#ARI DOESN'T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP YET

[closedrop]

KLUG FROM PUYO PUYO IS VERY FUNNY AND I LIKE HIS CHARACTER DESIGN

SEGA IF YOU SEE THIS I NEED MORE SCHEZO TO KLUG INTERACTION

THX

[harmoonix]

💃🏼 𝐕 𝐄 𝐆 𝐀 𝐒 💃🏼

Astrology Observations

💃🏼 If you have Capricorn or Aquarius Placements and you suddenly start to feel like your life turns more chaotic than ever is probably Saturn telling you that you need to change something, maybe your routine, maybe your sleep schedule, maybe your self - worth etc (Capricorn/Aqua Sun/Moon/Rising)

💃🏼 Sagittarius Sun/Moon//Rising/Venus/Lilith people easily get attached by them for their outgoing nature and spontaneous energy

💃🏼 Leo Lilith/Leo Placements they are very attractive at the first sight, they are remarkable at making good first impressions

💃🏼 Aries Sun/Venus/Rising/Mars > People always make good boundings with them, they are these main characters who always unite people

💃🏼 Pluto aspecting Mercury > These natives are always so intuitive, they can tell when someone lies to them or when they're being fooled by someone

💃🏼South Node aspecting Sun natives probably didn't focused much on themselves in a past life, you have the chance now! Same for Leo South Node

💃🏼 Mars in fire signs feels so excited, their energy grows over night, extremely passionate, everything they do is with passion and love

💃🏼 Jupiter/Sagittarius in your 11H helps you to manifest things fast, if you actually use methods of manifestation...it can be very helpful

💃🏼 Libra Mars/Mars in the 7H. These natives have one hard challenge and that is to find peace among their relationships, sometimes you tend to argue with your partners and chaos comes rapidly after

💃🏼 Aquarius Placements/11H Stellium creates beautiful friendships, their communities are so unique from a person to another

💃🏼 Moon/Sun or Mercury in the 8H are those people who stay in the shadow yet they know everything about anyone like their some detectives or spies

💃🏼 Lilith aspecting Sun, people can dislike/hate you for who you are, they secretly envy the person you are inside and cannot help it but to hate it instead

💃🏼 Lilith aspecting Mars natives can find themselves around with misogynistic/selfish/arrogant people quite too often, cut these people off from your life

💃🏼 Chiron aspecting Venus natives, people don't understand what they are going through romantically, they usually don't like to talk about their love lives if they're not feeling comfortable

💃🏼 Capricorn Chiron natives, that person who is hurt but doesn't wanna talk about it, they can get exhausted way faster than other people, pretends everything is fine when is not

💃🏼 Scorpio Lilith/Venus/Moon easily attract people who want to use them for their power or for their own benefits, your intuition can tell you the most of it

💃🏼 Venus/Lilith/Juno/Mars in the 12H can dream about their future spouses/future partners, you can aslo have a feeling of "deja-vu" when you'll met them

💃🏼 Gemini Venus/Venus in the 3rd house, their voices are so catchy!! Venus rules over your voice here and it gives you beautiful artistical talents

💃🏼 Moon in the 9th house can indicate your spouse's family can get along with you quite easily. Like not a very attached relationship but you have common respect for eachother

💃🏼 Lilith aspecting the Midheaven can be very liked by people but disliked in the same time because in way people wish to be like you

💃🏼 Lilith in Gemini/Lilith in the 3rd house gets crazyyyy, Lilith here is more communicative than ever if she doesn't like something she'll say it right

💃🏼 Jupiter aspecting Sun natives can easily be liked for their personality and aura, they have a sense of generosity in them

💃🏼 Aries Saturn and lesson with needing to have patience for the things you really want is very real, things may come for you but you need patience for that

💃🏼 I start to realize that Cancer Saturn's natives karma is not always about their family but about creating their own type of karma as well, about nurturing the family you gonna have (when you grow and have kids or a spouse)

💃🏼 Pluto in the 7H natives are literally those type of people who go through a major changing in a relationship, but be careful because a relationship can change into a good thing but also in a bad thing (If is a toxic relationship is time to say byebye)

💃🏼 I adore 10th and 11th house Venuses for standing their ground when they're in a toxic relationship. They won't stay with someone who drains their life and they know their own standards

💃🏼 If Mercury is in a fire sign or fire house the native can be brutally honest when they're talking. Like that type of honesty is rare

💃🏼 Mercury Retrograde is actually a hidden blessing because is represent "Find your voice" at the right moment you'll need it (Ofc Mercury Retrograde in a natal chart not a transitioning one)

💃🏼 Pluto aspecting Juno can get into really toxic/posesive relationships if they don't take care, actually you can be approached by people who share those traits

💃🏼 The ruler of your 9H can help you to embrace your faith way easier:

Sun - You can embrace your faith by being yourself

Venus - You can embrace your faith by loving yourself

Jupiter - You can embrace your faith by believing in yourself

Mars - You can embrace your faith if you follow your ideas/desires

Saturn - You can embrace your faith by using teaching technics

Moon - You can embrace your faith by trusting your guts and intuition

💃🏼 1st house ruler in the 11th can make you to focus more on your friends/friendships more than anything else something like "Friends over anything"

💃🏼 11th house ruler in the 10th house can indicate most of your friends working in the same job/career as you, also you can influence your friends about work and jobs

💃🏼 2 jewelry tips about your Venus!!

Venus in Air/Water Signs can wear more silver/white gemstones

Fire and Earth Signs can wear more gold/red or yellow gemstones

💃🏼 Heavy Sagittarius in your chart can indicate you have a very spontaneous personality, good jokes, good charm and catchy appearance

💃🏼 Cancer/Libra/Pisces/Virgo Moons can have watery eyes in general, their eyes play a big role in their appearance

💃🏼 Heavy Aries or Taurus in someone's chart can indicate someone who is more grounded with a leader spirit, they can just be everyone's type

💃🏼 Talking about types, men with earth Venus or Mars make sure to treat their partners with respect and love, I love that common respect they have

💃🏼 Sun in your 7H makes you to attract partners who have the same hobbies/passions as you, same goes for if you have Leo in the 7H

💃🏼 Uranus in your 5th/7th house can have unexpected relationships, like you met someone new, then someone between you 2 starts to fall in love and y'all end up in a marriage overnight

🏜️ Is Friday today so we have to party 🏜️

H a r m o o n i x

[bouquetface]

Synastry Observations 8

❤️‍🔥 Accuracy is dependent on ENTIRE chart. A few placements don’t indicate the same outcome - aspects & signs are very important.

Moon conjunct Mercury

Generally considered very good synastry. The two have a natural balance between emotions & logic. They likely don’t enable one another & they feel there is an unspoken understanding btwn the two. The two can easily become one another’s comfort/safe person.

Cons: Moon may occasionally dislike when Mercury rationalizes their emotions away. Mercury may approach Moon’s emotions & struggles with logical thinking - this can make Mercury overlook or simply not understand the depth of Moon’s emotions.

EXAMPLE: In Capricorn - they understand one another’s boundaries. However, moon may feel they give more support than they get back.

In Pisces - they can feel they can speak about anything. There is no judgement or boundary. Lots of understanding & compassion for one another’s situations.

Jupiter Opposite Venus

Both are likely to feel lucky to have met one another. Yet, there is a risk of enabling on another and developing indulgent behaviours. However, if cautious of this potential negative aspect, this can be really good synastry.

EXAMPLE: You have a lot of fun together but don't realize you're spending a ton on money when together or on each other. Or you could enjoy going out together often but this results in indulging in drinking + eating unhealthy things or staying out so late you develop poor sleeping habits - ultimately leading to trouble in a long-term connection.

Venus conjunct Mars in Person B's 5th House

The natal venus conjunct mars can shake up 5th house person's life. This can be a really exciting and fun energy. There can be a lot of touchiness/affection btwn the two. 5th house person can feel inspired by venus conjunct mars - they act as a muse or simply be someone really fun.

Con: If this energy is un-welcomed, it manifests as drama. Likely 5th house person could feel it's too much for them if there is badly placed.

Mars conjunct Lilith

Generally, I've always hear it as Mars being insanely pulled in by Lilith. It can often indicate a unique type of attraction - ex: lilith is of a different race, lilith has a taboo personality, lilith has a dangerous/risky reputation or career, etc.

Initial attraction is often very strong - the type to get or want to get physical very quickly. This is even more likely if in a fire sign like aries. This alone is not an indicator of a long-term connection.

Vesta conjunct Moon

This can indicate feeling a lot of comfort with one another. If supported by other placements, this shows a strong concern for one another's well being. The two can make sure to nourish and protect one another.

Lilith conjunct Mercury

This can show discussing deeply taboo and personal topics. If the connection were to break often there is a lot of anger/frustration as you can feel you gave up a lot about yourself. Both may feel a bit of fear or regret over what they discussed and did in the connection - it can feel like a loss of power. Often it will be the lilith person who is more stuck on the anger as this placement doesn't react well to feeling powerless.

If supported by good synastry, this shows you may deeply trust one another to be discussing these deeply personal topics. You don’t feel judged or shamed for your thoughts.

Venus trine Venus

There is a natural understanding of what the other wants and needs in the connection. You may find it easy to fulfill one another’s needs. When you do run into problems, you can be inclined to give the other the benefit of the doubt.

[astroariska]

ASTROLOGY OBSERVATION [Chapter 5] ✨ - The North Node Version

North node represent the new growth we are heading into. So it's very normal if you feel like you are uncomfortable to do everything related your north node chart.

But when you did it, your life starts to change

Once a Virgo north node started to get their fruits smoothies instead of wine, slow cooked meals instead of takeouts and having their schedule wrapped with yoga and pilates ... I swear it's DONE for y'all!

Virgo North Node need to carefully pick wisely who are worth their help. Because sometimes, people go through shit as their own consequences and yet feels like victimized????

