#Julie. You have to explain to her again what that is now... She doesn't understand and she is a busy woman sometimes!

[dianassswoo]

Let's talk about Katy, she definitely has (at least) a bottle of pills lying around her home... Plus she has this funny catchphrase where she tells anyone to "take a pill" for meaning to calm down or change their mood.

[aceyalonso]

we're both winners, sweetheart - LEWIS HAMILTON

pairing : lewis hamilton x fem!reader | READ PART 1 HERE

summary : Y/n and Lewis going through the typical struggles of marriage (or in other words, the struggle of keeping up the charade of being married)

warnings : THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE STORY IS FAKE!!! swearing, kinda angsty, drinking, nail-biting, talking about sex (nothing too detailed), discussions of raising a family, 11-year age gap (reader is 28 years old), smut, hair pulling, unintentional overstimulation, choking, unprotected sex (always use a condom guys!)

face claim - gracie abrams

word count : 18.6k

song : agora hills - doja cat

a/n : this isn't proofread and SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, I WAS DEALING WITH SO MUCH PERSONAL STUFF OMG (this was supposed to be fore my 300 followers celebration thing | i might make a separate series for lyka and lando…………………………

July 8, Monday, 7:09 AM

Toto Wolff sits behind his desk, his expression a mixture of surprise and concern. Y/n and Lewis sit on the other side, both looking a bit sheepish and on edge. Toto looks at them, a moment of awkward silence hanging in the air before he finally speaks. "So," he begins, his voice cautious. "I have to say, this is... quite a situation you've gotten yourselves into."

Lewis clears his throat, his gaze meeting Toto's. "Yeah, we kind of... didn't see this coming," he admits, a hint of humor in his tone. "It was a very unexpected development, to say the least."

Y/n fidgets in her seat, her fingers massaging her forehead. She glances at Toto, his expression still unreadable. She tries to sound calm and rational, but her voice betrays her nervousness. "We weren't... fully sober when it happened," she offers lamely, as if it's an excuse.

Toto's eyebrow quirks at this revelation, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Not fully sober," he repeats, his tone heavy with incredulity. "You got married... not fully sober?"

Lewis grimaces slightly at the bluntness of his words but doesn't deny it. "That... that's correct," he affirms, his voice a bit strained. "We were both a bit... impaired when we tied the knot, let's put it that way."

Toto rubs his forehead, seeming to struggle with how to respond to this information. He gathers himself and looks at them again, his expression more somber now. "And what exactly were you doing that led to this... marriage?" he asks, his tone slightly stern.

Lewis and Y/n exchange a glance, both knowing the answer will likely not help their case. Lewis speaks up first, his voice a bit sheepish. "We, ah... we were at a club. A very lively club, if you understand."

Toto leans forward in his chair, expression now a mix of thoughtfulness and strategy. "Okay," he says, "this is clearly a situation that will need some serious damage control if it gets out. We'll need the PR team to make something, anything to spin this in a way that... minimizes the impact on your image, Lewis, and the teams' reputation."

Y/n coughs, breaking the silence in the room and drawing everyone's attention. She clears her throat, feeling a bit awkward under the weight of Toto and Lewis' gazes. "Um, forgive me," she apologizes, her voice a bit hoarse. "But what... what are you suggesting?"

Toto's eyes shift to her, his expression still calculating. "Well, we need to control the narrative," he explains. "We need to get ahead of any potential media storm and craft a story that… makes this look less like a drunken mistake and more like a… a romantic love story, perhaps."

Lewis can't help but scoff slightly at this, his mouth tugging into a wry smile. "A romantic love story, huh?" he muses, skepticism in his tone. "Do you really think anyone's going to believe that?"

Toto's gaze hardens at Lewis' flippant comment. "At this point, any narrative is better than the truth," he says, his voice firm. "We need to protect your image, Lewis, and the team's reputation. We need to control the damage, and that means spinning this in a way that… makes you both look as good as possible."

Y/n mutters under her breath as Toto and Lewis continue their discussion, unable to hide her growing concern. "My dad is going to kill me," she whispers, her voice a mixture of dread and resignation. She imagines her father's reaction to this news, the fury and disappointment in his eyes.

She finally speaks up, her mind turning to her own interests in this situation. "Wait," she interjects, cutting into Lewis and Toto's discussion. They both turn to her, surprised. "If we're going to go along with this… PR plan, I want something out of it too."

Toto and Lewis look at her, a bit taken aback by her unexpected request. Toto quirks an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "And what is it you want, exactly?" he asks, his tone a mix of curiosity and caution.

Y/n takes a deep breath, her mind racing as she formulates her request. "I want this to benefit me too," she says, her tone firm but tentative. "I don't just want to be a pawn in this charade. I want my own image to be protected, and… I want it to have a positive impact on my future, on my family's company."

Toto and Lewis exchange glances, both surprised but also understanding the logic in her request. Lewis turns to her with slight admiration, a small smile playing on his lips. "That's… very practical of you," he says, his voice carrying a hint of respect.

Y/n's response is matter-of-fact, and her expression is a mix of determination and practicality. "Business is business," she repeats, her tone resolute. "If we're going to play this game, we might as well use it to our advantage, right?"

Toto nods slightly, appreciating her mercenary approach. "You're not wrong," he concedes, a grudging respect in his voice. "If we can use this situation to our mutual benefit, then perhaps it won't be a total disaster."

Lewis looks at Y/n, a gleam of admiration in his eyes at her business-mindedness. "You've got guts," he remarks, a smirk playing on his lips. "I can respect that."

Y/n chuckles a bit at his comment, the humor beginning to shine through despite the seriousness of their situation. "Well," she says with a small laugh, "if you want to get technical, that is one reason we got married, isn't it?"

Toto glares at Y/n, his gaze is stern and reprimanding. Y/n's eyes widen in response, and she immediately feels a pang of regret, realizing she has spoken out of turn. She mutters a quick "Sorry, too soon," her voice a whisper as she shrinks down in her seat.

Toto sighs, his expression softening slightly. "Let's remain professional, please," he reminds her, his tone a bit weary. "We need you to be present at the next Grand Prix, okay? Because by then we'll have the PR statement announced. Lewis can send you the details."

Y/n nods, a bit chastened but also understanding. "Okay," she apologizes again, her voice sincere. "I'll check my schedule if I'm free on... whatever day that is."

Toto nods in acknowledgment, his expression is still weary but slightly less stern. He turns his attention back to Lewis and continues the discussion, the mood in the room now more serious and focused.

With the focus of the conversation now shifted to Lewis and Toto, Y/n pulls out her phone, sensing that she isn't needed in the immediate discussion. She scrolls through her phone, trying to distract herself from the ongoing conversation. Occasionally, she glances up, listening to bits and pieces of the talk, but mostly just biding her time.

Y/n scrolls through her Twitter feed, her eyes scanning over the various news and Tweets. Suddenly, something catches her eye, causing her to stand up from her seat and exclaim a surprised curse word.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Y/n exclaims, her voice laced with disbelief and shock. She stares down at her phone, the blood draining from her face as she processes whatever she has just seen.

Toto and Lewis' heads snap in her direction at the outburst. They look at her, startled and alarmed by her reaction. Toto's brow furrows in concern, and he asks, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Y/n holds out her phone to Toto, her face still etched with shock and disbelief. Toto takes the phone from her, his eyes widening as he looks at the screen. Lewis leans over to look as well, his expression turning serious as he reads whatever is on the screen.

Toto's jaw clenches as he looks at the image, his expression hard and guarded. He glances at Y/n, then back at the phone screen, seeming to be processing the implications of this photo.

Lewis shakes his head, his jaw clenching in annoyance. "That's just perfect," he mutters sarcastically. "As if we didn't have enough to deal with already."

Toto continues scrolling through the tweet and reading comments from fans and media alike. He pauses, seeing several comments speculating that the woman in the photo is actually Y/n. His expression darkens with concern as he reads these comments.

He glances at Y/n, then at Lewis, and sighs deeply. "This is really bad," he says, his voice a low grumble. "If people start connecting the dots… we're going to have a PR nightmare on our hands."

Y/n is silently freaking out, her mind racing with thoughts and worries. She gnaws anxiously on her nails, a nervous habit she has when feeling overwhelmed.

Toto notes her distress but focuses on the practicalities of the situation for the moment, exchanging a few more words with Lewis.

Toto and Lewis quietly discuss the next steps, trying to come up with a damage control plan. Toto occasionally glances at Y/n, noticing her anxious behavior, but doesn't interrupt his conversation with Lewis for the moment.

Y/n suddenly pipes up, interrupting Toto and Lewis' conversation. "Wait," she interjects, her tone a bit frenzied. "What if we lied? What if… what if we said we've been married for almost a year? Like, we got married during the winter break?"

