#Dad doing good too with jobs and aspirations

[shatinn]

Sims 4 - gameplay - Supersim

[i-miss-lotor]

Little bit of a vent cause I can't sleep cause of anxiety and worry

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

Hi, honey! Could you please write something about Emily Prentiss having a teenage daughter who sh’s and Em finds out? I know you wrote something similar and it’s perfectly okay if you feel like this is too repetitive <3 Ps; you’re so incredible and I aspire to be able to write like you do!! <3

Here you go, Anon! It's true, I've had a lot of SH-related requests recently, but I really don't mind the repetition. If it's something people want more of, and it helps them feel safe and heard and loved, I'm happy to write it. ❤️ (and thank you so much I'm so flattered! <3)

Tiny

Emily Prentiss x daughter!reader Warnings: self-harm, discussion of self-harm and self-harm tools, mental illness, internalized homophobia, explicit language (please let me know if I've missed anything!) Word count: 1.8k

Summary: After your best friend moves away, you start to struggle with depression, loneliness, and self-harm. You do a pretty good job of hiding it for a while but your mom is a profiler after all.

You’d been so good, so good, at hiding it. Long sleeves. Bracelets. You kept the tiny, sharp travel scissors in your locker at school, disguised in a bag with fabric and buttons and needles. A sewing project, you always said if anyone asked. But no one asked.

The truth of the matter was that you didn’t have many friends. And Sophia, your best friend since second grade, had moved to Denver last year for her dad’s job. You’d sworn to keep in touch, sworn that you’d stay best friends no matter what. And you’d tried, you’d really tried. But the daily texts had turned into weekly texts. The every-other-night FaceTime calls became every-other-month. And every time you talked to her, it seemed like her life was better than ever. She had new friends. A new soccer team. Even a boyfriend. It seemed like every time you called her, she was with him.

It hurt when you realized that Sophia liked spending time with her new boyfriend more than spending time with you. But it had hurt even more to examine your own jealousy, your own inexplicable rage at her moving on, making new friends, having new experiences. The reality–that you liked Sophia as more than a friend–hit you like a gut punch. And you didn’t know who to talk to about it. Normally, you’d talk to Sophia. But you couldn’t talk to her about this. Honestly, you weren’t even sure you were good enough friends to talk about boys or girls or whoever anymore. She’d drifted away and left you behind.

You thought about talking to your mom–she’d dated girls. But she was so busy with work, so stressed. She tried really hard not to let on when she was home, but you could see how tired she was, how she nodded blankly when you told her about your day, her mind elsewhere. No doubt with the hundreds of psychopaths and murderers she investigated every day.

You didn’t know who you were or what you were. You just knew that you were lonely and hurt and so deeply confused. There were other LGBTQ+ kids at school, but they’d all been out since middle school. They had that unbreakable comradery that queer kids who flock together often have. And you’d missed it.

All the confusion, all the hurt, all the feelings, roiled inside you until there was no place for it to go except out. The first time you’d drawn the scissors across your forearm, the blood had surprised you, as had the brief moment where there was blood but no pain. But when the pain did hit, it felt like a balloon had popped, like something that had been growing and growing and pressing in on you had shrunk back down to a manageable size.

Of course, the shame followed. Of course, you felt terrible, guilty, ashamed, sick to your stomach. Of course, you cried when you thought about what your mom would say if she saw it, what Sophia would say. But even worse, you knew they’d ask why. And you were terrified to talk about why. So you put on your long sleeves. You started wearing bracelets. And you hoped that no one would notice.

But that night, after a quick dinner of takeout pizza and Caesar salad, your mom had asked you to wash up and, without thinking, you’d rolled up your sleeves to do the dishes.

“Oh my god!” your mom exclaimed, rushing to your side. “What happened to your arm!?”

It was so stupid. You’d been so careful. You’d kept this a secret for months and now, with just one fuck-up, you’d ruined it.

“Nothing!” you cried, squirming out of her grip. “I just… I scratched myself, that’s all.”

But your mom wasn’t stupid. She spoke six languages. She headed an FBI unit. She was the smartest person you knew. She profiled people for a living. And she could tell when you were lying.

“Y/N!” she chastised, grabbing onto your arms hard. She'd also trained in hand-to-hand combat so you were really no match for her.

She turned your wrists around so she could see the inside of your arms, and the look on her face nearly broke you. It was sadness, it was guilt, it was shock and disbelief and worry, so much worry. You stared at the ceiling, willing yourself not to cry, mouth clamped shut.

“Y/N,” she said, quieter, running a gentle thumb along your forearms. “Tiny, look at me.” A tear dripped down your cheek. She didn’t call you Tiny much these days. And you always rolled your eyes when she did. It was what she’d called you when you were little. I love you, Tiny. You're so strong, Tiny! You can do it! Everything’s gonna be okay, Tiny.

You sniffed and lowered your head to look at her, more tears falling. You saw that your mom had tears in her eyes, too, and it made you feel awful.

“How long have you been hurting yourself?” she asked, her voice calm and gentle, full of emotion.

“I don’t know,” you mumbled, sniffling. “Maybe like… six months?”

She let out a shaky sigh and nodded. “Okay,” she said, more to herself than to you. “Okay.” After a moment, she drew you into her, and you pressed your face into her chest, finally letting yourself cry.

“It’s okay, honey,” she cooed, smoothing your hair as she hugged you. “It’s gonna be okay.”

When your sobs had calmed to hiccups, you emerged, face red and blotchy. Your mom wiped your face with her hands and motioned to the kitchen table. “This might be hard for you,” she started, looking at you earnestly. “But we need to talk about it. Go ahead and sit down. I’m gonna make us some tea.”

You took deep, soothing breaths as your mom set a steeping cup of chamomile in front of you, holding her own close to her chest.

“Are you mad at me?” you whispered, scared of the conversation to come.

“No, baby,” she assured you, squeezing your hand. “I’m not mad. I’m worried about you, that’s all.”

You nodded.

“Now, first things first,” she began, and you winced, sure she was going to take something away from you or ground you or something. “Do you know how to properly clean and dress a cut like that?”

You blinked in surprise. “Uh…” You were floundering. This is not where you expected this conversation to go. “I mean, I put band-aids on them.”

“Yeah, no,” your mom said, taking out her phone and making a note. “We’re gonna get you some alcohol sterilizer. Let’s see… Neosporin, gauze bandages. Probably butterfly bandages too, just in case. And whatever it is that you’re using for… this… you need to be sanitizing it before you use it.”

Your jaw dropped and you stared at her. “You don’t… want me to stop?”

She clicked the phone shut and stared purposefully at you. “Oh, no. Hear me loud and clear. I absolutely want you to stop. But… from what I know about self-harm, it’s a process. It might take some time. You might have relapses. And I just want you to be as safe as you can in recovery.”

“Thanks, Mom,” you said quietly, surprised at her response. You hadn’t really thought about being safe while cutting. Since cutting itself wasn’t exactly safe. Trust your mom to always be looking for ways to take care of you.

Your mom pursed her lips for a moment, as if thinking about how to proceed. And, once again, you were terrified that she was going to make you feel worse somehow, even if she didn’t mean to.

“It’s okay,” she stuttered, breathing out heavily, “if you don’t want to talk to me about what’s making you want to do this, but you need to talk to somebody. So tomorrow I’m gonna make some phone calls and we’re gonna find a therapist. And if your therapist recommends it, we might need to find you a psychiatric facility for a little bit.”

Ice-cold panic flooded your veins. “No, Mom, please!” 

“Hey, hey,” she said, grabbing your hands. “It is not a punishment. There is nothing wrong or shameful about your brain needing some help, okay? Even if it’s scary, we’re gonna do what we need to do to help you get better. Yes?”

You exhaled and nodded.

“Okay. So that’s what we’re gonna do.”

You were both silent for a moment, sipping your tea. You wished you could tell what your mom was thinking. You wished you could tell her what you were thinking. You so desperately wanted to tell someone. And you were scared. Scared that your mom would never look at you the same again. Scared that you’d never again be that same little girl, her Tiny. There was too much wrong with you.

You sniffled as your eyes filled with tears again. “Mom?” you squeaked.

“Yeah, honey?”

You asked what you were most afraid to ask. “Do you still love me?”

“Oh, baby,” she said, scooting her chair toward you and wrapping you in her arms. “Of course I do. I love you so much. I’ll always love you. You’re my little girl, you’re my Tiny.”

Your shoulders shook as you wept. “I just feel…” you cried. “I just feel like no one really loves me.”

“That’s just not true,” your mom said, rubbing your back. “I love you. All your aunts and uncles at the BAU love you. What about Sophia? She loves you.”

You cried even harder. “No, she doesn’t, Mom.”

Your mom brushed your hair away from her face. “What are you talking about? You talk all the time.”

And when you finally said it, it felt like a weight off your shoulders, like you’d been carrying a mountain for months and someone had finally lifted it away. You shook as you spoke. “She doesn’t love me like I love her.”

Understanding flooded your mom’s face. She nodded, and you could tell by the look on her face, by the empathy in her eyes, by the way she squeezed your hand and cupped your face and pursed her lips that she knew. She knew what it was like. She knew the confusion and the hurt and the self-hatred. She knew it all.

And it was almost better that she didn’t say anything. Anything at all. She just looked at you and understood. She just brushed your tears away with her thumb and let you finish crying. And when your sobs subsided, she held your hand. And she kept holding it. And after a while, she brushed your hair out of your face and said, “Everything’s gonna be okay, Tiny. I promise.”

And you knew–because she was your mom, because she was her, because she loved you and you loved her–that it would be.

[enchantedbarnes]

Recommendations 💖

I've been wanting to do something with recommendations for ages now, but there's just too many to even know where to begin! Here's a chaos list of past and present faves 🥰

Completed fics

Undisclosed by @pellucid-constellations

Pairing: Lumberjack!Bucky x Reader

Summary: Desperate to outrun a secret that could cost you your life, you seek refuge in a small mountain town. Its deep forests and small cabins make it the perfect place to hide, but the travel website hadn’t mentioned anything about the quiet, burly lumberjack that wouldn’t leave your thoughts. No one had warned Bucky about you either. 

Lumpy and Bunny masterlist by @sweetdreamsbuck

Pairing: beefy lumberjack!bucky x f!reader

Summary: Bucky's never been so scared of a feeling in his life. there are too many what if's– too many fears bubbling deep within the parts of him left broken and hollow, untouched for far too long. but he never envisioned finding you– and he's entirely too impatient; entirely too certain no one's ever been more infatuated with something than how he feels for you.

Sweet and Sour by @sashaisready

Pairing: Bucky Barnes Mob AU x Femme Reader

Summary: You're hard at work in Pepper's Bakery when notorious mob boss James 'Bucky' Barnes darkens your doorway one typical afternoon, and life is never the same again.

While you're over there you might as well check out ...

Under the Radar by @sashaisready

Pairing: Nick Fowler x reader

Summary: Reader is a brilliant but shy and awkward CIA employee whose work is often overlooked by her colleagues…she’s blended into the background for so long that she doesn’t think there’s any other way - even if she does have secret aspirations for another life. Unbeknownst to her - a certain blue eyed agent is very aware of her talents, even if nobody else is.

The Lookout by @mymoonagedaydream

Pairing: ParkRanger!Bucky x y/n

Summary: It was amazing, really, how quickly one person managed to turn your dream job into a living nightmare.

Operation get Mr Bucky and Momma together by @golden-barnes

Paring: Beefy and Teacher! Bucky x milf! reader Summary: Bucky doesn't play favorites but Amaya is definitely his favorite, especially because her mom is hot.. Cue a 6-year-old trying to get Bucky to be her dad.

Worst Idea Ever by @firefly-in-darkness

Pairing: Y/N & Bucky Barnes, Other Marvel Characters.

Summary: Wedding Season is brutal as it is but throw in two friends that decide to be each other’s plus ones and a mixed bag of feelings, what's the worst that could happen?

Classylo's masterlist

home for the holidays by @classylo

When your family begs you to come home for the holidays and to bring the new guy you’ve been seeing, you don’t have the heart to tell them your good-for-nothing-ex cheated on you… good thing your roommate is available and will do absolutely anything you ask.

should've been you by @classylo

He was supposed to meet you at the game. He was supposed to be the one you went on a date with. He was the one you were supposed to fall in love with. Yet, here you are three years into a relationship with another… it should’ve been him, not his best friend.

Moral of the Story by @justkending

Summary: From childhood friends, to highschool sweethearts, the two naive, young, and lovestruck teens decided the best way to keep a strong relationship during college would be to marry right out of highschool. No one batted an eye at the idea as everyone knew they were soulmates. However, college is a big step in a person’s life. You learn new things about yourself, you make new friends, find new hobbies… And maybe being newly weds and going to different colleges across the states wasn’t the best plan… After a falling out, a tragic and heartbreaking divorce, the two now despise the other for how the whole thing was handled. Neither not really knowing both sides of the story. 10 years later, and they both get a call from the lawyers office that settled their divorce. Somehow the papers never went through and the divorce was never completed. So now, the exes, or should we say husband and wife, have to meet back up after all these years to settle their failed marriage once and for all.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Everest by @justkending

Summary: She was done and retired. After Thanos and the battle of a lifetime, she called it quits and distanced herself from the Avenger lifestyle. But word finds her that someone from her past is in danger. What the journey entails was never one she wanted to face nor one she saw becoming her reality again. The rollercoaster that comes with fighting evil odds arrives on her doorstep, not leaving much room for a no… Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Coming in Hot by @nexusnyx

When your best friend Sarah recommends you a mechanic of her brother’s trust, all you can think about and pray to is that he doesn’t rip you off. Your car is your prized possession and amidst all the worry and concern of your medical studies, drowning in even more debt sounds as suffocating as it would be. Of course, you never thought of the possibility of the mechanic being the problem. A hot, polite, gentle, and silent-type of problem. Drowning in debt would be easier to navigate than the blue of Bucky Barnes’s eyes.

Pairing: Mechanic Bucky x Reader

Though I Have Never Read by @tuiccim

Pairing: Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader Summary: You had run away from all of your problems and found solitude in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. When a storm blows in, it drags a man with a metal arm through your door. Offering shelter, you spend one night together before he disappears. Years later, you find yourselves together again but does he remember that night or you at all?

Blink Twice by @simmerandwrite

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: It was just an undetermined amount of time in a safehouse with a stranger: Bucky “I didn’t come here to make friends” Barnes himself. Would it really be all that different from your lonely life with your cat in the city? Bucky was basically a cat, anyway. He was quiet on his feet, only really made noise when it was dinner time, and you both seemed to just coexist without acknowledging each other. His mandate was to keep you safe. What could go wrong?

teach me how to love by @buckyismybicycle

Pairing: DAD!BUCKY X TEACHER!READER

Natasha leaves behind her precious daughter, Yelena, and with her dying breath asks Bucky to look after her.

Sweet by @noceurous

summary: it was something cliche but your fuck buddy fell for you nonetheless, even though you swore you would never do relationships again. But rules are meant to be broken.

call me when you want by @bonky-n-steeb

summary: when you call a sex hotline with a need to be dominated you don’t expect to meet (or hear) someone as wonderful as James. but your life becomes a complicated mess as you already love your coworker, Bucky Barnes. however, you are unaware that they are actually the same person.

Grow Old With Me by @sonderosa

Part 1 & Part 2

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

...you could wait fifty years if he asked it of you. You’d promised him that, and he’d smiled and kissed you, told you that in fifty years he wanted to be old with you, sitting on a porch in rocking chairs and watching the sunset. You wanted that, too; it was a beautiful dream.

Sweeter Than Honey by @foreverindreamlandd

Pairing: Mechanic!Bucky x Fem!Personal Assistant!Reader Summary: It's your first international trip working for bestselling author Tony Stark as his new personal assistant, and you're desperate to prove yourself worthy of such an incredible opportunity. But when things start to go wrong whilst staying in Dublin, and suddenly you're stuck in the middle of the Wicklow Mountains with a flat tire, you're convinced that you'll be fired before the day is over. Luckily, a handsome, blue-eyed mechanic with an accent that makes your insides melt comes just in time to save the day.

Their other series are also *chefs kiss* -> go read the rest of @foreverindreamlandd's series

Love at First Grade by @buckysimp101

Pairing: Single Dad!Bucky Barnes x Single Mom!Reader;  Teacher!Bucky x CEO!Reader

Summary: When father and first grade teacher Bucky Barnes ends up with Avery L/N in his class, the daughter of the “ruthless” CEO of L/N Enterprises, he's in for a surprise that's sure to change his life.

Teacher's Favorite AU by @suitk0via

Pairing: Dad!Bucky x Teacher!Reader

Summary: You are first grade teacher and Bucky is a single dad who wants to be involved with everything his little girl - Elaine - does. He’s the dad all the parent’s and faculty drool over. You quickly become Elaine's favorite teacher and Bucky's just gotta meet you.

