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pilesofpillows · 2 years ago

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Stars Aglow Ch. 3 || Okoye x Attuma

A Sea of Stars ~ Part 3 of 3

Ch. 1 • Ch. 2

Summary: Babies.

Warnings: Semi-Graphic Depictions of Childbirth, An Excessive Amount of Fluff, Seriously... I Hope Y'all Got Good Dental Insurance, And Tissues

Tags: @mamajankyy @theeblackmedusa @theemfingmenace @xenokattz @tvreadsandsleep @ariyannah @iccedays @xblackreader @blissdoutbyattuma @karimk2 @umber-cinders @mickimomo @dontruinmymorning @princess-of-gondor

A/N 1: Pinky swears are very serious things that I take very seriously. This chapter is a behemoth of nearly 5k words... ridiculous.

A/N 2: Massive, huge, ridiculous, enormous thank you to @xenokattz for all your help!! Love you forever 💕💕💕

The Amnio was brilliant.

When she’d first told them about it, Shuri had made it out to be a simple birthing chamber, but it was far more than that. She had converted an entire floor on the lower level of the Citadel’s residential tower into a birthing suite of dreams, complete with an operating room, a miniature neonatal ICU, and a near-exact replica of Okoye’s upstairs apartment with an added nursery for their post-delivery stay.

The main space was wide and cavernous, with a wall of windows that allowed the sun to illuminate the room and provided an incomparable view of the night sky. At its center was a circular in-ground pool with a series of wide ledges that helped accommodate varying depths within the water. Four holographic displays lined half of the pool, one for each baby and the last for her, their vitals being monitored by the patches affixed to her stomach.

Okoye kneeled on the second step below the outer ledge of the pool, her forearms folded across her mother’s knees as she breathed heavily, panting through the latest contraction. She’d been in the water for hours now, the night dragging on as her body prepared to deliver her children into the world. Her head was bowed, resting on her arms, her face twisted in a grimace as the labor pains reached a new height. Attuma kneeled behind her, massaging her submerged lower back and stomach while her mother cradled her head, murmuring words of comfort. Nakia and Ayo bracketed her mother, both coaxing her through breathing exercises in soft voices.

Nakia’s fingers entangled with hers. “You’re almost there, usisi. So close now.”

Okoye did not feel close. Each contraction felt like an hours-long battle, challenging everything she thought she knew about pain. What started as a dull ache in her lower back rose to a roaring fire as her muscles constricted tightly, stealing the breath from her lungs. She fought to regulate her breathing, exhaling forcefully in a loud groan.

“Good, intombi,” Her mother praised, dabbing the sweat from her brow. “You’re doing so good. It won’t be much longer.”

She heard Ixtli and the nurses who’d accompanied her singing beneath the water, a wordless melody of highs and lows in time with the waves of pain crashing over her. Attuma and Namora joined them, and she sighed gratefully as each note eased the sharp bite of the cramping across her lower body. Thank Chaac and Bast for Talokanil siren singers.

An early point of contention in her pregnancy had revolved around whether they would observe Wakandan or Talokanil traditions when the time for her delivery came. She and Attuma had argued relentlessly about it until Namora suggested a merger of the two traditions; Okoye would deliver their children on the surface, in the water, with a Talokanil midwife and a Wakandan obstetrician. That Namora's mother happened to be an iyom k'exelom was a happy coincidence, and Okoye couldn’t be more grateful to the woman and her melodious analgesic.

As the contraction passed, Okoye whimpered as she felt Attuma move to her left, missing his presence immediately. She pulled her fingers from Nakia’s and unfolded her arms, reaching for him desperately. Attuma leaned in close, holding her hand in his, and pressed his nose to her cheek, muttering a string of reassurances and praises in both their mother tongues.

She wanted him closer.

Ixtli surfaced, rebreathers firmly affixed to her face and gills, informing them that her body was ready. It was time to push.

She needed Attuma.

Using what little strength she had, Okoye used the stair above her and her beloved’s shoulder to support herself as she sat back on her knees.

“K’iino’?” Attuma’s voice was wary, trying to gauge her intent as he sat up with her.

“Behind me, please? I just… I need…” Okoye didn’t know how to adequately verbalize what she was feeling.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to; Attuma wrapped his arms around her, shifting them gingerly until his back was flush with the outer ledge of the pool, only their legs remaining beneath the water. Her back rested on his chest, skin-to-skin; their hearts beat in tandem, soul-to-soul.

“Good?” he whispered against her ear, and Okoye nodded, a stray tear slipping down her cheek. This was everything she wanted, everything she needed.

“Don’t leave me?” she pleaded.

“Never, in K’iino’,” came his fierce response.

Her family corralled around them. Ayo, Namora, and Shuri stood on the outer edge of the pool, each holding a different colored blanket for their corresponding godchild, ready to carry them from the water after they were born. Her mother and Nakia stood on either side of her and Attuma, grabbing her hands and helping her into a low squat.

Namora’s mother crouched between her legs, gently cradling her belly. “Are you ready, Nacom?”

Okoye gave a hoarse hum of approval and steeled herself. She was tired and terrified, but they were at the end now; the battle was almost won.

“When the pain comes again, listen to your body and bear down,” she instructed. The Talokanil midwife looked contemplative for a moment and pressed on the lower right side of her distended abdomen. “This one first, hm? He’s ready.”

Okoye wanted to question her, but the force of her contraction punched the air out of her, and she clamped her jaw shut. The urge to push came, and she did as she was told, a long groan escaping her gritted teeth as she bore down. Long agonizing seconds passed before Ixtli stopped her, letting Okoye catch her breath before commanding her to push again.

Her mother and Nakia spoke quiet words of encouragement as she labored, and she squeezed their hands as they continued on in the arduous cycle of pushing and breathing. Attuma blew softly on her head between each push, extolling her strength and courage as he urged her to keep fighting.

Ixtli ducked her head under the water quickly and resurfaced with a chuckle. “Uts ka a k'iino' yanak ti' juntúul paal il le eek'o'obo'. [It is fitting that your Sun would have one who looks to the stars.]” she said to Attuma in rapid Mayan, GRIOT translating for the room to hear.

“What- what does that mean?” Okoye asked, leaning back on Attuma’s shoulder, breathless. “Are they okay?”

“The baby is fine, General. He’s just facing the wrong way,” Dr. Langeni waded over from the fetal monitors, placing a reassuring hand on her knee as she explained. “It’ll make things a bit harder, but we’re watching carefully, and if we need to intervene, we will.” She nodded over to the wall of glass partitions on the right side of the room, behind which lay the operating room and NICU. “For now, just focus on letting your body do what it was meant to.”

Ixtli nodded, confirming her counterpart’s words, and when the next contraction struck, Okoye bore down again, her groan ending in a sharp cry as she felt the burning stretch of her son crowning.

“Dudula, Okoye!” “Yiza, emnandi, tyhala.” Nakia and her mother spoke words of encouragement, urging her to push, and squeezing her hands back as she tightened her grip on theirs.

The Talokanil nurses had resumed their song, and their voices grew in pitch as Okoye pushed again, a low scream erupting from her throat. The feeling of something giving way was followed by a rush of relief flooding her, and she collapsed against Attuma’s body. He peppered kisses onto her forehead, praising her strength and wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Gasps of awe and resounding echoes of praise came from everyone around them, but Okoye only had eyes for the tiny, screaming baby in Ixtli’s arms. The midwife stood and laid her son on her chest, and she instinctively cradled his small body even as the elder woman used a soft towel to wipe him down.

Her son.

Wriggling and squalling and hers.

Theirs.

Attuma’s hand rested over hers, his chin over her shoulder as they took in the new life they’d made together.

They had a son.

“Molo, mntanandini. [Hi, sweet baby.]” she whispered as his cries softened.

He was magnificent.

Ixtli wrapped her firstborn in a towel, plucking him from her chest, and passed him to Shuri, who stood ready, having swapped places with Nakia to receive her godson. Okoye smiled weakly as the princess beamed at the baby.

“Molo, mncinane,” she murmured, gathering the small boy in a yellow woven blanket, “I’m your Aunt Shuri.”

Okoye craned her neck, watching closely as her sister carried him out of the water to the designated team of nurses and doctors ready to check him over. She winced as the smarting ache washed over her, despite her rush of joy. She felt the urge to push again, and it seemed her son’s twin was more than ready to join the world.

“He will come easier; his brother has made the path clear.” Ixtli said, once again pressing on her abdomen. “Now push, child.”

Attuma sat them both up, and Nakia rejoined her, grasping her hand fiercely as her mother did the same on the opposite side, the three of them helping to support her body as she bore down yet again, and they re-entered the cyclical pattern of pushing and breathing. The singing resumed with her efforts, but the song was different this time. Through the haze, Okoye made out the words to a familiar chant from the River Tribe, sung in perfect harmony by the nurses and Namora. Even Attuma sang with them, his voice a gentle rumble against her back. Her eyes darted to Nakia, who grinned at her as they sang the steady, cadenced tune.

Letting the song strengthen her, Okoye braced herself for the next wave.

She pushed.

And groaned.

And pushed again.

A burning flash drew a harsh cry from her lips, and her second child entered the world, as quiet as his brother was loud.

She held him to her chest, marveling at his scrunched face and soft cries. He was smaller than his brother but no less wriggly.

Another son.

Perhaps Attuma was right, she thought with a tearful laugh.

Her second son settled quickly, gazing back at her with Attuma’s dark, wide eyes.

He was beautiful.

Like they did with their first, Okoye and Attuma cradled their secondborn son together. “Okoye… in yakunaj… two...” His voice was choked with emotion, but she understood perfectly what he meant.

They had children.

Two children.

Two sons.

She cooed down at him, welcoming him to the world in a hushed whisper as Ixtli wiped him down before gingerly passing her son to Namora. The Talokanil general wrapped her secondborn in a blue blanket Okoye’s mother had woven, whispering sweet words to him in Mayan. Okoye settled back against Attuma, watching as her friend carried her baby out of the water, passing him to the team of nurses and doctors waiting to ensure he was hale and healthy.

“Rest now. The next will not be so easy,” Ixtli said, drawing their attention back to her. “The youngest rarely is.” She shot a pointed look toward Namora, who scoffed from the medical bay, making Okoye laugh weakly. “Let your body work to expel the afterbirth while I consult the stars for your first two children. I will return when it is time.” She cupped Okoye’s cheeks, touching their foreheads together. “You have done well, Nacom Okoye. Chaac and Ix Chel have blessed you with the strength of a thousand warriors.”

She smiled tiredly and thanked her. The Talokanil midwife exited the pool, and Dr. Langeni followed, promising to bring an update on the children when she returned.

Okoye looked at her mother. She was crying, tears of joy, Okoye presumed, and she blinked, a few tears slipping down her own cheeks. “Don’t cry, mama.”

She reached out a hand, and her mother took it, squeezing her fingers gently. “I can’t help it, emnandi. It’s not every day a woman becomes a grandmother; I should think I’m entitled to a few tears,” her mother sniped jokingly, and they shared a quiet laugh. She leaned forward to kiss Okoye’s cheek. “Oh, I’m so proud of you, intombi. You did wonderfully.” She kissed Attuma’s cheek as well. “You both did.”

Okoye grinned, then winced slightly as her body continued laboring. The contractions were far milder than her earlier ones, and one of the Talokanil nurses rubbed her ankle in encouragement, speaking words she couldn’t understand. Attuma murmured the translated instructions and a steady stream of compliments between light kisses to her head and hair, and the afterbirth passed easily, requiring little effort on her part.

She lay in the cradle of Attuma’s arms, glancing intermittently at the medical bay where her children rested. Okoye itched to hold them, to study their faces and catalog the pieces of her and Attuma in every feature. Nakia passed her a cup of ice chips, and she shot her sister a grateful smile, chewing them carefully between her contractions. She was slightly relieved for the short rest before their third child was born. She chose not to ask how Ixtli knew there would be time between the twins and their thirdborn or how she knew her children would be boys before their birth; the woman had forgotten more about childbirth than Okoye would likely ever know.

Dr. Langeni returned and had a quick GRIOT-assisted conversation with one of the Talokanil nurses before wading over to Okoye. “Molo, umama, baba,” she said with a soft smile. “Everything is looking good; both boys are hale, healthy, and quite possibly the cutest newborns above or below the surface. You did very good,” the doctor chuckled with a wink. She pressed a button on her kimoyo beads, activating a holographic display of her womb. Her lips twisted in a frown, and she sighed. “It looks like Baby C is still transverse. Which means we have two options: we can attempt to maneuver them in hopes that they turn on their own, or we go in for a C-section now. Should they prove reticent despite the maneuvers,” she paused, arching a pointed brow at them, “we’ll have to go in surgically.”

Okoye narrowed her eyes at the implication but couldn’t argue. Be it a maternal or paternal trait, headstrong children were a given between her and Attuma, and she was already praying for the strength and patience to match wits with whichever aspects of herself would be reflected in her children.

“How long would we try the maneuvers for?” she asked, shifting against her beloved and placing a hand over the monitoring patch of her youngest.

Dr. Langeni turned to the displays outside the pool, studying the remaining monitor. “Should Baby’s heart rate remain within acceptable parameters and the placenta intact? We’ll say 20 minutes.”

Okoye nodded and glanced at Attuma, silently asking him to weigh in.

He tilted his head, looking contemplative. “It is up to you, in K’iino’. I will be by your side no matter what you choose.”

