baseman. Like Chuck, the Blues pitcher seemed to have lost some steam, and JD blasted his first pitch into a hard liner into the gap and dug out on what looked to be a double—but the right fielder scooped it up and got it to first in time to hold him.
But Dipper, running full out, tagged third, saw the coach motion him, and, imagining the Gobblewonker nipping at his heels, blasted for home. He could hear Mabel, not leading a cheer, but just screaming "Go, Bro, go, go, GO!"
The catcher stepped up, mitt raised, and Dipper fell into a slide, raising dust. The ball smacked the mitt. Dipper's cleats touched home plate, the catcher tagged his calf, and the ump yelled, "Safe!"
The crowd went wild. Well, mostly Mabel went wild, but still. He had tied the game again, 3-all.
There the Panthers lost their luck. One man out on a pop fly, and then a double play ended their chance to pull ahead.
Chuck didn't look as if he felt well when he stood on the mound. But he bore down and struck out the first two Blues at bat—the second out was actually their first man in the rotation. Then he got two strikes past the third batter—and as he wound up for the third pitch, all at once he tottered and went down on one knee, the ball on the ground, his right hand going out to brace himself. He croaked, "Coach!"
Waylund, Dipper, and the other Panthers hustled out. "What's wrong, Chuck?" Coach asked.
"Real dizzy," Chuck gasped. "Better take me out."
The crowd applauded as Waylund helped Chuck to the dugout, and Dipper saw Mr. and Mrs. Taylor coming down from the bleachers, looking anxious. Waylund sent in Jon J as replacement pitcher, and he did his best, but Chuck's second near-faint had shaken up him and the other Panthers, and Jon J let another two Blues batters on base before the next one got a single, pulling the Blues ahead by one run. Then he pulled it together and struck the last man out.
Dipper hastily trotted in to ask Chuck how he was feeling. Chuck, huddled on the bench, shrugged miserably. "We'll take him back to the doctor," his dad said.
"Not until the game ends," Chuck said firmly. "Just a little dizzy."
It might have gone better if he'd gone then. The Panthers, keenly aware that Chuck was sick and was watching them, lost their concentration. They fought the game out, even managing another run in the top of the seventh, but it ended with a Blues win, 9-4.
Dipper had missed an easy catch and had fanned three pitches, striking out in the worst way possible. As soon as the game ended, the Taylors took Chuck away—he was walking under his own power, at least—and the team morosely apologized to the coach.
"Forget it, men," he said. "I'll stay in touch with the Taylors and get word out to you if it looks serious. Let's hope it isn't."
"We're all hoping," Mabel said. She had come into the dugout, and tears stood in her eyes.
In the back seat of the family car, as their mom and dad stood outside talking about the game—and probably Chuck's illness—Dipper said to Mabel, "I'm going over to the Taylors' this afternoon."
"I'm coming too," she said.
"If you want. Listen, do me a big favor. You get Chuck and his dad aside somehow. I have to talk to Mrs. Taylor."
"About what?"
Dipper's voice was grim: "About a family ghost."
To be continued
Note from the Authors: This was just an idea I had but the one who really worked his magic and wrote almost all of this is none other than BillEase. He’s an amazing author who usually hangs out at fanfiction.net. Don’t pass up on a chance to check out his stuff. This guy is AMAZING. He wrote the story, I just gave the plot.
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April 2017
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This is a compilation of fics that I've read/re-read over the past month. Faves get a star ( ★ ). There is also a separate fic rec page for my favorites here and a fic rec sorter here, if you'd like to check those out. :)
MONTH: April, 2017 | (older lists)
▶▶ A Neutrino Walks Through a Bar by Moku Teen And Up | 45,261w Stiles had become the most popular matchmaker of Beacon Hills in less than a year. And he really didn't know how that had happened.
▶▶ A Not So Easy Arrangement by hazelandglasz Explicit | 5,314w AU where Derek's still the Alpha, and Erica and Boyd aren't dead. Stiles and Derek have to fake-date because of werewolf reasons, but it shouldn't be too hard because they're already having sex together? And they're great friends? Shouldn't be too hard, Stile thinks, but he's been pining away, and he was actually gonna ask out Derek for real, because he kinda loves him, but now he just feels weird. And he's still finding ways to fall in love with Derek.
▶▶ accidentally? by bibliosexual Mature | 3,683w BOSS: "know why I called you in here?" ME: "because I accidentally sent you a dick pic" BOSS [stops pouring 2 glasses of wine]: "accidentally?" yup. Or, in which Derek receives a surprising email one morning.
▶▶ all stories deserve an end by bleep0bleep Teen And Up | 2,351w No one hardly ever comes up to this area of the forest, especially with the rumors of the "mad wizard." Stiles encourages the rumor, because it means people leave him alone. It's a good, solitary existence as long as Stiles pretends the aching loneliness in his heart isn't there.
▶▶ anything, anything by drunktuesdays Explicit | 5,242w Prompt: Stiles wakes up in Derek's bed in a world where they’re married now, and Derek keeps leaving the room every time he tries to have a conversation about how this happened, since they weren't even dating.
▶▶ Bones Straining Under the Weight by weathervaanes ★ Explicit | 15,645w One of Stiles' favorite things about life is Derek Hale's food blog. He never expects to meet the man in person.
