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#and now i have a better idea of the point i wanted to make
fangirl-dot-com · 3 days
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☀️Sons, Sons, and More Sons
Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader Genre: Fluff/SMAU Summary: Ollie, Leo, Liam, who's next Oscar? Oh.
inspired by @pucksandpower 😊
TAG LIST IS CLOSED
“CHARLES!”
The said Monegasque, who had been “innocently” snuggling his four-legged son, winced at the force and volume of your voice. 
He was currently going through everything that might have upset you in the past 20 minutes from when he got home to you just now getting out of the shower. Did he leave the toilet seat up again? Or did he forget to sort the laundry? Or maybe he didn’t clean up Leo’s toys from the bedroom? 
“Why is my Twitter blowing up?” 
Oh. That’s why. 
He whispered to Leo, “I’m in for it now.” 
And then in a louder voice he yelled, “Yes mon amour?” 
You rounded the corner of the hallway and stopped in the opening to the living room, crossing your arms. “Care to tell me why I’m getting tagged in almost every Twitter post about you adopting Oscar?” 
You wanted to break at the puppy eyes that your boyfriend was currently giving you, but you needed to stay strong. You needed to show that a man could not sway your feelings. Too bad that man was Charles Leclerc, the one that men and women alike fell to worship the ground beneath his feet. 
You couldn’t break. 
Charles brought his hand up to ruffle his hair, something he did to express some nervousness. 
“Cheri, it was just a joke. Oscar somehow finds heritage in a lot of countries. He just wanted to keep the joke going.” 
“So you decided to ‘adopt’ him so he can have another home race?” 
“Maybe?” 
“Don’t you already have enough sons anyway? I think four is too many or our house is going to overflow on family night.” 
Charles’s eyebrows pinched in confusion. “Four?” 
Now it was your turn to smirk. “Yes, four. Or are you too busy having fun with Leo to be a present father to your other two?” 
Charles tried to wrack his brain about who could be the other two. 
“Ollie?” 
“Bingo.” 
He leaned back into the couch, hands still gently petting Leo who had decided to fall asleep in the middle of his parent’s squabbles. The golden puppy was content on his dad’s warm chest, the rise and fall rocking him to sleep. 
The Ferrari driver sighed. “I don’t even know.” 
You waved your phone at him. “Twitter might be able to help you. I need to get dressed since I was rudely interrupted. I hope you find out before they get here for dinner.” 
Charles shot up making Leo yelp away from his nap. Now that he was really looking at you, he realized that you were just in a towel. A blush formed on his face, still having those boyish thoughts that he believed he was better than that. 
You walked over and bent down, face getting closer to his. 
Ah. You were going to forgive him and all would be right in the world once your lips met his. You wanted to laugh as you saw his eyes flutter shut, lips slightly puckering. 
Charles was wondering what was taking you so long when your finger touched his lips. His eyes shot open and he definitely did not whimper. You looked down at your fur-baby and gently picked him up, bringing Leo to your chest. 
“Twitter. Figure it out Leclerc.” 
Now a bit sullen, he watched you walk away. 
“Je t’aime!” 
He was responded to with a middle finger and the bedroom door slamming. A chuckle made its way from his chest as he brought his phone out. If there was one thing that you two did well, it was dramatics. 
Twitter was immediately opened once he got his phone out. He scrolled through all the tags before giving up and opening your profile. He winced at the sight of the white background, cursing his phone for updating and not keeping the dark profile. 
However, he couldn’t contain his laugh as he saw your new updated tweet. He leaned his head back, still giggling to himself. 
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Charles knew that you two wanted kids at some point. But between his Formula 1 career and your business on the uprise, children really wouldn’t work well now. But deep down, he liked the idea of having a few grid kids. 
He took a minute to stop giggling before he continued his search. His eyes widened as he stopped on one of the family trees that some fan made. 
There was Leo, adopted by you and him. 
Then Ollie, who fans say that Charles conceived himself somehow. 
Oscar was newer, but still had the adopted dotted line. 
And then . . . 
Ooohhhhhhh, so that’s who he was missing. 
You took that moment to come out of the bedroom, hair now dry and fluffy from your Dyson. Leo was still in your arms, looking more awake than he had when he was with Charles. You sat down next to him, Charles taking the opportunity to put an arm around you, bringing you in closer. 
“You smell good amour.” 
You turned and smiled, leaning in to finally give him a kiss after a long day. 
“Thank you. It’s the lotion that you bought me.” 
He let out a low hum and just kept you in his arms. Leo was squirming a bit before he finally flopped over and settled in between your two bodies. 
“I figured out who our other son is.” 
Your head now rested in the crook of his neck. “Did you now.” 
“Yes. I am a stepfather to Liam?” 
Your shoulders shook with giggles. “Not the stepfather, but the father who stepped up.” 
“You spend way too much on Twitter.” 
You looked up at him, and Charles turned to look down at you. You leaned in closer to rub your noses together, giving him eskimo kisses. The Ferrari driver just closed his eyes and basked in the moment between you. 
There weren’t many times that he got something like this. So quiet and peaceful. His world was filled with so much noise. But here, he could melt into the quiet. 
“We should have dinner here with the boys after the Grand Prix on Sunday.” 
“That sounds nice. I can make the food.” 
You sat up slightly, elbow bent on the back of the couch and head resting on your hand. 
“You want to show off your cooking skills to your sons to prove that you can cook.”
Charles huffed. “I am the provider chéri.” 
You cocked your head at the Monegasque. “Whose name is on the lease mon bebe?” 
A huff was the answer, which made you cuddle Charles closer still being aware of the little baby between you. A small nip to your fingertip made you pick Leo up, now holding him close to your face. 
“Were you getting a bit jealous of papa ma petit amour?” you asked the blonde dachshund in a baby voice. If Charles wasn’t already fully in love with you, his love would have been solidified in this moment. 
While watching, he suddenly remembered something. “Oscar wanted to meet Leo in McLaren hospitality this weekend.” 
You turned with a raised eyebrow. “Why not Ferrari?” 
“Eh.” 
It was as if you had a lightbulb moment. “Ohhhhhhh, right. That makes sense. I can stop by and let you know when I get there.” 
What you hadn’t expected was to pick up Liam and Ollie on your way to the now green outside of the McLaren hospitality. Leo was still curled up in your arms, eyes blinking every so often. You knew that if it wasn’t so busy, the little puppy would be sound asleep. 
“He’s so cute,” Oscar said, walking forward and hands outstretched. You gently gave him over to the “older brother” of the three. 
Ollie laughed. “I know right. He’s so cuddly.” 
Liam joined in, “I don’t think I put him down the entire time I got to meet him.” 
Oscar stared at you three for a moment. “Yeah, you aren’t getting him back.” 
You shook your head. “Speak to your father first, Oscar.” 
Chuckles erupted from all around, making you laugh as well. You took your phone out and took a quick picture of Oscar holding Leo to post later. 
“Is dad on his way?” Ollie asked after sipping on his water bottle. 
You rolled your eyes. “Should be. Ah, there he is.” 
Charles stepped foot into the room and immediately found you surrounded by his “kids.” His heart may have melted seeing Leo flopped in Oscar’s arms. He gave you a kiss on your cheeks before he greeted the three. 
“This is hilarious,” he said, making everyone laugh yet again. 
You rested a hand on your forehead. “We’re just missing Liam’s dad, and then we’ll be one big happy family.” 
The Kiwi crossed his arms, but a giant smile was on his face. “So much for having a present father in my life. I’m jealous.” 
Charles gripped your waist and puffed his chest. “I’m not the stepfather, but the father that stepped up.” 
“Charles, no you aren’t. Can’t even handle three kids.” 
You and Charles turned around to see Max now stepping through the door. The Monegasque raised his eyebrow. 
“And you can?” 
You raised a hand. “That’s my que to leave. I will not be in the middle of a Lestappen-father showdown. Boys, you can follow me.” 
“Yes mum.”
“Lead the way.” 
“Can I still keep Leo?” 
Charles and Max gawked as the three older boys followed you like ducks in a row. After he got over the shock, the Ferrari driver was left with a love-sick smile on his face. 
“Yeah. I’m marrying her.” 
“Gross.” 
“Max. Shut up.” 
y/n_l/n has posted
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liked by y/nismother, charles_leclerc, liamlawson, and 1,304,295 others y/n_l/n look at my sons . . . pride is not the word I'm looking for
see all comments
y/nismother the mother is mothering
charliexy/n honestly, they all take after him so much. I need to go to twitter
olliebearman then what is the word you're looking for mom 🤨
liamlawson30 I knew she wasn't proud of us
oscarpiastri this is why dad is better
y/n_l/n I'm taking away all of your sims and ps5's
olliebearman I take it back, mom is the best
oscarpiastri81 this is the best thing to happen this weekend
charles_leclerc my family 🫶
maxverstappen1 you stole my son from me.
liamlawson30 they had free ice cream 🤷
y/n_l/n 😊
maxverstappen1 I'm taking pole then
charles_leclerc ☹️
lestappenlove I love the entire family your honor
leclerc16charles does Leo need another sibling? cause I can bark
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foone · 1 day
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I want a human zoology textbook.
Zoology, as in the study of animals. Like, a study of how humans work, done by an author that is not human.
I specifically want this for a couple reasons:
1. Descriptive, not prescriptive: don't tell me what the author thinks humans should do or how they should be. Tell me what they do. Observationally!
2. No bias towards "nature". I don't particularly care what the author is imagining humans are like in some "garden of eden" unfallen state. I want it to reference how humans ARE.
3. No morality applied to this! What do humans DO, not what you think they should do, or how they should be. And most importantly, no self-censorship in order to avoid offending some of the humans that disagree with ways people live.
And the reason I want this is because of how biology textbooks/wiki pages get written, where even if they try to be progressive they're still written from this weird perspective where they're explaining based on old ideas and the progressive stuff gets a footnote.
Like it'll be "humans have two genders, male and female. This is determined from their chromosomes, XY for male and xx for female."
And then you scroll past two pages for men and another two pages for women, and then it has one subsection that covers non-binary people and intersex people. And it's like: well then integrate that into your main statement!
It's like the author's worldview is still "there's two genders and everyone is born as one" but they've been forced to accept there are some weird exceptions but the core worldview is unchanged. And it's understandable! Wrong, but understandable: the grew up in a world that is quite strong on the "there are only two genders" ideology and doesn't like to remember that intersex people exist.
But like, imagine if you tried to do this as a zoologist. You're like "hey, all bees are female!" and then someone points out the rare male drones and they're like "oh okay I'll update my zoology textbook."
And now it reads:
All bees are female. Most are workers, and one is the queen.
(a couple sections go pass)
Drones: recent science has discovered that some bees are born male. These rare exceptions live short lives where they fertilize a queen and then die.
And it's like, no? Drones are very important to how a hive lives and they can't survive without them?
And we're constantly doing the same thing to humans and it's just bad science. Like, sure, maybe you could have the theory that "humans come in two genders: male and female" but as soon as you see one non-binary person, you have to discard that theory: it has been proven false! It's like not believing in other galaxies after Henrietta Swan Leavitt figured out how Cepheid Variables worked.
Add to that the "nature" thing. Like, you can make a sort of argument about nature vs artificial settings for a lot of species: the whole alpha/beta wolf thing came about because it turns out wolves act differently in captivity compared to the wild, so it makes sense to study how the vast majority of wolves live, not a small group you stuffed into a small area with unusual conditions. It's like saying the lifespan of goldfish is under 5 minutes, based on your study of them in this dry box you put them in.
But humans are different: we are tool-users who build new environments for ourselves. And while you can talk about how humans living in different environments act differently, it doesn't make a lot of sense to call one of them "artificial". All of them are made by us, and humans always do this. This means all environments are natural (because building environments for ourselves is what we naturally do) and all environments are artificial: we always alter our environments to better suit us! That's one of the things we naturally do!
And as for morality, it's about not ignoring things humans do regularly because you think it's weird or you think they shouldn't.
Like that tweet where someone pointed out that lots of species can change gender. Clown fish are a big one, some frogs, a couple birds, some lizards, and humans.
And people often have an immediate knee-jerk reaction of "that doesn't count!" for the last entity in that list. Why? Because we do it (usually) with clothes and makeup and medication, instead of just "naturally"? Bullshit. We're naturally TOOL USERS. Of course we use tools to change gender. We use tools to do EVERYTHING. That's natural for us.
So yeah. I think it'd be refreshing and enlightening to have a zoology textbook written about humans with this detached non-human perspective. An unbiased description of what humans are and do, rather than one irrevocably tinged with ideas of what humans should be and should do.
Basically I want to load up Vulcan Wikipedia and check the "Humans" article.
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lexirosewrites · 7 hours
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What about omega prison guard Steve and alpha prisoner Eddie Munson.
Steve should sue that prison for workplace endangerment and I’m so sorry for how late this is. I have others still in my inbox too that I will get to eventually!
That being said... alpha prisoner Eddie flirting with nervous prison guard Steve!!! Steve who's been told to be wary of inmates trying to intimidate him with threats, but he was never warned that he'd fall in love with the charming weirdo in Block D who's always telling him how pretty he is.
At first, Steve assumes that inmate Munson is trying to get extra time in the yard or a better work assignment, but he never does. He greets Steve like a friend, asks how his dog is, and even makes sure that other prisoners don't mess with him despite being an omega working in an alpha prison.
It feels too good to be true, but five days a week, Steve clocks in and instantly finds himself drawn to Block D. Even if it's not his assignment for the day, he makes a point to say good morning to Eddie. Sometimes he does sneak him an extra granola bar from commissary if he's feeling generous, even though Eddie would never ask.
"Morning, officer beautiful."