Her heart fluttered, warmth flooding through her at his words, knowing he meant them wholly. She pressed her head into his chin and considered each option before taking a fortifying breath. “Let’s try the maneuvers.”

~~~

In the darkest hours of the morning, Okoye’s youngest child finally decided to cooperate with the efforts of the medical team. They’d guided the baby downward between her contractions, firm hands pushing hard through her abdomen. She grit her teeth through every attempt and nearly regretted her choice on a particularly hard press. The Talokanil surrounding her had resumed singing the euphoric analgesic of earlier, dulling the sharp pain, and Okoye groaned, breathing heavily. Attuma blew cool breaths along her head again, providing an anchor of solace in the sea of pain, but her relief proved temporary as her muscles tightened in a fierce contraction.

Ixtli had returned shortly before they began; she and Dr. Langeni worked in tandem, the Wakandan doctor maneuvering the baby while the Talokanil midwife swam beneath her, singing a soft siren call to draw the child down. Ixtli resurfaced, a visible smile showing through her rebreather, and she proclaimed it was finally time to push. Okoye sighed gratefully, thanking the gods. Dr. Langeni gave her an encouraging smile and waded to the side of the pool with her mother, Nakia, and Ayo. Okoye slid forward, squatting low on the step below Attuma, her chest and head remaining above water. He slid his arms under hers, helping her to brace her elbows on his knees.

“One last battle, Nacom,” her iyom k’exelom said, giving her knees a reassuring squeeze, “Let us see what the dawn brings.”

The woman sank beneath the water, and Okoye sucked in a deep breath as she felt the next contraction roll into her.

She pushed hard, biting back a scream, until Ixtli squeezed her calf, commanding her to stop. She leaned against Attuma, who spoke words of comfort and praise between blowing cool breaths of air on the crown of her head, each breath meant to hasten the delivery of their child. She rested for a moment before the Talokanil midwife’s head surfaced, coaxing her to push again, and they fell into a steady rhythm: Okoye pushed, Attuma blew, and Ixtli coaxed.

Again and again, until she felt like she couldn’t anymore.

She sagged between Attuma’s legs, her head thrown back as tears ran down her face.

“Ko'ox, Bah’te. K'a'abéet a ba'ate'el! [Come on, Warrior. You must fight!]” Ixtli urged in a stern voice. “We’re nearing the end, Okoye; Yaantal a to'on jolkanil.”

Find your courage.

Bast help her; Okoye didn’t know how much she had left.

She screwed her eyes shut before opening them to meet the deep umber of Attuma’s. They shone with love and pride, and he bent to kiss her forehead. “Ngakumbi kancinci [Just a little more], in yakunaj,” he whispered against her sweat-slicked skin. “Ungayenza. [You can do it.]”

She looked into the eyes she loved beyond all measure and found her courage.

The next contraction ripped through her, and Okoye tucked her head into her chest and bore down, crying out at the searing flash of white-hot pain.

Ixtli dipped back into the water, coaxing her through a final round of pushing, their youngest child slipping free of her body as the sun broke over the horizon.

Okoye cried in relief, her body slumping from exhaustion, and Attuma hauled her into his arms. Ixtli emerged from the water, holding a small baby who began wailing seconds after tasting the air.

“A son?” she asked, a weak smile on her lips.

Ixtli grinned, a fierce, proud thing.

“The Dawn has brought you a daughter,” she proclaimed, laying the baby on her chest.

Okoye clutched the small body, her daughter, to her, blinking in shock. Faintly, she heard the excited exclamations of her family, but her focus was solely on the tiny, wailing infant on her breast. She let out a shaky breath, staring at her daughter in awe.

She had a daughter.

Okoye held her close as she screamed, wondering how one so small could make so much noise.

She put her brothers to shame.

Okoye laughed as hot tears ran down her face, gently attempting to shush the squalling infant while Ixtli cleaned her.

She was perfect.

Attuma laid a large hand on her back, nearly covering her entire body, humming the lullaby he sang throughout her pregnancy, and they marveled as she quieted almost immediately, her robust cries softening to hushed whimpers.

“K Eek'e' asab chichanen. [Our littlest star.]” Her beloved murmured, smoothing his finger over her furrowed brow.

Their youngest grizzled, nose crinkling.

“Welcome to the world, ntomba ethandekayo.”

Ixtli swaddled their daughter in a towel and placed her in Ayo’s arms, her sister-in-arms greeting the child warmly, wrapping her in the soft green blanket Okoye’s mother had woven for their third child. “Good morning, little one. Today is your birthday.”

She exited the water gracefully, speaking to the baby in full sentences, making Okoye chuckle despite her exhaustion. She watched through half-lidded eyes as the final team of nurses and doctors engulfed their baby girl. As their daughter was tended to, Attuma pressed long, tender kisses to her head, muttering an incomprehensible jumble of praise and thanks between each one.

“Óoxtúul paalal [Three children], in yakunaj,” he said into her hair. “Ts'o'ok a taasik to'on óoxp'éel… [You have brought us three…]”

“Three stars,” Okoye replied softly. “Our own little sea."

~~~

They moved her from the water to a large bed once she passed the afterbirth, and she lay reclined against Attuma, clean, changed, and content. They talked quietly with her mother and Dr. Langeni about what to expect these next few days as they waited for Ixtli, the trio, and their godmothers. Okoye’s exhaustion was bone deep, but she wouldn’t sleep a wink until she had held each of her babies. Nakia slipped into the room, having ducked out earlier to retrieve the rest of their family. She led M’Baku, Yoltzin, and Aneka in, Junior still sleeping in the early morning hours. They stood at the end of the bed, smiles abounding.

Attuma’s mother came to their bedside, pressing her forehead against Okoye’s, then Attuma’s. “Ki'imak óolal, waal. [Congratulations, daughter],” Yoltzin said, grinning brightly. These weren’t her first grandchildren, but they were her eldest son’s, and she’d been giddy with joy the moment Attuma had informed her of Okoye’s pregnancy. She rounded the bed to stand beside Okoye’s mother, the new grandmothers embracing each other.

“Three babies in one night! You truly are Wakanda’s greatest warrior,” M’Baku smiled proudly, gently squeezing her ankle through the bedding. “Where are the little shark pups?”

His question was answered by the sliding door, and Ixtli entered the room on quiet feet with Shuri, Namora, and Ayo trailing behind her. Each woman held a brightly swaddled bundle in their arms, and they formed a line by her right bedside.

Shuri passed the baby in her arms to Ixtli, who unwrapped him slightly and placed him on the far right side of Okoye’s exposed chest. “This is your firstborn. A son who looked upon the stars as he entered the world, a war cry on his tongue. What name will you give to him?”

Okoye looked at her eldest son, whose eyes were closed as he slept peacefully, tiny brown fingers curling into her skin. The small yellow cap on his head hid most of his hair, but Okoye could see the gentle wisps that curled along his forehead. She lifted his small hand with her finger, an awed breath leaving her as he gripped it firmly.

He looked like Attuma.

Her beloved carefully traced the soft fuzzy hair of his son’s brow and answered Ixtli. “T’Khwezi Cadmael.”

The Star Chief.

Okoye heard Shuri and Yoltzin gasp quietly, and she glanced between her little sister and Attuma’s mother. Both women’s eyes were watery, and Okoye reached out, entangling her fingers with Shuri’s. She squeezed, providing a gentle reassurance, and nodded to Yoltzin. Neither T’Challa nor Cadmael would ever be forgotten; their spirits lived on through them. Shuri smiled tearfully, muttering a wet thanks before releasing her fingers, and Yoltzin hugged Attuma briefly. The princess slid from her place in line, crossing behind Namora and Ayo to stand with the rest of their family at the foot of the bed.

“This is your secondborn. A son born beneath the Great Weaver, swift and sure of his path.” Ixtli lifted their son from Namora’s arms and placed him on the right side of Okoye’s chest. “What name will you give to him?”

Okoye gazed down at her son, watching him nuzzle into her skin. His skin was warm, and his body was heavier than she expected. He looked nearly identical to his brother; the deeper cleft of his chin was the only difference she could see between them. Like his siblings, their son had thin, dark lines along his collarbones, alluding to the presence of gills. Dr. Langeni had already confirmed that the organs were vestigial and had no function. Her children were blessed with the ability to respirate air through their lungs and water through their skin, much like the King of Talokan.

The first to be born between the land and sea, her children represented the cementing of the Wakandan/Talokanil alliance. The two nations were connected by blood, woven together by love. Her son required a name that fit their future.

“Chii’kaan B’atz’,” Okoye said after a moment.

The Feathered Serpent Weaver.

Attuma cupped her face gently, looking deep into her eyes. “K’iino, are you certain?”

Her beloved knew there was no love lost between her and his king. It had taken time for her to tolerate his presence in Birnin Zana, never mind their home. Okoye hadn’t even called him K’uk’ulkan until she reached her second trimester of pregnancy. To honor him in this way was a step beyond, but in order for their nations to grow strong together, grace was necessary. She would never forget, and likely never forgive, but the past was immovable and unchangeable. They could only go forward.

“I’m sure” Okoye nodded. “We are bound by blood, my love. Our children are equal parts, Wakandan and Talokanil. We must honor both as we move forward.”

Attuma’s eyes melted with her declaration, and he kissed her forehead, her nose, then her lips softly. “Ndiyakuthandana, Okoye.”

Okoye smiled and returned his kiss, just as soft. “In yaakunech, Attuma.”

“The mother of your children is a wise woman, Nacom. K'a'abet a sutk'esiko'ob le ti' a watan,” Ixtli said with a sharp grin.

Okoye didn’t understand everything the iyom k’exelom said, but she did know watan. Wife.

She and Attuma shared a knowing smile.

We will be married when in K’iino’ is ready to have a husband again. That’s what he’d told her mother.

She never thought she would have another husband, not after the bitter betrayal she’d faced. She hadn’t thought she could tie her soul to another man before Attuma. She hadn’t thought she could love someone so wholly, so thoroughly that she felt incomplete without them as she did with Attuma. He held her heart; married or not, their souls were irrevocably bound.

“Tu k'iinili' [In time],” her beloved responded with a sly smirk.

Ixtli nodded and turned to Ayo, lifting their youngest from her arms. Like she’d done with the other two, the Talokanil midwife unwrapped the baby and laid her on Okoye’s chest, right between her brothers.

“This is your thirdborn. A daughter born at the dawn's breaking, ushering in victorious joy. What name will you give to her?”

Okoye craned her neck down to stare at the smallest of the three curled against her chest and felt her heart sing. She was their unexpected gift, a joyful surprise after the birth of two boys.

She looked at Attuma, who’d been so certain they would have three sons, they hadn’t bothered to discuss what they might name a girl. He looked just as baffled as she felt. Carefully considering Ixtli’s words, Okoye smiled down at her daughter, who grizzled and grunted even while she slept.

“Ixazaluoh.”

Yoltzin’s water-distorted voice spoke from the other side of the bed, offering up the name.

Attuma hummed and placed his hand on their daughter’s head. “It means ‘dawn,’” he explained lowly.

Okoye echoed his hum. “Very fitting, Na’,” she grinned. “Ixazaluoh, then. Ixazaluoh Kenura. The dawn of our joy.”

Her beloved’s smile was wide and bright. “Perfect.”

Attuma kissed her head, running gentle hands over each of their children. “They’re beautiful, in K’iino’.”

Staring down at them, Okoye couldn’t help but agree.

They would grow in time, surrounded by love and supported by their family. But for now, it was enough that they were here.

Small and sleeping and theirs.

Beautiful, indeed.

A/N 3:

I tried not to be too graphic with the L&D, but she did have 3 babies naturally so... it wasn't ever gonna be short.

There's a fourth part to this somewhere in my brain... it might take a lil longer cuz I gotta work on that OT3 thing 👀👀

#attoye #attuma x okoye #okoye x attuma #okoye x attuma fanfiction #okoye #attuma #bpwf #fluffy fluff #floofy floof #the talokandan trio has arrived #attoye has babies #pilesofpillows #a sea of stars

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seductivepug · 2 years ago

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quarantineroulette · 2 years ago

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10 Things That Somehow Didn’t Suck This Year (with a horror films sub-list).

2022 has been an unbelievably surreal and disparate year for me. On one hand, I achieved three long-running goals, visiting Barcelona, becoming a home-owner, and going on a mini-tour with my band. On the other hand, I was plagued by some of the worst periods of depression of my life and endured at least two solid months of virtually nonstop distress in which things got better for a little bit before going really hard on the mental strife.

Due to so much weirdness going on, I didn’t listen to much music this year and I feel pretty ashamed about that (if you’re a friend and you released music this year, I intend on listening to it very soon, I swear). I’m also a little put off by critical writing in general right now but I still wanted to do some sort of year-end ranking for tradition’s sake. So here’s 10...entertainments? I appreciated this year - whether TV shows, movies, or going to gigs, even though there were a lot of those I unfortunately missed as well. Also throwing in a sub-list of favorite horror films, as those are one of the few things I can focus on even when things are completely haywire elsewhere.

*Atlanta: I really don’t consider a lot of art truly *perfect* but the Atlanta series finale -- and the entire 41-episode show, really -- absolutely was. Out of anyone in my generation, Donald Glover is far and away the *~creative~* I’m most in awe of, most of all for this singular and very special show. I’ll forever be grateful for the intelligence behind Atlanta (I really can’t think of a show James and I have discussed more), it’s unpredictability and the insane level of talent that could be found in its ridiculously stellar cast and crew. I loved everything about every minute of it, but my secret favorite episode was the one where Van has an identity crisis in Paris and Alexander Skarsgard cameos as a cross between an exaggerated version of himself and Armie Hammer. Utterly surreal, totally hilarious, and unquestionably brilliant.