▶▶ But, Doctor! by stilinskisparkles ★ Mature | 30,269w "We had to splint a girl's leg in a ditch," Scott says excitedly. "Bro, you sound way too happy about that," Stiles complains, opening up his bag and pulling out a Twinkie. Derek removes it from his hand silently and replaces it with an apple. Stiles scowls at him for a second then bites into it, regardless. Derek sits back and lets the group discuss the merits of dramatic lifesaving feats for winning over the ladies. Scott is convinced it'll help impress Allison; Isaac thinks Scott’s a loser. Stiles— Stiles is falling asleep on Derek's shoulder.
▶▶ First Impressions Are Overrated by Leslie_Knope Teen And Up | 14,634w In Stiles' defense, he didn't deliberately ram his grocery cart into the (evidently precarious) pyramid of oranges.
▶▶ I Call You Names Because I Love You by tylerfucklin (Deshonanana) Mature | 13,025w Years of touring with Stiles would never have prepared Derek for the day his beloved techie fell in love with someone else.
▶▶ I Do Do You? by Captain_Loki ★ Explicit | 6,540w Stiles and Derek wake up hung over and married in a hotel room in Las Vegas. It wouldn't be so bad if the year before their relationship hadn't fallen apart.
▶▶ Misguided Ghosts by Nina_shaffer N/A | 13,645w Stiles was hoping that his summer before his senior year would be uneventful but no the supernatural hierarchies can't leave Beacon Hills alone, can they? Stiles gets lead into the woods by a ghost wolf but what's the most a ghost can do, a lot apparently because here he is, 18-year-old Stiles, in the friggin past. What's the first rule of time travel? Don't change the past. Stiles never was one to follow the rules.
▶▶ my boyfriend, the ex-spy. by matildajones Teen And Up | 6,453w Derek tries to live a normal life... it's hard when his boyfriend used to travel around the world shooting the bad guys.
▶▶ Not An Order by LadyDrace Teen And Up | 2,359w Prince Stiles of Beacon is about to get engaged to the princess of Reyes. Derek is determined to be supportive. Maybe a little too determined.
▶▶ Once Again, In a Little While by adeepeningdig General | 4,148w Parrish is holding the infant like a fullback carrying the football, tight and close to his body, as if he's afraid someone's going to strip it away from him at any moment. "Sir," he whispers, "this baby is running hot." "So call the paramedics, get Sally on the line. For heaven's sake, Parrish, this baby needs a hospital, not the sheriff" The baby is hot to the touch but his pale eyes, when they blink open, are clear and he's not flushed like a feverish infant would be. "No," Parrish hisses, "I mean this baby is running hot. I don't think he's human." John looks at the priest, still standing in the aisle, hunched in concern. He looks at the baby in his duck onesie and little yellow hat. "Oh, fuck," he says.
▶▶ Possibili(tea) by dragon_temeraire Teen And Up | 1,096w Stiles might have a crush on his co-worker, who always brews him amazing tea.
▶▶ Put Down in Words by paintedrecs ★ Mature | 203,777w When Stiles signed up for Dr. Hale's intro to history class, he had two goals: knock out the credits his advisor was bugging him to complete before he graduated, and spend a few hours a week daydreaming about his sexy professor's salt and pepper beard. Derek, a few months away from turning forty and not sure when his life had started feeling so damn lonely, had never encountered someone like Stiles before. Bright-eyed, sharp-tongued, determined to throw Derek's carefully cultivated world into disarray... and absolutely the last person Derek should be falling in love with.
▶▶ Satisfactory Compromises by TroubleIWant ★ Mature | 17,727w Stiles is basically doing fine. He's surviving, anyways. So what if it's a struggle to get out of bed most days? Back in high school, everything about the supernatural had seemed edgy and romantic and exhilarating, but after seeing everything he has, wanting to go back to ignorance is only natural. Only then Derek comes back to Beacon Hills and says he's in love with him, and everything changes. For the worse.
▶▶ Shake my ash to the wind by rufflefeather Explicit | 4,308w Kissing Stiles is like a breeze through an open window that chases away a smell of fire that never leaves. The first time he tastes surprised and says, Holy shit while his fingers find lips that probably sting a little from Derek's stubble. It makes Derek laugh and Stiles' eyes go wide and pleased as if that's a bigger surprise than the kiss.
▶▶ Some Strings Attached by TroubleIWant N/A | 3,324w Prompt: I just saw you go upstairs with someone else and I know we're only fuck buddies but I’m gonna go punch them in the face.
▶▶ something just like this by allhalethekings General | 10,889w "Hey, did Peter talk to you yet about your new song?" He scrunches his forehead, fingers twitching towards the laptop subconsciously. "No? Why should he? I already told him it shouldn't be on the market." Cora snorts. "It's cute you thought that would work. He already spoke to Jackson Whittemore about it." Derek's stomach sinks. This song is private and to find out that it might be in the hands of someone like Jackson Whittemore? Jackson fucking Whittemore? His contempt for them must have shown on his face because Cora smirks. She's a bitch like that. "Stiles wants that song so Peter already set up a meeting. Have fun!" What the actual fuck. "What the fuck is a Stiles?" Derek asks helplessly.