Toto's expression softens slightly as he contemplates Y/n's idea. "It's a possibility," he muses, his voice measured. "Getting married during the off-season would make sense, given the hectic schedule of the drivers. It would be more logical that Lewis would take time off for a wedding rather than a drunken elopement."

Lewis nods, seeing the logic in Y/n's suggestion. "It could work," he agrees, his tone less skeptical than before. "It would at least make the whole situation seem less impulsive and foolish, and more like… a planned commitment."

Y/n continues to gnaw anxiously on her nails, her eyes flitting between Toto and Lewis as she waits for them to make a decision. The weight of the situation, the impending lie they are about to concoct, hangs heavily on her mind.

Toto notices her distress but is still wrapped up in the discussion with Lewis, he decides to address it once they have a plan. "Let's work out the details," he says, his tone business-like. "We need to make sure our story is ironclad, and our timelines line up."

He turns to Y/n, his expression stern but not unsympathetic. "And I suggest you stop chewing on your nails," he remarks matter-of-factly. "We'll need to present a united, calm front, and that doesn't include nervous fidgeting."

Though Y/n stops biting her nails as Toto advises, her anxiety doesn't diminish. She transfers her nervous energy to her palms, starting to scratch and pick nervously at the skin, leaving slight crescent-shaped marks.

Toto notices her new anxious habit but doesn't address it directly at the moment. He and Lewis continue their discussion, fine-tuning the details of the lie they are going to spin. The atmosphere in the room remains tense, but there seems to be a rough plan coming together.

As the meeting draws to a close, Toto excuses himself to take a call from the head of PR. He motions for Y/n and Lewis to wait, and they remain silent in Toto's office as he steps out to take the call.

When Toto returns, he appears even more tense than before. He bids both Y/n and Lewis a rushed farewell, as he needs to deal with the situation with the head of PR. The two of them are left standing in the office, the atmosphere heavy with the weight of the day's events.

Lewis glances at Y/n, her face slightly pale and tired from the stress of the situation. He can tell that she's still anxious and tense, and he reaches out to gently squeeze her hand, offering a small gesture of comfort. "Hey," he says in a soft voice, "it's going to be okay. We're… we're going to get through this."

Y/n looks up at him, her eyes weary and full of worry. She tries to force a small smile, appreciating his attempt at reassurance. "I hope so," she replies, her voice a bit shaky. "I just… I hope we can pull this off. The lie…"

Lewis nods in understanding. "I know," he says, his tone sympathetic. "It's a lot to take on. But we don't have many options at this point. If we don't control the narrative, someone else will, and…" he trails off, the implication clear.

Y/n nods, knowing that he's right. "I get it," she mutters, her voice laced with resignation. "I just… I didn't sign up for all this, you know? All this… lying, and spinning stories, and… pretending."

Y/n lets out a humorless chuckle, her voice resigned. "You're telling me," she says sarcastically. "I didn't even sign up for this marriage, not while I was sober at least... and now I have to lie about it, pretend it was pre-planned, and… play the part of the dutiful wife."

She shakes her head, the absurdity of the situation weighing heavily on her shoulders. "It's just… surreal," she continues her tone a mix of disbelief and frustration. "A few days ago, I was a private person, living my life, and now I'm suddenly… a married woman, the center of a media shitstorm, and I'm expected to lie about it all like it's no big deal."

As they walk down the halls, Y/n is still somewhat zoned out, her mind preoccupied with the stresses and worries of the day. Lewis is right beside her, his hand occasionally on her lower back, providing silent moral support. They pass by other team members and staff, and more than a few curious glances and whispers follow them, aware of the situation unfolding but unwilling to speak openly.

They reach the parking lot, and Lewis turns to Y/n, his expression concerned. "Do you want me to drive you home?" he asks gently, his tone sincere. "You look exhausted."

Y/n nods, her fatigue clearly visible in her eyes and demeanor. "Yeah," she replies, her voice a weary whisper. "That would be great, thanks. I'm… I'm feeling pretty wiped out."

Lewis nods in understanding and leads her towards his car. The trip to her home is mostly silent, both of them too emotionally drained to talk much. Lewis occasionally glances at her, checking if she is okay. Y/n just gazes out the window, her thoughts far away.

He follows the directions given by Y/n to her apartment. The car ride is quiet, neither of them speaking much due to the weight of the situation on their minds. Once they arrive at her apartment, Lewis parks the car but doesn't immediately get out. Instead, he turns to her, his expression a mixture of worry and concern.

Lewis watches as Y/n unbuckles her seatbelt and reaches for the door handle. Before she can open the door, he turns to her and asks, "You're going to be okay, right? You'll be okay alone? I can stay with you if you want."

Y/n offers a weary smile, touched by Lewis's concern. "I… I'll be fine," she assures him, her voice soft but strained. "You don't need to stay. I just… need some time to process all this. Alone."

Lewis accepts her decision to be alone, though his expression remains worried. "Okay," he says softly, "Take care of yourself, alright? And… call me if you need anything. Anytime, okay?"

She nods slightly, appreciating his offer. "Thanks, I will," she replies. "I'll… I'll be fine. I just need a bit of space to clear my head."

Y/n exits the car, her movements slow and weary. The weight of the situation seems to hang heavily on her shoulders as she stands outside her apartment, looking up at the building.

Lewis watches her from the driver's seat, a mixture of concern and sadness on his face. He waits a moment to make sure she gets inside safely before driving off.

July 8, Monday, 10:37 AM

As Y/n begins to unlock her apartment door, she hears the familiar sound of her cat meowing on the other side. The sound is both a comfort and a further reminder of her responsibilities, and she feels a pang of fondness mixed with exhaustion.

After unlocking the door, she pushes it open and is immediately met with the soft sound of her cat rubbing against her legs, meowing for attention. Y/n bends down and scoops up the cat in her arms, holding it close to her chest, seeking comfort in its presence.

She holds her cat “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” (“Evoo” for short) close, the familiar warmth and weight of her furry companion a soothing presence. The ridiculousness of the name, a result of yet another drunken decision, momentarily brings a bittersweet smile to her lips.

Y/n walks into the apartment, closing the door behind her and making her way to the living room. She sits down on the couch, setting her bag on the floor before setting Evoo down on her lap and gently stroking his white fur. The soothing motion and rhythmic purring of the cat help to calm her tumultuous thoughts.

As Y/n sits on the couch, gently stroking her cat, she begins to speak to him in a soft, quiet voice. Although it’s not unusual for people to talk to their pets, there’s an undertone of vulnerability in her words, unloading her worries to a receptive but silent companion.

“Hi, baby,” she begins, her voice laced with exhaustion. “You won’t believe the day I’ve had.” She continues to idly pet the cat in her lap, the gentle motion seeming to soothe her as much as her cat. “I… I’ve gotten myself into a real mess, you know? Things are… complicated, to say the least.”

She leans her head back against the couch, her fingers continuing to absently run through the white cat’s fur. “I know you’re just a cat, and you probably don’t understand what I’m saying. But it helps, talking to you like this. It helps to get it all out, even if you can’t talk back.”

As Y/n continues to talk, the words flow out of her in a rushed confession. “And… that’s not even the craziest, Evoo,” she murmurs, shaking her head slightly. “I got married. Can you believe that?”

Her cat, as if responding to her words, looks up at her with its large eyes, seemingly bewildered by the revelation. It tilts its head as if asking “What?!”

Y/n lets out a soft, humorless chuckle at her cat’s reaction, continuing to stroke its fur. “Yeah, I know. It’s crazy, right?” she continues, her voice still heavy with exhaustion but holding a hint of irony. “I… I got married, and I don’t even remember most of it. Isn’t that just wild?”

She pushes aside her exhaustion and moves from the couch, placing Evoo gently on the nearby rug. She then remembers to change her cat’s water bowl, her actions automatic and routine. As she fills the bowl from the kitchen sink, she glances back at her cat, still resting on the rug.

“Don’t worry, bud,” she calls out, her voice slightly less weary, “He’s… he’s a good guy. I think.”

After refilling the water bowl, Y/n returns to the living room, her mind still swirling with the day’s events. She glances at Evoo, who is now lapping up the fresh water. For a moment, she wishes her life was as simple as a cat’s, where the most pressing concern was the next meal, not an unexpected marriage and a web of lies.

Y/n rubs his head one last time before straightening up. “Alright, buddy,” she says, her tone softer now that she’s attending to her cat’s needs. “I’m going to take a bath. Be a good boy while I’m gone, alright?”

She sits in the bathtub, the water warm and comforting, surrounding her tired body in a soothing embrace. An iPad is placed on a wooden bath tray near the edge of the tub, playing a movie that she’s only partially paying attention to.