*“Punk Rock Loser” by Viagra Boys: I didn’t totally love Viagra Boys’ 2022 release Cave World but it still somehow became the album I listened to most this year, and “Punk Rock Loser” had no contest in terms of being my most listened to song. The band excels at songs about decidedly unsavory dudes, so “Punk Rock Loser” isn’t entirely new territory but it is catchy and weirdly groovy in its own little way. Plus, the music video is an instant classic, right down to the Adidas western shirt and completely silly synchronized dance routine.

*The Rehearsal: This one is a bit of a cheat because I just watched the whole series in like three days so it’s at the forefront of my mind. But something tells me even if I had watched it three months ago I’d still be fucking reeling from it. Like, my sense of perception has been irrevocably scrambled. I need to sit in a dark room and question every interaction I’ve ever had with another human up to this point. I related to this show more than I’d like to admit and also found myself weirdly moved by it at times. Also, massive respect to Fielder for getting HBO to pay for, well, the entire thing, but especially the replica of the Alligator Lounge (although we all know Nate’s Lizard Lounge is really where it’s at).

*Playing a show with The Veldt: We started working on new music this year so we didn’t play many shows, but we still had a fair amount of success on that front and played our first-ever gigs in the midwest (including a sold out show in Chicago). But being asked to play with criminally underrated shoegazers The Veldt was truly a high water mark (on what was unfortunately a very watery evening in Brooklyn). Had gone to see The Veldt in Philly a month prior to sharing a bill with them, and was wowed by Daniel Chavis’ stage presence and vocal delivery both times around, a pretty powerful counter to the head down aloofness that genre designation typically suggests. Totally cool and lovely guys to boot.

*Warren Ellis - Nina Simone’s Gum: See my previous post, but in short, this book is mesmerizing. What I assumed would be a fairly straightforward rock memoir instead was a loving tribute to Ellis’ idols, providing a lot of insight into collecting and the power we imbue certain objects with and why. Absolutely solidified my opinion that Ellis is one of the most beautiful souls (I mean, he started a sanctuary for wildlife with special needs for god’s sake!)

*Aldous Harding at Union Transfer: Pretty much the only new music I listened to this year was the aforementioned Viagra Boys, Fontaines DC and Aldous Harding, and I was fortunate enough to see two out of three of these artists live in 2022 (Viagra Boys, maybe next year). Aldous Harding had been at the top of my gig-going wishlist pre-pandemic, so I feel especially grateful that seeing her became a reality this year. It often feels a bit weak to say “OMG I went to see (x) and they sounded just like the album,” but in Aldous’ case, this is kind of an extraordinary compliment, seeing as she sings as about a dozen different characters on her new record, sometimes flipping back and forth over several different vocal styles in a single song. Add to this Harding’s obscure yet very purposeful stage presence and that equals me being enraptured for 90 minutes straight. Had an excellent time pre-gaming at the awesome go-go cocktail bar The Trestle Inn beforehand as well.

*Intermission: My 10 (actually 11) Favorite Horror Films of 2022

Yeah yeah yeah. Everyone has said it, it’s been a great year for horror. It’s always been my favorite genre and I’ve embraced it even harder since the pandemic for whatever reason. So, just like everyone else is doing, here are my 10 favorites that I’ve seen this year. I didn’t see everything, but I’ve seen enough to have some authority on what was good, maybe...

1) Pearl - Mia Goth’s unblinking stare over the end credits = haven’t been as frightened by a face since Laura Dern running toward the camera in INLAND EMPIRE. Deserves all its accolades and then some.

2) The Menu - The cast, the setting, the dialogue, Colin Stetson’s score: everything about this was a horrible delight from start to finish. Watching Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy act together was thoroughly electrifying and I will never get Fiennes lobbing the insult “you donkey” at some rich asshole out of my head.

3) Smile - I saw the trailer for this a zillion times and thought it honestly looked hilariously stupid. Zero expectations and threw me for a complete loop. Still didn’t find it that scary but it was fun as hell and the sound design was excellent. Also, I’m sorry to say I had no idea who (PA native!) Kyle Gallner was until this year but loved him in both this and Dinner in America.

4) Men / Resurrection - Resurrection walked so Men could run, I guess. Overall, I preferred the former just because I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes for the last 20 minutes and I appreciated its mash-up of folk horror / home invasion / psychological horror / cosmic horror / body horror to the max. Resurrection had Rebecca Hall giving the most insane monologue of the year and my forever crush Tim Roth being a gaslighting sleaze-hound, and those are two things I will never shrug at.

5) What Josiah Saw - If you ever longed for a southern gothic version of Fire Walk With Me, then head over to Shudder and take this fucked up baby for a ride immediately. Had a scene, totally free of violence or gore, that made me want to squirm right out of my skin. Robert Patrick FTW and was nice(?) to see Nick Stahl again too.

6) Watcher - Great Hitchcockian throwback with great performances by Maika Monroe and Burn Gorman and some beautiful shots of Bucharest. Tense enough that I was nervous going into the bathroom by myself when it was over.

7) We’re All Going to the World’s Fair - To be honest, I didn’t love this when I was watching it, but jeez did it stick with me. Months after and I still feel a great sense of discomfort whenever I think about it. Not for everyone, but will thoroughly creep you out and fill you with a sense of crushing loneliness, if you’re down for that kind of thing.

8) Something in the Dirt - Pretty much will be open to anything Moorhead and Benson do just because I find their grassroots approach to cosmic horror and world-building really inspiring. Their latest threw about a million different interests of mine into a pot so I found Something in the Dirt especially delicious. Some really low-key funny moments and I’m still trying to piece it all together but I’m so so happy these guys are out there challenging us and doing it all in such a home-spun way.

9) Barbarian - Almost didn’t add this because the hype really got to me, but, I know -- that first half was super tense and Justin Long gave his all as perhaps the douchiest character of the year.

10) Nope - Really wasn’t a fan of US but this was quite a return to form. Loved the set pieces and the unique take on alien design. The spoken word “Purple People Eater” bit was pretty ridiculous but I laughed all the same. The blood house was marvelous, though.

***

*“Turn Off Your Brain and Yell” by Suede: I often get anxious whenever a long-running band or artist I love releases something new, even when it’s a band I love as much as Suede, and was honestly not expecting much from their 9th release Autofiction, as it was being touted as more stripped down and less high concept and dramatic. The record is just fine but live the songs are phenomenal, particularly the fittingly cathartic “Turn Off Your Brain and Yell.” The Autofiction closer served as the band’s opener at their headlining show at Philadelphia’s The Met and it was like an emotional wildfire had just ignited. I’m certain every single neck hair of every person in that venue was standing on end from this song onward. Simply put, it fucking slammed. Anyway, this Suede / Manics US tour seemed like the ultimate dream to me on paper but unfortunately turned out a little bittersweet, but at least I can say for probably the only time ever that Michelle Obama possibly had a hand in preventing me from going backstage like I was supposed to (long story!).

*The Bear: Didn’t think this could possibly live up to its hype, but really what a touching, funny, intense and lovingly made show. Jeremy Allen White, he seems a little like a himbo, but was completely captivated and moved by his portrayal of the emotionally complex and overwhelmed Carmy. Loved when Richie did or said pretty much anything and the (I cringe at the term) *~needle drops~* were spectacular. Ready to drink down a second season like Xanax-laced ecto-cooler.

*Kendrick Lamar performing “Savior” at Glastonbury : I feel a bit of a faker listing this as I haven’t watched Kendrick’s Glastonbury 2022 performance in full yet (doing that over the weekend, hopefully), and I’ve only listened to Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers once. I have, however, been returning to this video over and over for months now and I love everything about it -- the lighting, minimalist stage set up -- in such stark contrast to an event as overblown as the Glastonbury festival -- the dancers, and of course the fake blood and glittery crown of thorns. Most of all, I love that the message takes precedence, as it should be but so rarely is these days. So, thank you Kendrick and all the preceding makers on this list for saying or doing something meaningful in a year that frequently felt meaningless.

#year in review #horror #atlanta #the rehearsal #warren ellis #aldous harding #suede #the bear #the veldt #viagra boys #kendrick lamar

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solidandsound · 2 years ago

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Every Supergiant game is brilliant, and each in their own way. Hades is probably the most fun a Supergiant game has ever been; it's the kind of game you never want to put down. It's also likely the studio's weakest narrative, and certainly its weakest ending.

The writing of Hades is to be commended for how it is able to keep story-focused players engaged with a type of game that they would normally otherwise bounce off of. Dying can be frustrating, but at least in Hades death is another chance to talk to a large roster of cool friends, cuties, and spooky parental figures. It also makes even failed runs feel like part of the story because of how reactive dialogue can be. If you die to a sword dude, there's a good chance someone back home's gonna say, "Wow, sorry to hear you died from a sword dude, that must have sucked." There is an astonishing amount of dialogue, reacting to an astonishing amount of possible circumstances.

However, because it does this, you start to expect it to adapt to you on every level, and it can't, not perfectly. I believe the devs did enough work to prevent the game from directly contradicting itself, but there are nonetheless certain lines of dialogue that feel off. Once you accomplish the story's main goal of bringing Persephone home, Zagreus's motivation became much more casual, but there are still lines that, through writing or delivery, make it sound like he is fighting for something vitally important, or even that he is still in dire conflict with his father. He always has a reason to keep fighting, and there is always tension between him and his father, so you can squint and let these moments pass, but after a while they start to grate on you, or at least they did on me.*

Speaking of Zagreus, he is, of course, the one driving the story forward. His goal can only be achieved by fighting out of the underworld, over and over again. That moment, when Persephone finally comes home, is great, and if that were the ending, I would have been satisfied. Credits do roll, but it isn't the true ending, and even in that moment, Persephone alludes to what must still be done. The remaining conflict is primarily between Persephone and the Olympians. She is the one coming up with the plan this time; Zag is just along for the ride. As players, our task to assist Persephone is simple, nothing we haven't done before. So we complete it, the epilogue happens, and... that's it. After a lot of build-up, all conflict is resolved at an unbelievably peaceful family reunion. There is no god-like wrath, nor even any arguing.

This ending does not feel earned, by the story nor by us. I at minimum would have loved some sort of conversation during the dinner, Demeter at least laying out her grievances, her grief. As a player--and this is a lot to ask, I know--some sort of challenge to wrap this up would have made it all feel more satisfying. Maybe Demeter, or a gauntlet of betrayed Olympians, as a true final boss or boss rush.

This is kind of the problem with roguelikes, though. The game isn't really over. I can, and likely will, continue playing. It ends when I decide it ends, when I am satisfied with it. How do you make a satisfying ending to something like that? I don't know, but I'm excited to see Supergiant take a second shot at it.

*I'm sure the devs know this, and I expect that this aspect will be improved upon in the sequel. Knowing that the game was developed via early access, I am sure they had times where they pushed an update and then realized, Oh shit, I failed to write previous sections anticipating this! With planning and forethought, I am sure they can write in such a way that contradictions are accounted for before they happen.

#hades spoilers after the cut obvs #just had to process my experience #and i hadn't seen anyone discuss this part of the game critically yet

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timstouchfloristgifts · 1 month ago

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Lexington Florist

Each month has its distinct appeal, and with it comes a special birthday flower that captures its significance. As days change from the new beginnings of January to the joyful endings of December, every month's birth flower brings with it stories of history, importance, and all-natural appeal. Let's start this 12-month flower odyssey, highlighting the birthday celebration blossoms that envelop the spirit of every month.

January: The Calmness of Carnations In the heart of winter months, when nature appears to be in a deep sleep, Carnations grow with peaceful poise. These fragile blossoms, offered in a wide variety of shades, signify love, attraction, and difference. Pink carnations, specifically, communicate gratefulness, making them a charming birthday celebration gift.

February: The Modesty of Violets Violets, with their soft shades and wonderful aroma, mirror the mild shift from wintertime to springtime. Representing commitment, humbleness, and faithfulness, they're the excellent means to desire a person a year full of unwavering love and trust.

March: The Vitality of Daffodils As winter season launches its icy grasp, daffodils arise, advertising the coming of warmer days. These glowing yellow flowers represent new beginnings and unequaled excitement, mirroring the significance of March-born people.

April: The Quality of Daisy Daisies, with their pure white flowers and sun-like center, are associated with virtue and pureness. They symbolize April's spirit, signifying hope and the renewal of nature.

May: The Beauty of Lily of the Valley These small bell-shaped blossoms, with their invigorating scent, stand for the return of joy. An ideal depiction for May, they represent the shift right into the euphoric summer season days ahead.

June: The Appeal of Roses June is beautified by the queen of blossoms. Roses, in their myriad shades, signify a wide variety of feelings from love to thankfulness, making them a flexible birthday celebration present.

July: The Brightness of Larkspur Larkspurs, with their high spikes and star-shaped blossoms, mean love and positivity. Their vibrancy records the height of summer season and the delights of July.

August: The Strength of Gladiolus Standing for self-control and ethical honesty, the sword-shaped gladiolus blossoms are a testimony to the intense spirit of those celebrating their birthdays in August.

September: The Beauty of Asters These pretty flowers, which are available in numerous hues, signify love and perseverance. As summertime subsides and fall approaches, asters personify the mix of 2 seasons.