The Heart is a Deep Ocean by @dreamlessinparis

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: Titanic was known as the ship of dreams. For you, it was the dream of getting home, or so you thought. From the moment you locked eyes with James Buchanan Barnes, all those dreams changed and your life was never the same.

Something Domestic by @fandoms-writings

Pairing: ex-military amputee!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: Needing an escape from the loud and busy city life, Bucky comes to stay with you on your little farm. He didn’t expect you, a hardworking and beautiful woman with struggles of your own, to take his breath away and make life a little less dreary.

Labyrinth by @frostironfudge

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader, (Modern AU)

Summary: labyrinth (noun), a complicated set of paths and passages, through which it is difficult to find your way. Bucky and You would do anything for Steve and Wanda, your respective best friends. In an attempt to avoid a tradition Steve and Wanda come up with a lie involving their best friends.  A lie, that involves building a labyrinth. Bucky and You begin to build but will you two find your way out or be caught in it?

nostalgia for the new by @real-jane

pairing: bucky barnes x female!reader shield agent

summary: bucky meets you because of your exquisite taste in music, and he finds in you a solace he didn't realize was possible. you create for bucky something he's never found before: nostalgia for a time that hasn't happened yet, and hope for a future where he might be loved.

The Thrill of the Hunt by @rookthorne

Pairing: Scare Actor!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

The ancient game of cat and mouse, a fight for survival between a predator and their prey, wasn’t a new phenomenon – it had been practised for centuries and it was an art that very, very few perfected. For years you had chased the craving to find someone that had mastered the art of the hunt, and for Halloween, you had gone all out and visited a haven unlike any other.  It was there that you found your match.  Cloaked in nothing but black and shrouded in a sense of lethality, you would have to run from this shadow in an adrenaline fuel haze unlike any other. A chase for the ages, the very one you desired.  And if he caught you, your world would end as you knew it.

Ongoing fics

Honey Girl by @violentdelightsandviolentends

Pairing: Dad'sBestFriend!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader - soulmate au

Summary: The Universe shows you your soulmate when it feels like you need them most. When you least expect it, you're given yours - Bucky Barnes. Your Dad's best friend. You can try to refuse it all you like; but the universe wants what it wants. There's no denying fate.

After all those years by @ziawbarnes

Pairing: AU Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: Peggy and Steve's wedding in Mexico takes an unexpected turn when you and Bucky, who initially couldn't attend, end up joining the celebration. With no available rooms, Bucky becomes your roommate for ten days, leading to unexpected adventures and new connections.

Fresh Start by @nicoline1998enilocin (on hiatus but I love)

Pairing: Teacher!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary: In this universe you can explore the story between Bucky Barnes as a middle school teacher, and Y/N with her son Luca. They just moved to the other side of the country, and have decided to completely start over their lives. On the first day at his new school, Luca quickly befriends his new teacher, and Y/N can't help but take a liking to him as well.

A Past Encounter by @majesty-madness

Summary: Being in a relationship with Bucky, Y/N prided herself on knowing him quite well but when she’s accidentally teleported back to the 1940's, Y/N discovers that there is a whole other Bucky that she has yet to meet. The sweet flirt that had everything going for him before his unfortunate capture by HYDRA.

Neighbors by @writerlyhabits

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader

Summary: You get to know your neighbor across the hall, James.

Unexpected by @repressedqueen

Paring: SexWorker!Bucky x reader

Summary: After a crazy night out celebrating your birthday, somehow you ended up outside a brothel debating on whether it was time for you to finally have sex or not.

My Little Love by @crazyunsexycool

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced Fem! Reader

Dr. Feelgood by @endless-summer-soldier

pairing: Surgeon!Bucky x SurgicalIntern!Reader

summary: Y/N has a one night stand with a handsome stranger the night before starting her new job as a surgical intern. Little does she know, the handsome stranger also happens to be her new boss

Untitled Single Dad!Bucky Fic by @angie-likes-to-art

Pairing: Teacher!Reader x Single Dad!Bucky

Summary: You made a promise to yourself to not sleep with any parents before starting teaching, little did you know the guy you slept with two days before is the dad of your cutest student.

Too much love to choose from, here's some creators with masterlists you need to check out! ❤️‍🔥

@jobean12-blog

@navybrat817

@coffeecatsandcandles

@metalbuckaroo

@wkemeup

@nickfowlerrr

I love and appreciate all of you 💕 thank you for all your hard work 🥰

Happy Reading!

XO

(Dividers by saradika)

RECOMMENDATION LIST #2 CAN BE FOUND -> **HERE**

[neiptune]

I think there's been a glitch

c/w: 6k wc, wedding date trope, friends to (possible) lovers, mentions of alcohol, mentions of cheating, levi's smoothness has your brain short circuiting

Just as expected: you’re hating every second of it.

You love your family, you really do. Doesn’t matter how loud and overexcited and nosy they are, it’s always nice to take a few days off to travel back home. Sometimes it’s for birthdays, minor special occasions, surprise visits. Nothing was spontaneous about this specific occasion, though. Train tickets were bought months in advance, your dress picked facetiming your mom (she insisted), your arrival highly anticipated by aunts and uncles and cousins and old friends all coming together for the most significant event of the century: your little brother’s wedding.

To be absolutely honest, the day had a good start. Waking up at dawn didn’t bother you, not with the nutritious breakfast your mom had prepared and the excitement stirring behind your brother’s tense smile. The wedding was agreed to have a mix of traditional shinto-style (to please the bride’s family) and more laid back, western-style influences, something your family has always been accustomed to, given your dad’s roots.

The ceremony held at the shrine was emotional even for you. Hiromi looked gorgeous in her uchikake, gold threads and foil with motifs of waves and cranes standing out on a bright crimson base. You watched them drink the sake and exchange cups first, then vows and wedding rings. It was so hard to process than the man getting married was the same kid who once pooped himself in his crib at daycare and then proceeded to take off his diaper to play with the poop like it was play-doh. Sweet, sweet memories.

Everything started going downhill at the fancy hotel where the reception was set to be held.

The convention room is blinding in its beauty: white pillars, draping fabrics, pretty fairy lights and elegant floral arrangements compliment the venue and the minimalist but luxurious style your families decided to go with. You’re not foreign to wealth, your parents have worked hard to grant you and your sibling a comfortable life and you’re grateful for them. What you don’t like about your family, is how for your aunts and uncles and cousins, everything should constantly be tied to money and profit. Which is why they all turn up their noses when you reply to the dreaded “what’s your job again?” question. Which is why, at every family reunion, you’re forced to sit with your younger cousins and take part in the salary conversation (they could literally compare and brag for hours about raises and bonuses and working overtime and paid vacations). Which is why Aiko, already CEO of a join-stock company at her young age, had first introduced you to one of the employees from the financial department.

Floch Forster was certainly attractive, a real gentleman who’d take you out for fancy dinners, casual dates and fun rides on his flashy, red porsche cayenne. You liked him but your family had always liked him more, your brother going out for drinks with him, your dad inviting him over more and more frequently to watch baseball games or ask for help for the restoration of his old kawasaki ninja, a project he’d been working on for a while.

In the end, the relationship simply didn’t work out and you broke up with him in the most amicable way possible, the time spent together still worth cherishing. You were just too different from each other: his interests not matching yours, his friends way too stuck-up, his parents looking at you like you were some kind of gold digger.

But that’s when he became petty, cruel even, mocking your dreams, deriding your aspirations, sharp edged phrases and words thrown your way so harshly they still dance around your brain from time to time.

Are you surprised by his presence at your brother’s wedding? No. You knew he’d be invited, they’re still friends and you never really told your sibling how the separation actually went down. Is it shocking that he’s here with a pretty brunette anchored to his arm? Also no. He might be an asshole but he’s hot and rich, two qualities weighing pretty damn heavily on the bachelor scale. He’s also the main reason why you’d asked your painfully stoic, blasé friend to accompany you to the reception.

Yes, it was both a childish and desperate move, but you were willing to take drastic measures to save face before your very much extended very much elitist very much expectant family after the fatal phone call with your mom where you’d suddenly blurted out that you’d bring a special someone with you to the wedding.

Your love life (aka currently a big big void made of emotional unavailability & crippling loneliness) was yet another topic open to be attentively scrutinized by those around you. Normally you don’t mind, you really don’t, but just this one time you wanted it to be different. As much as you try not to let it get to you, the facts are that your younger brother is now married, your hot rich ex boyfriend has probably already proposed to his new girlfriend, you still haven’t been given the raise you were expecting and it plainly just sucks to be alone at weddings. It’s the fourth one you have attended on your own now and you can tell by your aunt’s sympathetic gaze and your cousins’ knowing giggles that you’re not gonna be able to push the he had to attend an emergency meeting with external partners lie any longer.

Frustration makes your stomach churn. Why couldn’t he have indulged you just this once?

“Oh, come on”

“No”

“Please!”

“Still no”

“I can beg”

“You’ve been begging for the past ten minutes”

“I can beg better?”

Levi’s resolute glare didn’t soften like it did on the rare occasions when he accommodated your requests.

“Why do you even need this?”

You heaved a deep sigh over his obstinacy, index finger lazily tracing the edge of the steaming cup in front of you. You’ve always been a coffee person but his is the only tea you’ll drink.

“D’you want the honest answer or the pathetic, moping one?”

He raised an eyebrow with a far too evident interest that had you rolling your eyes.

“Both”

“Well, if you must know, it’s because I’m a lame, lonely, disappointment of an adult who’s scared of facing her family’s overcritical comments and knowing glances at her younger sibling’s wedding” you paused to take a deep breath “that and the fact that I already lied and said I was gonna bring someone and my perfect ex everyone loves so much is gonna be there”

Levi slowly took a sip from his own cup, the classic bergamot flavor notes lingering with tantalizing velvety softness on his tongue.

“They both sound pathethic and moping to me”

You shrugged with a weak smile.

“They’re both honest, too”

“You’re gonna be fine” he pushed the little plate of shortbreads towards you.

“Did you hear the part about my perfect ex?” nevertheless, you accepted the cookie offer and, much to your friend’s horrified expression, dipped one into your tea prior to taking a bite.

“Give him my love” Levi ignores your frown and, more importantly, the annoyance he felt listening to you belittling yourself so blatantly.

“Okay” a defeated sigh leaves your lips as you take another cookie “not sure why I thought you’d get it”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Mouth still full, you gestured vaguely with your hands, tiny crumbs attached to your fingertips catching his attention for a split second before you speak again.

“Why would you? You’re a functioning adult. Should’ve asked someone as fucked up as me, maybe Reiner from the marketing department will—”

“A functioning adult?” Levi cut in, tone oozing with skepticism “that’s new. You usually refer to me as the clean freak with a stick up his ass”

“Which you are” your clarification is met with another glare “but you wouldn’t understand what being lame means”

“How so?” he challenged, eyes narrowed and some sort of weird warmth in the pit of his stomach he didn’t know how to shake off.

“You have your shit together, Levi. M’sure your family wouldn’t shoot sympathetic gazes your way if you showed up to your brother’s wedding on your own”

“I don’t have a brother”

“Not the point” you let out an obnoxious groan as you slightly pushed the empty cup away and dropped your head to rest on your overlapped arms, forehead pressing on the soft fabric of your sleeve. Levi sat still, grey eyes fixed on you.

“You’re not lame, idiot” no one else would’ve been able to tell that his tone had gone softer “I’m not dating anyone either and you still think I’m a functioning adult”

Exasperated, you turn your head so that your cheek is now pressed to your wrist as you glare at him.

“But that’s your choice. You don’t like anyone. While I had three of my coworkers come to my desk just to ask who the handsome dude passing by to bring me a homemade bento box was”

Half a smile dripping with smugness tugged at his lips, one that caused you to roll your eyes again.

“Don’t even” you warn, already gagging at the idea of him considering to visit you at work more often “forget I said anything. I’ll handle it”

As Levi inched across the table to flick your forehead and then got up to collect your cups, you had to quickly whisk away the thought of how much your family would have genuinely liked someone like him too.

On second thought, it’s not really fair to blame him. You might not be a greatly functioning one, but you’re still an adult. You can face something as trivial as the disappointment of multiple generations of your family, right? Either way, it would’ve felt wrong. It would’ve been awkward. Levi is stiff, way too cold, the opposite of cordial. He would hardly be credible as the good friend he actually is, let alone pass for a boyfriend. Has he ever even dated someone? You’re sure he has, given how weirdly popular he is. Yeah, there was one girl, what was her name again? Petra? Ugh, he hardly shares anything truly personal with you anyway. Sure, you can guess he’s a good partner. Handsome, kind, talented enough to cook killer meals, maybe even good in bed. It just wouldn’t hurt him to be a little more… amicable. But maybe that’s what women find attractive? The fact that he’s like this weird, interesting secret thing to continuously discover and unwrap until it suddenly turns into the perfect, passionate lover any woman wants to end up with?

The champagne you’re downing at the hotel bar is proving to be a wonderful ally, although your mind currently seems to be wandering a little. Or it was, at least until a familiar, awfully close and quite frankly unsettling voice causes a harsh return to the pathetic reality you’re trying to escape.

“Drowning your sorrows in alcohol? You haven’t changed at all” the venomous smile on his face is so painfully familiar it has your insides twisting right away.

“I’m really not in the mood, leave me alone” you mutter, not even sparing him a glance as you stubbornly focus on the golden bubbles popping in your freshly filled flute.

But Floch takes a seat right next to you and elegantly orders two martinis.

“Shaken, not stirred” he adds, to live up to yet another clichè. You can hardly suppress a snort.

“I would argue you already are. Alone, I mean” the rhythmic drumming of his fingers on the mahogany counter distracts you for a few seconds. When your gaze finally meets his, the fake sympathy glistening mischievously in his amber eyes almost has you barfing on the spot.

“Where’s your trophy wife? Is she even legal?”

Unperturbed, Floch smiles sweetly at you.

“She reminds you of yourself, doesn’t she? A young dove in need of rescue, held captive by the wrong guy” he inches closer, smile growing wider “but she’s nothing like you. You’re too exhausting to love, no one in their right mind would choose that”

And just like that, memories that cut as deep as razors make their way back to you right then and there.

If you really want to lose weight you shouldn’t eat the free bread at restaurants.

I feel like you’re faking this just to make me feel guilty.

You’re not that attractive anymore, you know that?

I’m sorry you feel that way.

Could’ve done so much better than you all this time.

Now I don’t feel so bad about having cheated.

The flute in your hand might very well shatter from how tightly you’re holding it, knuckles white as two drinks gracefully slide in front of you. This is exactly what you wanted to avoid, not him entirely but letting him know that he can still get under your skin.

“Fuck you” in a final, desperate attempt at playing off your discomfort as indifference, you hold him level in your gaze, a boldness so weak it has him chuckling.

“Am I interrupting something?”

You both turn to your right, the shock laced into your features comical enough to be met with a patient, slight smile.

Levi looks nothing less than dashing in his black suit, hands buried in the pockets of pants you wouldn’t even think he’d own. Since you’re pretty sure the alcohol has you hallucinating at this point, you open your mouth to voice your surprise, Floch’s presence long forgotten and filed away at the back of your mind. But right before you can sabotage yourself with dumb, unnecessary inquiries, Levi takes a step forward and with one, swift motion, cradles your cheek in his hand to gently press his lips to your forehead.

“Sorry I’m late” he murmurs, fighting back another smile before the dumbstruck way you keep looking at him.

“We haven’t met” Levi’s eyes follow the voice and flicker to the person sitting next to you. That’s when you snap back to reality once again. Goddamn, maybe the champagne wasn’t that good of an ally after all.

“We haven’t” he replies and Floch introduces himself, offering a hand that never gets shaken. Levi gives him a nod instead, a silvery gaze cold as steel you’ve never seen him direct to anyone. Perhaps that’s why it makes you shiver.

“Should we go? I’d like to meet your parents” his voice is kind as he looks at you again and you accept the support of his hand to hop down from the barstool. He doesn’t let go as he guides you away from the hotel bar and lightly squeezes your hand even if it’s cold and clammy.

“How are you here? When… why?” you whisper, still unable to shake off the shock of his sudden, unexpected presence.

“Stop asking dumb questions and play your part”

That’s more like it, you think. Thank god for the infuriating, irritating tone and impatient glare. Their familiarity will certainly be enough to ground you despite the warmth you can still feel on your forehead, right where his lips were pressed a few seconds earlier.

But then he looks at you again, head slightly tilted to the side, eyes slowly taking in your figure so blatantly, in a way so uncommon for him, it has the same warmth from before exploding in your chest as well.

“You look very nice, by the way”

Fuck being grounded, apparently.

The champagne is no longer buzzing in your veins but it might as well be since your mind feels all over the place and you haven’t had a single second to collect your thoughts. Not in the middle of so many introductions, your mother’s obnoxious questions, your very much tipsy aunt’s inappropriate jokes, the microphone you had to approach and the speech you had to give in front of hundreds of people, one of them always focused on you with such intensity you won’t have to rewatch the videotape at family reunions to know that words came out ungraceful and wrong.

