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netherfeildren · 1 month

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Notes On a Virtuous Affair

Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader

Summary: One would think this road ends in something virtuous—a greenness so dazzling it hurt the eyes—and not the sort of man waiting in his far out removed solitude.

He was the experienced one, you the innocent. It should have been different. Maybe it should’ve felt different. And yet, there was something in him that made you feel very much the conquering one, you the baptizing one.

Rating: Explicit 18+

Content Warnings: Post outbreak; Jackson Joel Miller; Dom/sub undertones; Rough Sex; Impact Play; Face Slapping; Spanking; PIV sex; Ass Play; Oral Sex (m!receiving); Come Eating; Throat Fucking; Unprotected Sex; Potentially Toxic Dynamics? (haha?); Complicated Feelings; They Love Each Other in Their Own Weird Way, Ok?; Older Man/Younger Woman; Idk What This Is, I Don't Expect You to Either;

A/N: miss you guys, sorry for the disappearing act <3

Word Count: 3.1K

Read on AO3

Notes On a Virtuous Affair

Sunlight spills over everything, and the pastoral green leads you to him.

One would think this road ends in something virtuous—a greenness so dazzling it hurt the eyes—and not the sort of man waiting in his far out removed solitude.

But there’s an incongruity afoot here that only you appreciate.

The secret lies in that there’s a riddle woven through the three miles you pilgrim to see him weekly. The first, a boon, the green lush wasteland, if a thing that’s alive can be wasted. The second, an honesty, I’ll venture this distance for him. The third, a precursor, when your muscles start to tingle, your thighs, hot and itchy, nape, coated in a taste of salt. Your feet crunch along the gravel and dirt, protected by the soft leathered boots inherited from Lucy who’d died last Monday. A good start to the week, with new boots, and a thoughtful gift she’d left you, your friend, when your own shoes were so worn from all the walking you do for him. The end of the world changes death, finds good things within it.

The sun warms the bridge of your nose, and you tip your face up to the too-bright light, trying your hardest to look straight at the intensity of it. He’s very much like this too. Why would you look directly at the sun if not for the hurting it brings? Your palms splayed forward at your sides, the breeze moving through your fingers, and the world is all around you alive in this apocalypse.

Jackson is left further and further behind as you move towards him, and what no one understands, not even Joel Miller himself, is that there is something virtuous about this affair.

“I’m gonna fuck your mouth now,” he says down at you, bare as the day you were born and kneeling before his clothed and towering height. Nothing but the heavy hanging length of his cock is naked for you, the first you’d ever seen in your whole life. If he had his way, the only one you��d ever see for the rest of it. The wide head is slick and glossy, the way it bobs obscenely from his open jeans looking like the weight of it would hurt, the way it juts from the bed of hair at this groin like a threat to you.

You know now, after all his focused training, that it only hurts him when you don’t tend to it as he needs, that it’s only a threat when you fail to do the same. He’s shown you the rules of hurting, in all these months you’ve come your three promised miles to him time after time. Shown you how it comes easy, that of hurting someone you love. A running in place sort of thing. You know all the steps that will come, the exact spot you’ll tread in. The way to propel yourself forward to finally leave that same place, avoid it, if you want.

“Open wider. Won’t fit like that,” he clicks his tongue, voice a burr as he grips his throbbing flesh and with the other too big hand, also like a seeming threat, but not, he gives you a quick, softly stinging slap to the high of your cheekbone. The sound, fast and snapping like his disapproving tongue. You swallow a moan, looking up at him with that look in your eyes you know disturbs him, adoration, letting the hinges of your jaw go loose, saliva pooling beneath the cover of your tongue. “Don’t you want me?” He asks.

And you blink once, moan crossing the bridge to a laugh if your mouth wasn’t stretched wide as it’ll go. He sees it though, skipping water in your eyes and gives that half smile, the mean one, the one that says he has all the answers in the world, knows all the things there are to know, that one you like best. Good girl, and his voice makes no sound, only the shape of the words on his mouth. You haven’t been good enough yet to hear the real thing of them out loud. This tells you that you must apply yourself to the task at hand, making him come.

One heavy tap to the flat of your tongue sticking out for him first, and then he’s slicking that fat head against the surface, giving you the first real taste, salt and musk trickle down the back of your throat and you moan again, eyes screwing shut tight, cunt aching something fierce. Leaking just like the tip of his cock leaks too.

That’s the thing about this thing, the one you see very well and Joel still fails to. The two of you, as disparate as you might seem, are the same in all the basic but most important ways. Too much in common for him to look at in the eye comfortably and still do the things you do.

“Open your throat. Get me hard.” In your head, he calls you baby. In reality, only sometimes, when you’re extra good, does that happen. But in your imagination, where it matters more, he doesn't ask nice, but you are his baby.

He slides back, back, hits the end of your throat, pulls out against the wet heat of your tongue. You keep your jaw wide until you feel him harden entirely, until he stretches his neck back, tendons jumping stark, clench of his jaw fluttering with a choked groan. “Suck me,” your permission to savor him like you need to.

Hands pressed firmly to your bare knees, not digging at your soft wet like you’d like, or pawing at him as you’d like even more, you close your lips around him, cheeks hollowed and suck hard, tonguing at his slit on the pull back so that he’s bearing his teeth at you in a growl and shoving forward again hard, a snarl as the cinch of your tight throat strangles the head of his cock on every one of your swallows. Your eyes water, but he pets softly at the same spot he’d stung earlier with his slap.

A game you used to play with your siblings, who could slap one another harder until the other gave out. It’d taken a while for you to come to the realization, but eventually, you’d realized the memory of it in your mind as it exists now wasn’t innocent the way it should’ve been. That there had been something you’d liked about it in a strange way—that hurting. That the first time you’d asked Joel to play the same game with you, you’d wanted him to slap you other places just as hard until you gave out also.

The games were part of the thing. His own strange rules, like the way you couldn’t touch him sometimes—you dig your bitten down nails into the soft skin of your inner thighs—only when he said it was okay was it allowed. The way you were never allowed to touch your cunt unless he said so also. He had weird things about him, turned strange by the dangerous ways of life. Like the solitude, the house out and away, the begging you had to do for him to have you.

Sameness.

He wraps his fist in your hair, more sting, “Gonna fill your belly with my come, yeah?” His thrusts pick up pace, pulling your head back as far as your neck allows so that he can fuck your throat in full, jaw hanging wide, and you’re just the wet and willing hole you know he sometimes wishes you could always stay as.

The thick cock against your tongue throbs once, twice and then he’s spilling hot and heavy down your open throat, sweet salt against the back of your tongue while you try and breathe through his strangling, tears spilling.

When he pulls back, slipping wet and heavy from your mouth you fall forward onto your palms, breathing fast, almost hyperventilating, stinging with the forced will to remain obedient. Your spine burns beneath your skin and your sore jaw hangs unwillingly open, sloppy mouth dripping a string of semen between your splayed palms.

He crouches before you, dripping cock like your mouth, milked to heavy softness hangs long and sated between his thighs. And he pets your crown, the vulnerable shell of your ear, whole body on fire so that every inch of skin hurts without his touch, hurts worse with it.

“Good girl,” he says now with voice.

The walk seems longer some days. A thousand miles plus an eon instead of merely three. Especially on the days you’re more desperate than usual. The ones when your stomach feels full of sugar for him and the memory taste of his cock is already aching in your molars. Those days your steps are hurried, look in your eyes frenzied to get to him, to escape the things you leave behind. A too full house, your sister’s squalling, teething baby, your little brothers, and too many mouths to feed and not attention to be had, not enough mother for everyone to get loved.

There’s reasons for this game between the two of you, you’d had to come out and find your attention somewhere else.

Your love too.

And if it comes with a sting sometimes, well, so had your mother’s. You like it like this now.

The first time he’d touched your cunt: show me that pretty pussy, baby, and he’d had you from that very first sweet word, you gonna let me finger it? You’d spread wide, leaked into the cup of his palm like a whore, you’d needed to make sure he was for keeping from the first try, you see. So you’d done all he’d said, taken four fingers and only cried a little bit but whined a lot. Been all, hurts, Joel, high pitched and dragging his name out on a puppy whimper.

He’d given you that first lesson in hurt the very first time: Yeah? Supposed to. A real mean man. And then made you gush into that very cupped palm so that he could drink of your sweetness.

The third mile comes to an end, the precursor, over, his house in view. It’s all quiet and slumbering and the long grass pulls you forward with its wind blown sway. The wide door to his shed is propped open, half finished rocking chair up on the workbench that sways with the intruding gust. The grass whispers behind you, the dark woods across the field moan, and he’s nowhere while the Tetons loom in the distance.

You drag your fingers along the slats of his house as you pass, everything is so quiet, like he’d never been here. Like he’d gone and left you the way he’s promised he’d never do. Your belly feels bloated with heat, heart turned into four incongruous chambers that no longer beat in tune, memories of him rioting between each thump. Your cunt goes soft and drooling in your panties as your fear beats higher and higher, and you come to the mouth of the shed, peering into the cool darkness of this little place where he makes his beautiful things. The things that go into people’s homes to be used by people’s families to be stored in people’s memories.

The gleam of the sun does not cross the threshold, and you brace your palms on either side of the wide door, the air thrums and he’s not here—yet—you slide the toe of Lucy’s old boot across the border of sunlight into sanctuary and peek your closed-eyed face into the shade right before you’re taken bodily to the ground by his heavy weight. Palms catching splinters, his strong chest heaves into the line of your spine, strong arm at your waist to pull your breath from your lungs and your legs from under you.

He forces you belly first to the ground, other hand circling your throat in the imitation of a strangle lest you lose yourself and decide to struggle for the first time ever. But you dig your fingernails into the dirt, scratching for purchase in preparation of what’s about to come, all the fight going out of you; body, half in shadow, half in sunlight. Your bones feel salt bleached. An over abundance of sodium in the blood that renders you catatonic for him.

He nuzzles soft at your nape while his hand shoves under your dress, ripping your underwear down your legs so that the elastic cuts into your tender skin to hurt. All incongruous movement, this man is.

“Didn’t your daddy ever tell you not to go creepin’ ‘round strange men’s homes?” His voice is so deep, drawled, broken up into different notes of lust and anger and temerity. All the strange things that make Joel Miller up.

Yeah, you sigh into the dirt. “Told me exactly how it’d go for me if I did.”

You hitch your rump up then, presenting your cunt for fucking. The breeze doesn’t do half to soothe the throbbing wet. The sort of ache that’ll only be fixed by something heavy inside the hurting place. The sound of his belt quiets the disparate chambers, the beat in your ears of rushing blood is uniform now, there’ll be a wet spot in the shape of you in the dirt when he’s through. You lift your hips higher, knees scraped rough as you spread wider, face pressed to the ground and your fingers are well and burrowed in their little gouges now.

He smacks the heft of it against you asshole, spits and presses a little. He likes to scare you sometimes. Nooo, Joel, all whining stutter, but with your back arching deeper like a little babied liar; you don’t mind where he puts it, only that he puts it somewhere.

“Hush,” he soothes all nice, spanks your ass once all not— “Gonna teach you a lesson.” And shoves inside, bumping against your womb on the first try, stretching your hole too wide, too quick. And there’s no prep, no qualm. No need to hesitate when you own a thing. You swallow your animal cry, ah ah ah, you want to hear how good you’ve been out loud. He grips your hips tight enough to bruise which is what you know he wants and fucks hard and fast, each swing whistles with ownership.

He fucks you in the dirt like an animal, and this affair is virtuous.

He teaches you the truth about hurting, about ownership, about so many things that only a man like Joel Miller could teach a girl like you. And all the while he tells you that you’re too pretty to take such an ugly fucking.

The way he works your cunt, hungry, balls swinging wet so that they sting like his slaps, tip battering hard so that it aches like gratitude.

These are the things three miles give you. A whole man to teach you about the whole world.

The slick squelch of your overwhelmed cunt sounds loud, no more disparate heartbeat, no more green grassed whispers. Only the sound of his grunting above you like an animal remains. “You’re the perfect little cunt. You know that, baby?” There it is, you sigh. Start to tremble around him like that, like his good baby that you are, desperate flutters, little gash being fucked into obedience like you need. Your overwhelmed pants make little dirt dream clouds before your eyes as you start to come for him, crying his name, crying your love, crying that you’re so, so thankful.

“Don’t stop, Joel. Not yet.” And he loves it when you beg, loves it when your cunt pulls tight like a knot.

“Not yet,” he promises because he might be a real mean man, but he loves you like separating salt from blood.

Complicated and precise.

When he’s through with you, there’s sunlight spilling over everything again. It’s journey goes on and on, and his semen drips from your cunt now. He turns gentle, thrusting still, making sure it’s fucked deep, pulsing in time with your own throb. Rhythms merge between the two of you.

His rules are strange, his claims over you equally mysterious. He won’t say things out loud, won’t let you touch any real part of him, but his strange truths ring loud anyways, and when your heart isn’t disjointed, you hear him perfectly well.

When he lays you out bare and trembling across his messy bed, the groaned pains of his age and rutting in the dirt like an animal sound from him as he drapes himself alongside you. Large and hairy, feet hanging off the end of the bed, entirely real with one knee propped up so that his thick cock lays heavy and soft over the swell of his belly. Your heart beats soft and overfull now.

You watch the sun set across the planes of his chest and bask in the blue dark as the night draws breath around you. The work of meting out obedience to little girls who come searching for it is toiling, and you watch him melt into sleep, but right before he’s just gone away from you, with a single finger petting at the jut of the old broken bone in his shoulder, your whispered plea: Will you give me a falseness? You don’t call it a lie. This is a virtuous thing, after all.

Lies aren’t allowed in this house.

He breathes a deep sigh, and you watch the fan of his long lashes sweep open, staring up at the shadowed rafters of his home. You swear you can see each and every individual whisker in his thick beard, dark and gray dispersed throughout. You see every single detail.

He’d told you once there were ghosts here, in this house, and you’d learned later it wasn’t a lie. This became more and more obvious the more you got to know him.

He stares up at them now.

When he’d taken your virginity, when it’d left you the way you’d always imagined it would, covered in tears and blood and semen, you’d made that promise to each other. That you wouldn't lie, that he’d have all of you, that you’d not touch all of him. The ghost lay beside you in the damp bed of your lost innocence that day. It’d been just so ever since and over many miles of three you’d come to appreciate the realities of it. Who could be more connected than two people who always tell each other their truths exactly as they are?

“Give me a falseness,” you say again, not a lie.

“A good kind of a bad kind?”

You flip a mind’s coin, wish you could see the exact ghosts he sees— “Bad.”

He turns to look at you, this half smile he wears is your second favorite one now, the honest one, and it’s all there for you to see. All the disparate chambers of Joel, just like your heart beating in your ears. You suppose the ghosts don’t matter then.

“I don’t love you.”

And you nod solemn. Bad, like a whisper, like your game.

You smile back, the one you know he likes best, the one that looks like his.

Netherfeildren’s Masterlist

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#vic fic #joel miller x reader #joel miller fanfiction #Joel Miller smut #joel miller #the last of us AU

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dduane · 7 months

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The Young Wizards series turns 40!

