#this is another one of those edits that i don’t really have an explanation for

[cursedmerlinedits]

…

arthur rises from the lake of avalon but in an elementary school gymnasium

#this is another one of those edits that i don’t really have an explanation for #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #sir gwaine

[ectologia]

Tomura Shigaraki is definitely a disgusting and depraved perv when it comes to kinks and fetishes, it's a known fact. I wanna know your ideas for all the fucked up things he's into, illegal or not ^^

KINKS & FETISHES

TOMURA SHIGARAKI EDITION

CONTENT ♱ IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, THIS IS EXTREMELY MATURE CONTENT WITH A PLETHORA OF KINKS AND FETISHES (INCLUDING NONCON), COMMON OR NOT, READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

ACAROPHILIA (AROUSAL FROM SCRATCHING)

Tomura loves the scratchies, we all know that. Whether he’s sad, anxious, frustrated or horny, you can always catch those blunt fingernails digging at his flesh like a dog in a flower patch. And, unsurprisingly, yours too. He likes the way you shudder as he claws down your skin, catching your nipples as he tears down your tits before watching the thin white lines raise into nasty looking red gashes. He’ll even drag his tongue over them to feel the bumps as he wanks.

ANAL TRAINING

Tomura is a disgusting and malicious man, so it should come as no surprise that one of his favourite past times is to see how wide he can stretch your ass open. He’ll make it into a game, timing you, finding different objects (safe or not) to squeeze up your butt, promising you treats and rewards if you can take having your sphincter stretched another 5 centimetres. And if you don’t think that’s a lot, trust, it is. And it’ll hurt. He’ll make sure of it.

ANONYMOUS SEX

Even evil crime bosses such as Tomura can get insecure too. On those days he’s feeling extremely low about himself, whether it be because a mission was unsuccessful or because his skin’s had a flare up and he can barely look at anyone. He’ll resort to skulking around dingy clubs and alleys. He’s not the biggest fan of glory holes, mainly because he’s scared there’ll be a dude on the other side sucking his cock. But he appreciates that he can be as weird or unattractive as he wants and still bust a fat nut into something other than his fist.

BATHROOM CONTROL

We all know Tomura is a control freak. And it just gets freakier when he starts telling you where and when you can go to the toilet. On most days, he’s tame about it. All he asks of you is that you tell him when your bladder’s full and he’ll give you permission to use his toilet. It’s only until he starts wanting to watch you shit and piss while he jerks himself off does it get a little.. worrying. He just finds it so cute when your little body does what it’s supposed to, and it’s even better when he’s the one that gets to be a bossy boots about it.

BREAST + NIPPLE TORTURE

As mentioned before, Tomura likes scratching your nipples. He’s also an avid enjoyer of slapping, pinching, twisting, stretching, biting, flicking and tickling. Really, there’s no actual explanation. He just enjoys watching you writhe in pain.

BREAST + NIPPLE WORSHIP

Equally, on the flip side. Tomura worships your tits, physically and spiritually. He finds them so beautiful, he reckons they’re his favourite part of your body. Romantic, right? He’ll kiss and hug and squish, juggling them in his palms before sucking one into his mouth while caressing the other. He’ll use them as pillows, resting his head on your chest before slipping away into a restful slumber. Probably to dream of even more titties.

CRUROPHILIA (A KINK RELATED TO LEGS)

Legs, legs, legs. Long legs, skinny legs, chubby legs, muscular legs, legs in tights, legs in thigh highs, shaved or unshaved. Tomura loves legs, he’s obsessed with them to some degree. Just the way he can do so much with them. Fold them against your chest, spread them out wide, throw them over his shoulders, or even bind them tight. He just loves legs.

BONUS

If you’re a fast runner, watch out, because Tomura will be chasing you in circles like you’re a gazelle in the savanna. He gets off to it, hardcore.

CUMSHOTS

Tomura will find any excuse to make something into a game. Give him something to aim at and he’ll be shooting semen at you like it’s an FPS. His favourite thing to spunk on is your clit, since it’s such a tiny target he feels almost accomplished when he manages to spit the creamy white liquid right on the little bud. (Before getting to lick it off)

FACE FUCKING

Who doesn’t love a nice, rough face fuck? Tomura definitely does. Tomura treats all your holes like sex toys, and your mouth is just another. He’s a hard, deep and fast fuck, using your hair like reins as he shovels his length all the way down your throat and back up again. He’s like a greyhound, once he starts he can’t stop. So what if you just threw up on his dick? He’s not done until he’s done.

FACE SITTING

Not in the way you think. He’s the one doing the sitting ‘round here darling. He’ll use it as a punishment, squatting over your face with his filthy asshole puckering and scrunching over your lips, Oh, what, you think it’s gross? Good. You better get used to the view of his hairy ass crack, baby, because you’re gonna’ be here a while.

FOOT FETISH

Perhaps the most common and well known of Shiggy’s fetishes, he’s a feet connoisseur. Manicured toes, soft soles and high heels are what he dreams of at night. Pumping his dick between a pretty girl’s smooth arches, legs bent with her steaming hot pink pussy nestled right between them? Hell yeah. He’ll alternate between worshiping your feet and having you worship his. He sucks your toes, you suck his back. It’s a 50/50 relationship.

BONUS

Though Tomura’s obsession is mainly sexual, he’ll massage your feet as an act of service purely because it’s his love language.

MACROGENITALISM

Some men like the pretty, pink pristine vulvas, the hairless ones with barely-there, tucked away labias and tiny clits you can barely get at. Some men aren’t Tomura. He wants it hairy, messy and sloppy. He wants to nestle his face between your bush and suffocate himself with the coarse hairs, he wants to gnaw and pull on your beautiful labia with his teeth and lick through every fold and crevice like he’s an explorer. He likes the women with big, gorgeous clits and fat, chunky cunts, and he won’t have anything less.

NONCON

He likes the way you scream and plead. How your guttural wails and ear piercing shrieks dull and splinter into pitiful whimpers. How your eyes mist into glassy, shiny goggles the moment he pulls the sluggish length of his manhood out and slaps it up and down on your tiny, twitchy clit. Back hunched as he places a boney finger to his lips, shushing and cooing at you as you heave through grit teeth when he splits into your folds. His big, bulbous cock head juts in and out with a slick pop as he pummels you into a shakey, traumatised little mess, pumping you full with his seed, wether you want it in your little womb or not.

PEODEIKTOPHILIA (PENIS FLASHING)

Though it sounds sinister, Tomura finds it positively hilarious. He likes to see that momentary, adorably shocked, deer-in-headlights look on your face when he drops his waistband for just a second, giving you an eyeful of his big, floppy cock and balls. Whether you’re on your own or with people, outside or inside. He’s incredibly sneaky and an all around menace. Walking past while you’re tucked into bed? He’ll wipe his clammy dick on your face along the way. Having a conversation with someone? He’ll slip his squishy pink head out of his boxers and thumb the slit with a cheeky grin. Brushing your teeth? He’ll chase you around the bathroom with his balls hanging out. Just know, he does it because he loves you. You’re his best friend.

QUIROFILIA (HAND FETISH)

Tomura likes pretty hands. Long, lithe fingers with manicured nails and soft knuckles. A stark contrast to his huge, calloused and, not to mention, destructive ones. He’ll kiss and caress the delicate appendages before demanding you wrap them around his cock, stacked atop one another as you stroke his prick up and down, foreskin clicking stickily as his balls jiggle against his thighs until he inevitably climaxes, coating your sweet fingers in the syrupy substance of his love.

SOMNOPHILIA (ENGAGING IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH SOMEBODY THAT IS ASLEEP OR UNCONSCIOUS)

It can be for various reasons, the main one being you’re too tired to deal with him, so he just takes matters into his own hands. He’ll spread your pussy and eat it from the back as much as it takes until he can slip inside you nice and easy. Bouncing your unconscious self against the mattress with his dick nestled tightly inside your syrupy walls, while you stay tucked into bed all cosy and warm. See? It’s a win win situation.

WATERSPORTS

Similar to Tomura’s “bathroom control” kink, Tomura just really likes piss. Wether you’re squirting in his mouth after getting finger banged within an inch of your life, or you’re on your knees with your tongue out waiting for him to give you a hot, steamy golden shower, he really doesn’t care. As long as at least one of you are drenched in piss by the end of it.

A TOTAL OF 17 KINKS THAT I COULD THINK OF (BUT I’M SURE THERE’S MORE)

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #bnha smut #tomura shigaraki #shigaraki tomura #shigaraki smut #shigaraki bnha smut #bnha shigaraki #bnha shigaraki smut #shigaraki x reader #tomura shigaraki smut #shigaraki tomura smut #shigaraki tomura x female reader #shigaraki x female reader #tomura shigaraki x female reader #tomura shigaraki x reader #shigaraki tomura x reader #shigaraki mha smut #shigaraki bnha #shigaraki mha #bnha x reader

[into-the-feniverse]

Finished reading Trigun/TriMax a couple days ago and have been feverishly trying to piece together a timeline, so here’s the result of that ✨

EDIT: as of 3/13/24 this has been UPDATED

For a more detailed timeline (with vol/ch marks): google sheet

Full res of the graphic (& other resources): bit.l/trigunresources

Notes & rest of the timeline under the cut!

Edits as of 3/13/24

The detailed spreadsheet is organized and color coded! If you'd like a more concise breakdown of events/see some of my reasoning behind certain time stamps feel free to skim through that

Changed where in the timeline the Maylene and Wolfwood events happened (originally where I had placed them would have made Maylene like 6 when she and Wolfwood reunited which is NOT correct)

moved where in the timeline Knives started collecting the GungHo Guns (at latest he started in 0090 (20 years before 0110) since it's noted that Monev has been training in a cellar for the past 20 years

Moved where Knives initially tracked down Conrad (felt like it needed to happen at least a decade before July)

Changed up some of the months (personally, I don't think the Ark launched in December, since that'd put Milly and Meryl's arrival to the colony in July, which wouldn't make sense. So I placed the ark launch in October which of course offset some of the other month stand ins)

Added an earth year for when Knives and Vash are born. The explanation is I think at minimum there was at least a 2 year period between them and Tesla (since Rem was around for that whole process). I do think it was more than that, but that’s the earliest possible year I think it could have happened. Personally I’m more in the camp of 5-10 years, but def not 50 like in tristamp

Old Notes:

If you see any typos or phrase inconsistencies: no you don’t 💕 (😭)

Blue text can be completely ignored, that’s just kinda my personal preference/wild guesstimating of when “exactly” those events happened

Blue lines can also be ignored, they’re also just rough guesstimates on where exactly in the timeline these could have happened

The distance of the lines from one another doesn’t really mean anything, I started trying to follow a system to notate when things happened really close together but it was//// not consistently done ngl

Fun fact: by the time Wolfwood leaves the orphanage Meryl is 18! And she was 14 at the time of July’s destruction

Additional fun fact: Brad is 17 when he and sensei meet up with Vash in the Factioned city (which I think is absolutely RIDICULOUS), and we know this because he was 4 the one/last time he had met Vash and it’s been 13 years since

It was noted by Karen, one of Meryl’s coworkers, that she and Milly had been on assignment with Vash for about 4 months. (Might be that they were out searching for him during that time as well, but I’m choosing to interpret it as they were actually with him for that amount of time)

I’m also working on a 98 timeline for comparison (but more like just sequence of events cause I don’t think I have the patience to sift through the lore quite as much… mainly making it just to clarify how the anime delineates from the manga)

I am//::: feeling v unhinged after this and feel like it could be improved/i need to do a more thorough read, but I’m calling it quits for now before I actually go insane (but hopefully some people will find it somewhat helpful!)

Also: if anybody has any notes to add or clarifications/corrections I would be more than happy to hear them 👂

#resources #Trigun maximum #Trigun #trigun manga #TriMax #used my last and only braincell on this I swear #also guess I’m expanding on my blog organizing tags —> #timelines #btw this is updated!

[streamingcolors-gvf]

Skin Deep - Part 8

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x f!reader x Jake Kiszka

Word Count: 14k

A/N: This took forever. I’m so sorry, guys. I really struggled with repetition in this one so I apologize in advance for that. Hope y’all enjoy! (Also this is pretty filthy so 👀)

As always, I love and appreciate all the support and feedback ❤️

Special shoutout to my lovely girls Nessa and Hannah for carrying my ass through this chapter. I wouldn’t have been able to get it done without them.

Warnings: cursing, drug use (marijuana), smoking, angst, sexually explicit content - MINORS DNI! 18+ (oral f!receiving, oral m!receiving, unprotected penetrative sex, edging, dirty talk, breeding kink, public sex, somnophilia - scene has been edited out

Masterpost

“I think we need to have a serious conversation.”

You release your arms from him as if the surface of his skin is scorching hot to the touch. Your vision blurs, making it feel like you have blinders on — tunnel vision. The entire world you’ve been blissfully living in for the past hour shrinks to the size of his bedroom in a matter of seconds. That high, the euphoria, the oxytocin surging through your veins has been sucked away as soon as the words left his mouth. It tightens in your chest like a vice grip, turning your stomach sour with regret. You’re not sure what scares you more, him being upset with you, or your visceral reaction to it. With a flick of his lighter, he takes a heavy hit while you sit on the bed behind him still as a statue. 

Things have been left unresolved since that afternoon at the tattoo shop, and sex clearly didn’t keep it swept under the rug for very long. This issue between the two of you weighs you down, keeping your body fused to the mattress. 

“Okay,” you finally mutter out a meek response as he blows the cloud of smoke above his head. He stays silent for far too long, leaving you to stare at the muscles of his back — each petal of his inked mandala — contracting with each breath he takes.

His head falls from his tense shoulders, and he disrupts the uncomfortable quiet by sending his words to the floor between his feet, “Do you just want to fuck Jake?”

The distant sound of his voice causes the guilt to swell like an overinflated balloon in your chest. You haven’t done your best to convince him of different intentions, and while the question itself seems within reason given the circumstances, it takes you by surprise nonetheless. “What?”

A defeated sigh tumbles out from his chest before he answers you in a tightly wound tone, “If you don’t want to keep fooling around with me anymore, that’s okay.”

“No!” You blurt out, panicked that you’ve torched whatever this is and that all you’ll be left with is extinguished embers. “No. Wait…what?” You dip your knee into the mattress to move closer to him. You shake the thoughts swirling around in your head for a coherent explanation. “Listen, Josh, I’m sorry for how that went down in there. I didn’t think Jake was going to say all of that and—”

The razor-sharp edge to his voice cuts off your desperate rambling, “I didn’t fuck that woman.”

He’s slammed a proverbial door into your face. It causes you to shrink in on yourself, making you accept that you haven’t been fair to him. You haven’t been transparent, even if you don’t exactly know what you’re supposed to be honest about. Your voice weakens just merely above a whisper, “I know… I’m not sure why I said those things. I’m so sorry.”

He doesn’t respond to your apology. Instead, he fiddles with the glass bowl of his bong, giving away that he’s just as anxious and uncomfortable. You dare another touch his back, but this time he relaxes to the feeling of your fingers. It’s the subtle reassurance you need for you to add, “I liked the flowers by the way.”

He peers over his shoulder enough to see you in his periphery. “You did?”

Your fingers slip into the fallen curls at the nape of his neck.“Yeah. They’re beautiful. I have them sitting on my table in my apartment.”

“I’m glad.” He smiles, but it fails in comparison to what it normally is. He stands and sets the glass piece on his dresser. There’s tension in his rigid movements like he has something else weighing on his mind. 

You watch his unnatural demeanor, beckoning him to look into your eyes again. He avoids them by casting his own to the floor, making it feel as though you’re an intruder. It’s hard to ignore, like the grating hum of electricity through a poorly wired outlet. You decide to shimmy toward the side of the bed and ask, “Should I go?”

You mentally prepare yourself for his answer the best you can while he brings his gaze back to you. “No. I want you to stay.” The words are not as believable for you as they should be, and from the look on his face alone, he knows they’re not convincing enough either. Before you can make another move, he rushes to crawl back onto the bed to sit before you. “Really.”

He places a hand on your bare knee and that’s when you notice the red marks around his wrist from where the handcuffs rubbed his skin. You gasp, taking his hand to inspect them closer, “Oh my god, Josh! Are you okay?”

He glances down at them like you’re pointing it out to him for the first time. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

You rub your thumb over the tender skin apologetically. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put those on you.”

He laughs, giving you a sense of relief now that the tension is starting to finally break, “Don’t be sorry, baby. I liked it, actually.”

You quirk your brow. “You did?”

He watches you massage his wrist and shrugs, answering matter-of-factly, “Yeah, but I probably would have liked it a lot more if it was just the two of us.”

He slips his hand away from you only to lean forward into a kiss. You instinctively fall backward as he moves, laying across the pile of pillows at the head of the bed. “I’ll make a note of that.”

“Good. Add it to the list,” he hums, smiling into the kiss as his lips meet yours. His movements are soft and gentle — far more affectionate than the ones you had shared minutes prior. 

Before the kiss has a chance to deepen, he breaks away to say, “Lay with me for a while.” There’s a vulnerability in his request that makes you ache from the need to comfort him. You answer by lifting your dress over your head and reaching out for him. 

He lowers himself with your guiding pull until his head rests against your bare chest. You cradle him in your arms while he wraps his own around your waist. His body fits along yours seamlessly, and within seconds, his tight muscles begin to loosen. You lay in silence, listening to his rhythmic breaths as you draw shapes on his back with calming caresses of your fingertips.

Minutes go by, perhaps even hours without a single word spoken between you. Exhaustion is setting in and it doesn’t take long for the ever-changing patterns traced along the muscles of his shoulder to lull him to sleep. Soft snores flutter across your chest and as you run your fingernails lightly over his scalp, sleep coaxes you in as well. 

The Sandman had been a little heavy-handed last night, keeping your eyes sealed with sleep. You exist within the realms of your dream and reality, lucid enough to be aware of Josh shifting his weight beside you. You don’t react to the dips of the mattress, letting the luxury cotton sheets swim across your naked skin as he settles between your legs. 

You feel his warmth before his lips make contact with the top of your thigh. It’s a careful kiss, testing whether it's enough to wake you. You hum, permitting him to shower your legs with those barely-there kisses, so faint you wonder if you’re imagining them. That’s until he starts to suck his mark on the thin flesh of your inner thigh, dragging you into consciousness once again.  

Your hips writhe as a sleepy groan rumbles in your throat. The tempting heat of his breath tickles you, making you spread yourself for him without a second thought. 

You peek through your stubborn eyelids, mumbling while your eyes struggle to focus on him, “What are you doing?” 

He answers you by licking a stripe up your pussy before sucking your clit into his mouth. The surprise of his pointed tongue and the strong suction jolts you awake. Before your vision has a chance to clear, you react by clamping your eyes shut in response. After hearing your hissed curses, he releases it, giggling against your throbbing skin, “Good morning, baby.”

The sleepy rasp of his voice drowns your self-control. You push out a forceful sigh as you fall back into the down-feather pillow, huffing sarcastically, “That’s one hell of a way to wake up.” 

He chuckles to himself and skims his fingertips along your leg, giving you a few more kisses.“I’m sorry, would you like me to stop?”

The thought of him suddenly stopping is almost enough to cause panic in your lust-addled mind. You want it so bad you’re vibrating with anticipation. “Oh fuck, no. Please keep going.”