I just want you to know that your Scorpio North Node friends is actually wishing changes in their life. They want change. They know that things supposed to change in order to grow. But what all they get is sometimes annihilation, destruction and even violence and that's not a pleasurable change for them.

Stop telling Scorpio North Node to let it go. They don't need them. Start to ask Scorpio North Node what can they do from the ashes. Transformation is the real fear of this placement. They had no idea if it will work or not and most time, they will feel the sorrow of having no idea is their adaptation to the new things is going to be painful or not.

This is the most underated documentary for Leo North Node. But i think Leo North Node is never about fame and get famous. It's more about strength and in general. Most people forget that Leo is a sign that represent fortitude and only highlighting the part of being "famous" and "taking the center stage" which is not true.

Leo North Node people learn to use all of their mental, physicological and soul power to cope with whatever life has thrown to them. They need to understand they have fight for their right instead giving it away to people (and this is when the fame and luxury come from, from finding what's already yours)

Pisces North Node and the art of letting go. It's not like they are holding into things that makes them uncomfortable. But it's learning that sometimes you can't fix what was broken from the first time. That life is imperfect, flawless and sometimes vague in it's own way and what they need to do is; just keep swimming.

Also, this north node need more sleep than other people. Sleep is the way they will gain productivity and mental clarity. Enough sleep provides them power to do the right things everyday.

Sagittarius North Node and the faith. It's not like they need to stick into one religion. But it's more like they need to hold the higher moral code and standard over a shortcut. Of course, you will outsmart anything. But this life calls your integrity and your morality as human being. Life ask your wisdom. So always be wise.

Sagittarius North Node is also a placeement that speak the law of assumtion and the law of attraction. So, positive mindset is needed because things will manifest easily with positive mind.

Aries North Node, y'all so angry. But what if i told you that life demands your action and not your insight? This is the north node that ask you to be the first who doing the impossible, the first who doing the things that nobody did it in the first place. You know what you need to do, so it takes courage to turn the table.

Aries North Node also have a knack to relieve after ... yes, cursing. Cuss some bomb and shit till it feels easy and lightweight again.

Taurus North Node. This is the most bitter north node that i've encountered because this north node is about self dignity and respect. They need to uproot themselves from what people has taught them to act and start building the strong boundaries and foundation for their own life.

No, Taurus North Node. This is not your time to be the biggest enemy of yourself. Because how people treat you, depends on how you TREAT YOURSELF.

Gemini North Node and equality. They are the type who need to understand that their difference and diversity doesn't mean that someone is in higher or lower class. So treat people equal and treat yourself as equal too. Treat the waitress over the restaurant the same respect like you treat the politician on their office.

Also Gemini North Node. STOP FIGHTING WITH YOUR NEIGBOURS AND BROTHERS/SISTERS. They will unlock you some good things in the future. So stay your COOL.

Capricorn North Node's pressure. In this lifetime, life wants you to be the authority figure of your own, so it's understable that you'll disappointing some people who love you and taken care of you. In turns, you'll see that sometimes loves and cares is form of emotional manipulation to prevent you from the growth you need. Don't get easily swayed by the fake love.

With the most respect. Get your shit together, Capricorn North Node. People tend to manipulate you because they can take adventage from you and rob something from you. Don't let them mess your kindness as a weakness.

Aquarius North Node need to take off some privilege they have in this lifetime and be the one who's responsible for greater duty. Responsibility and duty is unavoidable in this lifetime so make sure you handle them with care and love for humanity (people around you). You can't expect life is pleasure because only through the struggle, you'll understand how pleasure is priceless.

I will give some warning for you, Aquarius North Node. If you still feeding your ego, you'll become the public enemy. I've seen this placement falls down and rise up because their community is wishing them to. Make sure that people only wishing you the best so you could manifest easily.

Libra North Node need for the partnership in this lifetime has nothing to do with being in relationship. But being in the middle of the change. Most people in this north node will make the most life changing decision and partnership helps them to keep relate into the change they have made. Relationship happens when you are in the commitment in the change with someone who willing to helps you through thin and thick. So choosing the right partner means choosing the right person to change and evolve together.

No, Cancer North Node. Being in control and having your guard up doesn't mean success. Success to you is a sense of security to feel whatever you want to feel and everytime you want to feel. Your job, your salary and your social status doesn't define you. It's your warmth, present and personality that roots you deep for who you are that matters the most.

RELEASE YOUR JOB IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY AND UNDERPAID, CANCER NORTH NODE. DROP IT until they found that YOU ARE WORTH THEIR RESPECT.

[necroangelz]

i wanna cut you up, i wanna fuck you up !!

day 3 of @jiraidolls’ event

“ a character you'd like to see more of. ”

EMILY (class of ’09) GRAPHICS! just two simpler ones for today... i struggled coming up with ideas for the first one and i had a super specific vision for the second. i used fanart (rare) due to the lack of proper good photos of Emily.

windows borders creds. art creds (required.)

rambling + stills under the cut. like/rb and credits to me appreciated!

NOW PLAYING: Cutting by horrormovies and maxo xoxo !!

i made these last night before going to sleep early (field trip) and I'm typing this right now in the bus (field trip). the grind never stops.

i wanted to go the Really-Bright-Eyestrain route with this and while these graphics aren't THAT bright they do have a lot of colors

ive played class of 09 but not the re up (other than one ending that doesn't feature Emily) so im very very excited to play it more and see more of her (as well as ari) i love toxic lesbians!!!!!!!!!!

ok here are the stills

now i gotta turn my damn phone off bc for some reason the bus is not fucking driving yet and i didn't bring a fucking power bank bye!!!!!!!!!

[thegoodwitchsworld]

Mob!boss Ari levinson x reader

Part 2

Part 1 here

Ari watches as you whimper softly in your drugged sleep. It's been 2 hours since he caught the man who was taking you away after roofing your drink. Ari's men caught him in the act on the CCTV footage, and he's sure the man is lying in a puddle of his own blood somewhere.

Meanwhile however, he wishes you'd wake up so he could talk to you.

You blink slowly as your eyes adjust to the soft dim golden lights of Ari's private room.

"H-hi?" You whisper, your voice a little scratchy, though you don't know why.

"Oh you're up sweetheart, finally. How are you feeling?" Ari kneels by the couch you're lying on and places a hand on your cheek, immediately marveling at the size contrast.

Your eyebrows scrunch up. "My head hurts.... and I feel a little dizzy... what happened to me? Where am I..?"

Ari feels his heart hammering a little harder when you give him the softest doe eyes he has ever seen. He clenches his fists to control himself from kissing you right then and there on your pouty lips.

"You were roofied, angel. The guy you were talking to mixed a drug in your drink. Don't worry though, my men took care of him." He answers.

"Your...men? Who are you?" You ask again, confused. "What did you do to the guy?"

Ari strokes your cheek with his thumb. It's weird that you haven't objected to that yet.

"Nothing that you need to worry about, angel. You are safe with me. And btw, I'm Ari Levinson. This is my club."

You nod in understanding, then give him a small smile.

"Thank you so much..... I should go now though, I think..." you say as you start getting up from the couch.

As if he'd ever let you out of his sight now. But Ari doesn't say that. Instead, he helps you to your feet, his hand supporting you at the waist when you wobble in your heels.

"You okay love? Sure you can manage?" He asks you.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. I am good. I just need to find my friend and then I'll leave." You smile up at him.

"Friend? What friend?"

"Oh I just came here with Natalie, my friend from college. She wanted me to be her designated driver after she got drunk," you shrug. "I don't drink anyway, so it works perfectly you see?"

Ari nods thoughtfully. "I see. And this ....friend of yours.... she brought you here and then left you alone?"

"No she was just dancing! I don't like clubs and loud places much... oh I mean-shit I forgot this is your club.... I didn't mean-" you ramble off uncertainly.

Ari grabs your hand and makes you sit on the couch next to him.

"No offense taken doll. But tell me this, why did you come to a club when you don't like places like these? Just to drive your friend home?" He asks gently.

"It's no big deal, really! Natalie looks out a lot for me, so I look out for her too! She didn't wanna go home with a random guy you know?" You smile.

Ari nods, then gets up, taking your hand in his. It's really concerning how you have zero self preservation instincts, or you'd have been way more cautious of a strange man holding your hand, right?

He takes you downstairs to the dance floor.

"Can you see your friend anywhere?" He asks, bending down to talk in your ear over the loud music.

You scan the room, then look up to him and shake your head, your lower lip pouting so adorably again.

Ari nods, then leads you to the exit door.

"It's okay doll, you're coming with me."

[coldfanbou]

TM Side Stories: Disneyland

Just pretend Mina is taking the picture also side story doesn't really involve them, I just needed a picture @twice-inamillion

You were happy to be at Tokyo Disneyland, but there was one thing that would have made it better. It would’ve been nice to have had the mothers of your children around, but with the crowd, it wouldn’t have been possible. At the very least, you weren’t alone; you had Momo’s, Sana’s, and Mina’s mom and dad around to help you watch the children. Your little group snapped a picture at the entrance before entering the park. You were very thankful for the help. All the kids besides Da-eun were running around in every direction; whenever they saw a character, they would try to chase after it, and someone would need to follow or grab their hand. That job went mainly to Mina’s and Momo’s parents; Sana’s were far too interested in watching Da-eun.

You sat beside them as you all stopped to catch your breath. “When do you think we’ll be getting a grandchild?” You hear Mrs. Hirai ask. You rub the back of your head.

“Well, you’ll have to ask your daughter when she’s going to want one.” You tell her.

“I’m just worried that she could get tricked into being with that isn’t good for her. We all trust you, so-”

“What she’s saying is that you have our blessing.” Mr. Hirai interrupts. Your conversation ends as Hina runs off again, spotting Mickey Mouse. Hina, usually the shy one of the twins, ran ahead, her little legs barely able to carry her as she grabbed Ari’s hand and dragged her along. It was your turn to chase after them; you came between the twins, taking hold of their hands. 