To be honest, the most unsettling thing is how smoothly the whole thing is going. It’s not weird, it’s definitely not awkward and he seems to be in complete control. Staggered, you’re left watching with wonder floating in incredulous eyes, a Levi you don’t think you’ve ever met before. It’s so effortless, the way he speaks to people he’s never met before and manages to come off as interesting, witty, charming. He’s smiling, he’s even respectfully offering elegant chuckles to uncomfortably personal questions and stories you just know he doesn’t actually think are funny.

As you dine at the table filled with curious old friends and noisy cousins, for the first time able to stay silent as all the attention is directed towards someone other than yourself, a weird thought crosses your mind. Levi, your friend Levi, fits so well. He’s perfectly at ease around chatty strangers, bold roses, tea lights and candles in clear metallic holders. How’s that even possible? The Levi you know, your Levi, curses under his breath if his usual barista tries to make small talk. He grunts if the cashier at the cinema chirps an overly excited hope you enjoy the movie, sir. You literally know he’s once replied to one of his clients’ email with please stop hoping your email finds me well, it never does.

So who’s the person sitting next to you, warm knee flush against yours underneath the table, features relaxed, pink tinted cheeks, courtesy of the cabernet sauvignon you’ve been served? It has your head spinning, the thought of him enduring a 4-hour train trip (he hates trains) to reach a town he’s never been to (he hates Kobe and its humid, subtropical climate) to attend a wedding (he hates social gatherings) as your date. What had him changing his mind? When did he change it? How is he so good at coming off as this bundle of… of… confidence and magnetism and graciousness?

He’s been impeccable so far, going as far as to bring a shugi-bukuro envelope with 50.000 JPY inside as a wedding gift.

Isn’t that what they’d expect from the groom’s sister’s partner?

Clearly, you have every intention of giving him that money back. As soon as you recover from the sudden and absolutely unexplainable embarrassment you feel every time his eyes flicker to you during a conversation or the shudder that runs down your spine when his hand gently presses on the small of your back to guide you from one table to the other, as different family members and friends of yours excitedly motion you to approach them.

It doesn’t have anything to do with him specifically, you tell yourself. It’s just the shame you must be feeling at carrying out such a pathetic act in front of everyone, it’s the awkwardness of having forced one of your closest friends to go out of his way to support your stupid, childish plan that now has you feeling all weird and vulnerable. Levi is not being his usual self and that makes you uncomfortable because you’re not allowed to be your usual self in turn. No sarcastic remarks, no witty comebacks, not a drop of the usual teasing you enjoy annoying him with.

It’s not him, it’s the whole setting. That’s what you tell yourself when Levi asks you to dance.

“Why?” you come off as defensive and he furrows his brows, confused.

“Because it’s what couples do at weddings?”

“We don’t have to” you’re not sure what you’re doing at this point “you can’t even dance”

He huffs at that, inching a little closer to casually lift the strap of your cocktail dress, cool fingertips barely brushing the skin of your arm as they guide the thin length of fabric up to your shoulder. The simple, intimate gesture stirs something in you.

“Are you coming or not? He’s watching”

You follow his gaze and meet Floch’s, three tables to the left. At this point the thought of him seems so worthless, so distant in time, you don’t even care about his judgmental glare anymore. But you don’t have the chance to make that clear, because your date whispers a soft “come on” so close to your ear his voice seems to trickle down your spine just to make you shiver and then offers his arm as an invitation for you to get up.

Regular you would’ve mocked the gesture, called him a victorian ghost or something. Current you, on the other hand? Apparently she’s accepting the support of his arm and can barely register Aiko’s excited squeal as she follows him all the way to the different couples already filling up the middle of the convention room, too disoriented to even remember she is the one who can’t dance. Still, the upbeat rhythm of the song being played is familiar enough to give you a false sense of security: you can wing it. Until you can’t. Because right as you position yourself in front of your friend with a tense smile, the familiar beat is abruptly taken from you. The music doesn’t stop, it just has the audacity to change into an excessively romantic, exceptionally slow, sappy track.

But Levi doesn’t look as dazed as you. He doesn’t waver as he pulls you close with one swift motion, right hand warm on your back while you barely have the time to balance yourself, fingers tightening around the fabric of his jacket, right above the shoulder.

“You’re being weird” he clasps your other hand, one eyebrow raised in that overcritical way of his.

“You’re being weird” you parrot back.

“What d’you mea—fuck” he curses as quietly as possible when you stomp on his foot, looking down for the first time to notice how weirdly and out of step you’re actually moving.

“Shit, sorry!” you, on the other hand, are not as quiet and attract the unwanted attention of the couple dancing nearby.

“What exactly are you doing?” Levi’s tone is familiarly mocking, which takes some of the weird awkwardness away.

“I’m not really good at this, okay?” you retort, praying your harsh reply remains private this time. Amused, he hums.

“No way”

“Shut up” you whine and accidentally step on his expensive leather shoe again, hard enough to make him hiss.

“Just follow my lead” Levi gives your left hand an impatient squeeze and you scoff with a theatrical ugh.

“Sexist”

He rolls his eyes but says nothing because you comply and honestly try to keep track of how he’s moving, intensely focused on not trampling on his foot again.

“Hey” his voice is dangerously soft once again “eyes on me”

Reluctantly, you look up from your feet and take a deep breath.

“Why are you this tense?”

“M’not a good dancer” you blurt the words out, as if to convince yourself. He’s noticed, of course he’s noticed. Idiot.

“Okay” Levi stops for a moment and gently grabs your wrists to guide your arms around his neck. He then positions his hands on your hips and applies the slightest pressure to guide your movements. “Better?” he asks and you know he’s just wondering if this is easier for you, but the dryness of your throat seems to be taking over your ability to speak. You resort to a simple nod as he sways to the beat, feet barely lifting while stepping from side to side. You get accustomed to the movement after a while and manage to move your body slowly back and forth, the comfort of not feeling like a wooden block allowing you to relax a little.

“How are you so good at this?” it almost sounds like you’re accusing him, must be why he cracks a smile.

“Took a few classes with Hange, they were obsessed and had no one else to go with”

You’re finally able to let out a genuine, incredulous laugh.

“I’m sorry, what? So you just joined? Goodness of your heart?”

Levi shrugs.

“They had to buy me lunch for a month. Totally worth it”

There’s mirth glistening in his eyes when the pressure of his hands changes slightly, the left one tightening on your waist to subtly guide you in the opposite direction. Has he danced like this with Hange as well? If yes, did they feel as flustered and ridiculous as you’re feeling? Probably not, because they’re friends and friends should not experience the weird body reactions you seem to be having at the moment, goosebumps blossoming underneath his fingertips, the staccato of your heartbeat, blood wooshing in your ears. Fuck.

“Tense again” his eyes are narrowed now, but not in his usual, threatening way. He’s studying you, looking for something he can’t seem to pinpoint amidst your dazed expression and sweaty hand. He would’ve been grossed out by anybody else’s palm but this is you, so Levi can’t really bring himself to give a shit.

“I’m sorry” you murmur and the sudden, sheepish route catches him off guard. You’re avoiding his gaze, eyes focused on something, somewhere over his shoulder.

“For what?”

“This whole charade” you whisper the last word, head hanging low just an excuse not to look at him “I’m so pathetic you felt bad enough to drop all your plans, come all the way here, be perfect and nice to everyone, spend so much money and I can’t even dance…” you sniffle, horrified by the sensation of being on the verge of bursting into tears in the middle of the dance floor.

Levi is silent long enough to prompt you to timidly look up from your shoes again. You’re worried he’s gonna be mad because what the hell, this is what you wanted. You asked him to do this for you and now it’s too late to whine about how sorry you are. But he doesn’t look mad. His features are unreadable as you return his gaze, which stirs a whole new kind of nervousness in you.

“I’m going to twirl you” the gentle warning takes you by surprise as Levi takes your hand from behind his neck, steps back a little and lifts your arm above your head. A bit stiffly, you turn around under it.

“Again” he prompts, arm already guiding you through another twirl. You comply, so clumsily a chuckle slips past your lips and Levi cracks another smile as you balance yourself against him, arms around his neck once again.

“See? You can dance” he mutters with a tone so soft it makes your heart squeeze.

“Please” you scoff, voice still a little broken that just won’t. Do.

Levi hums to himself, like he does whenever he’s trying to come to a decision.

“Let’s dip”

Your eyes comically grow in size.

“Let’s not?”

“I’ll do all the work” he playfully gives your hip a light squeeze to emphasize his words “you just have to let go”

“I’m not exactly good at letting go” you hope he can sense the warning in your tone but all you get is another eye roll.

“Yeah, I noticed” his tone, unlike yours, is weirdly serious “d’you trust me?”

Oh, well, putting it that way surely isn’t fair.

“Unfortunately, you’ve given me a reason or two to do that” you heave another sigh, defeated. Another smile tugs at his lips.

“I’m gonna do it slowly” he reaches behind his neck to grab your hand again, while his fingertips rise from your hip to your upper back.

“Twirl” Levi gently spins you again and his touch is featherlike when it glides down your side, grazes your stomach and settles on your lower back as you turn around, warm palm pressing firmly against it. The hand holding yours anchors your arm around his neck, then finds place on the nape of yours.

“Now, relax” it’s barely a whisper, so close you can’t hold back a shudder he pretends not to notice.

You soften your knees and then, with a movement so swift and natural, you’re turned to the side and pressed flush against him for a second, nestled in his embrace before you shut your eyes and Levi gently dips you, one of his strong arms secured around your waist to support your weight, the hand sustaining your neck tightening around your hair for a moment so brief you think you’ve imagined it.

He pauses as if you weigh nothing, then slowly brings you up again and you open your eyes, brows furrowing right as he lets completely go of you and the warmth of his arms is taken away so abruptly.

“You okay?” you didn’t think you’d be the one asking the question but something seems to be bothering him as he returns your confused gaze.

“Yeah. Can we take a break?” still weirdly well mannered, you find yourself thinking as you agree to make your way to your table again. Only he stops you right before you can take a seat next to Aiko, who’s blatantly gushing over you’re not sure what, precisely. Is it him? Or the weird dance that had you looking like a complete fool in front of everyone?

“How long before the cake?” he politely asks your cousin and she shrugs, not even attempting to hide the wide grin stretching her lips.

“Maybe around ten minutes”

“Permission to steal the groom’s sister for around ten minutes?”

Aiko’s chuckle isn’t enough to distract you from the tightening of your chest, something not entirely unpleasant swarming around in your stomach when he slips his fingers in between yours.

“Permission granted” she winks and you still, for the life of you, cannot understand why your heart flutters as you follow him outside the room, away from the party and the music and the chatter and all those happy, proud glances you’re no longer able to return because of how embarrassed you are by your own lie.

“Where are we going?” you bring yourself to ask, finding it exceptionally odd that he’s waiting for the elevator.

“My room”

“What? Why?”

Levi turns his head to look at you, eyebrows furrowing at your strangled tone.

“I forgot the wedding gift on the nightstand”

“Oh” you let out a nervous chuckle “right. And why d’you need me for that?”

“You look like you’re about to throw up, thought you could use a few minutes away from the crowd”

Well, he’s not wrong. But that doesn’t mean he gets to know.

“Dunno what you’re talking about” you flash him a fake smile and he skeptically hums as the doors open and you step inside.

Of course his room is located at the top floor of the building, where all the suites are. One thing about Levi is that he likes treating himself: whether it’s shopping from brands that produce top quality loose leaf teas, selecting premium suiting fabrics or always ordering the most expensive red wine at a restaurant, his taste is impeccable. He travels first class and only stays at 5-star hotels, so you really shouldn’t feel the guilt pangs stinging like needles in your throat when he swipes the key card through the magnetic reader and swings the door open. You shouldn’t feel so bad while taking in the king size bed, the LCD tv, the additional area with armchairs and a whole sofa, the private balcony. But you do. And when he turns to look at you, still standing by the door with a heartbreaking, bashful expression taking over your features, Levi clenches his jaw.

“What are you doing?” you ask as you watch him slide the balcony glass door.

“So many questions” he prompts you to precede him with a slight tilt of his head.

“What about the gift?”

Levi hates seeing you so defensive, so upset. He’s not used to that weird self-consciousness, not when you’re with him at least. Didn’t he come to obtain the exact opposite of what he’s getting? Isn’t he here to shield you from embarrassment, uneasiness? Why are you persisting in your stubborn shame?

“I get around ten minutes, remember?” he attempts a smile your tense features choose not to mirror. You sigh softly instead and, still uncertain, accept his invitation.

Outside the air is cool, a balm for your feverish skin. The balcony furniture includes two wooden armchairs, one small coffee table and a small couch. You plop down on the latter, not even having the energy to properly appreciate the beauty of a sparkly Kobe right at your feet, silhouettes of skyscrapers standing out against the night sky, the flickering lights of the harbor shining in the distance, tower so familiar you’d recognize it from a mile away. It’s home.

“So” Levi makes himself comfortable next to you, the breeze gently combing his hair back “wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

Plenty is wrong, the most urgent matter being the overpowering attraction you’re feeling for one of your closest friends. It’s fine, no use lying to yourself any longer. Maybe it’s always been there, underneath all the teasing and the jokes and his rare smiles that always felt like small victories you got to collect and preserve in your memory at the end of each day, when  you’d often replay the hours spent together as pretty movie frames in your mind right before drifing off to sleep. But it’s easy, playing weird feelings off as regular familiarity that comes with friendship. You just didn’t think this night would make things feel so different, so good.

He’d be a great actual date, a wonderful actual boyfriend too, probably. He’s already a wonderful, actual friend. One that dropped everything to rush to the rescue of annoying, silly you, seemingly an adult but really a scared excuse of a grown up who can’t confront her family on a matter as trivial as not being in a relationship. It’s mortifying, really. You wouldn’t think it’d feel that humiliating, especially not in his presence.

Slender fingers delicately close on the fist you don’t realize you’re clenching. They’re warm as they try to make their way underneath yours, a silent plea for you to let go of the fabric clutched in your hand.

“I already told you” your hand lets go at last and slips easily from underneath his touch, the silk of your carefully picked cocktail dress wrinkled already.

“You feel guilty about me dropping all my plans, coming all the way here, beng perfect and nice to everyone, spending so much money…” he’s being playful but the teasing doesn’t elicit the eye roll or chuckle he was hoping he’d get. Your head just hangs lower, chin almost pressing to your chest, as if you’re trying to curl into yourself.

“About that, you’re gonna accept a complete refund. Train tickets, this room, wedding gift, everyth—”

Levi cuts you off by grabbing your jaw and turning your head towards him, eyes narrowed in a familiarly impatient gaze. He can’t believe the nonsense you’re sputtering out, the weird formality of it all.

“Stop that” his voice vibrates with determination and words are forced to die in your throat as he inches closer, grip loosening ever so slightly “you keep looking at things and seeing the opposite of what they are”

“So what, you didn’t spend a fortune to be here?” you challenge and he sighs, as done as a person can humanly be.

He lets go of your jaw but you don’t pull back.

“You asked me to be here”

“And I’m trying to apologize for it!”

God, you’re wearing him out.

You get up from the couch and, out of frustration, rest your back against the railing, palms behind you pressed on the cold, metal edge. Levi is looking at you so intensely you’re tempted to turn around and just take the view in to calm yourself because this is going downhill enough to become a fight and fights with Levi are never pretty. You should know.

“Remember the reasons you put forward to try and convince me to come?” his calm tone is such a sharp contrast to his hardened features, it takes you by surprise.

“Pretty sure I called myself lame and pathetic quite a few times” you shoot him a frown.

“Yeah” he gets up as well “then I end up actually getting here and guess what I found?”

You let out a dry laugh, one with not an ounce of humor embedded in it.

“A version of me worse enough to be brought in your room to hide?”

Two well measured steps and Levi is in front of you right as you cross your arms in defense.

“The version of you I already know” he retorts, exasperated “beautiful, intelligent, clumsy. A functional adult with a family that loves her very much”

“You’re drunk” you breathe out but it’s yours the head that’s spinning. Somehow, Levi knows. At least that’s what you guess when he steps closer, arms effectivey caging you against the railing as he slightly leans forward.

“Hardly” he mutters, pensive, and you swear his eyes flicker to your lips for a second “you don’t see things for what they are. I didn’t see a perfect ex, just a self entitled asshole. Didn’t meet hypercritical family members, just old-school people who are unyielding in their affection for you. I could’ve stayed home, honestly, you seem to be bothered by me the most”

“I’m not bothered by you, don’t be fucking stupid” you blurt out, saliva levels down to zero at this point. What is he even doing? Why is he so close, why does he smell so nice and where the fuck is that wedding gift?

“Ah, there she is” Levi offers a soft smile “had me missing her all night”

He then moves a strand of hair away from your forehead and the pads of his fingers linger on your temple, then barely graze your skin as they travel all the way down to your cheek and along your jaw.