That cheekiness you’ve become well acquainted with reappears. He coos, close enough that the words flutter across your clit, “Do you need it, baby?”

The pet name has never sounded so sweet. You want to bask in it, clutch onto the way it bounces from his lips with your clenched fists.  Your hips lift from the mattress in the blind search for his mouth. You find one of his hands resting on your stomach and grasp it with more strength than you intend. “Oh my god, yes. Just please don’t tease me, Josh.”

You claw at the sheets, wrinkling them by your sides to add emphasis to your plea. He smiles and brings himself even closer to you — less than an inch above you. His eyes fall, and as if he were sharing a secret, he whispers softly, “You like it when I spoil your little clit? Should I be nice to her?”

You respond with a whiny moan and reach for his head buried between your thighs. The tufts of his tangled curls act as reigns between your fingers. You pull him forward by their roots, guiding his mouth back to you. You brace yourself, expecting the same intensity as before, but all you feel is the blooming warmth of his mouth. It blankets you as his tongue pets your clit, lapping across the swollen bud with the slightest pressure. He gives just enough for you to notice the cold metal ball of his piercing teasing you with every roll.

He breathes you in, and licks his lips through a low groan, “Fuck, you taste so good.”

You mumble something, but it's incoherent. You’re too lost in the feeling of his lips sealing around your clit to even bother repeating yourself. He just goes on to create the perfect vacuum with his flattened tongue. He holds it there, babying the most sensitive part of you in the safety of his mouth — as if it was made solely to pleasure you. 

It’s decadent — this feeling. Like that extra slice of chocolate cake eaten at some late hour of the night barefoot in your kitchen. It’s rich and heavenly, flooding your brain with oxytocin. He’s unlike any partner you’ve experienced, and it would be borderline insulting to even compare. There’s not a hint of obligation in sight. What he’s giving you is pure adoration. Unabashed, selfless worship. He’s taking his time, not even rushing a single second with you.   

He’s making sure you feel. He’s learning your body more and more with each passing minute, maybe knowing you better than you know yourself. Like magic, the slow-building orgasm churns wildly in the depths of your belly. Only for it to be disrupted by him suddenly lifting his head, breaking the seal. “I want us to do something today.”

Your mouth is bone-dry, causing you to stutter, “W-what?” 

He shifts his weight between your legs, propping himself on an elbow. Before you can complain out of frustration, he asks nonchalantly,  “Where do you want to go?”

Your mind is too busy reeling trying to process the casual tone of his voice to think about an itinerary for the day. He doesn’t seem to mind your pause and waits patiently for an answer with a smile on his face. After a huff and a roll of your eyes, you throw your head back and comb your fingers through your hair. “Fuck. I dunno, Josh. I think I work today.”

His response is mumbled through the kisses to the inside of your leg. “Then call off. You can do that, can’t you?”

The trail of his tongue and the teasing nips of his teeth distract you. Just like that fateful afternoon the day you first met at the shop, he’s able to convince you of anything he desires. “Yeah…yeah. I think so.”

“Good.” His middle finger slips through your folds —  rewarding you. He’s playing, exploring the intricate details of your body to see your reactions in real-time. He watches your hips lift off the bed from the feather-light touch, how your chest rises and falls with each panting breath, to the changing expressions on your face. With his hooded eyes completely transfixed between your legs, he asks, “How about we take some edibles and go to the aquarium today?”

Despite the overwhelming urge to close your eyes, you fight to keep them open. He’s breathtaking, so effortlessly beautiful soaking in the filtered morning sun. You doubt the fact he’s real like he’s a still from a movie that’s been locked away in a memory until now. There’s a fear that if you blink, he might disappear and you’ll wake up from this perfect dream. 

You’re determined to capture the sight of him — a moment so natural it makes your heartache. The dark shadow of stubble growing back where his mustache draws your attention down to his kissable lips. They’re flushed bright pink, glossy with your wetness. 

He swipes his thumb across your clit, watching how your body spasms at the feeling. You hum, finally allowing your eyes to close, “Mmhmm.”

His voice floats across the tides of your conscience, “Are you listening, baby?” 

“Yeah,” you answer back through an airy sigh. In reality, you’re not convinced you even heard him correctly. The words evaporated into the air between you. They don’t matter in the slightest, he could suggest anything to you if it meant that he would make you finish. 

He kisses your inner thigh before dragging the tip of his tongue higher up. “How does that sound?” 

The kitten-licks along the crook of your leg make you choke on a breath, “S-sure.” He giggles at the broken sound, burying his laughter as he searches for your clit. “We can go look at some fish — ah fuck!”

He swirls his tongue, coaxing your orgasm into the refuge that is his mouth. You find his hand gripped across your hip. The contact serves as a substitute for the spoken words that are failing to form, touching praise that tells him you’re right on the cusp of your release. You feel across the dips and contours of his knuckles, tracing along the soft planes of each finger grasped onto the supple flesh of your waist. 

If you were aware of your surroundings, you would notice his hips grinding into the mattress for friction knowing he could’ve easily added his fingers and made you climax minutes ago out of impatience. The whine laced within the ragged breath is the only indicator that he’s just as desperate as you. “Are you close, baby?”

You moan loud enough for the sound to pierce through the thin walls of their house. If Jake was here, there’s no question that he heard you. However, the thought of the confrontation he’ll have with you is fleeting. Josh, still hell-bent on maintaining the resemblance of a conversation, asks you, “What do you want to see the most?”

“Josh,” you groan, swallowing harshly to wet your parched tongue.

“Yeah?”

“Please shut up.” 

He smiles, pressing the sharp edge of his teeth against your clit. As much as he loves to tease you, the urgency in your tone is enough to flip the last switch. The lazy movements are abandoned, replaced with the rapid flicks of his tongue. 

“Holy sh-shit!” You cry out, clawing at his hands that are latched around your legs. Every muscle in your body tightens like an over-spun coil ready to snap any second. You fall past the tipping point as he drenches you in intoxicating bliss like you’ve been submerged in a warm bath. 

He brings you down carefully, licking and kissing until your legs start to shake from overstimulation. Peaceful silence falls between you as your breathing calms and your heart rate returns to normal within a few minutes. You expect him to crawl up your body and slip himself inside you, but he doesn’t.

He lifts himself from the bed, throws the duvet off to the side, and stands to his feet. His nakedness sends your eyes to his obviously-hard cock bouncing against his belly as he moves. He catches you staring, and the confusion painted on your face. 

You’re completely dumbfounded, as Josh doesn’t strike you as the type to pass on the opportunity for sex. The strange behavior might have made you question things normally, but the certain glint in his eyes tells you something is brewing in that brain of his. 

A tiny smirk forms on his face as he makes his way to the dresser, giving you a direct view of his ass. The way jiggles and bounces as he walks is enough to distract you momentarily. You know he’s doing it on purpose, and you hate the way you fall for it. He digs out his clothes from the drawers, tosses them onto the foot of the bed, and starts to get dressed in front of you. 

You wish you had your phone to snap a picture of him, even for your own selfish reasons. The collection of vibrant tattoos flowing with the lean muscles of his body deserves to be admired. The dichotomy of wanting to appreciate his beauty while wanting to ravish his cock that’s twitching with the steady beat of his heart wrecks your brain.

 Realizing that you’re gawking, he looks up and flashes you a full smile. “So I was thinking we could grab a coffee and some breakfast on the way. My treat.” 

Stunned, you watch him pull his boxer briefs up his legs with his cock standing at attention more than ever. Your pussy throbs for him, craving the full feeling he gives you. Unbothered, he grabs himself with a firm hand and tucks it away into the confines of his underwear. The heather-gray fabric does little to conceal it, taunting you with the prominent outline. 

“Uh…about that,” You begin just as he slips on a pair of jeans that does nothing but hug his crotch in all the right places. It takes every ounce of energy for you to look away. “I need to stop by my apartment today. I have to check on my cat and get some clothes.”

He pauses with his t-shirt in hand. “You have a cat?” After seeing you nod, he scoffs in disbelief, “How did I not know that?”

You sit up, snorting a laugh as you scoot to the edge of the bed. “I don’t think we’ve spent our time actually getting to know each other.”

“Hmm,” he hums, making his way toward you. He steps between your legs and leans until he’s just about eye level. “I beg to differ. I think I’m getting to know you very well.”

You peer up, hoping not to fall headfirst into those amber irises. “So well in fact that you didn’t even know I had a cat.”

“Hey,” he scolds playfully while tipping your chin up with a finger and lowering himself even farther so his lips hover above yours. “In my defense, I was a little busy getting to know another kitty of yours.”

“You’re a fucking idiot,” you huff, but he catches the back of your neck before you can pull away. 

He nips at the spot below your ear, making you suck in a breath.“Utterly moronic.” You whimper at the silken quality of his voice. “Now get dressed, baby.” 

You want to tug him close by the collar of his white t-shirt and kiss him. Lost in the sheets until the sun sets again, but he straightens, breaking the hold you have on him. 

He finishes getting ready while you dress and gather your belongings around him. You take a chance opening the door to his bedroom to see that Jake’s wide open. He’s nowhere to be found, but you spot your overnight bag sitting on top of his bed, reminding you how things were left off with him. 

You walk into his room, taking cautious steps toward the enormous four-post bed. Once you’re a few feet from it, you see a garment wrapped in a plastic covering beside your bag. You recognize it immediately. It’s the dress you wore to your tattoo appointment with Jake, dry-cleaned and laid out neatly for you.  

You’re not sure what to make of the gesture. It’s a level of care and detail that you weren’t expecting from him. It leaves you confused more than anything. There’s no note with your things, and a glance at your phone screen shows no messages from him.  

You hear Josh’s footsteps approach before he knocks against the door frame and calls into the room, “You ready?”

“Yeah, I think so.” You snatch your bag from the bed and head toward him, leaving the dress behind. 

He ushers you out of the front door of the house, locking it behind you once you step to the side. You follow him down the stairs, along the concrete path, and to the driveway where his beloved Camry sits. 

Up close, and now that you’re paying close attention to it, you can see the evidence left by the years from a type of tough love that would blur the line of abuse. The car has stood up to the test of time, proudly wearing every scratch along the chipped red paint and every dent punched into its exterior.   

As you walk around its battered hood, you note the metallic blue fender piece around the front passenger wheel well. You smile to yourself, as it's not a surprise that he’s the type of person to barely care if there was a fender attached at all.

You imagine each point of damage created by teenage Josh — each mark having its own ridiculous story for him to share with you one day. 

You also know that there’s a strong likelihood that some of these could have been made within the week. The thought of it causes a giggle to break free, “How old is this thing?”

He chuckles, manually unlocking the driver-side door with the key. “It’s an ‘03.”

You wait as he slides into his seat, expecting him to hit the unlock button on the inside of his door. He stretches across the passenger seat and pulls up the locking mechanism. 

You pop the handle, pleasantly surprised that it opens with ease, and peek inside. A pile of old cassette and CD cases litter the floor of the front seat. Layers of stickers that probably span over the years cover nearly every square inch of the plastic beige dash. The worn upholstery seats have been mended by hand and stitched back together in a rainbow of threads. Upon further inspection, you notice the tiny, circular cigarette burns that haven't earned their own patch. “Don’t you think it’s time for a new car?”

While you throw your bag into the backseat, he turns the key in the ignition. The idling engine emphasizes his answer. “Why? This baby runs perfectly fine.”

You scoff a laugh, “Josh. Your side view mirror is held on by duct tape and a prayer.”

“Hey!” He wags a pointed finger with his quirked brow before patting the center of the dash affectionately. “There’s nothing duct tape can’t fix. It hasn’t failed me yet.”

You glance over at him, watching him lift his ass from the seat so he can empty his pockets.“How much shit in this car is held together by duct tape?”

He bites back a smile, tossing his pack of cigarettes onto the dash, and sets his phone in the center console. After putting the car in reverse, he holds your headrest to look behind him, but his gaze lingers on you. “Do you want the real answer to that?”

“It might be better if I don’t know.”

Music plays through the speakers just low enough that the lack of conversation becomes noticeable. You’ve tried to distract yourself, but the plastic army men superglued to his dash can only keep your pestering thoughts from wandering for so long. 

He appears anxious, picking aimlessly at the woven steering wheel cover and bouncing a knee for the last few miles. After stopping at the next red light, he finally reaches for his pack of cigarettes resting on the center of the dash. With his free hand, he flips the top and pulls one out with his lips before tossing it back. Your eyes follow the bent pack of Marlboro Lights sliding into the corner of the windshield. After rolling his window down and using his knees to steer, he lights the cigarette and pulls a heavy drag. “Hey.”

“Hey.” 

He glances over at you and takes a steadying breath. “I know I said we should have a serious talk last night, and well, we didn’t do as much talking as we probably should have.”

His anxiety becomes contagious, infecting you in an instant. You stiffen, taking cautious verbal steps, “Okay. What did you want to talk about?” 

Noticing your sudden change, he reaches out and gives your knee a reassuring squeeze. “Relax, baby. Everything is okay. I promise.”

“But something is still bothering you.”

You study his expressions and body language. He’s hesitant, thinking over each word carefully. The sigh he releases and the way he’s rubbing his thumb across his bottom lip makes your chest tighten. “I want you to know that I’m not trying to fuck around.” He quickly clears his throat to clarify his thoughts, “I mean, I’m not really looking to hook up with other people. And…and I think I wanted you to know that I’m just about you right now.”

You don’t answer him right away, letting each word replay in your head over and over. It takes a moment to process, deciphering what he’s truly saying past the surface level. You question if this is a conversation about exclusivity and the implications that go with it. He hasn’t looked back at you yet since he’s spoken, keeping his focus locked on the road.

“Josh?”

Your voice breaks his attention long enough for him to glance over at you. “Yeah?” 

“Are you trying to say that you want me to stop sleeping with Jake?” 

You try not to think about how much the proposition affects you because deep down you know the feeling will act as a stubborn stain on your heart that will never wash out no matter how much you try. You’ve thrown it out into the open and there’s no reeling it back in. It settles between you, more so than the iron weight in the pit of your stomach. You have to acknowledge your hypocrisy when you stood there in their driveway, holding your ground about not wanting to create jealousy between them. 

He winces as he takes another drag, pushing out the question through the blown smoke, “Do you want to stop sleeping with Jake?”

You’re quick to snap back, “Don’t dodge my question.”

“I’m not,” he huffs defensively.  “Look, I’ll be the first person to admit that our situation is…less than conventional. But I like you. I hope that’s obvious.” A smile breaks through the last part, but the expression stays controlled. “All I’m worried about is you being happy and comfortable. Knowing that you’re having fun, but I don’t have any expectations, okay?”

He waits for your nod before continuing to talk. “If having fun for you is hooking up with me, or with the both of us like we’ve been doing, or even if you just want to be with Jake… that’s okay too.”

Before you can open your mouth to reassure him, he adds, “It will be a bummer, but I’ll accept that.”

The pained flick of his thumb across the filter of his cigarette reveals more of his emotions than his chosen words. His exterior is calm and collected — an undeniable contrast to the outburst in the shop office. Out of the corner of your eye, you see how close you’re getting to your apartment building, and the last thing you want is to leave things off on a bad note. “You know I still want to sleep with you, right?”

His shoulders immediately relax and his face lights up as soon as the words leave your lips. That reserved smile blossoms into a full grin. “I might have had a feeling.”

As much as the sight gives you that fuzzy feeling, there’s still a tinge of embarrassment that you’re not handling this as well as you should be, making you confess, “This is new for me.”

Josh’s hand wraps around your thigh once more. “Me too. But we’ll figure it out.” His fingers and thumb begin to knead small circles into the bare skin. The touch is electric, sparking desire like lightning between your legs. “One last thing though. Can you just tell me you’re mad at me next time? I don’t know if I can handle much more of you fucking him to get back at me.”

Despite ending the last sentence with a laugh, it’s not because he finds it humorous. Guilt resurfaces, revealing your immaturity over the last week. You knew that’s how he felt, but to hear him say it acts like salt to the wound. You play it off, throwing in a touch of sarcasm. “So honest and open communication about my feelings?”

He bites at his lip before giving you that smile of his.“Crazy, I know.”

“I’ll try.”

Josh parks behind your apartment building in your designated space. To your relief, your roommate’s car is missing from its spot, giving you the clear to bring him up without having to deal with an awkward introduction. Before you can unbuckle your seatbelt, he snatches your bag from the backseat and slings it over his shoulder as he makes his way out of the car. 

He follows you through the narrow alleyway toward the front door of the building, causing a new, unfamiliar feeling to brew in your chest. In the past, bringing people back to your place has always been a rare thing, especially in broad daylight. You’ve found that you’re more comfortable at their house, coming and going on your terms. Now with him, a half-step behind you, seconds away from your door, is starting to feel like this is developing past the casual hookup phase and you’re not entirely sure where to place that idea in your brain. 

You unlock the heavy door and give it a strong push to break the seal of old paint that keeps it stuck within its frame during warmer months. Since it’s an older building, the musty air sticks to your lungs as you ascend the staircase. 

“How long have you lived here?” Josh sparks small talk from behind you. 

You keep your voice quiet to keep the sound from traveling into the other apartments. “About three years. It’s not quite up to code but the rent is cheap and my landlord is super cool so I can’t complain.”

Josh chuckles, “You know what they say, ‘A little asbestos builds character’.”

You laugh at his joke, stopping on the landing to search for your apartment key on the metal ring. “Can’t be much worse than all the cigarettes you smoke.”

He steps in front of you and blushes, releasing the strained breath he’s been holding in. “Hey, I’m trying to quit.”

You take the next set of stairs while throwing the bratty remark over your shoulder. “Oh? How’s that going by the way?”

Sarcasm seeps into his tone, making him exhale with a dramatic wheeze, “Fantastic. Can’t you tell?”

As soon as you’re standing in front of your door, a sudden wave of anxiety washes over you. This is the first time he’s going to see your place —  a part of you that’s remained a mystery to him until now. Accepting that there’s no turning back, you turn the key in the lock, praying that nothing embarrassing has been left in plain sight. 

“Well, this is it,” you announce into the empty apartment with open arms. 

You drop your keys onto the side table while he walks in and shuts the door behind him. After sliding your bag off his shoulder and resting it on a nearby chair, his eyes scan over the quaint living room. “Wow. It’s quite cozy in here.”

Thankfully, your roommate had kept the place pretty tidy overnight. Crocheted throw pillows are propped up nicely, a folded blanket is draped over the back of the couch, and stacks of books and an unfinished puzzle sit on the vintage oak coffee table. The late morning light casts through the large plate glass windows, giving your family of houseplants their daily dose of sun. 

The commotion wakes your sleeping cat, making him lift his head from his spot on the couch and give you both a welcoming chirp. With a childlike wonder, Josh beams with excitement, calling out in a soft voice, “Hey buddy!”

He slowly drops to a squatting position and holds out his hand. “Pspspsps.” 

You stand back, pleasantly surprised that Josh can gain his trust so easily. The orange tabby does his post-nap stretch before jumping off the couch with a thud, landing on all four paws. He trots over, causing his low belly to swing with his stride, and rubs his face into Josh’s open palm. “What’s your name?”

Not knowing what his reaction will be, you answer sheepishly, “Tater tot.”

Josh throws his head back and lets out a loud cackle, filling the quiet room with his vibrant energy. “Tater tot. I fucking love that.” He scratches under the cat’s chin, earning himself a purr. “You kind of look like a tater tot, don’t you?”