October: The Vibrancy of Marigolds These intense flowers, usually connected with the sunlight's radiance, capture October's significance. They represent enthusiasm and imagination, reverberating with the fall spirit.

November: The Deepness of Chrysanthemums Usually called 'mums', these blossoms are available in a magnificent variety of shades. They represent November's deepness, representing happiness and positive outlook.

December: The Brilliance of Narcissus These brilliant flowers, showing the celebration of December, mean hope and success.

In this vivid tapestry of flowers, every month provides a special blossom, adding appeal and meaning to birthday celebrations. Whether you're giving or receiving, recognizing these blossoms improves the delight of the event.

Flower Shop Lexington SC

Tim's Touch Flowers & Gifts is a local florist in Lexington, SC, that provides same-day flower delivery, gorgeous flower creations & unique gift baskets. Our store is open on Mon-Fri, 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM, and on Sat, 10 AM - 1 PM.

Our flower shop has been catering to Lexington and the broader South Carolina area for over 20 years.

Want a special floral creation? We craft exceptional flower arrangements for all sorts of celebrations!

Wish to get a flower bouquet for a person you appreciate? A vase of pink orchids for your home? A new plant for your garden? Sympathy arrangements with white flowers for funeral homes?

At Tim's Touch, you'll find the freshest flowers & most gorgeous floral designs in Lexington!

Place your order at (803) 808-3608, send your e-mail at [email protected], or go to our site https://www.timstouchflorist.com/.

Flower Shop Lexington

Tim's Touch Florist, Gifts & Flower Delivery 5175 Sunset Blvd A Lexington, SC 29072 (803) 808-3608 https://www.timstouchflorist.com/

Read our Lexington florist review

You can also find us on the Social Media:

Facebook

Youtube

Flower Delivery Lexington

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yourtowersflowers · 2 months ago

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North Babylon Florist

Each month has its one-of-a-kind appeal, and with it comes a special birthday flower that captures its significance. As days change from the new beginnings of January to the cheery endings of December, every month's birth flower brings with it stories of history, significance, and all-natural appeal. Let's start this 12-month flower odyssey, highlighting the birthday celebration blossoms that envelop the spirit of every month.

January: The Tranquility of Carnations In the heart of wintertime, when nature appears to be in a deep rest, Carnations flower with peaceful poise. These fragile blossoms, offered in a wide range of shades, represent love, attraction, and difference. Pink carnations, particularly, share gratefulness, making them a wonderful birthday celebration gift.

February: The Modesty of Violets Violets, with their soft shades and wonderful aroma, mirror the mild change from winter months to springtime. Representing commitment, humbleness, and faithfulness, they're the best means to desire somebody a year full of unfaltering love and trust.

March: The Vitality of Daffodils As winter season launches its icy hold, daffodils arise, proclaiming the coming of warmer days. These glowing yellow blossoms signify new beginnings and unequaled interest, mirroring the significance of March-born people.

April: The Quality of Daisy Daisies, with their pure white flowers and sun-like center, are identified with virtue and pureness. They personify April's spirit, representing hope and the restoration of nature.

May: The Style of Lily of the Valley These small bell-shaped blossoms, with their invigorating scent, stand for the return of joy. An excellent depiction for May, they symbolize the change right into the euphoric summer season days ahead.

June: The Appeal of Roses June is beautified by the queen of blossoms. Roses, in their myriad shades, represent a variety of feelings from love to thankfulness, making them a flexible birthday celebration present.

July: The Brightness of Larkspur Larkspurs, with their high spikes and star-shaped blossoms, mean love and positivity. Their vibrancy records the height of summertime and the happiness of July.

September: The Beauty of Asters These pretty flowers, which are available in different colors, signify love and perseverance. As summer season subsides and fall approaches, asters personify the mix of 2 seasons.

October: The Vibrancy of Marigolds These intense blossoms, commonly related to the sunlight's radiance, capture October's significance. They mean interest and creative thinking, reverberating with the fall spirit.

November: The Deepness of Chrysanthemums Commonly called 'mums', these blossoms are available in a stunning variety of shades. They illustrate November's deepness, representing delight and positive outlook.

December: The Gleam of Narcissus These brilliant blossoms, mirroring the celebration of December, mean hope and success.

In this vivid tapestry of flowers, every month provides a one-of-a-kind blossom, adding appeal and meaning to birthday celebrations. Whether you're giving or receiving, comprehending these blossoms improves the happiness of the celebration.

Flower Delivery North Babylon NY

Towers Flowers is a local florist with extraordinary floral designs and same-day delivery in North Babylon, New York. We are open on Mondays-Saturdays 8:30 AM-6PM and Sundays 9AM-3:30 PM.

For over 3 decades, our flower shop has devotedly served all clients in North Babylon and areas around Long Island. Each floral arrangement we offer is created with care and passion by our florists, making sure you get the highest-quality florals and gifts for any occasion.

Shopping for a bouquet of red roses for your spouse? Birthday floral gift for a friend? Orchid plants for your mother? Pink flower arrangement for a special event? White sympathy blossoms for a funeral? We've got just what you need.

Let Towers Flowers be your first pick for dazzling floral bouquets and gifts!

Flower Shop North Babylon

Towers Flowers Florist & Flower Delivery 1350 Deer Park Ave Ste 32 North Babylon, NY 11703 (631) 242-0070 https://www.towersflowers.com/

Read our North Babylon florist review

Flower Delivery North Babylon

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brownesflowerslagunabeach · 2 months ago

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Laguna Beach Florist

Each month has its special beauty, and with it comes a special birthday flower that captures its significance. As days change from the new beginnings of January to the joyful endings of December, every month's birth flower brings with it stories of history, importance, and all-natural attraction. Let's start this 12-month flower odyssey, highlighting the birthday celebration blossoms that envelop the spirit of every month.

January: The Tranquility of Carnations In the heart of winter, when nature appears to be in a deep sleep, Carnations flower with silent elegance. These fragile blossoms, readily available in a wide variety of shades, represent love, attraction, and difference. Pink carnations, particularly, share appreciation, making them a charming birthday celebration gift.

February: The Modesty of Violets Violets, with their soft shades and wonderful aroma, mirror the mild change from wintertime to springtime. Signifying commitment, humbleness, and faithfulness, they're the best method to want somebody a year full of unwavering love and trust.

March: The Vitality of Daffodils As winter season launches its icy hold, daffodils arise, proclaiming the coming of warmer days. These glowing yellow flowers signify new beginnings and unequaled interest, mirroring the significance of March-born people.

April: The Quality of Daisy Daisies, with their pure white flowers and sun-like center, are associated with virtue and pureness. They personify April's spirit, representing hope and the renewal of nature.

May: The Beauty of Lily of the Valley These little bell-shaped blossoms, with their invigorating scent, stand for the return of joy. An excellent depiction for May, they symbolize the change right into the joyous summer season days ahead.

June: The Appeal of Roses June is beautified by the queen of blossoms. Roses, in their myriad shades, represent a myriad of feelings from love to gratefulness, making them a flexible birthday celebration present.

July: The Brightness of Larkspur Larkspurs, with their high spikes and star-shaped blossoms, mean love and positivity. Their vibrancy records the height of summertime and the happiness of July.

September: The Beauty of Asters These pretty blossoms, which can be found in numerous hues, signify love and perseverance. As summer season subsides and fall approaches, asters personify the mix of 2 seasons.

October: The Vibrancy of Marigolds These intense blossoms, commonly connected with the sunlight's radiance, capture October's significance. They represent enthusiasm and creative thinking, reverberating with the fall spirit.

November: The Deepness of Chrysanthemums<br> Frequently called 'mums', these blossoms are available in a magnificent variety of hues. They characterize November's deepness, representing pleasure and positive outlook.

December: The Gleam of Narcissus These brilliant blossoms, showing the celebration of December, represent hope and success.

In this vivid tapestry of flowers, every month provides a distinct flower, adding charm and meaning to birthday celebrations. Whether you're giving or receiving, recognizing these blossoms improves the happiness of the celebration.

Flower Delivery Laguna Beach CA

Browne's Flowers is a local florist with artistic floral designs and same day flower delivery in Laguna Beach, California. We are open Mon-Thu 8AM-6:30 PM, Fri-Sat 8AM-7PM, and Sun 9AM-5PM.

As the #1 flower shop in Laguna Beach, we are happy to satisfy all your floral needs for any event! Our passion is giving you the perfect flowers and gifts to amaze your loved ones and bring a smile to their faces.

Brighten a friend's birthday gathering with a sunflower bouquet. Celebrate the holidays with Easter or Christmas florals. Make your spouse feel amazing with a red rose anniversary bouquet. Surprise your mother with succulents or live orchids. Send your sympathy with white funeral blossoms.

For life's memorable moments, look to Browne's Flowers to give you the most dazzling flowers and gifts!

Flower Shop Laguna Beach

Browne's Florist & Flower Delivery 2094 S Coast Hwy Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (949) 497-2489 https://www.brownesflowers.com/

Read our Laguna Beach florist review

Flower Delivery Laguna Beach

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rosesandriceflorist · 10 months ago

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The Language of Thankfulness: What Various Flowers Say When You're Thankful

Thankfulness, a belief as old as mankind itself, discovers its most significant expression in the quiet language of flowers. Throughout history, flowers have actually been ambassadors of feelings, with each blossom bringing a special message. When it pertains to stating "Thank You," various flowers communicate different tones of gratitude. When you're sharing appreciation, let's dive into the flower lexicon and find what popular flowers tell. Roses: The ultimate flower of love, roses are a flexible option for revealing thanks. While the yellow rose, glowing as sunlight, signifies relationship and happiness, a pink rose communicates thankfulness and gratitude. An arrangement integrating the 2 colors can articulate a genuine "Thank You." Gerbera Daisies: These joyful flowers, with their brilliant colors and broad petals, represent happiness. Gifting Gerbera daisies resembles sending out a glowing smile, a gesture of pure gratitude. Lilies: Frequently related to rebirth and pureness, lilies, particularly the white ones, communicate a sense of wonder and affection. They're a sophisticated method of stating, "Thank you for the fantastic gesture." Orchids: With their unique beauty, orchids represent adoration and regard. A purple orchid, in particular, mentions royalty and appreciation, making it a fitting option for revealing deep thankfulness. Tulips: Pink tulips, understood for their downplayed sophistication, signify gratitude and understanding. They're a mild yet extensive method of revealing thanks. Sunflowers: These towering flowers, with their golden petals, represent love and commitment. Gifting sunflowers states, "I'm grateful for your consistent assistance and warmth." Chrysanthemums: In numerous cultures, chrysanthemums (or 'mums') are signs of pleasure and optimism. A red chrysanthemum communicates love, while a white one signifies devoted love and sincerity-- both lovely beliefs of appreciation. Hydrangeas: With their full-bodied look, hydrangeas signify wholehearted feelings. Especially, the blue hydrangeas reveal thankfulness, making them a thoughtful option for stating "Thank You." Peonies: These lavish flowers, specifically when in pink, communicate a sense of honor and thankfulness. Their soft petals and mild scent encapsulate the fragile nature of gratitude. Irises: Blue and purple irises represent knowledge, regard, and compliments. Gifting them resembles saying, "Thank you for your smart counsel and continuous assistance." Beyond specific flowers, the arrangement and presentation can include layers to the message of appreciation. Integrating specific flowers, selecting particular colors, or including decorations like cards and ribbons can magnify the belief. Words can articulate sensations, however flowers reveal feelings in such a way words in some cases can not. They capture subtleties, include depth, and make expressions of thankfulness really remarkable. The next time you want to communicate your gratitude, let the language of flowers speak your heart. Whether it's for a grand gesture or a basic act of generosity, there's a flower that can state "Thank You" in the most lovely method.

Roses and Rice Florist & Flower Delivery 481 Montauk Hwy, East Quogue, NY 11942 (631) 653-4910 https://www.rosesandriceflorist.com/

#EastQuogueNYFlorist

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merrymemphis · 1 year ago

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Memphis Whistle

My first experience with Memphis Whistle was during the pandemic when Memphis allowed cocktail delivery. I ordered from them a time or ten, and was extremely grateful that such a place existed. It was a great concept, and fortunately for imbibers, resulted in the opening of their brick and mortar location at the east end of Young Avenue in the Cooper-Young neighborhood inside an unassuming Midtown bungalow.

We were super excited to make Memphis Whistle our first stop on the Cocktail Countdown.

December 1, 2023

As we approached the building, the door swung open, and we were immediately greeted with a great smile from Anderson welcoming us to Memphis Whistle.

I could tell from the moment we entered, this was my kind of place. It was dimly lit, moody, candles - perfect ambiance. The bar stretched across what may have originally been the den and dining room. It was a Friday night, so most of the seats at the bar had been claimed.

We were hungry, so our plan was to forgo the bar and be seated to enjoy our cocktails with dinner. It was busy, so we were happy we didn't have to wait.

Our table was a cozy 2-top placed under the candlelit mantle of the home's former fireplace. The room was filled with other merry-makers wanting a little sustenance to compliment their beverages. It was an intimate setting allowing for a good feeling to be there amidst the laughter and conversation of total strangers.

I was happy to see Anderson return to our table as our server, and speak to us as though he was genuinely invested in our having a great evening. Of course, with the point of the visit to be liquid in nature, I started by requesting a festive drink, of his choosing. He explained the concoction to me, and I was giving the choice for it to be blended with gin, or bourbon. I chose bourbon. Caitlin chose gin.

