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#MAYBE OUR WHOLE THING WAS JUST A HUGE MISTAKE
piltover-s-finest · 1 year
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Y'ALL
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cinnamon-galaxies · 1 month
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Hi! I saw that your request box was open. Could I request a Alastor x fem!reader who is a mornigstar, charlie's older sister and she is engaged with Alastor. In episode 5, Dad beat Dad, I thought their relationship is kept secret and was revealed later on shocking lucifer and their friends
Dad beat Fiancé beat Dad
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Pairings: Alastor x Fem!Reader / Alastor x Morningstar!Reader
Tags: hurt/comfort, (a little bit of) fluff, secret relationship/engagement, Alastor vs Lucifer, Morningstar!Reader, Fem!Reader
Warnings: language/swearing, kiss, argument/bickering, reader is Charlie’s older sister, English is not my first language!
Summary: You are Charlie's older sister and secretly engaged to Alastor. When your sister invites your father to the hotel to ask for his help with her rehabilitation program, you look forward to his arrival. However, things take a turn when tensions escalate between your father and your fiancé, leading to heated bickering. Overcome with frustration, you finally lash out and accidentally reveal your engagement to the King of Hell and the hotel's residents.
Wordcount: 5.4k
A/N: This one turned out so long! I really hope you like it and that the story meets your expectations! English is not my first language so I want to apologize for possible grammar and spelling mistakes. I really tried my best to make as few mistakes as possible!
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“Well, I’m actually running a hotel to rehabilitate sinners. Maybe you saw our commercial,” you heard your younger sister speak into the telephone, releasing a nervous chuckle here and there. Then a sigh escaped her lips. “Listen, dad, I’ve got kind of a big ask…”   You stood a few feet away and stared at her, unsure what to think of this whole idea. Was it really that smart to ask your father to organize another meeting with heaven? The last one already didn’t end well. But what other choice was left for you? Still, it released a weird feeling inside your guts, now that you watched Charlie calling your dad, since your and your sister’s relationships with him were kind of… special. Your father tended to distance himself from the both of you for the most time, bathing in his own emotional dilemma and not even trying to do anything about it. Thus neglecting the both of you. Well, at least he called your sister five months ago regarding that meeting with Adam in heaven’s local embassy. But when it comes to you it’s been even longer since you’ve talked. Maybe a year? Or even longer. You didn’t actually know and also some part within you didn’t even want to. But what you knew is that you missed him. Although, in contradiction, you weren’t really fond of him at the moment. It’s not that you didn’t love him. He was your father, regardless, and you both shared a lot of wholesome and fun memories. But since your mother had left him seven years ago, things had turned out strange and you didn’t really approve of his weird-ass behavior towards you and your sister. Still, you hoped your father would agree to help you out. Maybe, just maybe, there was a probability that you saw him again. You had so much to tell him. Your life has changed a lot since you started supporting your sister in the hotel. And even before, when you met Alastor…
Lost in your thoughts you missed parts of the phone call and as your consciousness returned to reality, you saw your sister taking the phone down and ending the call. Curious about the outcome you cocked your head. “What did he say?”
   “Well,” Charlie stared at an empty space for a brief moment, “it seems that dad will be coming over.”
   Your mouth fell agape and your eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, really?” you asked her and a huge smile grew on your face. “That’s awesome! When?”
   Charlie proudly straightened her back and stemmed her hands into her hips. “We have an hour until he gets here.”
   You turned around to face the other residents who sat on the couch and raised your voice, “Okay people. Dad’s on his way, so we’re getting this place presentable and we are all going to make an amazing impression. Let’s go!”
   That’s when Vaggie spoke up, “That’s a great idea! Husker, Angel and I will go get some decorations for the lobby,” her eyes wandered down to Niffty, “Niffty, you and Sir Pentious will bake some cookies so we have something to eat when it’s time for coffee.”
   Nifty nodded exaggeratedly, almost vibrating from that force she put into her motion. She instantly grabbed Sir Pentious’s hand and dragged him down the hallway towards the kitchen. When Husker, Angel and Vaggie went to get the decorations from the storage room you and Charlie were left alone. 
   “Are you as excited as I am?” You asked her with a moving voice and examined your sister expectantly. It was no secret that Charlie took that whole situation with your father a bit differently from you. While you almost imploded waiting to get a chance to meet him again, your sister was more reserved and kept herself a bit more distant from him. Even though she was the one your father seemed to favor when it came to dealing with the conflict with heaven. It didn’t matter that you were the older daughter… 
   “Ahm… I don’t know,” Charlie responded nervously stroking her neck, “I mean, yes, I am. But at the same time…” She hesitated and you put your hand on her shoulder.
   “Don’t worry, sis. I can understand,” you reassured her with a calm voice and smiled at her with genuine eyes. You could feel her shoulders relax under your supporting gesture.
   “Thank you,” she responded and returned your smile. “It’s just… You know, since he and mom split, I often don’t feel like his daughter anymore. Yet he sounded very excited to come over.”
   You took a deep breath and removed your hand from her shoulder. “We’ll see how things are going when he arrives.”
   Charlie chuckled. “Well, I think you should go and inform Alastor about our special guest,” she requested, raising her eyebrows in concern. Charlie was the only person at the hotel who knew about your secret relationship with him. When you decided to knock on the door to propose your support to your sister, you and Alastor were already dating. In fact, you were the one who dragged him here because – regardless of his fearful and sketchy reputation – you knew he’d make a great hotelier and protector for the residents during future exterminations. But you both didn’t introduce yourselves as a couple right away. Instead, you found common ground in letting your sister know but keeping it hidden from the other residents. There were several reasons you both had decided against making your relationship public: Alastor’s reputation as the Radio Demon, yours as Lucifer’s oldest daughter, the gossip, the media… These and many more were all things you didn’t want to deal with. Especially since Alastor was a very private person who despised showing affection outside his private space and you, as a person who had no desire to brag about your partner, were totally fine with it. What happened in private chambers stayed in private chambers. That was your agreement, and if you let your friends know about your relationship, there would be too much risk that it would eventually become public. The only other person next to Charlie, and outside the hotel, who knew about your and Alastor’s connection, was his decades-long friend Rosie.
Repeating your sister's request in your head you nodded in agreement. It was the best to prepare Alastor. Even though an hour alone wouldn’t be long enough for him to digest the fact that he was about to meet your father. “Oh, I think he’ll be excited about the news,” you responded with a sarcastic tone and couldn’t help but release a malicious laugh. Oh, how much he will hate this...
You heard Charlie laughing along and shaking her head in amusement. But as quickly as the amusement appeared, it disappeared as you continued to think about the fact that Alastor was actually going to meet your father. With a deep breath you dropped your smile and lowered your voice. “Do you think it would be a good idea to tell dad about Alastor and me?”
   “Ahm…” Charlie seemed to think about it more carefully before commenting, “I actually don’t know… I wish I could tell you but that’s something you and Alastor have to decide. First of all, I’d wait until after they had their first impressions of each other. Then… maybe… introduce him to the truth? I mean, if you and Alastor plan to stay together, what I hope – I mean… It’s obvious, why else would you date if it isn’t for staying together?” She chuckled at how much she was lost in her words and cleaned her throat. “I’m sorry. What I mean to say is that it would be beneficial for your shared future if you let dad know. At least at some point in the future.”
   You nodded in understanding and gifted her a slight smile. “Thank you. Maybe I’ll talk to him about this later. First of all, I need to prepare him for meeting his soon-to-be father in law.” You laughed and excused yourself before you left the lobby and went upstairs.
   When you arrived at Alastor’s radio station you knocked on the door.
   “You may come in!” you heard Alastor’s dulled voice through the door and opened it. When you entered the radio station you immediately saw him sitting at his desk, leaning over some papers and holding a pen in his hand. When you closed the door, he placed the pen to the side and turned to look at you.
   “Why hello, darling,” he greeted you, his signature smile on his face but his red eyes revealing a neutral expression. “What brings you here?”
   “Well...” You took a deep breath and strolled towards him with your hands folded behind your back and your lips pressed to your teeth. “I’ve got some news for you that you’ll probably hate.”
   “Oh?” he responded curiously and tilted his head to the side. His red hair swayed with the movement.
   You arrived at his desk and leaned against the tabletop, your front mostly faced towards him. You tilted your head in the same direction as he did and couldn’t manage to suppress an amused smile. “My dad will be here in less than an hour,” you said with a cocky voice and watched Alastors expression shift as his lips curled up around his smile and his eyes immediately twitched. An awkward silence fell over the room before he broke it with a snippy tone, “You’re right. I hate that news.” His neck returned to a straight and more natural position and you chuckled.
   “Vaggie’s the one to blame. She came up with the idea that Charlie should call him to ask for help because she could no longer bear seeing my sister ripping her hair out in despair over her missing rehabilitation success,” you explained and a growl escaped Alastor’s throat. He already didn't like Vaggie and now he probably liked her even less.
   “Splendid,” he said without enthusiasm and stood up from his chair, grabbing his microphone cane and leaning on it. Now taller than you, you had to tilt your head back to be able to look him in the eyes. “How about I excuse myself and disappear for another set of seven years?”
   “Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,” you responded, raised your index finger and waved it in front of him. “You will stand your ground and behave. It’s just my dad.”
   “He’s the king of hell, darling.”
   “And that's why you'll be going down there and prove to him that you're a worthy partner for his princess daughter.”
   He gritted his teeth and your smile widened as you nonchalantly brushed the wrinkles out of his coat.
   “Are you questioning my abilities, darling?” He asked, placing one of his hands on top of yours, thus stopping your movements and squeezing it.
   You felt your cheeks blush at his affectionate action and stepped closer to him, your body now close enough that it almost touched his. You could feel the warmth radiating off him and tilted your head slightly, your eyes still locked with his. “No, I’m not. And that’s exactly why I want you to do as I said.”
   “Oh, is her dear royal highness misusing her mightiness to give me an order?” he asked with a low and unusually soft voice and a shiver ran down your spine. Oh, how you loved it when he became flirty. His charm was able to captivate you instantly, weakening your legs and waking those tingling butterflies in your stomach. He removed your hands from his coat and pulled you closer to him. Your body now touching his, you felt the urge to rest your head into the crook of his neck but resisted.
   “She indeed is. And you better behave, peasant,” you teased him back and Alastor narrowed his eyes at you degrading him like this.
   He let go of one of your hands and instead cupped your cheek before using his fingers to lift your chin up. “You seem to forget that I’m your finacé”, he purred, leaning in closer until only a few inches separated your noses from touching. His hot breath stroked your face and you could’ve sworn that his eyes had turned to a darker hue.
   Without further hesitation he pulled you into a tender kiss. His lips brushed over yours and you leaned in closer, succumbing yourself completely to him. Your free hand roamed up and slid through his hair, pressing his face closer to yours. After a few moments of togetherness both of you let go of each other.
   “We should return to the foyer. My dad can arrive any minute,” you said and stroked his cheek before heading towards the door. You could hear Alastor sigh behind you.
   “Just as a reminder: I can’t promise you things will go well.”
   You rolled your eyes as you left the radio station together. “At least try.”
   After you entered the foyer most preparations were already done and it didn’t take long until your father arrived. Your body was shaking from excitement as you and Charlie went up to the door and your sister opened it.
   "Charlie!,” your father shouted with joy. A huge grin sat on his face and his yellow eyes sparkled as his gaze fell on your sister who stood much closer to him. He held out his arms and approached her, pulling her into a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”
   “It’s good to see you too, dad,” Charlie pressed through the tight hug of her father, overwhelm and a little bit of uncomfort in her expression.
   When Lucifer let go of her his eyes fell on you. "Y/N! You’re here too?” his pupils dilated in surprise and you immediately found yourself wrapped in his arms as well.
   “Dad!” you greeted him as you placed your hands around his torso and squeezed, the soft fragrance of his cologne entering your nose. He smelled the same he always did, the scent taking you back to the past when your family was still together and healthy. It was wonderful to be this close to him after such a long time and you wished this moment could last longer. You looked to the side and saw Alastor standing near your sister. But what you didn’t see was one of his eyes twitching at your father’s gesture.
   You let go of each other and Charlie held out her hand, spinning and pointing at the lobby. “Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel!”
   The other residents greeted him with waving hands from afar and your father smiled back at them, walking through the lobby and letting his gaze wander around. “Wow, this place looks, uh…” he twisted his mouth in an unpleasant manner and frowned, searching for the right words. He chuckled nervously and you and Charlie exchanged glances as he stammered around, turning to the side and surveying the establishment as if he was a property inspector. You could tell that nervousness spread across Charlie’s face as she probably hoped his words wouldn’t be too dismissive. You shrugged your shoulders at her to dismiss your father’s unsettling behavior and followed him.
   “What do you think, dad?” you dared to ask him in hopes he’d come up with a response a little faster if you pushed on him a little.
   “It’s got a lot of character,” he eventually said and winched with a squeak when he turned around and laid eyes on the bar. “What in the unholy hell is that?” he asked repulsively and pointed to the swampy-looking counter decorated with skulls and two full snake skeletons wrapped around the poles. The green wood paneling disrupted the noble red wallpaper of the looby, making it appear like an eyesore amidst the otherwise mostly luxurious decor.
   A dark shadow crawled around the floor and took the form of Alastor who appeared right next to him. “Just some of the renovations we had done! ” he explained, pointing his cane at the bar, his signature smile wide and confident before he turned towards Lucifer and leaned on his cane. “Adds a bit of color, don’t you think?”
   “And you are?” Lucifer asked with raised eyebrows, a skeptical tone in his voice.
   You, again, exchanged glances with Charlie and held your breath. The moment has come in which your father and your financé had their first contact and somehow you got the feeling that this won’t end well. Your sister seemed to be fearing the same and she stepped closer to you. Her presence calmed your tension at least a little. 
   “Alastor,” your finacé introduced himself, “Pleasure to be meeting you, sir. Quite a pleasure!” He shook your fathers hand and you could see the disapproval in both their eyes, before they let go. Your father grimaced while Alastor wiped his hands over his coat.