You move through the living room, placing your stuff down as you reminisce over the distant memory. “I found him by the dumpster at work when he was just a tiny kitten. Poor guy was covered in fleas and so hungry that he ate tater tots that I had with my lunch right out of my hand. And the name just stuck ever since.”

He gives your cat’s rotund frame an affectionate pat. “What a cool dude.”

You linger for a few beats of time until you clear your throat. “I’m gonna go get ready. You okay out here with him?”

He makes himself at home on the lounge chair next to your couch and releases a comfortable sigh, “Take your time, baby. Ol’ Tater and I will catch up.”

You rush back to your bathroom and freshen up as quickly as you can. Not long after you left the twins’ house, you texted Katie about covering your shift this afternoon. Thankfully, she was able to without much of a battle, leaving your day wide open to spend with Josh. 

After applying some makeup and doing your hair in a simple style, you repack your overnight bag and look for an outfit to change into. You pick out a simple, linen sundress from your closet that’s going to be comfortable enough for you to walk around in.

Josh doesn’t hear you come back into the living room, and keeps his back turned. In your short absence, he has scooped your cat up into his arms and started rocking him like a newborn baby. He hums a song that’s stuck in his head while pacing around the space, studying the art, little thrifted trinkets, and knick-knacks to the collection of books sitting on the shelf. You watch from the edge of the hallway, noticing how well he seems to fit in here — like he’s meshing seamlessly with your existing life. 

The romantic in you pines for a different reality, because at this moment, seeing the peaceful innocence makes you wish that he had asked you out on a proper date the first day you met. That way, you could have gotten to know him under different circumstances. After weeks of dating, you could’ve introduced him to friends, maybe even brought him to meet your nightmare parents. 

But the way things are with him seems as though it’s far too good to be true — an exciting fling that’s destined to fizzle out as soon as the summer ends. You’ve learned this lesson before. Don’t get too emotionally invested in a guy like him. 

Before getting swept away in the emotions of it like an incoming tide, you interrupt, “I’m shocked he let you pick him up like that. Usually, he hates being held.” Josh is startled by your voice, turning on his heels with the biggest smile on his face. “He must really like you.”

Your beloved cat continues to rub his face across Josh’s defined jaw, purring so loud that you can hear it from across the room. Proud that he’s won his affection, he can’t help but crack a joke, “What can I say…pussies love me.”

You groan with a dramatic roll of your eyes and walk to the door with your bag in hand. Josh laughs from behind you, only to be followed by the sound of Tater Tot’s paws returning to the wood floor. “What? What’d I say?”

You let the smile creep across your lips as you grab your purse and keys. “Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with you at all?”

He hums in thought, standing behind you as he watches you lock the deadbolt. “It could be the big dick and the free weed.”

You scoff and turn to the stairs knowing that he’ll follow. Before you can take the first step, he reaches out and hooks your upper arm in his hand, tugging you close. “Hey.” He abandons the teasing banter, taking on a calm sincerity in his voice. “You look beautiful, baby. Thank you for spending the day with me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You’re right. Those flowers do look great in your apartment.”

With the weight lifted between you, the drive to the aquarium was far more relaxed than the one on the way to your apartment. Like a road trip planned with your best friend, the miles fly by quicker than you thought. The last hour was spent laughing and playing music from the scattered tapes and CDs strewn across the car. 

Josh chooses a parking deck close by, but because of it being in the center of the city, the first three floors are filled. He eventually finds a spot on the last level, kills the engine, and digs around for something in his backseat. He retrieves a small plastic container, pops the lid open, and offers you a red gummy placed in the center of his palm. 

You giggle, plucking it from his open hand, “You’re such a bad influence.”

“The peer pressure must be killing you.” He teases, tossing back three into his mouth. 

Even though you’ve already started chewing yours, you stare at him in disbelief and snatch the container from him. “How strong are these?”

He chuckles around his own gummies, answering before you have a chance to find it on the label. “They’re only twenty.”

Your eyes widen as you swallow down the THC-infused cherry-flavored juice. “Oh, great.”

He gives your hand a reassuring squeeze and places a sweet kiss on your cheek. “Relax. You’re going to be fine. I got you, baby.”

“I fucking hope so.”

You both make your way through the parking deck and out onto the street. It’s early afternoon, and the summer sun is at its highest point in the sky. Thankfully, the trek to the aquarium is roughly a ten-minute stroll. You follow behind him as he walks up to the ticket counter outside of the building. 

“Hello,” Josh greets the employee behind the glass.  An older woman looks up from her computer and stares blankly at him. He waits a few seconds for her response, but when she doesn’t, he adds, “Can I get two adult tickets, please?”

You catch her glare before she redirects her attention to her computer. “That’ll be $105.89.”

Josh fishes his wallet out of his back pocket, waving you off when you reach into your purse. “I got it, baby.” He pulls out a credit card and slides it across the metal counter through the opening of the glass window. 

The woman's judgemental eyes lock onto his hands pushing the card toward her. You’re confused as to why until you realize that she’s staring at his finger tattoos. A look of disgust contorts her aged features as she reaches for it. You glance over at him, seeing the same friendly expression he’s been wearing despite this woman’s blatant rudeness toward him. 

She inspects the card between her fingers and looks up at him. “I need your ID to verify this card.”

You cut in, showing your frustration, “Are you serious? Is that necessary?”

“It’s okay,” He mumbles softly, placating you while handing the employee his driver’s license. He manages to keep his discomfort contained and hidden beneath the surface. Anger ignites and burns like wildfire within your body, but you stay silent as the interaction plays out. 

The old woman compares the names on the credit card and license in front of her before finalizing the payment. She reluctantly pushes both back to him, along with the receipt and printed tickets.“You know those things are permanent, young man.”

Josh forces out an awkward laugh as he slides both cards back into his wallet, “I would certainly hope so with how much I paid for them.”

Being in this employee’s presence makes your blood boil, and you can’t fathom spending another second in it. You hook your arm around his and usher him toward the entrance until you’re out of earshot. “What the fuck was that about?”

“What?”

You shuffle into the line and turn to him. “The ticket lady? She was so rude to you, Josh.” He doesn’t answer, but shrugs his shoulders, clearly not matching the same feelings you have about the ordeal. “Do people treat you like that a lot?”

“It happens. Sometimes you can’t change people who think like that.” There’s a hint of defeat in those words, a hidden sadness that he’s trying to mask. The experience knocks you down because you’ve only ever seen the art inked into his skin as beautiful. His brows pull together when he sees your frown and the hurt in your eyes. “What matters is that you think they’re cool, right?”

You blush instantly. “The coolest.”

“Fuck yeah. Now let’s go check out some fish.”

Another employee scans your tickets and points you in the direction of the main lobby. You let Josh take the lead, following the trail of painted blue arrows on the concrete floor to the closest exhibits. 

Walking through the open space, the recognizable smell of seawater from the rows of tanks drifts along the air and into your senses. Since it’s the middle of the week, the crowds are smaller — just a few people passing by every couple of minutes. 

You find yourselves before this massive tank that wraps around a circular shaped room. The serene ocean hues drench you in its blue light. As you read over the descriptions of the animals in each enclosure on the plaques, the edible you ate in the car starts to take effect on your body. You’re becoming highly aware of Josh standing beside you, and your focus moves to him. He’s taking it all in, admiring life’s simplest and more intricate details captured behind the wall of glass. 

 The calm silence is making it hard for you to concentrate on the animals. You’re becoming more restless only to feel his fingers brush against yours. It’s a testing touch before they weave tightly between them. It’s not much, but the public display of affection sends your heart racing. 

You’ve been questioning whether or not this is a date, or if it’s simply friends hanging out together. Friends that happen to have the wildest sex you’ve ever experienced. 

He points to a large fish swimming by, but you don’t catch any of the words he’s saying. The only thing you can focus on is the feeling of his warm fingers squeezing around yours from his excitement. 

You stand like this for a while staring at all the sea life, but the way his thumb rubs against your hand keeps distracting you. “Josh?”

“Hmm?” He hums but keeps his gaze on the tank. His hazy eyes sparkle as they dance from fish to fish. 

“Do you come here a lot?”

He snorts a breathy laugh, “No. Can you believe that? But I’m glad we did.”

“How come?”

The question finally causes him to break away and look directly at you. You want to kiss him, snuggle up in the comfort of his hoodie, and stay like that for hours. He smiles wide, bringing out the dimple on his left cheek. “I think we needed to get away from the bullshit for a while.”

“The bullshit?”

He lets go of your hand and steps closer to the glass, now a couple of inches away. “Yeah. It’s healthy to step back from all the chaos and connect with nature when you can. Forget our problems for the moment to remember how delicate and beautiful life is. That we are just one facet in the great cosmos.”

You lean in, whispering so others can’t hear, “How high are you?”

He giggles with a sigh, “Pretty high.” You pull him back by a handful of his sweatshirt, making him bump into you. “I’m serious though.”

Even with the closeness, he keeps his touches appropriate. You stretch on your toes and give him a soft peck on his lips. “I bet, but I wanna check out the sharks.”

You look for the shark exhibit, following the path of blue arrows through several escalators and moving walkways. Everything is going well, but the aquarium is far colder than you anticipated, and now you’re cursing at yourself for not bringing along a sweater like Josh. 

Your violent shivers are too difficult to hide, and he’s quick to notice. He pulls off his hoodie and hands it over, “Here.”

“Thanks.” 

Although the look of it over your sundress isn’t the best fashion statement, it’s the least of your worries. It envelops you like a comforting hug. You nuzzle into it while he looks away, breathing in the fabric that holds his scent —  a calming mix of his cologne, and laundry detergent with the faint smell of cigarettes. 

A few minutes pass as you navigate your way to see the sharks. He’s fidgety, rubbing up and down the length of his bare arms. He then hugs himself as if to hide the tattoos without much success. You’re undoubtedly high, which only makes you hyper-aware of his uneasiness.

Josh has been nothing but confident since the day you met him. He’s never faltered, acting like the tattoos were simply an extension of him. His restlessness — whether it’s weed-induced paranoia or tucked-away self-esteem issues, affects you greatly.  

The behavior is unlike him, and you’re sensitive about it. He holds himself like you’ve stripped him bare and left him completely exposed for judging eyes. You’re not sure what to do other than gently pluck his fingers from his arm that has been pressing into the flesh so hard they’ve created indentations. 

Your touch breaks the spell he’s in, making him swap hands with the one that is closest to you. He squeezes your fingers tightly and gives you a grateful smile as he whispers, “Thank you.”

You study the expression on his face, but his bloodshot eyes zero in on your moving lips. “You okay?” 

He leads you in with his hand, closing the short distance between you. The kiss is deeper, and richer than previous ones today. Even with the tip of his tongue ghosting across your lips, it doesn’t feel sexual. He eventually pulls away, and happily sighs, “Much better.”

After leaving the aquarium, you must have walked around the city for hours. Hand-in-hand, swept away by each other’s presence. By the time you made it back to the deck, the sun had fully set in the sky. Once nearly full to capacity, the deck remains borderline desolate. A few vehicles are scattered amongst the first few floors, but as you climb to the fourth, you spot Josh’s Camry sitting alone. 

Now that the euphoric buzz from your cherry-flavored gummy is starting to settle in your system, the desire to have him is so bad that the hour-long drive seems torturous to think about. Besides the few chaste kisses placed on your cheeks, and the one shared on the escalator, he has yet to kiss you today with the same passion you’re used to. 

You’ve been craving those risky touches, the curious grazes of fingertips under the hemline of your dress. You wished for the lewd, sexual comments whispered against your ear when people were around. Those memories of his mouth roaming across your body have been invading your mind ever since you walked out their front door this morning. His undivided attention, the pin-you-against-the-wall kind of attention is what you’ve been wanting all day. You just never would have thought that him on his best behavior would drive you this mad. 

If he feels the same way, he’s been hiding it better than you. Unbothered from the casual stroll to the car, the goofy grin plastered across his face, to the way he’s belting out random notes into the open space just to hear them echo back. 

After both of you step into the car and get settled, he asks, “Do you wanna go to the bar?”

He pops open the lid of the center console and starts searching for a particular CD to play. As he roots around, you realize that looking at anything other than his lips proves to be a challenge you can’t overcome. 

You forget to answer. He’s still rummaging around the junk crammed in the center console, but your silence makes him laugh, “Or should we head back to the house?”

You shift in your seat toward him, whispering, “Josh.”

“What’s up?” His eyes flick up, meeting yours. 

While you’re not usually the one to make the first move, giving in to a temptation that’s been gnawing relentlessly for hours never felt so rewarding. Your lips crash against his, abrupt and unrestrained. Your kiss is heady, starving for even the faintest taste. Impatience doesn’t even begin to explain what you’re feeling. You take the initiative by licking into his parted mouth, searching and demanding for what’s been so out of reach. 

He meets your tongue with his, greeting you with a matched passion. That subtle sweetness, the crisp bite of mint gum — it cuts out any forethought you might possess in an instant. You know you shouldn’t be doing this, venturing further with him when there’s a possibility that an onlooker can walk right on by. The risk of being caught becomes meaningless, lost in the orange glow of the outside lamps.

The hungry kiss might have been the end of this moment — left with a palmed breast and a few nips of teeth. The whine through a bated breath with the following moan tumbling right into your mouth changes everything. It’s what propels you forward over the console and onto his lap. The crawl to him is less than graceful with your clumsy limbs knocking into everything in your path. 

As you struggle to get settled on his legs, he leans back against the headrest with open arms. He watches with a prideful smirk, confidently basking in the knowledge that you were the first to break. You’ve already braced yourself on his shoulders and started to grind your ass over the rough denim in hopes of catching his hard-on. Amused, he tilts his chin up, keeping his lips barely an inch from yours. “Hi.”

Breathless, you scold, “Shut up and kiss me.”

A deep exhale bellows from his chest while his hands knead the flesh of your thighs beneath the bunched-up fabric of your dress. He ignores your request, biting back the lip you so desperately want for yourself. Frustrated, you roll your hips in an attempt to send his open hands closer to your ass. 

Your sense of control wavers with the whimper, “Josh, please.”

 A curious hum resides in this throat and his fingertips ghost the delicate edge of your thong stretched across your hip. At this point, you would do anything to have him. That gummy from this afternoon fails in comparison to the drug that is him. You bury your face into the warmth of his neck, sucking at the tender skin below his jawline. 

He giggles as if the feeling tickles and sends one hand up the length of your back instead of between your legs like you want.“What’s got you so worked up, baby?”

“You,” you mumble, tightening the hold you have on the nape of his neck as if you could somehow bring yourself closer. The tight space of the driver seat confines you, heightening every movement tenfold. 

“Me?” The cockiness in his voice reminds you of Jake more than you’d like to admit, but the single word spoken into your temple makes you tremble. Driving yourself further into his groin, you end up clenching around nothing but the memory. “I got you so desperate that you can’t even wait until we got home?”

The hints of his erection, knowing that it’s there but hidden from your grasp destroy every facet of your self-control. He’s right. The thought of waiting for him is truly unbearable. You lean back on his legs, giving yourself the space to reach between you and find the button of his jeans. You’re able to pop it open before his hand clasps around your wrist, stopping you. “Baby, I’m shocked. I didn’t take you for the public sex type.”

“Are we going to fuck or not?” It was supposed to leave your lips with power but hit the air between you as a pathetic plea. 

Just like the words acting as the ripcord to his own urges, he tears apart your thong between his hands in a swift pull. After hearing your stunned yelp, he bares his teeth to the vulnerable skin of your throat and lets a laugh flutter across your ear, “Oops.”

He flings your shredded panties somewhere into the backseat and cups the curve of your ass with a firm hand, lifting you enough so he can work himself out of the leg of his jeans. Unlike the teasing banter seconds before, he wastes no time dragging the head of cock through your wetness. 

The way his teeth sink into the thin flesh covering your collarbone gives away how badly he wants this as well. After a less-than-gentle pass and in a single thrust, he pushes his entire length inside you. 

“Oh fuck!” You cry out, the sound low and guttural. He stretches you and crashes into your cervix before you have a chance to adjust to his size. He keeps himself there, allowing the stinging pain to subside within seconds, replacing it with that addicting full feeling. 

If you’re being honest with yourself, you welcome that pain — a reminder of how you’ve been acting lately. It should be no surprise how quickly your body remembers him despite how long it’s been since he’s been buried inside you.

He sighs into the hollow point of your neck, muttering the sweet confession, “I’ve missed this.” 

You settle your weight on his lap, only allowing him to rock his hips in the seat. You tighten around him, soaking his cock in your pleasure. “I missed you, too.”

He stops moving to drink you in, kissing and licking a path along your shoulder. “Fuck, I love your pussy so much…best I’ve ever had.”

Your heart skips a beat from the thought alone, but you’re greedy for his praise. You push yourself back with your hands placed on his chest, giving yourself room to see his face. “The best, huh?”

That smug grin reappears while his heavy-lidded eyes drift slowly up to yours. You take in the details of his face, how the shadows accentuate his sharper features. “Yeah…would I lie to you?”

He flusters you, making your line of sight fall from his glazed eyes down to your restless hands. You watch yourself play with the fraying neckline of his t-shirt, asking, “Would you?” 

He tips his chin, keeping his focus solely on your lips before bringing his own close enough to whisper, “Never.”

In a matter of seconds, his hands skim across the fabric of your dress to find the thin straps. Hooking them under his thumbs, he slips them down your arms, taking the front of your dress with them. In a frantic need, he yanks the cropped, black t-shirt you’ve been wearing under your dress up over your chest. 

Now that it’s freed and exposed, he sucks your naked breast into his mouth and licks a broad stripe across your hardening nipple. You force yourself to look up to check if anyone is walking by, only to see that the windows are beginning to fog from the heat of your shared breaths. They’re clinging to every inch of your skin, causing a sheen of sweat to collect across your furrowed brow. And yet, a chill climbs up the length of your spine from his tongue rolling over your bare tits. 

The uncomfortable position is posing a unique challenge for you both. Since both knees are wedged and starting to ache from plastic digging into your flesh, you’re unable to ride him the way you want. Josh, however, doesn’t let the restrictions of the Camry ruin the moment if he can help it. The moans tumbling from your lips act as his cue to wrap his arms around the small of your back, locking you in place.

It should’ve been a warning to you. 

Something animalistic suddenly possesses him, shredding any remaining innocence. He snaps his hips up, thrusting into you with a strength you didn’t realize existed within him. He takes on all the work, holding you above him while you’re left to brace yourself in any way you can. 

Pornographic sounds —  sounds you wouldn’t dare make in the past break free from your chest. He’s thriving off them, knowing that if he was fucking you without these limitations you would be reduced to an even more pathetic, incoherent mess. 

He’s not shy about making his own noises. His rumbled growl vibrates between your breasts. Primal grunts are trapped behind his clenched teeth. It could be because he’s out of breath or that he’s closer than he thought, but he starts to slow his pace, shifting to more of a grinding motion. 

“Oh my god. You feel so fucking good,” You pant. Half-whines, half-barely recognizable curses fall from your open mouth. “Please, please, please.” You’re rambling, blurting out any broken, strung-together thought you can. “Josh…I… I…fuck—don’t stop. ”

His raspy laugh pushes through strained vocal cords, “I’m listening, baby.”

He tries to move and adjust to get a better position, sending the edge of the steering wheel into your lower back. “Ow!” You hiss, rubbing the spot with your fingers. 