Per Anderson's description, the cocktails were made with a shrub of pear, cardamom, and allspice; then blended with the liquor. For those of you, like me, that had no idea what a shrub was in the world of cocktails, this explanation comes directly from Memphis Whistle's website:

"What is a shrub, you ask? They are a fruit and vinegar based drink that dates back to the time before refrigeration when fruit was preserved in barrels of vinegar and imbibed as a health beverage. Memphis Whistle infuses our shrubs with herbs and spices to compliment the fruit. (We jokingly refer to this as offsetting the toxins from the booze) We pair our shrubs with the alcohol to perfectly match the fruit."

As we waited for the delivery of our libations, we absorbed the atmosphere and noted the jovial, yet chill vibe throughout the establishment.

When Anderson returned, drinks in hand, I asked him what the concoction was called, so I could mention it in my blog. He said that because of the pear infusion, it was being referred to as, "Appearantly."

Brilliant!

We ordered dinner, sharing a massive bowl of Gator Sausage and Chicken Thigh Gumbo, and an equally massive Cheese and Sausage plate - both amazingly delicious, and deserving of their own blog.

We eagerly enjoyed our delightful cocktails, which delivered the perfect holiday mood with its sensuous blend of spices, fruit, and booze.

For our next round, Anderson brought us another shrub based concoction that had been thoughtfully blended, and was equally divine. I am pretty sure he said it was mulberry with gin. Another holiday hit that made me feel warm and cozy inside.

We took our time with these as we savored the flavors - relishing the moment.

After we left, we sat in the car and agreed that the evening at been perfect. This had been exactly what we were looking for to enhance the season.

Joy and happiness "peared" with great food and drinks!

Looking forward to sharing our 2nd day of our Cocktail Countdown tomorrow after our visit to Art Bar.

See you then!

#Merry Memphis #Memphis Whistle #Holiday Cocktail Countdown #25 Bars in 25 Days

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ladymatt · 4 years ago

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Shadowhunters (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Characters: Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood Additional Tags: Incubus Magnus, Fratboy Alec, PWP Series: Part 2 of Incubus Verse

Summary:

It’s been a couple months since Halloween, and Magnus can’t help indulging himself.

#CryptidBane (Impetus)#BreakfastInBed #FicRec #SequelToDietaryRestrictions #A fave fic of mine #So I'm ecstatic we got more from this verse #Thankful for its commision #Grateful for its brilliant delivery #Smut/Fluff/Humour #DELICIOUS

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kiatheinsomniac · 2 years ago

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Helooo! Saw your requests were open! I’m kinda new to tumblr so please forgive me

I was wondering if you could do a Female!Eivor x reader, it could be that y/n could have such intense anxiety, she can’t go outside and talk to people anymore, and eivor could help her out with that? Thanks!!

notes: ahhh! I've missed my requests for characters like fem Eivor and Kassandra!

pairing: Female! Eivor x Reader

word count: 0.8k

☾ ⋆ﾟ MASTERLIST / RULES / TAGLIST FORM

Anxiety

“I know you’re stronger than you let yourself believe, my love.” Eivor murmured softly as she leaned down to bring her lips close to your ear, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek. You held her bicep firmly in your hands as you walked alongside her on her arm, weakly nodding your head in reply at her words. “And what’s the most important thing to do?” Her rough voice came out in a soft tone and it always comforted you to know that no matter how calloused this woman could seem, she would always have a soft spot for you. “Do you want to walk through what you’re going to say? I know that helps you.” She offered, wrapping her arm around you and you were grateful for the way her fur cloak covered you with such a gesture.

“I’d like to upgrade my bow.” You spoke quietly, “The limbs are too weak for a good shot.” There was a kiss at your temple that made you smile softly.

“That’s great! That’s all you need to say and I’ll do the rest of the talking, just try to make sure that you’re loud and clear, alright?” You swallowed hard and nodded your head, feeling your chest become tighter as you made your way closer to Gunnar’s forge. Eivor watched as your chest quickened with each rise and fall of breath, growing deeper and sharper, your hands practically crushing her one that you held as it was slung over your shoulder.

Your blonde lover quickly pulled you aside, under the shade of a tree and stopped to face you, taking both hands in yours and squeezing gently. “I’m so, so proud of you for doing this, I know you can see it through. People can be terrifying, I know but I’ve seen you fight off a wolf with your bare hands.” You looked away bashfully – admittedly you had been caught off guard while inspecting a shot rabbit, having set your weapons down when the wolf attacked you. You were beyond lucky that Eivor had been with you that day, swooping in to save you as you held back the creature that was gnashing its teeth at you. “You’re much braver than you know. You can do this.” You threw yourself at her chest, wrapping your arms around her torso and squeezing tightly, as though it would flush the anxiety out of you. “Go through it one more time.”

“I’d like to upgrade my bow. The limbs are too weak for a good shot.” You repeated.

“There’s my girl.” The vikingr grinned, a hand coming up to cup your cheek, tilting her head as she looked down at you. “You’re brilliant, really, I’m so proud of you.” And her arm was back around your shoulder, leading you to the forge.

“Gunnar!” Eivor greeted, shaking the man’s hand with her freehand.

“Eivor! And Y/n, it’s great to see you!” He greeted cheerfully, “What can I do for you?” Your mouth felt dry and you were wringing your hands, leaning into the safety of Eivor’s body as you tried to mentally prepare yourself, speeding through the words over and over in your head as you removed your bow from your back with trembling hands. Eivor looked down at you, a silent cue for you to speak.

“I’d like to-” You raised the volume of your voice, “to upgrade my bow. The limbs are too weak for a good shot.” You set it down on the table and cringed as hot tears built up in your eyes, feeling Eivor’s hand begin to soothingly rub up and down your arm.

“I’ll have the payment brought to you on delivery as usual.” Eivor added.

“A worn bow indeed, we can’t have our settlement’s most notorious hunter going out with this! I’ll make some arrows for you too.” You tried to thank him but, as your lips moved, no words came out.

“We’ll be back in two days. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Gunnar.” Eivor led you off and you did your best to try and keep your breathing under control, a single tear running down your cheek against your will as your whole body trembled. Neither of you stopped until you were back at your shared room in the longhouse.

“You were brilliant, my love!” She exclaimed, pulling you in for a tight hug and you nodded your head quickly, squeezing her tightly. She pulled back to cup your face in her hands, thumb swiping away the stray tear, “You did everything perfectly, there’s no need to cry. No one thought badly of you, Gunnar was even joyful to see you! He asks about you all the time when I go to him for my own upgrades. The people around here love you and would love to see you feeling comfortable when you go out. It’s something we’ll work towards together, ja?” You could have melted in her hold at how supportive she was of you.

“I love you.” You whispered. Her patience with your anxiety meant the world to you when you knew that she was such a confident woman.

“I love you more than you can imagine.” She replied with a lingering kiss to your lips.

☾ ⋆ﾟ Buy me a coffee?

🏷️ @writing-noah

#eivor wolfsmal #eivor wolfkissed #eivor varinsdóttir #eivor varinsdóttir x reader #eivor varinnsdóttir x you #female eivor #assassins creed fanfiction #assassins creed x reader #assassins creed #assassins creed valhalla #f! eivor x reader #f! eivor x f! reader #female eivor x female reader

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average-guy-reviews · 2 years ago

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The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)

"On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, Pádraic is devastated when his buddy Colm suddenly puts an end to their lifelong friendship. With help from his sister and a troubled young islander, Pádraic sets out to repair the damaged relationship by any means necessary. However, as Colm's resolve only strengthens, he soon delivers an ultimatum that leads to shocking consequences."

From the moment I first saw the trailer I was hooked, and needed to see this film. I thought, a little, that I had an idea of what I was in for. I could not have been more wrong. Every other time I have been to the silver screen this year I have just watched a film. This? This was heartbreaking cinema at its finest. It leads you on a journey, draws you in and makes you feel deeply for each of the main characters........and then it plunges an ice cold finger of heartbreak deep into your chest. It is pure drama, with just a sprinkling of lighter moments...though they are few and far between.

Set early in the 20th century, with the Irish Civil War as a backdrop, the film is set on the small island of Inisherin. It's the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, and information spreads like wildfire. Focussing on Pádraic, played by Colin Farrell, and Colm, played by Brendan Gleeson, it tells the tale of two friends. Gleeson's character suddenly announces that he no longer likes, or wants to be around, Farrell's Pádraic. He feels like he wants to concentrate on writing music so that he'll be remembered long past his death...."No-one remembers you for being nice!"

I've always been impressed by both men, despite some questionable performances in the past, but they opened my eyes, and my heart, with their skills on screen in this film. They are quite simply brilliant. The chemistry between the actors is electric, despite the anatgonistic relationship the characters have. Farrell is playing in a style I have never seen him in before. He brings a heart-wrenching character fully to life, a character who is not the brightest and, at first, doesn't understand why his old friend no longer likes him. His is a path I wouldn't want to follow and Farrell marches us down it whether we want to go or not, and by the end I was both grateful and disheartened to have walked that walk. Farrell is excellent.

Brendan Gleeson, as the gruff fiddler Colm, is on fine form. Playing a man that is clearly smarter than Pádraic he has the unenviable job of trying to explain why he no longer likes his friend. As an audience it's clear, and Gleeson's delivery of his explanations is exquisite, as is the build up of frustration. Colm makes a promise to Pádraic about what he will do in a certain situation and, without specific spoilers, he is a man of his word. Gleeson gives us a masterclass in emotional build up, and his and Farrell's performances should be on any curriculum for dramatic acting.

There are two more performances that need to be noted. Barry Keoghan, as Dominic, is cast as the village "gom" (idiot) and is both frustratingly annoying, and loveable to a degree. Early on we discover he is a victim of domestic violence at the hands of his policeman father. Keoghan's performance never wavers, and it is easy to cultivate an emotional attachment to someone who doesn't really understand why he is treated as he is, as well as simply accepting that it is what it is. I don't know Keoghan's work well but this is a damn fine performance.

The last of the four main characters is Pádraic's sister, Siobhán, played by Kerry Condon. To call her the least of the four is both accurate and yet unfair, because her performance is by no means anything that should be looked at as the least. A much smarter sister she has to deal with her brother's difficulties in navigating what is happening. She helps him, sometimes in ways he may not know, and Condon is delightful to watch as she weaves her way through her character's life. She is a welcome addition to an all round wonderful cast.

The film itself has been crafted beautifully. Martin McDonagh, in the director's chair, made decisions that blended everything together seamlessly. His choices of shots across the green, yet dark, landscape of Inisherin, and the amalgamation of music into the story is just so well done. I really hope he is as proud of this film as he deerves to be. He has given me a glimpse into a society I could never have seen, and I thank him for that.

This is a slow film, with a long build up. I don't say this to be negative. Far from it. The pacing of the film is perfect for the story, and the build up of tensions and difficulties is done as well as it may be possible to do. I have been in action packed films and been bored, but at no point in this slow, deliberate, movie did i ever feel less than engaged.

Overall this is brilliant piece of cinema. Excellent performances and a great direction have brought a new story to the screen that i believe could eventualy go down in the books as a classic. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and don't do this lightly, but it is getting a 10/10, with a maximum recommendation to go and see it if you can. I know it won't be for everyome, and that's okay. It was for me, and I am more than glad to have seen it.

#the banshees of inisherin #ireland #colin farrell #brendan gleeson #barry keoghan #kerry condon #music #Donkey #Friends #Island #civil war #Fiddle #movies #reviews #cinema #odeon

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99liv3s · 4 years ago

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A New Shiny Breeding Method

“Breathe, Anna, you’re doing great!!”

29 year old Anna Jones panted and moaned as the next contraction hit her. The egg, which was slightly larger than a baby’s head, began to crown at her vagina, causing a great amount of pain and pressure! The nursery worker acting as her midwife brushed Anna’s light blonde hair out of her face, then, after gently placing her hand on Anna’s belly, she knelt down between her legs, ready to catch the egg once Anna delivered!

“IT HURTS!” “OH GOD, IT HURTS!!” Anna exclaimed!

“Yes, I know it does,” the nursery worker stated, “but you are doing great, and remember, it’s all worth it!”

Anna wasn’t sure she agreed with the nursery worker’s statement, for she had been effectively forced into this new procedure! Of course, shiny hunting had always been a common practice among Pokemon trainers, and the method with the best chances had always been Pokemon breeding… Trainers would hatch up to thousands of eggs hoping to get Pokemon with high battle stats, or, with luck, a shiny. Once it was discovered long ago that dittos could breed with anything, it became the custom to breed the desired Pokemon with ditto to guarantee egg types.

Unfortunately, as everyone knew, certain Pokemon couldn’t breed… it was initially explained that these certain Pokemon, usually legendary Pokemon, had no gender. However, it was likely more complicated than that. Scientists across all the regions of the Pokemon world had been studying this very issue, and the research had made its way to the Galar region, after a new discovery had been made.

Across the region, a small handful of humans had been born with a rare mutation that allowed their DNA to shift and be able to combine with any other DNA, including that of a Pokemon’s. It was called a “gift” by the highest renowned professors, and it had the potential to open new possibilities. The Galar region had two Pokemon nurseries, but suddenly, one day, the nursery nestled in the wild area closed its doors. Unbeknownst to most of the outside world, the nursery had been converted into a new laboratory, dedicated to studying this new discovery, and a new method that was made possible because of it. Recent attempts in Pokemon cloning had been disastrous, and scientists had been proceeding very cautiously in future studies in that field, but several brilliant minds cooked up the idea that if a Pokemon’s DNA could be injected into a host with the rare condition, which they were now calling the “Ditto Genome”, combined with a cocktail of several other drugs, the result could produce Pokemon eggs in a similar manner as true reproduction, and this would bypass the obstacle surrounding legendary Pokemon.