Steve laughs at that, sticking his hand in his pocket to quickly find the pack of gum security had allowed him to bring inside. Not necessarily following protocol, but he figures that it's innocent enough.
"Good morning, Munson," he greets.
Eddie gets off his cot and comes over to the bars of his cell, his smile widening when he catches sight of the bright pink package of gum in Steve's outstretched hand.
He has to be subtle about the special treatment, but Eddie’s good about that, accepting the present and pocketing it quickly.
"Surely you can come up with a better petname than that, baby? You've had damn near a whole year to pick one for me,” Eddie teases in a whisper.
Steve brushes it off with a laugh, putting a little more space between them.
Having a soft spot for a handsome prisoner wouldn’t look good to the other inmates or his fellow correctional officers. Everyone already thinks he’s not fit for this job and he can’t afford to lose it. It’s the best paying job he’s ever had and the benefits are great.
“Alright, Munson. Mind your manners.. What’s on the agenda for Block D? Are you running your little club this morning?”
The alpha typically leads some weird club for the prisoners on good behavior. Steve has never understood their funny game, but he always volunteers to oversee it.
Eddie smirks, throwing him a wink as he returns to his bunk and picks up a full box to show Steve.
“Big plans for today, actually.”
He chuckles at that.
There are no big plans in prison. Every day is more or less the same. Eddie either has a work assignment or his club. Sometimes he attends a special workshop or class for some college credit, but it’s not exactly the Ritz-Carlton.
“Sure, Munson. Whatever you say,” Steve says, rolling his eyes.
Eddie pouts.
“Don’t you want to know why all my stuff is packed up? You aren’t the least bit curious?”
Huh?
He looks around the cell, suddenly noticing how bare the walls are— devoid of Eddie’s monstrous drawings and plans for his game. In fact, his bed has been completely stripped and none of his books are lying around the place anymore.
“Eddie? What— what’s happening here?” Steve questions frantically, his heart racing now at the idea of his favorite prisoner being transferred elsewhere.
He’s had good behavior lately, but maybe he got caught in a fight on Steve’s weekend off?
Eddie can’t leave. He’s unintentionally become Steve’s best friend here and honestly, he’ll really miss the guy. Even the extra attention and flirting too!
The alpha drops his box and comes all the way to the bars, close enough that he can reach a hand through and take Steve’s. He squeezes it gently, settling Steve’s panic a little with his calming scent now.
“Hey now, baby. I thought you’d be happy for me? Are you really that upset that I’m getting out finally?”
Getting… out? Holy shit. Eddie is leaving prison. For good.
“You— your time is up?”
Eddie leans down, glancing around to make sure nobody sees him press a kiss to the omega’s knuckles.
“Yeah, sweetheart. I told you I was gonna be on my best behavior for the parole board. How else was I gonna take you on that date I promised?”
Everything he says always sounds confident and a little cocky, but for once, Eddie seems vulnerable and sincere.
He actually wants to take Steve on a date.
Steve shakes his head, but doesn’t pull his hand away from Eddie.
“You didn’t really mean that,” he protests. “I know you were just messing around or whatever, Eddie.”
“Oh, so now you know my name?” the alpha teases.
Steve rolls his eyes, wanting a real answer.
“Munson…”
Eddie grins.
“Alright, alright. No need for all of that, honey. I just thought I’d give you a heads-up in case you wanted me to leave you alone when I get out. I didn’t really expect you to let an ex-con take you out, but it gave me something to aim for and I wanted to thank you nonetheless for being such a good friend, even if you don’t want to see me outside of here.”
Steve hesitates for a moment.
Of course he didn’t realize that Eddie was getting free any time soon when the alpha joked about taking him out and “showing him a good time.”
But does that really change anything?
If Eddie wasn’t an inmate, would Steve be interested in him? The answer seems clear, but he’d never had to think it through before now.
He clears his throat, giving Eddie a smile as he comes to a conclusion.
“I think… I think you could thank me with dinner, Munson. I’m assuming you have a place to stay already? Do you have a number I can call too?”
Eddie grins like a kid in a candy store and runs to grab a piece of paper out of the box, writing on it frantically before shoving it into Steve’s open hand.
“I’m staying with my Uncle Wayne. He got me a position at his garage since I got all my certs here. My first paycheck is all yours, Steve. You find the fanciest restaurant in town and I’ll book the table, sweetheart,” Eddie promises. “You won’t regret this.”
He blushes at the intense stare from the alpha, feeling surprisingly eager for him to follow through with this.
“I’m going to hold you to that, Eddie. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
Steve loses his favorite inmate that day, but ends up with a different kind of mate a few months later.
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jokeroutsubs · 2 days
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[ENG translation] Jure Maček, Joker Out's drummer: "I don't have time for dating"
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An article and interview with Jure Maček, published in Suzy magazine on 1.3.2024.
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Original article is available here for Slovenske novice subscribers. Article written by Anita Krizmanić for Suzy magazine. English translation by a member of JokerOutSubs, proofread by IG GBoleyn123.
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Music has accompanied the 27-year-old from Logatec since early childhood. He fell in love with it because of his father and grandfather, who were excellent musicians themselves. Besides them, he also had a number of other great teachers who introduced him to various genres, he played in the symphony orchestra and several bands, and just over three years ago, he finally found what he had been looking for – Joker Out, the band that became his new family. A pleasant and open conversation partner, who believed in his dreams and is living them today, gave us an honest interview about what his journey was like before he and his band embarked on the incredible odyssey that started last year before Eurovision.
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Tours are tiring, but also incredibly exciting. // "They wouldn't let me play the drums in music school, because they weren't on the curriculum, so I decided that I would learn how to play them on my own."
"Each of us dreamed about one day finding ourselves where we are now. We're aware that many people don't have that chance. We miss home, we haven't been there very often in the past year, which we've already got used to. To each other, as well. We support each other and we know how to coexist. We're doing just fine, but there are moments when you have to grin and bear it. There aren't many of those, though, because we're mostly having a good time and we enjoy making music," a smiling Jure tells us from London, where the boys have been temporarily living and creating since the beginning of the year.
During our chat, he walks around the city and tells us that life with Bojan, Kris, Nace and Jan is very simple. "Because we're great friends, even though we could all use a moment of solitude now and then. Especially now that we're living in a small London apartment. But we know each other so well that we know what each of us is like, when and why he's in a bad mood, what he needs, and how to fix a certain situation. We're a nice and happy family," he smiles, and adds that they all know how to take a step back, but at the same time, they're firm when they want to emphasise their idea or opinion.
"Sometimes it's better if someone says what they're thinking out loud, presents their idea, and if we collectively latch onto something, we can get great results. It's the same with music," he continues.
LIVING HIS DREAMS AT PEACE
The fruits of their hard and dedicated labour over the past few weeks can already be seen, some are yet to materialise. The band recently sent 'Everybody's Waiting' out into the world, a song that centres the personal thoughts and contemplations that accompany many young people.
"When we make music, we try not to think about other worlds and the audience. When a song is being made, each of us has to feel it and add a small part of what makes him happy to it. When we get to the point where all of us are happy with our work, we know that we created something good, and that's also when people can feel it or find themselves in it," he says.
Joker Out, with their magic and meaningfulness, always take us into worlds where everyone is safe and understood, even when they think they're not. He agrees that a loving attitude towards yourself and others is key in the chaotic world that surrounds us.
"I am at peace with the people around me. I appreciate them very much and they make me even more happy to be in this world." He is grateful for fulfilling his dreams, which he never let anyone take from him as a young musician. "I currently make a living only from music, so I am living my dreams," he smiles.
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After working on the album, the boys are leaving for the European tour.
DRUMMERS LIKE CONTROL
As a drummer, he keeps in the background, but that doesn't mean he lives in the band's shadow. "We're special people. We're happiest if things are under control. Just the fact that we sit all the way in the back says enough. You can see everything from there," he says, and adds that drummers are pretty technical types who are more reserved than the other band members. "We like the space we create for ourselves around the drums. That is our world and we really enjoy it. We're pretty nuts," he jokes.
We also chat about the band's fans, who are a unique phenomenon, as they know all the lyrics. "It's a crazy feeling when people abroad sing songs in Slovenian." Otherwise, he never craved attention and he's pretty introverted. "Out of everyone in the band, I'm the least enthusiastic about hanging out after gigs, not because I don't like the fans, but because I like my peace. I need time for myself after performances, which the fans very much respect and understand. After each gig, we take time to meet people, even if not all of us are there."
Despite looking thousands of girls in the eyes at gigs, his heart is currently not taken. "There's no time for dating. There was none last year, and none this year yet either," he laughs.
STEALING HIS MUM'S POTS
During our conversation, we also touch on his upbringing, and he tells me that he fell in love with music as a child, since his father Mitja and grandfather Cveto were also musicians. "I remember dancing around the living room with grandpa on Sundays, and moments when I stole my mum's pots from the kitchen, took them to the living room and banged on them with full force. All of that moved something inside me, leading me to being a musician today," he's convinced.
Another key moment happened when his father, who was also a drummer, took him to the concert of the guitarist and frontman of Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, in Tivoli Hall as a boy. "That was probably where it first became clear to me that I really wanted this," he says. His parents enrolled him in the music school in Logatec where he studied percussion instruments for eight years, he played in a brass band and a symphony orchestra, he was a member of various bands in elementary school.
"They wouldn't let me play the drums in music school, because they weren't on the curriculum, so I decided that I would learn how to play them on my own. After that, I had a more and more successful band each year, it escalated until I joined Joker Out," he remembers his younger years, when he was getting to know various genres and enjoying his calling more and more each year.
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"We drummers are special people," says Jure.
FALLING IN LOVE WITH FILMING BECAUSE OF HIS DAD
Music, however, wasn't the only thing he spent years getting to know. In high school, thanks in part to his uncle and his dad, who often took him to the field with him as a cameraman, he worked as a correspondent cameraman and editor for RTV Slovenia (Slovenian national television). "When they were looking for a cameraman at RTV Slovenia, I already knew and understood a lot of things. I kind of miss that job. It was very varied because I spent a lot of time in the field, I was at sports, cultural, and political events. During the time when I was both a cameraman and a musician, I realised that there were a lot of parallels between those worlds."
Now, he sometimes misses a slightly more regular schedule. "I used to be home at four in the afternoon, now I won't be home until May," laughs the likable drummer, who really liked working as a cameraman, but was mainly driven by his commitment to music. Now, for just over three years, he's been part of a band in which he's found something more. "I actually didn't really know how to get to that point, because in Slovenia, we often hear that you can't make a living from music and it might be better to find something else, that it's difficult to survive in the music world, that it's not worth it. But there was always something driving me so strongly that I was determined to prove to myself and others that it's possible."
THE CAMERA IS ALWAYS ON
If you want it strongly enough, you can achieve anything you want, he says. He's sure that as a musician, he will never achieve anything bigger than Joker Out. "Even though I like to emphasise that I'm living my dreams, it's not all sunshine and roses. The music world can be very tough, you have to fight every day, because you don't know what you're getting yourself into and what the result will be. Everything is a little unknown."
While the members of Joker Out are constantly discovering new unknown things in their creative world, they're definitely not unknown on the music scene. They caress our ears and souls with their finely crafted lyrics and excellent music. Their fans can now even hope that these outstanding young musicians will record a documentary about their journey in the near future. "We started recording in 2021 and we have a lot of things in stock that might interest people. With us, it's like this: when we're on tour, the camera can be on at any moment, so we have to be a little mindful of how we behave. Actually, everything is recorded – backstage, travelling, hotels, arguments, as well as lovely moments!"
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The fans are thrilled by his not-at-all-reserved photos.
DREAMING OF SUMMER AND CAMPING
The magical pinnacle of the band's musical odyssey, which started even before their acclaimed Eurovision performance, happened last October in sold-out Stožice. On this colourful journey, they only had a moment to catch their breath at home before setting off again for new adventures. After a temporary move to London, the boys travelled to Helsinki on the 28th of February, where they did production rehearsals, and their European tour starts on the 1st of March. "We will board the bus which we will live on for one month. I'm looking forward to this experience and the bus tour, as it will be our longest yet," he doesn't hide his excitement. The band will come back to Slovenia for seven days at the end of March to regain their strength, then they will have a few performances in the UK, and on the 15th of April, they will lock themselves into a studio in Hamburg for a month, recording the album that was created in London.
"This year, we were home for three days, until the 4th of January, which makes the days spent in Slovenia even more precious," adds Jure, who is endlessly excited for the summer. "I've seen enough hotels in the past year, so I want a genuine holiday like in the old days, when a friend and I converted a car to be able to sleep in a camp. I miss simple holidays in nature and without a phone. That's what I really want this year, at least for a week or so," one of the most charismatic Slovenian drummers reveals his humble wish to us.
