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potlattice · 3 months

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Roots Before Branches (Rafe Cameron x reader)

Rafe Cameron x reader

Family day at the beach and Rafe is stressssssed-

***not based on the song

You enjoyed the gentle sea breeze as it gave you a break from the sweltering heat of the Outer Banks sun.

Rafe on the other hand found it inciting.

"It's blowing sand into her eyes!" He complained with a sharp glare towards the sea.

He was in a bad mood since Sarah had shown up to the beach with her friends to show them her baby niece. It wasn't a coincidence his heated glare was pointed in the direction the Pogues had taken up surfing.

"She's okay." You said, pointing to her little sunglasses. She also had on a bucket hat for good measure. "Did you want to swap seats?"

Whilst you lounged in the sun on a towel, Rafe sat under the umbrella in a beach chair beside you. Bea sat on his lap holding a red plastic spade. You wondered when he'd set her down so she can actually play with it...

He shook his head and kept his gaze on the sea.

"How about we build some sand castles?"

"The sand's too hot for her." Rafe shook his head again, taking a sip of his beer with a sigh.

You didn't grow up with a beach and wanted your daughter to enjoy every minute of the seaside whilst you were here for the summer.

"So we'll play by the shore." You said, standing up and brushing off the sand from your hands. "I could do with cooling down."

"But the water-"

"Is fine Rafe." You cut off before he could find another problem. You placed a quick kiss on his cheek. You loved that he was a protective person by nature, but you also missed the fun, care-free side to him from when you first met.

"Race you there."

"Wait-"

You didn't wait and ran for the water, wincing at the heat beneath your feet. You hated when he was right...

"You call that running?" He asked, jogging past you with a smiling baby.

Rafe waited for you at the shore as you caught your breath, quickly dipping your feet in the water as they burned.

"I had sand in my eyes." You excused with a shrug. He rolled his eyes but pulled you into his chest regardless.

"You were right." He said into your hair and you pulled back to look at him. "The water's a nice break from the heat. She'll love it."

He adjusted his grip on Bea and held her just slightly above the water, where it came to just below your knees and the tops of his ankles. Her toes skimmed the blue water and she immediately lifted her legs into her chest with a whine.

"Oh." You commented with surprise. "I guess she's not much of a water baby then."

"What?" Rafe said with a frown and looked down at his daughter as she actively avoided touching the water. "No she is." He insisted.

He lowered her a little more and she whimpered as a small wave splashed her legs.

"Oh dear." You recognised that pouty lip and grimaced as it wobbled before turning into a cry.

"Shit." He said, pulling her into his chest as she sobbed.

"She's a city girl." You laughed, holding onto your baby's foot and feeling the soft bottoms as she calmed down. "Aren't you?"

Rafe scowled. "She loves the bath. I thought she'd be happy here."

"She is happy here." You disputed with a frown.

"Clearly not." He said, visibly agitated with the situation.

You put your hands on your hips as you stared at the both of them. They shared the same unhappy frown. "She'll get used to it."

"I don't want to put her in the water if she doesn't like it." He snapped at you. "And there's no point living here if she doesn't like it." Rafe stormed out of the water and back to umbrella as Bea began to cry again.

You watched him leave with a narrowed gaze. His words settled in your mind and you speculated that the discussions of where Bea should grow up were grating on him.

As much as he wanted to move back home to Kildare, you put forward the point that you didn't have the money to live on Figure 8 and it's tormented him ever since.

You felt guilty at putting the cloudy thought in his mind. It wouldn't have bothered you, but it certainly bothered him to live as a 'would be Pogue'. If only he could see it in a different light...

"Hey, yo!" A voice called out from behind you. "Are you joining us, city girl?"

The figures of Sarah's friends were dotted in the water. A few on surf boards, including the Cameron girl herself.

"Yeah! Y/N come join me on my board!" She suggested with a wave.

You cast a glance back to shore. The rainbow umbrella was visible from here. Maybe seeing you have fun in the water with the Pogues would prompt Rafe to see they weren't so bad, or maybe he'd even join you himself.

"Just for a bit." You said, swimming over. You weren't the strongest swimmer but with Kiara's help, you were pulled onto the board and settled in front of Sarah.

You were in the water for about thirty minutes, most of which were spent laughing as the boy's wrestled in the water for a place on one of the surf boards. Or watching JJ wipe-out when he tried to surf as the waves on this side of the island were apparently not suited for surfing.

Sarah paddled around until Pope tipped you two off the board and you took it as your chance to head back to the umbrella, knowing you had two very grumpy baby's waiting for you...

You collapsed onto your towel with a tired huff.

It seems like you weren't the only tired one as Rafe had laid out a towel under the umbrella and lay on his side, blue eyes watching as your baby sat up on her own and played with wet sand. He must have collected it with her bucket.

"Thank you, sweetpea." You said as Bea passed you a chubby handful of the dark sand. She smiled at you from behind her pacifier and you bit your tongue, not wanting to argue with Rafe even though you'd spoken about stopping her using one.

"It stopped her from eating the sand." He voiced quietly, also accepting a handful of sand. Although he didn't manage much of a smile. "She's sitting up on her own." He noted.

You nodded. "She's growing up fast."

He didn't like the sound of that and shut his eyes, turning to lay on his back. Bea didn't mind and started piling sand on his chest.

But you didn't want him to remain in a glum state and knew you had to do something to lighten up his mood. The dilemma of your baby growing so fast, and the struggle to provide a stable place to raise her was causing a stress in your lives.

A frat house was no place for Bea to take her first steps, and now that you had both graduated, it was time to make your roots in the world your daughter would grow up in...

You stared at the ocean and then smiled.

"If you're anything like me, you'll give it one more try." You mumbled to your daughter, lifting her into your arms with a heave and standing up.

"What are you doing?" Rafe asked, sitting up in a panic.

"I'm trying again." You said with a shrug and he followed after you with protests as you hurried to the water.

But this time, you went deeper until it was at your hips before you called Sarah over.

She immediately spotted the two of you and paddled over. "Does bumblebee want a spot on the board?" She asked with a smile for the little girl.

"No, absolutely not." Rafe interrupted, coming up behind you, placing firm hands on your waist to help give you stability in the water.

"Rafe I've got her." You assured him, as Sarah hopped off her paddle board and held it still.

He said nothing but you felt him squeeze you in fear as you sat Bea gently on the wet board, not letting go of her as the water gently rocked it.

She looked at her father with watery eyes, her bottom lip sticking out and her arms flapping in protest as you and Sarah reassured her.

"Is that fun?" Sarah asked with a coo.

The other Pogues gathered round in interest as the baby sat on the board with a sad pout.

"Aww, she's not sure about the water." Kie pointed out with a sad smile.

"Here, this'll help." JJ said, using his fingers to flick some water at the baby and you froze as you waited for not only Bea's reaction, but Rafe's.

"You little fucker-"

He was cut off by his daughter's giggle.

"She loves it!" You cheered as she slapped her hand in the water and made a few splashes. It hit your chest and she laughed again.

JJ breathed a sigh of relief. "You see, I knew it'd work."

"Shut up." Rafe mumbled but splashed Bea with a flick of water against her leg anyway. He smiled as she laughed like she found it the funniest thing in the world, her big head titled back and everything.

"We're gonna go to the beach all the time!" Sarah celebrated, pressing a kiss against Bea's wet cheek.

You turned your head over your shoulder to look up at Rafe, trying to gauge his reaction to his sister's words. As if he read your thoughts, he stared down at you and smiled.

"Topper, Molly and Kelce won't be happy to find new roommates..."

"They'll just have to move here. Like us." You suggested and turned to face your happy baby again as he laughed at your words and lay a kiss on your shoulder.

"I love you."

You watched contently with Rafe pressed warmly against your back, as Sarah and Bea splashed John B playfully and he tried with little effort to splash them back.

You will uproot the life you started together in the city and move your family here, a place for your family tree to grow in the sun and by the water.

y'allll, i don't thrive under pressure and i didn't expect such a positive reaction to my stories... my writing abilities and moods fluctuate as im bipolar as fuck so i fear living up to expectations but here's a nugget of my appreciation for the love 🫶

#obx fanfiction #outer banks fanfiction #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe x reader #rafe x y/n #obx #rafe cameron x y/n #fratbaby

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mysterycitrus · 25 days

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I really enjoy rereading the snippets you post from next part of Persephone and the companion stories you’re planning to release! There was one from a few weeks ago where Lian and Roy were making dumplings(?) and it made me want to ask how you envisioned Lian’s childhood and how her relationship with her parents would have developed if she hadn’t died and the timeline hadn’t been rebooted.

i really really enjoy speculating about what lians life would’ve been like because she would honestly slot in perfectly with the dynamic dc had built around damian wayne and chris kent pre-flashpoint — children with complicated pasts who fundamentally want to do good.

i think lian growing up to fully understand what her mother is capable of would be super engaging storytelling, especially since jade nguyen objectively loves her daughter and wants the best for her, regardless of her own personal choices. i envision a roy and jade relationship where there will always be love there, deep down, but they both love their child more and know that their relationship will never ever be safe for her. for my own personal enjoyment i also like a dick grayson who is dating roy and tolerates jade from a distance, and cares about her by proxy.

wrt lian as a character…. i see someone super righteous and emotionally mature. she’s always been super aware of others feelings — we see that in outsiders and titans99 — so id love her to just be able to deliver cutting emotional analysis to the people she cares about (not above using it for gentle manipulation either teehee). id love to see her get into super marine biology (r:outsiders again) and we see that she has a collection of sea themed stuffies at dicks apartment in persephone.

i think roy is very on the train of “i can’t believe i managed to create someone like this” but honestly they’re very similar people. very loyal, very caring, extroverted and passionate, etc. but lian would lack that buried fear of being abandoned, or left behind i think. her dad would’ve told her over and over that no matter what, he’d always come back for her

#dickroy #lian Harper #roy Harper #nightwing #arsenal #teen titans #dc comics #the ask and the answer

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melon-kiss · 3 months

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We cannot be sure if we're ever getting season 2 of 1670. However, no one can deny us the right to predict. So here are my guesses:

Regardless of what happens in the meantime, I'm 99% convinced we're getting Aniela and Maciej being unmasked to the public, probably by Jakub. And it has a strong “season finale” potential to it.

I'm also pretty sure we'll be seeing another magnate's son but this time it could be different. We could get someone who'll share Aniela’s worldviews and it will cause a dilemma for her. Her objections to the marriage – caused by the fact she's already taken – may lead to the unmasking thing mentioned before.