Hina points to Mickey Mouse, “M-mouse,” She said, her words barely intelligible. You look over your shoulder, trying to get some help, but see the parents taking pictures of you with Hina and Ari. As you get the twins to stop, Jisoo rushes past you. Seeing this, Hina and Ari try to run after her. You hold on and follow along, led by the twins as you hold onto their hands. The Mickey Mouse actor covers their mouth and waves at the kids. As the kids come to a stop, you let go of the twins and watch as Hina waddles to Mickey, hugging their legs. “Mouse!” She yells before giggling. You end up posing for pictures with the kids and Mickey Mouse, passing by at that moment when the Twice members are surrounded by a small crowd. Even then, the kids noticed their mommies and called out for them. They heard the kids' voices and turned their heads, spotting them in an instant. They wanted to go to them and hug them, but they knew they couldn’t, so they continued walking. Mina and Dahyun felt the most hurt because they couldn’t greet their kids, and the children kept calling out for their mommies. Hina took a few steps toward them before you scooped her up and took her to her grandparents. 

You decide to go into one of the stores to distract the kids. They look at all the characters and toys, and you stick with Jisoo while the grandparents watch the others. When you and Jisso are done looking around, you wait outside; she hugs a stuffed animal she got, happy that you bought it for her. Hina and Ari leave the store with their grandparents, Mr. Myoui carrying two Lego sets. “ I told him only to get one.” Mrs. Myoui whispers, patting your back.

You continue around the park with the children, letting them enjoy their day at the park. The kids run around chasing many Disney characters, smiling and laughing the entire day. The children slowed down as the sun began going down, their eyes becoming heavy after exhausting their energy. You were glad, too, the J-line’s parents, and you were at the end of your rope. You decided to leave the park, and the children all smiled as they drifted off to sleep. The grandparents smiled and took pictures as you carried three of the kids. You looked down at a sleeping Da-eun, who was being pushed along in her stroller by Mrs. Minotozaki, happy she wasn’t old enough to run around yet. You were struggling as is with the twins over your shoulders and Jisoo in your arms. You silently wished you had brought the backpacks you could attach the kids to; it would have made the process a lot easier.

[ronearoundblindly]

New Parent Panic (Ari's POV)

Ari Levinson x reader--best friends-to-lovers (now engaged w/a baby)

a Bedrock and Blueprints tale (see previous or series)

Summary: Little Rachel gets sick for the first time on a day that's not-quite convenient for her parents...

Warnings for eh...self-pity? dudeliness? sorta idiot Ari but he's relatable? very very fleeting mentions of sex. Mostly this is a web of hurt/comfort, much like its counterpart perspective. WC 2.5k 😣 This got out of hand... *You'll be surprised to learn that since I posted (technically this morning), I continue to not know much about babies, so yup, it's fiction.

He felt like crud yesterday, but he never said anything.

The cast only came off of his leg three weeks ago, and between getting back to work, taking physical therapy, and having a newborn at home, Ari is run fucking ragged.

He doesn't say anything though because you are just as worn down. You're in this together. He can manage.

Despite his best efforts, he got shit sleep last night. His thigh aches when the weather is colder, and the burning strain in his atrophied muscles won't let up since he diligently repeats his PT exercises whenever he can all day long.

He has no more sick leave--or at least, it seemed useless to take it when all he had was minor chills and a headache--so he leaves in the morning for the construction site where he is grounded. Until the strength in his legs is evened out again, he'll only work on the ground, but that's not resting. He actually moves around more than if he was climbing or balancing up on unfinished floors.

Ari focuses on not limping slightly when he's home around you, but he knows you can tell his recovery isn't done yet.

So yesterday he felt pretty rough, and whatever it was ruined his sleep, but he did all he promised he would do around the house before going to work and returned right after the shift ended.

He even strategically holds the house keys so they will make zero jingling noises, in case Rachel is asleep and not to be woken.

Ari can tell immediately that his girl is, of course, not asleep at all.

"Why's she crying?" he says, changing his bearings over from an intense day of helping the rather large project crew.

"Because she hates me."

He's pretty sure that's not true so walks over, not bothering to take off his shoes, saves time if he swings by the bedroom. He can do a lot more if he removes his stiff work layers and washes some grime off. He wouldn't say no to beer either...

If he's going to do a lap around the house, he may as well grab whatever helps you.

He asks if Rachel needs medicine, but it's not been enough time for another dose.

"Hungry?" He means both the baby and you, but before he can specify, you practically bite his head off.

No, I don't think you've starved our fucking child for your amusement, but I think you might be hangry...

"Calm down," Ari tries to soothe instead. "I'm just trying to help."

It clearly doesn't come out as soothing.

"Well then fucking help me," you cry, and he can tell now that it is crying.

As soon as he's dressed down a little, he'll do anything and everything you want, but either way, he'll have to take a minute to be ready, now or later. Now just seems easier because then you can pass Rachel off to him for good.

He simply has to use the bathroom.

Turns out so do you, and you've needed to for a long time.

Ari offers to let you go first. He figures he can set her in the basinet for the whopping minute it will take him to change clothes.

You say no. You already have her.

"Fine," he sighs, beelining for the bedroom, ready to strip and flip his body like an actor offstage. "I'll be right back."

"Take. Your. Time."

Ari turns around, unamused, biting his tongue and taking a breath before, as calmly as he can possibly manage, he says, "Kid, just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it."

His aching body, too-cold in some spots, too-warm in others, makes him twitchy. He can't stand still and he has to take the weight off his bad leg.

You don't answer. You just walk off to the kitchen

"I swear, woman..."

Ari does everything too fast.

He knocks down a few hangers in the closet grabbing a sweatshirt from the shelf. Toiletries do a half pike in the dip of the sink when he replaces the bottle of mouthwash. He uses the last of the toilet paper rolls but is a little scared to stay any longer before relieving you.

He's about to warn you to replace it, but you're on the phone, relaying Rach's fever and very few specific symptoms beyond that, other than constant crying.

He won't interrupt you in the middle of a conversation with your back turned to him, so he decides this is his chance to get a beer out and open, within arms reach once you're done and he can take over.

The call ends.

Rachel is shrieking now, and it's difficult to hear over the wailing.

He figures you have to relay a rundown of what she's eaten and when she can have meds again, so he won't yell over the din much and asks what he needs to do.

Easy, right?

Wrong.

He barely gets the baby balanced in his arms when there's a short break in the flailing yell.

You run out. He assumes you're making a break for the bathroom, but no, you go out--like out-out--of the house. He can't move fast enough to follow, and Rachel resumes crying within seconds of the front door shutting.

Ari hasn't locked the car yet (the beep could wake a precariously sleeping kiddo so he waits to see if it's safe), so he makes it to the living room window in time to see the van shift slightly with your weight inside.

He can't see you though. You aren't in the front seats.

"Well, lil' general," he mutters to a baby that not only cannot understand him but also cannot hear him over the noise she's making, "we have our orders."

He won't take the screaming child outside; that's rude to the nice neighbors. He gathered enough info from your phone call to know Rach probably needs fed again, and by the time that's done, it'll be meds--for him and the baby. He waits to take anything for his leg until close to bed, so it's effective, maybe allowing him a few decent hours a night.

He wets a washcloth and grabs a bottle.

Ari bounces. He wiggles. He shimmies. He groans when a momentary stab of pain races up his thigh. He is so fucking sick of being in pain. He hated being trapped in bed. He hated being trapped in a cast. He hates not being at 100%. He loathes using the pain as an excuse for not doing his part at home.

So he has mentioned it as little as humanly possible.

Finally, he arranges himself on the couch with that donut pillow thing to cradle Rachel's head while she eats, and Ari slaps the cool cloth on his own forehead, leaning his neck back at an awkward angle. He doesn't really care; this is about the best he's felt all day.

He isn't sure whether he expected you to come in by now or not. He can't blame you for wanting space, just any amount of it at all really, but it's cold outside. The car won't stay comfortable for long.

Rachel has, eh, sorta stopped crying by the time the bottle is empty. She kicks her chubby legs out and stares at Ari with huge eyes, snorting with each exhale. He does the suction thingy to clear her nose, just like you taught him, and then it's Daddy-Daughter drug time.

Diaper change is next, and then because Ari happened to put on his favorite navy blue sweatshirt, he pulls out Rachel's navy blue onesie. Sue him. It's cute to match his kid.

Her big eyes get heavier and heavier, so Ari takes his chance to go check on you before Rach is even fully asleep.

He slips his shoes back on without tying them.

He's happy the first words out of your mouth once he opens the car door aren't an apology. Goodness knows when he needs a minute, he needs a minute. There's nothing wrong with that.

Ari wishes it weren't his fault though.

"Is she okay?" you ask with a watery voice.

He rubs across your back, your body curling in on itself even more. Those hard plastic, all-weather mats must be murder on your bare feet and shins.

"Took a few ounces of a bottle and went down in her bunk."

He plans the best way to lift you with his weakened stance, adjusting you like a sad rag doll before hauling you into the house.

Honestly, he's looked forward to holding you all day. He thought maybe you'd share a hug when he got home or cuddle on the couch for a bit, but none of that happened obviously.

Instead, he sinks down in the front hall, keeping you on his lap while he kicks his boots over to the mat.

He kisses your temple.

Your forehead is sweaty but chilled from outside. He has no clue if you're sick, too, but if it's whatever he had yesterday, he knows it won't last very long.

One thing he knows for sure: he had no way of knowing this was how your day went.

"How many times I gotta tell ya to call me?" he whispers. The longer his skin is pressed to yours, the more he's convinced. "You know, you're warm, too."