“Shit. Sorry, baby.” Although he gives you an apologetic look, you can’t help but giggle at his expense. He returns it, huffing, “Fuck it. Get in the backseat.”

Without more protest than a pained groan, you lift yourself off of his cock and stretch out your weak limbs before clambering over the center console into the backseat. You’re not forced to live with your awkward tumble into the seat for long. He quickly follows, climbing over with far more agility than you.

His twitching, glistening cock pulled out from his unbuttoned jeans, and those sweaty curls sticking to his forehead is a sight you’ll never forget. You watch him as he reaches into the front passenger seat for his sweatshirt. He balls it up and places it under your head as a makeshift pillow. 

“Acting like you’ve done this before,” you tease, clutching the golden sun that hangs from his neck.

He laughs, lowering his head with your guiding hand. “I’ve had to get creative a time or two.” 

“Such a slut.” 

He places a kiss on your lips, mumbling, “Don’t forget…” He breaks away, taking the sloppy kisses along your jaw to your ear, making your stomach flip as if it were an Olympic gymnast. “You were the one that jumped me.” 

He kneels on the seat, kicking your open legs with his knee while pushing your dress to your stomach. Taking his cock in his hand, he lets a trail of spit fall into himself. With a few pumps of his fist, he shudders out a heavy breath, “Do you have any idea how hard it was for me not to fuck you this morning?”

He lets the head of his lubed cock slide across your clit. You lift your hips, chasing him. “I wanted you so bad.”

He lines himself with your entrance and glides in effortlessly. The gratification it gives you is instant. He finds a rhythm and braces himself with each hand gripped onto your thighs. “I know, baby. Trust me. I’ve been thinking about you all week… I’m so addicted to you.” 

You let him stare, watching how his eyes bounce with your moving tits down to his cock sliding in and out of your cunt. As much as you love it, you need him close. You have to feel his warmth and the weight of his body on top of you, have his scent fill your delirious brain, and have those sounds fan across the shell of your ear. 

You find his wrist and tug him to you, gesturing for him to fall forward. He repositions and hitches your leg around his waist while planting his foot on the floor. 

He slides an arm beneath you with his other hand gripping onto the cushion for balance. The change in angle makes him feel deeper than before. You hug him, silently pleading with him to stay. A satisfied pur echoes in his throat, transferring the sound to your wet lips pressed against his skin. “You want it, baby?” 

You reply with a hushed whimper, hoping that he can hear, “I’m so close.” 

He breathes you in and sends his voice directly into your ear. “I can’t wait to fill you up the way you deserve.” You didn’t understand how spoiled you have become until he deprived you of it. So much so that it had turned you into a creature of pure depravity. You clutch onto his damp t-shirt, wrinkling it in your fists across his back. 

“Please, Josh. I need it,” you choke out in a pitiful sob.

He comforts you with a reassuring shush, brushing the tacky hair from your temple. “Look at you. So perfect. Begging for my cum like a good girl.” 

His cock slips inside your pussy with a taunting drag. He talks to you, peppering the words with a sweep of his lips across your cheek, “You’re gonna be so full of me, swollen and beautiful.” Being vocal with you is nothing new, but tonight he can’t seem to hold himself back.  “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop.” 

You say his name over and over like a mantra. 

“Fuck, baby,” he groans through a deliberate roll of his hips that pushes the head of his cock against your g-spot. “If you weren’t on birth control I swear I’d get you pregnant so fucking fast.” 

He says it with such conviction making you think that it’s not something he accidentally blurted out in the moment. It shocks you into silence at first. The incredibly slim possibility has never been brought to your attention before now. It’s a thought that should scare the shit out of you, but somehow it doesn’t. If anything, it nearly sends you crashing over the edge. 

He lifts his head to look into your eyes, searching for your thoughts within them. “You like that idea? Me filling up your pretty pussy and getting you knocked up?”

You nod and smile at him— albeit a fucked out one. Maybe you’re too afraid to say the full confession, so you only respond with a hum, “Mmhmm.”

He kisses you, slipping his tongue over yours like an expertly-timed dance. A teasing flick of it followed by a nip to your bottom lip transforms you into a puddle beneath him. “Just say the words, sweetheart.” 

“I…I…” You start to stammer before eventually stopping yourself. You know that there’s not a chance in hell you’ll be able to come up with anything coherent for him.

He draws the pad of his thumb across your chin while continuing to talk through his languid thrusts, “You’d be breathtaking. Belly round with my baby… those perfect tits of yours filled with milk. Fuck. I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of you.” 

The fantasy he paints for you overrides your mind. You have to look away and blink back the tears clouding your vision. For a second, the only thing you can process is the view of the roof of his old Camry. 

“I’m so close to cumming just thinking about it,” he admits, bringing his hand between your legs to find your clit. His lust-drugged fingers slip through your slick in the blind search until you jolt at the feeling. The heat of your building orgasm has been pooling between your legs and now you’re mere seconds away from plummeting right over the cliff. All you can do is accept fate as he circles the bundle of nerves with a gentle pressure. 

He traces your favorite patterns while gracing your conscience with that sinful lilt of his, “One word and I’ll give it all to you.” He pushes you to the tipping point by matching the rhythm of his fingers with the glide of his cock. “If it were up to me, baby? I’d have you full and dripping with my cum every fucking day of the week.” 

“Please.” 

Right as you claw at his flexed shoulder blades and drive him deeper with your locked legs, he gives a final request after speaking your name, “Let me hear you. I deserve that, right?” 

He does, and you’re beyond willing to give it all to him — the embarrassing groans ripping through your chest, the pitched whines and the delicate moans that chase them. Your walls flutter around his cock, tightening around him through your orgasm. 

“You’re so perfect.” Is his final praise into the tacky skin on your neck. It leaves his lips through a faint whimper as you slowly milk him dry. As the warmth spill into you, he continues to gently fuck you through the waves of your release.

After slowing a stop and carefully withdrawing his softening cock, he breaks the hold you have on him by sitting back on his heels. Looking down at your pussy through drowsy lids, he sweeps his middle finger through your slit and brings them to his mouth. You watch in awe as he passes it over his flattened tongue to lick them clean.

“You look so fucking hot,” he mutters with a ragged breath. Even though the words are crass, stripped of anything remotely poetic, they’re honest. He glances up, sending you a wink. “Better keep all of it in until we get back.”

You wish you could lay in his bed with him, letting the shared high come down peacefully. But reality comes crashing in, reminding you that time is not on your side. He takes a minute to collect his breath and collapses against the backseat, running his fingers through his soaked hair as he pushes out a dramatic sigh, “Well that’s new.”

You haven’t dared to move — not even a single inch from the fear of adding another stain to the cushion beneath you. “So…is that a kink for you?”

He blows a raspberry with a shake of his head, blurting out, “I guess…maybe. Yes? I dunno. Did I freak you out?”

You snort a laugh, “Surprisingly, no.”

He takes a long pause, and you can feel his eyes on you while he tries to decipher your reaction. “Interesting.”

“What?”

He buttons his jeans and plucks the pack of cigarettes from inside the cup holder of the center console. “I just— and don’t take this the wrong way — but can you imagine getting pregnant from this?” 

Before you can think about it, quickly adds, “I mean, in my shitty car in a parking deck after we spent the day at an aquarium high off our asses.” You can only stare at him, which does nothing but make him more nervous. Embarrassed, he mumbles around the filter of his cigarette, “Forget I said that,” 

You interrupt by extending your hand. “Lemme have one.”

You catch the surprised rise of his brows before he scrambles to light the one hanging from his lip. He then offers it between his fingers, and he watches you take a slow drag and cough out, “Jake would be so furious.”

You both burst out into a fit of laughter, releasing any tension that might have settled between you. Smoke starts filling the car, pressuring you to finally make the move to sit up. He shuffles around, finding another t-shirt from the floor before climbing to the front of the car. Once in the driver’s seat, he lays it out across the passenger seat for you as you make your way over. 

You settle while he starts the car, pulling in a second drag now that the window is down. It burns, leaving a pungent taste that trickles down your throat. “You would be a terrible dad by the way.”

He looks out and drums his fingers against the top of the steering wheel. “I think I could hold my own? Teach the little tike a few things.” Silence falls as he drives through the levels of the parking deck. His voice softens with the following sentiment, “You would be an incredible mom though.”

“Really?”

He takes a hand off the wheel and reaches over to rub your shoulder. “No doubt in my mind.”

You could get lost in those words. The thoughts and the emotions that accompany them —  they could all bubble up and spill out if you let them. Instead of falling into the depth of that rabbit hole, you choose to add levity like you always do. “Would be one helluva cute kid.”

A wave of attitude is brought to the surface, making him pipe up with a pointed finger. “I’d give you the cutest fucking baby to ever exist.”

You smack his hand down playfully. “Josh, you’re a twin.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m the better looking one anyway,” he blows out the sassy remark through a cloudy exhale. 

“You know you’d have to quit smoking if you ever became a dad.”

“I know, I know. I gotta quit,” he grumbles, flicking the ash off his cigarette out of the window. He looks over at. you, giving you an affectionate, knowing smile. There’s something in those eyes you can’t quite place, making your heart ache too much to try. “You hungry?”

“Fucking starving.” 

TAGLIST:

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[hoejosatoru]

Got Game? Haikyu edition !

Ranking Hiakyu characters on how good they are at hitting on people. Basically does your fave has rizz or nah? 

A/n: there are sooo many haikyu characters so if I forgot your fave I'm sorry feel free to add them in wherever you want & if you disagree be nice about it or I'll bite you this took a long time there’s SO MANY OF THEM

33. Mad Dog

He’s scaring hoes. No explanation needed.

32. Aone

He was dead last until I remembered mad dog existed. He is scaring hoes as well. But like if someone could give him a chance I think he does have a good heart. He really needs to be introduced to someone or something, bc cold walking up to someone is never going to work for him I fear.

31. Ushijima 

More intimidating that scary, but still makes people nervous. He’s just like super dry and has bad social skills. Does not know how to be flirty at all. He’s cute so I think on occasion there’s girls that want him enough to look past all that but honestly he will almost always strike out unless he has a wingman (Tendo) to help balance him out.

30. Sakusa 

Bro is mean and grumpy. I also feel like he doesn’t really care for random hook ups anyway so he is not trying to pick up people a lot. On the occasion he does see someone he wants to approach, I just struggle to see him being flirty. Like you almost get the sense he is judging you when he’s talking to you. Which, to be fair, he probably is. He is another person who would benefit from having a wingman, though he won’t admit it. He’s getting past Ushijima by the skin of his teeth just because he isn’t as imposing.

29. Kita

Another one who I don’t see trying to approach too many people. I think he would come off as disinterested even if he did find you cute. Would probably try to flirt by asking weird philosophical questions. Does better than Sakusa bc his energy is slightly less intense. 

28. Yamaguchi

He’s just too awkward. He gets super shy and flustered around anyone he thinks is cute. Sometimes gets lucky when he goes for someone who finds his shyness cute, but often is shit outta luck.

27. Tsukishima

Of course Tsukki and Yams are next to each other. Tsukki is another grumpy one, but not as intense as Sakusa. He too doesn’t approach too many people, but more than Kita or Sakusa would. I could totally see him being one of those dudes that relies on being tall for getting girls. Like he thinks he doesn’t have to try that hard since he is over 6 foot💀 I think he flirts by being mean but it comes off too mean or condescending at times. Definitely tries to be more selective with who he approaches though, won’t approach anyone he doesn’t think he has a good chance with.

26. Goshiki

Talks a big game in front of his friends, but gets really nervous in front of the person. Blushes like crazy and trips over his words. Can get past that at times, but flirting definitely doesn’t come as naturally to him. 

25. Tendo

Tendo is fearless, which does help his success rate because he just will walk up to anyone he thinks is hot. Doesn't really get nervous at all. However, he is a little weird (I say that affectionately) so he's definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. Strikes out a decent amount bc of that, but honestly it doesn't really bother him at all. Will just move on to next one. He’s really just there for a good time.

24. Yamamoto

Gets very nervous around girls he thinks are hot. He gets loud when he is nervous which can freak people out. Tries his best, but either comes on really strong or really stiff. Sometimes can get past that if gets hyped up by his friends beforehand.

23. Kunimi

He’s okay at it. He’s quiet and a little snarky, which doesn’t alway connect well. I think if he is able to break the ice and get a conversation going, he has a good success rate. But if he isn’t able to get the person hooked into the conversation quickly, he fizzles out.

22. Asahi

He is like 50/50. He’s the guy who comes up to you and you get super excited because he’s cute, but he can fumble it. If he is in a nervous mood, it is really hard for him to get a convo going and be natural. Those days he is striking out more. If he is feeling confident that day, he has a really good success rate. Again, 50/50.

21. Oikawa

I know this is low but hear me out. Because girls were crazy over him in high school he really never had to try to get someone to like him. Therefore he really doesn’t have good skills in that area, especially when just approaching someone random. I think he would learn fairly quickly, but it would be a tough start.

20. Kenma

He’s kinda shy and doesn’t like approaching people bc he’s a lil lazy( but mostly nervous). However, he’s super smart and if he can figure out a way to get you to approach him, he’ll definitely do that. Can have trouble standing out to people since he is on the quieter side. But circling back to the smart thing, I think he is good at zeroing in on his type & what will get that person hooked on him. Definitely spends some time observing you before he makes a move. His success rate does go up a lot if he has a wingman, but he doesn’t NEED one like some people on this list.

 19. Tanaka

He’s very similar to Yamamoto, but I think he is just a bit better at staying calm. Just a bit. Definitely is nervous to start& can come off a little strong at first, but if you give him a chance he’s able to show he’s a good, genuine guy. Also feel like if he is with a friend his success rate goes up like crazy. Like he doesn't need the wing man to intervene for him, it’s more like having his friend there makes him feel confident and takes away his nerves. This is why he is always begging Nishinoya to come out with him.

18. Matsukawa

Middle of the road guy. I feel like he is bad at opening conversation, which hurts him. However, if someone gives him a chance for a longer conversation he does a lot better. 

17. Daichi

He’s not bad, but he’s also not amazing? Like I don’t really see him as someone who gets very nervous around people he finds cute. However, he’s not super flirty and can struggle to hold people’s interest if that makes sense? Just kinda mid tbh.

16. Koganegawa

He has like puppy dog vibes. He has a lot of fun flirting. I feel like he is a lil bit of an air head, so he doesn’t even realize he should be nervous. But since he has such positive, easy going vibes it’s super easy to talk to him. His down fall is that he can be a little too spacey and forget to follow through, ex forgets to ask for your number or tell you he thinks you’re cute.

15. Kageyama

He’s not super flirty either. But I feel like as he gets older he grows in confidence and gets better at approaching people. Let’s be honest them beautiful fucking blue eyes has him picking up most people he wants. His weakness is sometimes he’s too reserved and the other person thinks he’s not interested. Either than that a pretty solid success rate

14. Akaashi

Honestly bro is so fine he really doesn’t have to try that hard. Similar to kageyama in that he can struggle with coming off too aloof. Still, I think he’s super polite and engaging which makes him charming without even really trying

13. Lev

He also has some puppy dog vibes but I think he is more in control of it. Especially as he gets older he mellows out more. Being a professional model gave him a lot of confidence, but he still is a lil goofy on the inside, so it never comes off as cocky or anything. I could see him trying a little too hard to be suave at times that it works against him. Like it comes off a little disingenuous. But he’s a 6′4 model, he’s not struggling THAT hard to get numbers lets be real.

12. Nishinoya

He’s higher than Tanaka bc I think he comes off slightly less strong. Maybe it’s just because he’s small 💀. But he doesn’t feel intimidating even though he does come on strong. He’s able to do it in a way that’s very endearing. Also once he gets talking he’s able to reel himself in more. He’s also super funny which helps his success rate a TON.

11. Kuroo

Idk why but I can see him wanting to use like pick up lines 💀 like he thinks he’s being smoother than he really is. Kenma tells him he’s being a dork(which he is). He’s hot enough that most people will give him a chance, though. Once he gets past that he genuinely charming and doesn’t struggle to get someone’s number

10. Bokuto

Another one that can come on strong but in a way that works for him. I can deadass see him just walking up to someone and flat out telling them they’re gorgeous. And it feels so genuine(bc it is genuine) and not just like someone trying to get in your pants (even if he is trying to get in your pants). If he strikes out tho it totally kills his mood and it’s hard for him to recover.

9. Atsumu

He’s the opposite of bokuto where him calling you gorgeous sounds like he’s just trying to get in your pants 💀 but he is SUCH flirt oml. I think that can hurt him at times bc he’s laying it on a little too thick. But usually finds a good balance. Can charm the pants off most people if you give him enough time.

8. Aran

Solid flirter. Confident enough to approach you and make conversation without being overbearing. Chill and easy to talk to. Even if you don’t end up going out with him after, you still enjoy the talk you had. Also doesn’t make it weird if you decline him.

7. Sugawara

Suga is so good at getting your guard down. He’s just sweet and genuine you feel at ease with him (it’s those big brown cow eyes). So easy to talk to and is surprisingly funny. Plus when he tells you he works with kids it makes him seem even sweeter.

6. Terushima

And then we have to total opposite. Honestly he should be lower. He comes off strong to the point of being cocky but somehow makes it work. Let’s be honest it’s the tongue ring(he definitely makes suggestive jokes about it). I also hc that he’s super tatted as an adult. I think he does well because he’s superrrrr good at picking out the girls who would be into his vibe. Also like who doesn’t wanna hook up with a bad boy every now and then?

5. Hinata

Listen. This may be high but I truly believe Hinata has good game. So good that at times he doesn’t even realize the effect he is having. I think his favorite way to flirt is getting you to do something competitive with him. Has no issue walking up to you at the beach to ask if you wanna play volleyball with him or even just asking to play beer pong at a party. He doesn’t even really have to try once you agree because he is super good at everything he does (which is a turn on) and you have a lot of fun. Great at asking you on a date without even realizing you’re being asked. Like he’ll say you should go get something to eat after playing together and you immediately agree. Then you’re like wait a second... this is totally date. And you’re very happy about it.

4. Semi

I feel like we don’t know that much about his cannon personality, but he has such a cool vibe. Liken effortlessly cool so you’re naturally drawn to him. Plus he’s super good looking like come on. Really just knows how to curate his look. He’s someone expect to be a little mean but he’s actually a sweetheart. Has you head over heels in no time.

3. Osamu

Atsumu is punching the air rn. He’s got Atsumu’s confidence but is able to keep from being too much. Subtle flirt, but super good at it nonetheless. Loves flirting with costumers who come to his shop because it gets him extra tips but also you keep coming back to order shit just so you can talk to him more. He knows he’s got you right where he wants you. He gets soooo many numbers left on receipts and absolutely will call them if he liked you.

2. Suna

God. This man. He was born to flirt look at him!! He’s so fucking smooth. He’s sorta aloof but he is really able to work that to his favor. Definitely confident enough to just walk up to you and start a convo. He is a good talker but he almost doesn't need words??? Like he can just look at you a certain way and god you’re sweating (in the best way). Easily gets anyone he sets his sights on.

1. Iwaizumi

Iwaizumi has the best game idc. He’s equally hot and approachable. Has plenty of confidence but is never cocky. Truly has a kind, warm aura that makes you feel so comfy talking to him. He’s super smart and funny. Like you just feel like you’re having a conversation you don’t even realize he’s flirting with you but you’re absolutely developing a huge crush on him. The type you talk to and immediately feel like you’ve known him forever. He truly never strikes out. It’s a gift. 