   This most definitely won’t end well. But before you and Charlie could say something, Alastor continued, “It’s nice to finally put a face to the name. You are much shorter in real life.”
   You breathed in sharply. Your father didn’t seem to take his comment well as his expression immediately turned to annoyance. You and Charlie both approached them, your sister standing next to your father while you kept closer to Alastor. You really hoped that he’d notice your disapproval over how things were going and slow down a bit. But you knew him well enough to be sure he wouldn’t notice the tension in the room and also wouldn't care if he did.
   “Who is this?” your father asked, his eyes fixated on the demon before him. “Who’s this now? Are you the bellhop?”
   Alastor laughed in response. “No! I’m the host of the hotel. You might’ve heard of me from my radio broadcast,” he explained.
   Your father pretended to ponder his words for a very short moment but then denied with a derogatory snort. “Nope! I guess that’s why Charlie called it the ‘Hazbin Hotel’?” He laughed at his pun, this time more maliciously. The tension grew stronger and you didn’t even realize that you held your breath and pressed your fists so tightly together that your nails painfully stung your palms. Your sister, on the other hand, nervously rubbed her hands.
   Hiding his offense, Alastor piled into your father’s laughter, “It was actually my idea.”
   “Well, it’s not very clever!” your father responded, increasing his laugh.
   Alastor did the same and leaned in closer, “Fuck you.”
   “Alastor!” you yelled at him in shock and disbelief over his rude words and took him by his arm, dragging him to the side while your sister shoved your father into the other direction.
   “What the fuck is wrong with you?” you scolded him with a lowered voice to keep your conversation as private as possible. He’d never been someone who cussed so why did he have to do this now of all times?
   “He started it,” Alastor explained, keeping his face turned in the other direction to avoid eye contact.
   You breathed in sharply, anger boiling within you as you hissed, “I don’t care about who did what. You were supposed to make a good impression!”
   “Excuse me, dear, but it seems that your father and I don’t get along. And this seems to be based on mutuality. I don’t know if you noticed this but he already looked at me disapprovingly before we even exchanged words.”
   Oh, you did notice this. But you didn’t care because in this moment it was important for both of them to at least pretend to tolerate each other. You couldn’t afford your father and your finacé to already disembowel each other during their first encounter. Important aspects of your shared future relied on their correlation. And… Was Alastor even listening to you?!
   You snatched his cane out of his hands and spinned it around.
   Alastor finally turned to look at you, his teeth gritted and his eyebrows pushed together. His gaze became softer as he eyed your expression but he still seemed tense.
   “You’ll put this right, Alastor. Or otherwise…” You don’t finish your sentence and instead poke the pointy end of his cane between his ribs.
   “Fine,” he growled and took his cane back.
   You both turned around and saw Charlie pushing your father in your direction, her arm resting on his shoulder while she talked to him insistently with a calm but worried voice, “Without Alastor, we wouldn’t have been able to pretty it up this much!”
   Alastor took a step closer, tapping his fingertips on his cane. “Charlie has a very unique vision,” he started and stood next to her, forcing himself to sound as honest and courteous as possible, “I am happy to fulfill her bizarre requests.”
   “Thank you, Alastor”, your sister responded, ignoring your frowning father who looked anything but amused.
   Alastor continued, “Quite an impressive young lady. We’re all very proud of her.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and Charlie gave him a genuine smile before he let go and turned towards you. “And her sister, Y/N, well…” He laid his red eyes on you with a genuine and almost loving smile and rested his hand on your shoulder, squeezing it slightly in an almost unnoticeable but reassuring manner. “She’s an extraordinary being. Introduced me to this very special place so we can give her sister all the support and assistance she needs.”
   You smiled at him, grateful that he followed your request to at least try to make things right.
   Your father growled and narrowed his eyes as he noticed the way Alastor looked at you, the demon’s hand on your shoulder triggering his already strained nerves. He snatched his head in the other direction to face your sister. “Charlie… Why don’t you introduce me to your other friends?”
   “Oh, yes, of course!” she called out and walked up to the other residents. “This is Vaggie. She’s my girlfriend!” She pulled Vaggie with her who shyly raised her hand in a reserved greeting gesture.
   Your father laughed and his mood immediately switched from annoyance to excitement. “Oh my golly! You like girls? So do I! We have so much in common!” He pulled Vaggie in a rushed embrace, letting her go as fast as he got close to her. “She’s beautiful!”
   You felt your heart sink in your chest at your father’s opposite reaction to your sister’s partner and a strike of anxiety hit you at the thought of telling him the truth about you and Alastor. It wasn’t only the fact you both were a couple that made you this insecure but the fact that you were even engaged to him.
   Alastor seemed to sense your inner tension and squeezed your shoulder again, now with more pressure and you were grateful for him that he hadn’t removed his hand yet. His closeness was exactly what you needed at this moment. You moved a bit closer to him, hoping that you both didn't appear too close in the other eyes, and breathed in his scent while your thoughts raced in your head. You reviewed the events again and realized that Alastor was right. You had little reason to be so angry (only) at him because your father didn’t really behave either from the first second. Hopefully you could somehow dismiss this conflict as a matter of miscommunication between them.
   You watched your sister introduce your father to the other residents which he seemed to get along with very well – contrary to your finacé who seemed to be the only one he immediately despised.
   You sighed and that’s when your father turned around to face the lobby. With a determined expression he raised his voice so everybody could hear him, “Well, it looks like I could give you some help. With a little bit of alakazam,” he wiggled his fingers, indicating a magic spell, “we could turn this place into something much more appealing! I mean, who needs a busboy now that you got the chef?” He faced Alastor with narrowed eyes and poked his elbow teasingly into Charlie’s side.
   You could feel Alastor’s grip on your shoulder tightening. His smile turned into a strained grin as he obviously thought about saying something. You begged that he kept his mouth shut to not reinforce their conflict… 
   “Well, Charlie…” your father continued before Alastor could even say something, “I’m not almighty but I could give you a lot. Almost anything, if you ask for it. You know, normally, I’d charge a lot for my help but since you’re my daughter and I love you with all my heart, it’s a matter of course I do it for free. Unlike that sketchy prick who probably has some devious intentions in his mind.” He raised his cane and pointed at Alastor.
   Charlie blinked a few times and pressed a nervous and drawled ‘Thank you…’ through her uncomfortable smile. It was obvious that she didn’t approve of your father’s comment but she also didn’t want to increase the drama by intervening.
   Alastor took his hand off your shoulder and leaned on his cane. “At least I’ve been here from the start,” he commented and eyed his claws with a hint of arrogance.
   You breathed in sharply but tried your best to keep your patience up as Alastor continued his monologue. “Let's not forget that I’ve always been faithful to you, Charlie. I support you, care for you and this hotel, and execute whatever you demand”, he exclaimed with such confidence that it was almost awkward listening to him.
   “That’s true,” your sister responded carefully with a grateful smile on her face and your father rolled his eyes. “You know, dad, Alastor does a lot for the hotel and its residents.”
   “No matter his capabilities, because sometimes, Charlie, there’s no substitute for pure angelic power, which – not to forget – also happens to be your blood!”
   “Dad…” Charlie sighed and you growled, the anger cooking inside of you.
   “Sadly, there are times a birth parent is a dud,” Alastor interfered again, his grin still as prominent as always but his eyes narrowed, darting invisible arrows at Lucifer. He straightens his back to appear even taller in comparison to your father, the arrogance undeniable in his expression. “Seems like the family you chose is better.”
   “You’re such a loser!” your dad spat out.
   “And yet here you are proving me right with every word you speak,” Alastor snatched back.
   “You know nothing, you prick!”
   “Well, unlike you, I don’t abandon my responsibilities!”
   “How do you dare question my commitment?”
   “At least I care for your daughters.”
   “Oh you tacky little piece of–!”
You jumped between them. “Shut the fuck up! Both of you!”
 you yelled as your anger burst through the walls you’ve tried to maintain hold of. Your voice cracked with the strain of suppressed fury and your appearance began to morph into a much more demonic form as pointy horns grew out of your head and your eyes turned a gleaming bloody red. “I’m sick of you bickering like children, you fucking attention whores! Is this how you get your kicks, by not being able to keep your mouths shut over such trivial nonsense? Do you even realize how goddamn irritating it is for the rest of us to be subjected to your constant squabbling? You know each other for ten minutes and already start pushing each other to the limits!”
   “Y/N–,” Alastor tried to interrupt you but you stretched out your arm, pushing him away from you.
   “No, Alastor, back the fuck off!” you scream, looking up in his red eyes and poking his chest angrily with your index finger. “Everytime I tell you to keep your shit together and make a good impression, you make things worse!”
   Your head snatches around and you now stare at your father with the same fury in your eyes. “And you, dad, stop your irresponsible nonsense and don’t taunt him as if he were a punching bag for your own insecurities!” Now you poke at your father’s chest, towering over him with floating hair and fire in your eyes. “Because Alastor’s right! Where have you been all the time? Instead of helping us and supporting Charlie in her project, you didn't even contact us! Especially not me! The last time I heard from you was over a year ago! And now you come here, finally ready to help your daughters, and the moment you arrive you start lashing out at my fiancé to deflect from your own mistakes because you can't stand the fact that he was there for us while you preferred to wallow yourself in your depression!”
   Silence fell over the room when you finished your rant, all eyes locked on you in shock and disbelief over your courage to attack the Radio Demon and the King of Hell himself in such a manner. Your heart raced, pumped your blood through your veins with such a pressure that you felt your whole body pulsating under your tension as relief washed over you.
   “Y–,” your dad tried to say, stuttering and completely overwhelmed by your confrontation and what you just revealed to him. “You–, Your… fiancé?” He ripped his eyes open, his mouth agape in disbelief.
   You breathed in heavily and closed your eyes for a brief moment, realizing what you just revealed, before you opened them again and responded to his question with a much calmer but also weak and tired voice, “Yes, dad. Alastor is my fiancé.”
   “What the fuck?” you could hear Angel exclaim in the background but ignored him.
   “Well…” your father hesitated. He struggled hard to find the right words and put his hand over his mouth, rubbing his skin like a stress ball. “Well, I’m… Wow…”
   Alastor approached you, his steps echoing from the high walls in the silent room and he put his hand on your shoulder. Feeling his touch through your blouse, caused a jolt of electricity to rush through your body. It erased the rest of your anger and your appearance returned to your normal form. Alastor’s presence calmed you down to an almost relaxed state. You felt the need to lean on him but resisted because everything that just happened was already enough – for you, for your father, your fiancé and all the other residents who were forced to witness this nerve-wrecking spectacle.
   You watched your father’s gaze roam over Alastor’s presence, from his head to his toes and from his toes back to his head.
   “I–, I don’t know what to say… Uh… I–... I’m speechless,” he stuttered, unable to look away from the man that stood next to you and encouraged you with a little but meaningful gesture and with who you wanted to spend the rest of eternity with. “I–, excuse me. I need some time to think.”
   Your father indicated to turn around and leave as your sister grabbed him by his arm, holding him back. “Would you like me to give you a tour around the hotel?” she asked him reassuringly in hope he would agree, what he then did.
   “Yes. Please.”
   Your sister gave you an encouraging look before she turned around and guided your father towards the stairs, Vaggie following right after to accompany them.
   Now, you and Alastor were alone with Angel Dust, Sir Pentious, Husk and Niffty. All of them stared at you, speechless. Especially Husk appeared a bit traumatized by your accidental announcement.
   “So… Mister fancy-talk-creepy-voice managed to slide into the royal family?” Angel asked you with interest but you raised your hand, interrupting him.
   “Stop it, Angel.”
   The spider demon pressed his lips together in a thin line and hummed.
   You turned towards Alastor. “Are you mad?” you asked him, afraid that you damaged his trust by revealing your biggest secret you had sworn to keep.
   Alastor leaned his head down sideways to look you in the eyes. His grin was replaced by a genuine smile as his red eyes surveyed your expression. “It’s alright, my dear.”
   He looked over to the other residents, walking a few steps closer to them and cocked his head in an unnatural and unnerving way. His antlers grew in size with pointy ends while his eyes changed to a black color with red, moving radio dials as irises. “If you dare say a single word about mine and Y/N’s relationship outside of the hotel, I will tear you apart and hang your guts as flags on the hotel roof so everybody will be able to see what happens if you dare gossip about the radio demon and his lady.”
*****
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aagneauu · 5 months
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High value habits to elevate yourself 🥂✨
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When the term "high value" is mentioned, we often think of things related exclusively to economic wealth, but being a high-value person is an attitude, an attribute founded on habits and a wealthy mentality. So today I wanted to mention a few habits that I personally perceive as something a person with strong standards apply on their lives. ✨
Sorry if there's any grammar mistakes, English isn't my first language :b
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1. Long-term mentality ✦
Enjoying yourself is very important, but when we only think about the things that give us temporary pleasure, is often very likely that we forget to take care about our future stability. For example, if you want to travel, the smart thing to do would be to save the money in order to be able to afford it, but how many times we just feel the urge to waste money on unnecessary stuff just to get that brief satisfaction, that bad habit will take us far from our goals. This rule can be applied on almost every aspect, and if you're able to stick to your goals and take decisions according to them, trust me, you'll get very far.
2. Invest ✦
Stop wasting and start investing; your money, your time and your energy. In terms of money, you obviously can spend some of it on pretty stuff, but instead of wasting your whole salary on things you want, a smarter move would be to use part of that money to invest it on something that potentially can give us another income, maybe there's a valuable peace of jewelry or clothing that not only we could use, but to sell and trade in the future, or even if you have enough money saved, you can invest in a property, to not only live in it, but to rent it. Our time and energy works in the same way, we could be wasting our time and energy with people that don't give us nothing we can learn from, and you're worth way more than that. Find people and habits that not only make you feel good and appreciated, but that will leave you something interesting for your personal growth, and remember, better alone than in a bad company.