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deoidesign · 6 hours
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#ok finally making a post about meds#I've not ever tried taking medication before. I was sorta raised with that classic 'dont rely on meds you have to learn to manage without'#I mean I was also raised with the idea that therapy is stupid unless you have 'real' trauma. and also like idk.#can't stay home from school unless your temp is over 100 or you're throwing up. etc. very suck it up mindset#so I was just really nervous to start. also of course worried about losing myself or whatever I know that's a silly fear but#it's also a common fear for a reason!!! anyways#so I finally was like 'I need to do something' when I realized I was so anxious I couldnt even get myself to go outside alone#like I just don't want to do ANYTHING alone to a detrimental effect. and it was butting into my ability to do my work...#for various reasons. but then ALSO adhd has been a constant issue with my work as well!#it is SO hard to write and draw on a weekly pace like I am without being able to focus#my whole life I've had these terrible nightmares constantly and I've always woken up constantly in the night#sleep has always been terrible so I've always dreaded going to bed.. ESPECIALLy because it didnt even make me less tired#it was more something that I just did because I had to.#but going to bed was always terrible. there have been times I was too scared to go to sleep for weeks on end...#I've been mitigating this for years of course. and recently I've been taking melatonin which has been helping too.#but I've also always struggled to get up. because I've always been EXTREMELY exhausted#but also anxious of what the day might bring... idk.#anyways it has all hit a point that I was like okay. I am doing as many coping mechanisms as I can. the psych said they were good too#but... it just has never been enough. it's never been enough to make me not tired it's never been enough to make me not scared#so I finally talked to the doc about it. and she was like youve def got smth wrong basically. which yah I know.. but yknow#anyways so I started taking wellbutrin. and I am so frustrated now. because it's WORKING#that constant looming sense of dread is gone. I'm excited to get up. I'm excited to go to bed BECAUSE I'm excited to get up#I feel like for years I've been holding on to the idea that I have to get up because I have to put something good out into the world#and I've been clinging to knowing that if nothing else. I am able to help other people feel better.#but now for the first time in my life I'm like. free of it. I didnt even know it was possible... and I'm so sad how much I've lost out on#and so frustrated how my whole life I've been told to put up with it and push through it. and treated like a failure for it being too much.#and just. It has only been 2 weeks. but the lack of anxiety is SO noticeable I'm so...#I'll never miss it. the adhd is still pretty present but like whatever. I can manage that better.#and I'm just crying because of all this combined.#I just. I hope I get to finally be the best I can be now. for myself but also for you guys!
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alltheirdamn · 23 hours
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Killing Me Softly | (Joel x teacher!f!reader)
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Chap. 9 Act 1, Scene 1
Summary: Time passes, but the memories remain. Rating: 18+ Word Count: 6.7k Warnings: **THIS CONTAINS SERIES SPOILERS** angst, language, mentions of alcohol, brief mention of vomiting (tw for anyone with emetophobia), slight duel pov A/N: Well... the imposter syndrome has hit me HARD. I'm extremely discouraged by this chapter, but i hope its a decent enough follow-up to what y'all read last :/ bear with me, the last two chapters will MORE than make up for it. i promise.
Masterlist | Ko-fi
Time didn’t exist anymore. 
You woke up. You went to work. You came home.
Over and over, the cycle went, and the days passed with no significance. You didn’t eat much, your appetite dwindling just as much as your motivation. It started to show in the way your clothes hung on your body and how your face thinned out. If you cared, you would go to the store and actually buy food, but the possibility of running into Joel kept you away. 
Joel.
Two weeks had passed since parent-teacher conferences—two weeks since you had hidden the book far away. You considered re-writing your lesson plans for next year; you never wanted to teach Romeo and Juliet again. You weren’t strong enough to analyze a story you had shared so intimately with someone you now considered a stranger because that’s what Joel was now: a stranger. A stranger you could still pick out in a crowd of a million people, a stranger whose lips were still imprinted on your skin even after countless hours spent in the shower. 
He was a stranger, and you hated him.
You were perched on the couch with a glass of wine—as most nights went now—when your cell phone buzzed on the coffee table. You didn’t reach for it initially; it was most likely your mom. She had tried calling a handful of times since you had hung up on her weeks ago. You never once called back, but you listened to the voicemails when you were drunk enough. Your dad had been discharged last week and started physical therapy for his hip. Stella and her boyfriend were moving in together somewhere in downtown Boston. And Beth…your mom never once uttered her name. She knew better than to do that. 
But the continuous buzzing of your phone began to irritate you, and you reached for it with an exasperated sigh. An unknown number flashed on the screen, igniting a sudden burst of anxiety inside your chest. Setting your glass down, you inhaled and answered the phone.
“Hello?” You cautioned.
Your name filtered through the receiver, a voice you weren’t expecting to hear.
“Bennett?” 
“Yeah, it’s me,” he sighed. 
“I didn’t think you’d reach out,” you said. “I tried to see you in the hospital, but Natalie…” You let your voice drift off. 
“I know. She’s not big on the idea of talking to you at all.”
“I’m so sorry again, Bennett. Joel shouldn’t have done that. I really don’t understand why it got to that point. I—.”
“I deserved it,” he said, cutting you off mid-sentence. 
You shook your head, your fingers knotting through the tangles in your hair.
“No, Bennett. No, you didn’t. He could have killed you,” you argued.
“He’s a man of his word, I’ll give him that,” he laughed. 
It was odd to hear Bennett talk so casually about this as if Joel hadn’t pummeled him into the ground. He should be mad, so why wasn’t he?
“Should I be waiting for a call from your lawyer soon?” You asked wearily. 
“If I wanted to come after you or Joel legally, I would be the one to do it. But that’s not happening,” he sighed. “It's too messy of a situation, and I really don’t want to go through the hassle. Natalie says otherwise, but she doesn’t really understand the situation.”
“The situation,” you echoed. “Joel told me his side of things after they took you to the hospital.  I still don’t remember anything, Bennett. Even if I did, I wouldn’t have been able to reach you. You left. You disappeared completely and broke my heart.”
There was a beat of silence. You took the opportunity to down the last of your wine, the beginnings of a light buzz coursing through your veins. Don't get angry, you told yourself. You didn’t feel much of anything anymore, but anger was never too far out of reach. Sitting with that emotion and festering in it was easy if you let yourself. Bennett deserved your anger just as much as the rest of them, but you needed answers more than you needed to feel anything.
“There’s a lot to explain,” he finally said. “I’m not sure if you even want to see me again, but I can drive up to Austin this weekend and tell you everything. Or at least everything from my side.”
Seeing Bennett again would unfurl so many unchecked emotions: heartbreak, betrayal, grief. But it would be something you needed. Joel wasn’t the one you were with those two years following the accident; he wasn’t the one you had walked down the aisle expecting to see. Bennett had been with you through it all. You wanted to hear it from his mouth. You wanted an apology and an explanation.
“Okay,” you exhaled. “We can do that. Will Natalie have an issue with it?”
“Natalie won’t know.”
“You’re going to lie to your wife?” You laughed bitterly at his admission. He was still the same person through and through. 
“She’s fine,” he huffed through the phone. “She doesn’t understand any of this anyway.”
“Whatever you say, Bennett. We can meet at a coffee shop this weekend. Don’t abandon me again. I deserve an explanation.”
“I won’t.”
The guilt in his voice was thick, and you relished knowing he was suffering. Everyone, not just you, deserved to suffer for what they did. 
You quickly ended the call with Bennett and returned to the silence surrounding you. Knowing you’d see him in just a few days was unsettling and uncomfortable. The lingering grief he had left still hollowed out your heart. No amount of apologies would fill it, but it could sew up the remaining holes. 
What couldn’t be filled was the gaping hole Joel had left within your heart. Secrets wrapped in scar tissue and carnage that could never be fully healed, and it still infuriated your love for him still festered inside you. It buried itself deep under the confines of your numbness, but sometimes, when you lay awake at night, you could still feel it. You ached for him in growing unbearable ways, but you had to continue with your life. 
You hadn't prepared yourself to see Bennett the first go around, and you had since thrown out the shit still stained with his blood. Now, you were standing amid a pile of clothes strewn around your feet, your hair still wet and wrapped in a towel, and a face that screamed insomnia. You looked beyond amends.
After another hour of procrastination and a ticking timeline, you threw on the most basic T-shirt and jeans and left your hair a wet mess.
It was only Bennett.
It wasn’t serious.
Nothing was these days. 
You pulled into a spot in front of a cafe a little ways into town, your car sitting idle as you stared at the storefront. You could faintly make out Bennett’s silhouette sitting in the window, yet your body wouldn’t move. You were feet from all the answers, but the anxiety bubbling inside you made you immobile. Did you actually want this? Was it better to be blissfully unaware? 
Would the answers hurt you more than help you?
Before the constant questions led you to flee, you opened your door and decided to face the truth. Walking into the cafe, your eyes connected with Bennett, and your heart sank. Even from a distance, the scarring on his face was horrible: a thick, red, jagged line stretching down his temple and ending at his cheekbone. Another raised scar creased his left eyebrow, dragging down the arch over his eye. 
Joel did this. 
Inhaling, you met him at the table, sliding into the chair without a word. Bennett’s lips curled into a smug smile, one you still hated, and his eyes glazed over your body. 
“You look like shit,” he stated. 
“You’re one to talk,” you shot back, rolling your eyes. 
He shrugged, leaning back comfortably in his chair. Your eyes flicked down to the ring on his finger, the gold shimmering through the sunlight hitting the windows. 
“She really has no idea you’re here?” You questioned, nodding your head towards his hand. 
Bennett glanced down at his wedding band, his fingers twisting around the metal mindlessly. 
“No, she doesn’t. She thinks I’m out of town on business.”
“And where’s home for you now?” You asked. “I never really found out since you up and left without a trace.” You tried to swallow the bitterness coating over your words. 
“I live in Houston now. I found a firm seeking out a junior partner and settled down in the city,” he explained. “Trust me, I didn’t want to leave my life here, but it was the only option.”
You studied him momentarily, watching any signs in his body language that would frame him as a liar. But you found nothing to fault. 
“What do you mean it was the only option?”
Bennett leaned forward, intertwining his hands together.
“What exactly did Joel fill you in on?” Bennett asked, cocking an eyebrow.
You shifted in your seat. Bennett’s words hit a nerve inside you, one that was buried deep within the numbness and itching to revive itself on a spark of anger. Was there more Joel had kept from you? How much more heartbreak could you take before you completely withered away?
“He said you and I broke up after we moved to Austin,” you started. “That’s when I met him, and we started dating. I don’t know specifics or much more, but Joel said that when I woke up in the hospital, I asked for you, and that’s when my parents decided to reach out to you and cover up my memory.”
“He left out… a lot,” he emphasized.
“Oh.” 
“So, where do you want me to start then?” 
You chewed on your lip, glancing outside as the cars drove down the main road. If you had told yourself two years ago you’d be sitting in front of your ex-fiance learning about a life you never knew existed… you’d laugh. You’d laugh and tell yourself you’d gone crazy. 
“From the beginning,” you sighed. 
Bennett leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. His eye twitched, the tight scar scrunching the skin around it. You averted your eyes, dropping your gaze to your hands as they fidgeted in your lap. 
“Obviously, you remember us moving to Austin,” he started. “It was probably a month or two after that when we started arguing a lot. You were always mad at me for working too much. You complained all the time that I wasn’t present or whatever.” You deadpanned him when he said those words; it was the same as the arguments you remembered during the engagement. Bennett shrugged off your glare and continued. “Anyway, you finally got fed up with everything and called it quits. You moved in with your teacher friend, whatever her name is… I don’t remember.”
“Maria,” you grumbled. “Her name is Maria.”
“Right, yeah.” Bennett quirked a grin as if he knew the buttons he was pushing. “So, you moved in with Maria and must’ve met Joel shortly after that. We didn’t keep in touch during those two years, but I missed you—a lot.”
Now, it was your turn to hit him with a rueful grin. He was so full of shit, just like you remembered. 
“I don’t believe that for a minute,” you scoffed. 
“Believe whatever you want, but I did miss you. Even with all our fights, I loved you,” he admitted. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, so after a while, I decided to reach out. I asked if we could go to dinner and talk, you know, work things out. I didn’t expect you to agree to it, but you did. And you know what happened? You laughed. You laughed at everything I said. You told me you were finally happy and in love and that you’d never consider the chance of getting back together. You sure do know how to hurt a man's pride.”
“You probably deserved it,” you said, shrinking back into your chair. 
“Yeah, probably,” Bennett exhaled. “Doesn’t matter now, though. Anyway, after dinner, you left, and that’s when the accident happened. I had no idea until your parents called me to the hospital and explained it all to me. Looking back now, I can see how incredibly fucked up it all was, but I wanted a second chance. Joel wasn’t happy with the plan at all. As a matter of fact, he punched the shit out of me right when I walked into the room.”
“What?” You balked. 
Bennett laughed dismissively, running a hand over his jaw. You tracked his moments, imagining what Joel must have looked like when he saw Bennett that night. An unwelcomed pang of guilt swarmed inside your chest, not for Bennett, but for Joel. You still hated him, but you couldn’t image the pain he had felt knowing he was losing you. The guilt subsided as you reminded yourself he had a choice to step in, but he allowed it all to happen anyway. He was an accomplice to your parent’s plans. He didn’t fight for you, and that realization stung. 
“You alright?” he asked, tilting his head to study you. 
“Yeah, I’m fine,” you faltered. “Just—just keep going.”
“Okay,” he cautioned. “I agreed to go along with your parent's plan. I knew it was fucked up, and I knew it would bite everyone in the ass one day, but I did it because I loved you. I wanted a do-over with you, and it felt like the perfect opportunity.”
You nodded slowly, letting his words sink in. If this conversation had happened weeks ago, you would have reacted differently, but there was no anger left to exhaust. You couldn’t be angry at Bennett, at least not for this. You were still allowed to resent him for what he did during the engagement and for leaving you at the altar, but this? This wasn’t something he did; he went along with everything because he loved you…supposedly. That was still arguable. 
“So, you got your perfect opportunity and decided to fuck it up.” 
Bennett inhaled sharply, drawing his lips into a thin line. There he was, the asshole you remembered. He didn’t like when you called him on his shit, and that’s exactly what you were doing. 
“I tried to make it work,” he argued. “I mean, I tried the best I could. I didn’t want to lose you again. So, yeah, I might’ve tried to prevent the chances of you getting your memories back, but it was because I loved you. Then I just got sick of trying. I got sick of you always asking questions and me having to lie. It was exhausting. And then you started saying Joel’s name in your sleep, and I just—.”