Bonus: Coach Ukai

It didn’t feel fair to compare Ukai to everyone bc he is a few years older and definitely more experienced but I couldn't leave him out. He has INSANE game. Like just look at him. He’s fine, a lil bit of a bad boy vibe, has a heart of gold (LOVES dropping in that he is a volunteer coach with kids). I think he would be sexy n fun flirt like it’s just too easy for him.

#why are there so many #haikyuu #haikyu #haikyu x reader #haikyu headcanons #haikyu scenarios #haikyu hcs #oikawa hcs #kuroo hcs #kenma hcs #bokuto hcs #hinata headcanons #kageyama hcs #atsumu headcanons #osamu headcanons #suna headcanons #iwaizumi headcanons

[sataara]

Sibling Energy

"Ingo and Emmet talk after he explains where he was for the last few years"

Hello again! This is a small one shot that I wrote a long time ago and only now edited and cleaned it up so I could post it 😅

The bootleg merch mention comes from a convo that happened at @evtraininguniversity 's tumblr, here's a part of it but there was a lot more talked about at the time!!! Also go read Ev's stuff if you haven't already, she's great!!!

Either way, enjoy!!!

“Ok. Let me see if I got it. You still don’t know exactly how, but you were thrown in the past.”

“Correct.”

“Of another region entirely.”

“Right again.”

“Somehow you lost your memories in the way there.”

“Hm hm.”

“So you lived there, until a random kid brought Arceus to you and he gave you your memory back.”

“Yup.”

“And then, with your memory back, you asked to be sent back here after saying your goodbyes.”

“You are a very good listener, Emmet.”

“Shut the fuck up, this is the most bizarre thing you’ve ever told me and yet I have no better explanation. I could say that the old timey clothes you got in a museum or from reenactors, the destruction to your uniform from living in the wild for years, but how the fuck else would you get those extinct pokémon?”

“Guess you’ll have to believe me, then, asshole.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to, but you are talking about fucking Arceus, over here.”

“I guess that is fair, I had the same reaction before seeing the supposed creator with my own eyes.”

“Calling him “supposed” wouldn’t be heresy, then?”

“I fought him and won, I don’t care.”

“You fought him without me?!”

“I knew you would say that, so technically they owe me for the mess they put me through, I didn’t want to go to Hisui but apparently I had to, because technically that had already happened? Something about time paradoxes. Regardless, their influence made sure that no one connected my image in the history books with Subway Boss Ingo, so no one would alert you or try to get me back before I was supposed to return. I didn’t choose any of that, though, so after winning I got them to agree to fight you too, next time we played the Azure Flute in Spear Pillar.”

Emmet punched the air in excitement. He had the look he always did when going through strategies on his head, until a thought made him get back on track.

“Right, so, assuming you really did spend these last three years in ancient Sinnoh,” Ingo huffs in amusement at his brother persistent disbelief, “does that mean you know why they don’t have a rail system?”

That grabs his attention and suddenly he is furious.

“Professor Laventon kept making incredible remarks about trains and how helpful they are, I added my own agreement and yet! The construction corps were so prideful! They didn’t want to look into the system to see if they could adopt it as well! They kept saying that those “metal beasts” could not be safe!” His hands in constant movement, following his rage. “And now, the kid that helped me, told me that they have been starting construction in Jubilife City and that Sinnoh now regrets how long it took to adopt the rail system!”

“Oh, I did hear news of that a few years ago, I had bigger worries then.”

That gave Ingo’s rage pause.

“I’m sorry, Emmet, I wish-“

“Nope! Can’t change the past, it is what it is, do not go down those tracks.”

“Did your therapist tell you that?”

“More like he drilled it into my head.”

“I’m happy to hear it.”

“We can talk about me later. Don’t give me that look, I know I can’t avoid your older brother tendencies forever. But, that is why you want to go back there, then? You want to supervise the construction?”

“I don’t want to go back exactly, I want to give them our expertise on the subject, we might not have started the subway and train systems in Unova but we did expand on it. I also can not say I told you so to Kamado, so I want to do that to the closest descendent of his that I can find.”

“You are such a petty bitch sometimes.”

“Go fuck yourself, Emmet.”

Despite the jabs, that were all friendly at the end of the day, Ingo loved listening to his brother snickering laugh. Oh, how he missed his favorite problem while walking through the vast expanse of Hisui.

"Oh, and before I forget, I did get something in Hisui that reminded me of you." He leaned over the arm of the couch to reach the basket he had brought with him. "Emmet, I want you to meet Impostermet. I hope you two will play nicely."

Emmet left a bark of a laugh, he couldn't believe that, depite being stuck in the past, his brother was still able to find their bootleg merch.

"Impostergo is a part of a set now! I can not believe you, Ingo!"

"Since we're already on the subject, you didn't burn The Blanket, did you?"

"I think Crustle found it in a day he was very mad and it became rags, sadly, you can find my teeth around the house, I use it to clean."

"That's a terrifying sentence Emmet."

"You have no one to blame but yourself. I never told you to buy that fucking monstrosity in the first place."

"Oh, how terrible my brother is, I buy a gift of his likeness to bestow upon him and that's how he thanks me."

"If I wasn't so happy to have you back I would fucking kill you right now."

"As if you ever could, I'm the bigger twin after all."

"We're identical, you fuck!"

And that's how they ended up wrestling on the floor of their living room, Ingo having his brother in a headlock while Emmet kicked and refused to surrender. Eelektross glared at his trainer and his brother's antics, before giving a slight shock to the pile of squirming limbs, making them release each other with pained yelps.

"Eelektross is right, we have far more important things to do."

"Eelektross is always right! He is the best boy! We need to go to a police station and then do a looooot of paperwork to prove you're alive and to get you your job back."

"Maybe I should have stayed in Hisui."

"Oh no, you're not running away from the paperwork!"

"I think I can hear Sneasler calling me, Emmet, I have to go."

"Come back here, Ingo!"

"Well, who arrives first at the station is free from paperwork!"

"You're already at the door, that's not fair! Ingo! Ingo, stop!"

The twins should be thankful that their pokemon were as intelligent as they were, Chandelure stopped the siblings using psychic, while bringing them back to get their pokeballs and properly lock the door, before they actually teared down the streets, throwing quips at each other and laughing until they were red in the face. They tied at the end, as Emmet saw Ingo was about to win, and decided to tackle his brother inside the station, making them end up crossing the threshold at the same time. Ingo could only wheeze as his brother fell on top of him and crushed all of his precious organs, only moving when the depot agents came over, helping them stand up and properly welcoming back the siblings to their home, finally together once more.

#submas #my writing #pokemon #subway boss ingo #subway boss emmet #i wrote this just for the hell of it #it was a lot of fun 💕 #small edit bc I found a typo #can't ever run away from them dksvsksbsm

[loth-creatures]

LORE

Lothwolfwalkers AU Masterpost

I will be editing and adding to this over time and details are subject to change. Most recent update will be indicated with a ☆

Suggestions and ideas are SO welcome, my inbox is your oyster. I might even link previous asks with lore bits in here at some point.

The original Wolfwalkers were a small group of Lothali Natives. They were Force-sensitive as the lothwolves are but typically not as much as Jedi. Of course, they did have dealings with the Jedi many decades ago. They actually had a very close relationship at one point, with plenty of Wolfwalkers becoming Jedi and vice versa. Lothal basically had its own unique faction of Jedi intertwined with the wolfwalkers. But for *unknown reasons* the lothwolves disappeared, the wolfwalkers dwindled, and the Jedi left.

The main Jedi temple may still exist in the records (as shown by Kanan’s holocron) but the history seems to only be preserved through the ancient art in temples and wolf dens on Lothal.

*Ezra said no one’s seen a lothwolf in a hundred years and I don’t feel like coming up with an explanation. Wolfwalkers are also heavily implied to be near extinct in the movie.

When the Empire arrived and began to slowly poison the planet, its magic grew quiet and any scattered remaining wolfwalkers began to lose their power, including Ezra’s parents. Ezra’s high Force-sensitivity allows him to connect to his. Once the Empire is defeated and the lothwolves return, the wolfwalkers will begin to come back as well.

Lore carried over from Wolfwalkers for those who haven’t seen the movie:

The wolf body is separate from the human (or alien) body and only appears when they fall asleep. ☆They can wolf spontaneously but the human counterpart will still fall asleep if that happens. Force-sensitive wolfwalkers can also meditate their way into wolf form.

Some are born wolfwalkers and some become them after being bitten by another wolfwalker

They can communicate with wolves and other animals

Healing powers

They can see scent trails, feel sound vibrations, probably some other sensory chaos

Variations of Wolfwalkers based on Force-sensitivity and proximity to Lothal:

Size Reference

Native Lothal people can become wolfwalkers regardless of Force-sensitivity and transform with ease.

Non-native nonForce-sensitive people can become wolfwalkers but it can wear off or go dormant after a while, and its much harder to learn to wolf on command or control it when asleep. ☆ If their wolf form does go dormant, they will likely wake up in the presence of other wolfwalkers or even just visoting Lothal.

Jedi (or anyone highly Force-sensitive) can easily connect with and control their wolf-forms with practice, no matter where they are, and can contain their wolf when asleep when necessary. It probably sucks though, feels itchy and restless.

Jedi wolf forms can change and grow due to *significant events.* I made the Jedi-wolves gigantic purely because of Dume so working concept that Weird Fucked Up experiences with the Force make the wolf forms huge bc they like. Absorb cosmic energy or something. Ezra will also get gigantic in the future, bc boy does he have some cosmic experiences.

The wolf is essentially a physical manifestation of one's soul, as well as the Force. The wolf is equal to one's connection to the Force, which in my book is like an expansion of your soul as energy from the Force swirls and clusters around you and pulls at you. It causes your soul to overflow from your body and that's why you get power. This is why non-Force sensitive wolfwalkers are normal sized as wolves (same size as normal lothwolf) whereas Jedi wolves are bigger even before having fucked up cosmic experiences.

Also. Force abilities manifest differently in wolf-form. It's like you can't really use the Force with percision bc you are the Force. Or smth. I'll come back to that. ☆

Stuff I made up for the plot:

Ezra has always been a wolfwalker, like his parents. But the lothwolves are gone and his parents are dead and he’s never actually connected to his wolf-form. He often has dreams, trying to find his wolf but not actually knowing what he’s looking for and never successful. It’s part of why he can connect with animals so well, and sometimes he can see/hear/smell through flashes of wolf-sight but he goes a long time thinking it's just the Force. Once he figures it out, it will take a long time for him to discover all the abilities and secrets and hidden knowledge etc. Until the Lothwolves return there is no one to teach him.

If a wolfwalker’s human body dies, they can still exist in their wolf forms but it's not guaranteed. It's a gamble with time and the healing abilities of their fellows, as any injuries the human body sustains will also appear on the wolf. The wolf must stay in spirit form until healed or it will quickly die the same way its human form did. They might also be somewhat ghostish. Like they can still have solid bodies but can also just dissolve into the Force at will. Anyway this entire AU was just my here’s-how-Kanan Jarrus-can-still-win scheme MWAHAHA

#lothwolfwalkers #sww #star wars rebels #swr #ezra bridger #kanan jarrus #rebels au #wolfwalkers #lothwolf

[miyamiwu]

Reblogging is a form of self-expression

I’ve seen a lot of posts about how people aren’t reblogging much art anymore, with the authors encouraging people to reblog coz it helps support artists. But the thing about most of these posts is that they don’t really talk about how the likes-reblog gap isn’t just widening for art posts. It applies to other types of posts as well—be it short or long text posts, some edit you made, photos, etc.

I don’t have that much followers, but some of my posts have reached over 1k notes. (And some rare popular ones have reached 5-6 digits). I write a lot of metas both here and on one of my side blogs. I also make gifs occasionally, and I have lots of original posts in general too.

But in all of my posts, there are always more likes than reblogs, and the gap is often wide.

When I look through some of the blogs in the notes, several of them are empty but with their Likes visible. And if they’re not empty, then all their posts are just their own. No reblogs at all...

Many of those Likes vs Reblogs posts talk about how reblogging helps the original poster but make little to no explanation on how reblogging serves the reblogger. And I guess that’s why the likes-reblogs gap continues to widen. People are framing reblogs as free advertising for the OP when we should be framing reblogs for what it primarily is—a form of self-expression.

When you reblog something, it’s like saying...

You’re so excited about the post that you want others to see it

You agree with the idea/opinion being expressed in the post (opinions, discourse, analysis, etc.)

You care about the things said in the post (like sharing pro-Palestine posts)

You identify with the community being represented in the post (like being part of a certain fandom)

You find the post funny and want to save it (like how you’d save memes to your phone)

You think the post is cute and want to squish it (cat photos, animal videos, kawaii stuff, etc.)

Or you just think the post is going to be a popular one so you’re “investing” early

etc.

You can even expand these ways of expression by adding your own commentary through tags or reblogs. You can’t do that with just liking.

Actually, you don’t even need to have a clear reason for reblogging something. Posts can simply be like stickers or stamps, which you collect to put on your scrapbook (your blog). Years later, you can then go through your archive and look back on how you were before at certain times in your life.

[To those who don’t know: Yes, we have an archive. It’s at username.tumblr.com/archive. You can filter posts by post type and by month/year of posting. Only posts/reblogs show up in the archive. Likes are not included.]

Moreover, reblogging is how you gain friends. Mutuals, after all, are two people who follow each other, and well, for someone to follow you, you must have something on your blog that they’d want to see more of. If you only like posts, then what’s there to see?

Original posts are nice, of course, but when I see a blog where all posts are just their own, I’m immediately given the impression that it’s being run by a brand. And it may be that the blog really is trying to maintain its Brand image—such is the case for side blogs dedicated to a certain topic (like poll tournaments or art-only blogs). But even then, people will expect you to have a Main blog or another side blog where you do reblog stuff.

It’s kind of how we know you’re human. And it’s also how we know that you’re open to actually engaging with others on this site.

A blog that’s empty or contains nothing but their own posts sends out the message that you’re not interested in or just don’t care about what other people are saying.

#tumblr #likes vs reblogs #reblogging #tumblr reblogs #tumblr meta #miyamiwu.info #miyamiwu.src #not fandom #reblogs #miyamiwu.nf

[oc-challenges]

WELCOME TO THE OC HALLOWEEN CHALLENGE!

Calling all the monsters, it's time for the OC 2023 Halloween Challenge! This challenge has been hauntin' you for five years, and we're wantin' you to participate!

If you're new here, here's what you need to know: This is an event that takes place over the 31 days of October and presents oc creators with Halloween-themed challenges to get the creative juices dancing. It is open to creations for both fanfiction and original ocs, and if you want to participate you don't have to every one or even in order. It is brought to you by @purpleyearning / @aliverse, @elmunson, and includes suggestions by members of our discord! (special thanks to @endless-hoppington for helping with some descs)

Rules

DO NOT copy others edits.

If you are doing crossovers, PLEASE make sure that the creator of the other oc is okay with crossovers.

If you want your post to be reblogged onto this blog, it must contain the hashtag ohc2023.

Feel free to ask questions, I promise I’m more treat than trick.

Everything is up to the creators interpretation, although I have tried to include some examples for help!

Have fun!

RANDOM/THEMELESS (1st–5th) Some of the challenges that don't coincide with each other.

Day One: Life In Plastic

It's fantastic! Is your OC more of a Barbie or a Bratz? Maybe they go to Monster High, or they're an American Girl Doll with an inspiring story? Perhaps you want to make a Funko version of your OC? To put it simply, this day is about dolls as an ode to the best movie of 2023; Barbie.

Day Two: Lights, Camera, Action!

For day two, we're combining oc as canon, oc as celebrity, and oc's social media into one day where you get to choose which of those challenges you would like to do... maybe even all of them!

Day Three: Born In The Wrong Century

Movies depend on a lot of things, but time and place helps create the ominous feel for it. Like Crimson Peak that belongs to the revival gothic period of 1880s or Jason Voorhees waking up on a spaceship in the year of 2455, give your character(s) a new decade to explore and even monsters to face.

Day Four: Twisted

From reality episodes where two people experience switching roles with one another to an alternative reality where their roles are different from their home's universe, make your character experience life through a whole new perspective by making your hero the villain or your villain the hero.

Day Five: Vampires, Werewolves, and Witches... Oh My!

From Godzilla to Dracula to The Mummy, the monster-verse is rich with lore. Today we focus on those monsters that never go out of style, after all they’re called classics for a reason. Is your oc Frankenstein or his monster?

OH, YOU WANNA PLAY PSYCHO KILLER? CAN I BE THE HELPLESS VICTIM? (6th–12th) Due to its popularity last year, we're bringing back the horror character tropes week.

Day Six: The Harmless Antagonist

Ah, a classic in more than just horror; the mean gorgeous holier-than-thou character; more specifics of this are often The Jock, The Cheerleader, The “Slut”, The Bitch, The Rich Kid, etc. While they may annoy the main character or make their everyday life difficult with academic rivalry or teasing, they’re really nothing compared to the new enemy; the thing or person killing everyone. Which one of your ocs is getting brutally knocked down a peg… or the stairs?

Day Seven: The Comedic Relief

Honestly, they make even the scariest movies bearable. They're almost never the main character but almost always the most liked. They say laughter is medicine for the soul, so which of your ocs soothes the characters and the situation with a joke made at the worst of times?

Day Eight: The Denier/Non-Believer/Skeptic

It doesn’t matter the subgenre, there’s always one. They don’t believe a killers out to get them or their friends despite the fast growing pile of bodies, they claim there’s a natural explanation for the supernatural event terrorizing everyone, they just refuse to get with the program. This often combines with the cop or older-than-everyone-else character. Which one of your ocs will get killed by their stubborness before their loyalty?

Day Nine: The Harbinger

We hear about omens of death in every kind of mythology. Irish folklore warns you of hearing the wailing woman and German myth tells you to never find your doppelganger. Even Western Society in America will drift from their path if they see a black cat on the way. So which of your ocs stands outside of the haunted house and tells the redheaded twins “you’re going to die in there”?

Day Ten: The Accomplice

You never saw it coming, but you should’ve. There’s not just one killer you have to worry about, there’s two. This is the person whose been helping the killer since the very beginning, pretending to be your friend the entire time until the plot reached its rising action. You’re heart broken and the very ground shakes under your feet, the good person you once thought you knew is gone… or worse, had never truly existed. Which of your ocs is not only willing to help a friend hide the body, but kill it too?

Day Eleven: The Killer

They’re haunted and bloodthirsty, compelling in a dangerous way. Everyone has a monster within but due to some tragic backstory of abuse, hate, or ridicule, these people – or things– let the monster win. Whether they done a mask or turn your dreams into sentient nightmares, they’re the main reason why anybody shows up to movie night. Which one of your ocs looks into the reflection of the knife in their hand, and pictures themselves chopping up human bodies instead of vegetables?

Day Twelve: The Final Girl

It’s all come down to this, the last stand. There’s two people left, or at least two important people left; the killer and the final girl. She’s fought tooth and nail, and grief has made way for rage. At first she was just another potential victim, now she’s in the killers way and she won’t go down easy. In the beginning she just wanted to survive, but like Laurie Strode now she wants revenge. Which oc becomes the monsters monster?