You ignore yourself again, asking if he took Rachel's temperature.

He cradles you while explaining what he did, squeezing you tighter once there's nothing left but to focus on you, which you do in the absolutely worst way.

"I'm a bad mom," you breathe.

"What?" He smacks his head on the wall behind him. "What are you talking about?"

Not fucking today, kid. Don't do this.

"Bullshit," he seethes, his gut knotting at the thought of you wallowing in those thoughts, alone in the empty, cold car. "Don't you ever say that again."

Your evading his attempts to wrangle you into facing him.

"I shouldn't have--"

"Stop," he bites out.

"--you were--"

"Stop it."

"But I'm the one who wanted this, Ari!"

That's not fair and you know it. His heart is breaking open with yours.

"Me," you continue, choked by misplaced guilt. "I wanted kids. This whole time. I bitched about how Joanna's done--"

He fucking hates the idea of you comparing yourself to Joanna.

"--and I thought I could just...and I suck at it. Rach even likes you better!"

You're full-on blubbering now, and he won't say it, but you're adorably pathetic like this. His breaking heart swells a little.

"No, kid," he adds. "She was exhausted. I only got here at the right time."

"It's 'cause you're comfy and you smell good--"

Well, I do use my bathroom time wisely...

"--and she loves you."

You say that like it's a bad thing?? Ari snorts out a laugh at your lip quiver.

"She loves you, too. You're her mom." He tucks you in closer, stroking his hands over your restless form. "I love you. So much. So, so much."

Ari searches for your hand and the sapphire ring he put on it until he can spin the band gently on your finger. He knows you deserve a wedding, sooner rather than later, but he doesn't want to be in pain standing up with you in front of friends and family. He doesn't want to limp during your first dance. He certainly doesn't want to need painkillers to take you to bed that night (or any night really).

That's his guilt.

Yes, you were very pregnant when he fell and broke his leg. Yes, there would have been almost no way to have sex with his cast on, or properly maneuver you for any other positions and activities. Yes, you needed plenty of time to heal after giving birth. But come on!

If he had control of his body, or his muscle mass back, or less self-consciousness and disappointment, he would love nothing more than to be all over you--last night, this morning, when he walked in the door, in the kitchen, out in the car, or right here on the fucking floor.

Ari knows those are selfish thoughts. You need his comfort and words more than you need to feel like an object. Rachel--or, he guesses, a baby in general--makes everyone feel like they're just playing a roll, like they're there for one purpose only.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Ari rumbles near your ear. "You're my favorite."

You slump into his chest until your forehead braces his throat. You fit him so perfectly.

"Almost not fair, really. You've got a decade of brownie points, and she's managed to make me buy more pads for her than I've had to for y--"

You pinch at his side harshly, biting back a smile. He deserved that pinch. He earned that smile.

"Oh! And you can control your bladder for a whole day, which is downright impressive wh--hey now--" the assault on his ribs has him jumping around the floor "I'm just...being...honest," he chuckles.

"You're a jerk is what you are, old man."

He grabs both your arms and pins them together in front of him.

"Yeah, but I'm your jerk. Your old man, kid. I'm yours, okay? You are not alone here. You don't have to know how to do everything by yourself." He lowers his voice as well as his face to yours. "And you mean just as much to me as that little girl in there. You hear me?"

You only nod, so he gently knocks his forehead to yours.

"Please be okay. I could never do this without you. Any of it..."

You're settled in bed, watered, fed, and cleaned, but Ari notices Rachel starting to fuss again.

When he sweeps the thermometer over her head and ear, the reading says her temp has actually gone down slightly. He'll take that win.

He lets out a silent cheer and holds his hand up.

"High five?"

Those huge eyes just blink at him.

"No? It's fine. We'll work on that."

He lefts her out of the basinet and tries one more bottle, turning on the TV but getting lost watching his daughter's tiniest movements instead. While he's burping her, he runs through his PT routine, twice, since his mobility gets a little better once his meds kick in.

Lil' General is out cold almost instantly over his shoulder.

Ari grabs another wet cloth for your forehead before putting everyone to sleep.

He bounces his way closer to you in the bed. He wiggles and shimmies until you're resting against his chest. He smiles when he realizes you don't feel overly warm anymore, pulling the blanket higher, letting the static of Rach's white-noise machine take him under.

He felt like crud yesterday. Today, he helped his ladies feel better and goes to bed happy, holding you.

[Main Masterlist; Bedrock and Blueprints Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

@supraveng @1950schick @patzammit @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @yiiiikesmish @ashesofblackroses @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory @brandycranby @buckysprettybaby @ellethespaceunicorn @late-to-the-party-81 @rogersbarber

[goshdangronpa]

Where to begin in sharing my thoughts on Class of '09: The Flip Side ...

Well, how about the positives? Everything I've seen is so negative, and trust me, I have thoughts. But I enjoyed quite a lot of it, and I wanna do my part to balance out the discourse. So, here's a list.

Jecka makes for an interesting protagonist compared to Nicole. She's far more emotional - I swear, she breaks down crying in every route, which is genuinely disconcerting. She's also way less savvy. I'm not fond of how overwhelmingly negative these endings are (more on that in another post), but it at least makes sense. Nicole gets the upper hand in several endings from the previous two games because she's usually cunning enough to avoid potential problems, manipulate her way out of them, and/or get people in serious trouble. Jecka may be a bit of a bitch (and I love her for it!), but as she says in one ending, she kinda needs Nicole. Putting her in the protag role isn't just subbing her in for Nicole. Flip Side explores how things would go for someone with slightly more conscience and way less guile.

Jecka's so goddamn gay, oh my god. Wanting to look for a "goth work girlfriend" at Hot Topic. "I can afford holes, Imma buy me some hoes!" Kissing Ari! She says she only did the latter for attention, but girl ... girl. Someday she'll ask someone "Doesn't every girl think about sleeping with their gal pals?" and be shocked when that someone says no. (Tbh when I heard that one route would explore a previous game's route from Jecka's perspective, and when I saw the CG of the jeckari kiss on Tumblr, I created an entire plotline in my head that didn't come to fruition. Pity - it'd at least make for a good fanfic.)

"It's been seven seconds." The scenes based on this bit are some of the funniest in the whole series ("Why don't you magically gather some friends?"). Like something straight out of South Park. If the Co09 anime Kickstarter had reached the stretch goal of a full 25-minute episode, would this have been the script? I've heard people say that Flip Side doesn't feel like Class of '09, or that the dialogue isn't as good in this one, but this part, among others, works for me. "Can anyone do the math?" "... I thought this was health."

I'm a lifelong FYE patron who will drive 40-odd minutes to visit the only remaining store in my entire region. So for me especially, the entire FYE storyline was a ride. It reminded me of American Dad, where every episode turns something mundane into an elaborate conspiracy or wild adventure into its secret underbelly. It's awesome from beginning to ... well, not the end, but it's mostly awesome. And we get to hang out with Kelly! That's neat!

This is apparently my hottest take: the "foot whore" routes are not that bad. For starters, they're not presented in a way that fetishizes Jecka herself. You never see her feet, or see what she does with them. Yall can still find the suggestion of it gross if you want, but comparisons to Quentin Tarantino seem unwarranted! More importantly, the foot services enable the writers to explore topics of sex work while keeping the game light on actual sexual activity. It's rare to see such subject matter broached in a thing like this, yet we get to see how circumstances can pull desperate people into selling their bodies, and how swiftly and easily they can have their boundaries violated and their safety compromised by the customers they depend on. The increasing disruption of normal conversations by the text notifications of Jeffery's donations is a genuinely despairing plot device. Both endings are troubling for different reasons (again, that's for another post), but the game's got something to say in a way that, to me, is fairly mature yet distinctly Class of '09. (Credit to my partner for this observation, I'm so grateful I could play this with them.)

... Uh ... the music sting from the opening monologue bumps ... It sounds more Class of '17 than Class of '09, but it's still cool ...

Okay so I can't think of more, at least not right now. (EDIT: How did I forget the Hatman? That was cute!) Flip Side may be the most flawed game in the series, but it's still pretty good. At the very least, I don't think it's the shitshow other people are making it out to be ... though there is a smell. I'll go deeper on the negatives in other posts.

[oxymorayuri]

❞𝐍𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬❝

Part three

If you haven't read the first part yet, you can find it here or the masterlist. ♡♡♡

✦ Pairing: Portgas D. Ace x Reader ✦ Warnings: language, angst, suggestive ✦ Spoiler: talking about dressrosa and doflamingo

A/N: The song I was listening to while writing, that screams Ace x Revolver [us] to me ✨ : Ari Abdul - You or Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine?

wordcount: 3007

tagging: @lazyninjatheorist - @sassyyassi

! ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ !

ᴍɪɴᴏʀꜱ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛ

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓: katsutake

During the night, you slightly wake up because Ace is trying to move. You groan a little in disappointment as you cling to his chest and run your hand over his upper body. You automatically snuggled up to him and laid your head on his chest. Caressing his warm skin, you finally realize that you are lying on top of him.

You open your eyes to find yourself wide awake.

You look around in a panic and don't dare to move. Turned to stone, you hope that you are the only one awake. Luckily for you, Ace is slumbering peacefully with one hand behind his head and the other on your back.

You exhale slowly and carefully, calming down a little.

Ace's smell is something you have missed so much. You can't dream this smell. He smells like summer and a bonfire that is burning dimly. His skin is softer than you expected and if you think about it, you could swear his skin smells after a fairly decent body lotion.

While your thoughts revolve around Ace, you notice how Ace wants to lie on his side because of his fruitless attempts to move... You would like to stay lying on his chest for a little longer, but you can't risk him waking up now. Just as you are about to turn your back to Ace, he reaches out to pull you close to him.

Sharply, you suck in your breath and look up at him with trembling eyes.

He's asleep. Okay.