There's also the third option where the lovers break up for the greater good and no one ever finds out – or everyone finds out when it's no longer true. Maciej will find the theater group and will hit the road with them and Aniela will marry a “good” magnate's son (as described above). However, I was told a comedy can't be perceived as such unless it has a happy ending. This does not seem like one...

Some fans speculate that Maciej is faking being a peasant and may turn out to be a nobleman. To be honest, it would be a bit underwhelming for me but I thought I'd drop it in here.

The actress portraying Aniela (Martyna Byczkowska), however, says Maciej will probably die (strangled for the closeness with a noblewoman) or the relationship will be forced to end. But she also says her character would be the best fit for running the estate, so there's some hope...

But what if Jakub found himself a nice boy? That would complicate the “outing plans”...

I'm genuinely confused and curious about Zofia. I’d love for her to get back with Rozalia and become an endgame but I do have a feeling we may not see her (Rozalia) again. My guess is we could either get another lover for Zofia or she gets outed – which will fuel Aniela’s anger towards her mother over her hypocrisy.

We can safely assume that we'll see some unhinged Bogdan. I mean, he was unhinged before but now, with all that money and the demonic possession? Dear God, we should be scared for our lives.

Of course, I would love to see some unhinged Wojciech, too. I mean, he has the potential to behead another magnate's son – and if he does, we may get the “It’s becoming a tradition around here” gag.

As to Jan Paweł? We can throw anything at him. He'll pull through.

Ofc, feel free to add your guesses! Wishful thinking is welcome, too.

#1670 #1670 netflix

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deafeninggardenerpanda · 7 months

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i'd love to hear about manmaru metadede !!! i heard it's really Gay but no one ever details it. not a lot of it is translated too, as far as i know, but i really like it.. any excuse to talk about something you like is good too

NO YEA not a lot is translated and the manga itself is already more niche compared to like, mopupupu so its not too well known. translation efforts have really started picking up the past year though (shoutout to @/kirby-manga-translated they do great work). if it needed to be restated for new followers since i havent tl'd in a while, i know a decent amount of japanese so i read them on my own :)c

shoutout to my guy @/rosakikoza as well for giving me his scans hehe. the majority of images below are his or taken from his scans. the rest are mine

*deep breath* the tangent. im gonna need to put this under a cut dont mind me 😍😍😍 did i say 3 paragraphs? i meant 20. like 20 paragraphs

meta knight is absolutely pathetic and incredibly down bad for dedede this manga. its adorable. multiple people ive talked to or seen have come to the conclusion it seems like he has a huge crush on him. a quick brief for those who dont know but this mangas meta is admittedly Veryyyyy different from how you'd expect a meta knight to be. uncharacteristically friendly and cheerful and. pathetic is really the best word for it. hes kinda a loser. incredibly protective of dedede, he switches between two modes of fussing over him quite a bit and semi-often going into incredible rage bloodlust modes over protecting him or his image (youll see a good amount of jp fanwork depict this version of him as a yandere for that reason)

theres also been more than one occasion where meta knight tries to commit seppuku upon accidently doing something he sees as unforgivable towards his king (its in the chapter i just screenshotted above too, another time he broke dededes clock and freaked out about it). i-. dont consider this a cute ship thing for the record im just stating it to emphasize the extent of metas obsession towards dedede this manga. the mans got Problems...

apart from that, also quite differing from most interpretations of both of them, both of them seem to genuinely really like spending time around each other all the time. it comes off as casually domestic and is very cute...

regardless of my attempts to brief it, i dont feel like im explaining this very well so lemme just show you a frankly ridiculous amount of reasons for why i keep feeling like this mangaka ships metadede

-fake kiss: self explanatory

-fake proposal: also self explanatory

mk: Will you marry me!?

ddd: Yes!

context for this scene is that theyre rehearsing for a play, but actually its later revealed that meta knight is playing the princess while dedede is playing the male protag so im not exactly sure it makes sense that hes the one proposing here. my speculation is that to make the proposal seem legit for the gag they Had to use meta LMAO but thats just my take

also to be noted, right after kirby hears the proposal he immediately runs off and tries to tell everyone the news before ddd+mk stop him and explain that its fake. hes not thrown off or weirded out at the idea that they could be getting married in the slightest. kirby says gay rights Real i love him sm

-this one is from what i call the memory loss chapter:

dedede loses his memories from getting hit in the head too hard. the gang figures out that beating dedede up or otherwise causing him injury causes him to regain some of them back though, to which kirby attempts to harm him with increasingly violent means, much to meta knights horror. mk spends the entire chapter trying to protect dedede from him, and it doesnt work obviously, but after a particularly hard hit dedede remembers everyone again... except for meta knight. to which meta knight gets upset about and lets kirby lay into dedede for real. you see where people get the yandere personality from now right. i dont recall this trait coming out too often but ill talk more about it later

-the whole chapter thats a cinderella retelling with dedede and meta knight. also also self explanatory COME ON LOOK AT THIS ONE. LOOK AT IT.

mk: Y…You're…

ddd: Wow, he's so beautiful!! It's like I'm dreaming…!

-theres the mangaka chapter which is a more recent one

the gang makes manga for dedede. meta knight's manga is about how cool, brave, and heroic dedede is. mysteriously enough however the only thing hes good at is drawing dededes face and nothing else. the implications of this one drive me absolutely insane. is it supposed to imply that meta knight stares at his face all day?? admires his appearance??? he looks at him so much he basically has his face memorized????? HUH???????? theres no heterosexual explanation for this. acting like a teenager with a crush out here got damn

=various images im sharing out of context because they r cute

head pats. holding hands and reaching the goal together. peak.

KNIGHT DRESSUP FOR THE KNIGHT. AHAAHGH

ddd: Hoho, pretty spiffy don'cha think?

mk: Ohh!? It suits you!!

fellas is it gay to shout "OHH! META KNIGHT!!" with a dopey grin on your face upon being saved like a damsel in distress

sometimes meta knight acts domestic as fuck too. his copy abilities as he states are: cook! clean!! and sleep!!!

regarding my thoughts on their dynamic in this series overall, i think theyre absolutely adorable. meta knight emits dog energy in this one. eager golden retriever towards dedede, though dedede has his sweet moments towards meta knight too. (viewing it with a shipping lens just for this post ofc) while meta is the more active crusher, some of the stuff above seems to imply that dedede has feelings in return as well :') they just get along really well too its great. theres a different chapter where they perform as a comedy duo. theyve done plays in multiple chapters. its my hc for these versions of them that they love doing performances of all kinds together and do a lot of rehearsals and writing in their free time...

and the yandere stuff i feel like i should address as well. i try not to take some aspects Too seriously because its to be expected things are over emphasized for the sake of the joke with gag mangas. but oh man the man definitely has problems. he needs therapy. i tried to be transparent in listing those aspects as well so people can make their own conclusions on it But theres one more thing id like to mention regarding that

meta knights personality has been shifting to be different from what i listed, as of the most recent volume. my beloved forgotten land arc... a first for this series in that, while the chapters still retain their gag humor and dont take themselves that seriously, its a serialized story that mostly follows along with the game plot that lasts nearly the whole volume (as opposed to other game arcs in this manga being episodic stories, using the games as their theme rather than a full on setting). with the more serious tone of the serialized story, theres a frankly startling hint of character development i never wouldve expected from a gag manga at the end of it

kirby gets ko'd the first round of the meta knight cup so meta knight joins the meta knight cup instead. turns out when he does that the final boss of the cup is dedede. meta knight Really doesnt want to hurt dedede and so dedede promptly kicks his ass without a second thought and wins the tournament. while the crowd cheers for dedede's victory, meta and dedede have a small talk where dedede tells him he doesnt need to fuss so much about hurting him/him getting hurt. presumably this is supposed to mark the end of meta knights intense overprotectiveness because (its never been clear-cut due to the nature of the manga previously, so its a lil hard to say) dededes shown he can handle himself, or like, isnt some fragile thing. i really hope itll stick around because i think its a great addition to both of their characters. the meta-knights have also been appearing way more frequently as of very recent chapters (ones that havent been compiled into a volume yet) which seem to also hint to meta knight getting more independence to his character from dedede's loyal servant. im very excited to see where it goes :D

and like, last last disclaimer if anyone needed it; even tho i love metadede and i like to see things through ship glasses sometimes i absolutely try my best to keep my biases out of my translations. putting out accurate translations means a lot to me! this entire post is me purposely putting the ship glasses on so please dont take it as "omg metadede is canon in this manga". you know way back when i was the only active translator for this manga someone tweeted at the mangaka on twitter mentioning that there were english translations around and he replied to that person. didnt respond to the fan translation thing specifically but the fact that he could know who i am definitely kinda terrifies me. if anyone goes around saying that his manga is the metadede manga because of me and he even has the slightest sliver of a chance of seeing that i will kill yall fr LOL

#asks #anonymous #metadede

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jag-rat · 3 months

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Merethic Era Falmer (snow elves)

I was thinking of doing a mini project about Merethic Tamriel and a documentation of the people that were living there in a sort of semi-historic way.

Of course most of it would probably not be entirely lore accurate and there will be a lot of headcanoning but it's fun regardless. So enjoy the first addition to this series.

Falmer: The falmer during the Merethic era were the tallest mer race on Nirn growing on average between 6 - 7 feet. They were also the hairiest and bulkiest on average due to the cold climate. Their culture and practices during this time were very similar to modern day nordic ones due to the cultural overlap and assimilation on the atmorans end when they first arrived to Skyrim.

They valued strength and honour. Their original gods are long lost now however historians speculate the modern nordic gods could share traits with the Falmer's old gods.

In the early Merethic era the snow elves invaded and seized what is currently the Summerset isles. This is how it is assumed Auri-El (An Altmeri/Aldmeri God) was introduced to Skyrim and later would become the primary god in the snow elven pantheon.

Furs, beards, and long hair was the norm in terms of falmer fashion for a long time due to the extreme weather however the shorter hair and beardless look though impractical in such weather was popularised in later years. Again influenced by the fashion trends on the much warmer summerset isles.

Generally speaking when the Falmer weren't invading distant lands or declaring wars with other clans they were a prospering civilisation and in the early days were much like the nords not particularly interested in magic. This was partly due to the fact Skyrim has large iron deposits meaning smithing and weaponry were the most practical but that didn't mean there was no magic at all.