The scientists were eager to put their theories to the test, but they needed a viable candidate. Unfortunately, most of the humans that possessed the “Ditto Genome” were trainers, itching to complete their Gym Challenges, or other dreams, and were not available... The scientists continued their search, and then an opportunity came to them in the form of Anna Jones!

Anna had attempted the Gym Challenge but failed at the second gym. Because of this, she became so distraught; she quit as a Pokemon Trainer and released all of her Pokemon. This soon proved to be a mistake, as she had no other viable skills, and could not find employment anywhere. During a typical medical checkup, she had had a DNA test run, and it was discovered that she carried the “Ditto Genome.” Just when it looked as if she was about to reach the end of her road, she was approached, (more like abducted), by the scientists. They brought her to the nursery laboratory, where they made a proposition: They had informed a very strong trainer in secret that they could provide him the means to potentially hatch a shiny Mew, and the trainer had jumped at the chance, paying the nursery a considerable amount of money to make it happen!

So, two days had passed to find Anna spread out on a hospital bed inside the nursery wearing nothing but a pink bra, laboring to deliver a clutch of eggs that had apparently formed after a scientist injected some sort of concoction into her via a needle to the stomach. There were still parts of the situation even she was not aware of yet!

The egg slowly began to emerge from Anna’s vagina, and as it did so, she let out a cry of grief! In the back of her mind, she was aware that her stomach looked like a 9 month pregnant woman, so if she was giving birth to Pokemon eggs, then there had to be more than one, much more!

“Get it out! Get it out!” GET IT OUT!!” Anna begged!

“It’s coming,” the nursery worker assured her. “Push with the contraction!”

Anna pushed and screamed, and the egg slid to its widest point. Then, with a slight squishy pop, it slid out, and Anna slumped onto her pillow in relief. However, it was not to last!

A second, male, nursery worker that had been doing nothing but standing in the room apparently watching the entire effort, advanced forward and took the egg gently from Anna’s “midwife.” He then turned to another female worker standing just outside the door and gave the egg to her, saying “Give this egg to the trainer… tell him nothing about how we obtained it!”

“He emptied his entire party, save one Pokemon, for this, sir,” She responded, taking the egg, “He will demand more eggs immediately so he can hatch them as quickly as possible.

As if in response to this, Anna let out another moan, feeling more pain and pressure building up as a second egg began making its way down her birth canal.

“Inform him that we’ll have another for him soon,” the head scientist proclaimed. “Here comes the second of eight.”

“EIGHT??!!!” Anna squeaked. “AAAGGGGHHHH!!!!”

The pain and pressure build up and the egg seemed to force its way to Anna’s opening, not caring how much it hurt her. Anna tried to push in tandem with it, but it was happening so fast, she could barely catch her breath. Sure enough, it began to crown, and Anna was hit with a burning sensation so awful, she was sure a Charmander had used flamethrower on her lower body.

“OW OW OW OW… AH AH AH AH AH!!”

“Breathe, honey, it’s making great progress!” The nursery worker coached.

Anna panted and moaned and cried, and after a minute of agonizing pushing, the second egg slid out of her. Immediately, before Anna could barely glimpse what had just come out of her, the “midwife” handed the egg to the head scientist, who in turn, passed it out the door to the trainer. Anna felt a twinge of anger, that she was going through the pain of bringing these eggs into the world, only for them to belong to a Pokemon trainer she had never met, all because she failed… all because she had this damn “Ditto Genome!”

“Good news,” the scientist said to the room in general, “The trainer just told our worker outside that he hatched a healthy Mew out of that first egg!” “So far the experiment is a success, but we must continue for that shiny!”

“Easy for you to say,” Anna thought bitterly, as she could feel a slight build up of pressure once again. After 15 minutes of more pain, panting, screaming, crying, and pushing, the third egg was delivered. As soon as the scientist gave the egg to the trainer, Anna began to feel discomfort as the fourth egg struggled to make its appearance. It felt strange, for it seemed to be the same size as the others she delivered, but it seemed she could feel the little Mew move inside of it, as it made its way through her cervix. “Please, let this be the shiny,” Anna hoped to herself, “Please let me and this trainer get lucky, so I can end this experiment!”

The fourth egg emerged, somewhat easier than the others, so Anna was grateful for small favors, but after a few minutes, in which she had time to catch her breath, the scientist informed everyone in the room that all of the eggs produced had been hatched, and there was no shiny in any of them.

“Faster,” the scientist exclaimed, “The trainer wants to continue hatching eggs!”

“The little shit can wait,” Anna breathed, as she felt the twinge of the fifth egg begin to start its emergence. She pushed and pushed and brought fourth the fifth egg, wondering how that trainer was hatching them so damn fast, but she had very little time to dwell on it, for the contractions to bring the sixth egg were already starting up, and Anna could already feel her body tiring out from the effort of pushing out what was essentially five baby heads.

As a result of this, the sixth egg’s delivery was not so easy!

“I can’t do this anymore,” Anna cried. “It hurts too bad, and I’m exhausted!”

“You have to,” the scientist said immediately. “Remember, we were paid a lot of money for this.” “You will never have to worry about being poor every again, Miss Jones… This will allow you to start a new life!”

Anna knew that what he was saying was true, and she couldn’t go back to having nothing, so she mustered up her courage and strength and pushed out the sixth egg with one big push! Unfortunately, the strain to do so seemed to “awaken” the seventh egg and it began its decent. However, Anna found the strength to birth it as well, grunting and roaring in pain in the process. She was comforted by the fact that the next egg was number eight, and was the last of the group!

“PUSH,” the nursery worker ordered! “PUSH HARD!!”

Anna screamed and pushed, working tirelessly to birth the final egg, and after 10 minutes, the ordeal was over. Anna slumped onto the bed in exhaustion and relief, listening to the sounds around her, but what she heard filled her with a new sense of dread.

“No shiny,” the scientist exclaimed in disgust. “The trainer is irritated.” “Continue!”

“Wait, what does…” Anna began, but then her heart dropped as the nursery worker advanced on her with another needle and injected it in her lower belly, muttering “I’m sorry!” Within minutes, Anna’s stomach began expanding again, and she could feel her uterus fill up with eggs, once again. If it was anything like the first time, labor would hit quite soon, and she was unsure she could handle it again.

“NO,” Anna pleaded. “No, I CAN’T!” “I just had eight eggs… I’m too tired for more!”

“It can’t be helped,” the scientist responded, almost apologetically. “The trainer is still outside, cycling around in circles and chatting to friends on his phone.” “He wants the eggs now, otherwise he’ll start to ask questions about all this.”

Before Anna could protest, the nursery worker that had been acting as her midwife began scanning her with a small portable device.

“Four eggs this time,” she said. “Only four!” “You can do it, dear!”

“But, I CA…AAAHHHH”, Anna started, as contractions started up again!

As 20 more minutes passed, Anna labored and birthed the first of a new batch of Mew eggs. It was just as painful and exhausting as the first births has been. With barely time to contemplate what would happen if it took over a thousand hatches to get this godforsaken shiny, she was hit with another wave of pain. Egg number two was making its appearance.

Anna breathed and pushed for the next several minutes, before she and everyone else realized something was wrong. The nursery worker checked her, and then looked into Anna’s eyes with an expression of what seemed like pity.

“The egg is turned,” she said to her. “It’s coming out wide instead of long.”

“What does that mean?” Anna asked in terror.

“By all accounts, it means the egg is breach,” the midwife responded. “It’s coming out sideways.”

“NO!!” Anna yelled, knowing what that must mean. “Can’t you turn it or something??”

“I can try,” the midwife answered.

She reached into Anna’s vagina, causing Anna to scream! It was extremely uncomfortable, and that discomfort turned to pure agony when the worker attempted to turn the egg inside her. After a minute of this, she withdrew from Anna, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, Anna, I can’t move it,” She said, but Anna didn’t pay any attention to this… Whatever the midwife had tried to do seemed to accelerate the process, and Anna was bearing down, the pain that hit her when the worker reached inside her still present.

“OH MY GOD!!” “IT REALLY HURTS!!” Anna bellowed!! “I CAN’T DO THIS!”

“You can,” the midwife soothed her. “You’re strong.” “It’s going to hurt a lot, but you can do it.”

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

Anna felt the egg begin to emerge, and knew that in its current position, it would not fit through her vagina. She pushed, and moaned, and screamed, and cried, but it was no use… the wide section of the egg crowned, and stayed there, not moving at all. It peaked out of Anna as if taunting her and the nursery workers to get it out.

“AHHH….OOHH….UUGGHH….AGGGHHHH!”

In an attempt to assist the laboring mother, the nursery worker positioned herself and used both her hands to press on Anna’s contracting belly. To her amazement, the combined pushing of her, Anna, and the contractions seemed to be working… the egg slowly emerged as Anna howled in agony.

“Just a little more…. Just a little more!!” “It’s coming out, Anna!!”

“AAAHHHHHH” “PULL IT OUT RIGHT NOW!!!”

“I can’t, Anna, but you’ve almost got it… don’t give up!!”

With a final almighty scream, Anna pushed the egg out and the nursery worker caught it. “Good job, Anna!” she cheered.

After 10 minutes, contractions for the third egg started. Anna was sure that this surely could not be as difficult as the egg she just delivered. “Is this one turned right?” She asked her midwife.

After a few seconds, the midwife stopped checking Anna, with a grim expression on her face. “Yes, it is, but…”

“But, what,” Anna asked, dreading the answer.

“This egg is twice as large as the others,” the nursery worker exclaimed.

Anna shook her head stubbornly, refusing to believe it could get any worse. “NO, It can’t be,” Anna pleaded. “It won’t fit!”

“I’m sorry,” the midwife said to her. “I know it will hurt a lot, but you have to push hard and get it out!!” “There’s no going back now!!”

Anna screamed in pain as the egg moved. It was pure agony, and Anna was sure that trying to push this egg out would tear her… maybe even kill her. After about ten minutes of horrible pain and pressure, the egg finally began poking out of her vagina. Anna howled in anguish as it crowned, causing the familiar burning sensation, only twice as bad.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” Anna bellowed. “AAHH!!” “GET THIS THING OUT OF ME!!” “PLEASE!!!”

“It’s coming,” the nursery worker said to her. “It’s not stuck, just moving slowly, cause it’s big, and your vagina is not.” “Push hard!!”

Anna screamed as she pushed, the egg slowly emerging. Distantly, she heard the head scientist saying something impatiently, but she didn’t care. The pain was too much, and it was taking all of her willpower not to pass out. The egg moved inch by inch, and the burning was so severe, Anna was sure that her vagina had opened to the point where it would never be right again!

“IT’S TEARING ME!!” She screamed. “I CAN’T PUSH ANYMORE!!” “CUT IT OUT OF ME!!”

“No,” the midwife said sternly. “You can do this!!” “PUSH!!”

Anna wailed and pushed and cried. After a few minutes, she slumped backward onto the bed, trying to catch her breath. The egg was halfway out, hanging between her legs like a crowning head. She was given oxygen, and the egg was examined while she attempted to quickly rest between contractions. The midwife and supporting scientists made an interesting discovery when they scanned this egg hanging halfway out of Anna.

“There are two Mews in that egg… Twins!” one of the scientists stated.

“This is most unusual, as we’ve never seen two Pokemon in one egg before, ever!” The head scientist said. “How is this possible?” “This warrants further study!”

“I JUST WANT IT OUT!!!” Anna bawled as another heavy contraction came over her. She grunted and pushed, and finally, the large egg slid out and landed in the midwife’s arms. However, instead of giving it to the scientist by the door, she handed the overlarge egg to someone else, who took it to another corner of the room.

“Wait, what are you doing??” Anna exclaimed breathlessly, as she watched them take the egg she struggled to deliver over to a lab table.

“We’re not giving this egg to the trainer,” The head scientist exclaimed. “We have just witnessed a phenomenon, and we will need to study it and the Mews inside!”

“But…. but what if one of those Mews in that egg is a shiny?” Anna asked frantically.

The head scientist shrugged. “If it is, then too bad… we’ll just have to continue for a second shiny, one from a normal egg!”

“NO!!” Anna yelled, in both anger and pain as she felt another contraction hit. “You’re not the one struggling to birth these eggs!” “What if another hundred eggs doesn’t produce one?”

“Then, you’ll be giving birth to more than one hundred eggs,” The scientist exclaimed. “Don’t worry, you’ll get to rest eventually between births, and you will, of course, be well compensated for it!”

Anna’s heart fell… she didn’t think any amount of money in the world was worth this torture. She was so distraught and exhausted that, though the next egg seemed normal enough, Anna was struggling to deliver it.

“Push, Anna, Push!!” The midwife coached, but Anna only gave a small mediocre push. Her heart was no longer in it, and she had lost her will and focus. She moaned and yelled in pain, convinced that this last egg would no doubt kill her. This continued for the next half hour: Anna moaning, the midwife directing her to push, and Anna losing her energy, when the large egg Anna had delivered earlier hatched on the lab table, revealing two Mews, though none of them were shiny. This did nothing to help Anna’s confidence, and the scientist that had taken the large egg was scanning the two newborn Mews, seemingly unconcerned with Anna’s agony.