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME We're exploring classic horror locations. Throw your ocs into a horror story that take place in these locations, or make up your own story.

Day Thirteen: Have Killer Fun At Summer Camp! (Location: Summer Camp)

It's Friday The Thirteenth... literally. For today, the location is a summer camp like the one Jason Voorhees terrorizes. Counselor, killer, or camper? Whatever role your oc plays, they certainly didn't read this in the brochure.

Day Fourteen: Vacation Nightmares (Location: Hotel/Island/AirBnB, etc.)

An island that magically speeds up your aging, a hotel with corridors that lead to nowhere, a psychotic airbnb host; Today is about horror in locations that are supposed to be a break from the horror of everyday life, but instead introduces you to whole new horrors.

Day Fifteen: Home Is Where The Haunt Is (Location: House or Apartment)

A home can be a place to make memories and some memories leave a scar. Focus on your characters when a place they call home is threatened.

Day Sixteen: She Doesn't Like It In The Barn (Location: Farm/Ranch)

Samara Morgan was forced to stay in the barn's hayloft to keep her burning images out of her adoptive parents minds. Framer Graham Hess had to defend his home and family from aliens that threatened to kill his son. Pearl craved to be a movie star and experienced a psychotic break where she killed those who denied her her dream. What deadly passages does the farm bestow to your characters?

Day Seventeen: Death is a Mystery and Burial is a Secret (Location: Cemetery or Tomb)

Cemeteries and tombs are the places we put our loved ones to rest, but in horror movies we find that final resting places are not so restful after all. Whether it’s ghosts, zombies, psychotic gravekeepers, or grave robbers ensuring no witnesses; how do your ocs go from mourning to trying to survive until morning?

Day Eighteen: What's The Opposite Of Miracles? (Location: Places of Worship)

Places of worship are supposed to be places of good, where people go for guidance and safety, places full of good beings and devoid of sin. But what if the bad beings sneak in or the sinless place is just a hiding place for those full of sin?

Day Nineteen: This Won't Hurt A Bit (Location: Hospital and/or Asylum)

In season two of American Horror Story, we were welcomed to Briarcliff, an asylum that became ‘home’ to the misunderstood and the criminally insane. Much like other hospitals of the past, many attempts of healing were there to disguise the evil hiding in plain sight. How does your character deal when the place that was supposed to heal them becomes the place that harms them?

Day Twenty: The Trees Have Eyes (Location: The Woods/Forest)

Shadows of the trees cast illusions, the cracking of sticks cause hairs on the back of your neck stand. The wind howls which sounds of a voice, and the birds no longer sing. The woods are creepy, desolate, and you find yourself lost in the sea of their trunks. What happens when your ocs are stuck in the woods?

RANDOM OUTLIER

Day Twenty-One: I Want To Play A Game

Some of the most recent hits in horror history have been not movies, books, or shows, but video games. From Dead By Daylight to Until Dawn, horror fans have been able to experience immersion at a whole new level by trying to make all the right choices as a character. Now, it's time to put your oc into a horror game AU. Will they live, or will they die? Only their stats and choices will tell.

STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED (22nd–27th) Character tropes are fun and all, but for the next six days we're focusing on genre tropes.

Day Twenty-Two: Solitude Causes More Wounds Than It Was Meant To Heal (Trope: Isolation)

Fear is increased when one is alone by themselves, or cut off from civilization like an reclusive island. Focus on your characters in the horror of isolation; are they forced to recognize who they truly are on the inside? Do they practice the law of nature or nurture? Do they keep their morals or own laws?

Day Twenty-Three: The Apocalypse Is The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me (Trope: Apocalyptic)

Just as everything must begin, it also must end. This, unfortunately, includes humanity. What will happen when the world as your oc knows it ends, when that world goes from millions of people to tens or perhaps even one? Will they be forced to adapt, doomed to die, or perhaps even thrive?

Day Twenty-Four: You've Killed Me Before (Trope: Time Loop)

The best thing about the sun setting is that it will come up again in the morning, and a new day will begin. But what if the sun comes up and an old day begins? Whether your oc must solve their own murder, solve somebody else’s murder, or face difficult truths about those around them, it’s time to put them into a time loop.

Day Twenty-Five: Better You Die Than I (Trope: Doppleganger)

In real life, seeing your “doppleganger” is said to be an omen of misfortune or good luck. In horror movies, dopplegangers usually take a more direct approach in ruining the lives of their lookalike. Whether they’re an omen of bad things to come or trying to steal ones life, give your oc a doppleganger and explore the horrors of a stranger that shares your face.

Day Twenty-Six: No Wonder Everyone Keeps Invading You (Trope: Extraterrestrial)

Whether your oc was a believer before or not, life from another planet has arrived to Earth on this day. These so-called aliens come in all shapes, sizes, and colors; They can even come in a human disguise, as a deadly plant, as a machine, or even as little green men. No matter where they came from or what they look like, humanity is not ready for them. Whether we try to hurt them or they try to hurt us, how does your oc deal with extraterrestrial life on Earth and the problems this arrival presents?

Day Twenty-Seven: All Politics Is A Personality Cult Now (Trope: Cult)

What simply starts as a simple dinner meal, a visit to a secluded area where people celebrate, or deciding to reunite with the estranged side of your family, can easily be your steps toward a cult. Have your characters fight to stay alive against those who have welcomed them with sinister intent.

COSTUMES TELL A STORY

Day Twenty-Eight: Let's Be Weird Together

We all know of an iconic squad that so many people are just dying to be a part of. Well, it’s your ocs and their friends chance! Day 28 is group costumes!

Day Twenty-Nine: That Could Be Us

Love isn’t in the air but maybe it’s in the fabric of costumes! It’s time for couples costumes!

Day Thirty: I Can Be Anybody I Wanna Be

If your oc could be anybody, who would they wanna be? Well, for one night only, they can be! It's time for your oc to dress up!

TRICK OR TREAT!

Day Thirty-One: I'm Just Here For The Boos

Halloween is a time for tricks and treats, for ghost to walk among the living and us to disguise ourselves. But it can be killer, and the transference of evil can be achieved. Give your shape to another, gift them and you shall receive in turn. Ocpotluck awaits.

#origin post #ocappreciation #allaboutocs #h: 2023 #ohc2023 #halloween challenge #tw flashing lights #flashing lights tw #admin: ali

[n7punk]

"freak occurrence: confluence" Fic Notes

“freak occurrence: confluence” is definitely the most meta (and the most ridiculous) fic I’ve ever done, so I’ve compiled some references, notes, and explanations to act as fic notes. If you’re opening before reading the fic, I recommend reading each scene before checking the references for it and absolutely don’t read anything after this first section before you’ve finished the fic.

Catradoras in order of introduction:

Scene 1: This is actually MToHL!Adora immediately post-canon but they haven’t figured that out because they’re similar enough that nothing has thrown them off.

Scene 2: Teenage Catradora from a canon-divergent reality where they run away from the Horde as teenagers and horses aren’t real.

Scene 3: toht!Adora.

Scene 4: slas!Catradora.

Scene 5: BFM!Adora, looking at slas!Catradora obviously, but the other Catra trying not to laugh is toht!Catra.

Scene 6 has no Catradoras, but the tattoo is from my OotW fic 'her heart on her sleeve.'

Scene 7: of course this has the Lone-Adora that isn’t from any other fic, but it also has another reference to slas and a reference to ISoHM.

Scene 8: strange disease!Catradora with mentions of my very first AUs (and one of my first fics period) ‘in thundering realizations’!Catradora.

Scene 9: DITM!Catradora POV and Reflection!Catradora across from them, named for Adora turning into a magicat when she's She-ra (side note: shortly after arriving, Reflection!Catra asked if She-ra was a magicat in this universe specifically because she has always held that was because Adora was gay and when she was told ‘no’ that gave her all the ammo she needed for the next three years).

Scene 10: strange love!Catradora.

Scenes 11 and 12 are the Lone-Catra that isn’t from any fic. Well, I would say this is her origin fic, same for Lone-Adora.

Scene 13: Lone-Catra and LotD!Catradora.

Scene 14: WDtFD!Catradora POV and mentions of Knifepoint!Catradora. It’s very easy to think the couple where Catra’s hand was messed up was from AMLAIT, but I also kind of wanted to include allusions to some Catradoras from other fics, so you could read it as R&B!Catradora if you want. I thought about including an explicit mention of Catra’s boots to make that more clear, but when that ended up being the only pair not from one of my own fics, it felt kind of weird. I wanted to pay homage to some of my favorite AUs others have written in the fandom by including references to other Catradoras that were there, but it’s really hard when most of those fics are just modern AUs without much easily visible about their Catradoras to identify them, and I definitely didn’t want to write any scenes from the perspective of someone else’s version of the character without permission, so I just kind of left it at this ambiguous reference to a friend's fic that I asked them permission for first.

Scene 15: Mentions of catcher!Catradora, Superzero!Catradora, and IHtWCYN!Catradora.

Scene 16: Mentions of TFHFY!Catradora, strange disease!Catradora again, and the Greys!Catradora.

Scene 17: CotC!Catradora (for people following my Tumblr this was the entire scene that was just. missing after all my planning somehow).

Scenes 18 and 19 have nothing new.

Scene 20: SaD!Catradora.

Scene 21: This one is a tease for a future fic :) Edit: Now it has come out, this is Lightbeam!Catradora.

And from here on it’s no one new.

Epilogue Life:

Okay I had to cut the fic off there because this could honestly go on forever BUT here’s some stuff about the fallout of this whole event:

This event is, as you would assume, completely non-canon to the rest of my fics. If you want to imagine each couple went back to right around the time they got taken and quickly their memories of the other reality melted away once in their own timeline again, sure, whatever. There are two dimensions permanently affected by all this however, and that’s Lonely-Adora’s and Lonely-Catra’s.

Adora’s universe splits off from canon at the Portal, whereas Catra’s splits off at Princess Prom. I think both universes could survive on their own without Catra or Adora, but there is a reason the couple needs to be in Adora’s universe, and it’s Prime.

Yes, I might be permanently locking one universe in Despondos either way. Oops. Listen, you win some you lose some. This is supposed to be a crack fic at the end of the day (remember that?) and I wasn’t too focused on implications like that. However, Adora’s universe has already signaled Prime thanks to the portal, so without her and Catra they would be locked in a pocket dimension with an apocalypse on its way, no leader in the Rebellion, and Entrapta on Beast Island.

In Catra’s universe, Entrapta never got left behind because the rescue mission went very differently, so Hordak’s portal project is basically doomed, and the Princess Alliance is intact, united, and extremely motivated to crush the Horde after what they did to Adora. They’re in a good position to fight them thanks the Best Friend Squad uniting the Princess Alliance again and the Horde (more specifically, Shadow Weaver) reeling from the loss of Adora and Catra. They’ll take them down in the end and they’ll do it Adora’s name, just like they would have if Catra stayed in their dimension. After having seen the brainwashing the Horde is willing to do, Scorpia eventually defects to join them when Entrapta manages to — completely accidentally — extend a hand to her just by being herself.

Adora’s universe needs Adora’s inside knowledge to save Angella and Entrapta quickly and face down the Heart and Horde Prime. They’ll find their feet, get Entrapta back, start working on their portal technology, and then get the Failsafe before they even get Scorpia and face the Heart. They’ll move Etheria out of Despondos, taunt Horde Prime to the surface as best they can, question their decisions, but ultimately lure him in and set off the Heart faster and with less loss along the way. No one on the Princess Alliance ever gets chipped in this universe and they rescue Angella not long after and reunite Glimmer’s family.

It takes a bit until after the war for Adora and Catra’s relationship to start shifting, but they do eventually get together, there’s just a lot to process first and fighting evil is a good thing to focus on instead while they do that. They need to become each other’s friends before they can become anything else.

Notes:

⦁ I mentioned a disclaimer in the fic end note. To elaborate on that: I first had this idea around August of 2020 (give or take a month) when my friend asked me which of my AU Catras/Adoras would fuck their alternate universe wife. IDK man, her mind is beautiful. Anyway, it gave me this idea, which was a fun crack scenario that I would turn over in my mind occasionally when I came up with a new AU that I thought would have an interesting pair to add to it. I had no intention of writing it, especially back then when I didn’t have enough AUs to fill out the roster. Since then I’ve thought about making a post explaining the idea just to get it off my mind so many times. In that time, a Spiderverse AU for Catradora was written (oh: I also didn’t watch the Spiderverse until 2023, to the point that the outline for this fic was titled “This Fic Is Older Than The Spiderverse” until I looked it up and realized that’s wrong and I’m just late to the party lmao, but I had no idea what the Spiderverse was about other than multiple Spidermans until I watched it so the death plot point really was just me being fucked up) that dealt with some similarities with the deaths between realities. The fic is good, it made me cry, and I actually read that before I watched the Spiderverse because I missed that tag and thought it was some kind of canon AU. I recommend the fic and wanted to acknowledge it since it shares a plot point. Honestly, when I read that fic I was like oh thank god someone did it, now I’ll seem like I’m copying if I do it too and the idea can leave me along, but the idea Did Not Leave Me Alone and I need to end this 🔫

⦁ Because I know someone will ask: This is absolutely crack and not canon to my OotW series at all. I still have no idea where I should really put it. Being in the AU collection makes sense because it’s relevant to a lot of them, being inside the OotW series but non-canon like ‘take care of each other’ and ‘You and I (and Me)’ makes sense, and it not being in any of those things because it kind of isn’t an AU and definitely isn’t canon to OotW makes sense. I still haven’t decided and I’ll probably move it around multiple times lol.

⦁ Ethereal!Catradora are from my upcoming fic "Lightbeam" and are just a fun little teaser because no one was better suited to sussing magic out. It was either her or Glimmer, who was busy laying magic alarm systems all over the castle for the new alternate universe couples to trip into when they arrived so they could be collected. This is how Catra knew to come running when the SLAS couple appeared.

⦁ “The universe is as dumb as it is passionate, apparently.” C’mon Catra you can’t ask finesse from a celestial body that is no thoughts all vibes

⦁ The whole conversation around the cot/bed is just to show that yeah, they’re different Catras and Adoras, but they’re still Catra and Adora in every reality and this will work out eventually.

⦁ I mostly picked Catradoras based off when would be easy to reference or who I thought would be interesting in the scenario and basically nothing else. Making them distinct was the biggest challenge lmao.

⦁ Oh I know SaD!Catradora teleporting back near their original disappearance might make it seem otherwise, but Adora was missing from her reality for as long as she was in the Prime universe for (and yes, I did internally refer to it as the Prime universe, so I had to make jokes about it. And then I made the omegaverse canon - AS FICTION - to a few of the modern universes for a laugh). I think the people from other highly-similar Etheria's were gone for a 1:1 time or close to the same amount of time they were in the other dimension, but the further a dimension was from canon the less time passing in the Prime universe applied to their own. Or something. Again, none of this is canon.

⦁ They go to Lone-Adora's universe because Catra reaches out for Adora, opening herself up to her. They would have gone to Catra's if it happened the other way around.

⦁ Adora's room was a mess because the Princess Alliance kind of tore it up looking for a sign of her but of course found nothing.

⦁ "So even here I'm..." is "So even here I'm a killer."

⦁ I don't think I ever say specifically what Catra's cause of death was in this universe (because I wasn't sure myself for a while) but when the Fright Zone was kind of shaking apart post-Portal Catra fell and Adora wasn't able to stop it.

⦁ Glimmer is emerging from Bow's room because they actually made some progress on Glimmer healing and reaching out for her friends for support when Adora disappeared. Glimmer was afraid it was because of her and it caused her to do a little - a little - self-examining.

⦁ I've mentioned this a couple times but I spent most if not all of last year secretly hoping to get to 1% of the tag. It's a super pointless goal, but it is cool to have done it. This work is also the 50th in my AU collection (at least, as of now since I'm putting it in there for now) so that feels like a fitting number for a special as well.

⦁ This was supposed to be like 7k.

Upcoming:

I might do another OotW fic or two, but right now my plan for the next AU is “the Reverse AU.” Have fun figuring out what I mean by that, you probably won’t :)

#foc #ootw #ficmeta #fic notes #i know what i said about posting tomorrow but instead i stayed up way too late doing this yayyyyyyy #i have work tomorrow

[hxneybimbo]

maybe for part two of He Loves me, He Loves Me Not it could be like a few months later and reader is trying to forget eddie. the byers moved back to Hawkins or maybe they’re visiting and she’s been hanging out with Jonathan more and more, especially since him and nancy are taking a break or broke up. eddie slowly realized over the months how much he misses reader/he actually did have feelings for her but when he sees her looking at jonathan the way she used to look at him it kills him inside 😁 make this eddie feel pain! And maybe he catches them fucking in the woods or something so that he feels even more pain 😁💗

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Pt. 2

Eddie Munson x Reader, Johnathan Byers x Reader (Endgame)

Warning: angst and pain

Authors Note: hopefully you all like this! I’ve been having trouble thinking about the endless possibilities for part two. But do not fear, I do plan on writing other endings!!! 💕💕 for the mean time enjoy this little bit!! Unfortunately I did not write smut since I couldn’t find where I could fit it in? Dw I’ll be adding and editing this :)) also thank you anonny, for this lovely idea 💕

It’s been 3 months since you ran out of his home after he moaned and practically confessed the wrong name. It’s been 3 months since you’ve dumped him. It’s been 3 months since the both of you had an actual conversation that didn’t involve fake pleasantries and awkwardness. No matter how hard he tries to make things go back to the way they were, you don’t budge. You smile prettily at him but it’s never genuine. It’s the polite smile you always give Steve, to Billy, to everyone in Hawkins that don’t know you, and now him. He went from Eddie Munson, your boyfriend, to Eddie Munson, your acquaintance.

Within these months, Eddie realized that he loved you. He realized that he should have valued you and reciprocated those feelings back. He expected that you’d continue to be with him, to love him. But you didn’t, not anymore. Though you used to be a constant in his life, it’s as if you forcefully removed yourself from it. He’s slowly coming to the terms that you’re no longer going to be in his life and that your world doesn’t orbit around him anymore. And as much as he hates knowing this, it’s good for you and you’re better off just having him at arms length. To have those polite conversations that he fucking hates because he ruined you.

It’s been 3 months and all Eddie feels is regret and guilt. He was wrong of saying another woman’s name while literally being inside of you. He was definitely wrong for saying that he loved her instead of you. As much as he wanted to come up with different excuses to explain why he said those three words, he knows he can’t. There isn’t any logical fucking explanation as to why he said those words besides the fact that, yes, he was utterly so in love and smitten with Chrissy Cunningham when he was dating you. Even if he vehemently wants to deny this, both of you know it’s the truth.

“Eddie, i want you to be honest with me. Why did you ask me out? Why did you tell me you loved me when you obviously weren’t in love with me?” You asked him one day after his band finished playing at the bar. You came to see his band play, always supporting him in some way because you genuinely believed his band was good. You supported him because you loved him.

He was taken aback from your questions. You were both still in talking terms but it was obvious your relationship wasn’t the same. You went to support his band and occasionally sought him out to express how well he played, then immediately leaving. “Do you- Do you really want me to tell you? I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“Hurt my feelings? You already broke my heart, Ed.” You laughed.