...And yes, we're having a sale to celebrate. But that can wait. :)

I'm sitting here looking at the date and considering how amazing it is that, despite the changes in the publishing world, anything can stay in print nonstop for forty years.

But this book has. Here's how it started:

...Well, not how it started. It started with three things:

A newbie YA writer being deeply annoyed with a non-newbie one for (as she thought) stripping their teenage characters of their agency without good reason.

A suddenly-appearing joke involving two terms or concepts that wouldn't normally appear together: the 1950s young-readers' series of careers books with titles that always began So You Want To Be A..., and the word "wizard."

And the idea immediately springing from that juxtaposition. What if there was such a book? Not a careers book, but a book that told you how to be a wizard—maybe some kind of manual? One that would tell you the truth about the magic underlying the universe, and how to get your hands on it... assuming you felt you could promise the things that power would demand of you, and survive the Ordeal that would follow?

Six or seven months after that confluence of events, there was a novel with that joke-line as its title. A month or so after that, the novel was bought. So You Want To Be A Wizard came out as a Fall 1983 book, as you can see from the Locus Magazine ad above (from back when Locus was only a paper zine). The first reviews were encouraging.

And by the middle of 1984, the publishers were asking, "So, what's next?" A question I'm still busy answering.

There's been a lot of water under the wizardly bridge since. In SYWTBAW's case, this involved a couple/few publishers, a surprising number of covers, a fair number of awards here and there; and lots more books. (I always knew there'd be more, but how many more continues to surprise me. Which is a bit funny, considering how much stuff that universe has going on in it.)

So here we are at forty, and looking ahead to The Big Five-Oh with some interest. More books? Absolutely. Young Wizards #11 is in progress at the moment, and YW #12 is in the late concept stages. More covers for So You Want To Be A Wizard? Seems inevitable. A TV series, perhaps? (shrug) Stranger things have happened: we'll keep our fingers (or other manipulatory instrumentalities) crossed. The New Millennium Editions in translation? and in international paperback? Working on that right now. The sky's the limit.*

And meanwhile, to celebrate, just for today we'll have a sale. (Except in the UK. To our British friends, the usual sad apology: the expensive bureaucracy of Brexit has made it impossible for us to sell directly to you any more. Details here, with our apologies.)

As has been mentioned before, changes are afoot at Ebooks Direct, so this kind of sale won't be happening again for the foreseeable future. (In fact I thought we were all done with them already. But the number 40 suggested one last opportunity that wouldn't be recurring, so I thought, "Aah, what the heck? Let's.")

New things first! Today, to mark this occasion, we're introducing the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. This is Ebook Direct's entire inventory of Young Wizards works; the contents of the bundle are listed on its product page. The $29.99 price listed there is for today only, to celebrate SYWTBAW's birthday, and will go up as of 23:59 Hawai'ian time tonight. As always, should you ever lose your ebooks or need to change reading platforms, we'll change your formats as necessary, or replace the books, for free.

Just click here, or on the image below, for the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. (Please ignore the category listings under the "Pay Using..." icons on the product page: they plainly think they're in a different universe. Kind of an occupational hazard around here...)

The other, older kind of sale folks will have seen here is on the "I Want Everything You've Got" Bundle, which is the whole Ebooks Direct store—obviously including all the Young Wizards books as well: more than 2.5 million words in 36 DRM-free ebooks. Just for today, in honor of the birthday book, we're dropping the whole-store price to USD $40.00. This, too, will go away just before midnight Hawai'ian time tonight... and it will never be lower. So if you want everything we've got at that price, don't wait around.

Make sure you use this link or the one associated with the image to get the baked-in discount at checkout. (If it fails to display correctly, use the discount code "40FOR40" in the checkout's "discount code or gift code" field.)

Meanwhile? Onward into the next decade. The new A Day at the Crossings novel unfortunately won't make it out before the end of 2023; other work in-house currently has taken priority. But as for early 2024... stay tuned.

And for those of you who're Young Wizards readers, and have kept this book, and its sequels, alive for pushing half a century?

Thank you, again and always!

*Though actually, it's not, is it? As the proverb has it, "Wizardry doesn't stop at atmosphere's edge..."

#Young Wizards series #Young Wizards meta #So You Want To Be A Wizard #ebooks #Diane Duane

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tarotwithavi · 9 months

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How are you glowing up?

How to choose a pile?

Take a deep breath and gently close your eyes. Politely request your spirit guides to reveal the appropriate pile meant for you, then open your eyes. Whichever pile captures your attention is the one meant for you.

Masterlist

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Pile 1

Hello my pile 1! I've noticed you've been putting in some serious work and hustle to chase your goals. Looks like some of you have been giving your body some love too! I'm seeing you hitting the gym, doing yoga, and taking care of yourselves, major kudos for that. It seems like all this effort is gonna pay off. You're on track to see those results you've been after. Also, brace yourselves, because there's a swarm of potential partners headed your way. Lots of proposals might be coming in hot. I'm getting that a makeover might be on the horizon. Maybe you'll finally let go of those nagging thoughts and chop your hair, grab a tattoo, or snag a new piercing. The vibe I'm getting is that this change will help you feel like your authentic self and boost your confidence. your dream job is in sight! You've been longing for it, and it's making its way to you. Now, about that spiritual journey you're on – it's gonna be quite the ride. Big changes are afoot, and yeah, they might bring some rough patches. I won't lie, spiritual awakenings can throw things out of whack. You might lose some friends, maybe even have some family stuff to deal with. But remember, all of this is gonna teach you lessons and lead to better days ahead.

Pile 2

Hey pile 2, I've got a feeling that some of you might've gone through a recent loss or missed out on an opportunity that's bugging you. Hold tight, because the upcoming twists in your life are gonna be jaw-dropping. Stressed about your studies, huh? Well, I see a mentor striding into the scene. They're gonna drop some serious wisdom bombs on you and help you level up in whatever you're studying. This one's especially for all you students out there. It seems like some of you have been dabbling in singing. Turns out, you're toying with the idea of making a career out of it. Your voice is gonna go through a crazy transformation. It'll become so captivating and irresistible that people are gonna be head over heels for it. Air energy is flooding this reading, so you might be an air sign or have a strong connection to it. Some of you are in for a big surprise, an invitation that's gonna turn your world around. You've been waiting on this one for a while, and it's finally here. Remember, your existence is massive and you're destined for some seriously awesome stuff. Keep that self-belief rocking and keep pushing forward, beause you're bound to snag every single dream you've got.

Pile 3

Hey there pile 3! So, while I was tuning into the messages for you, the first thing that popped up was "get ready for some justice served!" The rough patch you've been going through is finally taking a backseat. All those pesky things that were bugging you? Yup, they're on their way out! It seems like you might have had a recent breakup or some friend drama. But hold on tight, because these experiences are going to fire you up to stand up for yourself. Those choices you've been putting off? Time to make them! I'm sensing a major revenge glow on the horizon. Those doubters? They're in for a shock, because you're about to become the center of attention. People are going to flock to you, and even that social media game of yours. One of those videos might just blow up big time! And hey, not only are you going to be a total magnet, but your skin is going to start clearing up and your hair? Oh, it's on its way to luscious town. Every little thing about you is on the transformation train, think caterpillar to butterfly style. You're stepping into a time of being genuinely attractive and You're finally going to be getting the attention you've totally earned. Pisces energy is heavy in his pile.

#tarot reading #tarot cards #pick a card #free readings #free tarot #tarot #pick a pile #tarotblr #pick a picture #pick a photo #tarotwithavi #tarot witch #oracle reading #psychic readings #intuitive readings #self concept

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readbycrow · 3 months

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What's the first step on your next adventure?

3-10-2024 - Pick A Card

The images are in order of the cards below. The images just help pick which card is your answer. Pick an image, find the card, receive your answer. Hope to give some senses of reassurance and direction. Life really is just a series of adventures, some more fun than others.

Citrus - In a strange twist of fate, your next step is to wait. It's so easy to jump on a bandwagon or give into FOMO. It's truly a test of patience to just let the world go by for a minute. You might be someone who dives head first into the deep end on everything, and, while sometimes that can serve you well, that's not the course of action you need here. The devil is in the details with your life right now. You need to sort out some of the finer points and come up with a solid plan on how to proceed forward. This will be frustrating, and you might try to push forward before you're ready. There will be push back if you do. This is a time to take your time.

Cherries - The next adventure awaits, you just have to figure out which one it is. There's plenty of opportunities afoot in your life, and you find yourself in a position to take one. It's a matter of deciding what. The choice is truly yours, but some outside motivators may pull you one way or the other. There are also more things available if you're willing to put in time and effort into learning something new. A few basics in a new skill or a whole deep dive might lead you right where you're being called. The world is truly your oyster right now, and there's very little to hold you back from making your dreams a reality.

Berries - Your first step to your next big adventure is to let go of some things. You're worried, scared, and feeling hopeless. Maybe it's getting hard to sleep at night. That's okay. These things happen to a lot of people. Whether a chemical imbalance, trauma, or long-term stress has put you here, you deserve care and recognition of your problems. The worst is over, and what's left is what's inside of you. Be kind to yourself while you figure this out. There's no rushing, and there's plenty of people willing to help you if you reach out. This will pass or become manageable. You will be back on track soon.

Hello! Welcome to the bottom of the post. This crow just wants to let you know that it will pull a free card for you if you send an ask to its blog! It does trades of unwanted things for a card. If you don’t specify a question, the card will be about what you’ve given up. Feel free to check the pinned post for more information. The crow also does more professional readings on ko-fi! Apologies for the absence, the Crow changed nests! It and it's companions are now settling into a new space, and it is a lovely one!

#tarotblr #witchblr #pick a pile #pick a card #tarot readings #tarot reading #free tarot reading #caws #readings

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sihtricfedaraaahvicius · 3 days

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A Place to Call Home

Note: a big thank you to @canyonmoon-2 for this request, and even more for being so patient! I know it's taken me so long to write this, I am sorry for that, but I really hope you'll like this 🖤

Reblogs & comments are greatly appreciated 🖤

Warnings: brief mention of losing loved ones at the start, other than that; all fluff!

Pairing: Sihtric x you (f)

Summary: you lived a domestic life with Sihtric during the sickness, after you had only just met.

Word count: 2,9k

Masterlist

Your village had been burned down in an attempt to try and stop the sickness from spreading. You had gotten away in time but didn't have a place to call home anymore, and in the end, the flames hadn't stopped the illness from spreading further.

You wandered the deserted lands for days on your own after you had fled, not encountering a single living person until you eventually crossed paths with an odd group during another hot and sunny afternoon.

The strange mixture of travellers you encountered consisted of a shy monk, a loud Irish man, a handsome Dane, a few youngsters and a kind Saxon lady. Finan, the Irish man, asked where you were heading to after you had introduced yourself, and you confessed you weren't sure where you were going. He then asked you if you were good with children, to which you answered that you used to take care of your younger sister but that you had lost everything and everyone way before the sickness had even appeared. And after Finan had consulted the monk and the Dane for a brief moment, while the Saxon lady stood protectively in front of the children, you were invited to travel with them, which you gladly accepted.

You were happy to find yourself afoot with the group, as your spirits were lifted by simply being in the presence of the living, and the fact that these living hadn't lost their hope and own good spirits did you well too. You got along with all of them, and Eadith, the Saxon lady, was someone you immediately felt at ease with. You also discussed your role in the group with her, and as Eadith would make sure to look after the youngsters during the night and to tend to possible wounds or illness, you agreed to prepare food for everyone and keep an eye on the young ones during the day. During your travels you enjoyed the banter between Finan and Osferth, the monk, and your heart filled with joy at the laughter of the younger companions. But you quickly realised you couldn't help but let your eyes wander to the handsome Dane, Sihtric.

Initially you had tried to keep your distance from Sihtric, as he was rather rough looking, but when you suddenly had to share a room with him once you arrived in Wollerton for a well-needed respite, things changed quickly. The wooden house you all stayed at was big, but so was the group you travelled with. And after you had claimed your room for the next few days, you found out that Sihtric had claimed that very same room too. Finan enjoyed the awkward moment when you and Sihtric tried to figure out what to do next, as there was only one bed and you both didn't want to give up the room.

You didn't know if the people you had only just met could be trusted at night so you wanted your own room, but Sihtric didn't want to give up the room because he did not want to sleep with Finan or Osferth. And as Eadith would already share her room with the kids, Sihtric didn't want that room either. Eventually Sihtric offered to share the room, but not the bed, to which you agreed after the Dane said he'd sleep on the floor.

You were pleased to find out Sihtric was rather quiet and one to keep his word, and he also swore to protect you whenever the need would be there, so you finally slept decently for the first time in quite a while. But before you dozed off, Sihtric had carefully asked about you and your story, and he in return was willing to share a little about himself and the people he travelled with. You believed you were amongst good people, and the stories that you were told made you only more interested in the beautiful and kind stranger who slept next to your bed, on the hard wooden floor.

The following day you tried to find your way around the house, like everyone else, and you quickly found out that it was nearly impossible to keep an eye on those kids on your own when they were awake. Finan and Osferth were out near the woods, practising their sword skills, while Eadith took a well deserved nap after having been up for most of the night, taking care of poor Aelfwynn who had fallen ill.

You ran around the house, the skirt of your linen dress clutched in your hands while desperately trying to keep up with the kids and their shenanigans. It was a tiring task, and on top of that everyone also depended on you to prepare food for them, and you were running out of time to put dinner together. With flushed cheeks and strands of hair stuck to your sweaty forehead, after you had chased the kids outside, you found Sihtric in the living room area on your way to the kitchen. He was comfortably sitting with his legs spread out on the table in front of him, and he enjoyed some fresh water from a golden cup while he laid back.

'Sihtric?' you carefully interrupted his leisure, 'I… I'm sorry to ask, but could you perhaps help me?'

'Help?' Sihtric asked with a light frown, and he sat up straight, 'of course, lady. What is it you need?'

'It's the kids,' you confessed with an awkward chuckle, 'they are… I can't keep an eye on them all at once, and Eadith is resting. I just managed to make them play outside in the garden, because I also need to prepare food, but-'

'I will send them to Finan and Osferth,' Sihtric said with a soft smile, and he immediately jumped up to act on his words.

'Thank you,' you sighed with relief.

You began gathering the ingredients for the broth you were to make for dinner while Sihtric handled the kids outside and herded them away from the house. And when he returned, he quietly circled around in the kitchen behind you while you were oblivious, and he noticed you looked tired and a little stressed out. He saw the amount of unchopped vegetables on the wooden counter and watched you slice the rabbit meat, which was caught yesterday, as fast as you could while you had placed a large pot above the fire.

'Lady,' Sihtric said softly, yet he still startled you.

You jumped at his sudden presence, almost dropping the knife you held, and chuckled with a gasp as you turned around to face him.

'I'm sorry,' he said, 'I did not mean to scare you, I only want to ask if you need a hand.'

'It's okay,' you smiled and hid your flushed face, 'I just didn't hear you come back. But,' you paused and looked at the amount of unprepared food, 'I could use your help, yes.'

'Say no more,' Sihtric smiled and gave you a curt nod, then reached behind his back to unsheathe the dagger that was attached to his leather belt, 'I'll take care of those vegetables.'