“This is it,” Anna thought to herself. “I’m going to die, painfully!” “I can’t get this last egg out, I’m too tired and it hurts too bad!” Suddenly, Anna heard another voice in her mind. “You are strong,” it said. “You must not give up!” “I can give you the willpower to help you get through this!” Anna blinked. “Who are you,” she asked in her mind, and then the voice answered her, “I am one of the Mews you just delivered!!”

Anna glanced over at the lab table with wide eyes, to see one of the newborn Mews staring at her, its eyes glowing blue. It was communicating psychically with her, and seeming to do more than that. She began feeling renewed strength, as if the Mew was somehow energizing her with its power.

Anna bore down and pushed hard! “UUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!”

“Good girl, that’s it!” the midwife said, as the egg began to crown finally.

Anna screamed and grunted, pushing again. The egg was emerging quickly, and the midwife scientist watched with wide eyes.

“There’s a fifth egg right behind this one,” she told the room. “It’s trying to come out too!!” “Anna, give me one good hard push!!”

Anna screamed loudly and pushed harder than she had ever done, or thought possible, and the fourth and fifth egg both popped out of her, one after another into the midwife’s arms.

Anna lay on the bed, panting in relief as the head scientist handed the fourth egg out to the trainer. The midwife was mopping her head with a cold, damp cloth. After 10 minutes, everyone heard a loud cheer from outside.

“That fourth egg hatched into a shiny Mew!” The head scientist told the room a minute later. “The experiment was a success!!”

The entire room cheered, except for Anna, who was too tired to join in the celebrations, but smiled in relief nonetheless. She did wonder what was going to happen to her now… what if more trainers wanted shiny Pokemon, or the scientists wanted to experiment with more legendaries??

Anna was allowed a day of rest. That evening, the head scientist came into her room to talk to her.

“We have good news for you,” he said. “You can go home!” “We will be paying you quite a large sum shortly.” “We discovered something yesterday… one of those Mews from that large egg can breed!!” “It can also talk psychically to us, and has volunteered to take your place in our experiments.”

Anna sighed in relief. “So, it’s all over??”

“Yes, it is!” the scientist responded. “We have your clothes washed for you, so as soon as you are recovered and dressed, we will present you with your payment and you can leave!” “We thank you deeply for what you did for us.”

“NEVER AGAIN!!” Anna said sharply!!

The scientist smiled. “Of course!!” “You have enough money now to live comfortably for the rest of your life!” “We only ask that you never tell anyone what happened here, and we have a final gift for you!”

The scientist left the room for a few seconds and returned, holding a Pokemon egg that he presented to Anna.

“This is the fifth Mew egg you birthed, the one that was a surprise,” he told her. “That trainer released all of the non-shiny Mews into the wild, effectively restoring the Mew population, and we have those twin Mews for our studies, so once this final egg hatches, the Mew inside it is yours.” “It did come out of you, after all.”

Anna took the egg wide eyed and stared at it. A tear ran down her cheek as she smiled. Perhaps it was all worth it after all!!

End

#birth #giving birth #eggs #labor #pokemon

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romanceimp · 4 years ago

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Pregnant s/o hcs: Mirio, Bakugo, Todoroki, Midoriya, Iida, Tamaki

SFW, just super fluffy

Mirio:

If you don’t think this man is tearing up when you tell him... uhhh you’d be wrong

He is crying over you and so happy, will kneel and just kiss your tummy

And when you’re in bed that night going to sleep, every few minutes he will nuzzle in closer and whisper, “hey guess what? We’re gonna have a baby”

Anytime he says he loves you now he says it to your tummy too

“I love you Y/n, I love that you are mine and I love that you’re going to be the mother of my child” *bends down* “And I love you too baby”

He will have a really hard time waiting until the second trimester to tell anyone but once he is able, everyone will know, and he’s going to have a party in your honor.

He will treat you like a queen, back rubs and foot rubs...

I feel like when you first tell him you’re pregnant he will come home a few days later with a box... when you open it, it’s a maternity dress, and its actually really pretty, with lace and silk, and nice and stretchy...

“I know you don’t need it now, but I saw it when I was out and thought it would look perfect on you...”

He will compliment you every second of every day, will trace your stretch marks and tell you they make you beautiful because it’s all part of you becoming a mother, it’s a natural tattoo, a reminder of how you’re growing a life inside you

He will want to throw a gender reveal party

And no, it can’t be as simple as balloons popping out of a box, he’s gotta have something extravagant to celebrate like fireworks, monster trucks, or a paid actor dressed as a baby

You’re having his baby! This is a pinnacle moment in his life and he is not about to have some basic ass party

Mirio is definitely the kind of guy who thinks you can’t have sex because it could hurt the baby, you will have to make a very embarrassing call to your doctor about that...

He is looking forward to owning dad sandals (who are we kidding he prolly already does)

Bakugo:

This man will shit himself, make sure he is sitting down

“Bakugo... I’m pregnant”

“Hah?”

“I’m having a baby! You’re gonna be a dad”

He’s really happy and excited, he has no doubt you’ll be an amazing mom but he’s kinda worried about him being a dad...

Am I fit to raise a kid? Will I be a good dad?

He will probably start working more and almost go on over drive... He will start coming home later, picking up earlier shifts... And when you ask him, “Katsuki, are you not happy about the baby?” He will kinda break down and tell you “No of course I’m fucking happy about the baby, I just want the world to be safe for our kid... and I only have 8 months till then and-” He drops to his knees in front of you and he’s tearing up. You’ll get onto your knees too and just hug him, “Katsuki, you can’t fix the world before we have our baby,” you’ll look at him lovingly as he realizes how absurd he was being. “But we can prepare to be the best parents we can be...” “Prepare? We’re already gonna be the best parents.”

Okay, Bakugo hypes up the baby too, like...

“Katsuki, come here! The baby is kicking!” *he puts his hand on your tummy* “Baby’s so strong, just like us,” *grabs you and kisses you* “I knew we made a fucking perfect kid”

He will try kill anyone who oversteps the boundary with the bump (like touching the bump without asking)

“OI EXTRA, you wanna take your fucking hands off my woman and my kid or do I have to do that for you...”

Bakugo would be very unnecessarily competitive in birthing class

Will wake you up in the middle of the night at least once, he’s just laying on his back staring wide eyed at the ceiling... “What if I explode the baby?”

You’ll roll over and look at him annoyed, “you won't explode the baby,”

He will settle again once you give him cuddles

You cannot tell me that he would not be your biggest cheerleader when you’re actually giving birth, “PUSH, FUCKING PUSH DUMB ASS!”

Todoroki:

This man freaks out for a sec... cuz daddy issues. But he has a strong resolve so he will come out of it quickly and decide how to

“Shoto, you aren’t anything like Endeavor, you’re going to be an amazing dad”

He will be extremely happy, but his excitement will be softer

Everyday after you tell him he says you’re glowing

He will want to cook you special things because it’s healthy for the baby, or so his mother told him

Speaking of his mother, she taught him how to knit when he went to visit her in the hospital so you’ll find him knitting little hats and bootie and jackets for the baby

He will nest just as much, if not more than you do

You’ll find him awake at 3AM trying to put together some bullshit ikea thing for the baby with the tiny allen wrench they give you for free. “Shoto, come back to bed... we can do that in the morning” “But the baby needs somewhere to sleep,” “Yes, and I’m not due for another two months”

Shoto is already so soft but I think he would be softer

Like when you fall asleep on the couch, he gets home and just cuddles up to you and asks your bump how it’s day was. He will talk to the bump until you wake up and then he just pepper your face with kisses.

He is the only one of all these men who doesn’t shit himself and die when watching the birthing tape. I think he would be calm and say something like “a woman’s body is made to carry and deliver a child, there’s nothing to be frightened of.”

Midoriya:

When you tell him, he’s gonna cry

He will want to call his mom right away

Midoriya is the kinda guy to have a box of his things from when he was a kid stored away to give to his child (it’s all All Might merch but, ya know)

He definitely panics and worries if he is going to be a good father but he takes all that anxiety and just turns it into energy to care for you with

He is already signing you up for birthing classes

This man would take you to all your doctors visits, acupuncture appointments, prenatal massages, and even a strange healing session done in the back room of a health good shop (don’t worry, he checked google reviews, 346 people, and 5 stars) (You weren't sure about it at first, but you felt very at peace afterwards, def worth the 5 star review)

He just really wants you to be happy and healthy

It would be understatement to say he treats you like a queen... he treats you like a goddess, and he tells you everyday how grateful he is that you’re his love and giving him a baby. Especially when you feel insecure about how your body is changing

He will want to make the nursery Hero themed... with an All Might wall decal... you’ll eventually opt for something a little less... exuberant like jungle animals or something. But the compromise is the All Might mobil that spins and says “I am here” while playing twinkle twinkle little star.

He will read to the bump, and sing to it because he wants the baby to know his voice

Will make a ‘goodnight’ song with you for the baby to sing to it every night

Tenya:

Tenya is so excited and immediately starts thinking of things he needs to do for you and baby

The day after he will come home with a bag from the store full of prenatal vitamins and herbal teas that are safe to drink

“My love! I have brought you Evening Primrose supplements, it’s supposed to help with your delivery.”

I think he has name ideas picked out already and is very excited to show them to you. They are all related to the Iida family.

He would ask his brother for advice and would be so excited to tell him when it’s time.

Don’t even worry about pregnancy brain. Iida’s got you, he will help you remember everything you need to know and he will be patient with your cloudy thoughts.

Iida is so matter of fact tho, I can see it coming off as insensitive, especially when you’re dealing with mood swings.

“Darling, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you it’s just that those chips make your stomach hurt and I was only trying to-” “YOU JUST DONT WANT ME TO BE HAPPYYYY!!!!!!” “My darling, I want all the happiness in the world for you, you are the mother of my child, I- please don’t cry”

He really loves you a lot and he will learn to be a little gentler with you during this phase of the pregnancy

Braxton hicks contractions (the little fake contractions you get during the third trimester, closer to the due date) will send him into panic mode.

But he is also so organized that he is R E A D Y

You clutch your stomach and inhale sharply and sit down, he’s already running to get the hospital bag and getting the keys for the car.

(The hospital bag includes, diapers, baby clothes, blankets, stress balls for you to squeeze during contractions and a birth mix which includes mostly Baroque composers but theres a few taylor swift and harry styles songs because he thinks it would be cool if the baby was born to Adore You, because Iida adores you and that baby so much)

Tamaki:

He is terrified

But ultimately knowing that he has a child on the way actually does wonders for his confidence because he wants his child to have a good example and he doesn’t want the child to inherit his crippling shyness

He really is there for you and much like Shoto, shows it in a soft way

Tamaki is so food oriented already that he is especially considerate of your cravings and would probably try them, no matter how weird they are

Pregnancy makes you super hungry but thats okay because Tamaki is a brilliant cook

Tamaki is also very sensitive to the knowledge that it will change after the baby is born and that he has you all to himself for just a little while longer

He is going to take you on special weekend trips, like a sleepy beach town to just relax and eat good food

He will also take you on extra dates because he just wants to soak up your time together as a couple

He is very aware of how much work you’re doing constantly to carry his child and he will want to spoil you

“Y-you’re just so beautiful, a-and you chose me, and now you’re carrying my child...I just... I love you so much and thank you for letting me be yours b-because you make me so happy.”

He will freak out when he sees the birthing tape

“I-I am so sorry, I can’t believe I’ve put you through this... you’re- you- This is all my fault...” *panic panic panic*

But when you’re actually in labour he is very supportive, he will just apologize while you’re screaming in agony and wish there was something else he could do other than bring you ice chips...

#bnha #mha #mha hcs #bnha hcs #tamaki #iida #deku #midoriya #izuku #katsuki #bakugo #todoroki #mirio #shoto #amajiki #togota

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keelywolfe · 4 years ago

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FIC: The Rose and the Thorn: Chapter 18 (Mafia AU)

Summary: Rus makes a decision.

Tags: Spicyhoney, Cherryberry, Mafia AU, Flower Shop AU, Violence, First Meetings

Warning: Heads up, let me add a warning here for attempted sexual assault and violence.

~*~~

Read Chapter 18 on AO3

Read it here!

~~*~~

Lilies were lovely flowers, and it was a damn shame that Humans seemed to only associate them with funerals and Easter. They made for a beautiful focal point in a bouquet, large waxy petals in a bright array of colors surrounding the dark stamen, dozens of them spilling out and around a vase or basket, brilliant shades complimented by a delicate frame of leafy greens.

So many gorgeous colors available and Blue grew many of them, but the lilies Rus was working with were white, only a hint of creamy yellow at their centers. They smelled nearly as beautiful as the crimson roses that joined them, each delicate bloom nestled into its cushioning bed of neighboring white.

(A single red rose, please)

Only Rus’s fingers were stained with redness, not from those velvety petals but from the thorns, the dark crimson of his own marrow spotting the lilies, smearing bloody across those pale petals and he couldn’t stop even as they began to wither under his touch, white petals spotted in redness curling up and dying, and—

Rus woke with a gasp, the cold sweat on his bones chilling him as the dream of withered petals slowly faded. He sank back against the mattress and ran a trembling hand over his face, grimacing at the dampness.

Next to him, his brother slept on obliviously, his smaller frame buried deeply in the luxurious comforter on their borrowed bed. The bathroom light was on, seeping out to cast the room in shadows and even in the dimness, Blue’s much-loved face was lined with obvious exhaustion. The crow’s wing of a bruise running down his cheekbone wasn’t quite hidden into the pillow, stark against pale bone.