“Wait,” you interjected, holding up your hand. “I—I said his name in my sleep?”
Bennett laughed, running a hand over his face. There was a shift in his demeanor, a mixture of anger and sadness. 
“Why do you think I slept on the couch most nights? I couldn’t fucking stand it,” he grumbled. 
“Bennett, I didn’t fucking know I was doing that!” You shouted. A few people turned their heads at the rise in your voice, but you didn’t care. The anger was awakening inside you again, pounding to get out of the cage you had locked it in. 
“Yeah, I know,” Bennett said, rolling his eyes. “I still hated it. I hated knowing that even when you slept, you still loved him. I was never going to be the person to make you happy.”
Tears stung your waterline, and you swiped them away before they could fall. 
“That’s why you left.” It wasn’t a question. It was a realization. 
“I called Joel the night before the wedding,” he confessed, cringing at the admission. “I told him how I felt, and he told me to leave. Well, he didn’t tell me… It was more like he threatened me. He told me that if I didn’t, he’d find me. We both agreed to stay out of your life, and I think you can piece together the rest.”
You sat before him, speechless. You knew it all along; you were the reason Bennett was unhappy. Instinctively, you always knew it. But hearing it aloud? That was a pain you weren’t ready for. Everything was your fault, from beginning to end. Bennett couldn’t love you, Joel couldn’t fight for you.
Why were you so unloveable? 
None of this was your fault, yet everything pointed directly back at you. 
You had nothing left to say to Bennett, so you shoved away from the table and fumbled for your purse. He said your name cautiously, grabbing your wrist before you could turn away. You tried to free yourself from his hold, but he squeezed tighter. 
“Stop!” You snapped. 
“I’m sorry, okay?” Bennett pleaded. “I really am, whether you believe it or not. I fucked up a lot, and I regret the way I left. It wasn’t fair to you.”
“This apology would have meant a lot more two years ago, Bennett,” you cried, still trying to free yourself. 
“I know it would have, but I’m doing it now. Alright? I’m sorry for everything I put you through, and I know none of this has been easy for you—.”
“You don’t know shit,” you seethed. 
You finally wrangled yourself out of his grip, rubbing your wrist to alleviate the pain from his touch. Bennett stared at you, agonized. You had walked in here hoping for an apology and got it. But it wasn’t enough. What was the point in all of this if nothing healed the pain inside you? 
You stumbled out of the cafe with blurry eyes, the cage bars inside you breaking piece by piece. It was only minutes before the anger fully consumed you, and you needed to leave before you let it wreak havoc on everything around you. You needed silence. You needed solitude. You needed a hole to crawl into. 
Before you could open your car door, Bennett called out your name and tore you away from the swirling thoughts inside your mind. You tried to ignore him, but he was relentless. Whipping around to face him, you came face first with his chest as he pulled you into an embrace. 
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, tightening his arms around your ridged body. “Hate me all you want, but don’t hate Joel. I can have my own grievances with him, but he loves you more than I ever could.”
You slumped into his chest, letting the anger overwhelm you to the point of complete defeat. Crying in Bennett’s arms was the last place you ever expected to be in, but here you were, sobbing into your ex-fiance’s chest. He held you through each wave of emotions, remaining solid and silent. 
“Hey,” Bennett whispered, pulling away. “Obviously, I don’t know shit about what’s going on with you, but it’s going to be okay. It’ll take time, but you’re going to be alright. I hope you get those memories back one day. I really do. You deserve to remember the things you lost, and I’m sorry for ever getting in the way of that.”
“Thank you,” you mumbled, wiping away the tears streaming down your face. 
Bennett gave you a soft smile and said his goodbyes. You watched him as he retreated to his car, waiting for him to drive away. As you turned toward your car again, you glanced up at the hardware store across the street, meeting the eyes of someone familiar. Someone you didn’t expect to see. 
Joel’s brother, Tommy. 
The resentful glare in his eye was deadly, and you couldn’t hide from it. He saw you with Bennett. He would tell Joel, even without knowing what had just transpired. For a brief moment, you wanted to rush over and explain everything to him, but you stopped yourself. It didn’t matter what he told Joel—at least, that’s what you told yourself. You could only shy away from Tommy’s scrutinizing stare and duck into your car. 
You had been gone too long from your numbness, and you missed it. It was time to bury yourself in your sadness once again and continue trying to unlove Joel Miller. 
**
Joel dumped his tools on the dining table with an exasperated sigh. He immediately reached for the fridge, grabbing a beer and popping it open in one fluid motion. As he leaned against the counter with the bottle at his lips, Joel heard the garage door slam shut. Peering around the corner, he tracked Tommy’s movements as he walked into the kitchen. 
“What crawled up your ass?” Joel grumbled. 
Tommy shrugged off his button-up and tossed it over a dining chair. He ran a hand through his greasy black curls before glancing at Joel. Joel shifted uncomfortably, trying to make sense of Tommy’s demeanor. 
“Seriously, Tommy,” Joel huffed. “Spit it the fuck out.”
“I saw her downtown,” Tommy finally said. “She was with that ex-fiance. The one you almost killed.”
Joel swore he felt his heart stop beating. Tommy must have seen wrong; it wasn’t you. It couldn’t have been you. You wouldn’t seek out Bennett, not after everything. You weren’t even seeking Joel out, even after two weeks of earth-shattering silence. 
“Are y’sure it was her?” Joel asked through clenched teeth. 
Tommy nodded, his eyes drawn to the floor. 
“Yeah, it was her. Not sure what was goin’ on between them, but I saw them huggin’ and all that outside of a lil’ cafe,” Tommy explained. 
“Probably doesn’t mean nothin’,” Joel shrugged, trying to let denial take over.
If he could deny it, then none of this was real. You weren’t with Bennett again—that wouldn’t happen. You wouldn’t do that. Bennett wouldn’t do that. Maybe Joel should have killed him. It would have torn you apart, but at least Joel could sleep at night knowing Bennett would never be in your life again. 
“Joel,” Tommy said, pulling him from his vengeful thoughts. 
“It doesn’t matter!” Joel yelled, slamming his beer bottle onto the counter.
The glass rattled between his fingers, and a slow trickle of liquid began seeping out of the crack he created. Joel glanced down at it, unbothered. 
“She’s not comin’ back, man,” Tommy sighed. “Y’gotta start movin’ on.”
“Go fuck yourself, Tommy,” Joel snapped.
He shoved off the counter and began to retreat down the hall, but not quick enough for Tommy. Tommy sidestepped in front of him, arms folded and a scowl twisting his lips. Joel knew Tommy hated everything about this situation, but he wasn’t the one experiencing the pain. He was just a bystander in all of this; he didn’t lay awake every night tossing over your words inside his head. 
I will never forgive you for this. 
Joel wasn’t losing you. He already lost you. 
“Listen, Joel. I know this is hard on you, but y’gotta face the truth. She’s gone, man. I know you tried your best to get her back, but it’s just not gonna happen. She deserves to make her own decisions for her life.”
“I know,” Joel sighed. “Doesn’t mean I don’t love her, still.”
Tommy’s brown eyes softened as he looked at Joel, his head dipping in agreement. 
“No one said y’had to stop lovin’ her,” Tommy offered. 
“I don’t think I ever will,” Joel said. 
Joel didn’t sleep much that night. Tossing between the sheets, Joel couldn’t steer away the thoughts of you in another man's arms—let alone Bennett’s. When Joel had seen you at parent-teacher conferences, he wanted to fall to his knees and beg for your forgiveness. He knew you had taken the news rough, but seeing you so physically distraught was another type of pain he hadn’t been prepared for. You were a hollow shell of the woman he loved; your voice held so much bitterness when you spoke to him. Your eyes didn’t look at him with love…it was his own personal Hell. Parting ways with you like that nearly killed him, but not knowing what was going on in your life killed him more. Joel had spent two years in limbo after your accident, always wondering what life would be like if he had you back. And then he had it. He had three beautiful months with you, albeit they were spent wearing rose-colored glasses, but he had you again. 
In the blink of an eye, in one messy series of events, he lost you.
He lost you, and he knew you’d never come back. 
**
~Six months later~
You thought time would heal the wounds left inside your chest, but you were wrong. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and nothing felt better. You stopped talking to your family altogether, and the phone calls stopped coming after some time. Beth never tried to reconcile with you, nor did you try to fight for answers. Having your heart broken by Joel and Bennett was one thing, but having it broken by your sister was a different kind of pain. It was visceral. It was a betrayal so brutal you still had yet to recover. Thinking of the things she had said to you in Boston only left you with debilitating headaches; her words festered deeper than anyone else’s. 
The truth is that you are a fucking idiot. And on top of that, you’re a coward.
You weren’t the coward; Beth was. She chose to hold onto those secrets for the last few years and weaponize them against you. You weren’t the idiot; you were the victim. You were the victim in all of this, yet everyone wanted to pin the aftermath on you. 
You were a mad woman, haunting an empty house with no one to confide in. You cut off all friendships with other teachers, especially Maria. You became a hands-off teacher, only going as far as in-class readings, quizzes, and occasional tests when necessary. The students adapted to the shift in your mood, and while you lived with the guilt of becoming that teacher, it was the only way you could survive the work days. The less effort you put into things, the less risk you had for disappointment or frustration. 
Sarah avoided you at all costs during class. She no longer participated in class discussions—which were far and few—but kept her head low and her grades satisfactory. Sometimes, you’d catch her watching you during class, her hazel eyes swimming with concern. You couldn’t stomach looking at her for more than a few seconds. You weren’t sure if she ever reported back to Joel about you, and honestly, you didn’t care. Well, maybe sometimes you did. It didn’t happen often, but there were fleeting moments of unwelcome flashbacks to your time with Joel months ago. Flashes of his hands on your body, his crooked smile, his deep voice. They wove through your mind at the worst moments, and everything hurt again. 
The school year had finally ended, and your days were filled with endless bouts of nothing. You exhausted everything: plucking weeds in your front yard, rearranging your kitchen cabinets (for the seventh time), building a new bookshelf…You found anything you could to keep yourself busy and the wandering thoughts at bay. 
The Texas heat was becoming unbearable, so you opted to spend the weekend indoors, siphoning through your closet. Heaps of clothes cluttered the ground around you as you tore apart each shelf, miscellaneous keepsakes piled in the corner. It wasn’t until you were elbow-deep in the crevices of your closet that you found the book. 
Romeo and Juliet.
The flimsy spine and dog-eared pages taunted you. You sat motionless with your hands hovering over the book, torn between flipping through the pages and setting it on fire. Minutes passed, though they felt like hours, and you remained paralyzed, stuck in limbo between the past and present. You’d tell yourself it was a moment of weakness, but you grabbed the book and let your hands move through the pages. 
“Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.
And, to sink in it, should you burden love;
Too great oppression for a tender thing.
Is love a tender thing? it is too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.
If love be rough with you, be rough
with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.”
The words hit you harder than you expect. Staring at the margins of the pages, scribbled with your words and thoughts, you blinked back tears. You thought you were strong enough for this. Tossing the book halfway across the bathroom, you succumbed to the tears that pooled in your eyes. Laying on the messy floor, you wrapped your arms around your shins and stared at the book as it taunted you from across the room. Your eyes caught onto something peeking out of the pages, and you slowly tilted your head. 
That wasn’t…
No. 
You couldn’t pull yourself to your feet, so you decided to crawl to where the book lay. As you got closer, you started to make out the grainy features of Joel plastered onto a Polaroid. With shaking fingers, you lifted it into the light, your eyes growing wide. Basked in the hue of sunset sat Joel, his broad torso dressed in a white shirt, with the biggest smile plastered on his face captured in a moment of laughter. Something sparked inside your chest as you stared at it longer, your eyes memorizing every softened feature of Joel’s face. He still had that patchy beard you were so familiar with, the sparse spots along his jaw no different than they were now. Creases around his closed eyes proved that his laughter in the photo had been genuine. 
You missed his smile. 
Shaking away those tender thoughts, you tried to pull yourself to your feet, only to have your ankle caught in a strap of a dress, sending you crashing to the floor. Your arms tried to brace for impact, but you didn’t catch yourself in time. Your body smacked against the corner of your shower door, your head taking most of the impact. 
And everything went dark. 
“Sarah, you’re a mess!” You laughed. 
Her curls were caked with mud, and half her clothes were soaked. You, Joel, and Sarah had decided to drive into the small town outside the campground for dinner, and of course, you got caught in the rain. As you all made a beeline for the diner, Sarah tripped into a huge puddle between cars, splattering rainwater and mud all over herself. Joel couldn’t contain his laughter, and neither could you. 
Joel took a seat on the beach outside the diner, trying to catch his breath from laughing, but every time he glanced up at Sarah’s messy face, he lost it all over again. You scrambled through your backpack to find your Polaroid camera, snapping a quick picture. 
“Hey!” Joel laughed, grabbing you by the waist and dragging you down to the bench. 
“What?” You asked innocently. “It was the perfect opportunity! Plus, you look extra handsome right now.”
“Handsome, huh?” He smirked, peeking you on the cheek. 
You shook the Polaroid as it developed, presenting him with the proof. He was handsome. So fucking handsome. Joel reached for the camera in your hands, turning it quickly on you. You stuck out your tongue, trying to hold back another fit of laughter. 
“Perfect,” he grinned before turning toward Sarah. 
“Alright, kiddo. Smile!”
“Dad, stop!” Sarah wined. 
But Joel was too fast, the camera shutter going off right in time to capture Sarah’s big pout. 
Each of you had a Polaroid now, picture proof of a happy family. 