3. Details matter ✦
How we talk, how we decide to present ourselves to the world, our values, the effort we put on what we make. Every little detail says something about us. For example, something as simple as spraying perfume before we go out makes a difference, or if you study, the amount of time and effort you decide to put on certain classes. Socially, what you decide to say, and to develop the hability to stay quiet when necessary. Maybe you think that those little things don't make a huge difference at the long-term, but when you see how your life can change drastically with every little step you take, you learn to pay attention to it.
4. Patience ✦
It is a strong word, it is even harder to apply to our lives sometimes. Being patient not only with people, but with our circumstances. Sometimes things that we don't like happens, and we don't even understand why because we thought that we did everything right, but everything happens for a reason, it's like a fruit, you could take it out of the tree earlier because you're hungry, but it isn't that mature and tasty, but if you just wait, resist the hunger, the fruit will be way better. That applies to money, emotional growth and life changes. Learn to understand that sometimes, pain will be the sign to something better than your current situation.
5. Stop following the crowd ✦
Set standards and learn what is good for you, if you just rely on others to decide what is best for you, or even worse; you know something is bad for you and still do it for others, then expect low quality experiences. People time to time will call you boring or even extreme just because you decide to be loyal to your values. If something that everyone is doing seems beneficial, do it, but because it gives you something valuable, not because of the crowd. You can apply this rule to everything; friends, money, and other experiences. The amount ot peace and comfort that you can get with this transformation is a huge life upgrade.
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This were some topics that come to mind when the "high value" term is mentioned. And remember, no one is perfect and every little thing makes us unique. Life is a long journey that you can decide to upgrade with every little move.
Hope u enjoyed! ♡
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eihoons · 11 months
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enhypen as your ex but they want you back ✮
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ex-bf!enhypen x reader , them wanting you back , fluff , angst (?) (note: not really sure abt this one but i just really love angst)
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❝ heeseung ❞
Misses you day and night
Could NOT sleep without you beside him (as if you were his source of warmth and love especially him being in your arms or vice versa)
Really did try his best to forget you
Would always try and stop himself from viewing your social media accounts, your old conversations, and your old pictures together.
But, unfortunately (or the other way around), he failed.
He couldn't take it anymore, he wanted to talk with you for the last time and so, he did.
Went to your house, and tried to talk it out as if it were a misunderstanding.
Would hold your hand and take a deep breath before talking about it.
"y/n, I know we already talked about it, but.. I'm sure this was just a misunderstanding. I have to admit, my life isn't it without you."
❝ jay ❞
Suddenly had a feeling he had to see you because he dreamt about you one night.
The dream about you was something he wouldn't dare forget because it somehow felt real to him.
Obviously knows where your daily activities are, so he attempted in meeting you one day at your nearby favorite cafe.
Would look all around the place for you.
As he spotted you, he did his best to calm down, waiting for you to approach him first.
Of course you saw him, but you, on the other hand, also waited for him to approach you first.
It definetly took quite a long time for Jay to wait, so he got up and walked towards you.
"Hi, y/n. Uh, I know we haven't really been talking to each other these days but I want to keep in touch. I do know you're trying to move on, but, as much as possible I still want to stay as your friend."
Would say he still wants to be your friend, but deep inside his heart he wanted to go and ask you out once again.
❝ jake ❞
You, Jake, and Layla have been under the same roof ever since you and Jake had been together.
But, of course, due to you and Jake's parting, you had to move out.
Jake noticed Layla looking down ever since she had noticed you were gone and didn't have any signs of you coming back.
If Layla was miserable, then so was him.
He loved Layla most, aside from you. So, he decided to meet up with you, bringing up Layla as an excuse.
As you both finally met again, awkwardness filled the air. On the other hand, Layla ran up to you, making you stumble a bit.
"I guess she misses you more than I do.. or maybe I do miss you more, y/n."
Would finally look into your eyes, although he is trying his best to prevent his tears from falling.
Would hold your hand and say,
"Please come back to us, y/n. You have no idea how much I miss your presence in our house. It feels so.. empty without you."
After thinking about it, he gave you such a tight yet comforting hug. This was something you surely missed.
❝ sunghoon ❞
Man cried the first whole week after you guys broke up
He knew he made a huge mistake thinking that he'd be better off without you.
Would be in his room for days, planning out how he would apologize or rather how he'd get you back in his arms.
An unexpected coincidence happened in your nearby convenience store. Your hands accidentally touching on the last stock of your favorite food.
He didn't really enjoy this type of food, but for you, he will. He would buy this often because some part of you still lives within him.
After meeting your eyes, he was lost in words. So, you started the conversation instead.
"Oh, Sunghoon, uhm.. hi?"
"H- Hey.. y/n."
"What brings you here buying.. this? I thought you didn't really like it."
"Ah, uhm, ah.. it reminded me of you. Your favorite food, right?"
Mentally slaps himself because this wasn't how things were supposed to go in his head.
After paying for the food at the counter, he finally composed himself and held your shoulder, making you face him, and said, "I miss you so much, y/n. I was such an idiot thinking I could live without you. It came up to the point where I couldn't even call my home my 'home' without you. I'm really sorry, y/n. Please come back."
❝ sunoo ❞
You and Sunoo had each other's back ever since. You were his best friend, his comfort person, and his human diary. He couldn't rant to anyone else but you.
Has always been reading your text conversations, but knew it wouldn't be the same since you have separated.
Was always so close to messaging you about his days, not until he accidentally sent you one.
"y/n i miss you so much that you dont have the slightest idea how i cry every night knowing you wouldnt be there to comfort me.. i just wish you were here wiping my tears and hugging me"
Knew he'd be doomed but didn't expect you to reply that fast.
You replied with, "sunoo, it's always been the same for me, if you're free lets meet up at the park tomorrow okay? i miss you too, see you"
Was in so much joy, jumping in his room and eventually thanked himself for sending that message.
As you two had met, he thought to himself that you were still as beautiful as ever.
"y/nnie—"
Got cut off once you ran to him, hugging his torso.
Would caress your head slowly, combing your hair with his fingers.
"I love you, y/n. I always will."
❝ jungwon ❞
Thought he wasn't a good boyfriend for you since he knew he didn't give you much time and love. But it wasn't like that for you, you completely understood him.
Realized that it was somehow a mistake of his to break up with you since he wasn't feeling himself ever since you were gone.
Tears up every time he thinks about you because he misses you so much :(
Eventually promised himself he'd be better to you, so he wanted to meet you once again.
Prepared a whole speech just to prove you that he would treat you better this time.
Brought you your favorite food along with a bouquet of your favorite flowers.
"y/n, I know you won't probably accept this but.. I really need you in my life. You've been my motivation and my reason to keep going on everyday. Without you i- it's just.. plain and empty. y/n, please forgive me and I'll treat you a hundred times better, I'm really sorry, y/n."
You saying yes meant the world to him, he was way more than happy.
And when he said he'd treat you a hundred times better, he really meant it.
❝ ni-ki ❞
Was a childhood friend of yours, so, your parents basically knew each other.
Then, you guys somehow started dating but ended up parting because of frequent arguments.
He had so much regrets with not treating you right because he thought it'd be easy finding someone else for him. But it wasn't, you were THE only one for him :)
A family dinner was held at their place after a long time of not seeing each other. (Their family inviting yours)
A perfect opportunity it was for Ni-ki since he missed playing his favorite games with you.
His heart flipped seeing you in such a beautiful dress— No, he thought, you always looked good in anything.
Ni-ki then invited you to his room after eating, but an awkward silence had only been formed.
You were caught off-guard when he suddenly pulled you into a hug, a very familiar one. This was your Ni-ki
So, you didn't have any choice but to hug back.
You then heard him sniffing, assuming he had been crying.
"You have no idea how much I've been longing for this, y/n. Can you please just come home to me? What else is the point of playing all these games without you?"
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�� eihoons
m.list
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666writingcafe · 1 year
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A Lesson in Demon Anatomy (NSFW)
Asmo has made a huge mistake.
Okay, maybe "huge mistake" is a bit dramatic, but there's no doubt that he messed up in his calculations. He thought that everyone was out of the house and wouldn't be returning for quite a while, so he felt okay walking around in his birthday suit.
It's something that he used to do nearly every day, but when the exchange program was in the works, he agreed to put a stop to it in order to create a good impression on whomever was going to stay with him and his brothers. However, when he got the opportunity to be alone, he couldn't help but resort back to old habits.
So, one could imagine his surprise when he strolls into the sitting room to find MC stretched out on the couch. They were reading a book, but of course they looked up when they heard footsteps heading their direction, and now...
"I'm so sorry, MC!" Asmo exclaims. "I had no idea that you were even in here! I thought you were studying at the library, but if I'd had known you were coming home, I would have put something on so that I would be presentable and---"
"It's pretty," MC murmurs, interrupting Asmo's train of thought. In that moment, he realizes that his beloved human has their eyes directly trained on his nether regions.
That's odd, he thinks. I didn't think I had that effect on MC.
"Oh, this ol' thing?" Asmo asks, gesturing downwards. MC nods their head, failing to look up at his face.
"Would you like a closer look?"
Why am I so nervous? Millions of individuals have seen me naked before. I should be used to people's reactions.
"If you're okay with it," MC responds. Gingerly, Asmo walks over to them. MC sits up as he approaches, and when he's standing in front of them, they finally look into Asmo's eyes.
Asmo nearly falls backwards from the sheer amount of lust that suddenly surges through his body. Avatars of Sin are like lightning rods in that way; they are attracted to the energy of their sin, and the energy is attracted to them.
Usually, Asmo is able to mitigate the effects of someone's lust with his own, but he hasn't felt this much of it from another individual in a long time. And the fact that it's coming from MC of all people, one of the only beings he's ever known that has been able to resist his demonic charm...
"Can I touch it?" MC asks, forcing Asmo to focus on the present moment.
"Of course you can!" he answers, trying to hide the fact that he's starting to hear the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. MC gently wraps their hand around the underside and runs their thumb over the skin.
"Is there a reason why it's bumpy?" A part of Asmo is relieved by the question, because it means that he can put aside his feelings for a bit and focus on the answer.
"It's part of a defense mechanism. As you might have learned, a demon has different levels to their form. You've seen the first and second, but I'm not sure if you've witnessed anyone shift above that. Anyway, our appearance significantly changes in the third level, and things begin sprouting in all sorts of places."
"Including dicks?"
"Especially dicks. Mine sprouts stringers. They become poisonous in the fourth level."
"Like a scorpion."
"Exactly."
"Have you killed anyone with it?"
"There was a period of time where that was my weapon of choice, yes."
Why is MC staring at me like that?
"Is it safe in this state?"
"It better be, or a whole lot of people would be coming for my ass." MC's hand moves to the small of Asmo's back, and the Avatar of Lust allows them to guide him closer to them.
"May I?" they ask. Asmo can only manage a nod. He shouldn't be this nervous; he's received plenty of blow jobs before. Why is this one any different?
Perhaps it's because it's been a while since someone's been this...enthusiastic.
What Asmo is unaware of in the moment---and what he doesn't learn until after the fact---is that MC's discovered that they derive intense pleasure from sucking dick. However, once he knows that this side of MC exists...
Let's just say that he sits back and watches as his brothers fall prey to MC's wild side.
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inkskinned · 1 year
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something i've been thinking a lot about is that just surviving is often both the least rewarding recovery experience and also the absolute most critical skill.
i think many of us have spent the last few years of our life just... holding the line. our legs trembling under all that weight. many of us backslid in the sand; and that was agonizing. we have spent so much of our life pushing, and to be forced backwards... we are already so exhausted. it is unimaginable to think we must remake the progress that had already been hard-won.
there's a graph that exists of how you can roughly expect any artistic skill to grow. we all go through periods of rapid growth and discovery; only to plateau. there is often a little sorrow in the plateau, because we're not moving quickly. we don't see those huge strides. there's no obvious sense we're learning.
but the art we're making in that plateau matters. it can still be effective, evocative, exciting. you can still feel inspired, happy, creative in that plateau; because the skills you have are growing, it's just that you're a spot where you don't need to focus on skill-building, you've finally reached a place where you can focus on actually making things. and at some point, without you expecting it, and as long as you work for it - another sharp increase in skill will happen. if you ask any of us how we did it, most of us would tell you the same thing: i just kept trying.
i have spent a lot of my life believing that just-surviving was the same thing as stagnating. i don't have any tangible goals or desires and the idea of making longterm plans makes me want to set my hair on fire. i am fucking tired. i don't want another year of scrambling, of falling down, of slipping in the mud. I love my friends, but i'm watching them settle down, have a life, get what they want: and i'm still here, in the part where i beg my life to be barely functional.
i think... maybe this whole time it wasn't standing still. it was still learning. it was still growing. i just got used to the plateau and forgot that "even surviving" isn't something i used to be able to take for granted. that in all this horrible, thankless effort - certain things are easy enough now. i can forget them.
i have spent so much time hating that i'm not getting better faster. i forgot that it used to be unthinkable to me to even consider recovery. these last years; i've been comparing my plateau to my eras of quick-discovery. i've been unfair to myself. no, the progress isn't as obvious. that doesn't mean it's not still-happening.
we make the mistake of saying "this year i want to live, not just survive," as if the effort of just surviving is useless, or could be shrugged off. the effort of surviving is beautiful. your years spent like barely-here are enough. you're not wasting time. you're not wasting your one precious life. "just holding on" means you were able to actually find and grab the rope. you're here; and the effort of your survival is work. you've been seeking the sky when it used to be impossible to imagine putting down roots. i know it is hard, and i hope you are able to feel better soon. i hope we both reach our next quick-climb. and i know - the weight might never ease up.
it's just that, over time, with effort: we will get strong enough.
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soulprompts · 8 months
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THE SURPRISING HERO ( A PROMPT LIST! )
hello my beloveds!!! an absolutely incredible nonnie sent in a request for prompts based on the idea of someone becoming a vital part of saving the world through unanticipated events, and i hope i managed to achieve what they wanted in this list! basically i got a tonne of inspiration from comic book movies and the more fantastical vibes of high fantasy franchises, and i was going to make these more amusing, but i think there's something so hard-hitting about the concept of being thrust into greatness and heroism when you feel you aren't ready for it! anyway! enjoy, and as always: DO NOT ADD TO OR EDIT THIS LIST, AND DO NOT CLAIM AS YOUR OWN!