▶▶ The Gentleman And The Fox by bleep0bleep, Inkforwords Explicit | 15,707w Derek doesn't expect much from his arranged marriage. When his inattentive husband, Lord Stiles Stilinski, tells him he's free to look for a lover, he doesn't know where to start, until a dashing bandit named the Red Fox catches his eye.
▶▶ The One Where They Adopt a Selkie by mikkimouse ★ Teen And Up | 7,737w "That's a kid," Stiles said. Derek growled. "It's a selkie." "It's a selkie kid," Stiles pointed out, because really, they did not need to be arguing semantics right now. "Do selkies just go around leaving their kids sleeping in caves on the beach?"
▶▶ The Payoff Pitch by Leslie_Knope ★ Explicit | 83,974w Derek is on the cusp of his second season with the LA Dodgers, and as the reigning runner-up Rookie of the Year, the pressure’s on him to become the team's star pitcher and lead them to the playoffs for the first time in five years. He's trying to deal with the burden of expectations and really has zero desire to spend any extra time or energy on anything that isn't baseball. But then he meets Stiles.
▶▶ The Second Coming (of Werewolf Jesus) by lupinus, uraneia [Note: Restricted. AO3 account is required.] Explicit | 40,104w Stiles was enjoying his senior year until his crazy English teacher decided he made the best candidate to gestate Derek's kid. Now Stiles is a seventeen-year-old pregnant dude and he and Derek have to figure their shit out, because in nine months they are going to be tied together for the rest of their lives.
▶▶ This Space Is For You by matildajones Teen And Up | 3,908w Derek is a lonely, angry man, living in the middle of nowhere.
▶▶ We Den Our Hearts Here by LadyLade Teen And Up | 1,921w Somehow, having a pack of wolf pups has made Derek's life easier.
▶▶ Untitled Tumblr Ficlet by bibliosexxual Teen And Up | 1,721w Derek has played host to Stiles a number of times, usually when Stiles has had too many beers after poker night, but he’s never let Stiles stay over for more than one night. Not that Stiles has ever asked. This ends up being a lot more than one night.
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triptaech · 7 years
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A B C + BOLD + 10 Q’s
ABC tag ;
tagged by my fave drunk pigeon @ohsuga ;)
AGE – 19
BIGGEST FEAR – being alone
CURRENT TIME – 11:19 pm
DRINK YOU LAST HAD – water
EVERYDAY STARTS WITH – contemplating my existence
FAVOURITE SONG – i……have too many……
GHOSTS, ARE THEY REAL? – maybe
HOMETOWN – in the woods
IN LOVE WITH – kim taehyung
JEALOUS OF – kim taehyung
KILLED SOMEONE – maybe
LAST TIME YOU CRIED – reading a fic
MIDDLE NAME – no middle name
NO. OF SIBLINGS – two younger sisters
ONE WISH – for bts to let me live for once
PERSON I LAST CALLED/TEXTED – a friend
QUESTION YOU’RE ALWAYS ASKED – sam why are u like dis
REASON TO SMILE – taehyung just posted a selfie, taehyung loves gucci, bts is alive and happy—
SONG LAST SANG – ilysb by lany
TIME YOU WOKE UP – 6:00 am because alcohol hates my body’s alarm clock
UNDERWEAR – blue
VACATION DESTINATION? – south africa and greece!
WORST HABIT – being alive
YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD – anything edible i eat everything
ZODIAC – aries/taurus but more aries
BOLD tag ;
tagged by @taeverie, @zephyoongist, @taesthetes & @kittae <3
→ appearance:
I am 5′7″ or taller I wear glasses 
I have at least one tattoo 
i have at least one piercing 
i have brown eyes (v dark tho) 
i have short hair 
my abs are at least somewhat defined 
i have or have had braces  
There is something I would change about the way I look 
→ personality:
My Hogwarts house is: Gryffindor Hufflepuff Ravenclaw Slytherin 
I am an introvert 
i like/love meeting new people 
people tell me that i’m funny 
helping others with their problems is a big priority for me 
i enjoy physical challenges 
i enjoy mental challenges 
i’m playfully rude with people i know well (gently shoves everyone i know) 
i started saying something ironically and now i can’t stop saying it 
There is something I would change about my personality
→ ability:
I can sing well (sorta) 
i can play an instrument 
i can do over 30 pushups without stopping 
i’m a fast runner 
i can draw well (sor ta????) 