In her hand, she holds a glass of lemon water, taking small sips every now and then as she there, letting the hot water work its relaxing magic.

The scent of lavender from a bath bomb fills the room, adding to the atmosphere of calm and tranquility. However, despite the peaceful setting, Y/n’s mind remains restless, the events of the day still weighing heavily on her thoughts. Despite trying to focus on the movie, she finds her mind wandering back to the marriage, the lie, the future.

As the stream from the bath billows around her, Y/n takes another small sip from her lemon water, her mind still spinning. The bath was intended to relax her, to wash away the tension of the day, but her thoughts stubbornly refused to let her rest. She tries to force herself to watch the movie, to focus on something other than her worries, but the events of the day keep flooding back.

The heat of the bath, combined with the subtle fragrance of the lavender, should be lulling her into a tranquil state, but her mind is too chaotic, too filled with worries and regrets. She takes another sip of her lemon water, the tangy taste reminding her of the sourness she feels inside, the unease that hasn't let her go since this whole mess began.

Y/n is wrapped in a towel, her wet hair sticking to her shoulders as she steps out of her bedroom and into the living/dining space. She's surprised to see Lyka walking in with a bright smile, a stark contrast to her own weary state.

Y/n, still wrapping the towel around herself, glances up at Lyka through wet strands of hair. "You seem unusually cheerful," she remarks, her tone slightly teasing as she reaches the kitchen and sets her glass down in the sink. Evoo brushes against her leg, seeking attention, and she gives the cat a gentle pat before turning back to Lyka. "What's up?"

Lyka's eyes sparkle with excitement and a hint of pride. "The best night ever," she echoes, her smile widening. "You won't believe it, Y/n. I hooked up with the DJ."

Y/n raises her brows in surprise and recognition. "Oh, Lando?" she asks, a hint of amusement in her tone. "I saw you dancing with him at the booth last night."

Lyka blinks in surprise when Y/n says Lando's name, her excitement now mixed with a touch of curiosity. "Yeah!- Wait, how do you know his name?" she asks, her expression a mix of surprise and intrigue.

Y/n settles onto a bar stool, opening the wrapper to a small piece of chocolate. She takes a small bite of the chocolate and continues talking to Lyka as she munches on the sweet treat. "I became friends with one of Lando's friends last night," she explains, a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Her playful smile fades as the memory of her marriage hits her like a ton of bricks. She chokes mid-sentence, the taste of chocolate turning bitter in her mouth. "I... um..." she stutters, her mind racing to find a way to explain.

"I... I have something to tell you," she manages to continue, her voice a bit strained. She sets the chocolate bar down, her appetite suddenly gone. "And... it's kind of a big deal. Like, a really big deal."

Lyka's expression changes as she senses the seriousness in Y/n's tone. Her eyes widened slightly, and she leaned in, her face replaced by a look of concern. "What is it?" she asks, her voice low and worried.

Y/n takes a deep breath, bracing herself for the reaction that's about to follow. "I..." she starts, her voice faltering as she struggles to find the right words. "I... I got married."

There's a moment of stunned silence as Lyka processes Y/n's confession. Her eyes widen even further, and her hand grips the countertop, her knuckles turning white. "You... you what?" she manages to stutter out, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief.

"And... it may or may not have been a friend of Lando's...." Lyka's eyes widen even further when Y/n clarifies that the person she married is a friend of Lando. "Wait..." she starts, her mind spinning with the implications. "You married one of Lando's friends? Who..."

Y/n hesitates for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. She swallows hard, preparing herself for the fallout. "Lewis," she finally manages to say. "I... I married Lewis."

As Lyka tries to remember if Lando mentioned anything Lewis, a flicker of recognition appears in her eyes. "Wait..." she says, her soft soft as she recalls the conversation with Lando. "Lando mentioned something about a party of celebrate one of his friends' win. Was that Lewis?"

Y/n doesn't trust herself to speak, so she just nods in affirmation. She can see the pieces falling into place in Lyka's mind, her friend digesting the information with a mix of surprise and confusion.

Lyka lifts her hands in a gesture of disbelief, her voice filled with a mixture of amusement and incredulity. "I swear, the universe has a weird sense of humor when it comes to you and alcohol," she says, shaking her head. "Seriously, the weirdest things happen to you when you're drunk. It's like you're attracting weirdness or something."

As Y/n gets up to change, she can't help but notice that Lyka is wearing a hoodie she doesn't recognize. She decides to bring it up later, as they have plenty to discuss when they regroup in the kitchen.

"Alright, let's change and meet here in five," Y/n suggests, her tone a bit lighter now. "We'll compare our crazy nights, and you can tell me about your new hoodie too," she adds with a smile.

Lyka flushes furiously as Y/n hints at the hoodie she's wearing, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "Oh my god, shut up," she giggles, trying to hide her embarrassment. "It's just a hoodie, okay?"

Y/n grins knowingly as she responds, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yeah, it's Lando's hoodie," she teases, emphasizing the name for effect. "And you're blushing like crazy."

Lyka buries her face in her hands, still blushing profusely. "Ugh, I swear, you're the worst," she groans, half-heartedly swatting at Y/n "Why do you have to point it out like that?"

Y/n laughs, enjoying the sight of her flustered friend. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing," she says, her voice filled with amusement. She moves towards her room, still smiling at Lyka's reaction. "You get changed, and I'll do the same. Meet you in the kitchen in five."

Y/n sits next to Lyka, a soft smile on her face. As they settle into their seats by the counter, Lyka begins recounting her night with Lando. Her cheeks are still a little flushed, betraying her excitement.

"So, about last night..." she says, her voice slightly giddy, "I had the best night ever with Lando."

Y/n takes a chip from the bowl on the counter, chewing on it as she listens to her friend's story. "Yeah?" she prompts. encouraging Lyka to continue. "Tell me more. What made it the best night ever?"

Lyka emphasizes her point, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "His hands were skilled," she repeats, her voice lowered to a whisper. "Seriously, Y/n, you have no idea. He was so fucking good."

"His touches, his moves, everything just... wow," Lyka continues, the memory clearly relived in her mind. She takes a sip of her water, her gaze distant for a moment before she focuses on Y/n. "I swear, it was like he knew exactly what to do, and how to do it."

Lyka's excitement reaches a whole new level as she starting bouncing in her seat. "Oh my god," she exclaims, her voice a mix of shock and excitement. "When he was-" She suddenly breaks off, her words catching in her throat.

She cuts off her own sentence, biting her lip as if holding back a secret. There's a mixture of delight and surprise on her face. "He... he was just-" she stammers, struggling to put the experience into words. "It was incredible," she finally manages, her voice full of awe.

Y/n listens intently, smiling at her friend's enthusiasm. She can tell that whatever Lando did, it clearly surpassed Lyka's expectations. "Incredible, huh?" she teases, raising a brow. "Sounds like Lando's got some serious skills there."

Lyka takes a moment to fan herself, the memory of her night with Lando still fresh in her mind. "Yeah... yeah I was," she says, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I was shaking like a leaf by the time it was done."

She looks down at her hands as if reliving the sensation. "It was tense," she adds, shaking her head in disbelief. "Like, seriously intense. I don't think I could have handled much more."

Lyka lets out a shaky breath, a mixture of pleasure and disbelief in her voice. "Yeah," she replies, her face still flushed. "He just... he just kept going, even when I thought I couldn't take anymore. It was... it was too much, but in the best way possible, you know?"

She takes another sip of her water, her body still feeling the after-effects of Lando's touches. "He knew exactly what he was doing," she adds, a hint of admiration in her voice. "I've never experienced anything like it before."

Y/n can't resist teasing a little more, a sly smile on her face. "Well," she says, raising a brow, "Maybe Lando was just making up for the disappointing performance your ex put on."

Lyka, still flushed and giggling, enthusiastically agrees with Y/n's assessment. "ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY!" she exclaims, her voice loud and clear. "Lando was the complete opposite of my ex. He made up for that shitshow tenfold."

She takes a moment to catch her breath, her face still glowing. She can't help but gush about Lando's attributes, her voice filled with awed excitement. "I swear, he was HUGE," she says, her voice filled with excitement.

Y/n laughs, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and amusement. "Shh, shh, keep it down," she shushes her friend, laughing as she glances toward the wall shared with their neighbors. "The whole building doesn't need to know about Lando's... size."

Lyka, still caught up in the memory of her night with Lando, continues to rave about his skills and his 'size' ''I don't even know how to describe it," she gushes, her voice filled with admiration. "There's just... no comparison. Lando's in a league of his own."