You and Sihtric then prepared the food in silence together, enjoying the peace and quiet in the large house without the children running and screaming around. You worked smoothly beside each other in the kitchen, giving each other an occasional smile in passing and sometimes a lingering touch when handing something, which warmed your cheeks every time. And you had the same effect on Sihtric, his rosy cheeks betraying the pleasant warmth he felt whenever he was close to you. But you both left it unspoken and linger in the air around you.

You and Sihtric gave each other an understanding glance once you heard the children approach the house again after several hours, along with Finan and Osferth, knowing that the peacefulness you had experienced while making food was over now. And you all ate dinner in the large yet cosy dining area. The room was filled with chatter and laughter while you and Sihtric looked at each other a little more than you did at the others, as you sat on opposite ends of the oaken table, smiling faintly and as discreetly as possible to each other amidst the company of everyone else.

Later that night, after Sihtric had helped you wash the plates and cups and when darkness had taken over the sky outside, you both retreated back to your shared room. You talked quietly for hours, while the weather outside changed and thick dark clouds covered the Moon and her silver glow. The clouds brought rain, and soon after the drizzle had turned into big drops, thunder joined and rolled through the sky, making for a warm summer's night storm. Sihtric enjoyed the almost deafening thunder and the way the wooden beams vibrated at the heavy sound, while you clutched your sheets with sweaty hands and hid your face underneath.

You betrayed your own fear when you let out a sudden gasp once another bright flash spooked you, and it caught Sihtric's attention.

'Afraid, lady?' his voice was a calming remedy amidst the stormy night.

'I'm okay,' you said, but the tremble in your voice told him you were lying.

Sihtric didn't only hear it in your voice, but he also sensed your fear in the room. And while the thunder continued to terrorise the night, Sihtric quietly reached up the bed with his hand, in search of yours, and he didn't let go of your sweaty palm until he was sure you were fast asleep.

And since you had been so tired from your first full day around the children, you didn't even hear them cry at night a few rooms down the hall, as the weather had spooked them all too and Eadith had to hush them back to sleep.

The next day wasn't so different from the day before. You tried to keep up with the kids, which was impossible, while everyone else seemed occupied again, except for Sihtric, who found you plucking apples in the garden at noon. You were once again oblivious that he was there, as his feet were always quiet when he walked, even when unintentional.

'I was thinking,' he began, and he stopped talking when you jumped up and almost dropped the basket of apples, 'I'm sorry.'

Sihtric reached out, preventing the basket from tumbling out of your arms. But you couldn't catch your breath after your initial scare, as you suddenly looked up into his sparkling clear mismatched eyes while you stood closer than ever before.

'It's… it's okay,' you breathed and nervously clasped onto the basket, 'I, eh… what were you thinking of?'

'Huh?' Sihtric murmured and looked puzzled while he got lost in your eyes, 'oh, I… I was thinking that maybe we could take the children today and go for a hike with them, up the hill.'

'Oh,' you smiled, 'sure, yes, but… the food-'

'I already asked Eadith,' Sihtric said, excitement twinkling in his eyes, 'she will gladly prepare the food to have a break from them, so you and I can take them out for the day.'

You didn't mind spending some more time with Sihtric, and the children could use a good walk too in order to tire them out, so you agreed without any hesitation.

And not much later you and Sihtric strolled upwards the hill, through the tall grass, while the kids ran and wrestled each other ahead of you. It was another warm sunny day, but that didn't stop Sihtric from reaching out and holding your hand without saying a word. Your fingers were intertwined as you reached the top of the hill together, and there you laid down in the grass, under a thick tree from where you could watch the kids play at a safe distance. You both mindlessly leaned into each other as the time passed, gazing into each other's eyes while hands dared to discover each other's clothed bodies while talking about your pasts and eventually your futures. You both blushed as you explored his strong arms with your gentle hands, while his rough fingers lightly caressed your exposed ankles.

'Do you want pups yourself?' Sihtric asked.

'One day,' you smiled as you looked at the kids, 'hopefully I will be blessed one day, yes. But I'll need a husband first,' you said and looked back at him, 'what about you?'

'Yeah,' Sihtric chuckled, trying to be nonchalant while his cheeks warmed up again, and not because of the sun, 'I hope to be blessed too one day, with a wife and some of those little ones.'

You observed Sihtric while he nervously plucked at the tall grass beside him, biting down on his lip as he seemed to fight a smile.

'Do you need my help tomorrow?' he asked, 'with anything?'

'Maybe,' you shrugged lightly, 'I can always use some help preparing food or watching them,' you nodded towards the kids.

'I will help you,' Sihtric smiled, 'anytime.'

You smiled at him, and then he suddenly reached for your chin and leaned in, capturing you in the softest and sweetest kiss possible, which weakened your body and mind entirely until you were rudely disturbed when one of the youngsters fell and began to cry.

'I'll have a look,' Sihtric said as you attempted to get up, and you sat back with a smile on your face as you watched him tend to Aethelstan's bruise.

In the following days you and Sihtric grew closer as he continued to help you cook, clean and to look after the kids. Every night Sihtric would hold your hand while you still slept separately, and soon you began to steal quick and gentle kisses while preparing food in a quiet house. Finan had caught you two kissing in the kitchen several times already, and he only smirked whenever you and Sihtric backed away from each other quickly when being caught, pretending as if nothing had happened.

And Sihtric still maintained his bond with Finan and Osferth, in between spending time with you, occasionally ending in a brawl with them after some ale had been consumed late at night while the children were asleep and the grown up had a moment to wind down. But you somehow knew how to rile Sihtric back in before those friendly brawls would get out of hand. And once back in your shared room, you soon started to make out with him for hours on end. On the bed, on the floor, on the small table in the corner, it didn't matter to either of you as long as you got to be close after being around each other the whole day yet not being able to be openly intimate yet.

And it seemed that every day Sihtric became more and more adjusted and fond of the domestic life you lived temporarily together. You eventually shared the bed and woke up together, after which you'd make breakfast for him and the others, look after the kids, make lunch, take the kids for a hike or teach them how to defend themselves, followed by making dinner together and ending the day falling asleep together after hours of passionate kissing and even lovemaking.

And Sihtric soon figured out that this was what had been missing in his life, and what he had been unknowingly searching for ever since he was old enough to be called a young man; a place to call home. He started to crave to become a father of his own pups, even though he cared for the kids he had travelled with as if they were his own. But even more so he craved to be with you, and the idea of making you his wife and you carrying his pups drove him to near madness. And one day he simply couldn't contain his hope and excitement anymore when you were making dinner together for the last evening in the house, as you were to travel further by morning.

'Be my wife?' Sihtric blurted out while you were chopping meat together.

'I- what?' you gasped and chuckled, then frowned and looked at him, 'Sihtric?'

'My wife,' Sihtric said hoarsely, his nerves suddenly taking over, 'will you be my wife and have my pups?'

His big mismatched eyes darted all over your face while he awaited your answer in silence, and you both dropped your knives on your counter. You blinked rapidly, confused and overwhelmed but also taken by excitement and love. Because you loved Sihtric. You had fallen in love with him so quickly, and so had he, and there was nothing you wanted more than to be with him for the rest of your life and to raise your kids together. And so you smiled, widely, while tears crept up in your eyes and you then swung your arms around his neck.

'That's all I want,' you murmured while your face was buried in his chest.

'Then that is what you will have,' Sihtric smiled as he held you tightly wrapped in his arms, 'my lady.'

And with that promise, Sihtric had given you a place to call home again. A place where you finally belonged and felt safe again after everything, and that place was in his heart, which would always beat a little faster when you were around him, and he would love you and care for you and protect you until the day his heart was to stop.

taglist: @foxyanon @alexagirlie @sihtricsafin @neonhairspray @gemini-mama

@lexeirikrleif @sigtryggrswifey @skyofficialxx @djarinsgirl27 @m-a-s-h-k-a

@verenahx @mrsarnasdelicious @diiickbrainn @little-diable @maii777

@urmomsgirlfriend1 @dixie-elocin @elle4404 @bubblyabs @ylvie50

@hb8301 @willowbrookesblog @apolloanddaphnis @jennifer0305

@carnationworld @justanother-sihtricgirlie @stark-head @reidsbookstore @thenameswinter99

@deathbluestar113 @ladyinred2248 @zaldritzosrose @maryelle-cats @penumbrie

@solinarimoon @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @yungpoetfics @legitalicat @stupiddarkkside @volklana @sleepjam

if you want to be added to/deleted from the taglist, message me 🖤

#sihtric x reader #sihtric x you #sihtric kjartansson #sihtric #the last kingdom #tlk #sihtric fic #tlk fic

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the-marigold-reception · 17 days

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Hi! I was wondering if you could do Mordecai writing a love letter confessing his feelings to his love interest. I believe he wouldn’t be as poetic as Rocky, but since he is so into reading and talking with big words I do think it would be a little dramatic letter. Just a paroxysm of everything he may feel.

If you don’t like that idea, how about him as a secret admirer? (As you may have noticed, I am quite a big fan of love letters, lmao). How he would struggle to leave his letters without being seen and the way he would try to get his crush to say anything about it while not looking suspiciously involved.

Thank you very much. Your page is my favourite, so I hope you don’t mind taking one of my ideas.

To Whom It May Concern,

I have admired you for some time now, and I must confess my feelings. Your presence captivates me, and I find myself thinking of you incessantly. I harbor a deep affection for you that cannot remain unspoken any longer.

Yours Truly,

A Secret Admirer

It takes him a while to actually place the letter somewhere you’ll find it

He’s so nervous to be this vulnerable about his emotions

When he finally posts the letter into your letterbox, in the dead of night, fully decked out in black so no one- not even you would be unable to spot him

The next night he’ll come back and see the letter is gone- now he knows the waiting game is afoot

He won’t have to ask you if you’ve received any weird mail because you’ll come straight to him

(He’s very happy that you depend on him for help with simple things)

“Mordecai! I got this letter and I realllllly want to know who it is- can you help me draw up a systematic chart of likely to unlikely?”

The strong urge to tell you it’s him starts there

But he is flattered when you write his name down first out of anyone-

If you don’t figure it out after the first letter, he’ll send you another

To Whom It May Concern

It is with a trembling hand and an eager heart that I pen these words to you. The world around us is a tempest of change and noise, yet in your presence, I find a sanctuary of calm. The bustle of the city, the clamor of the jazz bands, all fade into a distant murmur when I am with you. It is as if time itself pauses, granting us a stolen moment of eternity.

How I wish I could express these feelings openly, but alas, the constraints of our world bind me to the shadows.

Yet, let this letter serve as a beacon of my affection, a silent testimony to the depths of my devotion. Until the day we can walk freely under the sun, I shall remain, faithfully and fervently,

Yours, in silence and in longing.

He’s a bit worried about what your reaction will be when you figure out it’s him

If you figure out it’s him-

You definitely know

You snuck into his office and checked the penmanship, the speech pattern was the same as Mordecai’s and he’d started to get increasingly nervous around you

One day a letter is slid under Mordecai’s office door whilst he’s working

To my Longing Admirer

Your letter found its way to my heart as surely as a sunbeam pierces through the morning mist. Your words, so tender and earnest, have stirred within me a curiosity and a longing I can scarcely describe.

It is with a blend of trepidation and exhilaration that I respond to your heartfelt confession. The sentiments you have shared resonate deeply with my own unspoken dreams and desires. Though the world may impose its boundaries upon us, I find myself yearning to transcend them, if only for a moment.

Might we dare to meet, and allow our hearts the luxury of true connection? If it pleases you, let us rendezvous at the Serendipity Tearoom on the corner of Elm and Rose, this Saturday at three o'clock. There, amidst the soft murmur of whispered secrets and the delicate clink of teacups, we may find solace in each other's company.

I shall be the one with a single gardenia, tucked gently in the folds of my dress. Until then, I remain,

Yours in hopeful anticipation,

An Enchanted Soul

[should I do a Part 2?]

#lackadaisy x reader #lackadaisy mordecai x reader #lackadaisy mordecai #mordecai heller #mordecai heller x reader

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alexzalben · 10 months

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Here's the key art and character descriptions for The Boys spinoff Gen V:

Jaz Sinclair plays Marie Moreau, an 18-year-old superhero with the ability to control and weaponize her own blood. As an incoming freshman at Vought-run Godolkin University, she is eager to prove she has what it takes to join The Seven, but is sidetracked by a mystery she begins to unravel at the school.

Chance Perdomo plays Andre Anderson, a junior at Godolkin University with magnetic powers. He’s Golden Boy’s best friend and the son of famous superhero, Polarity; Andre has big shoes to fill as he’s set to take over the Polarity name once his dad retires. When Andre realizes that something is afoot at the school, he takes it into his own hands to try and figure out the mystery.

Lizze Broadway plays Emma Meyer, who is also known by her superhero name, Little Cricket, for her ability to get super small. Though insecure and naive, which often leaves her in compromising positions, she becomes close friends with her freshman roommate, Marie, and together they navigate the mysterious dangers at Godolkin University.

Shelley Conn plays Indira Shetty, the dean of Godolkin University. She doesn’t have powers, but her background in superhero psychology and her peerless ability to analyze what makes supes tick make her indispensable to the school. Her goal is to transform Godolkin University into the most elite college for supes and she takes a special interest in Marie when she arrives on campus.

Maddie Phillips plays Cate Dunlap, a junior at Godolkin University who is good friends with Jordan and Andre. Cate is able to push people to do anything she commands using the touch of her hands, which she uses to her advantage. Powerful and confident, she’s also Luke’s girlfriend, making her one of the most popular supes on campus.

London Thor and Derek Luh play Jordan Li, a competitive student at Godolkin University who will do anything to get to the top. They have a unique ability of changing between male and female forms, through which different powers manifest— the man is dense and indestructible, while the woman is agile and can launch energy blasts. Their distinct sets of powers make them a standout TA at Brink's School of Crime Fighting.

Asa Germann plays Sam, a troubled supe who is desperately trying to escape his unfortunate circumstances. He’s extremely powerful, with super strength and invulnerability. Despite having a good heart, he’s plagued by his hallucinations, which sometimes make it hard for him to discern between what is—and is not—reality.

Patrick Schwarzenegger plays Luke Riordan, who is also known by his superhero name, Golden Boy, because of his ability to light his entire body on fire. He is a senior at Godolkin University and is in the top rank, having the brightest prospects of joining The Seven.

Sean Patrick Thomas plays Polarity, Andre’s father and largely celebrated Godolkin University alumnus and trustee. Polarity expects his son to follow in his footsteps by taking over the Polarity name when he retires. He believes Andre is destined for The Seven and will stop at nothing to make his dream become reality.

Clancy Brown plays Professor Rich “Brink” Brinkerhoff, a renowned professor of crime fighting at Godolkin University who taught superheroes such as A-Train, Queen Maeve, and The Deep. He is dedicated to finding the top new talent at Godolkin University to join The Seven, and believes Golden Boy has what it takes to be next.