Even though the position is a little suffocating, you stay in his embrace. Chest to chest with only a few centimeters between your faces, you watch him sleep.

The freckles on his face are something you've always found so adorable about him. How can a person be so beautiful, whether awake or asleep? His gorgeous black hair lies lightly on his face and your gaze wanders around until it lands on his lips...

You could if you wanted to...

But you decide not to. How creepy is it that you want to kiss him right now? Imagine he wakes up. What do you say?

It was just so inviting? Well, you'd have to explain that in more detail.

Your breath is cut short as you feel Ace's warm hand run over your side. His fingers skillfully go under your shirt and touch your bare skin, but nothing moves on Ace's face. He is still asleep.

You find it almost funny how touchy Ace is. His touch tickles you a little, making your body move and you automatically press yourself a little closer to him so that your now bare stomach touches his. He's so hot, and not just in terms of looks, he radiates pure heat and you'd love to return his embrace so that there's not a single gap between you.

Ace hums satisfied in his sleep and returns the pressure. His grip tightens on your hips and greedily finds his way onto your ass.

On one hand, you are happy that he is asleep, but on the other, you are a little sad. The tiredness finally floods over you and you fall asleep, entwined with each other.

When you open your eyes again, it takes you a moment to realize that you are still in the prison cell. The lack of daylight makes it difficult for you to know what time it might be. The next thing you realize is Ace lying half on top of you, both arms wrapped around you and his head on your breasts.

You don't intend to stay in this position forever as it's getting quite uncomfortable in this small bed. You don't want to know what your back feels like when you get up...

"hey… hey Ace…!" You try to wake him up with a whispering voice at first, but Ace doesn't wake up. You shake him a little, which makes the black haired man grumble a few words, but at the same time his embrace tightens.

"Mmmh, what's going on Marco? Is breakfast ready?" You raise an eyebrow. Someone must have forgotten what kind of situation they've been in since last night…

You give him a little slap on the back of the head and he looks straight up at you from between your breasts. He looks a little shocked as his eyes wander between your eyes and your boobs, yet he makes no effort to move away from you.

"Move." It comes coldly from your mouth and hastily he moves backwards to the end of the bed.

You sit up and rub your head sleepily. At least you can finally stretch out.

"Good morning." You say in your usual voice as you look at him, sitting a little unsurely in front of you. When Ace hears the change in your voice, he can't help but smirk faintly. He's sure you're not angry with him though.

"Good morning y/n." He watches you intently as you take a small lap around the cell to loosen your limbs.

"I assume you didn't sleep so well?" He boldly asks you with his signature grin as he leans against the wall.

You give him a dangerous smile. The boy is driving you nuts.

"Not really, and you?" - "Like on clouds." He leans his head back against the wall and you can see from his throat that he's gulping a bit. He knows his line is dangerous, but he can't resist testing the depth of your waters.

he wonders how far he can go with you until he drowns? He wants to know... he needs to.

He follows your movements while his heartbeat increases as you approach him with a smile that is as beautiful as it is frightening.

"You know Ace, I'm glad you had a restful sleep…" You stop in front of the bed and slowly lift your leg to get on the bed with one knee. You hate Ace for giving you that look. He doesn't even try to hide the pleasure on his face and as he runs his tongue over his lips, you would love to throw yourself at him, but that would only play into his hands.

With seductively slow movements, you sit down on his lap and rest your hands on his shoulders. Ace doesn't even think about putting his hands on your hips, he's far too busy looking into your alluring eyes.

You tilt your head slightly to one side and feel a little amused at how obvious it is, that you have Ace under your spell.

You turn your gaze away from him and look at his upper body while your hands slowly caress his shoulders.

"You know what would make me feel really good?" Your gaze returns to his eyes and you move closer to his lips.

"No… but let me know." His voice is barely a whisper as your lips almost touch. You can feel his soft breath on your lips and even though you're fighting a thousand battles against the building sensation in your lower core, you won't get out of your role. You're a pro at this and you want Ace to be aware of that.

Your slender finger sneaks up to his lips and runs over his lower lip so that his mouth opens slightly.

Ace is boiling inside, but he doesn't let it show. You can do what you want.

Your fingers move further down, along his neck, to his chest and down to his waistband. You are calm and collected, this is your game. You make the rules.

"If I told you… would you be willing to help me?" Your voice sounds innocent and yet still dirty.

Ace hums a little low as he strokes your thighs.

"Of course." The smile on your lips turns wicked. Ace knows that look. That's how you looked at the drunk guy back then. He knows what's coming, but he's been craving your skin, your voice and your eyes so much that he's soaking up every bit of your attention.

You inhale deeply, your chest fills with air and lifts your breasts deliciously.

You lean towards him to whisper in his ear. Ace leans his head to the side in delight and enjoys your warm breath on his skin.

"It would make me feel so, so good… if we could finally get out of here." Ace's heart slips into his pants. He knew you were just playing with him, but he wished it could go on a little longer.

You leave his bulging lap. You've felt his excitement the whole time. You liked it too, but somehow he deserved it. He has messed with your head so much that you aren't yourself anymore.

You know you have to pull yourself together quickly. You have a reputation to lose if you keep playing the bitch.

You stand up and try to look out of the cell without touching the bars.

"You're right. We can't stay in here forever… I'm starting to get hungry too." You turn to him in surprise. You didn't think he would react so nonchalantly to your statement when he's got a huge boner in his pants right now.

Your gaze is fixed on his crotch. Ace notices where your eyes are, blushes and tries to hide his erection.

"Shy?" you smile mischievously at him. Ace immediately puts his hands down again and laughs in a provoked manner.

He shakes his head and stands up. He closes the distance between you and grabs your hand to pull you towards him. With one hand on your cheek and the other firmly on your lower back, he presses you firmly against him so that you can feel his bulge.

"You can't provoke me…" Even though there's something threatening in his voice, your heart melts. He's so sexy that your knees buckle.

"…I love what you do to me y/n." You draw in your breath, the tingling in your chest intensifies and for a moment your facade crumbles, but you quickly regain your composure.

You hum pleased because of his bulging pants.

"The only question is how long." Your voice is suddenly very serious and Ace realizes the pain in your eyes. He rests his forehead on yours and looks deep into your eyes.

"Sometimes you have to take the risk rather than running away and just wondering what could happen… If you need time I'll give it to you y/n but please don't avoid me." You suppress your tears.

Ever since you saw how gentle Ace was with the little boy, you knew he wasn't an emotional jerk, but you didn't expect words like that either.

"It drives me crazy when you hate me." he whispers to you.

From a distance, you hear a door being opened and a little panicked, you free yourself from Ace's grasp. Ace looks after you a little depressed as he watches you hurry to get out of his clutches, but his mind is made up. He is waiting for you.

It took you a while to convince Marco to let you out, but at some point you started threatening him.

You personally can't threaten him, but you have your own kind of power, and that power is Whitebeard.

You explicitly told him that you were okay with your dad catching wind, that you and Ace were having problems AND THEN you would tell him how he and Jozu threw you both in a cell.

Marco knows it won't end well for him and Jozu and reluctantly he let you go.

The days went by and the relationship between you and Ace got better again. You still avoid him, but when you run into him you don't give him death stares, yell at him or ignore him. You could say it's the same as before.

He's just as pushy as before and you're secretly happy that he's back to his old self.

You gaze out at the endless ocean with satisfaction. The sun is reflected on the surface and every now and then you see dolphins jumping out of the water. You are happy to be back home on the Moby Dick. You have been away from everyone for three years now. You have missed them all so much.

However, your routine is soon interrupted.

Whitebeard called you and Ace to his office. He has a mission for you and wants to discuss the details. When you saw Ace in his room, you didn't realize that you wouldn't be going solo this time. Normally you go undercover alone, but apparently this time you have a mission together with the second division.

But the more your father told you about your mission, the more you realized that you and Ace should go alone.

"W- w- wait Dad!" you raise a hand and the large man stops in his speech. "So you're saying that I should go undercover with Ace? To Dressrosa?"

You look at him a little uncertainly and then at Ace. Whitebeard breathes somewhat heavily.

You're not usually one to say anything against his plans but he didn't miss how you reacted to Ace when you found out that he had been appointed to be the commander of the second division. At least he doesn't know the rest. That wouldn't be so funny.

He thinks it would be a good idea for you to get closer and become friends. He can't stand to see his family not getting along.

"Y/n my beloved daughter… Dressrosa is more dangerous than you think. If I send you alone, you'll have no one but yourself. It's not like on Alabasta where I have my contacts. That's why I'm sending Ace with you." You drop your shoulders in defeat. Yes, you weren't alone on Alabasta, that's true. You have to take a professional view of the whole thing… besides, you don't want to disappoint your father. It's always an honor for you that he sends you on such important missions to get all kinds of information. Whitebeard is aware of your talent.

You are fast, cunning, clever, have an insane intuition and most importantly; you leave no trace. You are his best spy.

You've never been caught and that will be the same in Dressrosa, even with Ace by your side. You will not be distracted. Like you said, you have to stay professional.

You put one hand on your chin. You have already heard some questionable things from Dressrosa.

"Donquixote Doflamingo is a difficult person, it might not be such a bad thing that I'm not going alone…. Thanks daddy for looking after me!" You thank him with bright eyes.

With slightly reddened cheeks, the big man scratches the back of his head.

"Actually, Doflamingo is also the reason why Ace should go with you…" you and Ace look at the captain, a little puzzled.

"My lovely daughter would only be a feast for the king of Dressrosa. You and Ace will pretend to be lovers who want to spend their honeymoon on Dressrosa." He grins broadly at you as if he has the idea of the century. You try hard to control your face. Your eyebrow twitches a little, but you agree with him.

You've heard a few stories about how he treats women… You just hope you don't run into each other.