She's so caught up in her praise that she practically glows. "I never knew it could be like that," she admits, her flushed cheeks a clear indication of her satisfaction. "He knows how to handle everything."

Lyka's voice softens as she reflects on the night, her face now taking on a more tender expression. "He was so gentle and caring afterward," she says, a hint of fondness in her tone. "It was like he knew exactly what I needed."

Y/n, curious about the tender side of Lando, asks how exactly he was caring after their night together. Lyka's expression softens even more as she continues. "He was really sweet," she explains. "He held me close, and told me how amazing I was. Kept asking if I was okay, and if I needed anything. Just really took care of me, you know?"

"Oh, and he left me a shit ton of hickeys too," Lyka mentions, causing Y/n to involuntarily spit out her drink in surprise. Y/n's eyes widen as Lyka casually mentions that detail. She was taking a sip of her drink at the same moment, causing her to almost choke on the liquid, spurting it out in surprise. "Hickeys?" she exclaims, her voice slightly strained. "Lando gave you hickeys?"

Lyka grins widely, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She shifts the collar of her shirt to reveal several small, purplish marks on her collarbone and neck. "Yeah," she says, her voice a bit smug. "He marked me up, good."

Lyka lets out a cheeky giggle, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, yeah," she confirms, her voice slightly lower. "He left some on my thighs too, but Lando said those were for his eyes only."

Y/n can't help but stare at her friend in disbelief. Her mouth is still slightly agape, her eyes wide as she processes the information. "For his eyes only, huh?" she manages to say, her voice a mix of disbelief and amusement.

She shakes her head, a little bemused by Lando's possessiveness. "Sounds like Lando wants to keep you all to himself," she teases, grinning. "No sharing allowed."

Lyka grins, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Oh, absolutely," she confirms, giggling. "We made a deal. He wants to be my friend with benefits," she says, using air quotes, "And I just have to look pretty and make him feel good." She adds with a coy smile, paraphrasing Lando's words.

Lyka brightens up even more, her voice eager and excited. "Oh, and I'm going to his next race too!" she exclaims, bouncing a little in her seat. "I'll be in the McLaren garage, of course. Lando said he wants me there."

Y/n nods, a smile on her face. "I'll be there too, slightly against my will," she confirms, "But I'll be in the Mercedes garage." She glances at her friend, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "This is gonna be fun, watching the race from opposite ends of the garage."

"So... what about your night?" Lyka asks curiously, looking at Y/n with amusement through her eyelashes.

Y/n takes a moment, her mind flashing back to the events of her night. "My night…" she muses, her voice a little dreamy. "Well, it was… eventful, to say the least."

She lets out a soft chuckle, the memory of the night still fresh in her mind. "So, I was on the dance floor, just dancing, and Lewis came up behind me," she recalls, her voice laced with a hint of excitement.

Y/n glances at Lyka before continuing, her voice taking on a wry tone. "Yeah, it was around the time you went to dance with Lando," she says, clearly amused by the coincidence. "Lewis just appeared out of nowhere, tapped me on the shoulder, and we started dancing."

She smiles, her cheeks slightly flushed as she describes the night. "We were talking, flirting a bit," she says, her voice holding a hint of excitement. "He bought me drinks at the bar, and we just… connected, I guess."

Y/n lets out a light laugh, her cheeks flushing a little at the memory. "Yeah, so… eventually… we may have found a secluded spot and, you know, things got a bit heated," she explains, a coy smile playing on her lips. "And I may or may not have told him I'd marry him as a joke."

She shakes her head, still amused by the audacity of her own words. "I don't even know where it came from," she says. "Just a spur-of-the-moment thing, you know? A little drunken banter."

Y/n continues, her voice filled with amusement. "Well, Lewis just chuckled when I said it," she recounts. "I mean, he knew I was just joking, right? But then he just… playfully agreed, you know? Like, he said something like, 'Sure, why not? Let's get hitched.' It was all just goofing around, really."

Y/n sees the look on Lyka's face and knows her friend is judging her, but it's in a friendly way. She laughs, shaking her head. "Hey, don't give me that look," she says, a hint of defensiveness in her voice. "It was just a joke, you know that, right?"

Lyka gives Y/n a sly smile, her voice filled with mock disbelief. "A joke that turned into an actual marriage," she repeats, her tone dripping with cheeky sarcasm. "Wow, I hope Lewis doesn't mind waking up to your morning breath every day."

Y/n playfully smacks Lyka's arm, laughing. "Hey, my morning breath isn't that bad," she protests, her voice light with feigned offense.

She then swats at Lyka again, her smile broadening. "And for the record, I would make an amazing wife," she boasts, her voice half-joking, half-serious.

Y/n straightens her shoulders, posing theatrically. "I'd be, like, the perfect trophy wife. I'd look good standing next to Lewis during his press conferences and podium interviews."

Lyka laughs out loud at Y/n's confident declaration. "Oh my god," she snickers, her voice filled with mirth. "You're actually picturing yourself as a trophy wife? Standing there, looking pretty while Lewis talks about racing strategy and tire compounds?"

Y/n grins, raising a brow at Lyka. "And what about you?" she asks a hint of challenge in her voice. "Can you see yourself doing the same for Lando? Standing there, looking gorgeous, while he talks about car setup and track conditions?"

Lyka nods with conviction, a sparkle in her eyes. "Absolutely, yes," she affirms. "I can totally picture myself looking all cute and pretty, with a whole wardrobe of amazing outfits courtesy of Lando's earnings. It's all about the perks, you know?"

She grins mischievously. "Besides, watching Lando on the track, all focused and intense, and then coming home to spoil me rotten? Sounds pretty damn good to me."

Y/n nods, her lips curving into a smile. "You know what, you have a point there," she admits, her voice laced with a touch of envy. "Getting to watch Lewis race, all focused and competitive, and then having him come home and… well, show me just how much he appreciates me… yeah, I could get used to that."

She quirks an eyebrow, glancing at the calendar. "Alright, when's the next race again?" she asks, her voice slightly impatient. "I need to check if I'm free that day, cause Toto- his team principal, I believe? said that I have to be there. Some PR bullshit."

Y/n pulls out her phone, quickly searching for the race schedule. "Lemme see," she murmurs, scrolling through her screen. "There we go. The next race is two weeks from now... Let's see… yep, I'm free that day."

She puts her phone away, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "All clear," she affirms. "I'll be there, cheering on Lewis every lap of the way."

Lyka smirks, her voice dripping with playfully sarcastic praise. "Oh, you're such a good wife," she teases. "Making sure you're always available to support your husband's racing career. That's true devotion right there."

Y/n laughs, returning the teasing with a sly grin. "And what about you?" she asks, raising a brow. "Ready to be Lando's arm candy, showing off all those designer outfits he'll buy you?"

Lyka nods vigorously, her face already picturing the fancy outfits she'd wear. "Oh, absolutely," she declares, her voice oozing with enthusiasm. "I'm so ready to be Lando's arm candy, strutting around in all the gorgeous designer outfits he'll spoil me with."

Lyka takes a moment to swallow her chip and then adds, "And hey, speaking of Lando's stuff, I actually need to return that hoodie he lent me. Gotta make sure he gets it back."

She grins mischievously. "Although, maybe I'll 'accidentally' keep it a day or two longer just to remind him of me."

Y/n tsks, shaking her head in mock disapproval. "Oh, wow," she chuckles, her tone laced with feigned surprise. "That's such harlot behavior, keeping a guy's hoodie just to remind him of yourself."

Lyka looks at Y/n in exaggerated shock, her mouth dropping open in mock offense. "Harlot? Really?" she exclaims, her voice filled with laughter. "Out of all the words you could've chosen, you went with harlot! That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

Y/n shrugs, unable to keep a straight face. "What? It fits!" she replies, her voice laced with mirth. "You're deliberately keeping his hoodie longer just to keep his attention on you. If that isn’t harlot behavior, then I don't know what is."

Lyka rolls her eyes dramatically, a playful grin on her face. "Oh, please," she exclaims, batting her eyelashes dramatically. "It's not harlot behavior, it's strategic flirting. There's a difference."

Y/n chuckles, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay," she concedes, her voice still tinged with laughter. "You can call it whatever you want. Strategic flirting, friendly teasing, whatever floats your boat."

July 8, Monday, 4:51 PM

Y/n is in the middle of preparing dinner, peeling potatoes and chopping veggies, when her phone buzzes with a message from an unknown number. She glances down at it curiously, setting down her knife for a moment.

After a few moments, Y/n finishes replying to Lewis' message, a small smile on her face. She sets down her phone, the conversation with Lewis momentarily distracting her from her cooking preparations.