FROM THE UNEXPECTED HERO:
“ i’m not supposed to be here. i’m not like the rest of you; i’m not special, or blessed, or gifted. i’m just… me. “
“ you’ve got to be joking! i can’t save the world! i’m just an ordinary person! “
“ it’s funny. all these years, i’ve wanted so badly to see the world. now… i think i’ve never wanted anything so much as to go back home. “
“ so that’s it, then? i’m just supposed to sacrifice everything to save the world, all because some ancient prophecy says so? “
“ i still can’t quite believe we were doing laundry yesterday. now our biggest chore is traveling across the world to save it. “
“ i miss home. i miss how safe and boring and fine it all was. i never would’ve wanted adventures if i thought they’d be as scary and dangerous as this. “
“ they’re right to be angry, you know. everyone has a purpose here; i’m only joining you all because of some insane twist of fate. “
“ surprised? don’t worry, so was i. i don’t think it’s a normal occurrence for people like me to be part of massive quests like this. “
“ look. i’m not the chosen one, alright? i don’t want any part in any prophecy or ancient dictation. i just want to live an ordinary, safe, boring life. “
“ you think i don’t acknowledge what’s happening?! every mistake i make has costs, and those costs are often the lives of innocent people! “
“ you know, last year my idea of a grand adventure was going up the mountains for a picnic with my friends. funny how fast things change, isn’t it? “
“ i’m not a hero! i don’t know how to fight! heroes are special and unique and trained, and i’m none of those things. “
“ everyone looks at me like i’ve got the answers, but i don’t. i was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. “
“ you ever stop to question the solidity of this prophecy? because if the wording is that vague that it could name me as the savior of the world, then maybe we ought to revise it. “
“ this is stupid! putting the fate of the universe on some million-year-old prophecy! “
“ i’m not what you think i am. i’m not a hero. i’m sorry, i know you want me to be one, but… i’m just not. “
“ so you’re telling me, because i happened to overhear some weird out of context conversation, that the safety of the world relies entirely on me? “
“ don’t you see how daft this whole thing is?! i’ve got to save the world now because i happened to take a wrong turn on my way home! “
“ why can’t i just give you guys what i found, and you can go and rescue the world yourselves? “
“ i want to clarify that i’m not a coward. okay? i’m not running away from this. but i’m not exactly save-the-world material. so thank you for the opportunity, but… i think i’ll stay at home. “
TO THE UNEXPECTED HERO:
“ i get it, you know. it’s a huge responsibility for someone who’s only just realized what’s at stake. “
“ the others think i’m utterly mad for even considering you for this task. but the fact is, you’re the only person i genuinely believe to be capable of fixing this mess. “
“ would you like to know the mark of a true hero? it’s courage. not an absence of fear, not an ignorance of it, but rather, the choice to persevere in spite of it. you’re still here. that makes you one of the bravest people on the planet. “
“ don’t let anyone else tell you what you are and aren’t capable of. everything happens for a reason, and it wasn’t dumb luck that put you in our path. “
“ i don’t believe in prophecies, personally. i think the universe is far too chaotic for them to survive thousands of years. but i do believe that you being here is not a coincidence. “
“ fate only accounts for part of what happens in our lives. the rest of it is all choices. and despite how scared and inexperienced you are… you’ve chosen to stay. that tells me an awful lot about you. “
“ how selfish can you be?! running away from this destiny, this task! the world will fall into darkness if you don’t step up, and here you are, hiding from your fate like a coward! “
“ you need to learn to ignore the opinions of others if you’re going to stand a chance at doing this. this is the cost of being a hero. people will judge, not based on truth, but on a limited perspective. “
“ don’t be stupid. we’re not special or talented either; i was trained from childhood, i can fight men twice my size, but that’s not the mark of a hero. “
“ if you like, i could teach you how to fight? you may find it useful. even if it’s just to comfort yourself against these ridiculous self-doubts. “
“ heroes aren’t always massive muscle types. the inventor of new defense measures against attacks, or someone who discovered a cure for a disease, or perhaps someone clever enough to use new fuel sources in the winter… heroism isn’t always found in warzones, you know. “
“ fine. don’t do it for the fate of the world. do it for your family. your friends. do it for the ones you’ll return to once we settle this for good. save this world, not for the world itself, but for the ones you love, so that they may live on. “
“ you should know some things. most people, if you somehow perform outside of the very specific expectations they have for you, will be very quick and harsh in their judgment. it’s not something one can avoid. but you can learn to rise above those critics. remember. they don’t know the real you. “
" fear is normal. okay? we all fear things. the real killer is when you try to fight that fear. you're no lesser a hero for fearing things. expect it. accept it. embrace it. and once it's with you, work with it to fight even more. "
" you keep saying you're not a hero. tell me. what exactly is it that you believe a hero to be? "
" people make the error of assuming heroes to be golden, flawless, immaculate in both thought and strategy. it's never the case. heroes are the most flawed of all. that's what makes us admire them so. "
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bunnysbrainrot · 8 months
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No Vacancy - Day Two
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Characters: Sam Winchester x fem!Reader, Dean, Castiel
Content: Majorly plot building. Romantic/sexual tension.
Summary: In day two of your one-on-one case with Sam, you gather intel together. Once things settle down for the second night, Dean reveals some news. Sam realizes he’s made a huge mistake involving a lust spell.
*A/N: This chapter was getting a bit long, and I haven’t posted in a couple days, so this chapter is out early! Honestly I like the pacing of this a bit better so I don’t burn out. Y’all better be ready for the next chapter 👀
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“Mrs. O’Connor, would you say that your daughter had any enemies? Anyone who would want to cause her harm?” Sam’s tone was filled with compassion as the woman explained the situation.
Her lips wobbled, “I-I don’t know. Casey was a sweet girl, she just got caught up in the wrong crowd, that’s all.”
“Did you see any changes in her behavior in these past few weeks?” You piped up, matching the softness of Sam’s voice.
Casey’s mother shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. You reached into the inner pocket of your suit jacket, handing her a pack of tissues. She gives you thanks and takes a moment before she speaks again.
“Not much. She was quieter, sure, but I thought, y’know, maybe she was depressed - she spent almost all of her time in her room. We were so close, and she just… distanced herself.”
“How so?” Sam asked.
Through tears, her voice broke, “Her whole demeanor changed, got… darker. She wouldn’t let me into her room anymore. That was where we had our movie nights…”
You nodded as you listened, glancing to Sam for a sign of a breakthrough, but his expression was muddled. A few moments later you were handing your personal number to Casey’s mother, and wishing her a good day.
Sam asked, “So, what do you think?”
“I think we should check her room, but we need to give her mom some time,” you replied, mulling over what could have caused Casey’s murder.
Your phone buzzed against your hand in your pocket. To your relief you saw a text from Casey’s mother: Thank you for your help. I’m glad Casey has people who care like you do.
You showed Sam the message. His eyebrows furrowed in thought.
“What do I say back?”
“Well, we need to mention looking at Casey’s room,” Sam detailed, “and that we’re happy to help further.”
Your fingers fiddled with your phone as you issued a reply.
Of course. I’m sure the police have done so already, but we were given instruction to inspect Casey’s room. Would you mind letting us look around later today?
The reply was swift: Yes, that's fine. I'll be home later this evening, 7 p.m. would be the best time.
Stuffing your phone back into your pocket, you updated Sam.
"She says we can come back at 7 tonight. Until then, we should probably look over the police report and see who might know what happened to her."
Sam nodded, "We'll head back to the motel and look into it."
The motel. The goddamn motel where you and Sam blurred the lines of your friendship. With any luck, he wouldn't mention anything of last night, or this morning.
It was the way it felt so normal to wake up with him, to be enveloped in his arms, his scent, his soft breathing before he woke. It was a one-time thing that wouldn't, and couldn't, happen again. It was a vow - a guarantee to yourself that you wouldn't slip up like before. You reminded yourself on loop until you reached the motel again.
Twenty minutes later, and you were still staring at your computer screen. The thoughts couldn't flow like they normally did with your research. Vague searches covered the screen, but nothing constructive.
'Casey O'Connor family' 'Casey O'Connor facebook' 'Casey O'Connor instagram' 'Casey O'Connor death’
The tension you held in the pit of your stomach turned over itself when Sam cleared his throat.
"Find anything yet?"
Your breath hitched in your throat. Maybe Sam hadn't given things much thought after all. His tone was his usual curious self, but those bright hazel eyes swallowed you whole.
"Uh- no, not yet," you stammered, "I was, um, gonna take a pause and go to the lobby. About the... room situation."
Sam's lips thinned into a terse smile. For him, he didn't care one bit if there was another room available. He watched you leave the room, cursing himself all the while you were gone. You returned with a nervous smile, sparking a hidden hope in Sam's chest.
"Still no other rooms. And no cots, either."
It was Sam's turn to remind himself that last night crossed a boundary. All he'd thought about today was you, regardless of how hard he tried to reroute his thoughts. The way you'd buried your head into his chest, how you murmured in your sleep, how delicate your body felt in his hands...
He snapped himself out of it again, muttering to himself.
"What'd you say?" You raised an eyebrow at him.
He shook his head, "Nothing, I'm just mumbling to myself."
You let out a soft laugh, taking a seat on the bed. The ache in your shoulders reminded you of the consequences of sitting hunched over on the floor.
"The least they could've done was give us a desk or something."
"That's what you get in a small town, remember?" Sam quipped, that goofy grin back in action. You rolled your eyes at him and settled into your side of the bed, laptop open across your lap again.
Sam leaned over to you, staring at your screen. Well, you weren't lying when you said things on your end weren't interesting. You turned your head, watching him scour the Google search you haphazardly thought up.
"I... didn't really know what to look up," you admitted flatly.
He let out a breathy laugh, glancing sidelong at you. Those damn eyes. Part of you dared to close the inches between you, to brush your lips against his as if it were nothing. One wrong move, and you could risk everything you'd made with him. You surveyed his parted lips, suddenly pulled back up to his gaze when he cleared his throat. You shook yourself out of your trance and gave him a muttered apology before he took your laptop.
Within seconds he found something substantial - report cards from school, Facebook posts, tagged photos on Instagram.
"How'd you do that?" You asked.
Sam pushed himself beside you to give you a better angle at the screen, "First thing you gotta do is have the full name. Otherwise, you're flooding your search with 'Casey O'Connor's' from all over the country."
His arm brushed against yours, but he didn't pull away. Instead he rested fully against you as his fingers flew over the keys, opening page after page of information. You chose to let go and ease into him, head dropped to his shoulder as you watched. Sam's fingers stalled more than usual with you now relaxed against him. It was his turn for his thoughts to escape him.
"So, um," you piped up, "what are we looking for?"
He cleared his throat, "Changes in behavior, maybe in stuff that she posted, grades dropping, anything that seems like a red flag."
Casey's most recent posts to Instagram caught your eye. After explaining your gut feeling to Sam, the both of you kept mental note that perhaps Casey did get involved with something sinister.
The two of you had gotten lunch, lazed about town, and stoped by Casey’s school by the time 7 pm rolled around. At the O’Connor house, you kept downstairs to talk with the family, while Sam searched Casey’s bedroom. It took about 30 minutes, and you two were on your way.
“What’d you find?”
Sam handed you his phone, the photos organized into a neat folder. You inspected each image, taking stock in each sign - herbs scattered around, countless candles, and bottles of dark liquid.
“Is that..?”
“Blood, yeah. Almost didn’t see them; one rolled out of the closet. And if you see here,” he trailed on, scrolling to another photo, “seems like a pretty intricate altar in there.”
“Figures why she wouldn’t want her mom in the room,” you added.
You handed the phone back to Sam, fighting back a shiver when his hand grazed yours.
Perhaps he noticed, too, judging by the way his cheeks blushed. In the evening sun, it was barely noticeable but you were almost certain of it. You packed yourselves into the car and drove back to the motel. You rummaged through your duffel bag the moment you stepped in the door, picking out a new outfit for bed. Sam kicked off his dress shoes and shrugged off his suit jacket.
“Bedtime already, huh?” Sam teased. You turned to him and smiled.
“Just wanna get cozy. Makes doing research much easier.”
Sam shrugged, “Not a bad idea, I’ll probably do the same when you’re done. Need to get out of this damn suit.”
The time on your computer screen read 11:43 p.m., meaning you and Sam had been continuing your research for at least two hours. It had taken a toll of you both, with eyes dry and shoulders aching. You rested your tired eyes and felt the pull of exhaustion start to take over.
Until Sam’s phone rang - it was Dean. Sam immediately placed his brother on speakerphone.
“How’s the lovely couple?” Dean asked. He wasn’t in the room, but you could tell he was smiling - a shit eating grin that irritated you as much as his brother.
“Very funny, Dean,” Sam replied smoothly, a twitch in his eyebrow showed his annoyance. “How are things going on your end?”
Castiel muttered in the background of the phone call. Dean stuttered over his words as he told Cas to stop interfering.
“Okay, so we did a little searching on Casey. I mean, well, Cas did most of it. Turns out, our lovely Miss O’Connor had gotten involved with magic.”
Sam’s eyes snapped to yours, then to his laptop where he had stored photos of Casey’s bedroom. As you two listened to Dean the dots connected to make a full picture.
It was Castiel’s voice that piped up next, “We have reason to believe that Casey was involved with something dark. It doesn’t look like your average witchcraft. We’re talking about more forceful magic - breaking and creating soulmate contracts.”
He continued, “Those kind of bonds, soulmates, are meant to take time. It seems that Casey’s spells were focused on peoples driving emotions. Feelings like fear, insecurity, lust, and mania. Anything that could make people act out, it’s been happening in her social circle.”
“So, basically she’s playing Cupid?” you offered.
“Exactly,” Dean confirmed, interrupting Cas, “we broke some of the spells, but it seems like Casey did all of her little projects at home. Hell, she sent the spells to her friends in the mail. Who knew you could Amazon Prime some witchcraft.”