Healers generally could manipulate the weave and tell or even change the future. But when Auri-el was popularised magic become a much larger part of the Falmers lives being combined and assimilated into what they already had. For example enchanting among smiths and manipulation of elements specific to Skyrim (Ice magic mostly).

These changes didn't come fast of course, the falmer were quite stubborn. But over time a cultural shift did happen going from axe-wielding barbarians (As the Aldmer called them) to a slightly more tame society that we know a little bit today.

This didn't come without its challenges however as while the falmer were changing the Atmorans living there were not and in fact had taken on a lot of the cultural aspects or even gods of the traditional falmer. This inevitably was the beginning of the end as tensions got higher with these cultural and religious differences it ended the only way it could, in a war. And well, you know the rest.

Currently the ancestors of the Merethic snow elves thrive in cave systems below ground. While the nords toil above ground, the nords frost resistance of course being a product of falmer and atmoran ancestors. Regardless both societies still hold the values the early Snow elves held. Strength and Honour.

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chrollohearttags · 1 year

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𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖇 • 𝕰. 𝕵𝖆𝖊𝖌𝖊𝖗: chapter two

synopsis: for as long as he could remember, eren jaeger’s only concern and love was his music..despising fame and all that came with it. That was until he was forced into a club appearance by their mutual manager and met (y/n) (l/n), a renowned pole dancer and social media’s newest rising star. After a picture of the pair together begins circulating, they find themselves at the center of a rumor mill. But with the two forming a fast friendship, will they feed into the speculation or will the rapper’s less than welcoming nature push her away?

cw: inappropriate and heavy language, drug use (mainly weed), mentions of sexual content and nudity, FaceTime (implied phone sex and masturbation), eren being a flirt, pole dancing (not stripping though), small mentions of sex toys

wc: 5.8K

📝: y’all, I’ve been enjoying this story so much, obviously. I’m going to try for weekly updates (either Saturday or Sunday) also, if you’d like to be added to the tag list for future chapters, please comment or reblog to let me know!

“Babygirl, I don’t dabble in what ifs and rumors..little too grown for all that shit. I let people believe what they want because I don’t care. As for as you and I, if you really wanna give ‘em something to talk about and make ‘em mad, then keep fucking with me..I’ll make it fun.”

prev chapter > next chapter

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰──── ───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡

“Alright, let’s take a break right here and then we’ll run it back one more time. You’re doing great, bro. I’m loving it so far.”

the rapper could be seen nodding behind the plexiglass partition to Eren, who was talking over a microphone as he removed his head seat to pause for an intermission. For some reason or another, the famed producer seemed to be in a much better mood than he was during the previous session.

either way, he’d take this version of him over the temperamental one any day and while he was letting him rest, he’d go grab him some water. just then, the red light and buzzer, signaling that someone else was trying to enter his little lair, sounded off above the ceiling.

he’d flip the switch to unlock the door, because people loved to walk in unannounced and interrupt him so he had to remedy it. He knew it wouldn’t be long before someone came to disturb his peace and progress..

“Mr. Jaeger, Mr. Jaeger…are you in here?”

spinning around in his chair, Eren would be greeted by his wiry, red haired, hard working assistant. Who, as always, was a basket case and didn’t want to disturb his boss while he was busy. But what really annoyed him was the way he greeted him. “Floch, dude. Chill with all that ‘mister’ shit. We’re like a year apart, you can call me Eren. It’s cool, I promise.”

what he didn’t realize was that it just reminded him too much of his asshole doctor of a dad. And being remotely referred to in any capacity the same as that man, made him want to claw his own eyes out..regardless, Floch would apologize and he’d ask him to state his business so he could get back to work.

“Right, sorry sir. Well in any case, I just wanted to bring you this. Came through your email this morning..offers from like six different clubs to do an appearance, GQ and Elle both want to do interviews with you. For Ten Favorite Things and Song Association.” But if he knew anything about his employer, every last one of those were about to be declined with a quickness.

releasing a heavy sigh, the producer reclined in his seat and just shook his head.

“Dude, you already know the answer to this shit. The answer is no. And not just no, hell no.”

“I know and I apologize, but—“

but before that question could he given a proper answer, another voice intervened and interrupted their talk.

“I told him to accept them. Looks like you have a busy week ahead, buddy.”

it was none other than the maverick herself, and she seemed to be all smiles..which frightened both of them! “M-miss Ackerman!How’d you get in here?!” Floch muttered nervously, knowing better than to question her but still curious all the same.

but the musician surely wasn’t afraid to ask.

“Yes, Mikasa. That’s a good question, why the hell are you walking in my studio like you pay bills here? Better yet, why are you volunteering me for more bullshit?”

she was as much of a powerhouse as ever; intimidating and afraid of nothing, including the brown haired brat sitting in that chair. Dressed in a more casual outfit than her normal thousand dollar Givenchy and Giuseppe’s, she’d just smirk and help herself to one of the empty seats.

“Didn’t we just go over this like three days ago or are you just pretending to be stupid?”

one thing about her was that she would always meet him where he was at. If he took it low, she’d go to hell and wouldn’t stop until she won. As with everyone. You’d be a damn fool to ever challenge Mikasa to anything. She was a third generation talent in the music industry and next heiress in line to take over AMG, Ackerman Management Group.

they were the premier record label and talent agency that everyone wanted to work with. They were notorious for getting some of the biggest names their start but working hard all the same.

founded by her great uncle, Kenny, who was a popular rock singer back in the day and taken over by his son and her uncle, Levi. Who was even far more ruthless than she could ever be! he wasn't a fan of the rapper’s lackadaisical attitude in the slightest so he told her to make him get his act together or get his ass out the door. Needless to say, she didn’t want it to result in the latter. Hence why she was here.

“I’ve got a dress fitting at twelve and a meeting with my wedding planner after that so let’s make this quick. And I’d prefer if we could do it privately.” Talking bluntly as she scrolled through her Apple Watch, pecking at the screen. It didn’t take long for Floch to get a clue and kick rocks.

he’d take being on his boss’ shit list over hers any day.

regardless, he could care less and both of them to beat it so he could continue recording..once the two of them were alone, Eren stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket and gave her a deadpan expression.

“I’m just gonna take a wild guess and say you aren’t here for a friendly chat.” “Correct again. There is more than wind between those little ears of yours.”

he really wasn’t in the mood for her nonsense so she better had made this quick! Whatever it was…

“I’m here because one, Ms. Hange asked me to send her personal regards and this…said that her club has been packed full every night since you performed and she’d love to have you back.”

handing him an envelope with a check in the amount of ninety five thousand dollars. When you were a huge name of his caliber, it came with a hefty price tag! She wasn’t mad though, because she made a couple million easily that night..the second thing on the docket though, was a tad bit more personal and something she needed to know.

it had been a week since that show and since he met (y/n), who was all over Twitter and Instagram, going viral for the simple fact she was spotted with him. And Mikasa would be damned if he screwed up this poor girl’s career this early on.

“Speaking of..you mind explaining why you and my new client are playing footsies in VIP for the entire internet to see?”

scratching her forehead as she pulled her phone up to show him the picture that had been circulating social media heavily. Which he probably knew nothing about since he never checked those damn things anyways. Poor (y/n) was probably being bombarded with more questions and threats than she knew what to do with.

“I know that shit was your idea, Eren. You get a rise out of sending people into a panic so you probably told her to kiss you. Am I right or am I right?”

without so much as another word, she just let out a frustrated huff. “So goddamned predictable..”

she was incredibly annoyed and hadn’t even been there for five minutes.

“Please don’t tell me you fu—“

“No!..what type of man do you take me for?”

“A slut, because that’s what’s you are!”

taken aback in complete offense as he playfully grabbed his chest!

she knew him well enough that he wasn’t the type to do a million random hookups but he was also a huge flirt and could charm the pants off of a snake. Which telling by that photo and the videos, it was obvious that he had this girl wrapped around his finger and vice versa so she wouldn’t be surprised if something came of it..

and he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t feeling (y/n)…you were stunning, funny, sweet and had all types of sex appeal. Honestly, had you been the one initiating it, he definitely would’ve hit on the first night.

“Look, I’m not telling you what to do with your life but I am telling you not to get this girl caught up in some weird nonsense. She’s got a bright future ahead of her and the last thing she needs is to be messed up by the industry’s favorite misfit.”

rolling his eyes, Eren leaned back in his chair before grabbing his water bottle.

truth be told, the only thing on his mind was making music and getting this album finished. He didn’t have time to lay up with you or anybody else.

“Mika, if I wanted a lecture, I’d go call my mom and let her bitch at me. Thank you for the check but I promise, you don’t have to worry about anything. I barely know the girl, we did as you asked and that was it. Now if you’d be so kind as to get the hell out so I can finish working, I'd be very grateful.”

at this point, it was the best thing. He was hard headed as hell and knew he’d go against her out of spite. Still, a small part of her was happy to see him smiling for once and if you had managed to bring that side out for just a moment, then she was fine.

“Fine, I’ll leave you and your rat’s nest to it. Just remember what I said.”

demanding as she rose from her seat and began to leave. But of course, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease her. They were best friends before they were manager and client.

“Yeah whatever..hey, speaking of rats, where’s your ugly fiancé?”

clicking her tongue into her cheek, Mikasa just rolled her eyes and dismissed the comment. She knew that they didn’t and probably would never get along but she also knew Eren was an asshole.

“You’re such a jackass, I swear.” declaring before turning on her heel and heading towards the door.

“You know he got a face that can’t be seen in the daylight. You’re gonna scare my neighbors.” cracking up as he joked on the rival artist.

all he received in return is a middle finger from his manager! “I love you, Mika!” she was so used to his annoying behavior that she just tuned out half the time. Now that she had left though, it was time to get back to what really mattered and that was working his magic on another project.

just then, his friend and fellow rapper, Connie Springer reentered the studio, ready to finish out the second half of this session.

“Aye bro, you ready?” He’d ask from behind the partition as he placed his headphones back on. However, there was one thing Eren needed to take care of beforehand. Grabbing his phone, he’d scroll and search for a particular contact..one that hadn’t left his head since Saturday.

he couldn’t believe that someone actually had his attention..and he hated it! But still, it’d be nice to hear from you again.

staring at the screen for just a minute, he’d contemplate sending the message he had typed before setting it down and getting back to the grind.

“Yeah, I’m ready, bro. Let’s run that last shit back.”

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰───────✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰

meanwhile, somewhere a couple states away, (y/n) was working diligently on your craft as well. Preparing to perform alongside the headliner for a music festival and you had to ensure that not only yourself but the entire collective was on their A-Game.

