I love when past me doesn't leave an outline on a past work that I stopped working on. I definitely know where this was meant to finish. I'll land the plane perfectly.
Just coming here to say that I’ve started drafting some influencer!reader stuff and I’ve incorporated the feedback I’ve gotten from polls.
Even though regionally planned as an oc it will be a gender neutral x reader instead. However they’ll obviously have a light backstory and personality because I said so lol
Anyway, I’ll slowly work on it but I’ve got exams coming up so we’ll see
Maybe I should also write a quick intro for influencer!reader… this one is going to be self indulgent because it’s my ‘make up stories in head to go to sleep’ au.
So… I say to the very few follows on this blog, do you think I should keep it unchanged (have influencer!reader be Australian and friends with Ukyt) and keep the self indulgence or change a few things?
I'm putting this on the main blog because I'm genuinely interested in the answer, but do people rather I write xreader (using y/n and leaving that character ambiguous) or just writing an oc
I personally feel writing oc makes them an actual character instead of a concept (I also find it easier and less crunchy to write) but I'm interested to know wider thoughts
Summary: Matty finds himself alone at a house party he wasn't actually invited to, missing his boyfriend and becoming increasingly annoyed by his environment.
CW: Drinking. Smoking. Swearing. The f slur once. Bottom Matty if you squint. Abrupt ending. Way too poorly written references to autism for an autistic author.
Word Count: 1,800
It was loud. Fuck it was loud. Why did they need to have the music up so god damn loud? Matty's eyebrows knitted together as he shut his eyes, leaned back against the nearest wall and chugged the last bit of his beer. He could feel the pressure in his body rising. He would call it a tension headache because what Oliver would call it made him unnecessarily uneasy. Nothing wrong with what Oliver ever so kindly suggested, but Matty had been through a year of self discovery and didn't feel like doing that again with the added stress of seeing a shrink. Though deep down he knew his boyfriend had some footing in his concern.
Matty pushed off the wall, pushing through the crowd of inebriated and sweaty teenagers to replace his drink in the kitchen. As he does his eyes scan over the living room of some guy in his class, he can't remember who at this point. George got the invite and everyone knew that the four were a packaged deal. He couldn't spot his friends, having them pulled away one by one with the promise of drinks and girls. Same thing happened to him. A mate hooking his arm and telling him about his mates', friends' sister who's visiting from Manchester who has an eye for good looking lads. Matty tried his best to shrug him off, mumbling something about 'not feeling too hot' before slipping away back into the sea of people.
His friends, before they fucked off, had noticed his off mood. They just assumed he was pissed off because Oliver couldn't be here. Which he was. But it was also loud. It was hot. He had been left alone. And he was becoming increasingly more aware that the host had been one of the guys to bully Oliver when he first came out.
Matty was about ten seconds away from walking home without even saying goodbye to his friends when he spotted a familiar lanky brunette. James? What was he doing here? Oliver's crew never came to these types of parties. They kept to themselves, or at most the cottage on the edge of town with the other 'freaks' (Oliver's words not Matty's).
Matty's legs moved before his brain registered the action. His hand reaching out to grab at James' shoulder more forcefully that he usually would. James jumps a little, head snapping to find the owner of the hand that touched him.
For a tall guy James was on the shy, sensitive and awkward side. It took a while for him to warm up to people and be comfortable enough with them to perform basic social interactions well. Even now he still didn't fully relax at the sight of Matty even if he and Oliver had been official boyfriends' since new years. Not that anyone besides their individual friend groups knew that.
"The fuck are you doing here?" Matty's words came out harsh and too loud in his effort to speak above the music that he swore just kept getting louder.
"uhh.." James tenses, eyes flicking between Matty and the girl next to him.
Oh.
In Matty's whatever the fuck mood he hadn't noticed the girl James was clearly trying to flirt with. Matty drops his arm and grumbles out an apology as he feels his stomach twist with disappointment. He tries to recover, mumbling a "leave you to it" as he tries to smoothly take a sip from the bottle in his hands.
As he lowers the bottle he catches as James eyes dart over Matty's shoulder behind his glasses. He turns his head, trying to figure out what James was looking at. All he sees is teenagers in various states of drunkenness and the sliding door to the backyard. He squints trying to find anything of interest this guy could be looking at or if James was just nervously avoiding eye contac- oh shit the backdoor.
Matty almost facepalms but his feet are moving before he could even think. He could hardly register some dude calling him a cunt as he pushes through a few people to get to the door, only coming back into his body as he feels the rush of cold fresh air hit his face, definitely informing him of how tipsy he's started to become. He surveys the backyard, stomach once again dropping when he doesn't find who he was looking for. It was dumb to get his hopes up. Oliver hated these parties. He hated the people. The atmosphere. Not being able to talk to Matty the way he wanted t-.
"God, so emo" Matty spun around so fast he nearly hurt his neck and spilled his drink at the same time.