You chuckled at the joke, rolling your eyes. Sam smiled at you with relief that this whole situation had blown over.
“So, what’s next?” you prodded.
“If you two didn’t see any weird hoodoo at Casey’s house, then everything should be all settled.”
Sam furrowed his brows, “But Casey was murdered, how did she die, then?”
Dean replied, “That’s the karma of it. Casey planted a sachet on her boyfriend - love spell gone haywire. He eventually went a little too love-crazy, and ended up killing her. Jealousy was the source of it.” His tone has grown sullen with the final piece of news.
Now with the extra details, you didn’t know how to feel. What happened to Casey had been horrible, and it had worked itself out in the end. It was the part of hunting that never settled well with you. Sometimes, you simply couldn’t save everyone.
“Got it. So we’ll head back out tomorrow to meet you at the bunker, yeah?” Sam confirmed.
Dean’s tone changed to playfulness again, “Actually, I need y’all to check out a case the next town over. Mind camping out a couple more nights?”
It seemed Dean’s request was a final verdict based on the way Sam pursed his lips.
“Yeah, no problem, talk to you later,” Sam ended the call. He threw his phone onto the bed and closed his laptop.
“You alright?” You asked him. Sam let out a soft sigh and looked toward his suit jacket by the door.
“I think I might’ve screwed up.”
You did a double take, “What do you mean? Dean and Cas figured it out.”
He raced over to the jacket, fishing through the pockets until he plucked a small bundle. Your expression dropped completely at the sachet in his palm. Sam returned to your side and let you examine it - a small brown sack you assumed held herbs, oils, and then some. The sigils across the fabric stumped you; they were nothing like you’d ever seen before.
“What is this, Sam?”
“One of her spells,” he said, defeated, “I wanted to examine it, to see if someone planted something on her. That was before we knew that Casey was the witch.”
“Okay, so, what kind of spell is it?” you asked further.
Sam reopened his laptop, silent as he furiously typed away. Image after image splayed onto the screen - the realization came over the two of you at once.
“Lust.”
He coughed at the word, unable to choose his next move. Sam leaned back and let his head thump against the wall.
“Can’t we just…. burn it? Toss it out?”
With bated breath you waited for Sam to say something, anything. Instead he just shook his head.
“By now I’ve had it on me for hours. We’re kind of past the point of burning it.”
“Okay, but the spells only work on feelings that are already there, right? It wouldn’t work unless you’re with someone you wanted to, um… you know.”
Sam’s breathing quickened with each passing second. His words came out with an overwhelming shakiness.
“It’s a little late for that.”
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Hi again! Thanks so much for supporting my work, the next chapter will be out in the next couple of days!
- Bunny
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dark-and-kawaii · 7 months
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love knowing that you’re into bg3 like so many of us Kiwi! Did you love all the romance options or do you wish we could’ve had others because have you seen Dammon and Raphael! Glad to have you back with us btw!
AWHHHHH STOP!!!! You’re going to make me cry! It’s so good to be back on here, honestly!!! Now to answer your lovely question!!!
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I was honestly happy at first but the more I played the game the more I saw the potential in adding other characters as romance options…
𝓩𝓮𝓿𝓵𝓸𝓻:
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Like, I fell in love with Zevlor the moment I met him and I honestly would’ve picked him over Astarion for my first playthrough if he was an option -yeah yeah I know unpopular opinion.
But as I continued I was so confused as to why he wasn’t available for us because if you don’t go Minthara’s route then he would’ve been the perfect substitute because HELLOOOOO PALADIN!!!!
Not to mention during act two that would’ve been a perfect redemption ark for him, like there was SO MUCH POTENTIAL!!! Like he literally needed a hug after all the shit he’s been through and we weren’t able to grant him that…
He’s been with us since Act one… Up until the end he was with me. So I ask Larian, why wasn’t I allowed to travel and bed with this man!?
Grinds my gears man!!! I’m trying not to spoil too much in case someone hasn’t played yet.
𝓓𝓪𝓶𝓶𝓸𝓷:
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Okay okay okay, as for Dammon…. Yeah no, I fucked up bad with him my first play through… uhhhhh he kinda died when the tieflings and I attacked the Druids 🥲 Oops. But during my second run I realized my mistake and he’s very much alive right now 😂!!!
With Dammon I don’t necessarily want him for myself, but rather for Karlach. I ship those two so damn hard it’s unreal!!! He loves her so much, you can just tell 🥹
And when he tells her she’s very touchable, I always kick my feet and giggle!!! Adorable to the max!
𝓡𝓪𝓹𝓱𝓪𝓮𝓵:
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-Gods, just look at him… I love him so much UGHHH!!!-
Now as for our beautiful, smug, elegant cambion, Raphael… OOOOOF don’t get me started because the mouse would’ve pounced on the cat. I LOVE, and I do mean LOVE Raphael. Everything about him I just adore, and again SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
If you go his route there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to romance him. Like if you let Haarlep use you and you leave house of hope it indicates that Raphael is doing the nasty with Haarlep in your form once you leave. There’s clearly something there!!! So why can’t we!? I feel they left it during his ending that there might be a dlc for him, I hope, maybe… Also can we all agree that Raphael would’ve been another great villain ending with Tav???
The relationship between Tav and Raphael in game is already so interesting, and if you break into the house of hope to steal from him he looks extremely hurt that you betrayed him. Not to mention he’s like the only one who’s actually upfront with you, I don’t feel like he really hid anything unless you’re dense -no offense-.
Another thing, just because Haarlep says Raphael is bad in bed doesn’t mean he actually is. I feel a lot of individuals forget what Haarlep is 😂 sex is basically their thing.
Not to mention his little helper is basically always saying “he can’t stop talking about you.”
Plus, hold on, we can romance Mizora but not him… Nah!!!
𝓖𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓪𝓼𝓱:
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A lot of people have said Gortash, which at first I didn’t really understand but that’s because I was a huge simp for Karlach and if you’ve played you know…
However the more I play and the more I read into I do understand. He could’ve used a nice redemption after everything he’s been through. He was a pawn, someone to be used, and honestly that was his whole life. So it would’ve been nice if Tav was an option for him.
I feel they could’ve had two endings for him and Tav, a good and a bad. Good being his redemption where Tav opens his eyes like what Tav did for Astarion and then the Bad obviously they rule together.
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I feel Larian made a lot of great choices but I also feel they missed a lot of potential, which hopefully they continue to listen to their audience and add more routes in the future. So far they have been so one can hope. I also feel like all of these characters were left to where they could be potentially added later down the road. Fingers crossed!!!
- 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝔀𝓲
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luvevee · 8 months
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So Carmine is honestly really sweet to watch develop! She seems like she's an older teenager, maybe a junior or senior, so her coping mechanisms for her instabilities like her anger are interesting to watch.
Hands clenching and being brought to her chest because they're shaking with anger. This seems to imply she's fighting to urge to hit whatever's making her angry.
Huge firework outbursts in response to slightest pushback. It's afterwards she explains what she really meant to get across by them.
She does not like change at all + is very vocal about how much she hates outsiders in her town.
Very very loud, and very vocal with her presence.
Incredibly remorseful and emotional when apologizing for mistakes she makes.
I think the most important thing to look at in the background is that Carmine understands she has a support system, and that's what makes the hugest difference in how she copes with everything.
When we get the mask, her first thought is "take it to grandpa" with no intention of withholding information. She's not scared she'll get in trouble or thinking of hiding things from them, she knows she has to be completely transparent and she can do that with her grandparents. She trusts them, she knows they'll help even if it's something so bizarre that most people would dismiss her experience.
Adding to that is when she learns the true story of the Loyal Three and Ogerpon. Her first impulse is to run into town to shout the truth. It isn't even a "we need to avenge our family lineage" thing, it's the misinformation that destroyed the lives of her ancestor, a man who wanted to live a new and quiet life, and a pokemon that was just reacting to the death of her trainer/parent. She's angry at the town for what they did to Ogerpon and she wants them to listen. Carmine's thinking of what she wants and what should happen. Her fiery personality paired with impulsivity leads to a lot of possibilities of problems.
But then her grandpa stops her. He doesn't scold her, he just asks "what would happen if they found out the truth after so long" and lets Carmine realize the answer is most likely "get angry" without putting down her impulsive, though valiant, urge to tell everyone the truth. He understands that Carmine just wants to make history right and that she's an honest young lady, but that she's very impulsive and very aggressive with how she goes about things. And the thing is Carmine listens to him, because she knows her grandpa is trying to help her understand the situation.
Her grandparents very obviously love her and understand that she needs some extra nudging/coaching with things. They understand she has problems regulating herself, and they work with her. Carmine doesn't feel the need to lash out against them because she understands they're trying to help her, and that's helped shape how a lot of her current coping mechanisms work.
Carmine can think of the practical sides of things if she's stopped for a moment. She can redirect her anger from physically lashing out, because even though her first instinct is to hit since it's a very simple and impulsive movement she knows it's bad. She can trust that she has people to catch her if she falls, namely her grandparents.
Then the whole other ballpark of how she's very protective of Kieran. It seems like that Carmine wants him not to be her, but to feel like her. She wants her little brother to feel confident, safe, strong, but her emotional instability and typical big sibling feelings really strain the gap between them.
When Kieran pushes back, she struggles with responding appropriately and gets furious because "I'm just trying to be a good big sister" and "I'm the big sister he should listen to me" clash in her head alongside her pride. She's trying really hard to make him feel the way she does, but it ends up just making him shrink down further because of how aggressive she is. It's a cycle she accidentally perpetuates without realizing what she's doing.
And Carmine loves him so much! She wants what's best for him, she wants to be the model big sister. She cares so much about his feelings that she convinces us to stay quiet about meeting Ogerpon because she knows he'll be crushed that he wasn't there. Even though she teases him, Carmine's clearly trying to be a good big sister/trusted figure in his life. That's what hurts the most, is that she's trying.
But in her excessive worrying and outbursts about his feelings, she ends up doing more damage. She ends up yelling things that she feels on the surface level and has to explain that what came out was completely different than what she meant, but she doesn't tell Kieran that because it's the "he should understand I'm doing what's best for him" mindreading aspect.
By the end of the arc, Carmine does the one things she really can: give him space. She doesn't force him out of his room before they go back to Blueberry Academy, she just tells everyone he isn't feeling well. She's trying to protect his privacy and processing, still trying to be the wall between the turbulent world and Kieran's need for time, and it's obvious she feels adrift in this situation. Usually she can just apologize and things calm down, but it's such a huge situation that changed so much that the usual routine won't work. It's something that obviously troubles her, but she ultimately realizes all she can do is wait for Kieran to reach out to her when he's ready.
She wants so badly to help Kieran, but she's on the other side of the same wall that's making it so hard for her to truly look at him and understand what she needs to shift to be the good big sister she strives to be in his life.
Carmine's character is so amazing to watch develop as she learns to trust someone other than the people around her and how she takes in everything that happens around her, she really deserves a big hug for how hard she tries 😭
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statementlou · 29 days
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my post yesterday about why I don't really care if Louis Tomlinson supports starbucks shocked me by actually circulating and getting notes and obviously I like validation and appreciation.... but I feel kind of weird about my big contribution to the topic being something that might come off as discouraging attempts to help Palestine. Feeling powerless in the face of such injustice is horrible and scary and traumatizing and while there are certain things that I do not think make much difference (like boycotting irrelevant targets), that's NOT how I feel about the situation in general! We CAN make a difference and help the Palestinian people! It can feel impossible to fight against all that power and propaganda and military might- but it has been done successfully over and over, colonialism has been destroyed in one place after another a hundred times in the last century, apartheid regimes have fallen, occupations have ended, because over and over, always, even all the military might in the literal world is less powerful than a united front of the PEOPLE. As Ursula K LeGuin said, "We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings", and as Louis Tomlinson said "The power and magic comes from the people, you guys. Don't undermine your role in all of this" and "get off the 'gram and into the streets"!
Under the cut are things you can do that I believe actually directly impact the Palestinian people and the Israeli government, including some easy ones, and the key to a successful movement is to have every type of contribution, to have NUMBERS. However- it is also necessary to have people willing to do the actual work of fighting injustice, not just changing their consumer habits or yelling at people online. I strongly encourage people to explore becoming physically involved in activist work, and not to see it as yet another tiring obligation but rather as a way to help yourself feel less overwhelmed and exhausted. Feeling powerless and defenseless is a trauma that follows us into every corner of our lives, but standing up and working for change can not only save lives, but is good for your own mental health as well, I promise.
I can't make you an exhaustive list of resources, only tell you some tactics that I believe are actually useful. I'm not an expert or whatever, but I have been actively involved in social justice advocacy, activism, and direct action for over 20 years and am drawing on that history of both things that worked and were great and things that were not from my personal experiences. Thank you to @captainrayzizuniverse for helping me (but she didn't see the post any stupid things said by mistake are entirely on me), and especially for pointing out a big (typical white person) slip up, which was to almost forget the very first item on this list: Listen to, support, and amplify Palestinian voices!!! The whole starbucks issue wouldn't even exist if people just went by this single important guideline and did the things Palestinians were asking for rather than making up other things to do instead. In life altogether, and speaking as a disabled person god does this come up a lot: if you want to help someone, start by asking them what they need and then do that even if it isn't what you think they should want. Don't fucking wing it!! Join local groups organizing for Palestine: the people united are powerful, but only if they are united and working in large groups! Join a group! This is hard because... how? who? And I can't answer that for everyone but I can tell you that in the US JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace) is doing a huge amount of very accessible recruiting, you can just join (you don't need to be Jewish) and get involved straightaway in the great actions they're putting on. PYM (Palestinian Youth Movement) is not open to everyone to join but you should definitely follow them on SM to keep up on actions and maybe find ways to support. If you're a student I bet there is some kind of group at your school?
Go to protests: protest works, period. The general politician rule of thumb is that anyone who bothers to actually go out and march represents 10-100 voters. When they look at the numbers (like- '500-1000 people protested the most recent bill you signed') they do this math and they worry. But also honestly if it's something you can manage- it's good for you. It helps. Even if you just go alone and don't talk to anyone, being in a crowd of hundreds of people feeling the same things you are, caring as much as you do, it helps. If you can, yell along to the chants as loud as you can. Get fired up and use that energy to keep going and not despair!