Pinpricks of pain stabbed into each side of your head as you finally roused from your sleep. You squinted through the harsh light of the bathroom, letting your eyes readjust to your surroundings. Everything was foggy, but you remembered. 
Oh God, you remembered everything. 
The nausea was quick to hit you, and you scrambled to the toilet. You weren’t sure if the fall was to blame for the sudden disruption to your body or the memories slamming back into place, but you were helplessly stuck with your head over the toilet. Flash after flash, like the shutter of your camera, everything fell back into place. 
“Oof! I’m so sorry!” You said, rubbing your nose.
You had turned the corner too quickly and smashed right into the solid chest of a student’s father. 
“S’all my fault, miss.” 
The voice alone sent shivers up your spine, but they multiplied as you gazed up into a pair of deep brown eyes. You lost all the words in your vocabulary as you took in the sight of the most handsome man you’d ever seen. He was too rugged and masculine to call ‘cute’; handsome fit him so much better. With dark scruff covering his jaw and creases around his eyes, whoever this man was…he was stunning. You were captivated.
“I really should have looked before I turned the corner,” you rambled. 
“Don’t go apologizin’,” he said, offering you a kind smile. “I coulda got outta the way.”
“Do you make a habit of taking up an obscene amount of space?” You joked. 
“Depends on the hall,” he countered, extending his hand. “Joel Miller.”
You told him your name, then shook your head. 
“I should probably keep it professional. You can call me Miss Smith.”
“Nah, don’t need all the formalities here. Your name is just fine.”
“Is your daughter enrolled here?” You asked. It was hard to maintain the color creeping into your cheeks. 
“That she is,” he said proudly. “Goin’ into third grade this year. She’s a real good kid.”
“I bet she is. I’m only student teaching while I finish my Master’s program, but I’ll be taking on a position with middle school students next year. Maybe she’ll be my student one day.”
“I reckon she’d be pretty lucky,” he offered. 
“Yeah?” Now, you were definitely blushing. 
“Yeah,” Joel smiled. “Somethin’ ‘bout you makes me think you’ll be one of the best teachers in the school.”
“That’s a bold statement, given the fact you hardly just met me.”
“I wouldn’t hate it if I got to know you more.”
Your eyes shifted down the hallway, watching for any teachers that might be coming. You weren’t sure what the policy was for flirting with a student’s parent, but it was hard to stop when he was so enticing. 
“I don’t think I’d hate it, either.”
Another wave of nausea hit you, and you groaned. The room was spinning, your body ached from falling, and countless memories continued to pile up inside your mind. 
You were overwhelmed. 
Those two years of nothing became everything in the span of minutes. 
Dragon Tales was playing softly in the background as you curled your body around Joel’s. His hand was tracing circles around your shoulder as you both “watched” the TV. Something electric pulsed between your bodies, an unavoidable shift that had continued to unfurl over the last several months. You didn’t know how to verbalize your emotions—at least, not without knowing if he felt the same. 
“Joel,” you whispered.
His eyes were already on you when you finally glanced up. It was written all over his face. It was the proof you needed; he felt the same. 
“Yeah, baby?”
“I really like you,” you confessed. “Okay, well, maybe I really, really like you.”
“Maybe I really, really like you, too.”
You peeled yourself from his warm body, turning to face him completely. 
“I’m gonna say something,” you warned. “Please don’t freak out. It’s okay if you don't—.”
Joel’s lips were pressed against yours before you could finish the sentence. You melted into his touch, your hands coming up to tangle in the messy curls at the nape of his neck. He held you firm to his mouth, his tongue dragging over your bottom lip. 
“I love you, baby,” he mumbled. “So much.”
You reeled him in for another frenzied kiss, all your efforts to contain your smile going down the drain. Oh, God. He loved you. 
“I love you, Joel.”
You sagged onto the bathroom floor. The throbbing in your head was growing stronger and stronger with each memory. You wanted to tear your brain from your skull and flush it down the toilet, but that wouldn’t help anything. This was what you wanted, wasn’t it? All your memories were coming back, and yet, you desperately wished they would fade away again. 
You loved Joel. 
It was a fact you already knew, but remembering the exact moment you admitted…. You were going to be sick all over again. 
“Y’look so pretty in my t-shirt, baby,” Joel hummed.
He lay up against the headboard of the bed while you paced the room. You gripped the binding of your copy of Romeo and Juliet, your mind racing a thousand miles a minute. It was hard to focus when his bare chest was on display, the spattering of dark chest hair swirling down his torso and disappearing under the waistband of his boxers.
Focus. 
“Don’t distract me!” You pleaded. “Okay, you know how I was talking about how Romeo is just head over heels for Juliet? Get this: they kiss right away in the first act! He’s so bold with how he speaks to her, and then he just kisses her. And Juliet’s response is basically telling Romeo that all of his sin is on her lips now.”
“And what happens next, baby?” Joel asked, quirking a smile. 
“Romeo says, ‘Give me my sin again’, and then they kiss… again!” 
“Ain’t he just a romantic,” Joel chuckled. “Now, can y’get your sinful ass in bed?”
“What? This one?” You teased, flipping up the hem of his shirt. 
Joel’s eyes dropped to your backside as you exposed your naked body, and he nearly went flying across the foot of the bed to grab you. You shrieked with laughter as he tugged you onto the comforter, flipping you onto your back. 
“C’mere, baby,” he growled.
His lips trailed down your neck, sucking marks into the skin just below your collarbone. You let out a small whimper and helped guide the t-shirt off your body. Somewhere along the way, your book had dropped to the ground, but you didn’t care. You’d much rather give into the sin of Joel’s lips on your body. 
It felt like an eternity had passed when your stomach finally settled. You managed to drag yourself from the floor, staggering your way into the bedroom. The migraine behind your eyes had still yet to subside, so you threw yourself into bed and buried your body under the comforter and pillows. You had everything back—everything you wanted—but why wasn’t it enough? 
The images of Joel swam through the pressurized ache inside your mind; his smile refracted in the blinding light of a constant camera shutter. Snapshots of the past dissolved from the darkness, fragmented puzzle pieces slowly molding into place. 
Another flash, another memory. 
A frustrated scream erupted from your mouth, muffled into the pillows surrounding you. Every thought started and ended with Joel. Joel. Joel. Joel. Was this how it felt to go crazy? 
It was clear that sleep was evading you; it ran from the thought of Joel quicker than you could. Pulling yourself from the bed, you emerged into the bathroom once again and began rifling through the piles of clothes. 
What the hell were you supposed to wear to see someone who was no longer a stranger?
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kneazle · 5 hours
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A snippet of the Tommy & 118 fam fic I been trying to write
Tommy yawned as he walked into the kitchen at Bobby and Athena's from outside, part of him yearning for his bed when the tired, heavy feeling returned. He grabbed a beer from the fridge but leaned against the counter instead of heading back out there. Tommy yawned again and took a sip. While everyone outside was off shift today, he himself had just come off one, but there was no way he was missing one of the 118 get-togethers no matter how much he longed for sleep. 
"Hey Tommy." He blinked his eyes open, not realizing he'd even shut them.
He rubbed his eyes and smiled, "Hey May."
"You know, no one would fault you for going home," She reached into the fridge for an iced tea. "You look like you could use a good night's rest." 
Tommy chuckled, "Are you saying I look terrible?" He knew he could go and everyone would understand, but he hated to miss out– and Tommy knew a good sleep wouldn't happen without Evan there. They didn't sleep together all the time as their work schedules didn't always line up, but Tommy slept better when Evan was there.
"No!" May rolled her eyes with a soft laugh, "Just tired, and I heard Buck tell the others you got off a long call right before the end of your shift."
"I'm alright I promise. Now, why are you here talking to me instead of out there?" 
May bit her lip and fiddled with the label on her drink, "I wanted to ask a favor."
"Sure, you name it."
"Will you teach me how to fight? Or defend myself..anything really– if not it's okay it was a silly idea–" 
"May!" Tommy interrupted raising an eyebrow, "Of course I can, it might be a bit difficult with our schedules but we can make it work."
May breathed out a sigh of relief before sending him a beaming smile, "Thank you Tommy! Seriously." 
"Is there a reason why you suddenly want to learn?"
"I–" She sighed, "Don't tell mom, but there's been a string of attacks on campus, nothing real bad but enough to have us all a bit rattled."
"May–"
"It's okay really!" She gave him a reassuring smile, "I'd like to be prepared for more than just throwing a punch if needed, that's all."
Tommy tilted his head, squinting his eyes slightly at her before sighing, "Fine, but you know she probably will find out at some point– it's Athena."
"If it comes to that then I'll deal with it."
"Any particular reason why you're asking me though?" He gestured out to the yard, "You have other options like Eddie for example, you might be more comfortable with someone you're familiar with."
May wrinkled her nose at him in confusion, "I asked you, didn't I?"
"You–" Tommy gaped for a second, "What?"
"We don't see each other much, but Buck talks about you so often that it doesn't even matter," May smiled, "I know I can trust you not to say anything and besides, Buck is kind of like an older brother to me which means you'll be one too when you get married!"
Tommy's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped as he sputtered. May grinned and backed away before taking off for the backyard, her gleeful laugh ringing out in the room leaving him behind stunned.
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pile 1. pile 2. pile 3.
☽.˳·˖✶guidance to the heart✶˖·˳.☾
(NOT A LOVE READING... UNLESS IT FEELS LIKE ITS ABOUT LOVE IN YOUR CASE)
...just a pick a card reading i did thinking about how sometimes we are so lost trying to find reason and logic in matters that are far more determined by our emotions. it's not that i think that "following the heart" is always the solution, yet i do think that understanding it and embracing it when possible makes our lives far more enjoyable.
Take what resonates, leave what doesn't pleeeeaseee... This is a general reading made for entertainment and uplifting vibes. english is my second language btw.
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⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ PILE NUMBER ONE ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
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Okay so what we got, it’s a strong determination to feel protected by a sense of order and control. You are maintaining a high level of logical reasoning in order to guard others and maybe yourself from stronger and purer emotions, which you might not feel comfortable or safe enough to share in their most raw and passionate state. I get the idea that you are great at analyzing and moving accordingly when it comes to what to do and what to avoid.
You are resilient and have learnt how to take care of your mental wellbeing and balance, you are comfortable in your strength and you have set great foundations to remain strong, yet this is also bringing you closer to feeling paralyzed by doubts about taking action in fulfilling deeper needs. 
At this point, the mental agility that allows you to notice the bullshit quickly, needs to be trusted while also used to fight for your comfort to take up the space you deserve in the world. In this very moment, you are quite capable of achieving anything you feel as necessary for your growth, even if you unconsciously fear the emotions that will come with it. You will find contempt as long as you don’t doubt your ability to recover after fighting for what brings you closer to embracing passion.
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ PILE NUMBER TWO ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
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Lucky you! These cards are telling me that you have just finished going through a major transformative event in your life, you are now going to begin an emotional journey which will turn out in a blossoming of your creative potential. But, they also tell me that even if theres a level of maturity in the way you carry yourself, and you’re always aiming to be better to create success for you and for those you love,  you are just starting to realize how much of your inner world, your emotions and your energy, plays a role in achieving anything you desire. 
The main advice here is that, when something out of your control makes you feel too clueless, too innocent or inexperienced, you should always face those situations knowing that rewards will come from your assertiveness, creative problem solving skills and your vibrant spirit. Do not allow others underestimate you specially at this moment when you are beginning to embrace more sensitive and empathic approaches to the way you move in the world. 
Take time to get in tune with your intuition, practice gratitude and protect your energy from people who want to be around you just for their personal benefit. You will become more influential in social spaces, so keep an eye on those who will eventually act up on jealous impulses. 
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ PILE NUMBER THREE ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
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Well, it seems to me that you are struggling to balance logic and emotion, as both of these are highly developed and fighting to take the leading role in your decision making processes. There’s plenty of logic in your emotions, and plenty of emotion in your logic, but a deeper communication and understanding on how to make these two work together is necessary. Experience has made you knowledgeable but it also made you more sensitive to many things in the outer and inner world. I get the feeling that you might be a little bit desperate for answers that fulfill emotional and intellectual needs. In these cases of existential distress, it is always helpful to look for answers in places outside oneself. 
Use your wit and your empathy to understand others and then you will understand yourself better. Times of intense learning, in a traditional or casual setting, are coming to bring you a sense of wholeness and balance. 
Consider that maybe you shouldn't hurry any type of important decisions, especially when it comes to opposite outcomes. Take your time to learn how to integrate all aspects of your mind and spirit before committing to one path. Look for support and strength in the company of those you admire and trust, don’t be afraid to ask for guidance. 
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sincerehimbo · 2 days
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hi baby angel v, how 2 shift? thanks!
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the first chapter.
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a common question asked is “how do i shift?” and that truly does depend on how YOU desire to see shifting as a whole.
let’s begin from the very beginning, the very basics of the basic.