Y/n continues chopping vegetables, her hands moving deftly as she's suddenly interrupted by the sound of Lyka's phone ringing. She stops for a moment, looking up as Lyka grabs her phone.

Lyka's face lights up with surprise as she answers the phone, hearing Lando's voice on the line. "Oh! Hey, Lando," she replies, her voice already cheerful.

Y/n can't help but smile at Lyka's reaction, hearing the change in her tone. She continues chopping vegetables as she listens to Lyka's side of the conversation.

Lyka's voice is filled with excitement as she responds to Lando's question. "Yes, I'll get the tickets for the flight myself," she confirms, her voice slightly giddy. "I'll be there by Friday, no problem."

Her face flushes with a rosy hue as Lando brings up the subject of his hoodie. She lets out a soft, nervous chuckle and replies, a hint of playful charm in her voice, "Ah, about the hoodie… Well, I was actually thinking I might hang onto it a little longer."

Y/n, unable to contain her amusement, lets out a soft giggle, drawing Lyka's attention. She glances at her friend, a sly smile on her face.

Lyka continues the conversation with Lando, her voice taking on a flirtatious tone as she playfully teases him. "You know, if you miss the hoodie that much, you'll just have to come and get it from me yourself…"

Y/n stops mid-preparation, her eyes widening as she eavesdrops on Lyka's conversation. She gapes at her friend for a brief moment, surprised by the boldness of her response.

She can't help but chuckle to herself, thinking, "Lyka's really turning on the charm. Lando's going to be all over her when he gets that hoodie back…"

Lyka continues the conversation, her voice dropping to a sultry tone. "It seems like you miss this hoodie more than you miss me, if you're that desperate to get your hoodie back, maybe we should meet up tomorrow…"

Lyka smiles widely as Lando agrees to meet up the next day. "Great, I'll send you my address in a moment," she replies, her voice a mix of anticipation. "I need to go now, though. But I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

Y/n watches the exchange with a mixture of amusement and surprise. She can't help but shake her head in disbelief as Lyka ends the call, a cheeky smile on her face.

"Wow," Y/n says, her voice filled with admiration. "You really have Lando wrapped around your finger, don't you?"

Lyka grins, her cheeks still flushed with a hint of a blush. "What can I say? I have my ways of persuasion," she replies, a coy smirk on her face.

Y/n laughs at Lyka's response, amused by her friend's confidence. She continues preparing dinner, adding the ingredients to the pot and stirring it together in the pot, her mind temporarily preoccupied as she focuses on her cooking task. The kitchen emits a warm, savory aroma, the spices blending together to create a mouthwatering scent.

Y/n is suddenly interrupted by the sound of Lyka spitting out her tea, accompanied by an annoyed meow from Evoo. She looks up, slightly startled, setting down her spoon to look over at her friend.

"Whoa, what happened?" Y/n asks, looking at Lyka, who's wiping her mouth with a napkin. Her eyes move to the cat, who's also looking slightly grumpy from the unexpected spray.

Lyka, still catching her breath, quickly points at Y/n's phone, which is on the kitchen counter. "Check your Instagram," she says urgently, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Y/n grabs her phone from the kitchen counter, a look of curiosity on her face. She swipes through her notifications and opens Instagram, as per Lyka's instruction.

Y/n scans through her Instagram timeline and her heart skips a beat as she catches the first article. The statement from Mercedes about her marriage to Lewis is plastered right on her screen. She reads through it, disbelief and surprise etched across her face.

mercedesf1

liked by lewishamilton, george_russell, lyka.val and 563,447 others mercedesamgf1 Following the recent victory at Silverstone, unauthorized images of one of our drivers and his private life have been leaked. We respect our driver’s privacy and are addressing the situation with the seriousness it deserves. Here’s Toto’s reaction to the matter.

user44 HE'S WHAT? FOR HOW LONG?

lewishamiltonfan446427 who the fuck is y/n.... ↳ george.jpg i just searched her up, she used to be a model! she's still active on social media so it isn't that hard to find her account

mercluvr I'M SORRY???

nepobbylver ms rabbit has fainted.

y/nfan1 I'M GOING INSANE??????????????????????????

lewis.hamiltons.gf does this mean i have to change my username...?

y/nfan2 WHEN DID THEY MEET WHAT

y/nfan3 WHEN WHERE WHAT HOW WHEN HUH

rockstarlewis this is some 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 shit dude

wtfmerc so it WAS y/n

A mix of emotions floods through her as she continues reading. She feels a wave of shock, followed by a pang of confusion. Y/n grips her phone tighter, her eyes glued to the words on the screen.

Y/n looks up from her phone, her voice quivering with surprise and a hint of concern. "I didn't know they were releasing this statement today," she replies, her words tinged with a mixture of confusion and anxiety.

Her voice becomes more frantic, the words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush. "It was just an idea I pitched! The whole 'married for 6 months' thing- it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously, not this soon at least!"

She paces around the kitchen, her heart pounding with worry and uncertainty. "I never thought they'd actually make a statement about it without speaking to me first," she mutters, her voice betraying her growing anxiety.

As Y/n continues to pace anxiously, biting on her nails, Lyka takes action. She stands up from the counter and gently grasps Y/n's shoulders, trying to anchor her in the moment.

"Hey, hey," Lyka says in a soothing tone. "Take a deep breath, okay? Panicking isn't going to help the situation."

Y/n nods, trying to steady her racing thoughts. She takes a few deep breaths, letting the air fill her lungs and gradually slowing down her frenzied heartbeat.

Y/n is snapped out of her anxious thoughts as her phone rings loudly in her hand, jolting her back to reality. She glances down at the screen, wondering who could be calling her at this moment.

Her eyes widen as she sees her father's name on the caller ID. She stares at the screen for a moment, her mind swirling with thoughts. Taking another deep breath, she swipes to answer the call.

"Hello?" she says, her voice slightly shaky as she brings the phone to her ear.

She listens intently as her father's voice comes through the other end of the line, waiting anxiously for whatever he has to say. Y/n's father's voice is stern but concerned. "Y/n," he begins, "Have you seen the statement released by Mercedes?"

Y/n holds the phone a little tightly, her heart rate increasing again. "Dad," she begins, "Yes, I just saw it on Instagram. But listen, it's not what it seems-"

Her father's voice cuts her off, filled with disbelief and disappointment. "Not what it seems? It says you've been married to Lewis for 6 months. Explain that."

Y/n hesitates for a moment, her mind racing to come up with a viable explanation. Feeling cornered, she decides to go along with the lie, knowing that the truth will lead to even more disappointment and shame from her father.

"Okay, okay," she says, her voice quivering slightly. "Yes, it's true we got married. But Dad, please understand, it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing. We wanted to keep it quiet, that's why we didn't tell anyone right away…"

Y/n listens to her father's scolding, her heart sinking further with each question. "I know, I know," she responds, her voice filled with guilt and remorse. "I should have told you sooner. But Dad, you have to understand, Lewis and I wanted to keep things private at first. The public attention can be overwhelming, and we wanted to enjoy our newlywed bliss in peace…"

Y/n feels a lump form in her throat as she hears the disappointment in her father's voice. This is a first for her—she's never had to lie to her father before, and the guilt starts to weigh heavily on her heart. Fresh tears well up in her eyes, but she tries to maintain her composure on the phone.

Lyka sees the tears in Y/n's eyes and immediately takes notice, her face filled with concern. She walks over to her friend and starts rubbing her back soothingly, a silent show of support and solidarity.

Y/n's father continues to press, his tone slightly more subdued now, "And when can we meet Lewis? Your mother deserves to meet him as soon as possible. We can't just be finding out about your husband on social media, for goodness sake!"

Y/n swallows hard, the weight of the lie becoming more palpable. She racks her brain for an answer, trying to come up with a believable timeframe. "Uh, well, we're actually not together right now... he's still... with his family...," she says, her voice still shaky. "Maybe… Maybe this week? Or when their summer break begins?"

Her father remains silent for a moment, mulling over the proposed timeline. "Very well," he finally responds, his voice still edged with disappointment. "We'll plan something for next week then. I expect a proper introduction and explanation. No more secrets, understood?"

Y/n nods, even though her father can't see her. "Yes, Dad, understood. No more secrets," she mutters, her voice tinged with a mix of guilt and resignation.

After the call ends, Y/n closes her phone, a deep sigh escaping her lips. The weight of the lie and the disappointment from her father hang heavily on her shoulders. She feels like a guilty teenager all over again.

Lyka sees the distress etched on Y/n's face and quickly strides over to her, wrapping her arms around her in a comforting hug. "It's going to be okay," she whispers softly, trying to soothe her friend's troubled heart.