“Alright, we all go up on three count, heel click at five and come down on eight. Got it?”

a group of five other ladies looked back at you and nodded with reassurance as you stood before them in front of the pole classroom at the Allure Dance Studio. The premier studio where you and your team had practiced for many years now.

The Pole Assassins consisted of yourself, Janae James, Syrai Hughes, Kellie Grant, Niesha Daniels and Brianne Scott. Some of the most talented performers; some of them well versed in a multitude of dance styles and having served as backup for so many artists..ranging from SZA, Megan The Stallion to Rihanna and many other household names.

although there was a huge misconception that all of you were just strippers turned social media stars, that wasn’t the case. Granted, there wasn’t a single thing wrong with that because Syrai and Brianne did happen to get their start at the infamous Blue Flame in Atlanta.

regardless of where all of you came from, you were here now and getting backup performers their much deserved recognition.

in another year’s tops, you wanted to organize your own tour..traveling across the country to show off the illustrious skills and art of pole. Help break the stigma and bias towards the trade..

but at the moment, duty called and there was so much to do before the show in a couple days. At the moment though, what you all could use was a much needed break! “Alright y’all, let’s rest for thirty and then get back to it.”

all the ladies exhaled a sigh of relief and dispersed for the time being. That was all except one..your best and closest friend, Niesha. Everyone on the team had a close bond and considered yourselves sisters but you and Niesha had known each other since childhood.

she lingered around, taking a sip from her water bottle before collapsing near her designated pole.

“Damn bitch, I knew you worked hard but you straight slave driving us today.”

joking as you walked towards her, playfully swinging a towel at her. You couldn’t help but laugh because your reputation as a perfectionist preceded you. Everything you put your name on was done to the precise tee or not at all!

and although the rest of them were gracious for your hard work and leadership, they were no stranger to that obsessive behavior and rigorous training.

“Was I that bad?” muttering and giggling as you took a seat next to her.

“Nah baby, you good..but the last time I saw you go this hard, you were fighting with your ex nigga and your family. What’s on your mind?”

Niesha was the jokester of the troupe but she was also a sweetheart. She never let any of you have a bad day or stay there for long..releasing a sigh, you’d take a swig of the chilled water, positioning yourself on the backs of your seven inch clear Pleasers.

“I’m good, I’m just trying to make sure we do this right, ‘s all. I want us on that next level so I’m pushing hard this year.”

Niesha would nod, seconding the sentiment. She knew you well enough to know that was the case but also, couldn’t help but feel as though something else was at play here..clicking her tongue in her cheek, she’d smirk and glare over at you.

“Yeah..or the fact that you all over the internet right now and you’re trying to forget it.” And there it was. She had called your bluff yet again..as a true best friend would! Doubling over in laughter, she’d watch your expression change and couldn’t help but to cackle about it.

if it’s one thing she knew about you, it was that this fame thing would never quite register. Unlike her and the rest of the girls, you did not attend these industry parties or accept hotel room invitations.

once whatever job you were hired for was finished, you were the first to dip..you didn’t get starstruck or fawn over the million different famous faces. You simply wanted to dance and that was that. But if there was one person that stance was broken for..it was the man who was featured in the circulating photo with you.

but it was bittersweet, considering the fact that every other comment was basically alluding to the fact that y’all were fucking or that you needed his name for some half assed attempt at getting clout. Which was a complete lie because in the entire week you had known him, you only spoke for a little while before your work pulled you both away. There was no agenda or networking..just a nice vibe and you wanted it to stay that way.

“Girl, ion know why you even tripping. That man is so fine, I wouldn’t give a fuck about what these people got to say. Especially the way he was all up on you? Chile, you a better woman than me..I know I would’ve folded.” that’s exactly why you loved her! She was your exact opposite and afraid of nothing. Shame and judgment didn’t exist and she lived everyday to the fullest, doing whatever made Niesha happy.

smacking your lips, you’d dismiss her argument. As right as she was, you couldn’t allow yourself to get carried away.

it wasn’t as if something would come of the little exchange. It was a job and nothing more. By now, you were certain he had forgotten all about you and was on to the next model or singer on his roster. meanwhile, you were being called a ho and clout addict by the illiterate rap pages and bloggers..not to mention his hormonal fangirls who probably had a shrine of him in their bedrooms.

you heard the rumors about how he operated but you couldn’t help but feel that they were just that: rumors.

because he didn’t do a million interviews or put his business on front street, these shady reporters did the next best thing and constructed lies to get their clout and coins up.

“Be for real, Niesha. You know that man probably doesn't even remember me. Besides, he only did that because they were taking pictures and annoying him.”

“Right. And if I was you, I would’ve gave they asses something to snap. You had Eren fucking Jaeger touching all over you in the middle of the club and didn’t give that man no pussy? You crazy. Listen, they would’ve just had to hate me.” all you could do was laugh at this point because she was serious and you had to respect it..at least she was honest!

“Do you hear yourself right now? I don’t care who it is, I’m not fucking on no random man after only three hours of knowing him. He was real sweet, we had a good time…even smoked a lil’ bit after the club but that’s as far as it went and will go. I’m not ‘bout to be on the front page of TheShadeRoom every week, fighting hoes in the comments. Not over him or nobody else.”

she knew there was no changing your mind but she considered the fact that you had been going hard non stop since you all had made it big. No breaks, no relaxations and damn sure no man in your life..tapped into multiple lines of work but never taking time for (y/n).

so what if he did one night you? That the two of you would’ve gone back to your hotel and let him put those lyrics to the test? No one would have cared or blamed you for doing so. You were a young woman, a very beautiful one at that it so made no sense to sit here and let that allude you. Nothing was wrong with dating and

“Girl, I think you just need to stop letting stuff get to you. I know you don’t want to hear this but it comes with the game. These bitches gone’ talk shit regardless and if you wanna be out there and have Pole Assassins all over the world, then I think you need to get a bit of thicker skin and let it roll off your back. They don’t pay your bills so don’t pay they asses no mind. Period.”

she was right! No need in dwelling over something that couldn’t be undone. You two enjoyed yourselves so there was nothing to regret, even if it was short lived. Meeting him was a top five experience in your life and career, even if that was the first and last time…rising from her spot, heels clicking against the previously polished sandalwood floors, marked by your scuffing.

“As for mister EJ, if he does by some miracle remember you, don’t fumble that bag, bitch. It’s time to put (y/n) first and stop worrying about an image. He obviously don’t care so why should you?”

letting out a loud huff, you’d stand up as well and stretch your limbs. It was no point in denying the truth..someone was going to have an opinion, good or bad. Something that Eren had probably learned early on and it was your turn now to do the same. Especially if you wanted to achieve all these wild dreams and see (y/n) (l/n) up in lights…

“Yeah, yeah. Damn I hate that you always right..”

you just hoped that it wouldn’t be for all the wrong reasons..

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰───────✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰

later that evening..

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darkness had all but settled over the bustling city of Miami but it was most certainly a place that never slept. Parties, clubs, bars and adult playgrounds alike..you’d definitely find your poison there. Something to suit a vice of every kind. It was also a place, notorious for the amount of celebrities that resided there, including Eren himself. However, he didn’t partake in the late night culture much or being around people at all for that matter. Granted, it was a far cry from his hometown of northern Jersey but at the fresh age of sixteen, he made the move all by his lonesome to South Florida and hadn’t looked back since. It was something that kept his family at odds for years and baffled his friends all the same.

they thought he was insane for choosing to leave a life of comfortability and luxury, just to chase this dream of making music. To voluntarily couch surf and sleep in cars all because they didn’t support him…it seemed crazy but it was a necessary sacrifice. He could’ve easily followed in his father and older brother’s footsteps; dealing with sick people or sitting in a chair with a note pad, listening to people bitch about their problems. But he’d much rather go mop the entire sea floor of Miami Beach before being in their shoes. So he stayed diligent, drowning out any noise that refuted his goals and went hard. He worked at Foot Locker during the day and done a few..illegal things at night to fund his engineering education. Fast forward almost ten years later and it had paid off major. Three Grammys; two for album of the year, one for songwriting, four VMA’s, and even an Emmy for a song he once produced in a movie. His resume was quite stacked and impressive for being so young. And the bank account matched!

with a net worth of over thirty million, it was no wonder that he was the topic of discussion every other week. Wondering how he did it..what his secret was and what he was going to do next. At the moment though..he was enjoying the fruits of his tireless labor.. but without squaring away the remained of his business first!.. “Listen, I heard the song and that shit go crazy…bro, I’m telling you, this the next single!..imma be flying out there next week for a shoot and you already know what I’m on. Let’s link and make this shit happen. I just got my second studio out there and I’m ready to go to work. I’ll send my verse in the morning..”

the rapper spoke into his AirPods as he conversed with excitement on his face. When it came to creating, that’s what truly made him smile. All that other stuff, they could keep. On the other end, was a fellow artist that had been dying to work with the famous producer. Not just to mix and master the music but have him on the song as well and getting an EJ The Don feature was like getting the rarest Pokémon you could find. He was a hot commodity, even after all these years and still hadn’t reached his prime! It was a great feeling because his best work was yet to come. For now though, what he needed was rest! “Aight, man. I’ll talk to you later..bye.”

ending the call shortly after before settling into his massive king bed with the pillow top mattress. Covered in neatly tucked silk sheets and fluffy comforters..all courtesy of his wonderful housekeeping staff. Which consisted of seven people that kept his ten thousand square foot, three story mansion spotless. Six bedrooms and baths, a mini theater, game room, home gym and an infinity pool with a jacuzzi in the spacious backyard. Not to mention, the all black Wraith, cobalt blue Maserati and two muscle cars sitting in the five car garage. To say he lived lavish was an understatement and the best part was..he did it all on his lonesome. Not a red cent of his doctor daddy’s money like everyone loved to claim.

but one thing about him, is that he didn’t give the first, second or third fuck about anyone’s opinions. He had the life that they could only dream of and no amount of comments or commentary videos would stop him. Having freshly showered, the musician ties his shoulder length shag into a bun..completely topless; covered only by his tattoos and donning grey sweats as he climbed into bed. On the nightstand sat his phone and a pre rolled blunt, awaiting his ignition. After the stressful day he’d had, he most certainly needed it.

despite his rampant success and having anything he wanted at his disposal..there was something missing that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Unlike most of his cohorts, he didn’t do well with company. Having a house full of strangers to fill a void or laying up with a bitch he didn’t know the first thing about was not his ministry. He’d rather be alone in the solitude of his fortress before going out sad like that..still, like anyone, he did long to have someone around, at least to talk to.

his two best friends: one, a philandering playboy with more bodies than the morgue and the other, a soon to be married woman with a husband that hated his guts had no time to kick it with him, as their schedules just didn’t permit it. Reluctantly, Eren grabbed the phone from the nightstand and scrolled for a minute. It was very rate that he even picked that thing up because he was just jaded by social media and folks in general. But it was the closest he’d get to human interaction right now.

placing his blunt between his lips, he’d grasp the lighter sitting next to it and spark a flame, allowing the air to permeate his lungs. There wasn’t a better feeling in the world!..but it was about to get that much better when he flicked his thumb across the screen to scroll up his very bare feed, completely ignoring the thousands of notifications and spotted something in the recommended tab..