i have a good memory 
I’m good at doing math in my head 
i can hold my breath underwater for over a minute 
i have beaten at least 2 people in arm wrestling 
i know how to cook at least 3 meals from scratch 
i know how to throw a proper punch
→ hobbies:
i enjoy playing sports 
i’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else 
I’m in a orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else 
i have learned a new song in the past week 
i work out at least once a week 
i’ve gone for runs at least once a week in the warmer months 
i have drawn something in the past month 
i enjoy writing 
Fandoms are my #1 passion 
i do or have done martial arts
→ experiences:
i have had my first kiss 
i have had alcohol 
i have scored the winning goal in a sports game 
I have watched an entire season of a TV show in one sitting 
i have been at an overnight event 
i have been in a taxi 
I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year 
I have beaten a video game in one day 
i have visited another country 
i have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts (NOT ENOUGH)
→ relationship:
I’m in a relationship 
i have a celebrity crush 
I have a crush on someone I know 
i have been in at least 3 relationships 
I have never been in a relationship 
i have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them 
I get crushes easily 
I have had a crush on someone for over a year 
I have been in a relationship for at least a year 
i have had feelings for a friend
→ my life:
i have at least one person i consider a “best friend” 
i live close to my school 
my parents are still together 
i have at least one sibling 
i live in the united states (but not originally from the US) 
There is snow right now where I live 
i have hung out with a friend outside of school in the past month 
i have a smartphone 
I have at least 15 CDs 
I share my room with someone
→ random shit:
i have breakdanced 
i know a person named jamie  
I have had a teacher with a last name that’s hard to pronounce 
i have dyed my hair 
i’m listening to one song on repeat right now 
i have punched someone in the past week 
i know someone who has gone to jail 
I have broken a bone 
I have eaten a waffle today  
i know what i want to do with my life 
i speak at least 2 languages fluently 
i have made a new friend in the past year
10 Q’S TAG ;
tagged by @taeverie​ & @addictedtonamjoon​ my fave filthy animals
from jen:
in a nutshell, how did you get into kpop? my friends dragged my ass down to hell and i never crawled back up
what do you do when your motivation dwindles? cry
what kind of music do you listen to? not v picky, i listen to everything
favorite non-kpop artist? dONT DO ME DIRTY i have so many including the maine, simple plan, all time low, the chainsmokers, ed sheeran, etc.
how many albums do you own? too many. 
what is a quote you live by & why? “only dead fish go with the flow” because i am dead
have you ever gotten dragged into something you thought you wouldn’t like, but completely fell in love with it? bts
what do you value most in life? wonhae manhi manhi money
if you wanted to live in the world of any fic, which one would it be? o this is tough but any of @/gukvory’s universes from this persona and the ones before
is there something you would change about yourself? wish i could be more sensitive towards others’ feelings?
from julia:
what’s the song that got you into kpop? let’s not fall in love - bigbang
who was your first ultimate bias, have you switched since? uh i switched from seungri to gd p fast, but ult ult bias is still taekook <3
what’s the hardest thing about writing? ……writing 
if you were to win a million dollars, what would you do with it? travel, eat, get everyone in my family to retire and live a good life
what are your biggest turn-on’s and turn-off’s with people? rude people who try to act ~suave~ can gtfo, but i lov lov lov people with a good sense of humor
if you could live anywhere, where would you live? i like being home in indonesia but new york’s growing on me too, i like traveling so idk
would you want to go back in time and change your past or go into the future to see your future self? change my past
what is something that you’re very talented at & something you wish you were more talented in? good at being sarcastic and wish i was better at comebacks 
how many languages can you speak? would you want to learn more? two fluently (indonesian and english), also sorta know mandarin, but i still wanna learn more
do you have a theme song? highway to hell by acdc
questions for you guys
grab the nearest book you can find, what’s the most questionable out of context quote in page 23? 
what do you eat for breakfast?
what’s one au/fic concept that you really want to see?
what time do you wake up in the morning?
where’s your favorite place to write or be productive?
what’s your current favorite song?
do you like bangtan’s hip thrusts?
what’s your favorite look on your bias?
what’s on top of your to-do list right now?
are you happy with where you are right now?
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koganelovesmcclain · 6 years
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1 through 99 for the ask game :)
Sorry this has taken so long! :(
1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? I don't really have a bedroom with closets, but if I did, I'd keep them closed. 
2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? Yes, I don't know why. I never use them? 
3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? Untucked. I have to sleep with my blanket kinda curled under my feet. :') 
4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before? Nooo. 
5: Do you like to use post-it notes? Yes! 
6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? Yeah. :') 
7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? A bear. Mainly because I hate bugs. :') 
8: Do you have freckles?Yep, a lot of them. >:(
9: Do you always smile for pictures?No, my face is ugly when I smile, so I don’t. Lmao.
10: What is your biggest pet peeve?People being unnecesarily loud. @ my dad >:(
11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk?Hmm, sometimes.
12: Have you ever peed in the woods?…yes.
13: What about pooped in the woods?no? I don’t think so. Lmao.
14: Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing?Sure.
15: Do you chew your pens and pencils?Nooo. D:
16: How many people have you slept with this week?Lmao. 0
17: What size is your bed?My bed is a bunch of blankets on the ground right now,,, so idk
18: What is your Song of the week?Hmm… What About Us- P!nk It’s been a song of the week for months.
19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink?Yup!
20: Do you still watch cartoons?Have you seen this blog? Lmao. Yes.
21: Whats your least favorite movie?Hmm, I don’t know.
22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?I don’t know. I don’t have a permanent place anymore? So, I guess I’d just rent a storage unit. Haha.
23: If you’re a girl, bra size? If you’re a guy, pants size?
24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in?Ketchup or honey mustard or BBQ sauce or sweet n sour. Depends on what restaurant I’m at.
25: What is your favorite food?Chicken!
26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love?Disney movies!
27: Last person you kissed/kissed you?My dog!
28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout?I was a girl scout when I was a kid.
29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?Nope.
30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?When my nanny died, I wrote her a letter and put it in her casket with her.