You’re unfamiliar with this version of him. It’s a version that compliments the one that’s met your family and friends, the wedding date you’ve been lucky enough to score. This version knocks the wind out of your lungs and has your knees weak.

But then something happens, the snap of invisible fingers and, just like that, the magic wears out. Your skin is left burning and his arms set you free as he takes a step back and shoves his hands in his pockets.

“I had a good time so enough with your guilt-ridden bullshit”

You’re barely able to catch your breath, still dizzy from the change of the overall mood. Perhaps he’s right and you’re the drunk, hallucinating one.

Levi slides the balcony door again but goes back inside first this time, leaving you little to no time to pull yourself together or calm the pounding of your heart. He collects no envelope from the nightstand before you both leave the room, a burning sensation churning in your stomach as you follow him down the hallway, feeling utterly boneless when you stop in front of the elevator. Maybe that Petra girl did have a point.

“There’s still one thing you probably haven’t noticed about me” right as a ding echoes in the empty hallway he turns his head to look at you, standing a few feet behind “I’m a terrible fucking liar. Wouldn’t convince anyone if I tried”

[fairypowerful]

Before I begin, I just wanna throw these out:

• “ ‘Missing out on love’ isn't something that matters as much when your society isn't amatonormative.”

• “When the world around you doesn't emphasize marriage and romance and all that, then wouldn't you view cultures that do as a tad odd? Not weird in a bad way, just different.”

• “[…] People cannot fathom the concept that other people might experience romantic attraction, and do so intensely, and yet value something else above romance.”

• You just don’t have those feelings of “I need romance, I need marriage” when your society isn’t broken by being amatonormativity. You just don’t have those feelings when you’re already fulfilled in a community. You just don’t have those feelings when you have a purpose in life.

• “Call me crazy, but I know for a fact that I would not want a romantic relationship if I was a Jedi […] […] […] I honestly don't understand the assumption that ‘the Jedi are miserable because they can't get married,’ I really don't.”

• There’s romance and marriage in every single media and literature, so why should it be inserted into a fictional monastic culture? If you don’t think entire groups of people could choose to have no romantic commitments their entire life, then there’s over a thousand-year nonfictional accounts of monks and nuns and priests choosing to live a single life in an environment that, too, forbids them from romantic commitments, and they lived in contentment and peace.

————————————————

I wanted to show all that first, like a little preview, because this post is not only about why the Jedi are not wrong for disallowing romantic commitments and marriage, but it’s also about amatonormativity which has always been an enormous problem in the real world, and it clearly impacts how people view communities like the Jedi within fiction.

———

“So why can't Jedi marry? The Jedi believe that children and spouses deserve complete attention. They believe that people deserve present parents and involved partners. Being a Jedi isn't a job. It's a lifestyle. How dare they preach compassion and fairness and justice whilst leaving some abandoned child somewhere? How dare they teach kindness and love and self sacrifice while having a neglected spouse?” — @popupguidetothegalaxy (original post here)

This right here! It wouldn’t stop the criticisms within that part of the fandom, it’d just redirect it to a different one.

Even if the Jedi did marry and have families, y’all (Jedi antis) would then criticize the Jedi for prioritizing the galaxy (which is literally their vocation, their aspiration, and their lifestyle) over their spouses and children.

On top of their daily galactic duties that « take them away from the temple on assignments or missions, away from the planet that temple is located on, and always on the move interstellar-wise » ,,, antis think the Jedi should/could be able to marry and raise a family properly with zero neglect of either spouse and child?

Forget about being burnt out like a nurse in a severely understaffed hospital, it’s just simply an impossible commitment!

———

I watched “Tiger Cruise” rather recently, because it’s one of those Disney movies I never watched growing up, and one conversation in the movie puts this into even more perspective – because the teenaged main character is sick & tired of always only seeing her Navy commander father for a few weeks every few months, begging him to quit the Navy and come home for good.

Maddie: Dad, when are you coming home?

Commander Dolan: What do you mean? We're gonna be docking on Friday.

Maddie: No, I mean… When are you coming home for good?

Commander Dolan: Is that why you came on board? To ask me that? [pause] Look, this is my job.

Maddie: Then get a new one. You've got the degrees, you can do like anything you want.

Commander Dolan: This is what I do.

Maddie: [pause] Must be nice .. travel all over the world, no responsibilities.

Commander Dolan: I'm responsible to a lot of people.

Maddie: To strangers, Dad. What about us? [pause] We’re strangers too. We move all over the place, see you for a few weeks every four or five months, or whenever the Navy says it's okay.

Commander Dolan: The Navy is a way of life. I mean, you go into it and you know the sacrifices you have to make.

Maddie: Well, you’ve done it for my entire life.

Seriously, is this what Jedi antis want? It’s misery, and not necessarily on the parent’s part — he’s HAPPY and LOVES his job. He has the degrees to do anything he wants, as Maddie pointed out, but he doesn’t leave the Navy. It’s the same with the Jedi, as they have the best education and biggest library in the galaxies. And yet…

(some Jedi-Critical) and Anti-Jedi fans think the Jedi are miserable and why the Order is “wrong” for disallowing it [which is just projecting their subjective view of “what a fulfilling life is supposed to look like” onto a monastic people who value and find fulfillment in something other than romance], but it would actually be miserable if they did have families.

Pushing aside the fact that the Jedi are a monastic (and not only martial) organization, there’s a legit reason for disallowing marriage and committed relationships. It’s not fun and games. You can’t combine two enormous commitments and think you can handle it without neglecting the other. There’s no such thing as a part-time Jedi, it’s not a job title!

Jedi are able to leave the Order peacefully, they aren’t forced to stay, but on this specific topic, you just don’t have those feelings of « I need romance, I need marriage » when your society isn’t broken by being amatonormativity. You just don’t have those feelings when you’re already fulfilled in a community. You just don’t have those feelings when you have a purpose in life.

How dare they be happy and fulfilled by being Jedi? How dare they show their commitment to the Order by making the active and daily choice to be Jedi, when they could leave any time? How dare they stick their middle finger up at the no-romance/no-marriage rule? How dare the Jedi not conform to the “education → graduation → relationship → engagement → wedding → 2 kids and a dog” trajectory that only an amatonormative society expects of you? How dare the Jedi be monastic and live like it too?

———

(Words belong to @phoenixyfriend)

• “ ‘Missing out on love’ isn't something that matters as much when your society isn't amatonormative”

• “When your culture is one that emphasizes compassion for all [...] Don't you think that people might just not think of marriage as something worth striving for?”

• “When the world around you doesn't emphasize marriage and romance and all that, then wouldn't you view cultures that do as a tad odd? Not weird in a bad way, just different.”

I just keep thinking about the real world and how so much of the obsession with marriage and so on is a sociocultural thing. You don't want a big white dress because it's a big white dress: you want it because it is the symbol that your culture has been pushing on you since you were two. Girls are taught to fantasize about weddings and marriage and to like A Certain Look for it, sometimes to such a degree that they can spend decades in denial about things like their sexualities.

And we're unlearning that as a society, people are being more critical of the institution and how they engage with it, are starting to question what it is that our media teaches us, asking 'why is marriage the most important thing in a girl's life, or in anyone's life' and generally moving towards a world where marriage exists but is not treated as a universal life goal.

But the Jedi are just. Already doing that.”

• “Marriage is not an inherent human/sapient want. Companionship is! We are biologically wired to be social creatures! […] But marriage? A signed sheet of paper? That's not...inherent. Fidelity and monamory? Sure, maybe. Plenty of species mate for life. But... humans have been proving that's a choice for most of history.”

— (original post, here)

Even without the galactic scale of their lifestyle and duties, is it really so hard to understand or believe that people wouldn’t be miserable in a society where romance is not considered an important thing at all?

If you don’t think entire groups of people could choose to have no romantic commitments their entire life, then there’s over a thousand-years history of monks and nuns choosing to live a single life in an environment that, too, forbids them from romantic commitments, and they lived in contentment and peace.

They’re not only connected to other Jedi through the Force, they are connected to the rest of the universe through the Force; they find joy in their selflessness, in helping people, in trying their best to do good in a universe permeated with corruption. They love being a Jedi, there’s nothing a romantic relationship can give them that’s as fulfilling as being Jedi.

Just…stop projecting your amatonormative misery onto the Jedi.

———

If millions of people around the world in real-life can choose not to ever get married and have children (without even being a part of a close-knit community like the Jedi), despite being bombarded with amatonormativity in media and literature almost everyday, then what’s so weird about a fictional group (who are literally warrior-monks and whom have all of their companionship needs met within their non-amatonormative community) choosing to be single in favor of a higher calling and lifestyle that’s far more valuable and fulfilling than having a romantic relationship?

———

(Words belong to @jedi-enthusiast)

• “Call me crazy, but I know for a fact that I would not want a romantic relationship if I was a Jedi.

If I lived somewhere where I was a part of a community of people that I considered my mentors, my friends, my family; if I lived somewhere where I was encouraged to learn, to travel, to help people, to enjoy life as it is, and better myself; if I lived somewhere where I was supported and loved and cared for by the community, and I did the supporting, the loving, the caring for other people in the community as well; if I lived somewhere where it wasn't constantly implied, or sometimes outright stated, that my worth was tied to me marrying a man, popping out children, and making money...

...if I was a Jedi, I can honestly say that the thought of pursuing a romantic relationship probably wouldn't cross my mind at all---not unless I met someone specific whom I felt that sort of connection with, but even then, I probably wouldn't give up being a Jedi to be with them because I'd feel more fulfilled as a Jedi than I would in a romantic relationship.

I honestly don't understand the assumption that the Jedi are miserable because they can't get married, I really don't.

If you feel like you wouldn't be able to be fulfilled without a romantic partner, then that's fine! Everyone's different! We all have different wants and needs! But just accept that you wouldn't be fulfilled without a romantic relationship and stop acting like it's impossible for anyone else to feel differently.

The Jedi all seem perfectly happy as they are.”

— (original post, here)

I also wanna add, because I don’t know where to put this statement … there’s romance and marriage in every single media and literature, so why should it be inserted into a fictional monastic culture? They’re not only warriors, they’re monks too.

It’s a rhetorical question…but I think either they’re so marriage-obsessed that they hadn’t thought of this. Or they are consciously aware of the over-saturation of romance within media when they talk about how the Jedi Order are wrong for disallowing romantic relationships, but they don’t care because they think higher callings are stupid and anything else is inferior to a romance/marriage.

———

(Words belong to @tookas-have-teeth) (original post here)

• “There is a difference between people saying that everyone feels romantic attraction and that it is necessary to being human [arophobia] and the comments a lot of people make about the Jedi.

Oftentimes, when I see complaints about the Jedi, it's because people are angry that people who DO feel romantic attraction might not choose to act on it, or might be part of an organization that requires its members to give up romantic relationships and marriage. People cannot fathom the concept that other people might experience romantic attraction, and do so intensely, and yet value something else above romance.

People consider this to be a cruel denial and repression of one's feelings, rather than seeing it as a choice people are making to prioritize things they value. People have SO bought into the idea that romance is the Ultimate Form of Love, that romance is necessary to live a fulfilled life, that they cannot imagine folks finding other forms of love more fulfilling, especially if those folks experience romantic attraction.”

—

[a comment within the post linked immediately above] “By claiming that people who experience romantic attraction *must* act on it or else they are oppressed, one is functionally insulting every priest, monk, nun, or any number of members of a religious order who choose, of their own free will, not to pursue romance in favor of a higher calling.” — @supersaiyanjedi14

———

There’s only two other fictional worlds that I can think of off the top of my head, that are non-amatonormative. Blissfully fulfilled and happy …

… Equestria (My Little Pony) and Pixie Hollow (Disney Fairies).

After learning the word, I could now put a name to why these two worlds are my top favorites: It’s a non-amatonormative society where everyone’s happy with just a community and a purpose in their life, where romance is 100% not an important factor.

“But in Pixie Hollow, there’s no reproduction, so of course there wouldn’t be any relationships.”

There’s still love and attraction.

Rosetta gets a crush on Sled in Secret of the Wings, Queen Clarion and Lord Milori reveal they fell in love in the distant past. And Terrence has a crush on TinkerBell (although that might just be the printed media, ‘cause I don’t remember it being obvious in the movies).

Is it really so hard to understand or believe that in a society where romance is not considered an important thing at all, and people have (literal) power and a job that they love and a whole damn community for companionship, then those people wouldn’t be miserable?

So, again, stop projecting your allonormative and amatonormative misery onto the Jedi. ‘Cause that’s all it is: your projection.

It’s so sad that the real world can’t be like the aforementioned worlds. Our world makes it so hard for people; a majority don’t have jobs they love, or they don’t have time or money to pursue and grow their talents, and there’s no true community among us. It’s literally dystopian, and we only see it as “this is normal, it’s real life” because we don’t know any other way. But that’s quite a different topic, so…

—

I just wanted to add these, unrelated to Star Wars and fandoms, to point out how destructive it [amatonormativity and allonormativity] is in the real world. ‘Cause I do see tweets on my timeline, from time to time, where a user will be torn over not having a relationship at a certain age or their life not following the ‘right’ trajectory.

[posts by people outside of the Star Wars fandom]

— @uncanny-tranny (original post here)

• Amatonormativity has destroyed so many people's understanding and acceptance of themselves, and it's heartbreaking.

Yes, it is normal to be in your 20s, 30s, or older and not have lost your virginity, had a first kiss, or a partner. It is normal to say that you aren't ready for those things, too! It is normal if your life doesn't follow the "college graduate -> engagement -> buying a home -> 2.5 kids and a dog" trajectory that so many people have idealized.

So many people associate maturity with losing your virginity, or having a first kiss, or a serious relationship, and I think that's a dangerous association. Maturity isn't gained through those things, and you don't have to have those experiences to be considered "mature" or "grown." It is not a bad thing to go at your pace. Nobody else can live your life but you. If you end up having those experiences, that's great! But it should be done because you want to experience them, not because you feel "broken" and "immature" without them.

— @/acegirleatscake on Twitter

• Allonormativity and amatonormativity normalizes ableism: the “you must be cold, sick, delusional” or “there’s something wrong with you” if you don’t have sexual or romantic attractions or don’t want those types of relationships. Being single is seen as “being unwell.”

@/0p4l3sc3nt for this one (below)

• […] single people are constantly questioned about the legitimacy of our happiness […] In an Amatonormative society, our romantic relationships will always have ulterior motives (often subconscious) – which arise from us being conditioned to see romantic relationships as the means to achieve personhood, happiness, and TRUE purpose.

———

Sincerely, everyone in the Anti-Jedi circle needs to go outside, touch grass, and reflect on it.

If our society wasn’t amatonormative (if there was no such thing as our idealization of romance and marriage, if romantic relationships weren’t seen as the most important thing at all in our society), then nobody would have an issue with the Jedi Order disallowing it — for many legit reasons, might I again remind you! Their reasons make so much sense, yet your amatonormativity floods in and turns your brain into worms.

• “Fiction doesn't necessarily map onto people's real life opinions, but the statements people make about this topic are often very broad "the Jedi are bad for forbidding marriage, because people NEED romance" type statements that definitely sound like they're general worldviews rather than just opinions on fictional characters.” — @tookas-have-teeth (again)

This post was left in my drafts from a month ago (early August 2023), but seeing the topic come up again just made me kinda snap; and I don’t want to just scream into the void, so I’m posting it.

And I don’t care how repetitive some of it is, because that was very intentional. They’re like little reminders, so you don’t miss the point and might actually reflect on it.

HAVE A GOOD DAY!

[rachelsshowerthoughts]

https://www.tumblr.com/princess-of-the-corner/756384559964258304/ml-roleswap-when-the-divorce-first-happens-mari?source=share

Wait, sorry which roleswap AU is this? I am intrigued.

oh, ok, so like.

Someone on @princess-of-the-corner suggested a "Roleswap" for Marinette and Adrien, but not like. Role in the show, more what I started calling a "RichSwap" - instead of the Agreste's being the Uber rich, it’s the Dupain-Chengs. And I sort of had a brief burst of "wait ideas!" cause why are the Dupain-Chengs rich? Why didn’t Gabriel hit it big in fashion? And what I vaguely came up with is-

Sabine has that world famous chef brother, right? Well, here, he hits it big as a TV chef or something, and he works close with Tom and Sabine as he's getting these chains of restaurants up and running. As a result, Tom and Sabine ALSO hit it big, and in "current canon" have chains of bakeries in Paris and the greater France area as a whole, as well as partnering with bistros, coffee shops and the like. So the Dupain-Chengs are the rich and well-known ones, with Marinette as the heiress to "DC Delights" (company name). However, this doesn’t actually change much about the Dupain-Chengs themselves. Tom and Sabine are still warm, compassionate, kind people who love their daughter, and are very supportive of her desire to be a fashion designer. Meanwhile, Marinette is mostly the same, but growing up in privilege has made her a bit . . . naive? Like, she's AWARE she grew up super rich, and that not everyone has the money she does, but sometimes that sort of privilege effects her views, or those of others in unexpected ways (there has definitely been a moment where Marinette said something like "Why don’t you just buy a new one?", or similar, not MEANING to sound condescending or privileged, just kind of . . . oblivious on occasion).