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intention. people will ALWAYS ALWAYS preach how intention is the key to shifting, but they never really explain what it is? intention is basically the emotion / motivation to do that thing.
to go a little more in depth i recommend this blog about intention written by @lunarshifting (link)
methods. are methods needed? absolutely not. if you feel they are needed, then they are. if you feel they are not, then they are not. they are nothing more than a “helping hand”
assumption. this is not really talked about if you were on a different platform (its more coming to light now and YAYYYY) but assumption is your bff FOR LIFE. shifting can be as easy or as difficult as you believe it to be. if you assume you gotta sleep with your big toe pointing north to shift, then that will be what makes you shift. if you assume you gotta do 17 backflips before the sunsets to shift, that is what will make you shift. get my drift?
a couple bloggers recommended for assumption would probably be @etherealkissed88 + @luckykiwiii101 + @yourstruly-babygirl ! all sweethearts too. only the best for my bffs ( and @stilljuststardust + @lunarshifting give lovely shifting advice and js general shit as well best people swear )
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“but vincent i can’t figure out if a method is right for me….”
great! let’s rock and rift while i go into detail abt methods!
let’s think for a second! 💭 what do YOU want to do to shift?? because what you want is what will work out for you!! keep in mind, this list is NOT limited to anything you can take and leave anything or wtv you want!
music? great, let’s do something with music. waltz around with someone from your dr, repeat a scenario that the music reminds you of, anything of the sort.
visualization? dope! let’s put it to use. a tip that helped me is to treat your visualization like a memory rather than a distant place. even if you haven’t experienced it yet!
affirming? great, say a bunch of fun affirmations! make it personalized and fun, if it starts to feel like a chore switch it up!
following instructions? guided meditations and pre made methods are probably going to be the best fit for you!
using your senses? YAY let’s use that, what do you feel, smell, see, taste, and hear in your dr? see where that leads you.
no method? lucky you, breathe in, lay down, sit up, wtv you want! you’ll shift anyway, don’t stress!!
silence or noise? use those noises to get a feel for your dr. and use that silence to simulate your dr if that makes sense!
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“but i have no idea what i want to do or what im good at..”
well let’s start there! is there anything you WANT to do? or can’t figure out where to figure where to begin? i promise you, the hardest part is js starting.
everyone has a want, so let’s start there. what’s your want?
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got it? YAY if not. what you good at? you are welcome to pm me if you are still stuck, im creative as shit and i’m sure we can find a root or a small leaf that will point us right to a forest.
now let’s use that want to figure out what makes you tick.
desire? utilize it. don’t let anything stop you from getting there, not even this realities higher being. your desire is YOURS take it. don’t allow anything to stop you, for it is your right.
yearning? the classic “they miss you” is not exactly true nor false, for you are already there. however, doesn’t it feel weird you 2.0 is holding them or wtv? why not 1.0? why is 2.0 better than the original?? go.
UTILIZATION is something i will always vouch for. you know what to do, take what you need, leave what you don’t.
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i hope this made sense.. blinks anyways LOVE YA ANGEL 🎀
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ninimuhllover · 1 day
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"Tease"
Pairing:Nika mühlx!fem!reader
Request:hi pooks!! if you want tooooo can you do something for mika where reader is an acedemic weapon and mika is infatuated but doesn’t really think reader is gay because she’s so girly and nika always blushy around reader and like paige and kk always tease her??
Warnings:kinda smut?,making out,teasing,fluff,angst kinda,cursing,reader referred to as she,her,hers,no use of y/n,metion of nikas accent
How is she so gorgeous and smart at the same time thought nika while smiling at the girl she hasn't been able to stop thinking about since the first time she met her "girl" Paige said beside from beside me "what?" I said "you down bad" kk said laughing "she's not even gay" I said looking down "why don't you ask" Paige mentioned for the thousand times "no" I said fast "well she's walking over now" I whipped around and she was in front of me "hey guys" she smiled talking to us my mind went dumb as I just stared at her "um Nika about that project you wanna come to my dorm to work on it" she said "huh oh yeah s-sure" I stumble on what to say "okay I send you the room number see ya" she smiled again at me while walking away her perfume sent slowly went away she was wearing a different lip gloss today "yeah look at you!" Paige said while shaking my shoulders while laughing I smile "maybe this will make something happen between you two cause damn" kk said I rolled my eyes while walking out of class to here my phone buzz I open the notifications to see a message from her
Her: room number is 437
Me: thanks
Her: no problem
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚Time skip˚୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆
Reader pov
I put the last pillow on my bed when a knock at the door made me turn the music off and I walked to the door and open it seeing Nika on the other side nervously playing with her hands "hey come on in" I say smiling at her closing the door behind her "you can sit wherever" I say to her "she looks around the room while sitting at the door of my bed kinda awkward I hold my laugh at this I sit down by her "what were you think for the project?" I ask her she blushes "idontreallyhaveanyideas" she rushed out "huh" "I don't really have any ideas" she said slower blushing hard "oh well we could do a power point" I say "is that okay with you?" I ask "uh yeah yeah" she said fidgeting and looking anywhere but me "are you okay you seem nervous" I say putting my hand on her knee
Nika pov
Her hand on my knee sent sparks through me "yeah I'm good" I say Shakey "you don't seem like it you want a water" she said getting up "uh sure" I say she walks over to her small fridge to grab me a water bottle I look around her room noticing a small lesbian pin on a bag in the corner"here you go" she said handing me the water and I took a sip of it "thank you" I say feeling a bit better from the interaction with her hand on my knee "I'm gonna grab my bag laptop bag so we can start to work on the project"she said grabbing the bag I was looking at just a second ago sitting on the bed and pulling her laptop out "I like your pins" I say touching the one I had most interest in "oh thanks" she said while typing on her computer "where is your accent from?" She asked I blush a bit "oh I'm Croatian" I say smiling"mm I've always wanted to visit there" she says while smiling at me "yeah you'd probably like it"I say "you really like that pin" she says looking at my hand still touching the pin "oh sorry" I say moving my hand"no your good and yes if you where wondering" she said confused I said"huh" she looked at me"I am a lesbian if you were wondering" she says smiling at me "oh" I say my stomach was doing flips and I was trying to not smile to hard
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚Time skip˚୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆
"no because she had no right to look this fine" she says as we watched the movie on her laptop "for real" I agree with her while looking at the screen when my phone went off to see a message from Paige
Paige: how long y'all gonna be freaky it's 7:45
I look at the message and see she saw it too"i don't know what she's talking about sorry" I say fast trying to put my phone down fast while looking at her. Her face flushed red "it's okay" she laughed kinda nervously "she's just talking I swear-" I was caught off by her lips touching mine and her hands on both sides of my face I felt like I was floating my hand went to her hip and my other on her neck the kiss getting heated she climbed on top of my lap sitting down while not breaking the kiss my hand moved down to her hip her hand now on my shoulders she pulled away and started to kiss down my jaw I let out a breathy moan as she kissed behind my ear "your so pretty baby" she said while kissing my neck I grabbed her face and pulled her back to my lips "your such a 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚" I say with her lips on mine while she smiles she pulled away "I've wanted to ask for a while but will you be my girlfriend" she said "yes" I said kissing her again when my phone started to ring I pulled away reluctantly and answered
"hello"I say into the phone breathlessly
"hey I was just making sure you were still alive but it looks like I was right on the freaky part" I hear Paige say on the phone
"oh shut up" I say when she starts to laugh I hang up after saying I was okay and look back at her "hey is it okay if I stay" I ask nervously "yeah if course" she says while cuddling up to my chest I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her on the top of her head I soon hear small snores coming from her I close my eyes and fall asleep
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚Time skip˚୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆
I walk into the gym with my bag on my arm and kk comes running up while jumping "yeah okay girlypop I see you" I blush knowing what she's talking about "shush" I say "is that what she told you last night" Paige said from beside her "maybe maybe not" I say confidently "oh okay so boom tell me what happened now" kk said laughing "nuh uh that's my information" I say while walking to the locker room "oh so that's how it is" she says while walking with me and all three of us walk into the locker room "yep that's how it is" I say laughing
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Kinda short but I loved this idea @julienbakerloverr pooks I hope this was good sorry it took a while though I didn't know how to start it but anyways ignore spelling mistakes and punctuation I hope you enjoyed it and please please request please don't copy me my work with out asking 🩷🤍
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of our own making
(an X-Files fanfic)
Chapter 34/34 - epilogue
[Read on AO3]
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Greenwich, CT
May 2001
-.-.-
“Smile at the camera, sweetheart!” Mulder calls, holding the camcorder up in front of him and peering through the viewfinder. “You too, beautiful.”
Scully pauses her search for seashells with Madeline, tapping the little girl on the shoulder and showing her where to look. As soon as she spots him, a chubby little finger points in his direction, her face lighting up in a smile, and with his free hand, he waves back.
“Hi Miss Madeline!” he says, zooming in on the two of them as they go back to their search for seashells in the sand. “Are you having fun?” He pans down to the gentle waves as they lap at the shoreline, coming closer and closer and finally tickling at the toes of Maddie and Scully, eliciting a shriek of joy from the now toddling one-year-old.
“Is it cold?” he asks.
“A little cold, still,” Scully answers, leading their daughter by the hand a little further from the ocean. He zooms back out, capturing the full picture of this lovely New England beach as it nears sundown, the warmth starting to fade along with the light.
“How about this one?” a soft, older voice cuts in, walking carefully over the sand toward little Maddie, who holds out her hand in acceptance. Teena Mulder leans down and places a large white seashell in her hand, which little Maddie thoroughly inspects.
“Did Grandma find a big one, baby?” Mulder asks, walking closer to his family to get a better look at the spoils of their seashell hunting trip.
Maddie holds it up for the camera. “Ah!” she answers, tugging at Scully’s hand to bring her closer to her dad.
“Oh, look at that!” he says enthusiastically, widening his eyes comically. She grunts and stretches her arm out as far as it will go—her way of telling him she wants to give him something. He chuckles and holds out his hand, accepting her gift with a wide brimming smile. “Thank you, sweet pea. Should Daddy hold onto that for you?”
Scully’s lips pull back in a smile as she looks up at him. “I think that’s probably a good idea,” she answers for Maddie.
Mulder tucks the shell into his pocket, pressing the record button on the camcorder and checking that there’s still battery left before looping the strap over his shoulder.
“Alright, Daddy’s turn, little stinker,” he says, grabbing Maddie by the hands and lifting her into the air. She squeals in delight, swinging in an arc until he plops her back down in the shallowest bit of water where the sea meets the shore.
“Mulder, you’re gonna get the camera wet!” Scully calls out, her brow slanted in either worry or disapproval.
Maddie stomps around in the water, giggling at the way it splashes up when she does.
“Did you hear that, Maddie?” Mulder asks in mock alarm, addressing his question directly to his daughter, though speaking loud enough for Scully to hear. “Mommy thinks I’m going to drop this expensive camcorder into two inches of water, can you believe it?!”
Madeline gapes up at him, clearly having no clue what he’s talking about, but just happy to be included.
“I did not say you’d drop it,” Scully corrects, pursing her lips and crossing her arms in that way that he’s always thought looked so adorable, especially with how tiny she is.
Mulder walks Maddie back over to the others, silently handing her and the camera off to his mother with a playful glint in his eye.
“You’re worried about getting the camera wet, Scully?” he asks, his voice dangerously low as he approaches her, taking one long, drawn out step at a time.
“Mulder, don’t,” Scully warns, suddenly catching on to this game he’s playing, but she’s too late. She tries to escape, but he grabs her around the middle and lifts her into the air, taking off toward the ocean with laughter on his breath. 
He bridal carries her as he wades out into the water, the salty seawater soaking up to his knees. The cold temperature invigorates him—makes him feel alive. Or maybe it’s the pleading screeches of his wife as she yells at him to take her back in between irrepressible fits of giggles.
She clings onto him for dear life, lifting her feet so they don’t dangle into the brisk ocean as he comes to a sudden stop.
“I think this is far enough,” he says thoughtfully, looking around them with a contemplative gaze.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she says, her jaw dropping open. She can pretend to be aghast by his actions all she wants—she can’t hide that underlying amusement that pulls at the corners of her lips.
“Sorry, honey,” he says, meeting her eyes with a shrug. And with that, he drops her into the water.
She comes up gasping, her mouth open wide in disbelief that he’d really gone through with it.
“Mulder!” she yells, wiping water from her eyes and smoothing her hair back out of her face. He doubles over laughing, unable to restrain himself. “Help me up,” she demands, reaching her hand out for him to grab on to.
He acquiesces, gripping her slippery fingers with both hands, and pulling, but instead of pulling her up, he finds himself being yanked downward, and it’s not long before he, too, has pants full of sand.
“You happy now?” he asks, resigned to his fate.
“No!” she shrieks, her brows raised to her forehead. Water drips down and gets caught in her eyelash, and she wipes it away, fighting back a smile. “I’m all wet, Mulder!” she complains. “We have to drive back to your mom’s house like this!”
“So what?” he says, pulling her toward him by the waist. He presses a firm kiss to her cold lips, warming them with his own for a moment before pulling back. His fingertips tease at her sides, causing her to squirm away.
He remembers the day he found out Scully was ticklish. One of the greatest days of his life, for sure.
“Mulder…” she complains, though this time with a little less fervor. The waves crash against them incessantly, occasionally splattering one of them with a splash of seawater to the eye.
“Yeah, yeah,” he says, this time actually helping her to her feet. “I’ll wrap you in a big fuzzy blanket as soon as we get home, I promise.” He gives her one final peck on the lips once they’re upright again, and leads her by hand back to the shore, where his mother watches on in amusement.
“Was that really the best decision, Fox?” she asks, her scrutinizing eyes traveling over their soaked clothing and back up to their reddened faces.
Best decision? No. That honor goes to the day he’d decided to pursue adoption with Scully. This family—one of their own making—that was the best decision he’d ever made. Nothing else would ever come close.
But having a little fun, dumping her in the water and getting absolutely soaked…? Well, he’d never regret anything that made Scully laugh. From the first moment he heard it in the graveyard in Bellefleur, it’s been his life’s mission to hear it again. In the past year, he’s succeeded more times than he can count.
“No regrets,” he declares proudly, pressing a kiss to the back of Scully’s hand, still intertwined with his own.
Teena shakes her head in fond disdain, setting Madeline down on the sand so that she can focus on walking over the uneven terrain back to the car. Maddie reaches up with both of her hands, and Mulder grabs one while Scully grabs the other. 