@(socialmedianame) Worked on a little something today with the girls..can’t wait to be on the stage at Rolling Loud. ♥️”

a video with a familiar song, a very familiar face..and a pretty infamous body too was seen twirling around a pole to one of his tracks, doing a variety of stunts until she went spread leg in the air and then landed on the floor in a split! To say he was impressed would be an understatement. Stretching those big green eyes, the rapper replayed the reel at least a couple times before becoming completely entranced..he couldn’t stop staring at the woman or her movements. Out of complete curiosity, he’d click the user and there she would appear..

(Y/N): the one who had been on his mind constantly. And that much was proven by the fact that he was even lurking on your page because he never even bothered to check in anyone. But after only seeing a couple pictures, that infatuation grew tenfold. From the aesthetically pleasing photos of you in some sexy outfit, to the videos of you twerking to a new song as you sported a string bikini. Now, he had had his fair share of women and seen all types of girls throughout the tenure of his career but not one of them would EVER come close to being as bad as you..that pretty brown skin tone, perfect hair, nails and makeup..an absolute beauty. Of course, he was a man before anything so his attention averted to that ass, which was sitting..

he’d never admit it but he had watched it far more times than he should’ve been proud of. One perk of being alone in this big house was that he was free to do as he pleased..which included cupping a hand around his bulge and release a huff while watching that thickness move like water. “Damn (y/n)…”

it made no sense how fine you were and how mesmerized he was..the fantasies running through his head right now were not thoughts unbecoming of a renowned recording artist. But something would soon snap the singer out of his trance and that was a call from (y/n) yourself! Not was he expecting but he’d quickly pull himself together to accept. “Fuck.” Mumbling underneath his breath, Eren swiped over and in a matter of seconds, your pretty face was on the other end in real time.

“What’s good?”

his deep set voice speaking out and immediately catching you off guard..not because it scared you but that tone done something to you. He played it so cool that you wouldn’t have even known that you had him sweating bullets a few minutes ago!

“I’m just now getting in, sorry about calling you this late..I didn’t see your text until now so I figured I’d say hey.”

now, if anyone else had been hitting his line that late, they would’ve been getting cussed out from A to Z but for you? He was happy as hell to hear your voice and even happier to see that smile. Something he didn’t believe he had ever experienced. Yet here he was imploding with joy..blowing a cloud of smoke, he’d eye you up and down before speaking again.

“Nah, you fine. Glad you did…” from there, the two of you proceeded to talk about your days, exchanging laughs and stealing glances of one another through the camera lenses. You were in your hotel room, just now making it back from a photo shoot and fine wasn’t even the word to describe the look. Face beat to perfection, long thirty inch jet black hair laid and a skimpy two piece on your curvy body. “You look pretty. Like that outfit on you..” the compliment making your stomach flutter in return. For some reason, conversation flowed so casually with him. This was the first time that you had actually seen his face since the club and you didn’t even feel nervous. The fact that you even had his number was still a shock but it was nice.

however, there was a huge elephant in the room that would inevitably take over your chat. “So Miss Ackerman called me today..” the words making him visibly irritated because his mind immediately reverted back to their talk earlier in the day. He despised being told what to do but as he was certain she gave him that advice, he was sure she had given you the same lecture. “Oh yeah? You got a visit from the wicked witch too? What she say?” Playing oblivious as he absentmindedly turned on the TV to distract himself. Meanwhile, you’d giggle and prepare to put your hair up. Unbeknownst, she had already gotten on his ass but you’d be completely honest.

“She said she was really happy with the club performance and that she’d be happy for us to come back and host any time. Which again, I have to say thank you for helping me. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to do it without you.” nodding gently as he looked at you. It was his pleasure because your paths probably would’ve never crossed regardless. Which may have been for the best, considering that you were being dogpiled simply for being associated with his namesake. But Eren wasn’t much for small talk and he could tell by the look on your face that something was bothering you..

“And what else did she say?”

the question caught you off guard but there was no use in lying. Might as well be upfront because knowing him, he was completely oblivious to the whole situation. “..I’m assuming you don’t know about the picture then, huh?” letting out a soft cackle, he’d simply shrug his shoulders before pursing his lips together for another hit. “I’ve been made aware..why? What’s up?” It was as if nothing ever got underneath his skin. Which was more than what could be said about you because for the past few days, they had managed to piss you off something serious! As you stood before your bathroom mirror, you’d section off those locks into sections; placing them in rollers for the night.

“Well, they out here saying we fucking. Talking shit and making up stuff..so annoying.”

without so much as the raise of an eyebrow or change in expression, EJ blew his third consecutive puff and dismissed it, which you figured it was because of his long term tenure in the industry and he was accustom to having his name used for clickbait. It was another day for him but you weren’t exactly privy to it so he’d try to ease your mind…at least in the best way he knew how!

“I mean…I’ll prove ‘em right if that’s what they want.” muttering so casually that you’d blurt out a laugh and smack your lips. “You know what?” eventually, he’d start laughing as well and sit up, now staring you straight in the face. “But for real, that don’t bother you? They just making shit up, playing on yo’ name like that?”

the question was all but rhetorical, still her answer truthfully and let you know exactly what the deal was! “Yeah, cause imma be mad that they’re saying I had sex with a beautiful girl. Oh, the horror..” that sarcasm was something you’d hav to get used to quickly if you wanted to be his friend and not many people had the patience to put up with it. You found it refreshing though.

that’s when he’d say something yet again to take all of those thoughts and say to hell with them.

the absolute and sure fire conviction in his words was so attractive! That nonchalantness was so sexy and you couldn’t help but wish that they were correct in their statements. Gliding your tongue across your lips, you’d just smirk and try to feint your true feelings. He was problems..that much was certain but were you truly prepared to deal with them? Was Niesha right about what she said?..what should you do?..

“Mmmm, can’t tell if you threatening me with a good time or what?”

“Shit..come find out.”

he really did play too much!

while you were busy contemplating, he’d set the phone down and you’d catch a glimpse of his chiseled physique and you wanted to jump through the screen. You should not have had this much tension and attraction to a man you barely knew but honestly, how many girls would kill to be in your spot? FaceTiming with everyone’s celeb crush. Hell, you wanted to put it in the camera for him!

“..well I gotta go. I’m happy you called me, beautiful. Get you some rest, alright? And don’t let these dumbass people get to you..”

you didn’t even try to attest and would tell him goodnight because you definitely needed to get out of these clothes and into a hot shower. “I’ll try. Goodnight..”

and with that, the line would disconnect, leaving you both to reflect on the conversation and all of the intrusive thoughts that plagued your minds during and had to suppress out of respect for one another but when you hung up, you couldn’t help but to think about what he said:

“If you really wanna make ‘em mad, keep fucking with me..”

it was a dangerous game messing with him but maybe it was time to live a little. You could only imagine what it would actually be like..unfortunately though, that was all you could do. Imagine! Throughout the duration of that call, you were trying to hold it together but that was a problem and a half.

letting out a loud sigh, (y/n) proceeded to continue that nighttime routine and get ready to settle down for the night and you knew just the way to relax..

“I’m so glad I brought that damn rose toy with me..imma need it.”

you doubted that this rumor would come to fruition anytime soon but it didn’t hurt to improvise.

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scythesms · 3 months

Text

The children noticed a subtle shift in their father’s behavior, particularly his newfound outings that weren’t bound by his usual work hours. They collectively held their tongues, sensing that there was something intentionally private about their father's activities. Instead, the girls adopted a pattern of watching him leave through the second story window - peering down at his departures and returns - his destination unknown. Their only understanding was that wherever he was going and whoever he went to see brought about a drastic change from his typical solitary days spent in his bedroom or study.

Sometimes, he’d leave in the early morning light. Other times, he disappeared in the late afternoon, just as the sun began its descent behind the distant hills. Regardless of the time, he would return hours later, occasionally when the children were meant to be in bed.

As weeks passed and their father's excursions from the manor grew more frequent, Cecily and Elaine noticed further changes in his demeanor and appearance. His solemn expression seemed to brighten, his steps gaining a newfound spring, and his attire, once simple and practical, now bore the mark of careful attention. They were unable to suppress their giggles at the sight of him freshly shaved for the first time in years. It was a notable change, but not unwelcome.

The girls whispered to one another one night as he strode out of the manor, wondering whom he might be eager to impress beyond the gates.

One afternoon, they caught a glimpse of the very person they had speculated about for so long. There, at the gate, stood the woman they had met at the market and who had surprised them with a visit to the manor all that time ago.

The realization dawned upon them – was their father spending time with her?

Initial confusion gave way to a whirlwind of emotions, but above all, they felt a surge of happiness for their father's companion.

Their reverie, however, was disrupted by the arrival of their eldest brother. His scowl was evident from the moment he entered the room. While Cecily and Elaine cooed over their unknowing father and his lady friend, Eugene's face hardened.

“Who is she?” He uttered with disdain. “And why is he dressed so strangely? That hat is dreadful.”

His sisters ignored him, watching their father interact with the woman they couldn’t remember the name of.

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#1916 #Ambroise Legacy #1910s #decades challenge #sims 4 historical #sims 4 decades challenge #ts4 challenge #ts4 decades challenge #ts4 historical #black simblr #sims stories #AL #Edmund Ambroise #Eugene Ambroise #Cecily Ambroise #Elaine Ambroise

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angelbitezzz · 2 months

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Some writing under the cut

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Plus: Bonus

It was quiet now. Just the sounds of her peaceful breathing and the ambient rustling of the wind through the pine trees outside. The TV was muted, only on to give some light if the human was to wake up. Not that she was likely to—healing was an exhausting process, and apparently even more so to beings made of physical matter.