Also, because the Dupain-Chengs are the ones with wealth, they're the ones who are friends with the Bourgeois family, with Marinette and Chloé growing up as childhood friends. All that said, I honestly couldn’t see Tom and Sabine being cool with how Audrey and Andre treat Chloé - plus, I've read too much fic recently of Awful!André, and I'm kind of sick of it - so I decided this was "Decent!Dad" André (the one we kind of had before TA decided Chloé was the devil incarnate) who has actually divorced Audrey, and has taken primary custody of Chloé. Tom and Sabine were André's supports through the divorce process, and André himself is aware he isn’t the best dad. Instead of how we put him in the AwareAU, he's closer to how we wrote Roger, before he gets his kick in the ass. A bit toxic, kind of self-involved, but genuinely loves his kid. So, here, André has gone to therapy, and done his best to ACTUALLY be a good dad to Chloé. He doesn’t always get it right, and he fucks up on occasion, but he at least ACKNOWLEDGES these fuck ups, and does his best to fix them. Also, he doesn’t try to buy his daughter's affection.

Meanwhile, Audrey took the divorce REALLY BADLY. Not because she actually gave a shit about Chloé or André, but because she saw the divorce and André taking Chloé as a personal attack. André getting Chloé was, to Audrey, as if he'd stolen a prize that was rightfully hers. So, Audrey is actually a bit more involved in Chloé's life, cause she keeps turning up to try and "win her" from André. That's how she's using her visitation rights. She keeps showing up to try and "win" Chloé's affection, and turn her against André. This isn’t exactly consistent (Audrey still has her Style Queen job and other things to do) but at least two or three times every six months or so, sometimes more, she shows up to harass André and try to "win" Chloé back.

Chloé herself is a bit . . . mixed. She and Marinette were, like, 6 when André and Audrey divorced, and I'm not sure how well the parents explained to the kids what was happening. It probably also didn’t help that Marinette, aspiring fashion designer, idolized Audrey a bit as a fashion icon. Now, closer to current canon, Marinette has started to realize Audrey kind of sucks, while Chloé is more torn. Like, she's aware Audrey is rather . . . rough, with most people, but here, while still driving Chloé to be Exceptional(tm), she's actually been more affectionate, and somewhat (for Audrey) loving, cause she wants to "win" Chloé from André. Chloé, of course, isn’t aware that's why Audrey is doing it, so believes her mom is just a bit blunt with others, and also believes she can win enough affection that her mom might stay in Paris.

(Sidenote, I desperately wanted Roger to also be better here, and somehow that dovetailed into him and André meeting in therapy, eventually dating and getting married, so Sabrina and Chloé are step-sisters. I don’t care if that makes sense, I'm kind of attached now.)

So, that's roughly the Dupain-Cheng's, with a side of the Bourgeois. Now, onto the Agreste's.

Gabriel and Emilie Agreste, rather than being big names in fashion and the entertainment industry, instead own a small but highly successful clothing boutique, Gabriel's, making and selling clothes. Emilie's done modelling, and acted in some commercials and smaller projects, but never anything big name, while Gabriel has designed for some very wealthy clients, but never broken out into big business. Why? Well, I thought about how, in canon, Audrey "discovers" Gabriel, right? Same here, but Audrey was Audrey, and Gabriel told her to "shove her 'patronage' up her ass", so Audrey has done her level best to kill his career, with middling success. He does have his own business, but has never risen higher, and thanks to Audrey, likely never will.

As for Adrien himself, he's still mostly homeschooled. He grows up in his parents clothing store, is taught to sew, and even helps out during rush times. His "model smile" is here his customer service face, and while he's modelled a few of his father's items for the boutique's website, it isn’t his job or the only thing he does. Here, because his parents aren’t made of money, his homeschooling isn't with private tutors, but done through local homeschooling groups and the like, so Adrien does actually have friends (like Luka, for example. It’s pretty accepted fanon that Luka was homeschooled because of his "Heartsong" ability making going to regular school difficult, so here, I imagine he and Adrien are friends). He goes out and explores, is probably still in the fencing club and so on. However, his parents are still over-protective, and Adrien often feels stifled, wanting to go out more on his own, so he DOES still want to go to regular school. By current canon, after a lot of pushing, his parents have reluctantly agreed. Mostly cause the Hawk Moth stuff is about to go down, and it'll be easier to hide that from Adrien if he's out of the house more.

Yes, Gabe is still Hawk Moth. But no, Emilie is not is a coma. Let me explain.

Here, rather than all the nonsense from canon, Gabriel found the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous in an antique store, and bought them for inspiration. Maybe also the book, but less important right now. He and Emilie, upon learning what the Miraculous are, do start using them, PURELY to inspire designs, or complete work (maybe they did one or two rooftop runs, but shhhhh!). Cause, and here's the big thing, here, Adrien is NOT a Sentimonster. He's Emilie and Gabriel's biological kid. Whether they went through the absolute pain of IVF, or maybe Nathalie carried him for them - oh yeah, Nathalie's still here. She works as the Boutique's manager, handles calls, mans the cash, helps out around the store. Also, she, Emilie, and Gabe are in a relationship, Adrien's grown up calling her "Aunite Nat" or "Maman Dua" (Mom 2) - anyway, regardless, Adrien is actually their kid, so they had no reason to make a Senti-baby. However, the Peacock was still broken, and Emilie still used it, resulting in her becoming sick.

Now, she isn’t in a coma, or in any immediate, serious danger. Think a little closer to how Nathalie is in canon, after she uses the Peacock. Emilie is a bit like that, but she is, currently, ok. However, she is getting sick. It is totally possible that, without magical intervention, she could get sicker, and eventually fall into the canon coma. Gabe and Nathalie are getting a little desperate, so yes, Gabe is planning his Hawk Moth debut. And again, since they aren’t made of money here, he doesn’t exactly have a "secret lair" to hide in, so if the Agreste’s want to pull this off, unless they want to tell Adrien, they need him out of the house more.

I think the big thing here is, with a few NOTABLE exceptions, this AU has most of the more neglectful and/or parents as more decent, down to earth, more willing to notice their own faults. Like, André and Roger have both gone to therapy. They aren’t perfect, but they are SO MUCH BETTER than canon. Or the most extreme example, yes Gabriel is still going Hawk Moth. But, because Emilie isn’t in a coma, he hasn’t totally fallen off the deep end. He's a bit more reasonable, easier to negotiate with. Also, Because Emilie's illness isn’t as extreme, the Akuma thing is two-fold. Gabe is gunning for the Ladybug and Black Cat, but if he can’t get them, he hopes that by experimenting with the Akuma, he can create one that will heal Emilie.

The only other big change I can see here is that Kagami also isn’t a Sentimonster. Like, I think you can still have Felix be a Senti - Amelie is Emilie's sister, she might have lent her sister the Peacock for the Canon fertility problems. Heck, maybe that's how they find out it's broken, when Colt starts getting sick (I mean, he also seems to be nuts, and starts abusing his kid, but that’s a separate issue). But because Gabe isn’t a big name, he and Tomoe never interact, so Kagami wouldn’t be a Sentimonster. I think, in the line of making most of the parents more reasonable, actually empathetic beings, I'd have Kagami be illegitimate. Like, Tomoe is mostly upright, firm in her honour, her duty to her family. But she had a one-night stand at some point, which resulted in Kagami, and it’s a HUGE DEAL in the Tsurugi clan that Tomoe had a kid out of wedlock, to a random nobody. Like, other members of her family look down on her, and on Kagami, for it. (Not sure how much Japan cultural knowledge you have, or even how accurate this is, but as far as I can tell, legitimacy and fidelity are BIG THINGS in Japan, as is bloodline, so Tomoe having an out-of-wedlock kid, and not even being able to name the dad would be a BIG DEAL, and probably seen as bringing shame to the family). So, Tomoe is very strict, and drives Kagami hard, not to be malicious, but because she knows that her family will always see Kagami as "less", and so pushes her to overcome their prejudice. Whether Kagami is aware of the reason, unsure, but Tomoe would have to learn that she's probably taking it a bit too far.

Some small shit that didn’t seem to fit elsewhere:

So, I think this is Reverse!LoveSquare. Marinette is crushing on Cat Noir. Adrien is crushing on Marinette. Marinette was really taken with the smooth talking cat who built up her confidence, while Adrien quickly falls in love with the designer girl - he's grown up around designers, he knows talent when he sees it, plus she's so sweet, so kind . . .

I think, first day, there's a bit of drama, in that Chloé actually knows who Adrien is. Her mom probably told her about him, in a "if you ever meet this kid, oppose him, his whole family in Unexceptional (tm)" so there might be a bit of tension there. And cause everything else is mostly the same, Alya is also starting school that day, so she befriends Adrien instead of Marinette. Also Nino, cause like. Come on. The Nino-Adrien friendship is pretty universal here.

I think I made the Gorilla the Agreste's next door neighbour? Like, he doesn’t talk much, and clearly has some Trauma (tm) (I posit here, rather than bodyguard, he was in the army for a bit, which was Not Fun(tm)) he's polite. He helps out around the store once in a while, and has volunteered to drive Adrien places.

Don't have much else, so . . . tell me what you think, or if you have any ideas!

[kibblemode]

oc for cpcs info under the cut

cecil davis, he/him, cis + gay, 26, mixed (white/hispanic), prims older brother + main protag | battle theme

cecil is the main protag of the game, he lived in the underworld w/ his mom annie before she sent him to live with his uncle seg in the surface world. externally hes very serious n can be stern sometimes but hes a good guy overall ^_^ he has a younger sister who he'll protect with his LIFE they love each other lots. in fact sometimes he can get a little Too protective lol. he befriends jona and his friends bc seg accidentally shows his true nonhuman form to him while cecil and prim are with him so cecil makes a deal w jona in order to protect their identities (jona is an aspiring paranormal journalist) and thats how the game starts out LOL

prim davis, she/her, cishet, 18, mixed (same as cecil), cecils little sister | cutscene theme

prim is cecils little sister abd the secondary protag of the story. she was also sent to the surface world by haven to live with seg, since she hasnt seen cecil in person for over 9 years. shes very kind and good natured, but she can have moments where shes a little hotheaded. she loves her brother dearly and has a great relationship w him :] she also has a boyfriend in the overworld and is Not happy w her dad that shes separated from him

jona chen, he/him, trans + bisexual, 25, chinese, cecils friend | cutscene theme

jona is cecils first and closest friend in the surface world. hes a human but knows that cecil is Not due to seg accidentally revealing their nonhuman forms in front of him. hes an aspiring paranormal journalist and investigator, so hes Suuuuper interested in learning about cecil and prims respective cultures. he also gets permission from cecil and prim to let his close friends see them as they truly are. he ends up being super close with cecil and even asks him out near the end of the game, whether or not cecil accepts is up to the player tbh

gulliver hitchcock, he/him, cis + bisexual, 28, white, jonas friend

gulliver is one of jonas friends. hes very country and lives in the middle of nowhere. him living so far from the city means cecil and his friends spend a lot of time there. he unknowingly saves his friends from an escaped underworld beast of some sort by hitting it with his truck. hes the second of jonas friends to be introduced in game

daisy evergreen, she/her, cis + bisexual, 30, ugandan, also jonas friend

another one of jonas friends. daisy is the first to find out about cecils true identity after jona, but thats mostly because she figured it out on her own. shes pretty even tempered and cool in the face of danger, her friends usually go to her for advice. in game she is the first human introduced, cecil walks her home after she gets lost in the towns neighboring woods

seg janson, he/him, cishet, 56, white, cecil and prims uncle | battle theme + cutscene theme

seg is a rich conman who jointly owns a banking company in the city. before the start of the game hed never met his niece and nephew, but after meeting them he cares for them deeply. he gives cecil a job to protect his identity but accidentally allows jona to see their nonhuman forms like i said earlier. he lives in the middle of the small town jona and his friends live in, in an abandoned church he made into a mansion. later in the game its revealed that he lives in the surface world because he preferred it to the underworld, and he prefers living with humans instead of preying on their weaknesses

misty goodman, she/her, cis + lesbian, 25, white, ALSO jonas friend

yet another friend of jonas. shes a blogger who lives in the city, and is the last to find out about cecil. she can be pretty rude and blunt about most things, but she also has a rare kinder side. despite her personality she loves her friends and would do Anything for them, even is she doesnt say so. she helps jona with his amateur journalism by using her talent for photography to provide him with pictures to use in his articles. basically his partner in crime

radon, he/him, trans + het, 33, white, weird guy + resident fucked up scientist | cutscene theme + battle theme

radon is somewhat of an urban legend around the town. hes a chemist who studies radioactive materials in his free time (which he has a lot of) in his lab under his house. he tends to experiment on himself a lot, since he ran out of """test subjects""". he rarely leaves the lab, usually injecting himself with chemicals snd documenting the results. cecil winds up in his lab by accident, and witnesses radon inject himself one too many times, which causes him to turn into a gross monster that cecil kills in self defense

haven davis, he/they, cishet, 52, hispanic, cecil and prims father + main "villain" | battle theme + cutscene theme

haven is basically god, and rules over the overworld with an iron fist. he can be pretty emotionless and serious, but is still a good dad overall. he is the final boss of the game, his need to protect his family results in him trying to erase jona and friends' memories of everything they weren't supposed to see. this leads up to him being the final boss of the game, cecil stops him by defeating him in a heated battle. hes not a terrible person per se but he definitely does some fucked up shit to humans he considers a threat to the secrecy of both the overworld and the underworld

annie janson, she/her, cishet, 49, white, cecil and prims mother | cutscene theme

annie is cecil and prim's mom and shes like. literally the devil and is considered head of the underworld lol. shes divorced (her ex husband haven lives in the overworld with prim, meanwhile cecil lives in the underworld with annie) i dont have much character wise but i like to think shes a bit of a hothead but still a decent mom to her kids

[greycaelum]

Hi Grey! When Reader met Gojo clan it is not a good meeting, how about the day when Gojo met Reader’s family?

Kaleidoscope Series—Clouds and Mochi Chapters: { Normal }

—Gojo Satoru X Reader

𑁍 Synopsis:

You glance at Satoru, his nervous look replaced with a relieved one as well. Your man looks like he just won the grand prize in the arcade. But it faded when your Dad cleared his throat, silencing everyone at the table.

"Mnn, which team are you?" He glared at Satoru who have gone pale once again.

"Sir?" ... Satoru's face has gone Pikachu.

"Team. Which team are you?"

"He means baseball." You supplied at his confused brain.

𑁍 Genre: fluff, domesticity, family

𑁍 CW/TW: (2.5k)— Satoru, and Y/n being sleep-deprived, slight cursing, and Satoru being a nice kitty to your dad

𑁍 A/N: Merry Christmas! I hope y'all keeping we arm in this cold days~

Satoru wants to meet your parents, and it was an interesting afternoon.

"Remember Hikaru-kun? Your childhood best friend. He came home for a short vacation. He's grown to be such a charming man." Your Mom happily chattered over the phone. "I was surprised to know he established his own company. Could you believe that? He's just 24 years old."

"He's always been a smart kid." You shrug, a blurry memory of this childhood friend you don't remember playing much with. Nonetheless, that's a great thing. Being successful at such a young age. "Send my regards to him Mom." You took a taste of the curry you're making

You heard your mother sigh.

"Someday, if you're gonna get a person to marry, I'd rather have you a normal man Y/n. You don't need to go after those rich men who have too much money to spend for a lifetime. A man with a job enough to feed you and finance a good life is enough."

"Mom!" You laughed at the sudden switch of her topic.

"What? It's true. Even your father agrees with me." You heard a grumble from the phone, probably your father being glared at by your mother to agree. "A man who can treat you right, and provide is more than enough. What would you do with the money if he cannot have time for you?"

"I know Mom." You turned the stove off and checked the rice cooker.

Great! Dinner is ready, all that's left is to wait for Satoru.

"You have to bring home the guy when you find one, okay? Your Dad and I are looking forward to it!"

"Sure." You helplessly smiled at her insistence. Your friends' parents would usually say the opposite. But your mother has a good point.

Bringing Satoru over... well, after that sudden remarks from your mother you're starting to doubt the resolution you built to have your boyfriend meet your parents. Satoru is quite the opposite of her aspiration of a guy for you. It would be unfair on Satoru's part if you ask him to act like a 'normal citizen'.

She said her goodbyes after one last reminder and that left you to sit and wait on the counter stool. It's still early, Satoru will be home in an hour or two. You look up from your phone and froze at the man leaning on the kitchen door frame.

Brooding eyes staring at you with his arms crossed. Uh-oh...

"Aren't you bringing me over?"