"But what will change with Ace's presence?" you don't want to disagree with him… you're just honestly thinking about it. Doflamingo is heartless and takes what he wants.

"If Doflamingo wants something, he'll take it. It doesn't matter if a woman has a ring on her finger…" You're back in thinker mode.

Whitebeard hums in agreement.

"It will reduce the possibility of you attracting attention, though. Think about it… a young beautiful woman alone in Dressrosa? That would be foolish. Besides, I'm not really sure what's going on on this damn island, but you said yourself what kind of rumors are going around." He's right. You've heard a lot about the King of Dressrosa on your missions. For example, that he has another name 'Joker' and that he is in fact the the famous underworld broker.

"I assume you understand what you have to do on Dressrosa. Ace will be a great help to you, I'm sure." The big man leans back and pours himself some sake into a cup.

"Of course father. If there's nothing else to discuss, I'd like to start preparing everything." - "Do what you have to do, my precious flower. Tell me if you need anything." He reaches out to pat you on the head and you enjoy your father's affection, with flushed cheeks.

Outside in the hallway, Ace holds your hand before you go your separate ways.

"I promise you that I won't be a burden." You look at him, a little surprised, but shake your head slightly.

"I don't even think you would, Ace…" Ace returns your smile and lets go of your hand.

"My precious flower?… Really?" He refers to the pet name Whitebeard has for you. But your grin widens…

"Envious?" You stick your tongue out at him and wave him off as you turn to leave.

"I'll come to you when I have something to discuss about the mission…" You turn to him one last time and wink at him. Ace is still standing there, unable to get the stupid grin off his face.

He's pretty excited to be going on a mission alone with you.

Masterlist

Ayayay… I can't go to sleep now but unfortunately I have to.. ;( *cries in fatigue Good night my sweeties ♡♡♡

➽ Next chapter

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

I say this on my hands and knees Ari. PLEASE let Bruce interfere with arranges mother slapping reader. If Bruce is gonna build trust with reader that’d be a pretty good place to start

When you returned home, hours later, Bruce watched your car pull down the drive and watched you get out. For just a moment, you look deflated. Wilted.

But before he has time to ponder why, your back straightens and you head inside. He can hear you coming after a few minutes. Because you're greeting staff as you see them. Sweet as anything.

That, he knew was genuine. Free from Lizzie. Free from being spied on at home, it was easier for you to be kind. Genuinely kind. And he could see the change in the way staff interacted with you. The Grey Lady moniker they'd given you was slowly being changed to The Lady. Affectionately.

And he waited. You had something to tell him if you were seeking him out. Something important.

You weren't coming to ask for money. He'd set things up to make it unnecessary. You had access to anything you could need. The look on your face when you came to the door only confirmed it.

"We need to talk," you blurt out.

"Why is your face swollen," he countered, coming around the desk and walking towards you for a better look.

"It doesn't matter," you tell him. "My father-"

"Did he hit you?" Bruce said directly. His voice sharp.

"No. Listen-"

"Your mother then-"

"My father is going to try and use Mario to make you jealous. When that happens he expects well-"

"He expects me to behave badly?" Bruce blinked. You'd broken off unable to get the words out and he wouldn't make you say it. You didn't need to. However your father expected him to behave- whatever kind of assault- it was disgusting.

"Yes."

"I'll handle it," he said, tilting your chin up and looking at your face. He didn't want to minimize your concerns but- truth be told he half expected this. An infidelity scandal, however mild, looked bad to the family. And it looked like you couldn't do the job. "Does his hurt?"

"No- I Bruce- I-"

"Liar," he tutted. "Hang on. I'll have Alfred bring ice-"

"Damn it I'm not done!"

Bruce stopped. Your voice had gotten sharp. You swore. It had the same effect as if you HAD slapped him again.

"He wants me to sleep with Mario."

"What-"

"It would force an annullment because if the prenup and then Padrino-'

"Falcone would be bound to your family and have to take your father's side if it came down to a turf war."

You nod and Bruce finished his text to Alfred requesting ice and put his phone down. "Do you want to sleep with him?" A simple question. Yes or no. And he wasn't sure he wanted the answer really. You knew Mario. And Alberto. Whichever son they used. It would be comfortable but-

"Of course not," you snap.

Unexpectedly Bruce smiled. He wasn't sure what he thought you would say. But as you stood there indignant and annoyed, he wished this was a rooftop so he could kiss you. So he could tease you and feel you melt in his arms. "I'll handle it," he repeated. "You're not gonna be a honey trap."

"Thank-"

"Don't thank me yet," Bruce snorted, "I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. But we might have to look disgustingly in love for a while. And make a different scandal."

[according2thelore]

I was rereading that small snippet you wrote where es!Dean comes to ls!Sam one night because he can't sleep, and ls!Sam thinks he's back in the cage. And UGH, it still kills me. But anyway, I was wondering.

Do you think es!Dean would go to es!Sam that night or the next day at all? Just because he needs to see his own Sam, a younger Sam, a Sam he knows front to back? I like to imagine he'd go to es!Sam that night and wake him up, and es!Sam looks at him all annoyed for waking him up and is about to start telling him off, but then he sees how startled es!Dean looks and just asks what's wrong instead. And listen I'm a sucker for them being soft so I just like the idea of Sam letting Dean hold him or something, because this Sam isn't hurt like that yet, and dean feels like he can still protect him here. Like a parent holding their kid whose already an adult, but who got hurt, and they just need to hold them. Because that's still their baby, and it hurts them deeply that their baby got hurt at all.

Same goes for es!Sam seeing the was ls!Dean has changed post hell and how he acts differently or has his own triggers. Id love to hear how you think he'd react to accidentally triggering ls!Dean in some way. And, again, if he would go to his own deans afterwards as some sort of comfort. He knows es!Dean, he understands him, he's not driving blind with his Dean. Maybe he would hug Dean or just sit with him that night or something, because Dean is supposed to be fearless and his protector, his big cool strong brother, but ls!Dean is different too. And he just wants that reassurance from his own dean, that this is still the Dean he knows. The boy who raised him and held him.

I just love the idea of them disregarding their whole "no chick flick moments" when it comes to seeing versions of themselves who are actually very distressed, and just going to each other's rooms and being with(holding) each other.

Give me that hurt/comfort babyyyyy lol

Seriously though, would love to hear your thoughts!

hi, ari! <3 (the ficlet ari is referring to!)

AHHHHH as usual this is BEAUTIFULLY PUT!!!!

absoLUTELY! i think LS!Dean probably kicks ES!Dean awake the next morning and tells him that he should leave first, and sneak back into his and ES!Sam's room before ES!Sam can put two and two together on where he spent the night.

when dean stops and looks back at older sam and dean on the bed, older sam's arm is laying on the bed where young dean used to be. his brow is slightly furrowed, and he makes a small noise when older dean pulls him closer around the waist. dean notices older sam's wrinkles and the thin, silvery lines of scars peeking underneath his shorts and above the collar of his shirt.

dean walks numbly back to his and sam's room and stares at sam--young sam, his sam--sleeping for a long time, standing in their doorway. he looks like a child compared to the haunted man he left behind. his mouth pouts slightly out like he's done since he was a toddler, face mashed right into dean's shoulder blades.

it's early--probably close to five or six--and dean knows it comes from years of living in each other's pockets and being so aware of each other in a room that they can find each other with their eyes closed, that has sam making a soft, sleepy almost-coo and raising his head. he blinks a dean in the doorway.

"the hell are you doing?" sam asks, gruff and choked thick. dean can't speak for a long moment, chest so tight that it hurts to breathe. sam scowls. he clears his throat. "seriously, man. why the hell are you starin'?"

it's not until dean steps closer that sam sobers, eyebrows pulling together and drawing up in concern. dean has watched this exact expression form a million times, in a million different ways, in a million different contexts. since sam was old enough to be concerned about him.

"woah, dean. what--" he sits up, limbs sleep-slow and clumsy. "are you okay?" dean doesn't know what facial expression he's making, so he looks away when he sits down on the side of sam's bed. he doesn't bother turning on the light, knowing that when he does, something here will snap and break and force dean back into his own bed or out into the hallway. banishing him like a ghost after their tie to humanity has turned to ash.

"i--" dean has to clear his own throat, something thick and uncomfortable making his first syllable come out as a croak. "nothing. dream, i think."

it felt like a dream, older sam's eyes wide and scared in the dark, the violence he wrought on his body as a reach for clarity. knowing that this body in front of him--the one he knows as much as his own, wants to protect more than his own--will only contain a fraction of the wounds he'll incur.

the warmth of sam's body, after, the strong arm that dean's older self let drape over dean's own hip, pressing both him and sam to his body like they were owned.

sam shifts in his sheets, tucking his legs up to let dean get more comfortable on top of the bed, but dean doesn't.

"do...do you want to talk about it?" sam asks, stilted, but dean doesn't answer. no. he doesn't.

he finally manages to pull his eyes back up to sam's and greedily swallows the lack of stubble on his cheeks, the lineless eyes, the mole below his eye, the brush of askew bangs against his eyebrows.

this is the man dean knows. this is the body dean loves. this is the home that dean will come to again and again.

slowly, like he's afraid dean will bolt, sam lifts up his covers and lays back down.