Call and write officials: if you live in the US or UK this is HUGE. What I said above about how they count people at protests as standing for more people who didn't bother but agree? Same with phone calls for sure, it REALLY pressures them. Many orgs make this really easy- I get emails all the time with links to send a letter in a single click or click to call and all you have to do is read the script, get on some lists I guess? But many sites also have this feature, JVP does for example
Support BDS: the Palestinian led BDS have been doing the work of isolating and chipping away at Israel for 19 years and like I said, the actions of the masses only work if we are united behind a few strategic targets rather than all over the place; they have made this possible. It's good to avoid buying from the companies they target; even better to work on the big divestment campaigns. For example, student groups pressuring the big universities to divest from BDS targets echo the successful University divestment efforts that helped end apartheid in South Africa.
Send money: money helps, immediately and concretely, and again if we are many, each person doesn't have to do a lot. Do what you can spare, it all adds up. This has been painful with Gaza for sure, with millions donating but aid being blocked. I don't have The Answer but here's a group I found that actually seems to be getting aid in, and here's a spread sheet of gofundmes- note that people who have foreign passports do not have to pay the horrible border crossing fees, so you may wish to focus on funding those who don't have that privilege. this could maybe be better and there was some other stuff I wanted to say about doing activism to tie up the "activism as self care" thing from above and also bringing it back around to talk about Louis more but I'm tired and I'm hungry right now and this is a lot already. So. Bye lol sorry. send me asks if any of that is something you care about or want to hear
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greenandsorrow · 3 months
Text
"Boytoy"
WARNINGS; sexual references, ken x fem!reader, reader uses she/her pronouns, ken finding out about periods, fluff & happy ending, plot doesn't connect with the movie, probably grammar mistakes
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Bonus Part
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After their rather intense night they just got comfy under the covers, this time with Ken being the big spoon. Y/n was laying her head on his chest, just where his plastic heart is, his heartbeat lulling her into a deep sleep. Our lucky Ken had his arms wrapped around y/n's frame, while nuzzling the top of her head, inhaling the flowery scent of her shampoo, feeling his eyelids getting heavier.
~~
Since that day they've been inseparable. Ken figured out how to control his waking up in the real world or in Barbieland. He was also informed that there's a portal to y/n's world at his favourite beach. Y/n's house has become his own and she was happy and patient to get him used to human activities such as going out for a snack, walking her home after her classes and so on.
Life is good, it's sublime. Y/n is looking forward to Ken's surprise for her birthday...she was able to figure out what it was but she'd never reveal that to her giddy man. Ken is planning to take her to Barbieland for a day and that means she can meet her childhood friends, the Barbies.
Currently, Ken is waiting for y/n at her apartment because she had exams to take. He is so proud of her for the silliest of accomplishments so y/n can hardly imagine the excitement he feels for her determination and wit at studying. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for celebrating, or making out, or having a tickling session, or watching horse documentaries. Ken was devastated.
Y/n went straight to her bedroom to change into the fluffiest pyjamas possible before curling up next to Ken and letting out a deep sigh.
"Why did it have to happen today out of all days?!"
Ken is puzzled by her statement. His expression is rather adorable as he tries to understand what is going on in her head. He finally speaks in a sheepish but also curious manner.
"What did happen today that shouldn't have y/n?"
She huffs and buries her face in his arm. She is already tired from all the studying, frustrated with her headaches and exasperated from the too familiar cramps.
"It's nothing Ken...", she murmurs.
Under any other circumstances she would've been delighted to share this part of her human experience with Ken...however the thought of having to break down what periods are to her blonde partner has y/n riled up now.
Ken is of course too dramatic at his reaction to her dismissive answer. He takes an expression of pure heartbreak.
"Are you bored of me?! Oh no y/n!"
Y/n can't help but chuckle a bit and her mood lightens up. He can't be so pure, it's infuriatingly cute.
"It's my period Ken, it's not your fault I act like so grim..."
Ken's confusion is comically obvious and she decides to explain what needs to be explained.
~~
By the end of her primary school teaching moment, Ken is looking at her with a new kind of awe. If women weren't fabulous enough before in his blue eyes, they definitely are now.
And so another monthly ritual is added to Ken's list of being y/n's hype man. He makes a huge, too bright and silly looking calendar and writes down his human's days of the month. She always has a bag of chocolates and plush toys waiting for her, maybe a flower or a cowboy accessory. Y/n has a whole collection at this point. The best part, though, is what comes after the marked days on the calendar end....
Let's just say Ken's libido is that of a teenager's and how could she complain when she's ovulating?
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notes~~
Well, that's it... the little happy ending I had promised. Boytoy was the first thing I ever posted on here and the first thing I wrote in general for the public eye🥺 Looking back, I know I could have done it better, but I don't want to be ungrateful because Boytoy made my blog gain an audience. I want to expand my writing on other fandoms so stay tuned! Thanks for all the support <33
Dividers by; @cafekitsune
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Tags; @heyimizzy @notleclerc @moonmaiden1996 @vilovedr @goldenvespa @hope4rain19
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Official Skins Bios
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- Heartache Vi
Shall I compare you to a rose? Your spikes like thorns against my side. Like a vine, you've coiled through my dreams, trellising my mind.
Wild like the violets that thrive beyond the garden's bounds; Life's simply better now that you're around. Will you go to the dance with me?
XOXO, Caitlyn
- Heartthrob Caitlyn
I hate the way you walk around, like you're Princess Caitlyn of the mall, and I'm just some gutter rat. I hate the way you look at me when there's no one else around, but wouldn't be caught dead with me in town. Maybe our whole thing was just a huge mistake. So if you want me to go, I'm gone. But ask, and I will stay. -Vi
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yew-yew · 5 months
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More Stardew valley au? 👉👈 (Could be art or rambles but I am INSANE about this concept and would love to hear/see more)
sure! here's a little bit, and both art and my verbal nonsense ahahah
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little sorry for the anatomical mistakes, but it was drawn like... in summer and i'm just too lazy to change something now
speaking of art, law collects stones. that says it all. (this is a bit of a self-projection, but i have my whole house in stardew in chests full of beautiful stones-)
now let's move on to the rest, and i hope you don't mind that it would be just a pile of thoughts
• ahem, from what i have is that instead of an archaeologist (i don't remember the names of characters very well, especially from stardew), we have Robin. it's logical, isn't it ahaha? Law, helps in the hospital, because this is the only way and nothing else! the saloon keeps a Makino, and wow, it's probably a place where you can really eat, so i think Sanji works here in the kitchen. and forgive me, i can't help but add stupid foster parents to au, so Zeff is here too. i really liked someone's fan idea that the Penguin is the cook of heart crew, so he probably does something like moonlighting there?
• Franky and Ikkaku (omg this gorgeous woman) both are something like a carpenter and a blacksmith, although i think Franky is more of a blacksmith?? anyway!!! had idea that Shachi was moonlighting for them??? Maybe???
• Usopp works in Pierre's store, and i think this is not only a store mainly garden, but literally a place where you can buy almost everything? it sounded funny, so why not. Usopp sells some of his little things too!! stupid little fireworks i think are also among them? shop literally everything, wonderful
• i removed the fisherman and his shop (i sorry??), as a result, Nami lives somewhere on the beach, she is their personal meteorologist and the most accurate weather guide, no TV forecast will be as accurate as she is!!!
• ASL trio is a personal periodic spontaneous catastrophe of the whole town. in short, Ace is an eternal visitor to the mine (although many of them are like that ... but he is especially ...) who brings stone mining things. And monster stuff? Luffy for some reason became an absolute fisherman, idk why, but I liked it, huh. Sabo helps Robin i think? Also Luffy and Sabo guys who basically bring Robin different collecting things (Ace does not understand they collecting thing : (( ) all three of them bring Robin some artifacts or minerals. Sabo really interested in discussing all this with Robin, as well as books and the history of all sorts of artifacts and so on?? i had idea about Law in this "nerd" club. Ace... is not interested in these "nerd" clubs and just brings them everything he finds in the mine. Luffy brings Robin something that sometimes comes across on a fishing trip (i like the thing with chests in the stardew itself so much)
• there are also Mihawk, Zoro and Perona who live in a winery/vineyards outside the city. Gothic family is my undisputed love
• something about Bepo: i remember that somewhere at the beginning of the game at some point an animal comes to our farm, which we are offered to keep for ourselves. ahah, i can't choose between being a polar bear(lmao, it’s fun) or a samoyed dog, but in any case, i think he's just like in stardew....came and its just....adopted too
separate huge thanks for the help with the ideas of my beautiful lady @liquidsao
and for the help with the organization of my thoughts to this wonderful person @cal-cium-the-nerd
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liecastillo · 2 years
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Cover Up // Chris Evans
Chris Evans x female reader ?? idk lol
Summary: It’s late and not safe to drive home. The only possible solution is to stay at Chris’ house overnight. But with that masive crush? Yeah, it’s a pain in the ass...
Warnings: masturbation, use of vibrator, huge crush on Chris, CHRIS (hopefully that’s all, this is my first rodeo ever, lol)
Wordcount: 2.5k
!!beware of all the mistakes, English is not my native language!!
A/N: Hello and welcome to my first ever story written in English! I’m very VERY nervous about posting this but since I’ve already put in the work when writing this, it would be a shame if it just stayed in my computer, wouldn’t it?
A big thanks to @keanureevesisbae for being such a great helper and supporter! ❤️
Enjoy!
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I hummed and cracked my neck. After hours of sitting in one position it was stiff as hell and my back wasn’t doing any better. I sighed and leaned back in the chair in the dining area of Chris‘ house.
“I think we‘re done for today,“ Chris said and finished his fourth bottle of beer. I hummed in agreement and closed my eyes for a second to give them some rest. But as quickly as I shut them down, I opened them again when I realized it was pitch dark outside. Annoyed, I groaned at the thought of the forty-minute drive back home.
We planned to end our planning session way earlier, but between laying out all the meetings, interviews, table reads and filming days so they don’t overlay over each other, we kinda got lost and forgot to watch the time.
It was worth it though. We planned out almost the next four months and everything should go smoothly. Should.
Chris must have been reading my mind as his eyes went from my small frame to the window and then back to me.
“You can stay overnight if you want to. The guest bedroom is ready for you… as always,“ he offered.
As always. I knew it was a jab at me because every time he offered something remotely close to staying overnight in his house, I dodged the offer and opted to rather drive back home. It was better that way. I was sure about that.
I didn’t know if I would be able to handle a whole damn night in a place where every corner smells like… him. Even being in his proximity for the whole afternoon and evening proved to be challenging.
Of course, this was not always the case. No.
It started pretty recently. Or maybe a couple of months ago but time flies by fast when you’re having fun - and Chris was a lot of fun. I mean, he always was. That’s just who Chris is. He’s the fun uncle, always joking and pranking everyone else and being friendly with basically everybody.
But I felt like he stopped being friendly with me a long time ago. It started with simple touches, like touching my waist so we don’t collide with each other when he walks by me in tight spaces, and even simpler gestures, like making sure I drink enough water during the day (because he knows that has been my whole life struggle) and always bringing me something to snack on (because he knows I have a very sweet tooth).
And I already had a massive crush on him before all of this. But now? Now I don’t even know what to do anymore. He was becoming more and more attractive to me with every little thing he did every day and it was starting to feel unbearable.
Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if my underwear is completely drenched after spending so much time with him.
I wiggled in my chair and realised that I in fact could really feel something wet and sticky between my legs. Oh boy.
Chris looked at me with a very pointed look. Shit. I have been quiet for too long, I haven’t given him any answer to his offer.
I shook my head to get any and all horny thoughts out of there and licked my lips before gently biting the lower one.
“I don’t know, Chris,“ I murmured.
Chris sighed and shrugged.
“It’s all up to ya but you know I would love to have you over for once so you don’t have to drive all the way home. I mean, c’mon… It can’t even be safe anymore with how tired you are.“
Reluctantly I nodded in agreement and sighed. I pondered over his arguments about why I should stay and I have to say he IS right - I am tired. And yes, it is not the safest thing to drive for so long in this state. Was there any other choice though? No.
I mean yes, but that included staying with Chris. Ugh, this situation is so frustrating…
“C’mon, I’m going to give you some fresh towels and something to sleep in,“ Chris chirped. Crap, he must have taken my silence as a yes. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish on dry land, but I couldn’t think of any more reasons, why I couldn’t stay. I think I officially ran out of them the last time he offered.
With a lot of hesitation evident in my body language, I stood up and followed him to the laundry room. He handed me some towels and his t-shirt and shorts. HIS t-shirt AND shorts.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. What the heck.
I inhaled deeply to calm myself down. However, it was a mistake, because I only inhaled more of his scent wafting from his t-shirt that I held pressed to my chest together with the towels. I almost whined like a kicked puppy while we were walking down the hall to the guest bedroom.
“If you need anything, text me or call for me, mkay?“ he said.
“Mhm,“ I murmured – I didn’t feel brave enough to say something else. But after we stood in the hallway for a minute and no one said anything, I took it upon myself to get this over with.
“Thank you, Chris, you’re very kind. Good night.“
“Always happy to help, ya know that,“ he said.
“I know,“ I replied.
“Good night,“ Chris said before he disappeared into his room.
I sighed and also went into my room for the night. I looked around and admired the king-sized bed with silky white sheets and a mountain of pillows. There were bedside tables on both sides of the bed and there were lamps and tissue boxes on both of them. There were two doors on the right – one of them led to the bathroom and the other one… probably a closet?
I placed my bag on the bed together with Chris’ clothes and the towels he gave me and rummaged through my bag. Aha! Thank you irregular period for making me carry another set of underwear with me wherever I go.
I walked to the open door that led to the bathroom and stepped in there. Maybe a nice shower will calm me down and help me to handle everything.
I stripped down and climbed into the spacious shower. I turned the water on and set it to a hot temperature. Just the right one. I sighed and leaned into the wall for support.