Y/n takes a deep breath, gathering her thoughts and trying to rein in her emotions. She then looks over at Lyka, a newfound determination etched on her face. "I need to let Lewis know about the situation with my father," she says, her voice steadying slightly.

She swiftly opens her phone and navigates to Lewis' contact. She knows she needs to inform him about the recent turn of events. Her fingers grip the phone tighter as she starts typing a message to him.

Y/n closes her phone and sighs, her body still feeling the emotional toll from the conversation with her father. Seeing that Lyka has taken over the cooking, Y/n moves to a nearby chair and plops down, still mulling over the recent developments.

While sitting on the chair, she takes a moment to mentally process everything that has happened. Her mind is filled with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions - the lie, the need to maintain the facade, the guilt of deceiving her father, and the impending meeting with Lewis and her parents.

July 14th, 5:34 PM

The two sit in the car, the engine idling in the driveway of Y/n's childhood home. The atmosphere in the car is tense, and both of them are dreading the upcoming meeting with Y/n's parents.

She takes a deep breath, stealing a glance at Lewis before speaking up. "Okay, here's the plan," she begins, her voice a mixture of conviction and anxiety.

Y/n goes over the 'story' again, recapping the timeline of their 'relationship.' "We met during my vacation- your Christmas break of 2022, and became friends for about two months before you started courting me for three more months," she reminds Lewis. "We started dating after that, dated for five months, got engaged for around two months, and then got married in mid-January. Got it?"

Lewis nods, taking in the timeline and details of their fictional relationship. He's clearly trying to commit everything to memory, fully aware of the importance of maintaining a consistent story in front of Y/n's parents.

Y/n takes another deep breath, her hand fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Just remember, the key is to stay consistent and make it believable," she adds, her voice a tad shakier than before.

Lewis reaches out and takes Y/n's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We can do this," he says, his voice filled with determination and reassurance. "We just have to stick to the story and not let our nerves get the better of us."

Y/n nods, reassured by Lewis' words and the gentle squeeze of his hand. "You're right," she says, her voice steadier now. "Stick to the story, stay cool, and we'll get through this."

Lewis turns off the ignition, and the engine falls silent. Both of them unbuckle their seatbelts and get out of the car. Standing in the driveway, they take a moment to glance at each other, preparing themselves for the upcoming interaction.

Y/n's heart pounds in her chest as she and Lewis approach the front door. The familiar surroundings of her childhood home bring back a mixture of emotions—nostalgia, nervousness, and the weight of the lie they're about to perpetuate.

She reaches out and rings the doorbell, the sound echoing through the peaceful neighborhood. They wait for a few moments, the anticipation growing with each passing second.

The maid opens the door and greets Y/n and Lewis warmly. "Hello, welcome," she says with a friendly smile. "Your father is still in his study doing some paperwork and your mother is helping the chefs with the dishes. They should be finished soon."

Y/n thanks the maid and glances at Lewis, a hint of anxiety in her eyes. She leads him into the house, the familiar scent of her childhood home filling her nostrils.

She takes Lewis' hand and leads him into the living room. The spacious room is tastefully decorated with a mix of antique and modern furniture, a reflection of her family's taste and style. She guides him to a cozy sofa and motions for him to take a seat.

As they settle onto the sofa, the maid follows behind them and asks, "Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water, perhaps?"

Y/n turns to the maid and responds, her voice a bit tense. "I'll have cold water, please. Thank you."

She then turns to Lewis, trying to keep a semblance of normalcy despite her inner turmoil. "Would you like anything, Lewis? Water, coffee, tea…?"

Lewis looks at Y/n and then at the maid and replies, "I'll have tea, please. Thank you."

As the maid exits the living room Lewis sidles closer to Y/n on the sofa, draping an arm around her in a comforting gesture. He leans in and whispers something in her ear, his voice low and barely audible to anyone else.

In a quiet voice, Lewis whispers to Y/n, "Are there any cameras in the living room?" He asks the question, his gaze subtly glancing around for any visible signs of surveillance equipment.

Y/n is slightly taken aback by Lewis' arm around her, but she collects herself quickly. In a hushed tone, she whispers back, "Yes, there are cameras. They're hidden in various spots around the room, my father has access to the cameras from his study."

Lewis places a soft kiss on Y/n's temple and then pulls her closer, his voice a low murmur. "I know, I probably should have asked for your permission before doing that, but I thought it might help our act. For all we know, your father could be watching us on those cameras at this very moment."

Y/n can feel her heart rate increase a bit at Lewis' proximity and his reasoning behind the kiss. She glances at the hidden cameras, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. She nods subtly, understanding the necessity of keeping up the act.

The two of them maintain their close position on the couch, trying to appear as a married couple who are comfortable in each other's company. Y/n glances around discreetly, wondering how her father is handling the surveillance footage.

Just as they are about to continue their conversation, the maid re-enters the living room, carrying a tray with their drinks. She sets the tray down on the coffee table in front of the sofa, placing a glass of cold water next to Y/n and a steaming cup of tea next to Lewis.

The maid arranges the drinks on the coffee table, the sound of the glass clinking against the tray cutting through the silence in the room. She then smiles politely at them before discretely exiting the living room again, leaving Y/n and Lewis alone with their beverages.

Y/n watches the maid exit, her heart rate slightly elevated. She picks up her glass and takes a small sip of water, her mind racing with a million thoughts. The sound of Lewis' tea cup being placed back on the coffee table breaks the silence, drawing her attention back to him.

As Y/n starts to bite her nail, Lewis reaches out and gently moves her hand away from her mouth, his gaze meeting hers with reassurance. "Hey," he whispers "It's going to be okay. I'm here with you, every step of the way. We'll get through this together, alright?"

The simple act of Lewis gently stopping her from biting her nail serves as a small anchor, bringing Y/n back from the edge of her nervousness. She glances at him, his steady presence offering a small sense of comfort. She nods subtly, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and anxiety.

Y/n's breathing remains somewhat labored, the anxiety still coursing through her. Lewis takes her hand in his and begins rubbing his thumb against hers, a soothing motion that seems to ease her nerves, if only a little.

As she gazes at their intertwined hands, her eyes move up to the rings and tattoos adorning Lewis' fingers. The sight of them adds another layer to their carefully crafted pretense, the evidence of her supposed marriage right there on display for anyone who looks closely enough.

Their moment is interrupted as Y/n's mother walks into the living room. Her mother's presence brings Y/n back to reality, and the nerves come rushing back. She straightens up immediately, letting go of Lewis' hand to brush off any dust on her shirt and pants.

Y/n's mother enters the living room, her eyes lighting up as she sees her daughter and Lewis sitting together on the sofa. A warm smile graces her lips as she approaches them. "Hello, you two," she greets them, her voice filled with genuine affection.

As Y/m/n approaches, Y/n rises from the sofa, her movement slightly jerky due to her nerves. She tries to force a smile, hoping to appear normal, but the tension in her body is palpable.

Lewis follows Y/n as she nods, his hand gently moving to rest on her back, a small comfort in the face of the inevitable confrontation with her father.

He extends his hand towards Y/n's mother, his demeanor is polite and friendly. "Hello, it's lovely to meet you in person," he says with a warm smile. Y/n watches the interaction, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

The introduction occurs, Lewis offering his hand in greeting and Y/n's mother shaking it warmly. Y/n stands nearby, the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears drowning out almost everything else.

As Lewis shakes her mother's hand and exchanges greetings, Y/n's heart pounds louder in her ears. Her eyes flicker between the two, the casual interaction between her mother and Lewis standing in stark contrast to the turmoil of emotions churning within her.

Y/n watches as Lewis engages in pleasantries with her mother, and the polite exchange is a far cry from the anxiety that grips Y/n's insides. The sound of their voices and the sight of their interaction blur into the background as Y/n struggles to keep herself together.

Y/m/n gestures towards the dining room, saying, "Follow me to the dining room, please. Your father will join us in about five minutes." With a nod, Y/n and Lewis follow silently behind her, the nerves tightening in Y/n's stomach.

Lewis takes Y/n's hand again, his touch providing a source of comfort in the midst of the mounting tension. With a subtle gesture, he begins rubbing his thumb against hers, offering a silent reassurance.

The gentle, soothing motion of Lewis rubbing her thumb helps to ground Y/n, and the simple action is a small balm against the anxiety that threatens to consume her. She glances at him, silently expressing her gratitude through her eyes.

They enter the dining room, and Lewis takes a seat next to Y/n, his presence a silent comfort. Y/n sits down across from her mother, leaving her father's chair vacant. The sight of the empty chair sends a jolt of anxiety through Y/n, her palms beginning to sweat.

Y/n sits across from her mother, her eyes darting to the empty chair that her father is bound to occupy shortly. The sight of the vacant seat is a ghost of the man who is about to confront the facade they've created. Y/n's palms begin to sweat, and the nervous energy builds rapidly within her.