Marco Pigossi plays Dr. Edison Cardosa, a gifted doctor with ties to Godolkin University

#the boys #gen v #prime video

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thelustybraavosimaid · 2 months

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The wargs were the most numerous in that company, the wolf-brothers, but the boy had found the others stranger and more fascinating. Borroq looked so much like his boar that all he lacked was tusks... (Prologue, ADwD)

"The lad's a warg, or close enough," put in Ragwyle, the big spearwife. "His wolf took a piece o' Halfhand's leg."

The Weeper's red rheumy eyes gave Jon another look. "Aye? Well, he has a wolfish cast to him, now as I look close.[...]" (Jon I, ASoS)

He had known what Snow was the moment he saw that great white direwolf stalking silent at his side. One skinchanger can always sense another. (Prologue, ADwD)

Amongst the riders came one man afoot, with some big beast trotting at his heels. A boar, Jon saw. A monstrous boar. Twice the size of Ghost, the creature was covered with coarse black hair, with tusks as long as a man's arm. Jon had never seen a boar so huge or ugly. The man beside him was no beauty either; hulking, black-browed, he had a flat nose, heavy jowls dark with stubble, small black close-set eyes.

"Borroq." Tormund turned his head and spat.

"A skinchanger." It was not a question. Somehow he knew.

...

The skinchanger stopped ten yards away. His monster pawed at the mud, snuffling. A light powdering of snow covered the boar's humped black back. He gave a snort and lowered his head, and for half a heartbeat Jon thought he was about to charge. To either side of him, his men lowered their spears.

"Brother," Borroq said. (Jon XII, ADwD)

-----------

In the dark, the direwolf's red eyes looked black. He nuzzled at Jon's neck, silent as ever, his breath a hot mist. The wildlings called Jon Snow a warg, but if so he was a poor one. He did not know how to put on a wolf skin, the way Orell had with his eagle before he'd died. (Jon III, ADwD)

The gift was strong in Snow, but the youth was untaught, still fighting his nature when he should have gloried in it. (Prologue, ADwD)

Marsh hesitated. "Lord Snow, I am not one to bear tales, but there has been talk that you are becoming too…too friendly with Lord Stannis. Some even suggest that you are…a…"

A rebel and a turncloak, aye, and a bastard and a warg as well. Janos Slynt might be gone, but his lies lingered. (Jon III, ADwD)

"Wolves and women wed for life," Haggon often said. "You take one, that's a marriage. The wolf is part of you from that day on, and you're part of him. Both of you will change."

Perched above the window, the Old Bear's raven peered down at him with shrewd black eyes. My last friend, Jon thought ruefully. And I had best outlive you, or you'll eat my face as well. Ghost did not count. Ghost was closer than a friend. Ghost was part of him. (Jon III, ADwD)

Jon smelled Tom Barleycorn before he saw him. Or was it Ghost who smelled him? Of late, Jon Snow sometimes felt as if he and the direwolf were one, even awake. The great white wolf appeared first, shaking off the snow. A few moments later Tom was there.

...

Ghost nuzzled up against his shoulder, and Jon draped an arm around him. He could smell Horse's unwashed breeches, the sweet scent Satin combed into his beard, the rank sharp smell of fear, the giant's overpowering musk. He could hear the beating of his own heart. When he looked across the grove at the woman with her child, the two greybeards, the Hornfoot man with his maimed feet, all he saw was men. (Jon VII, ADwD)

#we're not so different you and i #asoiaf #jon snow #borroq #also I'm kind of sure that jon draping his arm around ghost made their minds connect to the point where he smelled all that stuff #and heard his own heart beating #so that brief supernatural connection was a really cool touch #also dig the slow but inevitable embrace of what he is #this could have been two posts but nah lmao

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aurora-daily · 2 months

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AURORA talks ‘What Happened To The Heart?’: “Apathy is the biggest enemy to progress”

youtube

AURORA in the interview for NME by Andrew Trendell (March 29th, 2024)

NME: Hello AURORA. Why did you start on this journey of trying to understand the symbolism of the heart?

AURORA: “The world has grown so accustomed to being apathetic. The truth has never been easier to share, but it’s also never been easier to manipulate either. AI was created without our consent; nobody asked us the people if we were ready to have something that big being thrown upon us. Now, so many things are going to change, which I don’t think we can yet grasp.

“Another true form of power is to manipulate people, to embarrass people, to lie; there’s so much that you can do with it that’s dangerous. People are so used to becoming overflooded by misinformation and information, and sadly we’re looking to our influencers and celebrities to tell us what we’re supposed to know about political things instead of reading about it or listening to true experts on the matter.

“Of course, I’m very vocal about things so I do think it’s important as a ‘person with a voice’ or whatever to show people what you stand for, but to be the only arrow for people to show them what they mean – that’s dangerous, as hell!”

Ah, that’s grim…

“I have a lot of hope, but I’m really concerned that everyone’s necks are fucked, everyone is hurting, everyone is tired and depressed. It’s fashionable to joke about nihilism and suicide. We have really lost touch with something that we used to have, and it was really beautiful.”

The last time we spoke was just before the release of ‘The Gods We Can Touch’, fresh after COVID when there was an air of optimism and change afoot after the activism brought on by George Floyd’s murder and a lot of talk about how we relate to each other and the planet. You said: “It’s always a good thing when the oppressed aren’t the only ones fighting and the privileged are starting to fight as well. That’s a sign of true progress”. How you feel about that progress now?

“We aren’t meant to look at a genocide [in Gaza] happening for four months on our phones before we go to work. Because of the overflow of information, our attention span is our biggest weakness. We know how to care about something for a little bit, then we kind of lose touch with it again. Our ability to be persistent with the progress that we feel like we deserve is also weak, which is understandable. I’m not blaming us for that. It’s a very natural reaction to where we are at a species now, but we’re still being forced to become apathetic.

“Apathy is the biggest enemy to progress. But I feel that in shadows and what is not on the news, there are so many good things happening. The world is literally on fire – whether global warming, injustice, slavery in Congo, or a war that nobody can stop. The people that can, won’t, because war is also business. But amongst all of that, a lot of good things are happening too. People are proving that we’re tired of peace in that we want more than that: we want real change and liberation and real progress.

“What was peace for me and you here in London was not peace for other people out there. I’m kind of tired of peace and speeches of peace, because we deserve more than that.”

In asking ‘What Happened To The Heart?’, did you find any answers?

“I kind of did. At one point the album gets very ugly, it gets very harsh, it gets very uncomfortable – before it breaks apart. Then at the end of the album there is insight and truth that you need to go and mend all of the rules that you didn’t acknowledge for all these years.

“That’s what needs to happen. Something needs to break apart a bit. Who knows where the world is heading? The least we can do is just keep being in touch with each other and ourselves.”

But it’s not as easy as that, right?

“We’re stuck in pain and many of us don’t have the energy or the courage to begin doing the small things that can make us feel so much better on a daily basis.

“Imagine what it is to be a human today: you’re on your phone, disconnected, being lied to, being manipulated, then you see what’s wrong with the world – or you think you see it but you don’t know how to do anything about it, so you escape into something else. Imagine living in that world where everyone is supposed to feed you, help you, talk the truth to you, is just constantly bringing you into a system so that they can make money.

The world’s on fire so let’s make some money?

“Yes, it is a bit like that! People are getting so tired of celebrities and politicians. People are getting tired of rich people celebrating themselves while the world is burning. You see people getting tired of it, compared to 50 years ago when it was all the rage and all a hoot!”

There’s been some discussion about whether people want reality or escapism in their music. You’re proving that you can do both.

“You can do both and you should do both, because art is both. It’s all about balance.”

You said that you made it a mission to only write for this record in “unsafe” spaces that made you feel quite alien. Where did take that you? Did it make you feel more or less certain about your ideas?

“Previously, I have gone to a place, locked the doors, turned the lights down low and made an album. This time I wanted to try different rooms and temperatures to write the songs because I needed to access a lot of different AURORAs on this album. It gave me access to a lot of parts of me that I haven’t really faced before; even parts that scared me a little – very personal parts. I’ve been exploring my own darkness more, so it is maybe my most personal album, even though it’s about something so big.”

Did that lead to some new sounds?

“It’s a very human album and there are a lot of things being played. It has a lot of different moods and every song belongs to a different part of the process for me. The album is very different from the three singles, but I like to release songs that confuse people. The fans really like the complexity. I treat the fans like kings and I would never underestimate them with my music. I know they’re going to feel very satisfied with songs that are so multi-dimensional.”

Do you feel like an outlier for that?

“There’s a lack of that. People expect music now to be very instant and free. That’s why there’s all this shit music going around on TikTok. There are also a lot of cool new acts on TikTok. I like that they can promote themselves.

“Anyway, I’ve been exploring a lot of different things. There are new sounds I’ve never heard before. I’ve been experimenting a lot and had so much fun. I nearly shat myself every day! Not that I have an issue with that.”

It’s a good sign of a good time

“I had such a good time. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s extremely playful, and I’ve been working with people I admire.”

Including Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands…

“Always, my mate Tom from Chemical Brothers. We have a lot of fun. We feel like two little aliens walking around, and we have the same hunger for something exceptional. I’m really grateful. I texted him one evening just saying, ‘Tom – puke vomit all over my song please’. And he did, for like four hours.”

Did you get lost in his garden again?

“I’m trying to not do that again. The one time I got lost in his garden it was his daughter’s birthday, and this time it was his birthday. I just love bothering him and his poor family on their birthdays – I never leave them alone. I gave him a cookie wrapped in a napkin that I found on the ground.”

I’m sure he’s OK.

“Is he though? Has anyone heard from him?”

The album also sees you work with Ane Brun, Matias Tellez (Girl In Red, Maisie Peters), Chris Greatti (Yungblud, Blink-182, Pussy Riot), Dave Hamelin (Beyonce, King Princess and Zara Larsson) and Magnus Skylstad. Greatti is somewhat of a maximalist – what did he bring to the table?

“That! I tend to go into very dark landscapes. I like when my songs sound like a landscape, but I needed a few songs on this album to sound like a different part of the process I’m trying to deal with.

“Most of the people I work with come with a little strategy, and it’s based on me meeting them in a bar then saying, ‘Let’s go to the studio now!’ With Chris, it was because I liked his hair. He had a mullet and a glam-rock thing going on. I didn’t know who he had worked with before, but he seemed really interesting. We laughed a lot and we just played. Sometimes it’s about the art, sometimes it’s just about playing, and sometimes it’s about both. We’re really good friends now.”

So if Tom Rowlands brought out the raver in you, Chris Greatti brought out the glam rocker, what did Dave Hamelin bring out in you?

“I remember I lost my voice when I went into the studio with him. It’s not often I work with new people, but sometimes it’s nice to be surprised by the unknown. Not The Unknown from that horrible Willy Wonka Experience…”

Oh you saw that? Are you not gutted to have missed it while you were in the UK?

“I was gutted. I would have loved to have seen The Unknown up-close like that. Why the fuck was he there? It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.”

Well, there’s your next music video

“Don’t out my ideas! But to be thrown into the unknown, I wanted to cancel as I’d lost my voice my manager told me to go [into the studio with Hamelin]. I was there for four hours, I said, ‘Can you make it sound like hell?’ He made it sound terrible like I wanted, I just screamed because I couldn’t sing and it was really satisfying. After four hours I said goodbye. It was a really fast, beautiful, ugly thing – but it was just what I needed.”

Speaking of that primal urge, you play some drums and percussion on this record too right?

“I love being in touch with rhythms. I love a very big diversity in the beats in my music. A long time ago I realised that a lot of deaf people or people with hearing disabilities liked my music, so I make sure to always have a lot of vast variation in the bass regions so that it can be felt.”

How is the new album going to change the live show?

“One of my favourite shows from my childhood – and adulthood – was Avatar: The Last Airbender (not the movie, we don’t talk about that). I always felt like I was either air or water, and I feel like people are scared to change. They’re scared of me changing, they’re scared of the world changing, and themselves. That’s the most beautiful ability we have; it’s so freeing. Jesus Christ! It will change. I want more air, I want to create more space. I want every song to have huge balls.”

You’re playing Royal Albert Hall on your 2024 tour. That has plenty of space for balls.

“Yes, Royal Albert’s balls! I’m excited for every show, and just excited in general.”

And Glastonbury?

“Heck yes! In the name of mathematics, I will conquer Glastonbury. I feel like I have to redeem myself there. Every time I go there, I’ve always had a holiday for like a month. Boy, do I know how to take time off! I always arrive all shrivelled like a raisin. This time I’m going to come back fresh and sweet like a plum. I love Glastonbury because it’s so iconic. Make sure that if you’re going to use drugs that you know what’s in them. Test your drugs, but most importantly: don’t do drugs. It’s a fucking stupid thing to do.”

Any amazing advice to end on?

“Don’t do drugs, but don’t be a don’t-er. Do be a doer.”

#aurora #aurora aksnes #interviews #what happened to the heart?#Youtube

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babyhatesreality · 2 years

Text

Baby Burrito

Pairings: Daddy!Stucky x little f!reader

Summary: Your daddies come up with a clever way to help you get through one of your sensory challenges.

Warnings: SFW Agere (SSC), f! reader, reader is named but name used sparingly, pet names, angsty baby (getting her fingernails and toenails clipped), fluffity fluff fluff fluff.

PLEASE NOTE- THIS STORY IS AGERE AND SFW, THE REST OF MY BLOG IS NOT NECESSARILY SO. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN MEDIA CONSUMPTION. DO NOT COPY, PLAGIARIZE, OR TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORKS ONTO ANY SITE. Likes, comments, and reblogs deeply appreciated!

You wiggled your little butt in your chair, sighing happily. The delicious taste of Papa’s mac and cheese lingered on your tongue, washing away the icky broccoli he’d made you eat too. You had eaten all your veggies, your eyes flicking to both your daddies to see if they’d noticed. All veggies gone meant cookies!

“Atta girl,” Bucky said, reaching over to gather your plate and giving you a kiss on the cheek. “You ate all your broccoli without complaining. I’m proud of you.”

“Tank you! Cookies pwease!”

They both chuckled at that. “You’ll get your cookies later, princess, I promise,” Papa said, leaning back as Daddy took his plate too. They exchanged a brief glance that you missed in your delighted wiggling before Bucky took the dirty dishes to the kitchen sink.

Steve leaned forward, his elbows on the table and his hands folded. “Okay, princess, we’re going to change up the routine a bit tonight,” he said to you, watching you carefully for your reaction. You stopped your wiggling and tilted your head to him, curious as to what he meant by that. “We’re going to go take a bath now, okay?”

“Is bedtime?” you asked, suddenly nervous. Baths always came right before bedtime and bedtime was terrible (in your little mind, anyway). Steve shook his head, then looked quickly over at Bucky, who was hustling to load the dishwasher, before focusing back on you.

“No, not bedtime yet, it’s too early,” Steve reassured you, smiling when you sagged in relief. “But Daddy and I are going to give you your bath now, then afterwards you can pick out a movie to watch and we can have cookies. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah! Is good!” you cheered, not clueing in to the look they exchanged again. “I wove cookies,” you said smugly, very happy with how this evening was panning out.

“Yeah, we know you do, Trouble,” Bucky teased over his shoulder, before drying his hands and coming back to the table. “So be a good girl during bath time tonight and you can have all the cookies you want, okay?”