Resting my forehead on the wall I closed my eyes and thought back to everything that has happened today and everything that I still need to do tomorrow and in the next couple of days. But those thoughts haven’t lasted for a long time.
Slowly but surely they were being replaced by blue eyes, bushy beard and soft brown hair. The smell of cedar wood and citrus swarmed around me. Thick arms with popping veins wrapped around my waist and a hot and sticky body pressed to mine. Smooth skin brushed against mine and my knees started to shake. I quickly opened my eyes and looked around in panic but I quickly realized it was just my damn own fantasy.
Shaking my head I scrubbed down my body and climbed out of the shower. I should not have thoughts like that, it’s only going to make things worse for me. I dried myself and put on my underwear but held back from putting on Chris‘ clothes. I stared at it laying on the closed laundry basket and contemplated if this is a good idea.
Picking it up I brought it up to my nose and sniffed it.
Cedarwood, citrus, musk and… Dodger.
I groaned and threw it back on the laundry basket. He doesn’t have to know, what eyes can’t see…
I went back to the room and grabbed my tee from today. It’s not that dirty and I think I will be able to survive in it throughout the night and until I get back home.
While I was in the bathroom I noticed an electric toothbrush by the sink and there were new toothbrush heads so I decided to take advantage of it and brush my teeth.
After putting the tee on and quickly brushing my teeth, I climbed into the bed and wrapped myself up in the blanket.
The plan was to fall asleep as soon as possible but so far I was failing miserably. I was just tossing and turning and I could not for the life of me get rid of the ache between my thighs. I rubbed them against each other and whined.
My imagination took a strike again.
I swear I could feel huge palms wrap around my thighs and pull them apart. They gently glided from my knee to my core and created a path of goosebumps.
I shuddered and parted my legs a bit more. Gentle fingers brushed against my core and my hips bucked up.
With a moan, I opened my eyes and realized those were in fact my small fingers trying to find their way inside my underwear. I groaned and threw away the blanket that was not helping with the heat I was feeling all over my poor horny body.
There is no way back or more like no way I’m going to be able to fall asleep feeling like this. I have to do only one thing possible right now, otherwise, I’ll be just tossing and turning the whole night regretting everything that has happened today.
Hesitantly I stalked towards my handbag and took out my pale blue vibrator. I may regret this in the future but what else should a woman like me do when she is around such a fine man as Chris.
So far I managed to avoid masturbating while thinking of Chris but I think today’s the day I’m going to break one of my rules that were supposed to help me not to fall in love with him even more.
They were totally useless.
I took a deep breath and laid back on the bed. Again, I spread my legs and pressed the buzzing vibrator to my clothed core.
And as before, I let my mind wander wherever it wanted to in order to get off.
I was thinking about his blue eyes. His smile and his sexy bushy beard. Oh, how amazing it would feel if it would just brush on the sides of my thighs and then all over my over-sensitive bundle of nerves.
How amazing his full lips and pink tongue would feel lapping on my folds and the juices dripping down from my pussy.   
How his hands would rub on my thighs first and then move to my belly before deferring down to my waist to pin me down to the bed.
My hips bucked up and down and my back arched. I hummed in contentment and bit my lip.
My pussy started to clench and my whole body began to shake and quiver with ecstasy.
The orgasm was so magical that my ears started to buzz and my vision became blurry before I tightly closed my eyes while I enjoyed the rest of the ride.
I clasped a hand over my mouth to cover up a moan that came to the surface.
The corners of my mouth went up and I sighed with relief.
However, that relief was quickly gone when I heard a knock on the door.
I panicked. My heart started to pound and my ears started to buzz, although right now it was for a completely different reason.
Oh no. It must be Chris. There is no one else in the house. Unless Dodger learnt how to knock on the door which is very unlikely he managed to do in the last half an hour.
I sat on the bed and looked around. There is no way he did not hear the buzzing of my vibrator and he is not stupid, he’s definitely going to put the pieces together.
Suddenly I got an idea.
I jumped from the bed and silently ran to the bathroom, grabbed the electric toothbrush and quickly ran back to the bedroom and to the door.
This should work, or at least confuse him enough if he heard something.
I exhaled to slow down the beating of my heart and with the next inhale I opened the door.
And there he was.
Clad in sleeping shorts and nothing else.
Oh sweet lord.
My eyes scanned his torso up and down. All of the tattoos he wore on his body and all of the abs he worked so hard for. Even the fine hair on his chest that looked disgusting on anyone else yet so sexy on Chris.
I looked up at his eyes and noticed a puzzled look in his blue ponds.
They jumped from my eyes to the still buzzing electric toothbrush in my hand and then to my t-shirt that clearly showed my erect nipples.
Damn, I didn’t even realize that.
He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
He tried again and this time he said: “I thought I heard…“ He did not finish the sentence, instead, his eyes flashed again to the electric toothbrush I held in my hand.
Oh god. Please no.
I turned it off and took a breath to say something but before I could say anything, he was faster.
“Ya know what… Whatever… I just wanted to say good night again and to make sure you’ve got everything you need. So… Good night!“
He quickly turned on his heel and went away from the guest bedroom I stayed in.
I sighed and bit my lip.
I closed the door and laid back in the bed. I turn on my side and stared at the electric toothbrush I placed on the nightstand next to the bed.
Should I have covered it up? Wouldn’t it be better to just let it be and deal with the consequences? Wouldn’t it be better to just let him think whatever he wants to think?
I don’t know, and I guess I’ll never know it because what is done, is done.
Tomorrow I have to get out of here as soon as possible. No breakfast, no coffee, just a simple goodbye, and I’ll be on my way home because after this, I can’t even look him straight in the eyes without coming back to that feeling when I came with him in front of my eyes.
I’ll have to avoid him for at least a week before I can see him again without turning into a full-on tomato. 
Oh well. That actually won’t be possible.
Tomorrow afternoon is a photoshoot day. 
For Gucci. 
Which means half-naked Chris.
Yeah, I’ll have to find a last-minute excuse as to why I can not come because if I’ll see half-naked Chris, I will come, but in a whole ‘nother way…
I don’t know, what do you guys think?
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quixoticall · 6 months
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This Could Get Ugly 5. Recording Studio 3B
Summary: It's 1983 and The Downsides need another lead singer and you just happen to need a band--it's a perfect match. The only issue? You have to pretend to be in a relationship with your bandmate, Steve Harrington, but you can't help but be drawn to the band's broody guitar player.
pairing: s.h. x fem!reader, e.m. x fem!reader, j.b. x n.w., r.b x n.w.
warnings: Brief mention of pregnancy, Steve in his King!Steve era briefly, again with the misogyny
A/N: Happy Stranger Things Day! I want to say thank you to everyone who's reading this old and new readers alike! Every notification makes me so excited and I'm just happy to be here, ya know?Listen, I know we're really Steve-centric right now but you got to trust me on this, we are laying a FOUNDATION here right? Remember we're covering six years' worth of drama and we are just getting started, trust me!
wc: 4.8k
MASTERLIST🎸
Previous Chapter 🎹🎺
***
STEVE: Yeah, I know I had fucked up. Like, as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. I don’t know why I did it, I think I felt threatened or something. Listen, I think about what happened all the time and there isn’t one singular moment that we can pinpoint where everything went south, really, we all made mistakes, a lot of them. But sometimes, I can’t help thinking to myself that if I had just handled that day at the restaurant better, our whole lives would’ve been different. Or… who knows? Maybe not, maybe we were always meant to end as bad as we did.
***
June 7th, 1983–Los Angeles, California
A few days after your lunch with the Downsides, you see your own face peaking at you from the cover of a Subrosa magazine on a grocery store newsstand. 
You glance around before surreptitiously crouching down for a closer look.
It was a grainy picture of you and Steve, sitting across from one another at lunch, clearly in conversation. The picture had been taken from outside the restaurant and framed in such a way that it looked like it was only the two of you dining together. You can tell by the looks on your faces that it was before everything had blown up—the two of you looked like you were enjoying yourselves.
Sultry Songstress Sees Upside with the Downsides’ Flirty Frontman reads across the top of the page, and you gag. They sure do love their alliteration over at the Sub.
You briefly wonder to yourself what Steve and the others will think of this once they see it. Shrugging that thought off, you toss the magazine into your cart.
***
You actually find out pretty quickly what Steve and the others think about the cover later that evening when you receive a call from an unknown number.
“Hi, it’s Robin,” you hear from the other line as soon as you pick up.
“Hi Ro—”
“Robin Buckley, from the Downsides? I don’t know if you remember me, but we met at lunch the other day when my friend made a huge ass of himself and— ow, Steve that hurt, God.”
Sounds of some sort of physical struggle echo through the telephone line until you decide to interrupt.
“Hi Robin, of course I remember you and your ass of a friend, what can I do for the two of you? Also, how did you get my number?”
You’re more curious than bothered when you ask the latter question.
“Four.”
“Pardon?”
“Four. There are four of us. See, you asked what you could do for the two of us but it’s not just me and Steve. Nancy and Argyle are here too—” At this point, you hear a faint ‘hello’ and ‘what’s up’ from the background—"For the sake of full disclosure I felt that I should mention that. Jonathan is visiting his family in Lenora Hills, otherwise, I’m sure he’d be here too. Oh, and to answer your question I got your number from Murray.”
“Uh-huh.” 
You glance at your wristwatch; there’s a party in the Hills that you were planning on going to and you were going to have to leave soon if you didn’t want to be stuck in traffic all night.
As if she had read your mind, you hear some shuffling on the line before Nancy decidedly takes over the conversation with a much more serious tone.
“Hi, sorry to bother you this late but we wanted to ask if perhaps you had seen the latest issue of Subrosa? It seems like you and Steve are on the cover.”
Exhaling a laugh, you answer, “Yes, actually, saw it at the grocery store today, sorry you guys didn’t make the front page, I’m sure you’ll get them next time.”
“What? No, I mean, have you read the article? They’re printing lies about you both,” Nancy stutters out, indignantly.
“They’re saying that you and Steve had a private lunch and that he’s been seen sneaking out of the Hotel Mormont for weeks and that you might be pregnant? They’re even alluding to a fight breaking out between him and Jason Carver of all people.”
 This causes you to fully chortle.
“I wish, that guy deserves a few punches to the face. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, though, everything they say about me is a lie.”
“What do you mean? Aren’t they supposed to have some journalistic integrity? Don’t they get in trouble for printing lies like this? Have you tried to contact their editors about this?”
The confusion you feel about this conversation is outweighed by how weirdly touched you feel that these girls who had only met you once seem so offended on your behalf.
“No, I mean, it’s a gossip rag, not like The New York Times or anything,” you placate, “and after all the terrible things they’ve said about in the past, I’m kinda just glad they got a half-decent picture of me.  I appreciate you all calling about it though.”
And then, after a beat, you address the band’s lead singer, who has been oddly quiet throughout the whole exchange.
“I hope being pictured with me didn’t sully your reputation, Flirty Frontman.”
Really, you didn’t care if Steve was bothered by the whole thing, you just hoped that he wasn’t making his bandmates call you on his behalf. You didn’t know what to make of the guy quite yet. On one hand, he was completely sweet to you most of the lunch, he spent the meal asking you questions about yourself and refilling your drink without you having to ask. But the tantrum he had thrown reminded you a little too much of the dangerously self-absorbed musicians that had grown sick of these last few years.
“Me? No, I’m fine. Did you see how great my hair looked?”
You laugh silently at his answer. His hair did look great in the photo, but you were not about to give him the satisfaction of letting him hear that from you.
He continues, “Plus, they never really said anything terrible about me. They’re like, totally after you which is why Nance and Rob have been so worried, I guess. Are you good?”
His question comes out more hushed than everything else he’s said, and you are once again reminded of the earnest smiles you exchanged across the table a few days ago.
“I’m fine, Harrington, this is a regular Tuesday for me.”
With that, you bid goodbye to the band, citing your lateness, but not before expressing a very sincere thanks for their naïve concern.
The unexpected phone call makes you hit traffic, as you had predicted. You spend nearly an hour and a half in the back of a cab, the whole time, you can’t stop replaying the conversation you just had in your head.
Maybe there was more to the Downsides than met the eye?
***
This theory is proven, in part, after Hopper sends you a demo recording of some of their songs the following week.  
The Downsides, you quickly find out, are good, like very good. Their music is like nothing you’d ever heard before: experimental and fun but polished and very technically sound. Steve’s vocals are annoyingly impressive—his growly timbre grounding the lighter sound and keeping it from sounding too saccharine. You can see them dominating the charts and blowing The Letterman’s and every other one-trick band out of the water.
The track they wanted you to jump on was part of the demos Hopper had sent out. It was called “Feel It”, a romantic song, tinged with melancholy but paired with an upbeat synth sound.
You had been sent a copy of the lyrics that included a cue for you to come in.
You practiced your part for days, agonizing over how you wanted to deliver the lyrics, and eventually, you came up with exactly what you wanted to do after making some minor adjustments.
You were actually excited to record the song until you remembered that you would have to come face-to-face with the band’s two asshole guitarists again.
On the day of the recording, you tried your best to be early, but you had been up tossing all night which caused you to oversleep then you lost your keys, and you were moving at the time, so your things were all over the place. You also had to turn around and come back when you realized you had forgotten the gift basket of cookies you were planning on bringing for the band—something left over from a package Charles Riva's team sent you as an apology for him blowing you off. All in all, you were about thirty minutes late.
You pulled into the Starcourt parking lot a harried mess and as you rounded the corner into the studio, you could hear the booming voice of Eddie Munson.
“She’s probably stuck circling the parking lot trying to find some working-class sucker to park her car. Harrington, why don’t you go check out there? Maybe you’ll get papped again and get another 5 minutes of fame.”
You hear Steve respond and while you can’t make out the words, you can tell he’s annoyed, embarrassed, or possibly both.
You can see the faces of every other band member fall like dominos as they each caught sight of you rounding the corner to stand directly behind Eddie.
Eddie though doesn’t seem to pick up on what’s clearly written on all their faces and persists through his tirade, “She’s only coming for the photo opp anyway—she doesn’t care about any of this.”