“Wet!” she says, her little forehead pinching in concern, the word apparently one of the few that she knows.
Mulder shakes his head over top of her, sprinkling her with water droplets from his hair and causing her to shriek. “No!” she squeals. “No, Da-da!”
Scully laughs, her feet slipping a bit in the sand as she walks.
“Come on, now, you two can’t team up on me!” Mulder protests.
“You’re outnumbered, Mulder,” Scully points out, and he heaves an exaggerated sigh.
By the time they get back to Teena Mulder’s house—only a short drive away—the seats of their car are damp with seawater and Scully has informed him that he’ll be the one cleaning it when they get back to their house in Virginia. He responds with, “Yes, dear,” a phrase that never fails to make her roll her eyes.
Madeline falls asleep on the ride home, clutching the seashell that Grandma Mulder had found in her hand like a stuffed animal. As much as they hate to put her in bed still covered in salt and sand from the ocean, they really don’t want to wake her, so they do the best they can to clean her off before setting her down in the travel crib they brought. It’s their last day anyway. The sheets can be cleaned.
Scully gives him first dibs on the shower, biding her time by packing up the little room they’ve shared at his mother’s house for the past week. He re-emerges feeling like a new man, free from that grimy feeling of being covered in salt.
Her shower takes longer than usual. He starts to miss her, not wanting to go to bed without her, but feeling the undeniable call of the down mattress and pillows. 
He knocks on the door, asking her if she’s almost finished.
She opens it slowly, holding a piece of plastic in her hands and looking astonished.
He glances down at it, two blue lines the same color as the paint in his mother’s coastal-themed guest bathroom beaming up at him.
He’s not sure whether he should laugh or cry at first. She looks up at him, uncertainty darkening her face, and he settles for scooping his wife into his arms, rocking her back and forth in complete disbelief.
After he’s taken a moment to absorb this new information, he pulls back, holding her in place and grinning uncontrollably down at her.
“Scully, do you ever get the feeling that the universe is laughing at us?” he asks, chuckling a little as he takes in the glow that he’s just now noticing around her.
“I don’t know if the universe is capable of laughing, Mulder,” she responds in her shaky voice, ever the skeptic. “But someone definitely is.”
“Well, Dana,” he says, pressing a kiss to her forehead and splaying his hand over her abdomen. “I was just thinking about how much I missed the newborn stage.”
~~~
end.
~~~
I have so much to say, and I don't know where to start. Apologies in advance for the long author's note.
To all of you who have read and commented here and on AO3 (I'm still a bit in shock over just how many of you there are), thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your response has meant the world to me, and to know you've looked forward to updates just as I have for stories by authors I look up to… Well, it's humbling.
Since I started writing fanfiction a decade ago, I've always wanted to find the patience and inspiration to write a proper slow burn and have people follow along. Now, this turned out even longer than I expected it to--and at times during the three months it took to write, I felt like I had overestimated my patience to keep writing--but I'm really happy with how it turned out. Checking this one off my bucket list!
To @numinousmysteries: Your help with beta reading and offering suggestions is so appreciated. I've never written anything of this magnitude before, and your encouragement was a much-needed reassurance prior to posting this. I think the story is better off having taken into account your advice, so for that, I am so grateful.
To all X-Philes: I am continuously amazed by how alive this fandom is over 30 years later. You have been so welcoming. I only watched the show for the first time in February 2023, so while I'm still fairly new around here, it doesn't really feel like it.
Now, to answer the question some of you have been asking… Will there be more?
At this time, I don't have anything planned and am not sure when I'll be writing again, but I certainly have some ideas. The way the final two chapters came together obviously skips over what could be some important or at least interesting character moments (Charlie comes to mind, as well as the whole Scully clan). If inspiration strikes, of course I'd love to expand this story into it's own series, probably consisting of mostly one-shots.
I also think it would be fun to take prompts on here for scenes you'd like to see in this universe. No promises on how quickly I'll get to them, but why not--if you have something in mind, feel free to send me an ask and I'll try to get to them as the muse hits. If I do, they'll be posted here and on AO3.
This is turning into a "midwest goodbye" of an author's note, so… Okay, that's it. Yeah. Thanks again for reading. Till next time!
<3
~~~
Lovely tag list ♡: [thank you all for following along and/or letting me clog your notifications for a month!]
@today-in-fic @ao3feed-msr @agent-troi @angegova @baronessblixen @calimanc @captainsolocide @clo-thespin @cutemothman @danasculls @deathsbestgirl @edierone @enigmaticxbee @figureofdismay @frogsmulder @gillian-anderson-in-the-tardis @hippocampouts @invidiosa @monaiargancoconutsoy @msrafterdark @numinousmysteries @primrose19 @randomfoggytiger @skelavender @skylarksong @stephy-gold @teenie-xf @the-redhead-in-a-dress @vincentsleftear
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alice-after-dark · 1 day
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Vox as an Abuse Victim
So here is that massive Vox post I promised, a day late for...reasons. I swear I have been working on this post for days, even before that StaticMoth discourse influx in my inbox.
After making my post about Vox and Angel and reading @deeply-unserious-fellow's post about a similar topic, I thought it might be finally time to make this post. Most people who have seen my content know how I typically portray StaticMoth. I have mixed feelings about Valentino at the best of times and outright dislike him at the worst. But frankly this post isn't actually about him (well, mostly). It's about Vox and why I am really hoping that Viv keeps the angle of Vox being an abuse victim.
TW for domestic abuse, physical violence, implied sexual abuse, abusive relationships, gaslighting/victim-blaming, and other canon-typical triggers. Contain abusive StaticMoth.
Honestly? The primary reason I hope she keeps it is because it would make him an even more complex character and bring attention to a criminally underrepresented group: abuse victims who are also bad people.
As pointed out in the post I tagged above, the world has become obsessed with this idea of a "palatable" victim, the poor suffering cinnamon roll. An abuse victim is expected to look like a victim. You're supposed to instantly feel sorry for them and want to protect them...but that's not so easy when the victim is someone who also hurts people, is it? It's not so easy to pretend they didn't do bad things too...but they are still a victim. That does not change just because they are a bad person. And thus it becomes complicated and interesting. Because it's not so easy to root for the victim when they're also victimizing others, especially when those others are people we care about...like Angel Dust. At the bare minimum, Vox is doing nothing to stop Valentino from abusing Angel or any of his other employees. Having Vox be a victim of the same abuse that Angel Dust suffers (at the hands of the same abuser no less) and yet also being someone who enables Angel's abuse creates a very complicated situation.
In a most media, the discovery of a mean/bad person being abused is frequently portrayed in a "well, they were abused so you can't be mad at them anymore" kind of light. Like "see? They're just an asshole because they were being abused! Now that we know, they're suddenly a good person!" Except that's not how it works. Someone can be a bad person and also be a victim. And even if them being an asshole was the result of their abuse, those behaviors and the consequences of those behaviors don't just vanish. They still hurt people and frankly I would riot if it came out that Vox was being abused by Valentino and then everyone in the show just up and forgave him for being an asshole. Like...no? He would still need to make up for his own shit and actually work towards being a better person. I like this character because he's an unapologetic asshole. If making him a victim takes that away, then that would be such a missed opportunity.
In fact, one thing I find interesting is that I definitely believe that Vox would have no problem admitting to being a bad person, but would rather fight an exorcist alone than admit to being a victim. His ego won't allow for it. He would probably laugh in your face and call you delusional while literally having a broken screen. Because he can't admit it, even to himself. He would see it as a sign of weakness and that's not acceptable to him (side note that being a victim does not make you weak, that's just what Vox's toxic mindset tells him). While I am fairly certain that he would have moved on from most 1950s mindsets since he is all about the future and progress and moving forward, toxic masculinity is still very much a thing today and I can definitely see him embodying it in some aspects, like needing to appear strong and in control at all times (and Hell's power hierarchy definitely encourages this mindset, so...). Fuck, even now in fucking 2024, men still have a hard time being taken seriously as the victims of abuse. Unless of course you fit a certain mold.
Angel Dust is the perfect example of this. He is a palatable male victim. He's effeminate, he's funny, he's friendly, he's caring, and we actively see him miserable in his suffering. Despite being in Hell just like the rest of them and having been a former mafia member and clearly able to stand on his own two feet it combat, his victimhood is constantly on display and the audience wants to protect and save him. On the opposite end, Vox is shown in a position of power that is constantly reinforced. He's an Overlord, he's manipulative, he's cruel, he's greedy, and he enables abusive behavior from others. He is not a palatable victim, which is why it's perfect.
Now let's get into what I believe is the actual evidence that this dynamic could still be present.
Something I see people commonly say is that Vox being abused by Valentino doesn't make sense because why wouldn't Vox just fight back? He could just shock Valentino into next Tuesday? And to these people I kindly say fuck you. Because while physical strength can be a factor in abuse, it is very rarely the thing that keeps the victim from leaving. Abuse, even when physical, is heavily psychological. It's like telling a victim "well, why didn't you just leave?" It's not that easy. Abusers tend to target those with low self-esteem and it's made pretty clear that Vox is a very insecure person (I feel the need to point out that having an ego and having high self-esteem are not the same thing, in fact having a big ego is typically a side effect of very low self-esteem). It's entirely possible that Vox makes the conscious decision not to fight back because he's afraid of what will happen if he does. He's afraid Valentino will leave. We know Valentino is just as mentally and emotionally abusive to those around him as he is physically abusive and we have actively witnessed him playing into Vox's insecurities and mentally messing with him (specifically in the events leading up to "Stayed Gone").
So let's talk about the scene leading up to "Stayed Gone," because I also see Vox's behavior towards Valentino here used as justification for why it's not possible for Valentino to be abusing Vox. Full disclosure, I myself in the past have even thought that it demonstrated them being mutually abusive towards each other, but have since changed my opinion after reading more takes and doing further analysis. Having rewatched this scene many times now, I have some observations.
There's a small moment that always caught my attention when I watched this scene because I wasn't sure what it meant, but looking at it in the context of this post, I think I can see a possibility. When Vox goes to see Valentino, he approaches the doors and they are opened for him by Valentino's servants. Vox pauses in the doorway, glances at them, then continues on inside.
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What was the point of this moment? It seems out of place. Surely Vox has gone to Valentino's room before? Surely this door opening thing isn't new? And looking at Vox's face here, he looks...concerned? Like...they might hear what goes on inside? And he maintains that expression even as he enters the room, like he doesn't like that those two are out there and might hear them.
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It also makes the entire situation feel so routine. Like Valentino is upset and these girls just expect Vox to show up and take care of it. And the scenes prior to this also sets it up as a normal occurrence. Vox rearranges his entire schedule to deal with Valentino, like he absolutely expects this situation could take up the rest of his day. And Valentino clearly doesn't listen to Velvette in this regard as she had to call Vox to come deal with Valentino despite him wrecking her department. Her comment even further establishes this as normal when she tells Vox that Valentino is "up in his tower, waiting for a flat-faced prince to calm him down." And when Vox arrives? "FUCKING FINALLY!" All of this sets up a standard situation: when Valentino is upset, it is Vox's job to calm him down and make him feel better. Valentino is a full grown adult and yet he has made it someone else's problem to manage his emotions.
Then of course we have the classic moment of Valentino literally throwing his glass at Vox only seconds after Vox has arrived. And this has to have been a conscious decision, because right before that, he throws his first glass on the ground before demanding another. So if he wanted to just break something, he didn't need to throw it at Vox, but he did. And I definitely don't think he cared if Vox got out of the way or not. But how easily Vox moves aside tells us that he fully expected to have things thrown at him and was ready for it. Now, I do believe that Valentino would throw shit at literally anyone when he is mad, but the key here is that Vox, his supposed friend, on-and-off lover, and business partner, is not exempt from this behavior. He even breaks Vox's phone when he realizes Vox is not paying attention to him. He has no qualms breaking Vox's property just to soothe his rage (I would also like to point out that he fucking obliterated that thing; just how hard did he fucking throw it?!).
Something in this scene that did initially throw me as I was writing this is that Vox doesn't seem particularly afraid of Valentino. Not the way we see Angel is when Valentino gets angry. We also see him actively get angry with Valentino, get in his face, and manipulate him. In the past, I believed this behavior from Vox to have established their relationship as mutually abusive. However, after reading yet another post from @deeply-unserious-fellow, I realized that everything Vox does here is only in direct response to Valentino's tantrum.
So let's go through some things here. When Vox initially tries to tell Valentino he can't go to the hotel, Valentino straight up ignores him. Does not respond to Vox's words, completely carries on like he didn't even speak. From this point on, Vox takes an entirely different approach to the situation. He manipulates Valentino into thinking that not shooting up the hotel is his idea and even offers further appeasement in the form of shooting his own employees as a method to satisfy Valentino's temper. I admit to initially viewing this as Vox being abusive, but frankly, when your options are being manipulative or letting your business partner go shoot up a hotel that houses the literal Princess of Hell, yeah, I'd take the manipulation route. Because, as I pointed out above, Vox cannot actually control Valentino. He tries to give him an order and is completely ignored. And even when he does successfully manipulate him, he still has to appease him in some capacity.
Now, there's also something here that is often played for shits and giggles, but I'm taking it 100% seriously right now. Many people point out that Vox's screen gets brighter when he gets in Valentino's face. Valentino is a moth demon and after Vox does this, he seems to be dazed for a moment, enough for Vox to rapidly switch back into manipulator mode and does his thing. It seems to have snapped Valentino out of his rage and I literally can't help but think that Vox has learned this as a defense mechanism. Valentino can't see very well, so it's very likely Vox's hypnotism doesn't work on him, so Vox had to find other ways of manipulating him and calming him down when he's in one of his rages.