"go back to bed." sam says. dismissed, and a little humiliatingly stung, dean stands up quickly, about to--but not ready to--go back to his cold bed. but as soon as dean's weight stops pinning down the sheet, sam's arm slips over and lifts the corner up, flipping it over on itself so a triangle of space on his bed is exposed.

dean doesn't what it is that makes sam do it. pity, maybe. commiseration, possibly. dean has shaken sam awake from many a nightmare in the past six months, visions plaguing sam near-constantly of strangers dying in horrific ways. dean always makes sure his sheets are untucked when he goes back to bed, and sam only took him up on it once, after a vision of a six year old getting their arm ripped off by a werewolf.

dean almost turns around and goes back to his own bed. almost. his skin is buzzing with the need to feel sam's skin, and dean thinks if he goes back to his own bed now, he'll shake apart with it. he doesn't meet sam's eyes when he takes the sheet from sam's outstretched hand and slides into his bed.

sam's eyes are closed when dean finally manages to force himself to lay down, but dean knows from his breathing that he's not asleep. so grateful for sam knowing him so well, so humiliated that his ears burn and his stomach churns, dean's eyes consume sam's sleeping face in the dim light diffusing in from the hallway, the spill of his hair against the pillow, the twitch of his mouth as he begins to fall asleep in earnest. the simultaneous agony and comfort of knowing and being so known makes it hard for dean to fall asleep. when he finally does, he dreams of nothing at all.