"'Toru, welcome home!" You easily brush off the surprise and jump off the kitchen stool, padding in his direction and throwing your arms around him for a hug. "You already showered." You inhaled the menthol scent of his shower gel accompanied by aftershave. The faint redness from shaving his jaws was still visible even as he just his lips down for a pout.

"When are you gonna take me to meet Mom and Dad?"

Mom and Dad? You look at him between laugh and frown.

"Soon." After I explain to them...

"Baby!" He whined, throwing his arms around you, pouting and huffing. "You're not proud of me huh?"

"That's not the reason 'Toru." You sighed, turning around to cup his cheeks.

"Is it because I'm not normal?" His shoulders visibly tensed, turning to hide his face in your neck, enveloping you in his tight hug.

"Silly, 'Toru." The last thing you need is to make him feel inadequate. You struggled to gather his face, his lower lip jutting down as he avoids your gaze. "Look, give me just few days, I promise I'm gonna take you to see them. No secrets this time. Okay?" Leaning forward you give the tip of his nose a small peck, hoping it would appease him.

You're sure your Mom and Dad would change their mind when they see Satoru and his intentions with you.

"Mnn, 'kay." He hummed, pulling you for another hug.

It's Saturday dusk. Your hand laced around Satoru's rough ones, a layer of his Infinity naturally clung to you against the busy Tokyo crowd. It's a normal occurrence for Satoru to have you in his weekend work also being your date time. And you're both now on your way to grab dinner before going he brings you home.

"I think there's a festival." Satoru draped his arm over your shoulder, pulling you closer to his side to protect you from the crowd colliding over your shoulders. "Do you want some cotton candy?"

"Just say that you want to eat some."

He laughed, pinching your cheeks. But nonetheless, you nod with a smile. Your boyfriend's sweet tooth rubbed on you over time.

"Which one do you want?" Satoru turned to you to choose from the different cotton candy colors.

"The blue on please."

Satoru paid for it while you peek at the nearby takoyaki stall.

"Y/n?"

Someone's calling you. You roam your head in the crowd.

"See I told you it's her. Y/n!"

You turned and saw your parents waving at you.

Fuck

"Don't run around like that Baby, I thought I lost you for a second. Mnn, what's wrong?"

Agh! Double fuck!

Here you are, twirling your straw on the iced tea with your parents looking at you and Satoru back and forth. It's certainly not the first time they met, Satoru already met them at your graduation but apart from asking if he could take you out, there was nothing more.

"So are you two..." Your mother trailed down, her eyes wandering to Satoru, with his hand holding yours, despite the thin sheet of sweat forming on his palm. "Are you two, dating?"

His shoulders visibly straightened, and the constant bobbing of his throat was as if he was having a hard time swallowing whatever it is stuck in his throat.

Your father grunted from the side. Raking a good look at Satoru who has switched his bandages to his sunglass. Clearly, your old man is not impressed.

"Yes, Ma'am."

You Mom made an 'oh' face and smiled. A smile that you don't trust.

"So... what's your job? Gojo-kun?"

And there it goes. You trust Satoru alright, but he does say random things out of the blue that jeopardizes the situation.

"I'm working as a teacher in a technical school in Tokyo."

An unlicensed one at that too. You bit your tongue. Squeezing his hand to give moral support to your man. He squeezes back, rubbing your knuckles with his thumb, assuring you in his small gesture.

Your Mom looks brighter. That fits in her 'normal' category of prospect for you.

"How about your family Gojo-kun? Are you an only child?"

"Ma, that's a sensitive question." You stop sipping your iced tea and frown.

But there are that soft circles, rubbing your knuckles, calling your attention to calm down. Satoru kept his gaze straight on your mother and answered.

"My family is a little wider than the usual family tree, and we have a small family business—"

What the fuck is small? Gojo Clan basically monopolized the big three sorcerer families. You resist the urge to roll your eyes at his fatass lie.

"—I have a sister. But she's studying as an exchange student so we don't see each other that much."

Your Mother nod, quite satisfied with her interview-like questions.

You glance at Satoru, his nervous look replaced with a relieved one. Your man looks like he just won the grand prize in the arcade. But it faded when your Dad cleared his throat, silencing everyone at the table.

"Mnn, which team are you?" He glared at Satoru who have gone pale once again.

"Sir?" ... Satoru's face has gone Pikachu.

"Team. Which team are you?"

"He means baseball." You supplied at his confused brain.

"Oh! Yomiuri Giants... Sir." He almost stuttered under the scrutinizing glare of your Dad. What if your Dad is a Hanshin Tiger's fan?! He will hate him!

"Come to the house tomorrow." Your father grunted and tug your Mom who was staring at you, making some hand signals she will call you later. Only when they left your vision did you let out a long sigh.

"Your Dad hates me." Satoru has never felt so dejected in his existence.

"I also don't know." You finally broke the poor man's last string of hope.

"He. Hates. Me?!" 

"Stop shaking me!"

Thinking about it it's not like your Dad spat vitriol on Satoru. It's just that he also didn't look like he was convinced. Satoru has been silent since you went home. You've never seen him this bothered. Agitated, and restless. Sitting on the kitchen counter stool, he's been staring, absentmindedly at the wall.

"Get your ass over here." You rolled your eyes. "I made hot cocoa." That one didn't need much convincing.

Soon you're enveloped in his arms, a thick quilt covering the two of you while sipping some hot cocoa. His calloused fingertips, occasionally rub the back of your hand when you took too long before giving him a sip. A part of you is confident your parents would understand. Even if they knew the truth... that Satoru is not the conventional man they idealized for you, they'll still accept your decision.

Your heart has never been this peaceful even if he's a walking disaster.

"I want your parents to like me." Out of nowhere, he mumbled. A mumbling Satoru is a common thing when the two of you huddle on the couch.

"They'll do." You hummed and close your eyes, leaning your head back to his shoulders. "After all, I'm not planning on switching you for anyone anytime soon."

He huffs, making you smile knowing he's already pouting. Telling you he's up to talk about it more.

"I want them to like me for you." Satoru shrug. "Y'know, like treat me how they'd treat a son too."

"Why? You planning to be my adopted brother?" You quirk an amused brow and Satoru rolls his eyes. His thumb, drew circles over the back of your hand, resuming the cozy silence until you both finish the mug of cocoa and went to bed.

The next afternoon, you rang the doorbell of your parent's house.

"Oh! They're here. Come in, we've been waiting for you." Your Mother announced your arrival and your Father grumbles in the background.

You can't hide the budding smile on your lips when you see your father, brooding by the stove but he's cooking a special dish. Something your mother asked in the chat yesterday.

"You should stay for a sleepover, we're going home tomorrow." Your Mother smiled, especially in Satoru's direction. "The both of you."

But Satoru has to go to work. No man is available to fill in Satoru's place, much more there are not many people to ask that favor anyway.

"I could stay over but Satoru has work later afternoon."

A hand intertwined with yours squeezing it. Satoru intervened.

"If you'd have me, I'll stay Ma'am, Sir."

"Of course! Of course!"

Your Father quietly puts the bowl on the table and crosses his arms, staring at Satoru. Your poke his side, nudging a bowl to his side while you also get yours. Ladling for him and for you.

Satoru sat there, a little confused but a glint in his eyes sparkled as he brought the spoon to his mouth.

"How is it?" Your Father asked in a gruff tone.

You can't help but giggle. Your father can be a tsundere at times, even having your mother text you to ask what Satoru's favorite dish is.

"If Y/n doesn't cook this, your cooking would be the closest I've ever had to my childhood." A small smile bloomed on Satoru's lips, followed by a wide boyish grin.

Your Father cleared his throat, nodding his head, evading your knowing smirk. He's so easy to please.

"How long have you and Y/n met?"

The lunch started with the talk of how you and Satoru started. Your mother is the best at remembering your embarrassing moments as a kid but forgetting to brag about your formal achievements.

You could already see that little horns in Satoru's head to tease you when you get home.

"He's a good man." Your mother hummed, watching your father and Satoru play catch ball in the backyard, the two of them talking but you cannot hear it.

"Oh, you don't know what a menace he could be." You shook your head.

Your Father laughed with his hands by his waist and Satoru rolled on the grass clutching his stomach in a fit of laughter too.

"But yeah, he is."

Your mother smiled. It doesn't take long for you to get sleepy, with a full stomach and the relief that Satoru is getting along with your family, it was enough to lull you into a peaceful afternoon nap.

Satoru found you in that state—sleeping on the living room couch while your mother is reading some novel.

"She's asleep. You should go freshen up first."

"I didn't bring any shirt with me, Ma'am."

"I'll bring you a fresh set, and you're my daughter's boyfriend it's weird for you to keep calling me Ma'am and my husband Sir."

"Auntie then. Thank you."

It was only in the bath did it sink into him he's gonna spend the night together with your parents. It's like the sleepover he's never had!

Dressed in his fresh shirt and sweatpants, you're still sleeping and he can't see your Mom and Dad anywhere. You look cozy and vulnerable and it's making him sleepy too.

A little nap won't hurt...

Getting into the covers without disturbing you is easy, he's so used to it that he doesn't break a sweat in turning you over to cuddle into his chest.

Your Dad found the two of you in that position. Sleeping soundly, cuddling each other for warmth and neither of the two of you notices the soft weight of a blanket draping over you until you wake up at the scent of dinner.

"I'll see you next time. Don't forget to wear thicker clothes it's cold."

You hug her and said yes to the remaining reminders. Satoru also hug her, thanking her for the wonderful day off he had.

It was your father's turn.

"Take care Dad. Don't forget to say hi to grandaunt for me."

"I'll tell her. And visit home when you're on vacation." He rumbled, glancing in Satoru's direction. "Bring Satoru with you."

You nod, smiling ear to ear. The boarding announcement to the train rang out and they got in, waving the two of you one last goodbye.

"Bye Mom and Dad!"

Next thing you realize you're engulfed in a tight hug and Satoru's laughing.

"See I told you. They'd like you."

A wide grin is on his lips as you both walk out of the station, Satoru's arms draped over your shoulder.

"Hmmm, you gotta bring me home soon Baby." He whispered and bit your ear making you yelp and hit his chest

Pretty normal Satoru, cheeky and the ball of menace that he is.

—GreyCaelum

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

Check out the Masterlist for more

All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned images(s) and songs(s) used, belongs to their respective owner(s)

General/Kaleidoscope Series Taglist: @ice-icebaby @aeanya @gummy-dummy @tender-rosiey

[bengiyo]

Only Boo! Ep 6 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Moo pushed Kang too hard by confessing his feelings publicly via the school's speakers and was told sternly by Kang to back off and focus on his schoolwork first. With the help of Potae and Payos, he was able to avoid Kang for a week or so to prove he could take care of his responsibilities, and Kang has clearly fallen.

The modern era is terrifying. We must record learning to dance for views on Tiktok.

Episode 6: I See My Destination

They're constantly reinforcing that Moo has no fear or shame about who he is. Dreading when the world tries to teach it to him.

Moo isn't even afraid of his mom. She really did a good job with him.

I am glad Kang's mom isn't homophobic, but I feel like the show was actively misdirecting me for weeks about her worries. I get that we live in a homophobic world so I'm not going to dwell on it. Still, it feels like a waste of angst considering this is a show about an aspiring idol.

Look at that growth from Kang. He still won't commit fraud, but he can offer encouragement.

Sign it himself? Dad Potae wtf.

Shone, do not cause problems on purpose.

I love Moo wearing his glasses to seem more studious.

I love Moo's mom. She knows her son, and she knows when she's being played.

Incredible. Scammers, all of them! But mom is an industry professional who won't be tricked so easily.

I wanna read Moo's mom as concerned about the industry's homophobia being the reason he doesn't pass auditions, but they just let me down earlier with Kang's mom by waiving my read. I'm going to withhold assigning meaning the show may retcon. I feel like I need to stop giving BL credit for alluding to things it then actively undercuts.

Still, Moo's mom giving permission but wanting to understand why they would go so far feels right for the kind of parent she is.

This thing with Shone is getting awkward for me.

It is a real relief that Kang is starting to make moves on Moo.

I kinda wish we'd gotten a stronger sense of what Payos and Potae deal with outside of school and auditions before this episode. Potae being a serial flirt because he feels lonely at home is fine. I get that the show needs us to understand this before they face the audition next week so we have additional emotional stakes on the line, but it just highlights for me that Payos only has stakes around Potae.

I really hope Shone gets rejected next week so we don't have to keep dwelling on this.

This show really frustrated me this week. Completely dropping the mom worries we picked up for weeks just to go directly to open parental acceptance was a huge letdown. It also means that I don't feel secure in any of my reads on Moo's mom not wanting Moo to suffer the entertainment closet. I'm irritated because I struggle with BL shows that want the lightness and silly stakes of the bubble while simultaneously asking me to care about real world queerness. It feels like I'm being shoved back into the closet in a warped way, and I really don't like it. It allows the show to rely on shorthand of internalized homophobia when they're building and then they give us nothing in payoff. I'm not having fun with shows basically telling me to just enjoy the cute boys and ignore queer truth whenever it suits them. It sucks because I am enjoying the arc and pacing of the main romance here, but I feel like it's going to feel empty at the end now.

[angelisgonnastartchangingurls]

julia, on a wednesday

the following weekend, julia spent time at a beach house with jim's family. seeing pictures on instagram, annie immediately understood why julia had grown the landing strip. she had a small white bikini on in every photo, and in the ones where it was wet, the landing strip was extremely visible.

annie texted her to ask how it went over. "i'm very popular with his dad and brother now," she replied. "his mom doesn't really look at me. but she also walked in on jim fucking me."

robbie was home again that weekend, and so annie was at ted's, fucking him every few hours, getting stoned with lucy, and sending nudes to robbie, and to julia, and to jim. she's started doing this on a thread with julia, but now frequently sent jim her own pics, and he replied with pictures of his cock in julia and his cum on her skin. annie loved being horny about jim with julia. "i love your fiance's cock," she would text her.

jim let her know that his brother had sent him a kind of horny text about being able to see julia's landing strip through her bikini, and annie had encouraged him to send his brother a picture of julia naked. his brother had reciprocated with a picture of his wife.

"it's fucking crazy," jim said. "i've known this woman for a decade, she is the mother of my niece and nephew, and how i know what her tits and bush look like."

"amazing," annie replied. "you're welcome."

when julia returned, she and annie began shopping for the wedding. dress shopping was so fun. the women plied you with champagne, and when they picked up on annie and julia's flirty energy, often joined right in. particularly claire, a sales clerk in her mid-20s who annie sensed was in this job for the joy of it and not the money. as they chatted annie learned that claire was an aspiring event-planner.

julia was changing into dresses right in front of them, in a thong and lace bra, and when annie expressed interest in trying on a dress, claire encouraged her to, so she also stripped to her white panties and pink bra. when claire mentioned that one dress was the one she'd pick, annie begged her to try it on. she tried not to look too hungrily at claire as she slipped out of her black dress. her trimmed pubic hair stuck out a bit around her thong and her very light, nearly invisible nipples poked out a bit from the top of her bra.

"you're so fucking hot," annie told her.

annie had slipped her her number as they left, no decisions yet made. claire texted her an hour later as she and julia were getting early afternoon drinks.

"i don't normally eat pussy but do you want to get together so i can eat your pussy?" claire had texted. "i have a boyfriend so you know, hush hush."

"yes please," annie had replied.

she met claire at her apartment an hour later. the girl seemed nervous but eager. robbie was out, so they went straight to the bed, and claire let annie undress her.

they fucked for three hours -- sweaty, wild, energetic. they kissed and touched and grinded and licked and spit and gasped. annie loved claire's body -- she was tall and thin, like annie, with similarly big breasts and pale skin. the hair on her head was shorter and her pussy was hairier but those were the main differences.

"that was the best fuck of my life," claire told annie in the shower after.

"me too," annie said.

she met ted for dinner that night, and then couldn't manage to cum on his cock after. she faked an orgasm anyway. when she was done, she texted claire.

"i just fucked my boyfriend and it was so boring," she said.

"ditto," claire replied. "i think you made me fucking gay."

a long, hard morning fuck with ted helped annie feel her heterosexuality again. he put his thumb up her ass and she screamed his name so many times her throat hurt. when he came in her mouth, it was soothing to swallow it. ted wandered out to the kitchen after with his dick out, saying good morning to lucy on his way to the bathroom.

her first patient of the morning on thursday was marie, a bored housewife that annie was trying to get interested in hobbies outside of her home. she seemed to feel obligated to do nothing but chores and was collapsing inward. every week annie noticed it felt like less of her personality was coming through.

"marie," annie asked. "do you ever... masturbate?"

marie looked a little taken aback. "what kind of question is that?"

"i just think maybe it would be good for you to relax a little," annie said. "and that's one way I do it."

"i don't need to know that about you," marie said.

"it's OK," annie said. "it's normal, real life stuff."

"i was raised to not to do that," marie said.