There he was. Leaned against the brick wall of the house, cigarette lowly burning between the fingers of his right hand. Matty took a moment, taking in his boyfriend. The blue streaks in his hair that'll inevitably cause an after school detention this coming week. The faded Spider-Man shirt covered by a flannel, Matty's flannel he must have left in the other boys' room the last time they hung out. The shitty old jeans with the right knee blown out that he refuses to throw out. He was a sight, even as he snicked at Matty's erratic behaviour.
Oliver's eyes soften, one hand lifting up to gesture the other boy closer. "Good to see you-" He pauses, eyes glancing at the girl face first in a nearby garden bed and her friend holding her hair back. They were far, far enough away it should be fine, but better safe than sorry. "-mate".
Matty's stomach twists again, but this time for a different reason. He hated this. Hated hiding. God, he really took for granted how lucky he was to have the freedom he had with his ex-girlfriends. But he pushed it off, like always. Instead he drew closer, eyes pointedly flickering down to Oliver's shirt then back up to meet his eyes, raising one eyebrow.
Oliver rolled his eyes but became a little bashful. 'Oh har har. Yes I'm wearing a nerd shirt. Didn't expect to be going out tonight. Would've dressed up if I knew I was running into you" His words sounded joking, the wink he shot Matty as he took his place against the wall next to him was definitely joking, but both boys knew the sentiment was genuine. Oliver raised his right arm slightly. "Fag?"
Matty raised a brow
"You know what I mean, dipshit. Wanna bum my cig?" Oliver passed the cigarette over before Matty could even reply.
Matty took it, taking a quick drag and passing it back, hand lingering a little too long as a silent 'thanks'. He exhales the smoke away from Oliver. The two watch the smoke curl up into the darkness. "Why'd you come?" Matty asked, fulling leaning his weight against the wall behind them, continuing to watch the smoke dissipate.
"What do you mean?" Oliver looked over to Matty briefly before taking a drag of the cigarette.
"You said you didn't expect to be out tonight. Why'd you come?"
Oliver exhales. "James has been chatting up some girl. She invited him" He passes the cigarette back over to Matty.
Matty reaches over to grab it, but pauses, a questioning, and almost amused, look coming over his face. "So you're third wheeling?"
"Does it look like I'm third wheeling? Just making sure everything's okay from afar."
"Helicopter parent." Matty takes the cigarette and takes a quick drag, exhaling and passing it back before continuing speaking again. "James is capable of hanging out with some girl he fancies at a party… kinda capable…"
"Not James I'm worried about." Oliver drops the cigarette, toeing it out with his converse.
"You worry way to much" Matty mutters into his beer bottle before taking a sip. Oliver silently watches for a second and only a second.
"How much have you had to drink?"
"Case and point"
"Shut up, I'm allowed to be worried about how drunk my boyfriend could be"
The pairs eyes snap to meet each other as the words slip from Oliver's mouth. They cautiously look around the yard before relaxing. It was just them now. The girls from before must have stumbled inside without the two boys noticing.
"I'm taking you home" There was no room for argument in Oliver's voice but by god was Matty going to try.
"I'm not even that drunk"
"Says every drunk person ever. Matty come on."
"Noooo" Yeah… maybe he was a little more drunk than he originally thought.
"Why do you even want to stay? You were in a mood before"
Matty's face screws up in offence. "Wasn't in a mood"
"I'm not an idiot, sweetheart."
"You just called me sweetheart. The big cool and tough punk wearing a Spider-Man shirt called me sweetheart." Yup, definitely drunk. Deciding to give up on any semblance of sobriety, Matty transferred his weight onto Oliver.
Oliver stumbled a little, not expecting the sudden weight of his boyfriend. He quickly recovered. It's not like Matty weighed much. "Don't try to distract me by trying to egg me into an argument over my clothes. You're drunk and in a mood. I'm taking you home." With his weight now fully on him, Oliver decides to tug Matty through the side path to the front of the house from the backyard. Though Oliver can't help but keep lookout just in case anyone can see the two.
Matty doesn't put up much of a fight, just continues to grumble. "Not in a mood. It was just loud. And hot. And the lads ditched me. And I missed you."
"Aw, baby" Oliver tries to be condescending for the bit, but the concern bleeds through his words, rending any attempt at joking useless. "Missed you too. Now stand up properly or it'll take us forever to get you home"
Matty reluctantly stood up on his own.
"Good boy." Oliver doesn't miss the way Matty's cheeks turn a dark pink and he swallows. "You wanna quickly go say bye to the boys?"
Matty shook his head. "No. Probably too busy with some birds anyway"
"Alright. I'll text them later to say you made it home safe"
Matty hummed, trailing along beside Oliver. "Are y'staying over?" He mumbled. The tension of the too loud and the too hot falling away to reveal an exhaustion within him.
"I'll stay over. As long as your parents are fine with it still"
"For a punk you care a lot about what my parents think."