The silence in the dining room is nearly deafening. Y/n's mother makes small talk, but Y/n's mind is elsewhere, consumed by the impending arrival of her father. She glances again at the empty chair, the seconds ticking by like hours as they wait for him to join them.

The wait seems endless, Y/n's mother's attempts at small talk falling on deaf ears as Y/n's mind races with thoughts. Every sound seems magnified, and every breath echoes. The empty chair looms over the table like a storm cloud, its absence speaking louder than any words could.

It seems almost too well-timed. Just as the silence is about to become unbearably awkward, the butlers enter the room, gracefully serving the meals that have been prepared. The aroma of the food fills the air, but Y/n's stomach is in knots, the thought of eating almost impossible.

As they express gratitude to the butlers, Y/n's father proceeds to place food on his plate, his hands moving deftly. Still in the midst of his task, he begins to ask questions, his voice laced with authority and curiosity.

Y/n's father continues to plate his food as he asks questions, his words almost nonchalant, but his tone hinting at hidden scrutiny. "So, Lewis, how did you and Y/n meet?"

Lewis responds calmly to Y/n's father's question, his tone matter-of-fact. "We met back in 2022, during Y/n's Christmas vacation," he says. "It was a coincidence, really. We just sorta bumped into each other and started talking."

Her father nods, seemingly taking in the information, still focused on loading food onto his plate. His next question comes with a hint of intensity, "And when did you decide to get married?"

Y/n's father's question about their marriage takes her slightly off-guard. As her mind races, she accidentally drops her spoon, the metallic clatter bouncing off the walls of the quiet dining room. Her heart sinks, the unexpected question leaving her feeling even more exposed.

Y/n apologizes for the dropped spoon, her voice a bit shaky. Lewis takes over, answering her father's question calmly. "We decided to get married after being engaged for two months," he explains. "We actually got married right before the off-season started. It was quite a whirlwind, to be honest."

Y/n's mother interjects, curious about the term 'off-season.' "What do you mean by off-season?" she asks, her tone casually curious.

Lewis responds to Y/n's mother's question, his tone casually informative. "The off-season is sort of like Christmas break," he says. "It's the time of year when school is out, and everything kind of slows down for a while."

Y/n's mother nods, absorbing the explanation, and then proceeds to take a bite of her food. She seems reasonably content with the answer, her focus shifting back to her meal.

Y/n's father, seemingly unsatisfied with the previous answers, resumes asking his questions. His gaze remains fixed on a spoonful of soup, but his voice drips with a sense of authoritative interrogation.

He continues to question Lewis, his eyes focused on his bowl of soup as his voice pierces the air. "So, you're an athlete, correct?" he asks, his tone suggesting he already knows the answer.

Lewis nods in confirmation, his demeanor still poised. "Yes, I am," he answers, his response firm.

Y/n's father persists with his questions, delving into practicalities. "How are you going to provide for Y/n when you're constantly traveling and training?" he probes, his tone skeptical.

Y/n's mother chimes in, gently nudging her husband and scolding him playfully. "Darling, you're acting as if Lewis is going to be your personal assistant," she admonishes, adding a little humor to the conversation.

Lewis chuckles lightly, finding a bit of humor in the situation. Y/n, on the other hand, lets out a somewhat awkward laugh, the tension still palpable beneath the facade of casual banter.

He responds to her father's question, his tone confident. "I have a well-established career, sir," he says. "I'm well-paid, and I can certainly provide for Y/n and any future family we might have."

As Lewis mentions potentially having a family, Y/n is caught off-guard and inadvertently causes herself to cough, the water going down the wrong pipe. She quickly composes herself while both their parents look at her in concern.

While Y/n recovers from her coughing fit, Lewis gently pats her back, a look of concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?" he asks, his voice laced with genuine worry.

Y/n responds nervously, her voice a bit shaky. "Yeah, I'm fine," she reassures, trying to brush off the incident, her eyes darting between Lewis, her parents, and the water in her glass.

Y/n's mother chimes in with a question, her tone light yet curious. "So, have you two thought about how big of a family you'd like to have?" she inquires, her eyes flitting between Lewis and Y/n.

Lewis expresses his thoughts on starting a family, his voice filled with warmth and optimism. "I'd really like a big family," he admits, "maybe 2-3 kids or more, and a few pets too. But ultimately, it'll be Y/n's call since she'll be the one carrying and giving birth to the children." He smiles affectionately at her, adding, "It's her decision, and I'll support whatever she chooses."

Y/n's gaze softens, her heart warmed by Lewis's words. Despite the awkward family setting, the way he looks at her, coupled with his last statement, touches her deeply. It's a small but significant gesture, emphasizing his support and understanding, something she didn't fully anticipate.

Y/n's father nods in approval, clearly satisfied with Lewis's response. "Good man," he remarks, appreciating the thoughtfulness behind Lewis's words. "Always considerate of your wife's feelings, as you should be."

As Y/n's father praises Lewis, a sigh of relief escapes her lips. The approval from her father seems to ease some of the tension, and she shoots Lewis a grateful glance, silently expressing her relief.

Y/n's mother chimes in with a question, her tone casual but slightly concerned. "Have you two thought about moving in together soon?" she asks. "I recall Y/n mentioning she's still staying with Lyka."

Y/n responds, her voice laced with a hint of anxiety, explaining the reasons behind their decision. "We haven't moved in together yet," she begins, "due to Lewis's job. With him traveling all over the world for most of the year, it would be quite lonely for me. I have some of my stuff at his place, but we agreed that I'll stay with him when he's home and stay at my apartment with Lyka when he's away."

The explanation seems to make sense to both Y/n's parents and her father nods in understanding. He seems to comprehend the challenges that come with Lewis's job, and the reasoning behind their living arrangement makes sense in their circumstances.

The dinner gradually comes to an end, and Y/n and Lewis bid farewell to her parents. There's a sense of relief in the air, mixed with a hint of lingering tension. As they part ways, Y/n's mother gives them both a warm smile, while her father offers a firm nod.

"Thanks," she says, smiling at his gesture, appreciating the small act of chivalry. She pulls out her phone from her bag before taking a seat in the car, the soft leather of the seats molding to her body.

As Lewis closes the car door, Y/n notices Lyka's name popping up on her phone's screen. She taps on the answer button, the phone pressed to her ear. "Hello?" she says, her voice slightly weary.

Lyka's voice comes through the line, sounding a mix of anxious and excited. "H-hi," she greets, her tone bordering on the guilty, like a child trying to conceal their mischief.

Y/n listens to Lyka's nervous greeting and responds, curiosity in her voice. "What's up?" she asks, setting the phone on speaker and placing it on the dash. Just as she does so, Lewis gets into the car, and they both focus on the now-speaker conversation.

Lyka's voice, sounding a bit unsure, asks, "Are you heading home now?" The question lingers in the air, suggesting that there may be something on Lyka's mind.

Y/n shoots Lewis a glance, their eyes meeting briefly as he maneuvers the car out of the gates. She's silent for a moment, contemplating Lyka's request and the implications of staying over at Lewis's place tonight.

Y/n turns her attention to Lewis, asking the question aloud, even though he had already overheard the conversation. She takes the phone off the dashboard, holding it in her hand as she speaks, her voice quieter than before. "Lyka's asking if I can stay over at your place tonight because Lando is a bit too drunk to go home."

Lewis responds, keeping his focus on the road, his voice calm and unwavering. "Sure," he says, seeming amenable to the idea. "You can stay over at my place tonight."

She relays the response to Lyka, conveying the okay from Lewis. "Okay," she says, her voice a bit lighter now. "I can stay at Lewis's place tonight."

Lyka's voice comes through the phone, brimming with gratitude and a hint of apology. "Thank you so much," she expresses, her tone sincere. "I'm really sorry for the sudden request. We just, uh…" Her voice trails off, leaving the rest unspoken.

Y/n chuckles, still on the phone with Lyka, and teases her gently. "Yeah, yeah, just make sure you take care of your 'boyfriend,'" she says, a hint of playfulness in her voice. "I'll be with Lewis."

Lyka's embarrassed screech comes through the phone, her voice full of flustered denial. "DUDE, SHUT UP!" she practically yells, her annoyance tinged with a hint of humor. "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

Y/n responds, a playful tone in her voice. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Lyka," she teases. "You can tell that to the flowers he's been sending you every day." Her tone takes on a mock serious note. "Anyways, I've gotta go now."

Lyka's frustrated scream comes through the line, her voice muffled as she probably covers her face with her hands. Y/n laughs, having heard this reaction countless times over the years, knowing it's a clear sign of Lyka's embarrassment. "Bye," Lyka manages to say, her voice still tinged with flusteredness before ending the call.