Sans leaned against the wall next to the television, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn't moved in...oh, if he had to say, maybe 3 hours? He'd parked himself there once Asgore had deemed her no longer at risk of dusting—no, wait. Humans didn't do that, did they?

He was learning a lot about humans today.

For one—the blood.

Comics didn't do it justice. Most of what washed up down here was kid stuff, tagged with that old "Approved by the Comics Code Authority" nonsense that he was beginning to suspect was just straight up censorship. Of course on a factual level he'd known that humans had blood; he wasn't stupid, he'd skimmed waterlogged science textbooks with interest.

Did you know that humans have nearly five liters of blood in them? If they lose about 40% of that, they're dead. That's about 2 liters, give or take. It's so little blood. Just 3 liters makes a gallon. Humans were walking around with just above a gallon of blood inside them, sloshing all over the place.

It's heavy, too. Well—humans were heavy in a way that most monsters couldn't be. They were just stuff, collected together in a bag of skin and liquids. Angel weight approximately 150 pounds, if he had to guess. Limp, it felt like more.

His hands tightened on his arms, bones digging into soft fabric. Dried blood flaked off a dark stain along his chest and right arm, just where his left hand rested. It was uncomfortable. He didn't move his hand.

Could Sans even describe that unique, awful, stomach-churning feeling of sheer nausea at the memory of feeling it seep into his clothes? His mind went back to the first drop, that single, perfect, ruby red drop that'd plopped down onto his white glove and soaked into it. Like a blooming rose.

He felt a fullbody shiver pass through him, rattling in the air softly, too quiet to disturb her rest.

...Why couldn't he stop focusing on it?

His gloves were in the trash now. He couldn't bring himself to take off the jacket, though, regardless of the blood dried on the fabric.

Blood was dark when the cells within died. Brown didn't go well with blue. He really should go wash it. But then, the blood hadn't washed off the gloves. So where did that leave him?

Pupils tracked where the drop had fallen from, sliding up along a tree trunk until it landed on the dark figure overhead, hung over a particularly thick branch. A hand hung down, fresh red drip drip dripping. The faint purple glow of her headset was the only reason he even realized who it was, as hidden in the leaves as she was.

It was a blur. He reacted without even really thinking of it, reaching up and grabbing onto her soul with his magic, pulling her down almost too harshly. It prompted a breathless whine of pain from the nearly unconscious human, his brother gasping next to him as she slumped down into Sans's waiting arms.

"SHE'S...IS SHE...?"

Home again, no time to speculate. Her HP was low. It was dropping. He CHECKED and found it steadily beeping down, sending electric panic down his spine. More blurs. Pawing at purple clothes, assessing the damage, an awful wound that would've made him lose his lunch if he'd had the stomach to do so. The smell strong and iron, mixed with the fragrant perfume of the trees she'd been caught in. Bandaging her with Papyrus's help, watching in despair as she bled through and began steadily staining an old shirt of his, a bead of blood sliding down the side of her face from her nose and swiftly drying, sticky red on brown skin still dark from the sun. Fuck. Fuck.

Nauseated, he flicked his gaze back to her face on the couch. She was sleeping peacefully. Her features were soft and relaxed, open, no pain present. Not like earlier, when she'd been unconscious and clearly in so much pain that she couldn't help but react even while down for the count, crying and moaning while they'd tried to fix her up. The flickering TV cast ghoulish blue light on her face, an arm slipping out of the blankets and flopping limp downward.

He needed to know more. More about human bodies. He needed to make sure this couldn't happen again. He'd half a mind to wake her up and force her to quit their endeavor altogether, if not for Asgore's insistence that she gets rest.

Was her chest rising with her breath? Was it?

Struck with a sudden, uncharacteristic paranoia, he pushed off from the wall and approached on silent feet. He reached and pressed a hand to her chest over the blanket.

A steady rise and fall. The vibrations softly reverberated through his bones, easing the tension that had coiled in his shoulders. He felt stupid. He kneeled and gently took her fallen arm, raising it to tuck it into the blanket again only to stop, digits still pressed against her wrist.

"her heart," he thinks. "of course."

A soft flutter beat against his fingertips. Like he'd caught a butterfly in his hands. But this...was in her arm, or rather, her wrist. Small, insistent. Steady. Warm.

Sans really should tuck her arm back under the blanket. He should. He doesn't. He raised it somewhat and adjusted his grip, tilting his head as he focused on that feeling. He shut his eyesockets, letting the rhythm drum against his fingers and beat the fear out of his body. He'd never actually touched her skin before, had he? Always wearing those gloves. In his panic, earlier, he'd never registered how warm she was. The warm pulse of her heart was all he could focus on now.

"It's okay. I'm okay."

Her words earlier had been so insistent. She'd been so concerned about Papyrus's reaction to her near death that she's jumped to soothing him rather than focus on her own injury. Was it that she knew her magic would hold out? Or had it only been for his brother's benefit?

He wondered how often she'd had to try and push away the pain to reassure someone else.

He put her arm back under the covers and adjusted her make-shift pillow, the blue cape folded in on itself until it resembled the bed-sheet it used to be. Then he stood and stepped away, his body disappearing into the shadows before she could stir at the disturbance.

She would be fine.

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cuntyqueerleondraisaitl · 9 months

Text

They're in love

And Alex’s heart doesn’t spread itself out in his chest, and he doesn’t have to grip the edge of the settee to steady himself. Because that’s what he would do if he were here in this palace to fall in love with Henry, and not just continuing this thing where they fly across the world to touch each other and don’t talk about it. That’s not why he’s here. It’s not.

And he does understand, really. He loves Henry, and it’s nothing new. He’s been falling in love with Henry for years, probably since he first saw him in glossy print on the pages of J14, almost definitely since Henry pinned Alex to the floor of a medical supply closet and told him to shut the hell up. That long. That much.

“I fucking love you, okay?” Alex half yells, finally, irreversibly. Henry goes very still against the mantelpiece. Alex watches him swallow, watches the muscle that keeps twitching in his jaw, and feels like he might shake out of his skin. “Fuck, I swear. You don’t make it fucking easy. But I’m in love with you.”

He’s cut off mid-sentence because Alex has stopped in the middle of the corridor and yanked him backward into a kiss.

“Hello,” Henry says when they break apart. “What was that for?” “I just, like.” Alex shrugs. “Really love you."

“Seriously,” he says. Henry’s looking back at him, beautiful and vital and heartsick and still, always, the person Alex is willing to risk ruining his life for. “I hate this so much. I know. But we’re gonna do it together. And we’re gonna make it work. You and me and history, remember? We’re just gonna fucking fight. Because you’re it, okay? I’m never gonna love anybody in the world like I love you. So, I promise you, one day we’ll be able to just be, and fuck everyone else."

All at once, Alex is in love all over again. He wraps the tie once around the back of his hand and reels Henry in and kisses him like he never has to stop. Which—he remembers, and laughs into Henry’s mouth—he doesn’t.

“Hi, love,” he hears Henry say quietly, privately, right into the hair above his ear, and Alex’s breath forgets how to do anything but laugh helplessly.

“You really are a complete idiot if you believe that,” Henry hisses, the note balled in his fist. “When have I ever, since the first instant I touched you, pretended to be anything less than in love with you? Are you so fucking self-absorbed as to think this is about you and whether or not I love you, rather than the fact I’m an heir to the fucking throne? You at least have the option to not choose a public life eventually, but I will live and die in these palaces and in this family, so don’t you dare come to me and question if I love you when it’s the thing that could bloody well ruin everything.”

“When I was younger,” Henry says, “I had this very elaborate idea of taking somebody I loved here and standing inside the chapel, that he’d love it as much as I did, and we’d slow dance right in front of the Blessed Mother. Just a ... daft pubescent fantasy.”

It is, indeed, bullshit. It’s all I can do not to pack a bag and be gone forever. Perhaps I could live in your room like a recluse. You could have food sent up for me, and I’ll be lurking in disguise in a shadowy corner when you answer the door. It’ll all be very dreadfully Jane Eyre. The Mail will write mad speculations about where I’ve gone, if I’ve offed myself or vanished to St. Kilda, but only you and I will know that I’m just sprawled in your bed, reading books and feeding myself profiteroles and making love to you endlessly until we both expire in a haze of chocolate sauce. It’s how I’d want to go.

Henry’s jaw is tight, but it’s not anger, only fear. Alex can see on his face an expression he recognizes: Henry wondering if it’s safe to accept the love offered to him, and wanting desperately to take it regardless. He puts his arm around her, lets her kiss his cheek.

In the corridor of Buckingham Palace, as soon as the door has shut behind them, they fall sideways into a tapestry on a wall, breathless and delirious and laughing, cheeks wet. Henry pulls Alex close and kisses him, whispers, “I love you I love you I love you,” and it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter if anyone sees.

#firstprince #rwrb #alex and henry #henry x alex #henry and alex #alex x henry #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #red white and royal blue

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emmitaaa4 · 3 months

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Minor HOFAS spoilers ig?

The Walmart bonus chapter just leaked and good lord some people need to be for real. I'm so tired of people picking and choosing evidence.

So you're telling me that *gasp* Azriel's shadows seem to dance when he hums?? they react to sound/music?? no way. people from all sides of the fandom have been saying that for years (and use it for different arguments), and looks like ppl are still tying anything they can to feed their ship--which is fine but at least make it somewhat accurate.

The above is the last page of the Az/Bryce/Nesta chapter, and just as a refresher, this is the oh-so controversial phrases from the Az bonus chapter:

"(...) one of his shadows went out to dance with it (gwyn's breath) before twirling back to him. like it heard some silent music." and "(...) he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. could have sworn his shadows sang in answer."

I'm confused, which is it? Was the shadow's reaction to her breath & the singing he heard all metaphorical, thereby hinting at a mating bond between gwyn & az (as in "music between souls")? Or was it rather azriel's shadows reacting to a literal sound coming from someone who has arguably been hinted at having some voice/song-related abilities? Because if it is the first, then this new HOFAS excerpt is completely unrelated. Well unless Azriel has a mating bond with himself? pleaseee make it make sense I beg. And if the second is true, it would mean that for someone to be able of making his shadows dance, they'd have to have similar powers as him... its just gonna fuel the lightsinger theories (which btw approx 5 ppl are saying means that gWyn is eViL) so this literally changes nothing. nada. absolument rien.

Oh also.