He paused and he nodded with a frown marring his face. “Well, at the time I just- I figured if I dated you, I could get over Chrissy because you were a nice girl and someone worth dating. But now? I really don’t know why. I don’t know why I told you that I loved you. I guess it was to make things not awkward.”

You visibly deflated in front of him and you shook your head, letting out a small disbelieved chuckle. You let out a soft, shaky breath and you colapse your hands on your head. Your eyes started getting glossy but immediately you blink back tears. God I’m such a fucking idiot, you thought. “Y/N-“ Eddie reached forward to comfort you but you immediately pull away and you smile at him. That fake smile that was reserved for those who have hurt you and to strangers.

“Right, thanks Eddie. Anyways, um you played great tonight! But i have to go now, bye!” Unbeknownst to him, you ended up going to the bar to try and get shit faced where a familiar brunette stoner found you.

Good for you, Eddie bitterly thought as he watched you press a soft kiss against Johnathan Byers’ cheek. Your smile is soft and you look at Johnathan the same way you used to look at him. You giggle at whatever dumb joke your new boyfriend said and gently shove his shoulder. He observes the way that Johnathan’s eyes soften when he looks at you, listening attentively to whatever you’re babbling about. He did things that Eddie never did, things that he should have done. He was a genuinely good boyfriend who obviously loved you even though your relationship was fresh and new.

It’s been 3 months and you’re dating Johnathan Byers. He wants to be mad, wants to seethe in anger because how could you? He doesn’t though because the only person he can be mad at is at himself. He fucked up and is instead relieved that you found someone better who he’s sure will value you more than he did. Sometimes though, he genuinely wished that Johnathan never came back and instead stayed in California where he was still dating Nancy. Because maybe then, he’d get a second chance. He’d be able to prove to you that he loved you and only you.

He misses you, he really did. He finds himself up at 2am thinking about you. Regretting everything he did, wanting to take back those words that he said in the moment. Apologize to you for hurting your feelings, for wasting your time with him. It hurts knowing that you’re moving on– have moved on to someone better while he’s still mourning the loss of what could have been if he wasn’t a complete ass.

He thinks about you all of the time. He thinks about your pretty smile, how you can talk about nonsense for hours. He ponders over how pretty you used to look in the morning in just his shirt while demanding him to make you breakfast. It’s these things that have him circulating back to you because they have him wanting to go to your house, beg you to take him back. But he knows he shouldn’t— he doesn’t, never does because he’s a coward and he’s too scared to really look you in the eye and tell you how sorry he is. How he stays up all night thinking about you.

So he stays behind and watches the two of you, indulging in his regrets and painfully gripping a singular flower petal in his hand. She loves me not.

@haylaansmi @explosiongamora @gttrgrrl @honey-on-mars @simp4rengoku @vulcrum332 @supernovasblogstuff

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #stranger things x reader #johnathan Byers x reader #stranger things angst #Eddie munson angst #angst #.💌 #anon ask #stranger things

[unorthodoxx-page]

I honestly love the way you write your fanfics! I'm planning on writing my own but im not really good at writing one (I know this because of past works i did). Any tips to share?

LONG POST BELOW  Also this is just my opinion, and I’d love to hear what everyone else thinks!

My best advice is to write the stories anyway. Even if you never post them, if you have something finished, you have something to edit. It's easier to see plotting mistakes, inconsistent character voices, and weak exposition in a finished piece.

The plotting process is different for everyone, and I don’t plug my story into a 3 Act outline, but it’s a good idea to have an understanding of some of these structures.  Especially if you’re just starting out, it kind of gives you a base to build off of and gets you thinking about smaller sections of your story.   I also always suggest knowing your middle before you even start writing. Many people (including myself lol) have really good beginning and ending ideas, but struggle to connect them. Even if it's just one sentence explaining the middle, then you at least have something to work off of.   An unclear/unknown middle will kill a story, trust me.  

Now, writing style is subjective, but I think what's around the style is what people focus on when they say ‘I don’t/do like this writing style’.  For example, I started with poetry, so a lot of my prose reads like a poem in certain spots. Now, this gives me interesting sentences, but not good paragraphs.  It’s the delicate balance of explanations around those sentences that’s typically the hardest part.  Too much or too little can be glaringly obvious to a reader, and it can be hard to find a sweet spot.  I personally struggle with too much when explaining action.  I have an example below: 

Example below is from an old personal work so be kind lol.

Brianna flicks the dead blunt over the banister and bumps Imani on the shoulder on her way back to the party.  Imani nods in acknowledgment but she follows the blunt as long as she can to the ground below.  She doesn’t see it land, but her eyes snag on single red cup.  Her cup, she’s sure of it.  How did she find herself in this cycle of shitty interactions that end with her buzzed and alone on this railing.  Imani should be in there dancing, making memories that she’ll laugh about and decisions that she’ll regret.  Not introspecting like some philosophical bitch.

Now, the above isn’t bad but it definitely has a chunky beginning.

Brianna bumps Imani in solidarity and flicks the dying blunt over the railing.  Imani doesn’t look up when the girl leaves, instead, she tracks the faint glow as far down as she can.  She doesn’t see it land, but her eyes snag on a single cup in a sea of red.  It’s the one she dropped, she’s sure of it.  How does she always find herself in this shitty cycle that ends with her buzzed and alone?  She should be in there dancing, making memories and decisions that she’ll regret.  Not introspecting like some philosophical bitch.

See?  The first two sentences had too much explained action, so it took away from the scene and the solid sentences at the end.  The second one condenses those actions into something more character driven.  Which is another point to keep in mind: What can your character voice add to this scene?  Even if you’re describing the world, you’re doing it from the POV of the character.  What word choice would they use?  Is it big or is it massive?  Is it a warm sun or an unforgiving one?  Even one line of character observation in a paragraph can change the entire feel. 

Even in the example above “bump in solidarity” hints at the conversation before this sentence.  You don’t have to read it to know Brianna was comforting her about something.  Just the fact that Imani sees it as a solidarity motion tells you everything you need to know.  

I don’t know if that helps, but those are some of my broad tips that I keep in mind when I’m writing.  

#writing #writing process #writblr #personal writing #writing tips #long post #writing excerpt #writing discussion #fiction writing #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #plotting #original characters

[thv-jk97]

Which Taekook theories do you beleive or disbelieve and do you think any of their songs are about one another?

Hi anon! Thanks for your ask! :)

I guess it depends on which theories you’re wondering about tbh. I’m not even sure if I’m all that well-versed on what some might consider “taekook lore” 😅

I think it’s good to keep some healthy skepticism over any theory that hasn’t been “proven without a doubt”, but I guess I don’t really subscribe to lot of the more delulu theories, ie taekook actually being married, etc.

But if we’re talking about relatively popular (?) theories, I guess I’d say that I don’t think they actually live together, and I also don’t think that they plan on “coming out” after they are finished with their military service. I know Atomix is a pretty touchy subject these days, but I’m accepting of the idea that it was actually an OT7 dinner (this doesn’t change how I perceive taekook at all lol).

I do think that the ITS “talk” was scripted in the way that they were given specific talking points and TK were able away with being extremely vague because of the editing lol. I do also think that the company pretty obviously treats taekook differently, in comparison to other popular ships among the members.

(Sorry if those are vague answers, but if you have any specific theories you’re curious about, pls feel free to ask!)

As far as their songs? I’ve definitely read some pretty compelling arguments that might convince me that they have a few songs about each other, but the one that still sticks with me is @thetaekookcloset’s analysis of Winter Bear. And given my knowledge of Tae’s explanation and the movie he based it on, I feel like it’s a pretty plausible theory.

However, I wouldn’t confidently be able to claim that any of their songs are about each other though, but there are definitely a few that seem pretty taekook-coded to me, especially if you recognize the pattern of music that they’ve shared with us over the years/the lyrics that seem to resonate with them the most.

#taekook #vkook #asks #sorry for being so wordy #but pls don’t let my wordiness scare you away 🥲 #i need thetaekookcloset to come back pls

[catflowerqueen]

I’m kind of… of two minds about today’s SAMS episode.

(Warning for resigned and unhappy ranting below the cut)

The acting was spot-on—especially Moon’s hysterical laughing fit and the way Solar was trying to protect him and keep him from making rash decisions—but I don’t really like that they used Eclipse the way they did to achieve that. It seems almost… not exactly like a plot device, per say, but more of… an unnecessary upping of the stakes, I suppose? The group was already facing threats on five fronts: The constellations, Stitchwraith, Bloodmoon, Ruin’s mystery, and the Creator’s machinations.

And, sure, technically you could separate out the Creator, constellations, and Stitchwraith since their “plotlines” are more intertwined with the Lunar and Earth show and Monty and Foxy show… but considering how often Sun, Moon, and Solar get pulled into that and how Stitchwraith was technically the one who blew up the daycare, they are still fairly intertwined. So adding Eclipse in on top of all of that just feels a little… not great. Especially considering that it sort of ruins that scene he had with Solar Flare as the two of them were dying.

That isn’t to say I can’t see a few ways this could work. For example, Ruin could just be pulling another “Bloodmoon” and basically creating a new Eclipse using old SAMS footage to basically act as a smoke screen and hide whatever he is up to. He could have even used bits of Solar’s programming to do so given that it is pretty likely they were the one to knock Solar out, and there was tons of time to scan him and make blueprints after hiding the camera footage. Or Sun could be right and it could all just be a mean prank from Ruin’s end. Sure, Solar saw him on the camera footage today in the arcade, but since it was more than likely Ruin who edited the footage of Solar getting attacked, they could also very easily edit the footage to make it seem like they never left the arcade when in reality they had come over to mess with Sun and Moon. And they had plenty of time to learn how to disable the defenses and mess with the computer since they used to live in the ballpit, which is extremely close by one of the entrances to reach the computer from Moon’s room.

And it could, in theory, be the original Eclipse from when Sun first threw him out of his mind and messed up the spell and who has only just now managed to fix himself and stayed caught up on what was happening by watching the show—showing that he really did learn from his mistakes when Lunar pointed out how useful the viewers can be at information gathering. Or it could be any number of backups that Old Moon never found before Bloodmoon started being an actual nuisance that first time.

But give the show’s track record for bringing up interesting plot points and ideas only to drop them or otherwise retcon explanations… honestly, my hopes aren’t that high.

Honestly… I feel like I might want to just step away from the show for a while. At least partially—Maybe just focusing more on the gameplay side of the show more than the lore. Like. I still like the show, but I’m not really as excited as I used to be for the theorizing part, and I might be a little burnt out now.

I’m not saying I won’t be interacting with or posting about the show occasionally still, or that I won’t ever come back in full force, but…

I might just need to think about the recent developments for a while first, I guess. Maybe just focus on some other things in general anyways—It’s not like I don’t have stuff that needs attending to offline, after all.

Sorry if this leaves a sour taste in anyone’s mouth, and I’m not trying to dampen anyone else’s joy or excitement about the new developments. I just feel a bit down about the way things are going, and I needed to vent about those feelings a bit.

…I do want to emphasize again how much I loved Moon and Solar’s reaction today, though, because that was really, really excellent.

#SAMS #sun and moon show

[melliejellybellybean]

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Echo/Fem!Reader

Word Count: 5.3k, this was not supposed to happen

Warnings: none that I can think of?

When Echo is invited to your Life Day celebration, he's elated. That is, until he learns about gift-giving aspect of Life Day. But it's okay, he's a trained soldier with six men who will always have his back. Together, surely they can figure out the perfect gift to give you. Right?

So, I decided to participate in another @cloneficgiftexchange, Life Day edition, and this time, I was lucky enough to be able to write a fic for @ghostofskywalker herself. I was very excited to write this one, and the prompt "tell me I'm crazy" - "you're crazy" coupled with "agonizing over whether or not the gift character a got character b was something they'd like" seemed like they'd be so much fun to write.

ghostofskywalker, I love your fics literally so much, so I'm very excited and nervous to give this one to you! I hope you love it, happy holidays!!!

Echo liked his routine. He liked knowing exactly what he was going to do, when he was going to do it, and in what order it was going to be done. For example, once the transport touches down on Coruscant, Fives is going to throw his arm around Echo and shout something about “hitting every single club on Coruscant,” which really only meant 79s. Echo will laugh, shove his brother’s arm off his shoulder, and tell him that it didn’t matter how many clubs he went to, no one would want to dance with any one with a face as ugly as Fives’. They’ll go back and forth, with a few more brothers piping in every here and there, but once those doors open, Echo’s gone. His legs take him, almost as if they have a mind of their own, straight to a little shop on a level slightly lower than planetside. Without even really thinking about it, his legs take him straight to you. 

Echo will walk into the shop, a little bell announcing his presence from above the door, and be hit with the smell of freshly baked pastries, cakes, and cookies. Although glass display cases attempt to draw his attention with colorful examples of the sugar-filled desserts the shop offers, Echo will glue his eyes to the person behind the counter. When you look up, your lips will break out into a blinding grin and his will have no choice but to follow. And for the first time since being shipped off the battlefield, Echo will feel peace. 

Which is why it was twice as jarring for Echo when not only were you not at your post by the register, but there were green plants, candles, streamers, and hanging lights covering almost every surface with a cinnamon spice scent dancing in the air. 

“Echo!” A voice to his right called, and as he turned, he finally saw you. On a ladder. Hanging another one of those circular lights. You quickly finished mounting the decoration and then scrambled off the ladder, faster than Echo thought safe, before throwing yourself at him in an embrace. 

That was new. 

Echo felt his face heat up as he lightly returned the hug, but he wasn’t able to fully pull his thoughts away from the drastic change in interior decor. “What happened in here?” 

You stepped back and smirked, “Well, it’s great to see you too, Echo.” 

“It’s everywhere.” He murmured. “Did you get pranked?”

“No!” You laughed. “It’s Life Day!” 

Your voice held a lightness that made Echo’s gaze snap back to you, like a magnet. He noticed the joy that shone in your eyes and almost radiated from you. Stars, you were beautiful.

“Life Day?” Echo questioned, “Does Coruscant have an extra day in its standard week?” 

Your eyes widened, “You don’t know what Life Day is? It’s my favorite holiday!” 

Echo shook his head, “We don’t exactly celebrate a lot of holidays on Kamino. I think any sense of joy would make the long necks roll over and die.” 

“Life Day is a Wookie tradition, although by now most of the galaxy has adopted it, it’s a huge celebration of family, joy, and harmony.” Echo listened to your explanation and heard the compassion in your voice. Compassion, not pity. Never pity. You never pitied his loss of childhood and normal life experience. It was one of the things on the, admittedly very long, list of things he loved about you. “Most people spend it with the people they love. They’ll make food, spend time together, give gifts, and some cultures even have little mythological figures to go along with it. There’s this one planet who believes that a fat man breaks into their house every Life Day to–” 

“There you are, vod!” The little bell on the door rang out followed very closely by Fives’ irritating, grating voice, “I was starting to think you deserted, almost called the General to get a manhunt going.” 

Echo turned, opening his mouth to respond, but Fives caught sight of you and his face lit up. His eyes bounced back and forth mischievously between you and Echo, “Oh… so this is where you disappear to whenever we’re on Coruscant.”

“Fives…” Echo warned, but it was useless. 

“I never thought I’d see the day when a woman tolerated my brother’s company.” Fives pushed Echo aside, smoothly catching your hand and placing a kiss on it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss, the name’s Fives. I’m sure you’ve heard all about me.”

Echo knocked Fives’ hand out of yours and glared at him. Fives just raised his arms in surrender. “What? I’m the light of your life, what else would you have to talk about?” 

Before Echo could hit him, you laughed, “Oh, I have heard about you, Fives. It’s nice to meet the man who loves my snickerdoodles so much. That actually reminds me.” 

You ran into the back of the bakery, returning with a paper bag that seemed stuffed to the brim. “I added some extra pastries that I think you’d enjoy, Echo. And tell Hardcase that I ran out of poppy seeds, so he’ll just have to settle for lemon muffins.” 

Fives’ jaw dropped. “This is where you get these from? Vod, you’d better keep her!” 

“She’s not a massiff, stop talking about her like she is!” Echo snapped, but Fives turned to you and started gushing. 

“Never in my life have I eaten anything as good as the things you make. Your hands must be blessed by whatever it is that’s out there in the galaxy. If this one ever gives you any trouble, you let me know, or any of our brothers in the 501st, and we’ll knock some sense into him.” 

“Time to go!” Echo interjected, grabbing Fives’ by the shoulder and shoving him towards the door. “So many baked goods to hand out, so many clubs for you to hit, remember Fives?” Fives continued blabbering and Echo continued talking over him, but you were laughing too hard to understand anything either of them were saying anymore. 

“Echo,” you called out, right before he was about to step out of the door, “you can totally say no, if you want, but would you want to spend Life Day with me?” 

Echo wasn’t sure if the sudden silence that fell was real or just his imagination, but it felt as if time had stopped. He glanced back at you, and seeing you standing there, surrounded by your silly and over-the-top decorations, he knew there was no place he’d rather be. “I’d really like that.” He nodded. 

Then he stepped away from the door and let it close. He sighed, disappointed that his time with you had been cut so short, then turned and came face to face with his brother, who was wiggling his eyebrows at him. 

This time Echo really did hit him. 

…

“So…” Fives spoke around his mouthful of snickerdoodle, breaking the collective silence in the 501st barracks as everyone ate their pastries, “the baker?”

Echo sighed. It was his fault really for assuming that Fives could mind his business and drop it. “What about her?” 

“She’s cute.” Fives shrugged. 

“You met her?” Jesse blurted from his bunk across the room. If everyone wasn’t listening then, they sure were now. 

“Yeah, I followed Echo after we landed and caught him with her. Someone’s,” Fives gave Echo a pointed look, “been hiding her from us. Can’t imagine why.” 

“Maybe it’s because I value her sanity.” Echo mumbled into his fudge. 

“What was that?” 

“Nothing.” 

Fives nudged his brother. “Look, if you want alone time with your girlfriend, just say that.” 

“Girlfriend?!” Hardcase yelled, accusingly looking at Echo. 

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Echo defended, before any more of his brothers got any ideas. 

“But you want her to be.” Fives countered. 

“Well, ye–no!” The truth had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop, and now that it was out, there was no turning back. Gasps erupted throughout the room. Jesse had to sit down, Tup dropped his piece of pie, even Dogma looked over with interest. 

Fives cheered triumphantly. “What’s stopping you then? Go get her!” 

“She’s not into me.” Echo slumped in defeat. “She’s brilliant and talented and beautiful. And she deserves so much more than a guy who’s not sure if he’ll make it back every day.” 

A thicker silence fell over the room. Every man in it knew about their reality. They were bred, born, and raised to fight in a war that was not theirs, for a galaxy that was not theirs, for people who were not theirs. Many clones turned to sunny, loud personalities to hide the pain and loss they felt after every battle. There was this unspoken rule that each clone had to live out his life to the absolute fullest while he could, because he didn’t know when it might end. Now that Echo had verbalized it, the entire barracks was reminded of the injustice of their own existence. 

“Vod,” Fives broke the silence again, this time with a seriousness in his eyes that looked foreign on his face, “we don’t get many chances to connect with someone like you have. Most guys would desert if it meant getting your opportunity. You can’t let her get away. At least let us know if any of us have a chance with her, if you don’t want it.” 

His joke released the tension in the room, each brother chimed in with their own eagerness to date Echo’s baker. 

“Even if I wanted to, she’s not into me.” Echo repeated. Groans erupted from all over the room, Jesse even threw a pillow at his brother. “What? I’m telling the truth!” 