when they wake up the next morning, sam's head is tucked underneath his nose, mouth open and breathing wetly against dean's collarbone, the horn of the amulet digging a notch into his cheek. dean's arm is wrapped around his waist. dean pretends to sleep until sam gets up to shower, unable to be the one to break their contact.

~~~

if ES!Sam accidentally triggers LS!Dean, i'm sure it ends with LS!Dean yelling at him or ignoring him in some way, which really shakes ES!Sam up. LS!Dean doesn't tend to be straight-up triggered by a lot in canon in the later seasons, but i imagine if/when he does, it gets pretty explosive, because he tends to bury things down really deep.

at this point, i absolutely see ES!Sam going to sit with ES!Dean--in the chair right next to him or in a place he can stare at him--just to be in his presence. he asks dean about whatever he's doing but doesn't listen to a word, just lets the familiar cadence of his brother's voice put his nerves at ease. he sticks to dean like cling film for a few hours, listening to him talk and bickering with him lightly about whatever comes to mind.

dean has always been strong and unbeatable and definite, and even though sam knows logically--and has seen more than once--dean falls apart and breaks down and needs help rebuilding, it has shaken him to see the depth of it. sam wants him to come to him when he needs help, but whatever LS!Dean through is clearly too powerful for sam. it reaches down into the core of him, and ES!Sam is overwhelmed and terrified about thinking what could even start to chip away at dean's core of self.

ES!Sam might even ask ES!Dean to spar just so he can feel the heft of dean's bones and the way his familiar calluses feel on his skin. he can feel dean's warm hands in his hair, the sharp jut of his forearm against sam's throat. the hands of the boy that picked him up a million times when he fell down, instead of the man that has seen things beyond sam's comprehension. he needs to see the flash of familiar scars--a few that were made shielding sam's body, that sam has been memorizing for years, that sam sewed together with his own hands--as opposed to unfamiliar ones made by enemies dean still dreams about.

i'm sorry this section was shorter--i didn't want this to be 8k words long since i already wrote a 1k ficlet up top lol!

thank you SO much for this ask, ari!! eek! i had a blast thinking about this as per usual. i hope you have a good week! <3

-lizzy [ES/LS verse explanation/masterlist]

[snowdrop-ivy]

Favor. | Part 4

Summary: Ari Levinson was an ego embodied in a man. Yep, he's an asshole. Y/N knows it yet she still married him. How? She doesn't know. And now, she doesn't know how to get him to sign the divorce papers.

A/N: Hey! Short update while getting back into writing zone. Hope you enjoy

That’s what he did. He made her coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, put out your clothes, did your laundry but nothing. He didn’t hear a word from her except for her mumbled thanks. He understood though, he knew what he said and meant it. He’ll give her space as much as she wants. Probably a lot of space since they’re going to have another extraction tonight. Ari and Sammy are checking the tires before they go. Sammy knew what was going on, he doesn’t know the exact details but he knew something was up since Ari isn't his usual self.

“Hey,” Sammy called. 

Ari looked up to him, not answering but enough to acknowledge his call. “You okay?” He then asked.

His friend sighed deeply before shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

They looked at each other briefly before bursting into laughter. “Now?”

Sammy pursed his lips. “Maybe after this.”

“Only with a beer,” Ari nodded. Sammy agreed before they proceeded on their mission. Same routine, same track, different people. That’s their goal. It was a successful extraction. 1025 people got on the boat.

“Mr. Levinson?” A guy pushing the boat called him, “This came for you.”

He accepted an envelope addressed to him but doesn’t have a return address. He had a hint of what it is. It’s probably the divorce papers Y/N’s lawyer sent to him for the eleventh time. They got back to the resort. The guests are sleeping. Rachel and Y/N shared a room for the night. Sammy got them a beer for all the guys and they sat down on the veranda. 

“You invited them?” Ari asked Sammy as he saw Max and Jake sitting down, sharing a cigarette.

“Thanks for that,” Max sarcastically smiled at him.

Ari rolled his eyes before sitting down.

“Okay, talk,” Sammy said before lighting a cigarette.

Ari huffed out. “Well, something happened between us. I talked to Rachel and she told me to make up everything. Which I did. I made her everything, gave her the space she needed. And then, I got this today,” He placed the papers he received earlier.

“You think she planned this?” Jake asked.

“Yeah,” He answered. “I mean, she planned that before but with everything that happened now I don’t know what she wants.”

“Did you try asking her?” Sammy asked him.

He looked at their room. “No.”

“Are you planning to?” Max asked this time.

“I don’t think so.”

“I think you should,” Jake butted in. “She’s very confused. Rachel’s making her more confused. She talked to her about being selfish or something.”

“What?” They all asked.

Jake looked at them and raised his brow. “Yeah, she said how Y/N’s always been selfless and maybe now is the time to choose herself.”

“I didn’t tell her that.”

They jumped on their seats when they heard Rachel.

“What the hell?” Ari said, panting.

“You scared the shit out of me.” Jake chuckled before sitting down again.

“So what did you say to her?” Sammy asked Rachel as she sat down and stole his beer.

“Why don’t you go ask her?” She nodded her head to Y/N walking back to their room. Y/N turned her head and saw them altogether. She doesn’t want to be with anyone so she just waved at them. “She said it’s too cold in my room so she’ll go back.”

They all looked at him. Ari huffed out before walking to their room. He opened the door and she saw Y/N sitting on her side, her back faced him. 

“Hey,” He called her, sitting on his side, facing her.

Y/N turned. “Hi,” she smiled.

He smiled back. They both sat there looking at each other awkwardly. It was like the time Ari admitted he loves her two weeks after they started dating. “So…”

“Everything okay?” She asked.

Ari chuckled softly, caught off guard by the weight of his own thoughts. He had so much he wanted to say, feelings swirling in his mind like a tempest, but the words eluded him. He searched Y/N’s eyes for a sign, but all he found was hesitation mirrored in her gaze, her expression a mix of hope and uncertainty.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” She asked.

Ari sighed, nodding. “Do you regret it?” His brows creased and lips pursed.

She took her time to answer because she doesn’t want to hurt or confuse him. She hung her head and sighed. “Not one bit.”

And that’s the truth. She didn’t. It was awkward waking up to it but other than that, not one ounce of regret in her body, mind, and heart.

Ari sighed with relief when he heard it. He chuckled lightly before rubbing his face. “Me too.”

“Do you still wanna try? On us?” He questioned, hoping to hear the answer that he wanted to hear. But he scratched that. In his mind, he’ll accept what answer she gives because she deserves it. This time, she’ll be on the top of his list. Her name is capitalized and bold.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” She answered, a smile slowly creeping up. Ari cupped her cheeks before kissing her forehead and pulling her into a hug. He soaked up her scent; so sweet and smells like beer. He just felt calm now. Like nothing can take away the happiness he is feeling. 

Y/N smiled and hugged him back. She loves him still but this time, she’ll put herself first. It wouldn’t hurt to give their marriage a try. She’s better, wiser, and braver. How brave can she get giving her marriage a second chance while on a mission that can get them killed anytime.

>>Part 3<< >>Part 5<<

[nomoreusername]

His Hoodie

Pairing:Aris x female reader

Summary:After losing Aris everything in your life falls apart.

A blue and gray striped hoodie, with no zipper, a hood, a single front pocket, and that had been through absolute hell.

Some days, I hate his hoodie. Other days, it’s the only sort of comfort. One thing's the same though. I will never take it off. Not even at night to sleep, out of fear that something could happen to it, refusal to let go, and grief that he never made it.

It doesn't smell like him anymore, and I don't know how to get it back.

I hate the Scorch, and I still hate Jorge and Brenda. I refuse to even be around them, but apparently everyone’s just forgiven them. I mean Thomas is fucking dating her. He's actually dating the girl who killed my boyfriend.

They keep telling me that it was an accident. And it was. There was no way she could have known her bullet would go through the guy's body, hitting my love.

So now I don't talk to Thomas, Minho, or Frypan either. While Teresa was with us I wouldn't look at her. When Newt was here I only spoke to him when it was about rescuing Sonya. Everyone only talked about Minho though, and Harriet didn't stand up for her, leaving me responsible for doing so. Now I don't talk to her either. I sometimes speak to Sonya, but she still hangs out with Harriet so I can't do so often.

I hate them. I hate everyone. They just want me to move on. Even the new friends didn't take me seriously as they tried to set me up. Every time though, I said that I had a fiancee, because I do. I never had a ring, but I didn't need one. That promise to be his wife when we got to the Safe Haven was more than enough.

Nobody took it seriously though. So much so, that somebody took his hoodie while I was in the shower as a “joke,” and I was apparently overdramatic. Because he was younger. He was just a kid, and kids make mistakes. While I agree, he was a teenager. Not a child so he knew right from wrong. Yet somehow when I beat the hell out of him for taking the only thing I had left of Aris I was the bad guy.

What kills me the most? It's only been ten years, and I’m already starting to forget his face. It's getting so blurry. His voice, I don't quite remember his exact tone and how he spoke. There also weren't exactly any photos or videos to remind me.

I remember the way Brenda led us to Jorge though. I still recall being afraid while he hung us upside down but feeling stronger when I looked at Aris. Because he was my everything, and I could make it through hell as long as I had him. Then, when we figured out how I was the one who untied his chains from his ankles so that we could move. Just as we thought it would okay though, there was some guy that came out of nowhere, pointing his own gun at us. Since we're each other's everything I kept my hand in front of Aris to protect him, and he did the same. It wasn't the time for it, at all, but the way fingers brushed against my hips while he did was kind of nice. I mean we were all being threatened and one of my thoughts was how much he means and how much I love him.

When the gunshot went off we thought it was from him until he fell forward, revealing Brenda pointing one. Like it was nothing she yelled at us to hurry up and ran without looking back. I also know the sound obviously made everyone flinch because we all thought that we were the ones who had been hit.

As I tried to leave he whispered my name. I turned to see blood coming out of his chest before he fell to the ground. As he did I was right beside him while everyone else stood there. Not knowing what to do, I just pressed my hands to the wound as I told him it would be okay. As he reached his hand out though, just barely pressing it on my cheek, I looked him in the eyes as he just gave me his touch.

What kills me is that his last sentence was just, “it's okay.” Officially, his last word was just, “I,” before he died. He never even finished them so all there was was an absolute lie. It's not okay, and it never will be.

I screamed as loud as I could. I shook him as I demanded that he wake up. In my hysteria I kissed him, only for his lips to be cold, like they belong to a stranger and not the warm boy who lit up my world. I kept saying his name, sobbing over his dead body as I did everything to wake him up, as if there was a chance. I mean I shook him, kissed him, hugged him, cradled him, rocked him, and stroked his hair.

The worst part is that I did all of this in so little time before two or three people dared pull me away. I kicked and thrashed and screamed and reached for him, only for them to tighten their grip. Two people grabbed my legs while another grabbed my arms. They pulled me to Jorge and forced me on the zipline.

When Jorge came down I was still on my knees, sobbing and repeating his name. When he got close I got on top and punched him over and over and over. I was yelling at the world, rage filling my veins as I called him and the girl monsters and barely human and freaks and screamed that I would kill them. I grabbed my knife and tried to stab him only for someone to restrain me.

Eventually, when I kept trying to kill him when nobody was looking, Minho was assigned to be his body guard since he was in obvious need of protection. Where was Aris’s protection though? Where were they when I was on the floor, doing everything to save his life?

I had failed him too, but I tried. It wasn't enough and never would be, but fucking hell, I did everything I could. It may have been in vain, but I did everything in my power to keep him alive.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any power. So now he's dead, and I’m not.

Since I couldn’t kill Jorge I attempted to murder Brenda. I dragged her to the club and beat her senseless. She barely got any hits in that I couldn't even feel through the sharp pain in my heart.

As I was only halfway done Newt found me. He put his arms around me so that I couldn't move. While he did so I was still shouting at him, telling him that I wasn't finished, reminding him that she killed Aris, the love of my life. The second he got a word in he told me that Aris wouldn't want me to be like this.

This broke something in me as if I wasn't already nothing but little pieces, a shell of who I was. I demanded that he tell me how he would know what Aris would want, but he just reminded me that this violent girl, the one seeking revenge, the one so easily able to hurt people, was not who he had fallen in love with.

The worst part was that he was right. I was not who Aris knew. When I saw myself in a mirror I didn't even recognize myself, and I hated everything about that person staring back.

How can I remember all that but not his face? Not his voice? Not his body? Not his scent? How can I remember everything but what I’m supposed to?

Why couldn't it have been me? Why did it have to him? Why can't I trade places with him?

Standing at the edge of the Safe Haven, I let out a blood curdling scream that only the birds in the sky could hear. Dropping to my knees, I told him that I was sorry as I started pulling at my hair. I screamed about how much I hate everyone and how much I love him. I screamed until my throat was raw, and my voice was scratchy. Yelling into my hands, I broke down again as I tried to remember any positive detail about him. All I had was little moments that he didn't look right in.

Feeling myself break even more than before, I banged my fists on the hard dirt until they were bloody. Crying out for him, as it started to rain I held his hoodie close to my body as it soaked through it. Laying down, I let myself get colder and colder as my eyes started shutting.

For hours and hours I laid there, waiting. Waiting with a smile on my face as it kept pouring. If it rained enough I would freeze. I wouldn't have to wake up. Not without him.

So, with my eyes still shut, as I became unable to move, I repeated his name as I prepared to see him again. And this time I wouldn't have to let him go. Ever.

[tangentsimmer]

Anxiously Waiting... (The Sims 4: Get Famous)

Ari and her mother arrived at their San Myshuno hotel around midnight Monday morning. Junie decided to retire to bed, but Ari was too anxious to sleep. She was meeting with her record label "Dinky Beats" first thing in the morning. Ari fears they're going to drop her for not releasing music timely enough. Despite sending the label plenty of samples of her music to her label (and promising to have her debut EP ready by this summer), they want to her to release something now. Anything. It doesn't matter how talented she is: the show must go on, with or with her.

Ari sat on her hotel bed while her mother slept in the other bed. San Myshuno is one of her favorite places to be, for more reasons than one, but the dread she is feeling in this moment is clouding any other emotion.

buzz buzz

Ari looks over to her phone on the bedside table as the screen lit up with a text message:

"Has the eagle landed yet?"

It's none other than amateur music producer and tech guru, Akira Kibo. Ari and Akira met several months ago during Ari's "Moschino & Co." photoshoot through a mutual friend. Akira works for "Rainy Day Entertainment," a startup tech company based in San Myshuno. He assists with managing the software used at "Moschino & Co." And Ari finds him incredibly attractive. Suddenly, Ari's tense mood was gone and had been replaced with giddy.

"There's no way a man is making me feel like this," Ari muttered to herself, fighting back a huge grin as she composed her reply to Akira:

"Just landed in the city. Bored. Wanna have a jam sesh?"

The shift in their relationship happened weeks ago. Ari has been making waves under her current label, but she's also been sharing and trading ideas with Akira. He thinks -- maybe even more than she does -- that Ari is going to be a global superstar someday, and has been happy to help her with music producing. Ari even told him she was coming to town, but she didn't disclose why. Partly because she was embarrassed, but mostly because she still has no idea what the meeting is about. But before Ari could pull herself out of her thoughts, her phone buzzed again:

"Absolutely. Come through. ;)"

Ari knows that text was harmless; he's always teasing her flirtatiously. But still, Ari feels butterflies in her stomach. She checks the clock sitting on the end table. 1:36 AM.

"On my way."

[williamaltman]

So, I just finished Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Well I'm not crying right now which is disappointing, but I was sobbing yesterday and had to stop and go to sleep so now I just read the last 3% of it.

For context, I had watched the movie a little while ago, because I saw it being talked about on twitter a bit, and tbh I thought it was pretty meh? But I was curious and I saw so many people saying the book was so much better or, just so great in general so I decided to read it.

And wow did it not disappoint!!! I knew the major plot points but I didn't mind it at all. It was so easy to read, to get into Ari's head, to feel like we're a part of their friendship ourselves.

I love me some good amount of characters just reflecting about themselves and about their life, and well, clearly this has a lot of that. I always wanted to just keep going, to continue living with them, I don't know how to explain.

I'm so in love with like, everyone in this. These parents are probably the best parents in the history of YA stories lol. Dante is the perfect little manic pixie dream girl to fall in love with, but he's so believable and vulnerable, yet also strong at the same time. His feelings about his heritage is one of the things that keep him more grounded (and I kinda like that Ari isn't the one dealing with that). Ari in his teenage angst and existential dread was so easy to relate to. I felt for him at every turn, even when I was slightly annoyed. I actually can relate to so many things about him even if I don't think our personalities are actually that close: Having such a nice intimate relationship with my mom, not really knowing how to talk to and get to really know my dad, having those girls at school who bother you all the time and are kinda your friends. And well, being bored and depressed and not having many friends, if that counts. I also broke a leg a few years ago, so even the parts related to the accident...

I thought it was great that the book wasn't just about romance, both in how it's more about friendship at first, and in how it has so much else going on in Ari's life and his family and everything. Not because I don't want all the romance, but just because it feels so much like we're actually in Ari's life, getting to deal with everything that is going on with him and around him.

I thought the way Dante's sexuality was handled was very interesting. I like that they make it pretty clear that he's gay, even without saying the word. I like that he just says it to Ari, because in so many stories it's like a shared discovery between the two characters, and when it's not then one is already out when they meet. I always end up empathizing more with the character that's in that position, so I got protective (...don't even get me startes on what he goes through) and also just so... I don't know how to say but it's Interesting to have Ari's pov as the "straight friend" (who wr know it's actually not lol) during that.

Despite this being a romance, it has also sadly reminded me of my old best friend from school, who I just haven't kept in touch with. The way we just clicked, despite my reluctance to open up at first. I'm sad that we didn't get even closer and continued being friends after it. Mostly by my own fault.

Anyway out of this tangent, I don't think there's a single thing about this that I didn't love. The moment that really got me towards the end was when Ari's dad talks about the accident. "I think you love him more than you can bear". Witj the way Ari is clearly so against talking about it because he knows deep down that it's the proof of his love...

I think if I had read the book, I would have liked the movie more, just for seeing the book play out on screen. I thought the actors were pretty good and I imagined them reading. But it just doesn't quite stand on its own as a film. It needed like 30 more minutes or so, and like I've seen someone say, a book with so much inner monologue it's probably hard to adapt.

Either way, I'm so fucking glad that there's a second book!!! I'm so excited for it. I can't wait to just, see all their parents' reaction at their relationship. I am wondering how different is it gonna be in tone with them being together now? How are things gonna be handled in general? I'm so eager to find out.