31: Can you change the oil on a car?Probably.
32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket?I’m gay, I can’t drive. Lmao.
33: Ever ran out of gas?^
34: Favorite kind of sandwich?Hm, Subway’s tuna is so good.
35: Best thing to eat for breakfast?I usually just have cereal.
36: What is your usual bedtime?…anywhere from 9:30 to midnight. Lmao.
37: Are you lazy?Yep!
38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?Hmm. A princess, a witch, a dog? I can’t remember really.
39: What is your Chinese astrological sign?Tiger.
40: Are you horny?Right now?
41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions?My mom gets Cosmo?
42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs?Both!
43: Are you stubborn?Yes.
44: Who is better…Leno or Letterman?I don’t know who these people are?
45: Ever watch soap operas?I don’t think so?
46: Are you afraid of heights?Yeah.
47: Do you sing in the car?Yup.
48: Do you sing in the shower?Yeah.
49: Do you dance in the car?Yeah!
50: Ever used a gun?A BB gun yeah. We used to shoot soda cans at home.
51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?When I was in highschool, my senior portraits.
52: Do you think musicals are cheesy?Sometimes, but I love them anyway.
53: Is Christmas stressful?Yeah. But it’s my favorite time of year.
54: Ever eat a pierogi?Yeah. Not homemade or anything. They were like,,, microwavable. :’)
55: Favorite type of fruit pie?Hmm. Apple I guess.
56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?Singer, vet, dog groomer…
57: Do you believe in ghosts?Yes.
58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?All the time. It’s spooky.
59: Take a vitamin daily?No.
60: Wear slippers?I am right now. Lmao. I’ve got cold feet.
61: Wear a bath robe?No.
62: What do you wear to bed?A tank top and pants/ shorts.
63: First concert?I haven’t really been to any concerts. :(
64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?Wal-Mart is my fave! (I’d love Target so much if my town had one!)
65: Nike or Adidas?Neither. >:(
66: Cheetos Or Fritos?Cheetos!
67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?I like both!
68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien?No.
69: Ever take dance lessons?No.
70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?Not really. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to marry me. Lmao.
71: Can you curl your tongue?No.
72: Ever won a spelling bee?I was runner up! I have a trophy still. Lmao.
73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy?Probably.
74: Own any record albums?No.
75: Own a record player?I did. But I had to leave it behind when we were evicted. Thanks mom and dad for not paying the bills.
76: Regularly burn incense?No.
77: Ever been in love?Probably not.
78: Who would you like to see in concert?So many people that I can’t think of right now.
79: What was the last concert you saw?N/A.
80: Hot tea or cold tea?Neither. I don’t like tea.
81: Tea or coffee?Neither!
82: Sugar or snickerdoodles??
83: Can you swim well?Well enough.
84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?Yeah?
85: Are you patient?Nope.
86: DJ or band, at a wedding?DJ I think.
87: Ever won a contest?I’ve won a couple like… art giveaways here on Tumblr. But no actual contests. :’)
88: Ever have plastic surgery?No.
89: Which are better black or green olives?Both are disgusting!
90: Can you knit or crochet?Yeah, both. But I’m better at crochet.
91: Best room for a fireplace?Living room or library.
92: Do you want to get married?If I ever meet someone, then yes I suppose.
93: If married, how long have you been married?-
94: Who was your HS crush?Hmm. A couple of jocks that I thought were good looking. I don’t remember their names. Lmao.
95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?I’m not three.
96: Do you have kids?No. I have my dog though!
97: Do you want kids?I think so.
98: Whats your favorite color?Blue!
99: Do you miss anyone right now?My old friend group. I don’t know why, they treated me like garbage. But I just want to talk to them. *sigh*
Omg. 99 questionssss.If anyone actually read all this, bless you!
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fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years
Text
21 Women on How They Made the First Move
http://fashion-trendin.com/21-women-on-how-they-made-the-first-move/
21 Women on How They Made the First Move
There’s a small fly in the ointment of the recent conversation around consent, and it’s the casting of men as the default suitors. It’s an old-school gender dynamic, and it’s clung to modern (hetero) romance like a wet blanket. While it’s critical to discuss how such a pursuit can happen healthfully and equitably, it underserves the agency of women when treated as the social default. We can also be veritable pursuers. So how can we rewrite this narrative?
To start, I asked women to tell me about a time they made the first move. Below are 21 of their responses, and I hope they serve as a small rebellion against the outdated notion that women shouldn’t, or never do. Read their stories below, and then join me in reshaping what the pursuit of love, sex and romantic revelry can look like by telling me yours, too.
“I made the first move with my now ex-boyfriend. I literally took his phone and just put my number in it and saved it as, ‘The best person you’ll ever meet.’ It was so unlike me, HA! But we were together for almost five years and I still think he’s the main reason I moved to NYC (that’s a little longer of a story).”
Courtney, 23
“Although it was through Tinder, I made the first move by messaging my current boyfriend first. Turns out I was the only one who messaged first and it really stood out to him. We’ve since been together for almost two years and more to come!”