"really?"

"self-pleasure is a sin. my father told me."

"well, i was not raised religiously," annie said. "my parents thought it was a good way to keep me from having premarital sex."

"did it work?" marie asked. "you're not married."

annie laughed. "no, it didn't work. i have a lot of premartial sex."

marie grinned despite herself. "i mean, i did too. with my now husband."

"you little sinner, you," annie said. "i know it sounds strange to get a presecription like this... but seriously. try touching yourself."

"i am genuinely not sure i know how."

annie laughed. "just feel around until something feels good, and then keep doing that."

marie said she would try.

after the session, annie checked her phone. she had a message from claire, a picture of herself masturbating.

that night jim texted annie that he and his brother had exchanged more photos - jim had sent him one of julia's spread pussy and he'd sent a similar one of his wife. his brother had asked if julia ever shaved and jim had sent a few shaved pussy pics, and his brother had sent him a video of his wife in the shower, shaving her pussy and touching herself for him as he filmed.

[ohtobeleah]

But they deserve to be happy Leah don’t hurt our babies

Listen….. I don’t make the rules okay. I just don’t. But as always here’s the series Masterlist if you’re not caught up!

Funerals. They were always far too much for you. The idea of a loved one being buried six feet under the surface or burnt into a pile of ash. Both concepts of inevitable mortality seemed horrifying—the furthest thing from a peaceful transition.

“Dad’s memory will live on through the Navy, with all he gave, all he aspired to achieve and everything he changed.” You always had a comforting understanding for cultural whose beliefs were that death was only a stepping-off point, not a forever goodbye. But as Chaos Kazansky spoke about her father and his love for all things aviation and his deepest passion of all, his family. You couldn't fight the fear off for much longer. Death was an inevitable goodbye you were running from.

“How's she holding up?” It was odd seeing everyone in their dress whites instead of their usual attire. Their sweaty old flight suits that had seen better days. “Probably not too good under the circumstances?”

“Yeah, she uh–she's shut down.” Rooster spoke to you softly as his eyeline continued to linger on Chaos who stood with Maverick and a few other of Tom's close friends. “I've got her though, no need to worry.” Rooster only let his gaze drop from Chaos to send you a soft smile. “How about you?”

“Can I uh, can I talk to you about something?” You had always trusted Bradley Bradshaw in all the time you had known him. He was a soft spirit, but he’d been through things that made his heart a little harder. You knew he’d have some advice to give. From the heart. Sipping on the beer you’d picked up from the bar the Krazanksy family had provided at the wake. Nothing too extreme, just a few beers, wines and soft drink options to go with the catering. Finger food and hors d'oeuvres.

Rooster turned all his attention to you without hesitation, noticing how it was now your eyes that now lingered over to where Jake Seresin stood in his dress whites with Sarah Kazanksy. Spilling his deepest condolences as the woman still stood holding the framed photo of her late husband.  

“What's bugging you Hawkeye?”

“I keep having this nightmare, about Jake.” You hadn't told anyone about the nightmare that had riddled you, and plagued your mind since before your split with Jake. “About this–” Gesturing to the wake going on around you. Sombre faces everywhere. “Except it's just me, there's no one else around to mourn his death.”

“What scares you the most? The fact it's just you or the fact that he's gone?” You’d never stopped to think about it in too much detail before, but Rooster had a point. “I think both ways you look at it though you can't control the outcome either way.” Rooster explained as you looked back at him. “Jakes a great pilot Y/n, come hell or high water he’ll give his life for the greater good, but he's also a menace to fly with.”

“If something were to happen tomorrow would you have his back after everything?” It was a heavy question Rooster didn't really know how to answer simply with a yes or no.

“I wouldn't risk my life for him, no.” Rooster had his own life, his own love to worry about. You understood where he was coming from even if it made your heart sink into your stomach. “But you know I'd do my best to prevent the situation ever getting to that point Hawk.”

“I know, I know, it's just–I don't know if everyone else would do the same.”

“Everyone would do the same.” Rooster was quick to correct your judgment of the TopGun group. “It's our job, like it's your job to keep us safe with all the parameters you set–I don't think you’d send someone you don't necessarily like to their death because of something they’d said or done in the past.”

“I wouldn't–” You defended yourself as Rooster wrapped his arm around your shoulders, bringing you close to his side.

“Exactly, it's like that with Hangman, we argue and get on each other's nerves and sometimes I really do question how he managed to convince you to marry him but at the end of the day I'm fairly confident if push came to shove up there he’d have my back and id have his.” Rooster was trying to level with you as Jake noticed the moment you two were having, sending Sarah his condolences one final time before making his way over with intent behind his stride. “I wouldn't go out of my way to save his life if he was the one who put himself there though, I’ve made promises to be around for the long hall for a certain someone who won't even look at me right now.” Rooster had lost Chaos in the time he’s spent listening to your insecurities. He’d later find her back at her place, in her childhood treehouse with a sign hung up that said no boys allowed. Knowing he’d come for her.

“She’ll come around Roo, she always does.” You sighed as he let you go. Pressing his lips together as Jake finally made his way to you, eyes off Rooster like he was the son of Satan himself.

“You trying to steal my girl, Bradshaw?” Jake taunted as he pressed his lips to the top of your head. He looked way too good in his dress whites, handsome and all put together. Shoulders squared as they could be. “Something I need to be concerned about?”

“I wouldn't use a wake as a pick-up place.” Bradley sighed, almost annoyed that he’d again insinuated that he was trying to hit on you. Even though if anything he was doing his job for him. “That's definitely a lot further up your alley than mine.”

“You okay?” Jake turned his attention specifically to you as Rooster walked away, trying to find the girl who really had his whole arse heart in the palm of his hand. “You seem a little off?”

“We’re at a funeral, Jake, do you want me to wipe out a couple of backflips or something?” sighing you shrugged him off, making your way over to the nearest table that had some finger food laid out. A little hungry. “How's Sarah holding up?”

“Distraught, she just lost her husband.” Jake explained as he reached over your shoulder for a sandwich triangle. “Wouldn't you be if you–” He physically had to stop himself from finishing that sentence. Jake's brain had momentarily forgotten just who he was talking to. His eyes lingering on yours as you turned back around to face him. “I'm sorry– I shouldn't have–”

“I would be.” You agreed with Jake's assumption. “Distraught would have to be the kindest way to describe it.” Looking around Jake finally understood what you were so afraid of, what you had run away from. It was never about him, it was about the fear you felt of losing him. But you can only run so far. “The only difference between you and Iceman is he quickly learnt how to fly with the idea in the back of his mind that there were people who loved him waiting for him to come home—“ You took in every fine line and small set of Jake Seresins face. “You still fly like you have nothing to lose and that’s what keeps me up at night.”

“I have already told you—“ Jake's voice grew lower, you didn’t miss the little hint of frustration in his tone. “I’d pull back.”

“What does that even mean though.” You questioned as you pushed past your husband, too overly consumed with the emotions the funeral had made you feel. “Your version of easing up is probably something completely different to mine and it still doesn’t change the fact I don’t wanna be the only one who has to say goodbye—“

“Hey?” Jake chased up to you with concern lacing his voice. “Hey slow down will you?” Taking strides to keep by your side Jake took your wrist gently in his hand. Forcing you to stop in your tracks. “What’s this all about?” Trying to read your face, Jake only saw sadness hidden behind your eyes. An inner ear raging on, he wondered what side was winning and hoped that he was on it. “Tell me.”

“I just wanna go home—“ It wasn’t an acceptable excuse but nevertheless Jake let you go. Hoping you’d tell him anyway. “Come home with me?” You asked softly as you stood with your shoulders slightly sloughed, barely enough energy left in the tank to keep yourself upright after the emotionally draining day that was the goodbye of Tom Kazanksy. “I don’t wanna be alone right now.”

“I’ve got an even better idea.” Jake smirked softly as he walked beside you. His hands in his pockets as you wrapped your arm around his. Kissing your temple as you both walked down towards where your cars were parked. “Go change, pajamas only—meet me at the Hard Deck.”

“I’m not wearing my pajamas to the Hard Deck.” You chuckled, scoffing at your husband’s request.

“Okay, just something comfortable at least, and I said meet me there not that we’re staying there.” You wondered what Jake was up to, but chose to let him have this moment—obviously believing whatever he had in mind was better than what the offer you’d given him. “See you soon.” Jake paused, turning to cup your cheeks in his hands before pulling you closer. His forehead on yours. “I love you, so much.” Kissing you softly and with such passion it almost sent you to the moon.

“I love you so much more.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~

Jake Seresin considered himself to be a romantic. Sure he had his flaws but when he wanted to be? He could really turn it on. All he ever really wanted to do was fly planes and marry the girl of his dreams. His highschool sweetheart. His best friend.

Jake stood awkwardly by his locker across the hall from where yours was like he did every morning. Waiting for you to grab your things, he’d been working up the courage to say hello to you ever since you’d transferred.

“She’ll never talk to you—“ Sebastian snickered as he watched the love struck blonde who’s braces were due off in two weeks pine over a girl he’d never even spoken to. “I heard a rumor that she got expelled from her old school in Florida for kicking some kids so hard in a fight she broke his legs.” Jake's eyes widened as he saw you round the corner, headphones on and minding your own business like you typically tried to do most days.

“Shut up douchebag she’s coming.” Pretending to fish his bags from his locker, Jake turned to see if you had stopped behind him. Noticing that you hadn’t as he looked around—Jake let out a heavy sigh. Another day to tick off his calendar as another day gone he didn’t have enough courage to talk to you. The most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. “See ya later Seb, I’ve got P:E with Mr Horron and if I'm late again he’s gonna make me do two hundred pushups.” Jake groaned as he stepped back slightly and shut he locker—revealing that you’d been standing behind Jake's open locker door. Just waiting for him to close it.

“Why do you wait by your locker for me every goddamn morning?” It was the first time you’d ever spoken to him. Jake almost shit his pants with how much you’d managed to scare the junior-year puberty-ridden teenager. His hand over his heart as he looked at you speechless and wide-eyed. “Well?—you gonna tell me or?”

Jake turned around to see that his best friend Sebastian had in fact, bailed. Leaving him to fend for himself.

“Must just be a coincidence?” Hardly, Jake made sure he was at his locker every morning at least twenty minutes before your bus even came in. He didn’t want to miss the best part of his day. “I’m Jake.”

“Y/n—“ You knew Jake was lying, but you didn’t really care. Your heart was beating so fast from the fact you’d worked up enough courage to finally ask the kid who you thought had been glued to his locker all semester if he was in fact waiting for you, that it didn’t really matter what the answer was. So long as he wasn’t trying to run away from you. Kids could be cruel, and the rumours they created even more vicious.

“Oh, I know.” You couldn’t help but to laugh as Jake's cheeks turned a blushed crimson, embarrassed he’d been so quick to let you know he knew who you were. “I mean, I just—“ Fuck he’d fumbled the ball. Big time. “Hi?”

“Hi yourself.” It was your turn to blush. You could feel the heat in your cheeks rising as Jake's eyes stayed lingering on yours well past the bell which meant he’d be getting two hundred push-ups. “I reckon tomorrow morning you come say hello now that we’re not technically strangers anymore?”

“For sure, yeah uh—yeah No definitely I will!” Jake rambled on like you’d just asked him to marry you. Watching as you pushed off the lockers you’d been leaning on and made your way to whatever class you had that morning. Chemistry—Jake knew you had chemistry Wednesday mornings. “Bye!” You didn’t respond but what Jake couldn’t see was just how excited you were that you’d spoken to him. Keeping your composure—ignoring him as you walked away. That’s what you did when you liked a boy right?

“Oh my fucking god dude she left you hanging man—“ Sebastian laughed as he met up with Jake in the hall a little later. “Hangman’s a great nickname though, at least that’s something.” Turns out that nickname stuck a little too well into his adult life, and Into his career for all the wrong reasons.

“What’s all this?” Jake heard you from the top of the dunes, you’d gone in to find Jake at the Hard Deck but Penny had turned you away, pointing to the direction of the beach.

“Pizza, beers and a fire.” Jake bellowed back as he put the finishing touches up. A string of fairy lights that hung across two tiki torches that he’d stolen from Penny and stuck in the sand on either side of the beach chairs. “Come sit.” Jake picked up one of the blankets he’d brought with him to the beach, wrapping it around your shoulders before you sat down.

“What are you up to Hangman?” There it was again. His callsign, that stupid nickname he’d been given all those years ago when he’d left him hanging in the hallway. The original hangman if you will.

“I thought we could just—“ Jake took his own blanket out from the seat before he sat, letting it lay across his legs as the fire warmed you both. “Talk. Thought we could just sit here with a beer and listen to the waves and just talk.”

“Sounds doable.” You cooed as you accepted the beer Jake had given you. Taking the neck gracefully. “Can we maybe talk about what we’re gonna do with the house?” You jumped straight into the opportunity gifted to you as Jake took a bite of the pizza Penny had made him, offering you a piece too. “Do we maybe wanna put it on the market?”

“Depends on what you think the markets gonna do I guess?” Jake's voice fit perfectly with the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. “On one hand we’re making what? a couple of hundred extra each week from rent after we pay our mortgage.” You both still kept your joint account after you’d split up. It all felt too permanent and too real to close it. “On the other hand we split the diff and sell up.”

“I think I was more wondering if you just wanted to start a fresh somewhere else.” Taking a sip of your beer to help the pizza go down. “I mean we could always buy in Texas again? Your mums always said she wanted you closer.” Turning your head towards Jake you watched under the glow of the fire as his chest puffed. Laughing.

“I’m pretty sure that’s just a ruse to be able to see you more often.” Jake explained as he told you about all the times his mother had questioned him about if you were getting back together or not. “She’s always had a soft spot for you.”

“Right, well—we can circle back to the house situation after we figure out what we’re gonna do about our next postings.”

“I overheard Admiral Beau talking to Admiral Bates last week and I think we’re getting a pretty easy ride after this if we want it.” Jake mumbled through his next bite of pizza, talking with his mouth full. “So I’ll go wherever you’re going.” It was nice to think about—being able to spend more time with Jake while working. It always seemed to be touch and go. “But, I do wanna talk about something, if you’ll give me a chance?” Jake took a sip as he let his head fall against the beach chair. The white wooden lounge chairs connected by a table top that held the pizza box.

“What’s on your mind?” You asked, enjoying the serenity and warmth of the fire.

“Today honestly really got to me.” You weren’t expecting that. “I mean, I've never really thought about it before but—yeah it hit me really hard after you left just how much I really need to check myself before I crash and burn babe.” You’d been right. Jake knew deep down that you had been right all along. You had every right to be worried about him. “Seeing the way Sarah was just so lost really made me think—“ Jake turned to look at you with a soft lul in his neck. Mimicking him you did the same. Both of you still holding your respective beers. “I can’t do this to you anymore—I’m done talking risks, if that means I’ve gotta fly with hazards on then so be it.”

“And all the times you’ve called Rooster a conservative—“ You chuckled softly as Jake beamed at you. He loved your laugh, so much. It had been far too long since he’d gone without it. Never again.

“Yeah, I’ll have to eat my words.” Jake just rolled his eyes knowing that that would open a can of worms for Rooster to eat one by one. “You ever gonna tell me what you were talking about today?” You let the question linger a little. Treading water in the silence as waves crashed and the fire crackled.

“I will, one day—“ You smiled softly as Jake sat up. Letting his blanket fall into the sand. “Hopefully I won’t ever need to. But sure, one day.” For a while, you both just sat In comfortable silence. Something you hadn’t had the chance to do in a while. Enjoying each other’s company.

“Are we really gonna make this work again?” Jake's voice drew you back into reality before you had a chance to drift too far away. “Because if we are I reckon we should at least write new vows.”

“Why’s that?” You weren’t opposed to the idea, not in the slightest bit. But you wanted to know Jake's reasons. His thought process, what led him to this decision.

“I wanna be with you forever.” Jake was wearing his whole heart on his sleeve for you. A side no one else ever got to see. “And you wanna be with me forever, right?”

“I do.” You responded with no hesitation. “I absolutely do, although it’ll probably lead me to an early grave the amount of worrying I do.” Jake let you have that one. Watching as you decided enough was enough and that you needed to be closer to him.

“In order to do that, we need to make vows—a commitment, a contract.” Jake continued as you made your way over to him, bringing your beer and blanket as you sat in between his legs. Back against his chest. Reaching out for the notebook he’d brought from the glovebox of his car Jake let his arms prop over your shoulders so you could see the book. “So what do we want to promise each other?”

“We already did this at our wedding?” You tried to side just how smitten you truly become but it was hard to do when Jake kissed the top of your head before clicking the pen he held in his other hand.

“This is for now until forever, clearly the ones we made before just weren’t cutting it.” Jake's voice had dropped a few octaves as the night grew old. The fire still burned bright before you as the lights above your head flickered. “So, what do we want to promise each other?” You didn’t respond instantly, you simply let the waves fill the silence.