It’s Argyle who finds his voice first, “Eddie, man, isn’t that her?”
Eddie whips around and with comically wide eyes, looks down at you, grimacing.
You consider telling the guy off but decide against it.
If there is one thing you have learned these years it’s that while the male artists can throw fits, yell, scream, and even damage equipment without anyone as much as blinking an eye, one emotional misstep from you and you would be branded a diva. They would say you were difficult, rude, and find any excuse to toss you aside like they had so many women before you and you refused to let them have that satisfaction.
So, instead, you smile at the band, eyes lingering on Eddie for just a moment longer than on anybody else, to let him know that you had heard him, and then say brightly, “Sorry I’m late everybody. I brought some cookies.”
***
EDDIE: Yeah, it was a dick thing to say, and I regretted it immediately and not just because she brought us cookies.
I wasn’t—that wasn’t me.
I was just so angry about everything that I had lost, and I didn’t know where to put it all and then she shows up: this rich, spoiled girl who just seemed to float through life without a single fucking care or struggle, and suddenly I had an easy target.
I felt bad about it until she changed my fucking lyrics.
***
Unlike their guitarists, most of the band seemed pleased to see you and you spent a few minutes greeting everyone and handing around cookies while Eddie and Steve kept their respective distances—Eddie, sulking in a corner and Steve doing a poor job at pretending to tune his guitar.
“Okay kids let’s give the voices some space to do their thing,” Hopper says waving them through the door sounding more like a disgruntled parent than a manager.
In the end, it’s just you, Steve, Murray, and the sound booth tech. The latter two are busy prepping the sound and mic, leaving you and Steve standing in the back.
“Hey, I wanted to apologize about what I said the other day at lunch,” he leans in close to your ear, his eyes transfixed on his shoes.
“I didn’t mean it—not really. I guess I was just lashing out because, well, they keep changing things about the band without even talking to us. First, they made us go pop, then they made me give up lead guitar to Eddie because his previous band didn’t want him anymore, and then it seemed like they wanted to replace me with you and like, it’s not that I wouldn’t want you it’s just that—well they never even asked what we wanted, you know? I was frustrated about that, and I took it out on you and I’m sorry about that.”
You watch him as he digs the toe of his sneaker into the carpet, eyes downcast, clearly waiting for you to respond. You’re too busy contemplating his words, however, because an apology was the last thing you were expecting from him, much less such a sincere one.
Out of all the difficult men you had dealt with in your life—producers, musicians, lawyers, managers, former flings, hell, even your own father—you had never received an apology from any of them regardless of how poorly they’d treated you.
Steve’s eyes finally trail up to meet yours, searching your face for signs that he didn’t say the wrong thing yet again.
Seeing no trace of dishonesty on Steve’s face, you decide to trust the apology for what it is and nod in acceptance.
“I get it,” you say, and truly, you did, “I’ve had most of my career decisions made for me, and a lot of times, they weren’t really what I wanted. It makes the whole thing feel kind of…empty, doesn’t it?”
His face floods with relief as he nods along in understanding.
“Yeah, like does success matter if we can’t do things our way? Me and Rob, we’ve been best friends since we were little and this has always been our dream and now that it may be coming true, it doesn’t feel like we imagined. I guess that’s kinda stupid though, expecting things to be like you imagined them as a kid,” he laughs at himself nervously.
“No, it’s not,” you counter, “that’s not stupid at all.”
You understand Steve’s disillusionment completely because it mirrors your own.
“Listen, I get how you feel, trust me, but you got to keep going. You guys are good, and I think you could all be big one day and then it’ll be you who’s calling the shots and then you can kick me and Eddie to the curb,” you clearly say the last part in jest but that doesn’t stop the shame that rolls across Steve’s face.
“Hey, don’t say that. You’re really talented and we’re lucky that you’re doing us this favor. We’d be even luckier if we could get you to stick around. Munson I could give or take, though.”
His joke makes you laugh so loud that Murray turns around and glares.
***
Steve was sent into the booth first to record his final vocals for the song, leaving you to observe.
As they set Steve up, your eyes kept bouncing over to the newly appeared Eddie, trying to figure out what exactly he was doing there.
“I wrote the song,” Eddie explains, after catching your eye.
“Oh,” you say, not bothering enough to hide your surprise, “well, congratulations, it’s a good song.”
You catch him eyeing the plate of cookies at your side. You open your mouth to offer him a cookie, but the echo of his words rings fresh in your mind, so instead, you reach for one and make a big show of savoring it.
Steve records his part of the vocals in five takes. He appears a bit nervous at first but eases into his groove rather quickly.
As the audio engineer is setting up the booth for you, you feel your own nerves rise. You wanted this to go well. You wanted to impress Steve and Hopper and even Eddie.
They signal you into the booth and the first two times, you record the song exactly how it’s written. Then, on the third one, you switch up the final chorus.
The original lyrics were: Fear in your heart, can’t conceal it/ But baby, my loves your cure, can’t you feel it? / Lay your hope bare next to mine/ and even if the world caves in, we’ll be fine
You changed the lyrics to: Fear in your heart, can’t conceal it/ But baby, my loves your cure, can’t you feel it? / Lay your flaws bare next to mine/ because when the world caves in, I’ll leave you cryin’
The change was slight, you thought, but meaningful.
The original version—Eddie’s version—was too hopeful. It was a boring portrayal of lovers staying with each other through thick and thin.
Your change added some conflict and dimension to the narrative. You made it better.
“What the hell was that?” Eddie pushed past Murray to yell into the mic that fed into the booth.
You roll your eyes at him dramatically interrupting your take, “I was just trying something out.”
Hopper pulled Eddie back by the shoulder while Murray wrestled the mic from him.
“Woah, sweetheart, pump the breaks. That was good. Better than the original. Can we run that one more time but with your lyrics instead? Harrington, we’ll re-record some of your parts too.”
Hopper has to all but carry Eddie out the door after he hears that.
***
EDDIE: The thing that pissed me off the most was that her version of the song was better. I just didn’t want to admit it because I wrote that song about Chrissy, about how even though I was so scared I was going to fuck up our relationship, she understood that and was willing to work through that with me. Her version was much closer to what actually happened and that hit a little too close to home.
***
“Woah, what did you two do to Eddie?” Robin demands as soon as you and Steve are dismissed into the hallway. “Hopper pretty much had to drag him out in tears!”
You worry at your bottom lip, caught in the wondering eyes of the group. At the time, you felt like you were doing the right thing, but now you wonder if you had forgone the common courtesy of at least letting him know you had changed the song. You didn’t want to come across as unprofessional as he accused you of being.
“I should probably go talk to him,” you say in response.
“Geez, Robin. Was the third degree really necessary there? This is just like last week’s DMV visit all over again,” Steve chastises as they all watch you walk away.
***
You find Eddie in the smoking area, cigarette in hand. “Hey, listen can we talk—"
Eddie turns dangerously to face you, cutting you off.
“You know what your fucking problem is? No one’s ever said no to you so you think you can do whatever the hell you want and that everyone else just rolls over and gives it to you because you’re so pretty and charming and rich.
“Well, you may have the rest of those assholes fooled but I see right through you, okay?”
Your eyes narrowed in response before you snap back.
"First of all, you don't know anything about me, so stop pretending that you do. I have worked hard to be here, just like the rest of you, and as far as this song goes, my name is going to be attached to it too, so I have just as much of a right to give input as you or Steve. It was wrong that I didn't say anything to you beforehand, sure, and I apologize for that, but let's not pretend that you've been the epitome of professionalism here either because you've been an ass to me since we've met, and I don't know why but I won't stand for it again. Fuck you, Eddie Munson,” you spit out before turning on your heel and stomping away.
***
EDDIE: That was hot, not gonna lie.
***
“Are you really going to let some mangy metalhead from Bumfuck, Nowhere keep you from finally doing what you want?” Murray asks exasperatedly when you call him to complain about the exchange later that night.
“Listen, I’ve recorded a lot of songs in that studio, some of them great, most of them mediocre, but today blew all of them out of the water. The band’s never sounded better and neither have you, frankly. If you gave up the chance to finally write your own songs and sound this good while doing it, that would be flat-out idiotic. You know that, right?”
The line goes still.
“Yes,” you finally say.
“Great, now that that’s settled, why don’t you get some rest, huh? Ruining Muson’s day must have tired you right out.”
You exhale a laugh before saying goodbye.
Although you would never say it to his face, you were grateful for Murray. It was nice having someone looking out for you.
***
MURRAY:  Brenner loved the track. After that, we had a very short time to make a lot of big things happen. The Downside’s debut album was already 70% recorded, but now that we had a whole other person on vocals, we had to scrap a good portion of the work they had already done and rerecord with our new vocalist. We couldn’t even celebrate our victory because we were just getting started.
Those poor kids had no clue what was coming.
***
When your phone rings a few mornings later, you suspect it’s Murray again with an update on the song, and while you’re right about the message, you’re wrong about the messenger. 
“Hi, it’s Steve, uh, Harrington. Obviously,” you hear a familiar voice crackle over the line.
“Oh? And to what do I owe the honor Mr. Obviously?” you respond.
“Oh, very funny. Listen, I wanted to call and let you know that we just heard from Hopper that Brenner and his guys liked our song, and they want us to continue, you know… recording together and stuff. So, yeah, would that be something you’re interested in… being a part of, you know, the band?” his voice wavers a bit as he asks.
“Is that even a choice?” you fire back, “I was under the impression that once Brenner gave the go-ahead, it was pretty much a done deal.”
He clears his throat in response, “I think you deserve to have a choice. I talked to the rest of the band, and they agree and if you don’t want in, we’ll back you… even if that means breaking our Starcourt contract.”
The line goes silent as you contemplate the gravity of what Steve has just said. The Downsides would be willing to put their own career at risk just to assure you the luxury of choice.
The answer was easy after that.
“I’m in,” you say after a few moments of terse silence. “I want to be a part of the band.”
You can all but see Steve pumping his fist on the other side of the line.
“That’s great! That’s great news. I’m glad my asshole tendencies didn’t put you off,” he laughs, relieved.
“I mean, it was a tough sell,” you tease back, “but I think we can be good together. The band, I mean.”
You wonder if you’ve said the wrong thing when his joyous peals of laughter stop suddenly at your words.
“Actually, um, about that,” he begins, once again nervously, “I’m really grateful that you’re giving us—the band—a chance and that you were nice enough to record the single with us in the first place. And, I mean, I know I’m already pushing my luck with the universe and you but maybe—uh, maybe today it’s my turn to be the luckiest guy in the world? Who knows?”
You have absolutely no clue what he’s getting at, and you let him know as much.
“Right, hm, I was wondering if I could take you out, on a date, to celebrate us becoming a band but also like, you know, a date. I know I made a total ass of myself, but I really like you, and I think you're gorgeous and talented and smart. I know I may not deserve another shot, but I would love it if you gave me one.”
You’re at a loss for words. First, you’re not even sure if you want to trust Steve fully, not quite yet. Sure, he apologized, but a part of you wonders if he only did it to get on your good side once he had seen how your pre-established infamy could serve him after that Subrosa article ran. Murray mentioned how radio runtime for the few EP songs The Downsides had in the rotation tripled since the publication. It definitely wouldn’t have been the first time you were being used like this.
Even if you could find it in yourself to look past that (and who knows, maybe you could?) there was still the matter of what Murray and Hopper had so delicately mentioned that day at lunch.
“I’m sorry, Steve, I don’t think that would be very professional. Especially on account of our…  front-facing, romantic narrative.”
“Our what?”
***
MURRAY: I thought that Hopper had gotten his team on the same page about the more personal aspects of the band’s arrangement, but apparently, I was wrong. None of them had any clue what was going on and the thing about running a ruse is that people that are in on it kind of have to know that they’re in on it.
A few days before we began re-recording, the girl called me all in a tizzy because she accidentally spilled the beans, not knowing that Harrington had no clue at all about the plan.
I then call Hopper; it turns into this whole thing. We had to arrange an emergency meeting with the two of them and the entire legal team.
A bit slow on the uptake, that Harrington kid, but he got there. Eventually.
He was harder to convince than the girl, though. At least she didn’t have a problem with lying to the public. But Harrington was all about that Midwestern “integrity” and “letting the music speak for itself”. Hop eventually had to spell it out real simple for him: either they do this, or the entire band was cooked.
STEVE: I guess after like 15 years the ruse is finally up, huh? Yeah, the relationship was fake. Or, at least, it started out that way. Listen, it was complicated and we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
But, if you’re asking about what I was thinking when they finally told me their plan, well, I wasn’t happy or on board at all. It felt like we had already given up so much of ourselves for this—like, where do you draw the line, you know?
But then Hopper reminded me that it wasn’t all about me: Nancy had dropped out of college to be in the band, Jonathan…he had his sick little brother to take care of, and even Munson was going to be in trouble if he didn’t fulfill his contract with Starcourt.
It was selfish to say no, in my opinion. And really, what was I losing? I got to make music for a living and parade around, pretending to date a total hottie while doing it. I mean, the only way it could’ve gotten better was if the relationship had been real.
***
After what feels like days—but is most likely hours—with the Starcourt legal team, you and Steve are finally released with a very long grocery list of instructions that include a minimum number of required public appearances; a very specific list of acceptable PDA; and interestingly, enough, a sample NDA in case either of you wanted to “be involved” with anyone on the side.
“Nothing says romance like NDA, right?” you weakly joke in an attempt to break the ice.
“How are you so okay with this?” Steve shoots back, seemingly stunned.
“Well, it’s not like this is my first rodeo, or my fourth, or my sixth.”
And before he can question further, you tell him everything, starting with Jason fucking Carver.
***
STEVE: I couldn’t believe it. They had been forcing her to pretend to be involved with all these guys for years. It was super fucked up, but she stuck with it. That’s how much she wanted it. How could I possibly let her down after that? Especially with my own selfish, dumb feelings? She was right, we needed to keep it professional, no matter how hard that was going to be for me.
NEXT CHAPTER 🎤
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