“Well, now, I don’t know about ALL the-” Steve began, but you interrupted him with a loud scream of delight.

“I WILL BE SO GOOD! YAAAAAAY!!!”

“Hey, hey, inside voice please,” Steve gently reprimanded, reaching out towards you across the table. You stopped the joyful yelling but kept the butt wiggles, eager for bath time to get going. Steve chuckled and came to get you. You squealed in delight as he lifted you onto his hip. You were halfway to the bathroom before you realized Bucky was right behind the two of you.

“Daddy, you gonna take a baf too?” you asked.

“I’m gonna help Papa give you a bath, Little Bit,” he said, reaching out to boop you on the nose. You giggled a bit, but something was off. Usually one or the other of them gave you a bath- they were both big super soldiers and took up a lot of space, so having all three of you in the bathroom at once was usually not a thing. Unless...

Your gaze suddenly swung to Steve, who noticeably picked up his pace. “Papa, we gonna take baf?” you asked anxiously, worried that something was afoot. He didn’t answer you until all three of you were in the bathroom, and Bucky closed the door, standing in front of it. Your eyes widened in horror. No...it wasn’t time....it couldn’t be time to do it again....

“We also need to trim your nails, baby,” Steve said softly.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

You began wiggling with all your might, but you were held fast in the arms of Captain America. You might as well have been trying to move a tanker by leaning against it. You flailed, trying to escape, but it was useless. “I don’t wike it!! I don’t wike it!!” you yowled, twisting madly as Steve tried to lean his face away to escape getting clocked like last time.

You HATED getting your nails trimmed. Didn’t matter that neither Steve nor Bucky had ever hurt you doing it, didn’t matter that your nails were accidentally scratching you on the daily now. Every time it happened, it made you feel as if your teeth were being peeled. You hated the sensation and would do anything to avoid it.

Bucky stepped forward, gently wrapping his arms around both you and Steve, creating another barrier between you and your freedom by pressing you in between them. When you couldn’t even wiggle anymore, you resorted to your overly theatrical wailing, slamming your head into Steve’s shoulder in despair.

“It’s okay baby girl, it’s okay,” Bucky whispered in your ear. “We’re gonna try something new that will help, okay?”

“Don’t wanna!”

“I know you don’t, precious, but we have to,” Steve murmured, pressing his cheek to the top of your head. “We can’t have you getting hurt with your scratchy nails, can we? You’ve got claws like a kitty cat and you’re getting all scratched up.”

“I like kitty cats! Am Katie Cat!”

“We know you are- you’re our special little Katie Cat,” Bucky said, stroking your cheek. “But you’re not a kitty. You’re our little girl and we can’t let our little girl keep getting hurt.”

“Not hurt!”

“Yes you are, that scratch on your arm hurts, doesn’t it?” You growled something unintelligible, unwilling to lie and say that it didn’t hurt. You knew how they felt about lying and after all, it did sting. “And Papa and I want to try something new for you that we think can help. Will you let us do that? Please?”

You turned your teary face just enough to peek at Bucky with one eye. “Wha you do?” you asked, before sniffing mightily. Bucky reached under the sink as you tensed up in Steve’s grip- quite an accomplishment seeing as you were already tense. Bucky came back up with a soft, yellow, fuzzy blanket. Despite your nerves, you perked up a bit. It was pretty and anything that was pretty immediately had your interest.

Daddy held out a corner of the blanket to you, and Papa released his grip just enough to let your little hand reach out. It was so fuzzy and soft...and heavy. “It’s a weighted blanket,” Daddy explained, taking another small handful and rubbing it along your hand so you could feel the smooth texture. “How about we wrap you in the blanket, all nice and cozy, and Papa snuggles you real good? Huh? I’ll go real fast and it’ll be over before you know it. What do you think, baby bear?”

You looked back at Bucky, then at Steve. You let out an exhausted whimper and pressed your face into Steve’s shoulder again. He immediately began rubbing your back. “it’ll be over so soon, princess, then we can watch movies and eat cookies. And you can snuggle in your new blanket. Okay?”

“Don’ wike it, Papa.”

“I know, baby, I know. Your new blanket will help and I will hold on to you the whole time. Are you ready?”

Knowing that there was no way you were getting out of it, you sighed heavily and over-dramatically, hoping it would at least get you a few more cookies after having to endure this torture. “Fast, pwease,” you whispered to Bucky, before turning your face back into Steve’s neck.

Steve rubbed your back consolingly as he sat down on the closed lid of the toilet. He quickly stood you in front of him and Bucky wasted no time draping the warm, sunshiney, weighted blanket around you. Before you could even whimper at what was happening, you were cocooned in the deliciously soft yellow blanket and back on Steve’s lap.

But your eyes never left Bucky. He was getting out the little trimmers, moving quickly but gently so as not to scare you even more. He knelt in front of you and Steve, holding out his vibranium hand to you. It was almost too much, having to give your hand over so he could...you didn’t even want to think about it. “It’s okay, baby bear,” Bucky said soothingly. “Daddy’s not gonna hurt you. Let me have your hand, please.”

It took everything you had in you to extract your hand from the safety of the blanket and peep it out just enough for Bucky to see. He smiled warmly. “That’s my girl, being so brave,” he said encouragingly. He took your hand in his vibranium one. They had learned that even if you were trying your hardest to be good, you would sometimes twitch and jerk away when you felt the clippers. So Bucky used his vibranium hand to hold yours, in a non-painful but still vicelike grip. You squeezed your eyes shut and turned your head into Steve’s chest when you saw him bring the clippers up to your hand.

“Doing so good, bunny,” Steve whispered, keeping his warm, safe arms around you. You were trying as hard as you could, but everything inside of you was telling you to wiggle out of his arms and run away. A tear escaped your eye and you sniffed as you felt the clippers do their work. It didn’t hurt- Bucky never ever hurt you- but you still just absolutely hated it. “See? One hand down. I’m so proud of you, baby,” Steve said, kissing the side of your head as Bucky let your hand go.

“All done,” you tried to declare, yanking your now trimmed nails back into the safety of the blanket. “All done, Daddy. All done. We done.” Maybe if you said it enough, they’d believe you?

“Not quite done, angel,” Bucky said, trying to smother his smile at your attempts to get out of this. “But you’re doing really good. What kind of bath bomb do you want after this?” he asked nonchalantely, as his hand slipped into the blanket to find your other one.

“Um...” you said, distracted when you felt him find your untrimmed fingers. He kept talking, trying to get you to focus on him.

“We got a pink unicorn one, and we have a purple one that smells like grapes, and we have the blue one...”

“Um...blue and pink one?”

“Stevie, we have a blue and pink one, don’t we?”

“We sure do.”

“Would you like the blue and pink one, baby?”

“Yes, pwease.”

“Okay, blue and pink it is. And guess what? Hands are all done,” Bucky said proudly, letting your other hand go. You looked at your now trimmed nails in wonder as Bucky smiled smugly at Steve, proud of himself that you had barely noticed his ministrations while you’d been thinking about bath bombs. Steve winked at him. “We’re almost done, kiddo, you’re doing so good,” Bucky said. He chuckled as he reached for your feet. “You look so cute wrapped up in your fuzzy blanket. Do you like it?”

“Um...yeah,” you said hesitantly, rubbing your cheek on the soft material.

“You look like a fuzzy little duck,” Bucky teased, trying to work fast so you wouldn’t notice. You giggled a bit, but then Steve came up with the real winner.

“With you all wrapped up in this blanket, you look like a Baby Burrito,” Steve said, hugging you a bit tighter and nuzzling your cheek. That made you explode into laughter- something neither of them had ever heard from you while going through the hell of trimming your nails.

“Baby Burrito!! I a Baby Burrito!!” you squealed before laughing again. It sounded so funny! You kept repeating it over and over. Papa joined in your laughter, and Daddy took the opportunity to race through your last couple trimmings while you were so thoroughly distracted. “Daddy?”

“Hm?”

“Can I be a burrito in your army?”

“Of course you can.”

“I Private Baby Burrito!”

That made all three of you laugh uproariously. Before you knew it, Papa was starting to unwind you from your new burrito wrappings. Alarmed and suddenly anxious again, you snatched it back and flung it around yourself. “No! I a burrito!” you said, trembling when you remembered what was happening.

Papa smiled indulgently at you. “You can be a Baby Burrito again after your bath. Don’t you want your pink and blue bath bomb now?” Your head whipped around to find Bucky sitting crisscross applesauce in front of you, grinning to beat the band. He held up his empty hands- the clippers had disappeared.

“You’re all done, Private,” Bucky said, enjoying the moment. “Time for bath and then movie and cookies.” You looked back at Steve in astonishment for confirmation. He smiled at you too. You couldn’t believe it. You were done? And you....had laughed during it? It was over? You sagged in relief against Steve’s chest.

“I WOVE being a burrito,” you mumbled in your bliss. Steve and Bucky laughed again and quickly got to work on bath time. A little while later you were in the living room, having drug your new favorite burrito-blanket out with you and wrapping yourself in it so snuggly that Bucky had to pick you up and put you on the couch between them as you couldn’t move. You managed to pull your hands free when the cookies came out, though. Ah, this was the life.

#daddy!stucky #daddy stucky #daddy!stucky x little!reader #daddy stucky x little reader #daddy!bucky #daddy!bucky x little!reader #daddy bucky #daddy bucky x little reader #daddy!steve #daddy steve #daddy!steve x little!reader #daddy steve x little reader #agere

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slythereen · 7 months

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Hello, I am new to F1 and Charles is my favorite driver. Today I saw many people mentioning Charles' personal fashion CLACE. This project was blocked by Ferrari? But why? Do other drivers have a personal brand? Can they do what they want? I'm very curious about this. What does it mean now that Charles can wear his own clothes? I would be very grateful if you could reply to me<3

not me scrambling to tumblr to scream about the clace photos only to discover this. anon i am so sorry in advance if this goes off the rails but charles wear his own merch again IS kind of a big deal !!

1. why was clace blocked by ferrari?

i believe charles may have started working on clace and the concept of it while he was still with sauber. i’m not 100% on that timeline. regardless, he stopped developing it while at ferrari and once got asked about it. he said something to the effect that it just wasn’t a good time, but sebastian take-no-shit vettel revealed that actually, ferrari won’t let him (or any driver) have his own clothing line. (note to self: come back to link this interview video) so we know that is the true reason.

as to why, it’s because ferrari has an exclusive clothing partnership with puma. the drivers are allowed to design their “own” shirts for special races (like charles’ monza merch), but they are all still produced and sold by puma. the issue with clace, for ferrari/puma, is that it would not be produced by puma and therefore violates that exclusivity clause.

2. do other drivers have their own brands?

yes! not every team has a fully exclusive partnership. and given the individual contracts of drivers and unique brand circumstances (drivers have their own not-team sponsors as well as team sponsors, who sometimes sponsor them as a driver as well), it can vary. so it may be that ferrari as a team has an exclusive arrangement, but charles as a driver and independent contract may develop his own brand line on the side. that was not the case before (and still, theoretically) but just as an example.

off the top of my head: lando has quadrant, which is his own company/esports that sells merch. he also sells LN4 merch. quadrant is technically independent of him. i actually can’t remember if mclaren has a clothing sponsorship tbh, but he’s been able to have his own brand. similarly, max has vestappendotcom and team redline, both of which are independent organizations (and i believe redline has merch). daniel launched enchanté recently. sebastian didn’t start his good-causes t-shirts until after he retired but he has that brand. so yes, personal branding is also big for drivers are they start to develop their reputation as drivers apart from their teams.

as to whether or not they can do what they want… it really will vary based on the individual contract, but not really. i think lewis probably has the greatest freedom over his reputation and personal brand (he does a LOT outside of racing and is globally famous, “beyond” f1), but he likely still has certain clauses relating to his conduct and how it reflects on mercedes. plus, all of the drivers are bound by the fia’s rules (notably, the non-political stance that all drivers have to abide by).

one example along these lines are the driver’s personal cars. not all of them are really bound to have their own team’s constructor’s cars, i don’t think, but it seems like most drivers either do or they have a car from a related partner or sponsor. i know less about the personal cars tbh. charles has his ferrari pista which he mostly drivers, but he also has several other brands. max has several aston martins (which, while being a distinct team, as a Brand is one of red bull’s sponsors). i don’t know what the haas drivers drive, but i wouldn’t be surprised if they have ferraris (because haas uses ferrari engines).

3. so what does it mean that charles is wearing clace?

it means CHANGE. something is afoot that has changed his contractual obligations regarding puma. this can mean a LOT of things, especially because he just signed with a big talent management company (WME) and because he is wearing clace noticeably and publicly. a lot of his fans know it got shut down by ferrari, so he had to know that people who notice and realize this Means Something.

what does it mean? at the very least, in all of my theories, it means charles’ negotiating power has grown significantly. his personal brand and reputation has power. he is able to get a contract that entitles him to greater personal freedoms and branding outside of his team. that’s mega.

what contract, though? my main theories:

he has resigned with ferrari already with a very favorable contract (that immediately modified his current) that entitles him to greater liberties and likely has several clauses requiring more preferential treatment with car development etc

he has signed with rbr, who are less strict on personal brands (as an energy drink, they can achieve their marketing power based on putting a can in their hand regardless of what they are wearing. their brand is built more on vibes and emotion than on Stuff). this also likely means his contract kicks in sooner than, say, 2025… because otherwise, he’d likely still have to abide by his remaining year on the ferrari contract.

puma is ending their partnership with ferrari and/or ferrari’s sponsorships are shuffling around a bit, so it’s no longer a limitation on the drivers.

i’m sure there could be many other explanations. im sure wondering about what it all means is going to drive me insane.

also: welcome to f1 hell!!! ❤️💙

#charles leclerc #f1 #paddock politics #i cannot believe this #i saw the photo and was like HELLO!???#frantically typing on my phone while I debate leaving work hahdsbc #brazil gp 2023 #scuderia ferrari #ferrari Civil war 2023 #ummm #rbr Charles #*oracles

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sapphosewrites · 1 month

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top 10 ds9 fan fics you've written, ranked?

Oooh, tough question, friend! I don't even know what the criteria for this would be, because the most AO3 popular ones are not always my favorites... Okay, you know what, here we go. I'm just going to go for it and make some decisions. I'm giving myself a rule, though, that I can only chose one from a series, so I'm not just listing everything in the Terok Nor AU. I'll also try to hit different kinds of fics I've written.

10.) After the End of the World: A Survey of Seminal Works of Cardassian Post-Apocalyptic Literature from cross-posted to tumblr. 533 words, "An examination of the Cardassian post-apocalyptic literary genre before and after the Dominion War." This isn't my most popular or my best written but it's one of my favorites; I like in-world diegetic texts and worldbuilding and I'm obsessed with the idea of post-canon Cardassia as post-apocalypse.

9.) Never Have I Ever from The Game Is Afoot, 1,294 words, T, "Julian introduces Garak to the human game never have I ever." This was fun to write and is fun to reread every time! I often spend a lot of fic space on angst and identity and all the reasons why it's a bad idea for Julian and Garak to get together, but in this one we just get to spend time seeing them be clever and enjoy each other's company.