"He says no partner right now, aka NO FUCKING ELRIEL. ELRIEL IS DEAD." (no hate to whoever posted that btw)

He literally rushes out that answer. Idk about you guys but to me the poor man still seems internally dead over the whole mate existential crisis, which as far as we know was left with him wondering "what if the cauldron was wrong". Sidenote but if I understood correctly, this all happens 2-3 months post acosf and Bryce spends ±5 days in Prythian, so it is very likely that it is all set during Acotar 5, and that the events of HOFAS in general are happening while Az is separated from the other MC (ie. the acotar5 FMC).

Regardless of all I just said, I am going to ask people once again to be for real. cause this whole chapter Azriel keeps glaring at Nes when she is about to reveal too much info, so WHY would he be mentioning Elain (or literally anyone he cares about) to someone who he is said to be highly suspicious of? make it make sense x2

Almost forgot. Last thing.

"Azriel said that Nesta killed the King! He didn't credit Elain!"

... no? for context, this is what Az said:

See my second point above. He told Bryce exactly what Nes did, and nothing more: she beheaded Hybern. We could speculate about what his look at Truthteller made him think of... but tbh I'll leave it to someone else cause perso I dont really see the point.

I am getting tired guys... guess who finally understands what "fandom fatigue" is.

-----quick edit-----

I don't mean to sound hypocritical by tagging ships, cause tbh i dont even wanna put acotar ship tags to this, mais bon c'est la vie et j'en peux plus. this fandom is kind of a mess. Goodnight loves ♡

#hofas #hofas spoilers #azriel #anti gwynriel #elriel #azriel shadowsinger #elain archeron

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batmanisagatewaydrug · 6 months

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hey weird question but, with the context that while conspiracy thought in and of itself is just a sort of dangerous logical fallacy, most conspiracy theories have some kind of tie to antisemetism, are there any antisemetic aspects to gaylor theory? i can't think of how but somehow it almost always weasels in there, no matter how innocently silly something seems on the surface.

DEEP SIGH okay it's time to talk about Scooter Braun and his place in the Gaylor conspiracy

I'm not going to recap everything but will instead link you to this US Weekly article (I know, sorry) which is basically a fine summation of events despite being a bit sensationalist in calling a business disagreement between two adults a "feud"

tl;dr for anyone who doesn't want to read all of that (it's not actually that long, I prommy): in 2019 talent manager Scooter Braun acquired Taylor Swift's former record label Big Machine, giving ownership of the masters of her first six albums. Swift objected to this very publicly on the grounds that she wanted ownership over her own work and had repeatedly been denied the opportunity to buy it outright, while also alleging that Braun has been harassing and bullying her for years. ultimately, Swift has remained unable to buy back her work, leading to her steadily re-releasing expanded versions of her first six albums under the "Taylor's Version" headline.

obviously, given my stance against speculating on the personal lives of famous rich people, I'm not particularly interested in debating whether or not there's merit to Swift's accusations against Braun, although given the exploitative nature of the music industry I hardly think her claims are implausible.

regardless of whether or not Braun sucks as a person, it's important to note that he was only very briefly in ownership of Swift's discography: as the linked article above notes, he only owned them for about a year and a half before selling them off in 2020.

despite this, Braun holds what I would consider a rather outsize role in a lot of Gaylor conspiracy theorizing, with many apparently believing that Swift fully intended to come out in 2019 with the release of her seventh album, Lover, but was prevented from coming out by Braun purchasing her discography. I've seen some claim that he actively subjected her to homophobic bullying and others saying that she didn't him to financially benefit from any career boon she might have after coming out (although no one ever seems to have an answer for why she still hasn't come out three years after he sold her discography).

I can't say whether or not the majority of Gaylors, like, know or care that Braun is Jewish, but it feels tragically predictable and yucky that a Jewish man is given such a disproportional share of blame for why Taylor "can't" come out and is made a scapegoat in the ongoing effort to evade reality with "arguments" like this

(source)

... hang on, what's that?

oh man I love when a Jewish family gets put n SCARY ALL CAPS

okay so let's talk about Karlie Kloss and Josh Kushner!

as many of you probably know by this point, Karlie Kloss is the pinnacle of Taylor Swift's platonic gal pals that she gets relentlessly shipped with; I think it's fair to say that "proving" a romantic relationship existed between the two of them is the primary focus of a lot of Gaylorism.

since 2018 Kloss has been married to Josh Kushner, heir of THAT Kushner family. his infamous brother Jared is in fact Donald Trump's son-in-law and probably guilty of, like, a lot of federal crimes. that doesn't inherently make Josh a shithead or anything and he and Kloss both claim more liberal politics, although it should be noted that like a lot of rich liberals Josh does also suck pretty hard. he and Jared own a real estate management company together and were suing their tenants and evicting them during the COVID-19 rent moratorium, so that's kind of everything you need to know about him and Karlie Kloss IMO!!!

having said that, Josh being a bastard landlord doesn't make it appropriate to frame a Jewish family as having some kind of sinister interest in suppressing a queer woman's sexuality or imply that Kloss and Josh Kushner are in some kind of sham marriage. for YEARS Kloss' marriage to Kushner, including her conversion to Judaism and their two living human children, have been dismissed as elaborate turbo-bearding, with some Gaylors going so far as to allege that Kloss and Swift have actually been married for years and Kloss is just having Kushner's children for... reasons unknown... which feels like, you know. a pretty gross dismissal of a Jewish family in favor of pretending two WASPiest WASPs to ever WASP are secretly scissoring.

anyway I certainly don't think it's the most egregious or deliberate anti-semitism that's out there in the conspiracy world but are there some Gaylors blaming The Jews(TM) for forcing poor innocent Taylor to stay in the closet? resounding yes.

#gaylorgate

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majaloveschris · 3 months

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"he does all this because she is the one and he is so in love" /////

I believe everyone needs to realize if the above were true then there’d be no debate as to if this is a real or PR relationship.

The simple fact that so much comes out about them to drive or paint a narrative, only for Chris to be the complete opposite physically of how he expresses things ……says enough.

People can call us delusional for not believing this relationship, but I call those who blindly believe what’s purposefully crafted for you to believe gullible and delusional ….to think that this man who has been in the spotlight for 20+ yrs, whose expressed his emotions freely, who stated what he wanted in a relationship in the SMA article only to go public with the complete opposite two days later. To think he’s done a 180 in the worst way due to “being in love”…..nah, I’m not buying what’s being sold.

One has to ask themselves why are all these articles trying to paint him and her as so in love, yet REALITY based on their own body language and expressions show you the complete opposite?!

Show me ONE pic or video shot of them not aware they are being filmed acting or looking so “in love”.

(Oops that already happened …..in the park when he put his hand in his pocket as she reached for it.)

Even the purposefully crafted Valentine’s Day montage and the scare videos seemed fake and staged, every new update the past few months just adds to the speculation that this is bs based on their own actions.

What couple so in love acts like they don’t know or like each other like that. People claim we get a glimpse in their lives, but it’s been two freaking years of bs, regardless of not knowing their every move every single day, we can clearly see something isn’t genuine.

Even after the marriage confirmation from this man’s own mouth, it STILL doesn’t add up based on HIS own actions/inactions.

If Chris was genuinely happy and in love……we’d clearly see it, not have to “read” about it.

I agree with you! I think it's important to note that this whole "PR or real" debate started because of them. It started with them kind of alluding that something is going on with different things (NYE 1.0., LV, the follows and likes) while not admitting they are "together" and then continued with the NYC pap walk 1.0. As you said, if from the very beginning we'd seen how happy and in love he is, Team PR probably wouldn't even exist. I'm not saying there wouldn't be people out there who believe it's PR, but not this amount, for sure.

I agree that his body language is always off and weird around her, like he isn't comfortable or like he is forced to be there. And considering the things you've mentioned, everything seems so fake and manufactured. We saw him being out with his girlfriends for years, and I'm not saying they were always smiley and all over each other, but there were clear moments where you could see they were in love, but there isn't a single one with Alba.

I don't blame people who think this is real. Most people just don't care enough about them or simply think whatever they say must be true. I think there are people on both sides who are "delusional" (I don't really like using this word though), believing and creating things that are clearly bullshit, or thinking that everything that happens proves a point.

It's truly weird to see the contrast between the articles and their body language. They are supposed to be "the one" for each other, yet they behave more intimately with their friends and seem to be more comfortable and natural around them. His body language and behavior should be the three times of everything we saw from his previous relationship since he is "head over heels" for her, but where is that huge love? I don't see it.

I think the NYC Pap Walk 1.0. video you mentioned was a big turning point. I mean, that pap walk was awful, but seeing how tragic it was behind the scenes was really interesting. He clearly didn't want to hold her hands, and to this day, they always walk next to each other as if they were just fighting a few minutes before.

The VD day dump didn't help either. Everything just feels so unnatural, fabricated, and out of character for him. I know we don't know him, but we saw how he acted in this previous relationship, and maybe if I saw that huge love we are supposed to see, I would believe he's changed his habits, but I see the exact opposite. And the wedding story has a lot of plot holes too.

The words, spoken and written, just don't match the body language.

#majaloveschris #chris and alba pr #cevans-love #chris and alba relationship #chris and alba wedding #chris and alba in nyc

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randomfoggytiger · 8 months

Text

"Proving" Mulder Knew He Was the Father of Scully's Baby

(Had to get this out before the next part of Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma series; so... here we go~!)

Mulder knew he was the father of Scully's baby before Three Words began; and his reticence had everything to do with his PTSD, guilt, and fear and nothing to do with feeling replaced by his partner's child. His ending monologue in Existence further proves this, concluding Mulder's emotional turbulence: "I think what we feared were the possibilities. The truth we both knew."

But how is that to be proven?

Cutting Out Context to Bait the Mystery

According to the script (uploaded here by @x-files-scripts, thank you~), Scully very casually mentions how far along she is separate from her concerns about (and to) Mulder. Mulder doesn't react to this information at all, meaning whatever his reticence and withdrawal were rooted in had nothing to do with feeling replaced as the father of her child.

Throughout their conversation, Mulder tries to keep Scully from digging deeper into his emotions or trauma, deflecting with humor or emotional separation. Scully finally directly addresses his distance; and (though a bit out-of-order from how it aired), the scene below makes two things very obvious:

SCULLY: Mulder --

MULDER: (cutting her off) -- whatever you're going to say, Scully, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be cold. Or ungrateful to you.

SCULLY: I don't know if you can truly understand what it was like.... And now to get you back....

MULDER manages a smile, finally. But only barely.

MULDER: You act like you're surprised.