Oliver couldn't help the roll of his eyes. "Shut up… Your parents are nice to me."
"Yeah, because they like you"
Oliver can't help revel in the warm feeling that blooms in his chest at the thought. "M'glad."
CW: Mentions of murder, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Themes of racism throughout. Hanging. Drinking. A blink and you'll miss it mention of sex. The first stuff is just the main backing plot of the au so keep that in mind.
Word Count: 910
The low torch light of the tavern added to the ambiance of the intimacy of the setting. Not many people sat at the tables. Adventurers had slowed down to a drip and local townspeople had traded their nights of fun for safety. So Matty and his friends stood in the corner, playing to a tavern of few. It was now mainly just the elven population of Lindalë who ventured out for pleasure. Though some who were brave enough (or stupid enough, Matty was yet to determine) ventured out, despite the looming threat of the kings guard for those not deemed 'pure of blood'.
This job itself was dangerous for Matty and his friends. None of their travelling group of bards were deemed 'pure of blood'. None held the genes or blood of an elf. So though Matty felt most comfortable yielding his lute he now never left his home without his sword strapped securely onto his back. He wasn't going to let his family be hurt by anyone, let alone in the name of the Church of Argorn Serek and King Morgoth.
Matty plucked at his lute, continuing the song as his eyes tracked the new arrival into the tavern. The figure, draped in a hooded cloak, moved between tables to rest against the bar. The tavern keeper Tarvauth, a burly half-orc women left untouched by the kings guard purely due to her affinity to intimidation, looks up as the cloaked figure approaches.
No one dared to look at the cloaked figure for too long. They weren't from the town, however they'd become common place over the course of the moon cycle. They only appeared in this very tavern of a night, never to be seen around town. There had been rumours about the origins of mysterious figure. Some say they saw pointed teeth from under the cloak that would explain why they were never seen come daylight. Some say they were just another form of crown surveillance, noting the slight point of their ears. But many steered clear when the rumours of rebel insignia rippled quietly through the town.
Matty distanced himself from the speculation and the danger that came with it. He wasn't in the business of putting his boys in danger by making a scene. However, a band including a Half-Orc, Goliath, Tiefling and Human already caused a scene under crown ruled land.
He could tell the others behind him had their attention drawn by the cloaked figure. Speculation surrounding the intruder hadn't been shy within the four of them. Matty's gazed left the cloaked figure and flit to his right as he felt the infernal heat of Adam leaning to talk lowly within the group.
"New record. Third appearance this week." The boys observe silently and cautiously as the cloaked figure was handed a tankard.
"Maybe they upped patrols 'round here after last weeks incident." Ross's deep voice mumbles. The bodies of the two elves who had kept a goblin hidden from crown guards still hung in the town square, swaying slightly in the wind as a warning. The goblin didn't suffer the same merciful fate, but their blood still stained the cobbled stone under the gallows.
Matty shook his head, eyebrows creasing at the thought. "Are we sure they're crown?"
"They bare the point of the wulfgadj." George lowly growled. Matty had known George long enough to pick up some orcish. Murderer. A understandable sentiment given George's home town was pillaged and slaughtered when the crown expanded throughout Eboudaria.
Matty never liked to refute George's point during these types of arguments but he felt he had ground to here. "Half-elves exist."
"And most are slaughtered on sight." Adam added. "You really think a half-elf would just be walking around like this?"
"They would if they were rebellion" The three boys turned to glare at Ross. A silent order to not speak those words in public.
Adam sighs, glancing back over to the tavern keep and the mysterious patron. "No one besides Tarvauth has seen their face or anything else under that cloak."
The words trigger the ghost of memories within Matty's brain. Flashes of nights warmed with rum and the company of another. The feeling of hands exploring, breath mixing, bed creaking. The sight of eyes that were often looking over ones shoulder relaxing for a night.
Matty refocuses, eyes focused back onto the cloaked figure, a whisper of longing threaded within his gaze. "Speculation won't do us any good. We'll just end up hanging in town square like the rest of them."
The three look to Matty, then between themselves. An air of questioning passing between them that will stay silent for the safety of their brother.
They nod in agreement, with George speaking up again, anger simmered down a little at the agreement to let it go for the night. "Agreed. A round anyone?"
They all nodded, ready to put their instruments down and find a small escape for the night. Matty still stared at the bar. At the cloaked figure as they finish their tankard and ordered another. He knows where he'll find his escape for the night. Right back at the same small room, tucked away like a secret in the town inn. Right with the half-elf that everyone feared but knew nothing about. Right with the rebel that could unintentionally cause the end for him and his family.
Maybe Matty wasn't much of the protector than he thought he was.
Maybe I should also write a quick intro for influencer!reader… this one is going to be self indulgent because it’s my ‘make up stories in head to go to sleep’ au.
So… I say to the very few follows on this blog, do you think I should keep it unchanged (have influencer!reader be Australian and friends with Ukyt) and keep the self indulgence or change a few things?