8.) Tribbles, Togetherness, and the Great River, 1,742 words, G, "In their shared quarters, Nog and Jake discuss tribbles, pets, and telling their families about their relationship." This is my only full standalone Jake/Nog fic, and it's another that was a pleasure to write and still makes me smile. It's fun to spend a sweet moment with two young people figuring out how they fit together.

7.) Del Floria's Tailor Shop, 336 words, also known as the space tumblr one. I think this is possibly the funniest thing I've ever written.

6.) Push Me Til I Break, 4,653 words, M, also known as the one where Garak interrogates Julian, and the role play goes wrong. Maybe the most tense thing I've ever written, and really leans into the ways in which two deeply hurting people can choose to hurt or hold.

5.) Growth, 45,843 words, T, "Julian and Garak grapple with their pasts and their feelings for each other at the end of the series." My super long post-canon Cardassia fic, back when I had no idea how to string a multi-chapter idea together. There's a lot I would change if I wrote this now (I've grown as a writer in many ways, including my ability to have scene transitions), but some of the conversations and moments in here are still absolute favorites of mine, particularly around ideas of self-forgiveness, the clash between values and actions, and the importance of choice.

4.) Predetermination, 22,200 words, T, Mirror Bashir arrives at the station and suddenly the nature/nurture debate has never had higher stakes. This is one of the places I think I've been most successful in using sci fi to ask big questions that hopefully resonate in the modern day, about who we are and how we become. Also, the ending takes inspiration from one of my favorite TNG episodes, and that was cool too.

3.) Especially the Lies, 13,019 words, T, "Something is going on with Garak, and no one knows what, except for possibly Julian Bashir." This is my only archive-warning-applied fic and it was really important to me to tell a story about care, for a character who I think doesn't believe he's allowed to have any, in a real world circumstance that too often people have to go through alone.

2.) Necessary Storms, 15,149 words, T, Julian and Starfleet Spouse Garak get entangled in Trill politics. I feel like this is one of the things I've written that most feels like it could be an episode of Star Trek, and is also a fairly unsubtle (though initially unintentional) way to explore populism, demagoguery, resource distribution, and revolt at a very particular moment in national politics with the aesthetic distance that sci fi offers.

1.) Old Friends: An Enigma Tale from Terok Nor AU. I'm exceedingly proud of this whole series, which started as just "what can I do with the idea of dabo boy Julian" and has turned into a sweeping journey covering how Terok Nor becomes Deep Space 9. This most recent installment is perhaps not indicative of the series as a whole, but it was a lot of fun to write and is also a dip into my other favorite genre aside from sci fi (murder mystery).

#my writing #confess nothing is statistically my most popular fic but i don't think it's my most interesting #almost made the list are made to measure and son of tain #also none of my fairy tale things are on here but i think i have lots of interesting ideas in those as well #if you have a fic that is your personal top of what i've written i'd love to hear about it!

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wannaeatramyeon · 1 year

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Haii haii! the last one you wrote was soo goooodddd, Imma have request a seongtaehoon x reader but them being kid (elemetary kids) and taehoon having a crush on her lolololol (⁠~⁠‾⁠▿⁠‾⁠)⁠~

Oof, thanks for the ask anon and reading! My Taehoon inspo (and general inspo tbh) was seeeeriously dwindling, so thanks for kickstarting it.

Seong Taehoon x Reader: Through the years

Elementary School to High School - your relationship through the years

It starts with you in pigtails, and a harsh yank. Taehoon, at a tender young age, already exhibiting interest in others through aggressive behaviour.

The teacher intervenes.

Taehoon apologises, face a picture of innocence, as if butter wouldn't melt. The next day, he pushes you over. He's a quick learner, knowing to avoid other's watchful eyes to stay out of trouble.

So it continues.

Little balled up pieces of paper hit you in the back of your head during class, small shoves during break, rough shoulder bumps in the corridors.

It escalates to another boy joining in.

The first time he makes you cry, the contents of your backpack spilling across the floor, knees scraped and bleeding, big fat tears rolling down your face - Taehoon kicks him square in the stomach.

They're both suspended.

On their return, the other boy leaves you alone. Taehoon doesn't.

The words have as much bite as before, the pushes just as aggressive, yet now there's an odd comfort.

Things don't change much through Middle School. You do though, and so does Taehoon.

You both start to grow into your bodies, the early effects of puberty taking hold.

Hormones run wild and other classmates start to take notice of both your appearances.

Anyone interested in you results in them inevitably getting kicked. Anyone interested in Taehoon is ignored. Rumours swirl, but neither of you take notice.

Taehoon is still as physical as ever, though now there is an awkwardness that wasn't there before. He isn't as carefree. He averts his gaze when you turn around to glare at him, and the jostling leaves Taehoon as red-faced as you.

Then Dowoon happens, and Taehoon isn't seen for weeks on end.

You're not sure what compels you to visit his Taekwondo studio, maybe you've become accustomed to his presence through bullying and harassment.

Seong Hansu greets you. You exchange pleasantries and start to attend his lesson regularly in the hopes of seeing Taehoon again.

Another few weeks pass before you hear "What the fuck are you doing here?"

You would recognise that voice anywhere. To your surprise, it makes you smile.

In the early days, he treats your attendance with narrowed eyes and suspicion. He ignores your concerned glances and attempts at conversation.

Eventually, it gets better.

Taehoon's MMA loss leads to you both sitting quietly on a park bench.

He doesn't say a word for hours, and neither do you.

Instead, you pull a can of beer from your bag. Taehoon raises his eyebrows in surprise, not thinking you had it in you for any underaged drinking.

It pops open with a refreshing hiss and you take the first sip. You pass it to Taehoon and he follows your lead.

The sunset could be beautiful, the birds chirping could be melodic, this could almost be romantic. But you feel Taehoon's despondency like it's an extension of your own self.

You continue to sit with him long after the beer is drained.

Your relationship morphs and blossoms.

The shoulder bumps are friendlier, the hair tugs are with affection. It evolves to an occasional arm slung around your shoulder, hand grabbing you by the wrist and dragging you to the arcade, headlocks when you're irritating him, careful touches when he patches you up after sparring.

His eyes are gentle and tender when he looks at you, even if he wears a scowl.

You're the first person he thinks to call or message if anything happens.

He spends almost every spare moment with you.

You're his best friend.

High School begins, and Taehoon gets ever cockier and confident.

But there are strange developments afoot.

The casual touches continue and you are left flustered. He still likes to throw things at you in class, but when you now give him a dirty look, his returning smirk leaves your heart pounding.

You're too worried about messing up what you have, not even sure if Taehoon returns your affection. You daydream about taking the next step, but you don't know how to proceed.

Taehoon finds himself pinned beneath you.

It's not often anymore you manage to gain the upperhand when sparring together. He's a prodigy afterall, and not to mention 6ft 2 of pure muscle.

Of course you take this rare opportunity to gloat, who wouldn't? All the while, Taehoon just stares at you with an odd glint in his eye.

"Go out with me."

Huh? You think you mishear but he repeats himself. The words ring as clear as day.

"Go out with me."

"W-what?"

"I like you, and I know you like me too," Taehoon smiles smugly at you. Even in his compromising position, under his piercing gaze, it feels like you're the one immobilised.

You've already played out this scenario a million times in your head but you never thought it would happen. The seconds drag as you look on in shock.

"Is this a no?" Taehoon's words pulls you back to him. He doesn't look annoyed at the idea of rejection. In fact, he looks just as arrogant as ever. As if he knew that there isn't a chance in hell you would turn him down.

"It's not a no," you hesitate, "but what if this ruins our friendship?"

Taehoon's smile widens, "I never liked you anyway."

This time he doesn't pull your hair. He gently cups the back of your head and brings your lips to his.

#taehoon seong #taehoon x reader #viral hit #viral hit manhwa #viral hit x reader #viral hit webtoon #viral hit headcanons #how to fight #how to fight manhwa #how to fight webtoon #how to fight headcanons #seong taehoon x reader #seong taehoon #seong taehun #seong taehun x reader #taehun seong #taehun seong x reader #wannaeatramyeon

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obxsummer · 1 year

Text

Home Sweet Home // Ghost of You

summary below the cut to avoid spoilers for s3 ep3-4

navigation -- series masterlist

summary: y/n's quick to remember why she didn't miss her dad, john b can't shoot whiskey, jj has a small family reunion, and the twinkie's back baby.

warnings: mentions of depression, shitty parenting (aka big john), the usual angst

It didn’t take long for Singh’s men to catch onto your location. Your dad was quick to direct you and John B out of the church, the three of you heading towards the marina in hopes that the Pogues would still be there with the boat.

Once your initial run calmed down, John B wanted answers. “Okay, Dad. Start talking. So you’ve been alive this whole time and didn’t think to call?”

“What you think I didn’t want to? It killed me. It would’ve put you two in danger.”

You scoffed, arms crossed over your chest as you followed behind the duo. “Yeah, well, we were in danger the entire time you were gone.”

Your dad stopped walking and turned to you and your brother. “Alright, look. We’re here now, okay? And I’m not going anywhere. I just had to vanish for my safety. And for yours. It wasn’t my first choice. You gotta know that. Now, let’s go find your friends.”

The way your dad aimed his concern more towards John B pulled at your heart. Your whole life, all you wanted was for your dad to pay attention to you, to love you the way he loved your brother. You were stupid to think that would’ve changed during his disappearance.

John B glanced at you and instantly noticed the expression on your face. You shook your head at him, refusing to get into an argument about this kind of thing right now. Shoes stomping in the grass, you followed silently behind them. Part of you was glad you knew he was alive, but now, you wished you would’ve stayed with JJ to spare yourself of this feeling.

Eventually, the three of you made it to the marina only to see the Pogues had been chased off by Singh.

“Okay, plan b. We take my boat. It’s back at the place. We gotta pick something up there anyway,” Your dad said.

“Hang on, I gotta call them,” John B clicked around on the phone before putting it to his ear. You took a seat on the ground and placed your head in your hands while your brother told the Pogues to meet him back in Kildare. You wished more than anything that they could’ve stayed, but you didn’t blame them for looking out for their own safety.

“We gotta go.”

The walk wasn’t horrible for the three of you to locate where your father had been staying, instantly crowding into the small, run-down house.

“Here it is. The Spider Hole. It ain’t much, but it ain’t a bad place to lay low.”

You watched him run around rapidly, refusing to move in any further. “Spider hole. Good name.”

John B busied himself with investigating the kitchen table and the papers spread across it. “Still hunting, huh, Pop?”

“I’m breathing, I’m hunting, man. What can I say?” Your dad said as he stumbled back into the kitchen area. “This time I’m putting it all together, kids. Getting close, I can feel it. Onto something big.”

John B looked over at you for a moment before continuing, “I uh… I heard you died at the Shoals, Dad?”

“Yeah, well. Somebody died out there. It wasn’t me.” You watched as your father dug through a cabinet before grabbing a loaded gun off the kitchen shelf. “Look, just gotta go on a little retrieval mission, then we can split.”

“Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa. Dad, wait.” The sight of a loaded weapon was enough to freak you out. “Retrieval mission? A gun? What- No! What are we doing? I didn’t sign up for this.”

Your dad spun around and placed his hands on your shoulders a little too harshly for your comfort. “The game is afoot. Okay, kid? We gotta go. Right now. And this time it’s for the mother lode, the big kahuna, all the marbles. Alright?”

You looked up at the ceiling as your dad wrapped you into an unpleasant hug as if it would change your mind.

“Come here. It’s good to see you. It is. But if we don’t move out, like, now, the game is gonna end early. It ain’t just Singh that’s after us.” He eventually let you go to finish collecting various items from around the rotting house. “I got mixed up with Limbrey and a whole lot of things.”

“Limbrey?” Your brother caught the name as you did, both of you hating the idea of owing that woman jack-shit. “Like Carla Limbrey?”

“Yeah, how do you think we got a boat?” Your dad snapped back as he walked towards the door as your brother complained. “She helped me out a bit. It’s logistics, etc., but now that I found you, I’m gonna owe her something. Better to pay later than now.”

He walked out, yelling for the two of you to follow over his shoulder. You shared a look with John B, both of you clearly unpleased at how this was going before you gave up and followed regardless. A small lifeboat rested by the shore that would take you over to the larger boat. You were quick to climb out, tying the lifeboat to the larger vessel before ducking inside to get some space.

You could vaguely hear the excited chatter from your brother and father, opting to ignore it instead of looking. You refused to cry about this, not right here where they could see. It felt silly to be so hurt over the past few hours, but it was like this for years before. How could it happen all over again?

“You wanna tell me what’s going on with your sister?” Your dad’s voice was muffled by the glass and structures separating you but it felt like you could hear him loud and clear.

You could practically feel John B’s eyes on you as you sat quietly. “She’s… she’s been through hell, Dad. Like through shit and back, you wouldn’t believe. It’s been really hard, but um…”

“Well, from what I’ve heard, you haven’t gone through anything short, even goin’ in the ringer for it. That ain’t exactly a walk in the park, boy.”

The first tear was warm on your cheek as the band holding everything together finally snapped. You refused to put up with this belittlement, a competition between you and your own damn brother, over who had more trauma.

John B watched your facade crumble, his heart clenching at the sight. He was already angry with the way you were being treated by your father of all people, but this was getting out of hand. “God, Dad. Can you maybe not be an asshole to her for an hour?”

Without waiting for a response, John B opened the door to the cabin area you were sitting in. You tried not to completely lose it when he embraced you, letting out a shaky breath as tears fell. This felt so pathetic.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m so sorry,” He whispered, feeling you shake with sobs when you couldn’t hold it anymore. “I’m sure he doesn’t mean it like that.”

Your fingers held John B’s arms that were wrapped around your shoulders, tucking your cheek into his elbow. Grateful didn’t describe how much you appreciated John B, for standing up to the person who meant so much to him. You took a deep breath and hoped the tears would slowly come to a stop eventually. “You know he means every word, JB. Always has.”

John B stayed with you the rest of the relatively short boat ride, leaving your dad to entertain himself as a light form of punishment, not that he would notice. It was getting easier for John B to read you again, the way he used to as kids. He hoped that was a good sign, that maybe you were both healing together. He knew JJ was the only person on your mind right now, that you wanted his best friend more than anything. Shit, John B would love to be with Sarah right now, and he kept reminding himself that you would all be back together here soon regardless.

“What’s the plan, Pops?” John B guided you out of the cabin where your dad was tying the boat to the dock.

“Told you, Bird. Just a little pit stop to get that thing I was telling you about. Then goodbye, Bridgetown. Come on. Back me up.”

“Alright, let’s make this quick.” John B let you go first, this time opting to stay with you while your dad pulled ahead. The three of you made your way into an old antique shop. The walls were covered in various frames, pedestals decorated with figurines and statues.

Another voice echoed throughout the house as you barely turned the corner so your dad could give the man in the other room a slight nod. You took the time to observe your surroundings. The building was gorgeous and gave the best old-time feel. You could tell this collection had taken a while to get this large, so clearly the individual had a good eye somewhere.