Scully manages a chuckle, but she's truly worried about him.

SCULLY: I prayed so many nights. And my prayers were answered, Mulder.

MULDER: In more ways than one.

MULDER looks to Scully's stomach. Which she touches.

SCULLY: Yes.

MULDER: I'm so truly happy for you. I know what it means to you --

SCULLY: Mulder --

MULDER: (cuts her off again) -- but I'm having trouble processing any of this. I don't know why I'm here, or where I fit in anymore. I feel strange. Like this can't be happening.

SCULLY nods. Anything she had wanted to tell him will wait.

SCULLY: That's what I've been saying to myself for the last eight months.

What Scully "had wanted to tell him" had nothing to do with her child's paternity nor was that even a concern because she, as mentioned above, says "the last eight months" effortlessly. (An important note: because they kept no show bible, the writers forgot Mulder was missing three months and buried another three; but the intent behind that line is the same even if there isn't or wasn't a numbers problem to quibble over.)

"The last eight months" comes at the tail end of the conversation without a remark or quip from Mulder's perspective, meaning this wasn't news enough for him to comment on or even react to. Scully's statement bookended their discussion, meaning she wasn't drawing it out longer or forcing information down Mulder's throat that he wasn't ready to process. Since that is the case, both knew the problem wasn't her pregnancy (though it was a stressful factor) but was another, bigger concern.

Devil's advocate: Scully was trying to tell Mulder the baby was his-- Gillian Anderson's expressions debunk this theory, but we'll press on-- and the months referred to was how long Mulder was "gone": in which case, Scully being hugely pregnant would have been a huge tip off for her partner regardless; and Mulder, for as much as he is avoiding the obvious this episode, is not stupid.

By cutting up the script-- taking out important context and removing crucial lines-- the audience is left to speculate on information that what was intended to be understated yet obvious (though unconfirmed until the finale episodes.) Chris Carter and Spotnitz have already stated they'd baited Scully's pregnancy as much as they could (one such interview here, credit to @babygirlmulder1018 for the upload~) while always planning for Mulder to be the father. The problem with their method is that they sacrificed necessary clarity for ambiguity, leaving the actors to scramble or fill in the butchered gaps as much as they could with implied body language. Three Words Mulder's affectionate, though fleeting, glances at Scully's belly or Scully's heightening worry for his well-being are debatable clues, all dependent on the viewer's interpretation (even when rewatched with hindsight.) The key to any good mystery is to have all the puzzle pieces in place so that it makes sense when you go back and see them all line up. Cutting out important clues early just to bait the mystery is foolhardy, especially when those gaps are never filled-in with any answers; and The X-Files show, while built around unsolved or unresolved mysteries, always provided a likely explanation (even if that explanation was later revealed to not be entirely true.) It's a shame that this premediated action thoughtlessly skewed the reading of the scene so badly that it took away from its original intent-- Scully's worries over her partner as he becomes more and more lost in his trauma-- and turned it widely into a "bet he's jealous or feels left behind because Scully moved on without him" interpretation, muddying it for viewers over the decades to come.

It's not the first time a script has been stripped of its original intent to fit the vision of the showrunners (often to the frustration to the various writers, actors, directors, etc.); but there is a marked difference between the tampering done to, for example, David Duchovny's personal ideas and scripts in keeping with the mythos of the show (Cinefantastique: David Duchovny on "The Unnatural" and "Hollywood A.D.") and specifically removing an important piece of dialogue to intentionally blur a scene for "the mystery" without that action serving any goal other than obfuscation... and, ultimately, confusion.

Mulder Himself Proves He Knew

According to the script, Scully's concerns started in her partner's hospital room when Mulder's non-reaction snags her notice twice in a row:

"His reaction is so underwhelming that Scully has to laugh" and

"The doctor has to chuckle, looking to Scully. But Scully isn't humored now. She reads something in Mulder past the humor. And Mulder catches her sensing it. That he is deeply troubled."

"Mulder catches her sensing it" is a crucial piece of information, smoothly setting up the scene at his apartment-- Mulder doesn't ice Scully out (always responding to her pleas with mustered up but equal sympathy and sorrow) but he avoids her eyes as much as possible, not wanting to be read, to be "exposed." THAT is what concerns Scully-- never before in their partnership has he evaded eye contact, likely seeking it more often than any other person on the planet. But Mulder (also likely more than anyone) knows that eyes are the window to the soul; and he doesn't want his bared yet.

The tricky part of the ensuing scenes is not to mistake his avoidance of Scully's detection with his avoidance of the baby. Mulder is avoiding everything equally-- but he will still spare a moment for his partner or his baby here and there before snatching away his focus again, dodging any opportunity that might lead to vulnerability.

At his apartment, Mulder turns aside whenever he can or spreads a plaster-fake grin on his face when in conversation;

but it melts into sincerity after he finally acknowledges the baby in the room. It's not quite happiness, but it is a form of contentment and a little pride (similar to his look on the couch in Empedocles.)

When Scully wants to commit anarchy over Kersh's tyrannical terms, Mulder squashes that impulse flat, sparing a strained but still sincere smile as he directs her attention to the pragmatic fact of her baby.

(It's not until "Agent Who?" comes across Mulder's radar that he starts to stiffen against Scully's reticence. Again, not about the baby.)

The last significant mention of Scully's pregnancy is in her kitchen at her apartment. TLG drop in to do their research... and to refocus Mulder on his impending miracle ("a certain blessed event") and away from his crazy mission. Mulder's amused at first with their commentary (as is Scully), giving an exaggeratedly suspicious, comedic squint (which Scully follows up with a witty repartee on his investigative methods)--

until he figures out his partner's ulterior machinations. (The tensions that trail them both the rest of the episode are because of Scully's interferences and not-- again-- because of the baby.)

Those are the only direct references to the baby in Three Words, although Scully does tag along on his madcap mission with TLG); and Empedocles starts out in the spirit of the kitchen scene above-- Mulder squinting about the pizza man, ribbing Scully lightly, and enjoying getting ribbed in return-- but with the added bonus of some unfiltered, heartfelt moments of a man fully embracing fatherhood.

So why, if the original intent of the struggle of Three Words wasn't about the paternity question, does Mulder still struggle with doubts the rest of the series. Well... what were his paternity doubts?

Paternity Doubts

Mulder knew (logically) that his partner wouldn't run into the arms of another man or through the doors of the nearest IVF clinic just because he was chucked six feet under; but that reassurance gave him nothing to stand firmly on since both of their lives revolved around clones, aliens, and even a little girl that was born (and died) to serve an agenda.

Scully had been used over and over against her consent and was ultimately stripped of her fertility; and even though Mulder once said "never give up on a miracle", the IVF had failed, and there had been months of regular extracurricular activities since without even a thought of a baby on either of their radars. But somehow, the minute he vanishes off the planet, she finds out she's pregnant? The exact same somehow he was abducted and somehow returned and somehow resurrected? It doesn't add up; and Mulder's motto has always been "I want to believe."

"I have the same doubts you do, Scully," he said in the Pilot; and those doubts haunt him in Three Words; and (although they are temporarily set aside during the off-screen conversation Mulder has with his partner before Empedocles) they remain, along with his fears, buried under the surface-- as demonstrated by his opening monologue in Essence: "Is it the product of a union? Or... an answer to prayer-- a true miracle? Or is it a wonder of technology, the intervention of other hands? What do I tell this child about to be born? What do I tell Scully? What do I tell myself?"

Furthermore, the events of Essence and Existence make a bit (only a bit) more sense if those events-- Zeus Genetics, Billy Miles, Lizzie Gill, Krycek, the Super soldiers, and other such nonsense-- are put through another lens: trauma.

The Other, Bigger Concern

If Mulder knew the baby was his, why did he distance himself?

Simply put, PTSD.

Three Words very specifically chooses Mulder's flashbacks as his first scene (post here), providing motive to any future decision he makes. Being torn apart for three months and buried another three before being resurrected on a chance is a lot to grapple with; add in a pregnant partner who is clearly expecting a miraculous baby amidst a set of tragically unmiraculous events and looking to her recently resurrected partner for not only their old relationship but more and you get a PTSD-riddled, paranoid, and very panicked Fox Mulder.

Empedocles begins after the aforementioned off-screen conversation; and quite plainly establishes Mulder in his new paternal role, bringing Scully (and the baby) gifts like he has any other significant moment in their relationship (and also because it's no longer acceptable to bring triumphant caveman hunting trophies back to the domestic den.) This episode not only goes out of its way to give him a first-time "feeling his baby move" scene, but further cements Mulder's role by showing him standing sentry outside of Scully's door, doting on her hand and foot back at her apartment, and including their baby nonverbally in Scully's gratitude speech. These benchmark moments are then followed up by him briefly forgetting his baby in Vienen, not wanting to leave its side in Alone, and cycling back to his paternity worries in Essence-- further proof that his initial distance and on-again-off-again dance is rooted firmly in trauma rearing its ugly head to continually mess up his temporary peace.

That trauma follows him (mostly unacknowledged) the rest of Season 8, coming to a head (and exploding) during the events of Essence and Existence. When his security in Scully's science and himself are completely eroded, Mulder is left blindly grappling for any explanation from any nearest and newest source currently in front of him (handing off Scully to his sworn enemy should have been the tip-off point to both she and Skinner, prompting them to put a stop to his spiraling before doing anything else... but I digress.) His hot-and-cold attitude is back (referring to their child as "your baby") even though his fiercely protective love and interest hasn't faded one bit ("will do anything to protect it.")

Deep down, Mulder always knew (or at least hoped) the baby was his-- "the truth we both know," after all.

So, What Does This Mean?

Probably nothing in the grand scheme of things, but a rippling domino effect in the minutiae. It explains Mulder's distant-then-doting attitude, the manifestation of his PTSD and impending parenthood, and even why he was happy to have Scully firmly glued by his side throughout Three Words (even if he couldn't meet her eyes at times.) Scully's pregnancy was a change for both: almost overnight she needed more from their relationship. However, once she realized how displaced and harried Mulder was, Scully relaxed the pace for both of them (off-screen...), allowing Mulder to finally recover, regroup, and continue on. Once that understanding was reached (again: off-screen), Mulder started to take his journey more gently (upsetting and resettling himself whenever Scully's health scares or his impulsive actions blasted him up, down, and sideways) while Scully refigured how to fit their new normal into the life she built in his absence. Like always, teamwork and their unspoken; and, overall, it makes Season 8's there-and-gone-again MSR bits that much more in-character and enjoyable.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

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