Steph, 22
“He had a summer job at a microbrewery that had a boutique portion, and he invited me to come hang out while he worked. We were both nervous and awkward during his shift. At the end, he was counting his cash register and making self-deprecating jokes. I don’t know what came over me but I just walked up to him behind the counter and, as I got closer, he told me, ‘Well now I really won’t be able to concentrate.’ I said, ‘Then take a break,’ and kissed him.”
Michelle, 24
“When I’m going out… I make first moves all the time. In my experience, guys like it when you explicitly pick them and start dancing with them. Therein lies the biggest pro for me: I get to pick, instead of turn down unwanted advances.”
Robin, 19
“While working at Buffalo Exchange, my assistant manager who I crushed on for a month straight was in-between houses and couch surfing until the first of the month. After a closing shift together, I offered him my futon to crash on for the night. He never slept on that futon. Next month is our fourth wedding anniversary.”
Morgan, 27
“I waited for the whole year of eighth grade to make my move. Then, during the chaos of the last day of school, I wrote my name and number on a gum wrapper. I said ‘I think you’re really cool, you should text me sometime!’ He never did.”
Chloe, 18
“When I was in graduate school, I would leave my name/number with bartenders I found attractive pretty regularly. It worked many times, so I stuck with that plan of attack!”
Hayley, 27
“We were at a music event and probably said a total of 20 words to each other that night. The next morning, I slid into his Facebook inbox with the link to a Myers Briggs test. Then waited…He sent me his results and we started chatting. We’ve been dating for eight months now.”
Kelsey, 24
“Four years ago, I started going to improv shows at UCB. One night, I fell in love with one of the comedians, who happened to be a writer for a prominent late night talk show host. He had no social media profiles, so I spent hours searching for some means of contacting him. Ended up finding his personal email, and wrote him a note telling him I thought he was great and funny and that I wanted to take him out for a drink.
My friends laughed at me — they never thought he would respond. BUT he did! Hours later, and could not have been more flattered. The next week we went out for drinks. I had to pick the venue. We dated briefly until he ghosted me. So my advice is don’t ever make the first move. JUST kidding, making the first move is awesome. And I would do it again.”
Carolyn, 25
“I was a junior in high school and there was a new guy at school. I walked right up to him and said, ‘Hi, I’m Rebecca. I think you should know me,’ and we never talked again.
Mel, 24
“I met my boyfriend at our five-year college reunion. I had a crush on him from afar and lost him at the end of the last night. In a final Hail Mary move I sent him a FACEBOOK MESSAGE (yes really): ‘Dude hi just saying [insert my phone number] make it happen.’ That is how we met.”
Kristin, 30
“I was working at a summer program during my college years and I had met this cute, smart guy who was working in a different department. Everyone at the program was living on campus and I’d always try to casually run into him. Eventually, we started hanging out during work events, but I couldn’t tell if he was into me.
When his program term ended before mine, we awkwardly said goodbye outside of a dorm. I knew immediately I had blown it, but he was already out of sight. Suddenly, I just started sprinting across campus to where I knew his car was parked, as if I was in some sort of rom-com or a decent runner. I found him loading his stuff into his car and I just went for it and kissed him like Nora Ephron was directing.
He visited me a few times that summer, but now he’s just a Facebook friend. Honestly, I still have a crush on him. I’m still impressed and surprised at myself for running… but also for being that bold and almost foolish? But now, I’m pretty comfortable with ‘making the first move’ and nothing will seem as exciting or crazy as running after a guy across campus.”
Gabby, 24
“I made the first move on my husband. I told him his T-shirt was cool and we should switch shirts. Later I said he should give me his number in case I wanted my shirt back.”
Christina, 33
“I met my husband while on a date at a bar in London. We made eye contact for a while until I decided to make the first move. I told my date that an old friend of mine was here and should wait for me here while I say hi. When I approached him, I gave him a cigarette so he could join me outside and we could chat away from anyone in the bar. I told him he was hot, pretended to not be on a date and gave him my phone number. He just stood there with a cigarette that he didn’t want to smoke really. My date came outside looking for me. I had to introduce them as I was pretending to be with an old friend. I made up a name and then left. My stranger called me the next day. He is American, I am French. Now we are married and living in Toronto.”
Laure, 30
“I asked this boy I liked to prom via a pair of scissors that said, ‘Prom?’ (He was stabbed with scissors a few weeks prior and I’m incredibly romantic.)”
Cydney, 23
“My go-to move at the bar the last two times I’ve had sex is walking up to a gentleman and saying, ‘I called a Lyft and they’ll be here in three minutes, wanna come home with me?’ Introducing yourself is so 2017.”
Heather, 30
“I feel like I always make the first move! Last semester, after I broke up with my ex, I made a list of guys that I found cute and/or interesting and sent each of them a text asking when and if they were free for drinks. One guy I took out to my favourite pub and bought the both of us double G&Ts and we played darts. Another guy I took to my favourite beach and we made a bonfire together with wood I’d bought beforehand at a grocery store.”
Claudia, 21
“In college at a line dancing club (lol), I told him that he was really good at the ‘watermelon crawl’ and would he please show me how to do that one move where you do the twist and jump? Answer: ‘…What?’”
Rebecca, 32
“I met him once at a mutual friend’s party. One year later I slid into his DMs: ‘Hi 👋🏻 remember me?’ Cut to three years later and we’re still together and moved into our first house this year.”