Something I also want to point out is that it is made very clear through a single solitary moment that Valentino is in no way afraid of Vox. When he tells Vox about Alastor, Vox screams in his face, manhandles him, and Valentino just...pushes him off and saunters away, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. He doesn't even look upset or concerned when Vox grabs him. He just...laughs it off...like he knows Vox won't actually hurt him. Because I genuinely think Vox won't. Later in the episode, we hear Valentino's voicemails to Angel Dust and how he's emotionally manipulating him, telling him he can't really get better. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he's given Vox a similar treatment, especially considering that it's obvious Valentino knew what kind of reaction he would get out of Vox by bringing up Alastor. And sure, he brushes it off with a kink joke, but in all seriousness, why did Valentino keep Alastor's return from Vox? We know Angel has been at the hotel for a little while and Alastor has been involved with it as of a week prior to the beginning of season 1, so why suddenly bring it up? It's almost like he was specifically holding onto this information, waiting for the perfect time to use it that would be the most beneficial to him.
There's also another little scene that always caught my attention. It's when Valentino is getting pissed about the shadow construct that Angel Dust is flirting with.
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Valentino starts getting pissy again, demands Vox's attention, gets annoyed when he doesn't get it, then immediately switches to mocking and confident when Vox starts bitching about Alastor. Like...he's so fucking proud of himself for getting Vox all worked up over Alastor. Like it's some kind of game for him. Riling Vox up and messing with his emotions is fun for Valentino. Alastor dredges up some real shit for Vox and Valentino exploits it. And from here on, he just keeps egging him on. Now, I'm pretty sure "Stayed Gone" would have happened with or without Valentino, but the point here is that he is definitely playing with Vox's emotions here.
As for the not being afraid aspect, again, Valentino hasn't actually threatened him with something that truly scares him. I don't think he's afraid of what Valentino could physically do to him. It's more likely to make him mad than anything else, even if he doesn't fight back (he'll probably go take out his anger on someone else). The thing about Vox is that we see that he does not like to appear weak in any capacity and I think this extends well into his own psyche. If he admits, even to himself, that he's a victim...to him, that's admitting weakness and he just can't do that. So Valentino's not abusing him, they just had a fight. He didn't hit back because he's in control of himself and he knows he could totally toast Valentino. It's Vox's own fault for pushing his buttons when he knew Valentino was mad. It wasn't rape cause he never said "no".
TLDR: Vox can be both an asshole and an abuse victim and it would be a really interesting aspect to his character as long as the show does it right and doesn't scrap his assholeness to make him a more palatable victim. Show him being a victim and also victimizing others. Show him not wanting to accept that he has been abused. LET PEOPLE BE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH FEELING SORRY FOR HIM.
(that's all for now, I have literally been working on this post for days and I'm exhausted)
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lucy90712 · 1 day
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Thunderstorms- Gavi
The loudest clap of thunder I think I've ever heard woke me very suddenly from what was a great dream from what I remember. Shortly after the thunder the room was lit up with multiple bolts of lightening. That's when I knew I'd be awake until the storm passed I've always been scared of storms so unless I sleep through them I spend the entire time awake usually shaking slightly. It's such an irrational fear but I can't help but be scared although I have never told anyone that I'm so scared of storms because I don't want to deal with the teasing. My parents know that I used to be scared of storms but I imagine they think I've grown out of it which I wish I had but outside of that I haven't told anyone even my boyfriend. 
Another clap of thunder made me jump while Pablo slept soundly beside me. That man can sleep through anything I swear, he's slept through fireworks literally next door, thunderstorms and everything else that would wake a normal human being. I know he won't wake up on his own but I'm definitely not going to wake him as I don't want him to laugh at me at least not right now. Instead I just tried my best to get close to him as he slept in hopes that would help me sleep as cuddling with him usually helps me sleep. I shut my eyes and tried to relax but the constant noise and light was always on my mind so I couldn't let myself relax. My hands were still shaking and I could feel my heart rate jump every time there was more thunder. I know breathing techniques are supposed to help calm you down but even those weren't settling my nerves. All I wanted to do was shut myself in a dark room where I couldn't see or hear anything but that's not possible I have to stay here and try and sleep.
Cuddling into Pablo's side didn't help me one bit so I gave up and just kept tossing and turning which made Pablo start to stir. I stopped moving in hopes that he'd just go back to sleep but he kept stirring until his eyes opened. Some more thunder came and I tried so hard not to move or make a noise but the longer it went on and the louder it got I couldn't stop myself making a small noise out of fear. That definitely gave away that I wasn't sleeping as I felt Pablo turn over in bed and his arm touched my waist. 
"It's ok I've got you" he whispered in my ear as he pulled me into his chest 
"I'm fine" I said trying to convince myself more than him 
"You don't have to pretend baby I know you're scared but I'm right here to keep you safe" he said 
"How did you know?" I asked
"I see the way you always tense up when there's a storm and I could see you shaking" he said 
"But you've never made fun of me it's such a stupid fear if you knew why did you never tease me about it" I questioned 
"Why would I make fun of you it's not a stupid fear and even if it was there's no way I'd make fun of you I just want to make you feel better you could be scared of apples and I'd still do everything I can to protect you so thats what I'm going to do so remember if you are scared just tell me I'll be there for you like you are for me" he said 
"Thank you but apples really" I laughed 
"That's just the first thing that came to mind but you get the point" he smiled 
He decided to keep listing random things I could be scared off that he wouldn't make fun of me for while stroking my hair and back to relax me. This list got more and more ridiculous until he said that if I was scared of footballs we would have a problem but he'd still find a way to love me which made me laugh. I think his aim was to distract me and it was working as just listening to him talk as he rubbed my back was making me feel tired again. 
Just as I was starting to fall sleep some more thunder made me jump so Pablo came up with a new idea every time there was thunder or lightning he pressed a soft kiss to either my hair or my forehead. He kept talking and giving me kisses until I was struggling to keep my eyes open and I gave in and let sleep consume me. Being able to fall asleep during a storm is a big thing for me but it's only because Pablo is by my side. Him knowing about my fear is actually a huge weight off my shoulders especially knowing he won't tease me for it being able to turn to turn to him when I'm scared will really help me. 
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bibellebibuck · 3 days
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BELLE OMG HIII
7x09 THOUGHTS???
I have no thoughts. I am in shock. Actually no I do have thoughts.
- Tommy pisses me off SO SO BAD. His negative attitude brings down the mood in literally every scene I do not understand why he’s like this if we’re meant to be rooting for him as bucks love interest? (Spoiler: we’re not).
- Athena approaching Amir as a way to help Bobby feel better about himself is/was wrong and she could have gone to a whole number of other people instead. I love mother Athena but Bobby/Amir had every right to react the ways that they did. I also firmly do not believe that Amir started the house fire, it’s gotta be the cartel (the old guy from the car) or a plot twist other character.
- I’ve rambled enough on here already about my thoughts on the batshit Kim/Eddie situation so I won’t repeat myself too much but. Good lord. Kim matches that man’s freak and takes it ten steps further. I saw a theory that Kim is going to become a bit psycho obsessed with Eddie and not know how to let him go. I don’t really think this is likely (though who tf knows what to expect the minute) but I do like the idea. It sounds fun, crazy Kim is a wild ride and I wouldn’t mind more yaknow?
However, I was heart BROKEN when Chris came in, that poor boy does not deserve the feelings he’s about to feel. I sincerely hope this whole drama doesn’t badly damage his and Eddies relationship :(
Also as much hatred as I have for Marisols actress, her actual character is harmless and I do feel bad for her too- I will defend Eddie with my LIFE but his actions reaaallly are having some serious consequences on those around him. I hope he sorts himself out soon and can somehow make amends.
- HenRen and their kids… my HEART ACHES for them so bad. I can’t help but feel like this storyline is a little bit forced? Like the councilwoman so easily getting their adoption/foster case halted and the judge doesn’t see a conflict of interest there? All her “evidence” that she present against Hen can be debunked so easily. I do feel confident that HenRen will win their appeal and Mara will come home safe and sound. But I hope there are real consequences for the councilwoman acting like this over her druggy son who REFUSED GODDAMN TREATMENT AND GOT PEOPLE KILLED (or was that just almost?) ugh.
- in terms of buddie/bt. I want BT bones like.. last week. But I do think it’s coming, that stale ass interview, their lack of scenes, Tommys complete void of any character/kindness and Buck prioritising Eddie as he goes through his struggle, all point to BT bones either next episode, in between S7/8 or early S8 at the latest. I cannot wait.
Buddie needs more time to cook. I KNOW we’re desperate for it and have already been waiting a long long time, but it needs time. It would be too rushed and out of place and kinda risks being tone deaf if it were to happen right now/too soon. Eddie needs to get through this and be in a better place before their relationship can develop healthily.
That isn’t to say they can’t feed us more Eddie/Buck or BuckleyDiaz family scenes in the meantime though… really bring this simmer to a boil 🥰
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I’m going to say this as an Alicent anti: wtf are they doing to her??? 😂
The whole argument for Team Green is that Alicent usurped Rhaenyra because she feared for her children’s safety but now she’s going to turn on them after FORCING Aegon to crown himself king when he didn’t want to?!
I don't even know what the show runners are on. I do think that their laughable attempts to make TG look better are actually proving my point though. The obsession with making "both sides bad" has rendered their characters inconsistent and completely unbelievable. Their storyline is jumbled and makes no sense. The entire show is a complete mess.
The idea of both sides being equally bad destroys everything in the story. GRRM wrote a story about how sexism and hunger for power damage the world. Rhaenyra being usurped marked a dramatic drop of the power women held in Westeros. Otto and Alicent's greed and misogyny caused the deaths of thousands and the dragons. The loss of the dragons led to the Others gaining strength.
Obviously, the blacks aren't perfect, or even heroes. Daemon is as morally gray as it gets, Rhaenyra is classist and kills to get her way, many of the blacks' allies committed atrocities. However, the fact is the greens are the villains of the Dance and the blacks are the protagonists.
The greens are all irredeemable and awful people, that's the whole point. Just like the slavers are monsters, Euron is basically a demon, and Ramsay is completely evil. Certain characters of ASOIAF are meant to be completely evil, it part to show how the ideas they champion are also completely evil.
The show runners have completely missed the idea and themes of the Dance. Because of that, their story and characters are destroyed and just incomprehensible.
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kaledya · 2 days
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Hello again !
Oh okay I understand!
Thank you for the explanation! Things make sense in that type it follow more the show seasons development. I forgot that in your SS AU Luci and Charlie are in a bad place. It will help (Not me panicking because Constantine come sooner and I always plan a VERY slow burn romance between him and Lolicia. Ahhh. So excited. Anyway) The more important is that Lucifer and Serenity coming later. Heaven arc last. I get it !
I will take care of your advices 🌸 So greatest showman mini arc incoming let's go!
Ps : glad you like my drawings!🌸 Thank you even if its not the best. Promise I will try to not butcher Constantine and Serenity fanarts ahah
Have a nice day! -marquisev
Hİ!
And I'm really glad to know that I could explain it properly! I hope I could help!
And yes, they are on bad terms right now, generally because Lucifer can't put his pride aside and admitted his mistake, or because he thinks knew what was best for Charlie and saying her plan is Unreasonable and far from reality .He doesn't even let Charlie explain herself and is upset about the fight they had the last time they met. Charlie thinks,
"He won't listen to me anyway, why am I trying any harder?"
Lucifer, on the other hand, cannot go to his daughter and admit that she is wrong, again because of his pride.
(This idea is seriously a wip, I didn't think of that arc in detail ) but when Lucifer comes to the hotel, Alastor criticizes him as a father.(Because by this time, Alastor has been spending a lot of time with Charlie, and they even fight back to back at one point. He can understand Charlie's relationship with Lucifer from her behavior.)
Extra: (Their current reaction is not the same as in this post, I drew this post before I started writing my AU, Alastor does not try to make fun of Constantine in any way (he knows what will happen if he does, he logically does not want to push his luck).)
And after this encounter and some events in between And after a long and touching conversation between Lucifer and Charlie, Their relationship is getting better. In my mind, this scene reminds me of the scene between Joel and Ellie in Last of Us 2.
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But they still love each other sincerely. Lucifer was in a bad mood due to Lilith's disappearance and this widened the gap between them.But if they sit down and talk, they won't have much of a problem with time.
OH MY GOD REALLY?? I'm seriously already excited about how you're going to write their interactions! And I have full confidence that you will write a great slow burn romance. I can't wait to see their dynamics.
And yes, Constantine arrives at a time similar to when Lucifer arrives in the series.
Yes!, but it's not too early, I don't have an exact timeline, but seriously important events are happening at the hotel, maybe Angel is getting rid of Val.After the people in the hotel really start to trust each other and show their character development.
The reason I think this is because Charlie invited her brother over to show him her progress.For this, there was a need for arcs in which the team would experience character development.
Yes, Serenity comes to the hotel after the hotel's case with the Vees and after a while, at the right time, she reveals her identity to Alastor .Lucifer arrives shortly after this event.After this there is a heaven arc and the planning is this after this event it's completely blank page, I really don't know what will happen next.
And as I said before, you don't have to follow what I wrote, be free. This is your story.
And believe me, I love your drawing style, I think you draw very well.
And I'm really excited for the next arc!
By the way, I read the latest episodes. It was very nice to read Husk and Lolicia's interactions and I find Charlie's activity very creative!
And Lolicia's new outfit has a really interesting and creative design I love it! And reading that you were inspired by Baldurs Gate 3 really surprised me and brought back memories.I take that outfit in House of Hope too and after wearing it, Gale's comment made me laugh a lot😂
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