“Dad, what are we doing here?” John B asked after the man in the other room said he had an appointment with your father.

“Just got to pick something up. Only take a minute,” Your dad dismissed your brother and instead turned his attention to the man entering the room. “RJ.”

“John.” RJ returned the small nod and beckoned your group into the small office. “Please come.”

RJ stood by the large desk in the room, his face unreadable as he acknowledged your dad. “So, what are you doing here, John? What do you want?”

The sound of the gun cocking elicted a noise of protest lost in your throat. Why was everyone so quick to pull guns around here? John B grabbed the strap of the silk tank top you were still wearing and tugged you back away from the two men.

“Sorry for the strong arm, RJ, but we’re pressed for time. I can’t get bogged down in a protracted negotiation.”

RJ didn’t seem phased by your dad’s actions and turned to the safe behind him to start drilling a code in. “Really? You pull a gun on me? Your partner who saved your life?”

“If you knew what happened with my last partner, you wouldn’t hold it against me,” Your dad replied. He was practically foaming at the mouth to get whatever RJ had in that safe.

“Armed robbery?” John B whispered from next to you, surprised that your father would take it to these lengths. You, however, knew this was right up his alley.

Big John scoffed. “It’s not robbery. The piece is mine, ain’t that right, RJ?”

The safe clicked unlocked and RJ swung the door open to retrieve whatever it is that you came for. “I think an impartial judge would say the ownership is debatable.” He set a large stone wrapped in a towel down on the table.

“Oh, great.” John B’s sarcasm wasn’t missed by you.

“As you can see, I kept my part of the bargain, partner. Here it is safe and sound. Just like I promised.”

Your dad was quick to unravel the item wrapped in the towel before holding it out towards you and John B. “Here, kids. Take a look at this. The Signpost of Orinoco. Next stop, El Dorado.”

The stone had patterns carved into it, the top looking like the head of some sort. You weren’t really sure what you were looking at, but it seemed it was only half of the true object.

“Yeah, if you can find the other half and if you can decipher it, maybe.” RJ confirmed your suspicion. “And I’m going to want my cut. Don’t think I won’t come after you if I don’t get it.”

“If this thing works out, you’ll never have to sell a knockoff God of Fire and War again.”

“Arjun! Are you here?”

The new voice to the conversation was a little too familiar for you liking. You turned to John B with wide eyes as RJ excused himself from the room and told you not to move.

“John B, we need to go,” You kept your voice low as you grabbed onto your brother’s shirt sleeve. “That’s Singh, and I don’t know about you, but I am not going with-”

“Shh.” John B placed his hands on your shoulders as RJ called Singh’s name in the other room, confirming your thoughts. “Okay, we need to go. Right now.”

Your dad shoved the stone piece into your brother’s hands, directing the two of you towards the window in the room. John B placed the piece down on a wooden pedestal before boosting you up to unlatch the window. You grabbed the wiring off, your dad cursing at you for the noise, before you were pushed up and crawled out as quietly as possible.

“Shit!” You slipped into the wooden boxes and bags of garbage below the window ungracefully, managing to move just seconds before your brother came tumbling out behind you. Stumbling to your feet, you brushed imaginary dirt from your clothing and watched as your dad climbed out the window.

“Where’s the piece?” Your dad was practically glaring at you as if you were the one at fault.

You moved your hand toward the window. “John B set it down so we could get the window open! We thought you had it.”

“No, no, no, no,” John B cursed as your dad threw himself back into the window to retrieve the stone piece. It took a shaky minute before he leaned back out with the towel barely in grasp. “Come on, we gotta go.”

You ducked as a gun fired nearby, the three of you breaking into a sprint to get as far away as you could. The marina was thankfully close so you didn’t have to go very far. John B was quick to untie everything while you jumped on, taking the piece from your dad so he could start the boat.

You looked back to see ATVs rush up to the dockside just after you had pushed off, Singh’s men no doubt watching your every move. You let out a deep sigh once they were out of view, your racing heart finally getting the chance to calm down. This nonstop treasure hunting was getting the best out of you and for once, you just wished you could sit at home and do nothing for weeks on end.

After getting settled on a course hopefully back to OBX, your dad was rushing to take the piece from your possession and hide it somewhere on the boat. You couldn’t care less at that point and settled down at the small table in hopes to keep the calm until you got back to the Chateau.

Soon enough, John B joined you and your dad took the seat across from him, slamming a bottle of whiskey down on the table. You let out a breath, definitely not in the mood for their antics but not having the energy to tell them no.

Your dad surprisingly grabbed three shot glasses and filled them before sliding one to you and John B each. “To life, living, and the pursuit of treasure.”

You were quick to throw your drink back, enjoying the burn it left in your throat but remaining stoic as you did. Your dad laughed as John B winced. “Never thought I’d see the day where my daughter could take a drink better than her brother. How times have changed.”

You rolled your eyes and pulled your feet up to rest on the chair with you. If only that stupid ass phone had service and you could call JJ, you would feel a lot better.

“So, what’s the deal with this whole big kahuna thing?” John B asked as he slid his glass back to the middle of the table. “I mean, how’d you ended up on Barbados?”

“Well, same way you did and for the same reason too. The treasure. And Carlos Singh. I was marooned out on the Shoals for what felt like months, living on seaweed and sweat and rainwater, and fixed myself up to be crab food. Thought I was a goner. Singh must’ve tracked my boat, then his men showed up. He must’ve known I was onto something because they found me. At first, I thought I was being rescued, turns out it was less of a rescue mission, more of a captivity-type deal. I didn’t go without a fight. We left one of his men behind, as I’m sure you’ve heard. Next thing I know, I’m being shipped off to Barbados.

“Singh’s place. They locked me up in some audacious estate surrounded by cane fields and armed guards. I meet this particular little man, Singh. He wants to cuta deal with me, he wants me to tell him everything I know in exchange for him keeping me alive. It didn’t take long before I caught on to the game. So as soon as I had the chance I took it. Got a little roughed up along the way, but I made it out. And not empty handed. And here I am, back with my kids.”

You knew all too well your dad’s experience with Singh, ironic that both of yours were so similar. A small envelope of silence took over before you tapped John B’s shoulder. “Can I have the phone?”

Your brother didn’t hesitate to dig it out of his pocket and hand it over. He knew that you were smart enough to guess it wouldn’t work, but he didn’t blame you for wanting to try. You were quick to unlock the device and go to messages, the most recent one the conversation with the phone the other Pogues had.

J? You there?

You held your breath, hoping that it would go through even if you were stuck this far out in the ocean. A sigh left you when the Message Not Delivered popped up with a red exclamation point. Well, at least you tried.

“Enough about me. I want to hear about you two,” Your dad spoke up again as he poured more liquor into the glasses in front of you. “Who you sweet on these days, huh?”

You snorted at the way he phrased his sentence, pulling the attention on you. “Sorry, sorry. Just didn’t expect that to be your first question, that’s all.”

Your dad sat back in his chair and looked at you. “I know there must be someone, especially if you’re that desperate to message them from a stolen phone.”

You tucked the phone into your lap and let your arms rest on your knees. “I mean, yeah. There’s been a lot that happened, obviously. For both of us.”

“I’m married, Dad.”

It took everything in you not to laugh at the way John B just blurted the news. As much as you loved Sarah’s relationship with your brother, it felt weird to hear them talk about it in that way, no matter how much you heard it.

“You’re joking, right?” Your dad chuckled, his expression dropping when John B disagreed. “What is she pregnant?”

“No, no. God, no. No,” John B was quick to deny that suspicion. “I haven’t really had time for the extracurricular activities.”

“Oh, my God!” You groaned. “Can we maybe not discuss that part of it?” John B hid a smile, his hand smacking your leg as he joked with you. If someone would’ve told you a week ago that you’d be listening to your brother deny his sex life to your dad, you would’ve laughed in their face.

“You’re a little young, aren’t you?”

Your brother shrugged. “I mean, you said it best. If it’s right, it’s right.”

“Do I know her? Uh, who is she?” Big John asked.

You glanced at John B, wondering how he was going to talk his way out of this one. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, you know her. Um…” He took a moment to take the shot in front of him, obviously needing it for the conversation ahead. “It’s Sarah. Cameron.”

A tense silence followed his revelation, your dad taking off his glasses to look at your brother. “Ward’s daughter? The queen of Kildare.”

“Yeah.”

“You just can’t do things the easy way, can you?” Your dad shot back. You glanced between him and John B, hating the fact that your father thought he had an opinion on what the two of you did and who you did it with, after everything he’d put you through.

“Are you mad?” John B sounded scared to hear the answer.

Your dad crossed his arms and leaned against the table. “That you went for the big prize? Nah. How could I be mad at that?” He poured your brother another shot before raising their glasses together and drinking the contents. “And what about you, Baby Bird? I got another Kook with you, too?”

You shook your head and tucked your arms in around yourself. “No, Dad. No Kooks for me. Promise.” You felt the phone suddenly vibrate in your lap, all of your attention directly going to it. A new message notification flashed back at you. “It’s JJ.”

“Maybank?”

You ignored your dad’s shocked tone and opened the phone to see the message that had come through. Right here babe. You okay? A sigh of relief expelled the tension from your body knowing that he was still there, however far away.

“Hey, talk to me.”

You looked back up at your father to see his puzzled expression directed at you. “Yes, Maybank.”

He chuckled, that you saw coming. “Well, boy was always looking out for you as kids. Can’t say I’m surprised about that one.”

The conversation about your love lives died there, John B taking the time to fill in the odds and ends. He left out the parts of the story that were yours to tell, not that you thought you’d ever share them with your dad, but you appreciated that he gave you that option.

The rest of your boat ride passed uneventfully with you sending scattered texts to JJ while your dad and John B conversed with the whiskey bottle. Before you knew it, the sun was coming up and the familiar OBX breeze was blowing across your skin. You were so excited to get the hell out of here and back into your bed.

“I gotta admit, it’s good to be back.”

For once, you agreed with your dad’s words as you finished helping John B tie the boat down. The two of you stood under the covered dock, watching as your dad cheered and ran towards the house.

You caught your brother looking out over the horizon. “You okay?”

He nodded, redirecting his attention to you. “Just didn’t think this would happen again, you know? That we’d all be together.”

You didn’t know what to say in return, just opting to nod back to him before starting up the path to the Chateau. There was nothing more on your mind than to find JJ and your friends. You hoped they were back, safe and sound.

While your brother and dad shared a moment by John B’s homemade headstone, you walked back into your home for the first time in God knows how long. Flicking the lightswitch, you sighed when nothing happened, figuring the power shut off after the bills lingering for weeks to months. Using the flashlight on the phone, you tried to navigate as best as possible into your room.

As comfy as the silk pajamas were that you’d been wearing, one of JJ’s oversized t-shirts was much more your style as you grabbed it from your drawer. The amount of your friends’ clothing that was scattered around your house was comedic at this point. You managed to find a pair of shorts to slide on before making your way back to the porch where your dad and brother were entering.

You occupied yourself reorganizing the bits of the Chateau that had gotten mixed up in the chaos before you guys all left. John B helped a bit where he could while your dad busied himself in his destroyed office after bitching about that too.

The house began to cool off as the sun went in, you and John B settling on opposite ends of the porch couch while your dad crashed on the inside pullout. Your rooms were way too hot to do anything else since there wasn’t any air circulation.

“I don’t know why in the hell you would wanna sleep on the porch couch when it’s so much cooler in here,” Your dad groaned as he settled into the worn cushions.

You didn’t have the energy to answer him, John B replying back, “Yeah, it’s hot tonight.”

“Especially with no electricity,” Your dad continued to complain, “You didn’t think to pay the bill?”

“It’s not like we were stranded on a deserted island for a month or anything,” You mumbled back, eyes closing as you curled into the pillow you were holding.

“Yeah, I guess that’s an excuse.”

A moment of silence followed, the background being filled by the nearby insects that were slowly but surely soothing you to sleep. These were your favorite kinds of nights, especially when you were a kid. You, John B, and JJ would sit in the hammock for hours to see who could catch the most lightning bugs until you eventually ended up in a sleeping cuddle puddle.

“Hey, you… you kids know where that diary is, right?”

The thought of Singh following you here in search of the diary sent a chill down your spine. You and Rafe skimmed out under his nose. No doubt he’d be pissed that he didn’t get what he wanted.

“Well, we have a copy. And it’s in the Twinkie, which is probably in the impound lot with the police. Gotta figure that one out,” Your brother explained, shifting where his feet dug into your back.

You fell asleep shortly later, the warm air and the sounds of home comforting enough to lull you. There was no way to tell how much time had passed when you woke up again, this time with the sun creeping up and your brother absolutely nailing you in the side with his knee.

“Ow, fuck, John B,” You groaned as you tried to shift out of his way before getting kicked again. You sat up to shove him only to watch as he flinched again, completely sound asleep. “John B, wake up.”

You sat up, sparing a quick glance to see your dad missing form the inside couch, to no surprise. Attention shifting to your brother, you shook his arm slightly. “Wake up.”

Your efforts were to no avail. Suddenly, the screen door creaked open making you jump. To your surprise, an exhausted Sarah Cameron stepped in, her eyes lighting up when she saw you. You hopped off the couch in a second, bringing her into a tight hug. “Oh, God. Hi.”

“Hi,” She squeezed you tightly before her gaze moved to where your brother was still shifting on the couch. “Everything okay?”

You nodded and let go of her to take a step back. “I think he’s having a nightmare.”

She put a reassuring hand on your shoulder, “I got him. Go clean up.”

You took one last glance at your brother before doing what she said. Making a beeline for the bathroom, you thanked your previous self for paying the water bill ahead so you at least had a way to shower and brush your teeth. Granted, it was freezing, but it was better than nothing.

Clean clothes felt so much better than you expected. Your stomach grumbled, begging for some kind of meal, to which you wished you had an answer.

You stepped back into the kitchen the moment John B started yelling out for your dad. You glanced over at the window to see them looking at the empty pull out and then over to you. Your brother got to his feet a moment later, walking outside to look for your father.

You rejoined Sarah on the couch. “How was your trip back?”

She shrugged, leaning her elbow against the back of the couch to support herself. “Uneventful. Kiara and I talked most of the time, JJ drove, and Pope and Cleo took turns with him. Stole some food, and that was about it.” Sarah looked over at you, seemingly reading your thoughts. “JJ’s coming back. Said he would drop them off and be here.”

You gave her a grateful smile as John B stomped back inside. “I swear he was just here.”

You shook your head at his worried nature. “It’s Dad, John B. I don’t know why you’re surprised he’s not here.”

Sarah glanced between the two of you, hoping that you were actually right about your father returning. Based on your brother’s chaotic nature, she was almost worried he had truly lost it, but your calm response told her all she needed to know.

“Hell, I wouldn’t blame you for that either.” Your dad’s voiced echoed around the house at the perfect time. He climbed the stairs a moment later with his backpack slung over his shoulder. “Hello, Sarah.”

Sarah’s jaw practically dropped at the sight before her as she walked forward to give your dad a hug as he beckoned her in. “Come on Sarah. Or should I say Mrs. Routledge.”