Jeanne, 22
“Was at a party in college, had talked to a cute guy throughout the night here and there. Saw he was about to get in a car and leave so I ran out front and before I could really think about it just said, ‘Hey! Wait! Do you want to have sex with me?’ I was about to move and knew I didn’t want to date but he was really hot. He was like, ‘What?!? Yeah??!’ We went home together and had a nice night and I have never been prouder of myself for being SO straightforward.”
Emily, 25
“I liked this guy at work. I was quitting in a week. He was studying fashion at Parsons. I DM’ed him about some 🔥 underboob outfits at the Calvin Klein show. We’ve been dating 10 months.”
Carly, 23
Photo by Francis Apesteguy via Getty Images.
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billdecker · 6 years
Text
2018.
 Here we are with the films list again. Bold = watched first time. 
Films.
The English Patient
The BFG
Anna Karenina [1967]
King Kong [2005]
54
Henry VIII and his Six Wives [1972]
The Disaster Artist
Napoleon Dynamite
The Addams Family
Kong: Skull Island
Justice League
The Addams Family Values
Johnny English
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Wayne’s World
Lady Bird
Westworld
Carol
Green Lantern 
England is Mine
Rush Hour
Pride and Prejudice [2005]
Call Me By Your Name
The Greatest Showman
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Dante’s Peak
Only Lovers Left Alive
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Blade Runner
Moonrise Kingdom
Clue
Get Smart
Darkest Hour
Blade Runner 2049
Lost in Translation
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Lego Movie
Anchorman
The Shape of Water
Get Out
San Andreas
The Beguiled
Lady Chatterley’s Lover [1981]
Interview With a Vampire
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Song to Song
Atonement
La La Land
Drop Dead Fred
Attack the Block
Another Mother’s Son
I, Tonya
The Sense of an Ending
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Cold Mountain
Step Up
The Founder
The Fugitive
The Promise
Papadopoulos and Sons
Rob Roy
The Florida Project
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
Head in the Clouds
Crooked House
Miami Vice [2006]
Miss Sloane
Molly’s Game
Battle of the Sexes
Half of a Yellow Sun
A Quiet Passion
Lady Jane
Anne of a Thousand Days
Mars Attacks!
Zoolander
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Nina
Pele: Birth of a Legend
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Futile and Stupid Gesture 
The Mask
Phantom Thread
Black Panther
Eyes Wide Shut
The Death of Stalin
Baywatch
Paddington 2
Wonder Woman
Star Trek [2009]
Star Trek Into Darkness
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Star Trek Beyond
Denial
Chariots of Fire
Captain America: The First Avenger
Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk
Borg vs McEnroe
Iron Man 2
Thor
Avengers Assemble
Iron Man 3
Thor: The Dark World
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2
Ant-Man
Captain America: Civil War 
Doctor Strange
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Thor: Ragnarok
War Horse
God’s Own Country
In Bruges
The Big Sick
The Towering Inferno
Magnolia
Our Souls at Night 
Dog Day Afternoon
Willow
Roman Holiday
Sabrina
Annihilation 
North by Northwest
The Emoji Movie
Coco
Grease
Dirty Dancing
Captain Fantastic
The Wicker Man
This is Spinal Tap
Magic Mike XXL
Come Sunday
The Dark Tower
Bill
Avengers: Infinity War
Loving Vincent
Mansfield Park
Three Men and a Little Lady
Oliver!
Rough Night
Avatar
One Last Dance
Girls Trip
Alex and the List
The Dambusters
The Mummy [2017]
London
The Damned United
The Wedding Video
Deadpool
Enter the Dragon
Atomic Blonde
The Red Shoes
The Great Gatsby [2013]
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut
Morris: A Life With Bells On
Boss Baby
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Kenny
All About Eve
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Final Portrait
The Little Mermaid
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Men in Black 3
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Tomb Raider [2018]
Crocodile Dundee
Jabberwocky
Legend
Lethal Weapon 3
The Witches
Down With Love
Clash of the Titans [1981]
Clash of the Titans [2010]
I Give it a Year
Terminal
Where the Wild Things Are
The Handmaiden
The Muppet Movie [1979]
Brakes
Ready Player One
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
A Wrinkle in Time
Breathe
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Eagle vs Shark
Farenheit 451 [2018]
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Mission Impossible
Mission Impossible II
Mission Impossible III
The Saint [2017]
JFK
Ocean’s 8
Deadpool 2
Falling Down
Duck Butter
Peter Rabbit
44 Inch Chest
You Instead
The Deep Blue Sea
Not Another Happy Ending
Punch Drunk Love
The Fast and The Furious
2 Fast 2 Furious
The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift
Fast & Furious
Fast Five
Fast & Furious 6
Furious 7
The Fate of the Furious
Geostorm
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Escape to Victory
Porcupine Lake
The Snowman
The Incredibles
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Daphne
Ingrid Goes West
One Day
My Neighbor Totoro
There Will Be Blood
Rampage
Goodbye Christopher Robin
Incredibles 2
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Belle de Jour
Mission Impossible - Fallout
The Spy Who Dumped Me 
The Meg
Little Ashes
Meet Joe Black
The King of Comedy
Jason and the Argonauts
Flash Gordon
Odette
Strictly Ballroom
Into the Woods
Cars 3
The Book of Life
Murder on the Orient Express [2017]
Kath & Kimderella
Madame Bovary
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: Days of Future Past
X-Men: Apocalypse
All the Money in the World
Quincy
The Post
Becoming Bond
Early Man
Little Women [1994]
Dangerous Liaisons
The Party
Operation Finale 
Nappily Ever After
What’s New Pussycat?