“That you’ll always love me—even when you hate me.” Jake couldn’t contain his happiness as he wrote down what you had said.

“To love each other—“ Jake spoke allowed as he chicken scratched his handwriting across the paper. “Even when we hate each other.” Love isn’t random. It’s chosen, Jake Seresin would choose you in every universe.  “How about, no running—ever.” Jake pulled you as close as he possibly could into him. Your back right up against his as you took the pen from him, writing down his words. “Nobody walks out, no matter what.” It just got personal, your past self would never have thought to write something so specific down. But it felt right to promise it now.

“To take care of each other even when we’re old and smelly and senile—to have and to hold forever.” Jake chuckles against your back as you laughed with him, watching as he took the pen and wrote down what you had said.

“This, is, forever.” Jake whispered the words he wrote in your ear as his chin dropped to your shoulder. Signing his signature underneath the bows you both had written down. Passing you the pen and notepad so you could do the same. “Sign here please Mrs Seresin.”

“To have and to hold Mr Seresin.” You signed your signature right next to Jakes. Grinning ear to ear because for the first time in a very long time—you had hope that your marriage was whole again. Under the moon and the stairs next to fire and with the love of your life, everything felt whole as you both sat and listened to the waves crash and the fire crackle. “I feel like we need to exchange rings—“ ripping small strips of paper from the bottom of the same page you’d written your new vows on.

“Paper rings? A nice touch.” Jake cooed as he held his left hand out for you to slide the not so sturdy paper ring down his left ring finger . Covering the tattooed one he’d gotten because he was always forgetting to put the carbon fiber wedding band on. It still sat in the ring box at the bottom of his bedside table. Safety tucked away.

“Love you forever.” You whispered gently as Jake took the one you’d made for yourself. Placing it above the ring that already wrapped around your ring finger snugly.

“And a little bit more—forever and a day.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

The night you and Jake had rewritten your vows to each other had been a turning point for Jake Seresin. He wanted nothing more than to be a better version of himself for you. Nothing mattered to him more, more than you, his marriage.

“Captain Mitchell?” Jake knocked before he entered Petes office. Waiting to speak again until spoken to.

“What can I do for you Hangman?” Pete sighed. Frustrated at the stunt Chaos had just pulled in front of the entire class, knowing there was nothing else left he could do to protect her from whatever punishment Admiral Beau had chosen for her. If Jake was quiet enough, he could hear the reprimanding she was getting next door. It didn't sound good. And judging by Petes expressions? It wasn't going to end well.

“I uh, I just wanted to express my concern about the mission, sir.” Jake stood with his chin tall and his shoulder squared. Hands behind his back as he watched Maverick roll his eyes.

“Yeah i know i know, i’m working on it kid–i've got names and times and i know everyone wants to be chosen but i just can't promise an–”

“I’d like to withdraw my name from consideration.” It was the last thing Pete Mitchel ever expected to hear come out of Jake's mouth. His jaw almost hit the floor when he paused in his tracks. Rubbing his face to see if he’d actually fallen asleep at his desk going over reports.

“You what?” Maverick questioned just to make sure he heard the aviator with such potential correctly. Sure he needed some real tough love when it came to teamwork and efficiency but Jake was a fine pilot. A top condenser on Pete's current list.

“My priority list sir, it's uh–it's shifted recently and I can't–” Jake corrected himself as quickly as he could to make sure it was known this wasn't negotiable. “Sorry sir, I won't risk not coming home to see those commitments through.” Pete stood beside himself bewildered into utter silence. Downing in the silence, Jake tried not to let his mind wander.

“It's really funny you mention this sudden change of heart Hangman, because not four days ago your wife was threatening me that if I even considered putting you on this mission she’d hold me personally responsible if anything happened to you.” If there was one thing Jake was good at it was a poker face. As Maverick dropped a bond he wasn't expecting as a response Jake stood calmly as his heart raged a war inside his chest. His temperature rising, his skin boiling. “I can't promise either of you anything, but I'll take both of your requests into consideration.”

“Thank you Mav.” Jake wasn't in the mood to stick around, he did however wait outside Admiral Beaus' office to see what had become of Chaos Kazansky. He needed a distraction from the fact you'd meddled with his career. The only person who got to do that, who got to decide what he did and did not do with his career was him. Not you. Not anyone. Even if you had both come to the same conclusion– you went behind his back before the fact. And didn’t mention it.

Down the hall, you were just coming back from lunch. Admiring the bunch of roses Jake had been ever so kind to surprise you with. The card attached read to have and to hold forever and a day in that same chicken scratch writing he’d down on the notepad that now sat framed on your desk.

A pile of mail sat unopened that had been delivered while you were out. All addressed to Y/n Seresin. On autopilot, one by one you opened each envelope. Reading the mundane work jargon that cluttered your brain. Some real above the shoulders mustard type shit. But soon your heart was falling into a pit so deep you never knew a hole could be dug so deep.

A single letter had been mixed into the mail. Addressed to one Jacob Seresin. It was already too late to put it down, no. You couldn't put it down even if you wanted to. Screaming from the inside to stop reading but you couldn't. Your hands clench at the paper as you read the letter addressed to your husband. A letter from DNALabs.

A paternity test request from a woman by the name of Marissa Mccauley.

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***

Tags: @justanothermagicalsara @alexsisrebekah @stinkyjax@starkleila @luckyladycreator2 @love2write2626 @shanimallina87 @dempy @mintellaine @kiarabellerum31 @abaker74

[moocha-muses]

Big news, gentlesims! The lovely Lorelei Lee is looking to fall in love! Could your sim be The One?

I: So, Lilo, give us the scoop. What made you send in an audition tape?

L: This is going to sound so lame, but, I’ve never been in love before! And I know what you’re thinking. Lorelei, you’re twenty-three. Get over yourself. But everyone else has been dropping the “l-word” since high school. I’ve been confessed to, but I’ve never been the one doing the confessing. I’m here to meet someone that'll make my heart pound.

Full interview (and the submission rules) beneath the cut!

I: That’s why you’re here . . . why should the contestants bother showing up?

LL: Ouch! Haha, I mean, I don’t know? I’ve got a killer smile, great legs, I’m not a bad cook . . . I’m sure they’ll have their reasons.

I: Tell us a little more about yourself.

LL: Sure. Let’s see. I’m pretty competitive. I don’t think I’m an asshole about it, but if I was one of the suitors on this show, I’d probably end up as the villain. I swear I'm nice to the sims I date.

I: Ha!

LL: I love cats, I have mild insomnia and I drink way too much coffee. I'm great with people, I love making new friends, but I tend to hold onto a grudge. Sometimes I really get into moods where I just feel all my feelings.

I can play pretty much any instrument by ear, and I absolutely slay at karaoke night. I think a lot of my college professors expected me to drop my major at any minute, like it was a giant prank, and go into the family business - should I talk about my mom? No? Well, I am going into the family business. People forget my dad’s a social worker. He’s my hero.

I: You sound great.

LL: Are you sure? I don’t know if I’d date me.

I: She’s funny, too! This sim's a catch. Speaking of . . . Lilo, what kind of sim are you looking for?

LL: Someone passionate. I don't mean that in a sexy way (though clearly that's a plus) but the sims I've been attracted to have always committed to the bit, you know? I'm into people who don't back down, or try to make themselves palatable. I love listening to sims talk about the things they're completely weird on.

And blondes! Love me a blond.

______________________________________________________________

Now for the entry rules!

To submit an entrant, just make a post with cute pics and a bio (see below) and tag me! The finalists can be sent as in a private DL once they've been chosen.

Contests get an all-expenses paid trip to a tropical vacation for a shoot that will happen right after the end of this round. All entries should include a personal bio with an aspiration, a personality/sign (Lilo's a Popularity Taurus), a list of traits and a set of TOs (at least one of which should be for black hair, fitness, or creativity). Feel free to include a career and job level too. And a LTW! Why not?

Winning entrants will be expected to provide their own wardrobe (Everyday, Formal, Swim, and Undies) suitable for a tropical environment.

All genders welcome, but only the following supernaturals: witches, werewolves, and aliens. Go ahead and include any accessories/jewelry and tattoo boxes you'd like. I'll recolor hairs and adjust skins/eyes as necessary to match my defaults. Go ahead and include an CC you like! The more the better.

(No real entrant deadline because scheduling this within the next two/three months is probably optimistic. Let's say September 1st-ish, until the producers say otherwise. Otherwise, I'll cap it when we hit too many sims for me to choose between!)

Good luck, and don't forget your hearts! Or your swimsuits.

[definatelymrhyde]

Intro post (late edition) because I didn’t know these were even a thing until recently

-> About me

• My name is Rowen!

• I have had a longtime interest in a concerning amount of forms of art (Theatre/Musical theatre, writing, and visual arts, both creating and observing)

•I have ADHD and if given the chance WILL monologue on about whatever I’m fixating on

•I have not too great eyesight and yet refuse to wear my glasses when writing at night (which is a lot!) so as a result we get ✨so many spelling mistakes!!✨

•A good 90% of my humour is based off of sarcasm I apologize in advance

•I’m bilingual! I speak English as my first language and French as my second, I’ve been speaking French for almost 13 years now :))

-> Things I like

•Currently Fixating on: Jekyll and Hyde!!

•Acting

•Writing (Fanfics and my own original stories)

•Drawing. Constantly.

•MUSICAL THEATREEE

•Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

•Pokémon (Samurott and Sylveon are my favorites)

•Dad jokes and bad puns

-> Boundaries n’ stuff

•If you want to draw any of my OCs or stuff feel free!! I want to see them too so @ me if you’d like to

•Just dont be an a-hole I guess 😎😎

-> Things I’ll probably post about

•Fixations! (Currently The Glass Scientists and Jekyll and Hyde!!)

•Ao3 updates

•Art

•Theatre

•My OCs

•The universe I made up in which the majority of my OCs live (Blimps Away!!Airship Services)

-> DNI

•Homophobes, transphobes, sexists, racists etc

•People who like to make fun of beginner artists (Art lore people essentially) etc

-> Other stuff

•(Sigh) I’m the HJ7 pancakes guy… I apologize for the absolute monstrosity and will enjoy making more green food to make up for it soon 😔😔

•I am also the Jekyll and Hyde experiments guy. At least I’m one of them, I was the Jekyll out of the two of us :DD

•My favorite weather is rain

•I love listening to people infodump so if you need someone to infodump to I am all ears!! Just ask me first and chances are I’ll be there soon and very willing to listen

•My favourite colour is bright green!! As well as neon indigo

•My favourite type of music is mainly musical theatre stuff but I also really like alternative music

•I got my first ever big role in a musical this year! (2024)

•Singing wise I’m a high tenor, but I keep getting casted as alto and low soprano roles because I can falsetto really high. Help.

•I can do a beetlejuice esque raspy voice without hurting myself and use it for jokes constantly

•Aspiring voice impressionist (I can do Shaggy from scooby doo, Applebloom from MLP and I’m told I can do a scarily accurate Twilight sparkle impression but I’m not sure how much I belive that)

•My dream job is to be a comic book or children’s book illustrator

•My OC universe called Blimps Away!! Airship services is a story that I’ve recently made into a webcomic :))

[blazeismyname]

Ok. Okokokok... listen

Peter. Whet if. He was orphan. Nothing tragic happened to his parents. They just honestly didn't want him, and he really never knew them, so he literally does NOT care. But he was a troublemaker and very much over look compared to the other kids. Most of them were adopted off to loving families, and he just watched. He really didn't care, but subconsciously, that gave him the desire to have a nice loving family, too.

And perhaps we can continue to play with the idea that he was taught to be a housewife with this. Maybe the orphanage taught these classes for the boys and girls. The boys were taught to be strong and to provide while the girls were taught to be housewives. And Peter, being so gods damned confident in himself and so gods damned unphased by trivial (to him) shit literally did not care and took that shit with stride. He learned to cook and clean and take care of children and sew and do the laundry. Then, he taught himself how to be tough and reach masculine standards. He is the most driven person in town and he works HARD..... (I have a favorite)

And let's expand on Jesse. Jesse was a directionless prince. Sat around, read the same books, bossed people around, and absolutely bored himself to death. He was an only child, his mother and father finding content in having exactly one child. He wasn't even excited to become king because what the fuck was he going to do then? Sit on a throne or whatever an act pissy? No aspirations or anything until Peter showed him that there's more to see. There's people to meet and new stories to hear as well as more things to do. It was revolutional for him, and he became fascinated with people. Their stories, their origins, their culture. Sure, the social awkwardness he had obtained from being alone so long didn't help in the slightest. But he still wanted to know more beyond the castle walls and Peter always helped with that. (His insane interest in knowing people probably helped with his willingness to take in Carmilla and everyone)

Then, then let's talk about dear sweet Lizzie. Gods, there's so much to know about her. Possibly, her father had a job that brought her around a lot. And every night, without fail, her dad would drink himself blind. He thought of alcoholism as his only escapism from his poor life of moving around. On days he had off, Lizzie's dad would take her out to "go be men." She resented this, obviously, knowing she was a girl. She couldn't say anything since they had proven to be very transphobic and homophobic. So she went along with it.

She tries to show love for everyone even if it's very clear that they won't return it. Show kindness to the world, and nothing bad can happen is her core value. Clearly, she would be wrong once her mom was beaten to death in front of her, and she had to flee.

She very much enjoys reading, which was probably seen as weird for those who knew she was a girl (going based on beauty and the beast). She especially likes books that were logs of animals and bugs and plants. But a good story was never lost on her. Her father was quite disappointed in this, taking the book straight from her hands and throwing it, oftentimes destroying her books. It was just an issue she had to deal with.

Especially on Jesse and Lizzie ends, there's a lot more fleshing out to be had. What're we thinking here???

[deafeninggardenerpanda]

For the OC ask meme:

🧋🪞🔮🍒🕰️💌

for any combination of Remidee, Alexandria, or Sunset :3

WAHOOOOOOOOOO oh thank you so much. you know i love designing alternate outfits and coming up with random scenarios i'll never use again xoxoxo

some of yours other people asked for too, so i'll hold off on answering them!

🪞 (Mirror) - What would their Mirror World counterpart be like? If they are a Mirror World counterpart, what traits of theirs are reflected? Do the two of them get along?

for context, because i dont think people outside of artfight know much of remidee, they're an apothecary who deals minorly in fighting and magic as an aspiration. due to how injuries work in my mirrorverse, traditional medicine is in extremely low demand and basically not needed. mirror!remidee has leaned almost totally into being a fighter as a result. coincidentally enough, this also reflects regular remidee's worst insecurities for reasons that are a bit too wordy to explain right now

after the fall of shadow dedede's monarchy, they found themself in mirror floralia as a refugee. they're not as good as fighting as the rest of the army, but the queen isnt one to turn away someone so loyal and ready to dedicate themself to the kingdom. officially theyre in the army as a fighter of the same level of the sectra dees, but really theyve been designated as just the guy that brings the banner into battle

mir!remidee would scare the absolute hell out of regular remidee, for reasons they couldn't quite place, even though mir!remidee is actually quite nice. it's the existential dread, remidee....

🕰️ (Clock) - What would a Dreamy Gear version of them look like? What sort of accessories would they have? What kind of role do they play?

on the other end of the spectrum, dreamy gear remidee has leaned fully into being an apothecary, considering there's no need for fighting and magic is extremely rare. they keep a pretty nice shop in the town of wind (<novel lore, for you folks who don't know). they seem richer than the other residents or overly-well off at first glance, but medicinal ingredients are very difficult to get a hold of in this setting, and they're quite passionate about their work, so they have a lot of high quality supplies

dg sunset is a carrier pigeon, basically. child of single dad manager dedede, they help deliver mail. though they have a habit of getting into trouble more often than not on the job while jumping from rooftop to rooftop. remidee has a sense of disdain for dedede in this universe thanks to sunset's shenanigans

🍒 (Cherry) - Out of all of the Dream Friends [Kirby included], which ones would they get along with the most? The least?

Sunset: i don't hc the mirror counterparts to be related to or have familial relations with their regular counterparts, but dmk would definitely be the fun uncle to sunset. both magolor and taranza get a thumbs down from her, not because of their past crimes, but simply because she thinks they're "kinda weird and annoying"

Remidee: i swear to god this has absolutely nothing to do with my own affinity for zan but remidee admires zan a lot. combining elemental magic with weaponry is notoriously hard in my universe, requiring a lot of skill and control to do. remidee is practicing spearplay and electric/beam magic, so this lines up very well. marx scares remidee a lot.

Alexandria: alexandria doesnt get any friends for reasons relating to her Themes. but im sure shed be extremely fond of kirby himself. gooey too i think! she also keeps her distaste for people well hidden, or is quite open minded--it's difficult to tell, so nothing for the "gets along with the least" part of the question either.

🔮 (Crystal Ball) - Out of all the treasures in the Great Cave Offensive, Kirby is letting your OC pick one from his stash to keep! Which one do they pick, and why?