Thoughtlessly, Rus reached out with the vague idea to heal it and hesitated with his fingers still inches from that bruise. Tired as Blue was, he sure as hell wouldn’t be able to sleep through any sort of magic being used on him. Better to let him rest and take care of it when he woke up, and if looking at it made his gorge rise with swelling guilt, then Rus only had himself to blame. This all might have started with him getting dragged in, but things had changed since that day in the shop when he had hidden behind the counter in a stranger’s arms.

That day was over and a new one was dawning, one where Rus complicit, for not listening to his brother’s warnings, for not keeping his distance, for letting his desire for Edge overrule his rather uncommon sense.

No, that wasn’t entirely true, at least one other person was at fault here, the one who’d caused that bruise. He wasn’t sure he believed Blue that their so-called host wasn’t to blame; even if he hadn’t struck the blow, he’d obviously failed to protect them as promised. Broken promises tended to multiply, that was a hard lesson Rus learned while they were still Underground.

Well, he certainly wasn’t lost in a metal fog any longer. He felt as if he were waking up from more than an unpleasant dream. His pleasure-tinted memories of last night in Edge’s bed had lost their luster the moment he got a good look at his brother’s bruised face and cold reality settled in its place, sinking down into the pit of his soul like cold water sinking to the ocean floor.

Somehow, he’d been slowly starting to forget the truth; that he and Blue were here unwillingly, staying only for protection against revenge that hadn’t been theirs to begin with. They were very bad men, Edge warned Rus of that from the very beginning, and Edge was still planning on dealing with Blaze however he would; someone would likely be dead and dust by the end, and Rus couldn’t allow himself to forget that, if only to ensure that neither he nor his brother were part of it.

Rus wrapped his arms around his legs, settling his chin on his updrawn knees. Where the hell did he think this was all going to go, anyway? When everything was said and done, and Blaze was dealt with, where did he fit in a place like this? He didn’t, that was how, did he really think he’d be able to finish up his shift at the shop making bouquets and then come back here to pretend he didn’t know what was happening around him, both inside and out of these walls. Even if Edge wanted him for longer than a few nights, Rus couldn’t do that. He couldn’t.

His brother’s comment about getting paid well might have been cruel, but it wasn’t entirely untrue. Only it didn’t seem to be dollars that Rus was bartering with, but instead his own soul.

No. He couldn’t let that happen, not to Blue. His brother worked so hard for everything they had ever since their pop left. He wasn’t going to throw it away, not for a few minutes of pleasure, he couldn’t.

This would end eventually; they would go back to their home and their flower shop and leave all this madness behind, and though it made a fresh lump rise in his throat to think of it, Rus decided that he would tell all of this to Edge today. Whether it ended in pleading or demands didn’t matter, he was going to end whatever this was, could it even be called a relationship? All Edge knew about him was what he’d seen through a window. It was time to set aside this ridiculous fantasy, if not for himself then for his brother’s sake.

The sheets were still clinging to him clammily, sweat from his nightmare drying uncomfortably on his bones. Rus slipped carefully from the bed, snatching up his phone and using the flashlight to help him pick out fresh clothes from the closet.

It was still relatively early, only barely past six am, no wonder Blue was still sleeping. Normally, Rus would be as well, it was another hour before his time to groaningly drag himself out of bed and down to the shop for his daily shift. As tired as he was, the idea of crawling back in to lay on the damp sheets didn’t appeal much.

Instead, he went into the bathroom to change, this time in a pair of loose, flowing trousers with an oversized sweater layered over a plain button-up. It was a heck of a lot closer to something he’d find in his own closet, even if he could tell by the feel of the fabric that it was from some pricy department store and not the local thrift shop. He wondered idly if someone had actually gone shopping for these new clothes or if they’d simply ordered in like Chinese takeout. He had kind of a hard time picturing a delivery boy turning up at the back entrance of the club loaded down with bags of clothes instead of egg rolls. Whoever brought ‘em, he was reluctantly grateful for the quantity even as he shrank away at the thought of how long they might be intended to be there, and how could he stay away from Edge living directly down the hallway from him, how could he…?

Rus resolutely pushed that thought aside, splashing cool water on his face and patting it dry. It was a good thing their closet was filled, he told himself, ‘cause the clothes he’d worn yesterday were downstairs in the stripper’s dressing room, probably never to be seen again.

That thought made him cast a guilty look at the clothes he’d worn up here, the ones loaned to him by Mona for her brief tutorial on dancing. They were lying in a careless pile leftover from last night’s shower and he bit the tip of his tongue worriedly. Maybe Mona would need them back, someone had to. He could ask the Dogs to bring them to her with a note of thanks…or he could take them himself and let her know that he was all right.

Plus, it’d be a chance to give her some proper gratitude for trying to help out. Sure, it hadn’t worked out the way he’d hoped, really not, but that wasn’t her fault, and she didn’t have the first idea how the story ended last night. Seemed like she should at least get to know Rus probably wasn’t gonna end up with cement shoes or anything, but this time, if he was going downstairs, he’d do it properly and walk.

Decision made, Rus gathered up the clothes, folding them into a tidy bundle. They were rumpled and stank richly of sweat and sex. He blushed to think of returning them that way, but he couldn’t lie, it felt less embarrassing to bring them back to Mona than to leave it for the Dogs to find on laundry day. Worst that could happen with her was it would confirm some suspicions she already had.

He carried the bundle out of the bathroom with him, hesitating as he glanced at the bed and the lump in the covers that was his sleeping brother. This time there wouldn’t be any slipping off without a word, no more secrets, not if he could help it. He paused at the little table by the door to write his brother a note, his scribbly handwriting stating clearly that he was returning something downstairs and he’d be back soon.

That was one thing done right, at least.

That done, he slipped out the door to the hallway, closing the door hastily before the light could wake his brother. As expected, there was a Dog standing guard outside and it turned to him questioningly, its headed tilting to one side.

“excuse me, can you take me downstairs to speak with the ladies?” Rus said. Firm yet polite seemed like the best route and he held up the bundle in his arms. “i have some stuff to take back to them.” He really hoped they didn’t offer to just take it for him and not just because there was no way a Dog wouldn’t pick up on the reek. He was gonna talk to Mona one way or another, flimsy excuse or not.

The Dog said nothing, and Rus still wasn’t quite sure if that was a choice, an order, or simply a physical impossibility. It seemed to consider, then pulled out a cell phone, unhindered by its paws as it briskly tapped out a message. Whatever reply they received, they nodded and led the way down the hall to the elevator, the same one Edge brought him upstairs in, hey, he was starting to get the hang of this place.

Once the doors open again, Rus took the lead, heading to the dressing room from last night. The Dog waited at the entrance as he slipped inside, clothes in hand.

It was mostly empty now, none of the bustling and hurried dressing of the night before. The only stripper in the room was the Cat Monster…Lilith, that was her name, and her clothing was a stark contrast to their first meeting. Her revealing slip of a dress was exchanged for simple jeans and a t-shirt with ‘Bad Girl’ written in sparkly letters across the chest. She was tying the laces on her sneakers, glancing up and then again in a doubletake as she caught sight of him.

She gave him a sultry smile, pink tongue curling over her lips. “Well, hey there, sugar skull, stopping in for another visit or are you hiding out again?”

“no, um,” Rus said, awkwardly. He held up the bundle. “mona loaned me some clothes, i was just bringing them back.”

“Oh, is that all?” she yawned, showing sharp teeth, “Night shift is over, hun, Mona’s gone for the day.” She tilted her head in the direction of a large bin that was already overflowing with clothes, bra straps and stockings hanging over the sides. “You can toss it in the pile, they’ll get take care of.”

Rus wavered, torn, then decided he didn’t need to keep them as an excuse to visit with Mona. A lack of one hadn’t stopped him yet. He tossed the bundle in the pile and started back out to the hallway, then hesitated to ask, “do you know when mona will be back?”

Maybe if she worked tonight, he could slip down to see her before she started for the night.

“Sorry, hun, schedules change. If you want to wait, I can check after I get a smoke. I’m dying for a cig.” She held up a pack of cigarettes and against his will, his gaze strayed to it longingly. He hadn’t had one in days now and his nicotine craving lifted its ugly, eager head, starting a painful itch in his marrow. Damn, he hadn’t even checked his backpack when the Dog gave it to him and didn’t remember if he had a pack of smokes in it. He sure wasn’t about to ask Edge or, angel forbid, Red for one. It might be days yet before he got out to buy a pack himself.

Lilith gave him a knowing look. “Want one, sweetheart? You got that kind of look.”

The sudden flood of saliva in his mouth was embarrassing, but eh, the rules were a little different for smokers, nothing wrong with bumming the occasional cigarette so long as it didn’t become another habit, a worse one than smoking itself.

“i…yes,” Rus said gratefully, “if you don’t mind?”

“Nah, c’mon, I can share.”

She turned and walked towards the back of the room, her slender tail curling around her feet and Rus followed her to heavy door with a bright ‘Exit’ sign gleaming over it in neon red.

“I’d get a smack on the hand if they caught me sneaking out this way,” Lilith confided. Her whiskers quivered as she wrinkled her little muzzle. “But I can’t stand walking all the way ‘round for a quick smoke. I get enough exercise on the pole, you know?”

He didn’t, but he could certainly guess. He followed Lilith outside into an alleyway lined with trash cans, the sky overhead tinged grey with the coming dawn. She shook out one for herself and lit it before handed over the pack, and the first hit of nicotine melded into his magic with deep, mellow relief. Talking didn’t seem necessary, Lilith only played on her phone while both of them smoked silently through their cigarettes and when Lilith was done, she tossed her butt to pavement already littered with dozens more and shook out another before handing the pack back to him.

“May as well have another, honey,” she said, and he really shouldn’t, he had enough debt as it was, and what was that look she was giving him, something like regret…?

There was a sudden stinging at the back of his neck, coupled with hot breath, whispering low in flame-speak. “Yes, do have another. It might well be your last.”

The still smoldering butt fell from his nerveless fingers, falling into a puddle with a hiss, the dizziness already swarming over him distancing him from both his senses and his magic. He whirled clumsily around to see a fire Monster standing behind him, as tall as he was and nearly as broad as Red. The hectic flutter of his purplish flames cast the alley in disturbing shadows, devils dancing to their deaths in the slowly growing sunlight.

Blaze.

Rus took a stumbling step back, fumbling at the door, but there was no handle on the outside, only smooth metal. He looked at Lilith disbelievingly, slurring out, “wha…why?”

Tears were streaming down her pretty face, soaking into the short fur. “I’m sorry, honey, I’m so sorry. He was offering money, so much money, you don’t understand what it’s like here—”

He didn’t hear whatever else she said as he was suddenly seized, pushed back against the rough bricks of the alley wall. Those deep purple flames managed to be somehow both dark and blinding, Rus squinting against that painful light, cringing away.

“don’t—” Rus stuttered out. But his hands were disobedient and strengthless, pushing helplessly against Blaze’s shirt as he stepped closer, his surprisingly heavy body pinning him against the wall. His face was too close, burning fingers painfully pinching his chin and forced Rus to lift his head, the smoky ash of his breath gusting over Rus’s face.

“Perhaps I judged too quickly on Edge’s tastes. You are rather a pretty thing, after all.”

Rus cried out, the sound muffled, choking as his mouth was taken in a rough kiss, the pained heat of flaming tongue forcing its way between his teeth. He didn’t think, could hardly manage a single idea past no. He bit down automatically, choking again as his mouth filled with bitterness reminiscent of gasoline.

He nearly fell as he was released, gasping for breath, and he only barely managed to open his sockets enough to see the blow before it struck, his vision exploding into whiteness as Blaze backhanded him and sent him to his knees amidst the filthy puddles and the rotting old cigarette butts.

Dazed, he could only watch as Lilith grabbed hold of Blaze’s arm as it rose again. “Stop it! You said you wouldn’t hurt him!”

“So I did,” Blaze said, and someone Rus couldn’t see was translating in a gleeful drawl, “You should have secured the same promise for yourself.”

A deafening sound rang through the alley and Rus stared dumbly as a bright blossom of red appeared on Lilith’s shirt, splatters of crimson stark against her white fur like winter berries in a snow bed. She looked down at herself in confused disbelief, touching that awful wound with trembling fingers and smearing that stain across her shirt as she slowly collapsed to the ground. Filthy water splashed, more redness tainting the puddle in a slowly spreading pool as she stared sightlessly up at the rising sun.

In that moment Rus found his voice, managing to croak out something like a hoarse scream before a rough hand slapped over his mouth, the brutal grip painful on his jaw.

“Come on, put him in the backseat. I’ll see if I can keep our guest entertained for the trip.”

He was dragged over to a waiting car, shoes scraping the pavement uselessly, barely noticing the leather seats beneath him. A door slammed and hot hands hauled him upright until he was sprawled awkwardly across an uncomfortable lap, a scorching mouth licking a painful path up his cervical vertebrae. Fingertips plucked threateningly at his clothes, but didn’t wander beneath them, and that only made Rus shudder helplessly, dizzily nauseous and numbly clouded in rising fear over what was to come.

edge. help me. It was hardly more than a distant, uncertain thought, the words never making it to his slack mouth.

tbc

#spicyhoney #papcest #keelywolfe #underfell #underswap #underfell papyrus #underswap papyrus #the rose and the thorn #mafia au

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