Your rolled your eyes at his attempt at a joke as he welcomed her to the family. John B, on the other hand, was very unpleased. “Where the hell did you go?”

His question was left unanswered as Big John brought both of them in for a hug. You glanced away, eyes following the path of the dock. It felt like one of those cheesy scenes in every movie: your favorite person walking towards you with this glow behind them. You took off before anyone had a chance to ask what you were doing.

JJ’s smile was warm the second he caught sight of you. He paused in his approach, arms opening wide for you to leap into so he could catch you the way he always did. When it came to knowing you, loving you, JJ was the only one who did the best. “There she is, I gotcha.”

You pulled back, kissing his nose lightly as you took him in. “Hi.”

“Hi, pretty girl.” He returned your gesture, kissing your forehead before pulling you close to his chest again. “You okay?”

You nodded against him, fingers moving to the bottom of his shirt to sneak beneath, needing to feel his skin against yours. He was warm to the touch, your chilly fingers sending goosebumps across his body, but he stayed silent know that you both needed it.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Is that who I think it is?”

JJ visibly reacted to your dad’s voice calling out for him. He looked down at you in shock to see your knowing smile before you released him. He took off down the dock, colliding with your dad at full speed as they laughed. The sight brought a smile to your face, glad that your little Pogue family may actually have a chance at changing this path you’d been on.

Your boyfriend stepped back after a moment to tackle your brother next. The two playfully shoved each other, roughousing as you stepped off the wooden platform back into the grass. JJ didn’t hesitate to join you, arms pulling you back against his chest so he could keep you close.

“Oh shit, this is the best day ever.”

“Where’d Sarah go?” You accidentally spoke over JJ’s excitement, noticing the lack of your friend.

“Went back to Tannyhill to steal some clothes and maybe find a phone,” John B explained with a shrug. “Told her to be back around 6.”

Your dad suddenly dipped off without a word, leaving the three of you to look at him in confusion. You shook your head, dismissing his odd behavior as you turned to the boy behind you. “Did you go home?”

He winced at the question, his teeth biting at his lip for a moment before he stopped. “Yeah, big ole eviction notice on the door. Snuck in through the window but no electric or water so, you know how that goes.”

“Shit,” You sighed and tucked yourself against his chest again. “Sorry, Jayj.”

The sound of a car engine distracted your conversation as the three of you looked to see the Twinkie being pulled out of the forest line. John B moved first, shocked that this is actually where your dad had gone earlier without saying.

“Brought an old friend to see you,” Big John said as he hopped out of the van.

“Where’d you get this?” You asked as you and JJ came to a stop a few feet away from the vehicle.

“The impound lot, where do you think?”

John B moved closer to rest his hand on the front end. “Where do I think? Um, I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out why you didn’t say when Sarah was here.”

Your dad’s lack of response said everything. He didn’t trust Sarah the way you all had grown to. He didn’t know what she had been put through, all her family had done to her.

“Dad, seriously?” You chastised him as he gave you guys a knowing look. “She’s not her father.”

“Hey, this is supposed to be just the three of us,” He defended as he tossed his hands in the air like he didn’t just completely ignore JJ’s presence next to you.

John B groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. “Okay, well. Did you at least find the diary?”

“Yeah, I found the diary all right. It was a big pile of mush. The window was left down, it got rained on. You could’ve shut the window.”

JJ raised his hand next to you. “Yeah that was probably my bad. Sorry, Big John.”

John B looked away from your dad. “Okay, well, there were some complications. I wasn’t planning on being gone that long.”

Your dad was unamused by the so-called excuses and called for you and John B to get in the car. “We’ll be back later, JJ. Group catch-up, all of us.”

You hesitated for a moment, watching as John B grabbed a sticky pad and a pen out of the Twinkie glove box, prepared to go with your dad after. You, however, weren’t so sure. You glanced at JJ to see him looking right back at you, waiting for your decision.

“Um, Dad,” You spoke up as John B pressed the note against the side door. “I think I’m gonna sit this one out.”

It shouldn’t have been a surprise that your father didn’t blink an eye at your choice. “Fine by me, Y/N. We’ll do this ourselves and get you later.”

JJ’s hand grabbed your shoulder but you shrugged him off to catch up with John B before he climbed back in. “Whatever he does, whatever he makes you do, you better come back, you hear me?” You poked his chest sternly. “I’m serious, John B. I think he’s in a little too far to see clearly.”

Your brother nodded in agreement, sparing a quick glance over to the person in question. “I know, I will. Be careful, okay?”

You two shared a quick hug, JJ coming over to run through a handshake with your brother before you watched as the Twinkie pulled away. You let out a deep sigh once it disappeared from view. JJ was in front of you a moment later, his calloused hands on your cheeks. “You wanna tell me what the hell happened?”

You chuckled and grabbed his hand off your cheek to pull him towards the house. “Babe, do I have a story for you.”

tags: @strawberryfolks @jinxfirebolt18902 @lnnlove@itsmytimetoodream @dazzlingnights @ifilwtmfc @itsmytimetoodream @multiifandomhoe

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#obx3celebration #goy series #outer banks #outer banks x reader #outer banks imagine #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank x routledge!reader #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank one shot #routledge!reader #outer banks x routledge!reader #outer banks season 3 #obx3 #obx x reader

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kourabiedes · 2 months

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Carmine and Kieran Roleswap AU: Teal Mask Edition

Sweet Arceus do I have a long AU for ya, because I am Very Normal about the Kitakami siblings and definitely don't go out of my way to find new ways to mess with their heads. Long AU summary under the cut! Beware all ye who enter here, for there are Ogres afoot.

So the most important thing to understand before we start is that Carmine and Kieran still retain aspects of their normal personalities. A 1:1 swap would be kinda boring (specifically, boring for me). However, their life experiences have changed here and that does give us some new juicy tidbits to explore.

Sketches provided by @funakounasoul... except for the Ogerpon sketch. I made that.

Kieran is the older sibling in this scenario. He's still shorter than his sister, but he's now older than the player character and probably has some devilish good looks. He's generally goodnatured, and being the older sibling and having to look out for a younger sister has balanced his personality a little bit. He's more mentally stable and mature than his standard self. He still has a pretty huge fondness for the ogre in the old legend, admiring its independence and strength. The major change to his personality here is that he's not as insanely shy, since he hasn't had a big scary savage sister to hide behind all his life.

Younger sister Carmine is shy of strangers and still wary of outsiders. Her posture visually in the Teal Mask is probably kind of stooped, like she's trying to hide how crazy tall she is. She has a bratty, slightly spoiled attitude in this scenario, because big brother Kieran is always hovering nearby to keep her out of trouble. She appears to be the player character's age or maybe a touch younger. Despite the initial shyness though, she's all aggression when she feels she or her family or really any of Kitakami as she sees it is threatened. She still dismisses Kieran's ogre obsession, but chalks it up to boys liking scary things. (You know, cuz girls never go for that kinda thing </massive sarcasm>)

The PC would meet them both for the first time in Mossui and Kieran is welcoming while Carmine glowers at you from somewhere behind him. Kieran's all about helping your classmate get safely to the community center and probably runs off to help, or perhaps to get the caretaker. Maybe you battle Carmine then because she's definitely not enjoying having these tourists in her fucking town. Whatever the scenario, Kieran and the caretaker get the rest of the Random Paldean Students safely to the community center and you get settled in.

Now, for a while, things don't change much in this scenario, except for Kieran not being super emotionally unstable. The next day, you're being introduced to the Blueberry kids properly and Kieran immediately suggests you and he pair up. Carmine isn't thrilled but as he points out, it's not like they can pair up together based on Briar's directions to make interschool pairs. She sulks off to find a Paldean student to deal with. Your character and Kieran have a friendly battle and he admires your skills. You go find the first two signboards and follow him up to the Dreaded Den more or less the same way as in Teal Mask. Then he invites you to the Festival of Masks and you go back to the family home. Carmine is not overly pleased to see you still hanging around, but she's unbending a little bit since you and Kieran obviously get on so well. They only find the two masks in the shed, Kieran tries to offer you his ogre mask, Carmine stops him, you get to the festival and do some balloon popping and maybe even beat Carmine's score.

It's Ogerpon's appearance that changes the story dramatically. At first, you are the only one that sees her, but then Kieran comes looking for you after pacifying Carmine. Ogerpon spooks, drops her mask, and you both have a moment of shock as you realize this is not a child, this is the damn ogre. Then Ogerpon bolts, leaving you with the Teal Mask. Kieran is stunned -- the ogre was so smol! And seemed so nonaggressive! And holy shit this mask is beautiful, except there's a chip in the big crystal! He's excited as hell to have one of his childhood dreams materialize before him. He wants to go after Ogerpon, but Carmine turns up at that moment. She has deeply internalized the ancient Kitakami legend of the Loyal Three, and when Kieran excitedly tells her you just saw the ogre, she insists it can't have been, because you and he are both not fucking dead. She and Kieran argue for a minute, long enough that once it's over, Kieran has to reluctantly admit you'll never catch up to the ogre in the dark. He tells you to hold onto the mask and you two can go ask his grandpa about it in the morning. You do, and it's Kieran who is with you when you hear the story of Ogerpon. Carmine appears at one point and is shooed off by Kieran, but overhears the majority of the story herself. Unlike Kieran, she can't believe it -- the heroic Loyal Three, actually villains?? Impossible! She realizes that if Kieran believes this story, he's likely to go chasing the ogre again, and probably get himself killed, a prospect that chills her to the bone. She ambushes you both as you leave the family home and demands that Kieran (and just Kieran, she doesn't care what YOU do) not go chasing monsters, making no effort to pretend she didn't overhear the whole damn thing. Kieran tries to correct her, but she insists you both go have a look at the final signboard, the one that reminds everyone that the ogre murders anyone it comes across without a mask on. You go, but discuss with Kieran how the story doesn't make any sense compared to the ogre you both saw and the story Kieran's grandpa told you. You go back mutually determined to get Ogerpon's mask back to her after gramps fixes it.

You go off to the community center and Kieran goes home. Something he says at home will alert Carmine to your resolve, and that kicks off the next event. Carmine demands you meet her at Loyalty Plaza, where she makes an impassioned plea to her brother not to be fooled into getting himself murderated. He tries to explain that she's still got the wrong impression and she blows up on him, refusing to listen to reason (he almost certainly points out that Gramps has no reason to lie to his own grandkids, for example). Truth is, she's afraid, afraid for his life, and that's making her act irrationally.

And then a thought occurs to her, a thought that marks a huge turning point in this scenario. It's you. You are making her brother act this way. You are the reason he's doing these insane things. She accuses you directly of manipulating her family. Kieran protests, but she's convinced.

Now, in canon, I am convinced that the venom in Kieran's thoughts is what somehow channeled Pecharunt's energy (or some variant thereof) into the Lousy Three's grave and brought them back to life. In this scenario, imagine the same, only it's the poison of fear which is rapidly spreading through Carmine. Her fear is being expressed as anger, but it's still fear, and it's consuming her rapidly. Before either sibling can argue further, the grave splits open, and the Three emerge. No one knows quite what is happening, so no one can really react effectively as they take off to Kitakami Hall. It's only as they're already receding into the distance that Carmine realizes they must be the Three.

You and the siblings rush to the Hall to hear the news of the Three's arrival and retrieving of the other masks before going up the mountain. Kieran starts to rush after them, but suddenly Carmine blocks the way. She is going to save him from himself if it's the last thing she does. You battle her and defeat her, and the idea that you are the cause of all this etches itself that much deeper. She has no choice but to step aside, but you can feel her furious eyes on your back as you run to save Ogerpon.

Poor little ogre is getting the shit kicked out of her and you save her, driving off the Three. She is nervous around Kieran because he smells like a local and therefore Dangerous, but while a little hurt, he is not crushed by this. You take her back to the town (she refuses to enter of course) and consult with Kieran's grandpa. He promises to fix the Teal Mask for Ogerpon if you and Kieran go get a crystal from the Crystal Pool to replace the chipped one, and suggests you and Kieran go pound the shit out of the Three to get Ogerpon's other masks back. Carmine is sulking at home and overhears the conversation. You and Kieran go to the Pool with Ogerpon shadowing you, but Carmine blocks your way at the top, angry at Kieran too now for bringing an outsider to this sacred place. The standoff is broken by Briar also appearing at the summit, distracting Carmine. Kieran slips past her and you stop her from following with a battle. Ogerpon stays near you, and her presence only serves to enrage Carmine more. Kieran retrieves a crystal cluster during the battle and you both bolt back down the mountain to give it to Gramps, leaving Carmine fuming. He begins to work on the mask and you turn your attention to finding the Three.

You find the Three with Kieran's help and return the shit kicking they gave Ogerpon threefold, retrieving her masks. Ogerpon becomes more comfortable around Kieran as you go. You return to the town only to discover Carmine stole the Teal Mask after Gramps fixed it and left Kieran a message telling him to come to the Dreaded Den. Gramps notes that she spoke with him about the story of Ogerpon before she left and seems to be disturbed by how the ogre has acted since the whole mess began -- Kieran guesses her good sense is starting to win out over her fear. You go back to the Den with Kieran and Ogerpon and find Carmine there. Kieran confronts her, finally convincing her that the story of the Loyal Three was indeed wrong, and she's been wrong about Ogerpon the whole time (probably aided by Ogerpon with her sweet lil face staring like a sad puppy at her).

Carmine finally accepts the truth of the matter, and apologizes to him and Ogerpon.

But there's one thing she hasn't let go of. She hasn't forgiven you. And Kieran doesn't realize that she's still hung up on that part because, while he's a lot more emotionally stable in this scenario, he's still pretty oblivious to subtle emotional cues from other people. When Carmine walks away from the Den, it's with a venom-filled look in your direction. Insert Heart's If Looks Could Kill here.

Inevitably, Ogerpon wants you as her human, because you're the damn hero. This version of Kieran is disappointed, but not shattered by this. He's spent a lot of time over the last couple days with you and the little cutie, and he's had time to get used to the idea. It's Ogerpon's decision where she wants to go, and he lets go of the long cherished dream with regret, but nothing worse. He does ask to have a battle with you and her in the morning, after which Briar calls to tell you to get your asses to the community center to finish the actual school trip thingy you'd probably forgotten all about. Kieran also tells you that Carmine has holed up in her room and won't talk to anyone.

You know more or less how this ends, with Briar yoinking the Kitakami sibs back to Unova to prepare for some globetrotting and the antagonistic sibling swearing to get stronger so they can kick your ass. In this case it's Carmine, and boy does she hate you right now. In the end, Kieran came to no harm, and Ogerpon was not a monster, but it doesn't really matter, because rationality went out the window for her where you're concerned a while ago. She's going to get stronger, and she's going to hand you your ass for humiliating her so often, and she's got a great idea for making that happen...

#pokemon #scarlet violet #gen 9 #teal mask dlc #musings #alternate universe #carmine #kieran #ogerpon #fan art #sketch #pokemon carmine #pokemon kieran #okay now for the funny blooper reel tags #I am so tempted to dub this Kieran “Stoner Kieran”#He really has that vibe #Carmine has graduated to Full Unhinged status #The moral of this story is don't be a younger sibling if you can help it #Also starring Juliana's back

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