Saved!
A Star is Born [1976]
Modern Life is Rubbish
Jaws
The Mercy
Swept from the Sea
Permission
Venom
A Star is Born [2018]
Far and Away
Heat
Jane Eyre
Braveheart
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
Juliet, Naked
First Man
Christopher Robin
Vincent and Theo
Pollock
Bohemian Rhapsody
One More Time With Feeling
Interlude in Prague
The Mask of Zorro
The Legend of Zorro 
You, Me, and Him
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms 
Crazy Rich Asians
Bobby [2016]
Outlaw King
Space Jam
They Shall Not Grow Old
The Grinch [2018]
The Big Lebowski 
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Mulan
The Battle of the River Plate
They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead
My Generation
Batman Begins
Being John Malkovich
Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part One
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part Two
Widows
Immortal Beloved
Basquiat 
Goya’s Ghosts
The Madness of King George
Charade
Star Wars: A New Hope
Stars Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Stars Wars: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Star Wars: Rogue One
The Polar Express
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Dr. No
From Russia With Love 
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Diamonds Are Forever
Live and Let Die
The Man With the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View to a Kill
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
Goldeneye
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World is Not Enough 
Die Another Day 
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace
Skyfall
Spectre
Superbob
Greenfingers
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
A Christmas Prince
Aquaman
Love, Cecil
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Copying Beethoven
The Party’s Just Beginning 
Point Break
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
The Sound of Music
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Muppets
Cars 2
The Holiday
A Bad Moms Christmas
The Holiday Calendar
The Christmas Chronicles
Nativity
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger
Arthur Christmas
Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager
Zootropolis
Mary Poppins
The Good Dinosaur
Trolls
Rise of the Guardians
Bros: After the Screaming Stops
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
Get Carter [1971]
Bottle Rocket
Turbo
Closer
Nothing Like a Dame
Bolt
Make Us Dream
Die Hard
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Porridge
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Books.
A Book For Her - Bridget Christie
Hickory Dickory Dock - Agatha Christie
Bright Star - John Keats
The Oberon Book of Comic Monologues for Women - Katy Wix
The Oberon Book of Comic Monologues for Women: Volume 2 - Katy Wix
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
Division Street - Helen Mort
The Victorian Guide to Sex - Fern Riddell
A Woman’s Work - Harriet Harman
Help - Simon Amstell
The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher
Selected Poems - Sylvia Plath
Ariel - Sylvia Plath
The ‘If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask For One’ EP - Stewart Lee
The Rachel Papers - Martin Amis
Parker Pyne Investigates - Agatha Christie
Bone - Yrsa Daley-Ward
Pages For You - Sylvia Brownrigg
The Sun and Her Flowers - Rupi Kaur
Different for Girls: A Girl’s Own True-Life Adventures in Pop - Louise Wener
A Single Man - Christopher Isherwood
A Room of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf
Repeal the 8th - Una Mullally
Why Not Socialism? - G.A. Cohen
The Chaos of Longing - K.Y. Robinson
High-Rise - J.G. Ballard
Animal Farm - George Orwell
Fully Coherent Plan - David Shrigley
The Lesser Bohemians - Eimear McBride
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4 - Sue Townsend
Hera Lindsay Bird - Hera Lindsay Bird
Submarine - Joe Dunthorne
In the Penal Colony - Franz Kafka
Babette’s Feast - Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) 
The Expelled - Samuel Beckett
Youth - Joseph Conrad
The Life of Rylan - Rylan Clark-Neal
Autumn - Ali Smith
The Cornet-Player Who Betrayed Ireland - Frank O’Connor
Two Gallants - James Joyce
Teaching my Mother How to Give Birth - Warsan Shire
Selected Poems - Edgar Allan Poe
Casino Royale - Ian Fleming
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Door in the Wall - H.G Wells
Terra Incognita - Vladimir Nabokov
Dirty Pretty Things - Michael Faudet
Women  & Power: A Manifesto - Mary Beard
Dear Illusion - Kingsley Amis
Bitter Sweet Love - Michael Faudet
Smoke & Mirrors - Michael Faudet
Girl Meets Boy - Ali Smith
Pre-Raphaelites - Heather Birchall
Conspiracy - Charlotte Greig
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
Sex and Rage - Eve Babitz
Scoop - Evelyn Waugh
The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh - edited by Mark Roskill
Role Models - John Waters
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
How Not To Be a Boy - Robert Webb
Animal - Sara Pascoe
Absolute Pandemonium - Brian Blessed
Eileen - Ottessa Moshfegh
A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness
A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
Normal People - Sally Rooney
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink - Scarlet Curtis and Others. 
Parsnips, Buttered - Joe Lycett
The Humans - Matt Haig
The Machine Stops - E.M. Forster
Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott
Poems for a World Gone to Shit - Various
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