Fives’ voice rose above the noise, “Echo, di’kut, that is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. She’s so into you, it kind of hurt to be in the same room as you both.” 

Echo rolled his eyes, but Fives kept going. “Look, tell me I’m crazy, but–”

“You’re crazy.” 

“She gives you free food, every time you go to meet her–”

“She’s a generous person.” 

“She had her eyes glued on you the whole time–” 

“Well, maybe you were scaring her. 

“She invited you to spend Life Day with her–”

“She what?!” Kix was the one who interrupted this time. “You’re going right?” 

“Well, of course, I told her I would. Why would I accept if I wasn’t going to go?” Echo sputtered. “Should I not have? Is that a bad idea? Should I tell her I’m not coming?” 

“No!” The entire room shouted. 

“You have to.” Kix got up and started pacing. “This is perfect, confessing on holidays is so much more romantic than confessing on your random Zhellday. Just give her something for Life Day, declare your love, and bam! Mission accomplished!” 

“That’s ridiculous.” Echo groaned, “Even if I wanted to, I don’t know the first thing about telling a girl you’re in love with her.” 

“Well, you’re lucky that you have six brothers right here that will do all the work for you!” Jesse gestured to the occupants of the room, all of whom had their own versions of their scheming faces on. 

Echo glanced at Fives, hoping that he would say something to put an end to this madness for once, but when Fives looked back at him, Echo could see the mischievous glimmer in his eyes. 

“Vod, we’re going to get you your cyare.” 

… 

It was Echo’s own fault. He really should’ve done something, anything this morning instead of blindly following his brothers across the Coruscant shopping district. Anything would be better than standing, in front of this very judgemental old man, in a jewelry shop meant for anyone but him. 

“I’m sure this piece is out of your budget, young man.” The shopkeeper barely glanced at the necklace Echo was asking about. “Perhaps you’d be better looking elsewhere?” 

“Aw, come on, how much is it?” Fives argued, “It can’t be that bad.” 

Echo had not been aware that jewelry was even sold at a price as high as the one that came out of the old man’s mouth, much less jewelry that was sold at a shop on one of the lower, dingier levels of Coruscant. 

“That place is a scam.” Fives quipped, the moment the old man had shut the door in their faces. “Let’s try somewhere else.” 

Echo glanced around. “I get the feeling that we’ll run into similar problems everywhere. The GAR doesn’t exactly pay well, where would we even find jewelry that any of us could afford?” 

“Nonsense. The way to a woman’s heart is through expensive things.” Fives was already looking for a new place to try. “Especially shiny, expensive things. Necklaces, rings, bracelets, girls go crazy for that stuff.” 

“I don’t know…” Echo trailed off as he thought about you. You were kind, funny, loving, and selfless. He didn’t take you as the type to get carried away with shine and credits. 

“Echo might be right.” Jesse piped in, “There’s only so much we can do in the expensive-jewelry department. But that doesn’t mean we’re completely down for the count. We’ll think of something else.” 

Fives slumped his shoulders, but didn’t say anything in his defense. All six of the men began looking around, wondering which one would give the next idea. 

“What about…” Tup shyly started, “flowers? Girls like flowers, right?” 

“Yeah!” Hardcase nodded, “That way Echo can still buy something for his baker and not have to spend too much money.” 

“What’s her favorite flower?” Kix asked, pulling the attention in the conversation back to Echo. 

Echo felt his face warm. How was it that in all the hours he spent in your company, all the attention he gave to every detail about you, he didn’t know what your favorite flower was? His brothers looked at him with expectant faces. Would they make fun of him if he told them that he didn’t know? Fives would have asked a girl immediately what her favorite flower was. 

“I’ll know it when I see it.” Maybe Echo didn’t lie. Maybe you had a vase that held a certain type of flower all the time in your shop and Echo had never fully noticed it. Maybe you mentioned it in passing a few times. Maybe Echo would see a flower that he would be dying to put behind your ear. 

As it turned out, Echo underestimated how many flowers there were in the world. And some of them looked so similar, he couldn’t even begin to guess which one you’d be partial to. This whole gift-giving thing was a lot harder than he thought. 

“What about this one?” Jesse emerged from behind a wall of flora, holding a giant, yellow flower. 

Echo winced. “I think that one’s too obnoxious.” 

“I found one!” Kix shouted from across the flower shop. Looking up, Echo could just see a black-gloved hand holding a dainty, purple flower above the shelves. 

That one was better, but it still didn’t speak to Echo in any way that reminded him of you. “I’m not so sure.” 

Fives groaned and tossed the bouquet he was about to offer Echo over his shoulder. “You’re impossible. She’s got to like something from here. Where’s Tup? This was all his idea.” 

“He’s flirting with the cashier.” Dogma pointed towards the entrance. To his credit, Tup didn’t burst into a noticeable blush, but his shoulders tightened in a subtle motion that told his brothers that Tup heard them call him out. Nonetheless, the flower shop cashier was giggling at whatever he had said. 

“At least someone here is striking gold.” Hardcase grumbled. “Now if only Echo could take a page out of Tup’s book. Tup’s book of all people!” 

Echo knew his brother’s frustration wasn’t entirely on him. They would die before they admitted it, but none of them really knew anything about women, and this experience was showcasing that for all of them. His brothers huddled together, brainstorming the next plan while Echo ran his eyes over the shelves once again. 

It felt like the millionth time he looked at this wall of flowers, but this time, one flower stuck out to him. It was elegant, but simple. Echo knew the petals would bring out your eyes in the best way. 

“That one.” Echo pointed to it. His brothers stopped bickering almost immediately. 

Fives hopped into motion first, “Perfect! Let’s go.” He marched Echo, who now held the bouquet in his hands, straight to the cashier. “Move over, Tup, you can flirt later.” 

This time a blush did erupt on Tup’s face. He turned away to hide it, but the cashier just laughed lightly before turning to Echo and Fives, a more professional mask slipping over her features. “I take it you’re Echo?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Echo nodded, “Just this one please.” 

The cashier nodded and began to ring up the bouquet. “I couldn’t help but overhear some of your situation, and Tup filled in a little bit. I just wanted to let you know that these flowers are commonly allergenic. Most people are pretty mildly allergic, but it’s not uncommon for a person to have a pretty severe allergy to them.” 

Echo froze. “I can’t give that to her then! What if I put her in the hospital?!” 

“Hospitals are not romantic.” Hardcase agreed, wisely. 

“I’ll try something else.” Echo sighed, “Thank you for all your help.” 

The cashier sympathetically nodded at him, and began to open her mouth to offer more help, but Echo was already being ushered out the doors of the shop by his brothers. 

“It’s alright. Shake it off.” Fives assured, “The guys and I have already talked, and we’ve got a plan that’s a sure winner this time.” 

… 

“I can’t do this.” Echo threw up his hands. 

Dogma glanced up from his own project. “Sure you can. There’s nothing that screams ‘Life Day’ more than a pair of mittens, and nothing says ‘I’ll be here to protect and provide for you’ more than the honorable discipline of knitting. Ow-” 

Throwing the ball of yarn at Dogma probably wouldn’t help him learn to knit, but it did make Echo feel sort of better. 

The plan that his brothers cooked up after the flower shop had not worked. And neither had the next. Or this one, apparently. 

In Hardcase’s defense, Echo hadn’t even attempted to put together a 60-piece marching band to parade down the bakery’s street for Life Day. But he had attempted to learn to play the guitar because, according to Jesse, every woman dreams of the day a man plays a guitar and sings for them as they awkwardly avoid eye contact and shuffle in their seats for lack of better things to do. While he was sure the love songs he had tried to learn were beautiful, Echo found out that he didn’t have the musical ability to portray them in any flattering manner. 

He was getting so desperate for a good plan, he’d even asked Rex one day, “Captain, if you were a beautiful baker, who was completely out of my league, what would you want for Life Day?” 

“For you to leave me alone, probably.” Was the only response he got. 

It had been weeks since he last met with her, weeks since she invited him to spend Life Day with her and started this whole mess. He knew that he couldn’t look her in the eyes until he had the perfect Life Day gift for her, but now that was Life Day Eve, Echo was getting hopeless.

Dogma glared at his brother. “You’re going to make me roll that ball back up, aren’t you?.” 

“Yup.” Echo met his glare. 

“Okay! New plan!” Kix jumped in. The entire room groaned in protest. “Shut it, all of you. I’ve listened to all of your awful ideas, I apologize to the woman you fool with them by the way, but I’ve got something you all don’t: a working brain.” More yarn balls got tossed in Kix’s direction along with insults that drowned out Dogma’s protests. 

“Echo,” Kix ignored them, “this girl seems like she’s really special. And really special girls aren’t going to be swayed by things. She’s probably already into you and just needs to know that you’re in love with her. All you need to do is tell her, and the best way to do that is with love letters. They’re simple, heartfelt, and genuine. Three things that women love.” The men in the room had quieted over Kix’s speech, and all seemed to be absentmindedly nodding as they thought this new plan over. 

“You’re right.” Echo stood up. “This is ridiculous. I just need to get it off my chest and tell her how I feel. A love letter is the perfect way to gift that.” Cheers erupted from the room this time. 

I’m proud of him. Fives thought as Echo sat down and began writing. This was really important to him, but he could probably give her a rock off the ground and she’d kiss him.

Good for him. Jesse thought as Echo threw away his first draft of his love letter. He’s really thinking about what he’s going to say. He’s making sure it comes out just right.

He’s dedicated, I’ll give him that. Dogma thought as he laid down to go to sleep, Echo still writing. It’s not his fault that he can’t understand the value of knitting, but I guess this is the next best thing.

That must be some letter. Tup thought when he rolled over a few hours later, Echo’s pile of discarded letters getting taller and taller. I hope she likes it.

What time even is it? Hardcase thought when he woke up in the very early hours of the morning, Has he been writing this whole time?

I’ve created a monster. Kix realized when he got up the next morning, seeing no trace of Echo, but a huge pile of crumpled up pieces of flimsi next to the desk that he had sat at all night long. Maker help that Baker. 

… 

“Happy Life Day, Echo!” You greeted the clone standing outside your door. He returned your grin with a smaller one. You noticed that he looked slightly disheveled and he seemed to be breathing a bit heavier than normal. Instead of pointing it out, you decided to politely ask, “How has your morning been?” 

“Awful.” Echo blurted before hastily correcting himself, “-ly great. I’ve had an awfully great morning. How about you?” 

“I guess my morning has been awfully great too.” You awkwardly shuffled aside, “Would you like to come in or…?” 

“Oh!” Echo quickly walked past you, and you noticed as he did so that he was carrying a large sack with him. It was made of dark green cloth and looked suspiciously like something you had seen other clones use to carry their gear. You found it odd, but decided not to mention it. Maybe clones had a regulation that stated they couldn’t go anywhere without their gear, and if him being able to wear the very flattering civilian clothes that he currently had on meant he had to carry around a giant sack everywhere, who were you to complain about it? 

“Thank you so much for coming. I know I kind of sprung the invitation on you.” You gestured to your table, which you had set for two people with a candle in the middle. You blushed as you realized that you just presented him with a candle light breakfast, but continued on. “I made a sort of late breakfast for us, and then I have a full day of Life Day activities planned for us. I really wanted to make sure you have the full experience for your first Life Day.” 

Echo prided himself in being a very observant and aware man, but he had not heard a word you had said after looking at the table. “It’s only us today?” 

Your smile faltered, “Yeah, I had planned the day for just the two of us, is that okay?”

“Yes!” Echo coughed to clear the eagerness out of his tone. “Yeah, that’s fine.” 

Echo had never been to your apartment, and so when he first got the comm asking him to meet you there, he got even more nervous than he already was. But his nerves were calmed as he looked around the room during breakfast. Your unique fingerprints were everywhere. Just like the bakery, every inch of this house was decked out in Life Day decorations. Little replicas of a decorated Tree of Life were scattered over various shelves and counters, garlands were hung with Life Day orbs, candles and other decorations covering everything. You even had a larger Tree of Life replica set up in your living room, also decorated to the nines. The entire house screamed the passion and love that you put into all things you care about, and the knot in Echo’s stomach loosened more and more with every minute he spent with you. 

Breakfast was amazing. You were a great baker, Echo already knew that, but you were excited to show him that you were an almost better cook. While the day had started off on a bit of a stumbling foot, conversation began to flow easily between the two of you as more time passed. It was nice to see Echo relaxed and smiling. You don’t really know when it started, but these days, your life seemed to revolve around the little moments you were able to spend with Echo. He was sweet and gentle with you, but you knew that he was also brave and courageous. You adored every aspect of him. You hoped that one day, you’d be able to openly show the depths of that adoration. The rest of the day seemed to fly by. The two of you decorated cookies, built orgabread houses, played games, and before you know it, you were snuggled up on the couch, large mugs of wroshyr louse syrup cocoa in hand, watching the third Life Day holofilm of the night. At some point between the start of the second holofilm and now, Echo had managed to sneak his arm across your shoulders, allowing you to bury yourself into his side. His warmth seeped to you, and you were well on your way to falling asleep when he mumbled, “Cyar’ika?”  

“Hm?” You didn’t know what the word meant, but you somehow knew he was referring to you. Lifting your head up, you met his gaze. How long had he been staring?

“When you first invited me over, I had no idea what Life Day was, but I did some research, and my brothers yelled at me, and now I think I have a pretty good idea of what it means. You’re really special to me, and my brothers told me that you give special people gifts on Life Day. So I spent the past few weeks, losing my mind, trying to find the perfect gift to give you.” A blush started to creep up his face, but he didn’t let that deter him, “I tried many things, and each one didn’t work, so I tried something else.” He carefully untangled himself from you and left the room. Before you were able to fully wonder where he went, he returned with the sack. “I couldn’t decide on one thing to get you. Each place I went to had something that reminded me of something that I like about you, but I like so much more than one thing about you and choosing which one to show you was impossible.”

He opened the sack and pulled out a necklace. It wasn’t anything big or flashy, but the chain was decorated with little pearls, “This isn’t the original necklace I looked at, the GAR doesn’t pay enough for that one,” Echo joked, “but it represents my point a little better, I think. When I looked at this, I saw all the little kindnesses that you do. Not just for me, but my brothers, other customers at your bakery, sometimes even just strangers off the street. I see a world that is mean and cruel everyday, but when I’m with you, I’m reminded of all the beauty and good that’s in it too.” A lump had formed in your throat, so the only thing that you could do was reach out and take the necklace. 

When you looked back up at him, he was holding out a single, purple flower, slightly crumpled from being held in a sack all day long. “I searched a flower shop for hours to find this. I don’t know what it’s called or where it’s from, but when I saw it, I knew exactly where it belonged.” He reached out and gently brushed your cheek as he settled the flower behind your ear. “Right there.” 

“Echo,” You smiled, starting to see where this was going, “thank you, I–” 

“I’m not finished.” Echo reached into the sack and started pulling out item after item. “I bought you mittens, sorry they’re not homemade, a music box, I didn’t have time to put together a 60 piece band, I even brought Jesse’s guitar!” Your eyes widened as he pulled the instrument out of the sack, along with pages and pages of flimsi with music written on it. “I wanted to find the perfect way to tell you how much you meant to me, but all I did was drive myself crazy and waste so much time. Because none of these things can possibly show how much I look forward to every moment that I spend with you, and every smile of yours that I get to see, and how much I love everything about you. I love you.”

A beat of silence fell over the both of you as you both processed the weight of Echo’s words. “I have a Life Day gift for you too. But you have to close your eyes before I give it to you.” Echo’s shock displayed on his face for a moment, but he nodded and dutifully closed his eyes. 

You took a deep breath. Echo’s leap of courage inspired you to take your own. You slowly leaned closer and closer into Echo, allowing yourself all the time you wanted to observe his features. His strong brow, sharp jawline, and full lips. You were most focused on those lips right now. Echo stiffened when you placed a hand on his shoulder for balance and when he began to feel your breath ghost over his lips. “I love you too.” You whispered, and then closed the gap.

Echo still had one gift that he hadn’t given you, but something told him he wouldn’t need that letter anymore. 

…

Echo loved his routine. He knew exactly what he was going to do, when he was going to do it, and what order it was going to be done. Once this transport touches down on Coruscant, Fives is going to throw his arm around Echo and shout something about “making sure that the pretty baker sets aside the good stuff for me.” Echo is going to laugh, shove his brother’s arm off his shoulder, and tell him that it didn’t matter what he brought back with him, anything from that bakery is “the good stuff.” They’ll go back and forth, with a few more brothers piping in here and there, but once those doors open, Echo’s gone. His legs take him straight to a little shop on a level slightly lower than planetside, straight to you, but now, he’s thinking about it a whole lot. 

Echo will walk into the shop, a little bell announcing his presence from above the door, and be hit with his favorite smell in the world, but now, a pair of eyes is already looking back at him. The baker will leave her post behind the counter, as fast as she can, and throw herself into his arms. And for the first time since he left you, Echo will feel like he’s home. 

#LDE23 #echo x reader #echo x fem!reader #star wars #the clone wars #i honestly don't knpw how to feel about this one

[literaticat]

Hey Jen, thank you for this. I am the asker about dropping their agent out of the blue. I didn’t mean to sound like such a huge jerk and dropping them out of the blue would be jerk behavior! So thank you for letting me see that. Thing is, my agent is slow. Like really really slow. A basic email takes 2-3 weeks to answer and I’ve waited 6 months for a full read before. I don’t know what to do. My agent siblings who have been with her years say the same thing and this is not new behavior. Agent has always been like this. I do like them as a person and they are well connected in the industry but I feel those wait times are hurting my career. I’m sure my agent would work faster if they could and I imagine they know they’re slow so I’m not really sure how to have this conversation. Any advice would be appreciated.

OK. (I gotta be honest, I was worried it was going to be something MUCH more controversial, so actually, this is a relief!)

I'm of two minds here to be honest -- and I think either option would be fine, so just pick the one you like best?

Option One: If you've never expressed frustration or asked about the slowness before, then I think now is the time, IF you are willing to give it another go. Something like:

"Hey agent, I know how swamped you are, and how slow the industry in general is, but I have to be honest, I feel like the constant delays on emails, reading mss, etc, are potentially hindering my forward progress and make me feel like my work is not a priority.

I wonder if we can have a conversation about ways to mitigate that. For example, perhaps it would help if we could check in periodically via zoom, rather than your having to write edit letters? Or maybe I can be sending you work in a different way or nudging more? -- Or, maybe you just don't have the bandwidth or the enthusiasm, and it is time to part ways. What do you think?"

You've given them an out here -- if they really just aren't feeling it or can't handle it, but they didn't want to disappoint you, they will probably say, I'm so sorry, yes, we probably should part ways" or something. But you've also given them the option of addressing the problem, maybe they will be like "I hear you, and let's try XYZ."

Option Two: Alternatively -- If you HAVE discussed this in the past, or if you just aren't feeling it and KNOW you want to leave (because yah, they DO know they are slow, and they probably wouldn't be if they could help it, quite right) -- It would be fine to just be polite and nice and cut the cord. No explanation needed.

"Hey agent, apologies if this is seeming to come out of nowhere. I really appreciate your kindness over the years, but I've decided I need to go in another direction with my work and would like to terminate the agency agreement. Happy to follow up with a call if you'd like, or just let me know if there's anything else you need from my end." Best wishes, etc.