Y/n looks at her phone, opening the text messages app to find the flurry of texts Lyka sent just moments ago before the call. Her eyes scan over the screen, curious to see what kind of messages her flustered best friend sent, no doubt venting about what was happening.

Lewis breaks the brief silence that had settled in the car, starting with a casual, "So…" His tone is conversational, suggesting he has something to talk about. He keeps his focus on the road, but his voice is filled with curiosity and a hint of anticipation.

Y/n sighs, her voice tinged with a mix of resignation and uncertainty. She closes her phone screen, resting it on her lap before responding. "Honestly, I'm not even sure," she admits, her tone reflecting a hint of frustration at her friends' complex relationship.

Y/n tries to explain the complicated nature of Lyka and Lando's relationship, her voice trying to convey the complexity of it all. "They're more than friends, but less than lovers," she clarifies, her tone thoughtful. "It's a bit confusing, really. They're stuck somewhere in between."

Lewis chuckles, reflecting on the implications of the "stuck in between" situation. He offers a playful observation. "Well, that could go one of two ways, right?" he muses. "Either it's really good, or really bad."

Y/n smirks, agreeing with Lewis's assessment. "Yeah, you're right," she concedes, her voice hinting at the complexities of Lyka and Lando's dynamics. "It's either going to work out amazingly or explode in their faces."

The car falls back into a moment of silence, the low hum of the engine filling the space. Lewis keeps driving, his focus on the road, his mind likely contemplating the complexities of relationships and the uncertainty of the future.

Y/n breaks the silence again, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation. "Uh…" she begins, her tone a bit uncertain, but there's a question lingering behind it.

Y/n's voice softens with gratitude as she addresses Lewis, her tone sincere. "Thanks," she says, her appreciation evident. "For, you know, not making a big deal about me staying over."

Y/n's voice takes on a more grateful tone, her appreciation clear. "And thank you for saving my ass at the dinner," she says, a hint of relief in her voice. "I really appreciate you having my back."

Lewis responds with a warm smile, his tone easy and hospitable. "It's no problem, sweetheart," he says. "You're always welcome at my place, even when I'm not around. I'll give you a key soon so you can come and go as you please."

Y/n turns her head swiftly, her gaze now locked on him. She repeats his term of endearment, "Sweetheart?" Her voice is tinged with a hint of surprise, her head slightly tilted to the side as she processes the familiarity of the word coming from his lips.

Lewis's eyes widen momentarily upon hearing her question, clearly surprised by the inquiry. He quickly recovers and responds, his tone questioning yet gentle, "Oh, is it okay if I call you that?" His voice carries a note of concern, clearly wanting to ensure he hasn't crossed any boundaries.

She lets out a soft laugh, the tension easing away. "Yeah, it's fine," she assures him, her tone tinged with a hint of amusement. "It's actually better that way. I won't be caught off guard when you call me that in public. It'll make our act more believable for the press."

Lewis nods, the concern in his eyes replaced by a hint of relief and a touch of playfulness. "That's true," he agrees, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It'll make it more convincing when we're around people. Plus, it's kind of nice…" His voice trails off, a slight implication behind his words.

A smile dances on Y/n’s lips, and she decides to tease him a bit. “Oh really? I feel like you have a big crush on me Sir Lewis,” she asks, feigning surprise, her tone lighthearted. Her eyes glimmer with playfulness, expecting him to respond with a playful banter.

His voice takes on a playfully challenging tone as he responds to Y/n’s teasing question. “And what if I do?” he says, his eyes briefly meeting hers before turning back to the road. “What would you do about it?” There’s a hint of a challenge in his tone but also a flicker of genuine curiosity, as if he’s eager to see how she would react if her teasing was based on truth.

Y/n responds with confidence, her eyes locked into his. “Oh, I have a few ideas,” she says, her tone dripping with a hint of mystery. Her voice drops lower, filled with playful tease, as if she’s already planning something.

Lewis raises an eyebrow, his interest piqued by Y/n’s response. He can’t help but wonder what kind of ideas she has in mind. “Oh yeah? And what ideas do you have in that pretty mind of yours, sweetheart?” he asks, a smile playing on his lips.

Her smile widens, her eyes glimmering mischievously. She remains coy, not revealing too much. “Oh, I can’t give away all my secrets,” she teases, her voice playful. “You’ll have to wait and find out.”

Lewis chuckles, enjoying the banter between them. "Fair enough," he responds, his tone playful. "I guess I'll just have to wait and see what you have up your sleeve, sweetheart."

Y/n smirks at the term of endearment, the name rolling off his tongue with a familiar ease. "Oh, you'll see," she teases back, her voice filled with confidence. "I promise it'll be worth the wait."

Lewis brings the car into the parking lot of the condominium building, the wheels smoothly coming to a stop. He turns off the engine, the sound of the vehicle falling silent as he shifts his gaze over to Y/n sitting next to him.

"We're here," he announces, his tone casual. He unbuckles his seatbelt and glances over at Y/n. "Ready to head inside?"

Y/n nods, the teasing banter settling into a comfortable quiet. She unbuckles her own seatbelt and prepares to get out of the car. "Yeah, let's go."

Lewis opens the car door and steps out, stretching briefly before closing the door behind him. He then walks over to Y/n's side and opens the passenger door for her, offering his hand to help her out of the car.

She smiles appreciatively, taking his hand and stepping out of the car. "Thank you," she says, her voice tinged with gratefulness. She then follows him as they head towards the entrance of the condominium building.

As they walk into Lewis's penthouse, the faint sound of a low thumping becomes perceptible. Y/n glances around, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. She looks over at Lewis, a quizzical expression on her face, silently asking if he hears it too.

Lewis catches Y/n's curious look and can't help but smile to himself, fully aware of what's about to occur. He says nothing for a moment, amused by the fact that she hasn't figured it out yet.

Out of nowhere, a chubby bulldog appears, sprinting toward Lewis with excitement. Its short, muscular legs carry it swiftly across the floor, its paws creating a thumping sound as they hit the ground. The bulldog clearly recognizes its owner and makes a beeline straight for him, tail wagging joyfully.

Lewis crouches down to meet Roscoe, his face breaking into a wide smile as the dog happily rolls onto his belly, begging for some attention. Lewis laughs and begins to scratch the dog's belly, his fingers rubbing the animal's belly fur affectionately.

"Hey, buddy," Lewis coos affectionately, his voice filled with warmth as he speaks to Roscoe. "Did you miss me?" The bulldog responds with a slobbery grin and continues to wiggle his short, stub tail on the floor in bliss.

Roscoe looks up at Lewis with big, soulful eyes, his tongue hanging out, clearly thrilled to be in the presence of his owner. He playfully licks Lewis's hand, expressing his happiness in the only way he knows how.

Roscoe, in the middle of his display of excitement towards Lewis, suddenly halts, his furry head tilting to the side as he notices Y/n's presence. His wide eyes focus on her, his gaze inquisitive and a little cautious, as if wondering who this new person in his home is.

Y/n stands there, a mix of surprise and uncertainty on her face, not quite knowing how to greet the curious bulldog. She looks over at Lewis, silently seeking some guidance on how to approach his pet.

He notices the change in Roscoe's behavior and the puzzled look on Y/n's face. He stands up and gestures for her to come closer, a reassuring smile on his face. "It's okay," he says, his tone comforting. "He's just curious. Come closer."

Y/n steps closer, her nerves palpable as she admits to Lewis that she isn't particularly fond of dogs. "Um, is this a good time to say I'm not really a dog person?" she mumbles, her voice tinged with slight unease.

Lewis chuckles, a mix of amusement and understanding in his eyes. He glances down at Roscoe, who is still sitting and watching Y/n intently. "Oh, really? Well, that might be a problem," he teases jokingly.

She cautiously moves closer and gives Roscoe a tentative pat on the head, her touch light and tentative. The bulldog responds by closing his eyes in the pleasure of the unexpected attention, his stumpy tail wagging once again as he basks in the affection.

Lewis watches the interaction and smiles, finding the scene amusing yet endearing. "See?" he says, his voice encouraging. "He likes you already."

He stands up, motioning for Y/n to follow him into the kitchen. "C'mon," he says, gesturing towards the kitchen. "I'll grab us some drinks."

Y/n follows Lewis into the kitchen, her face transforming into a surprised smile as she asks a question. "Why do we need drinks?" There's a hint of curiosity in her voice, as if she's secretly hoping for a particular reason.

Lewis uncorks the bottle, taking out two wine glasses from the overhead cabinet. As he pours the wine into the glasses, he glances over at Y/n, his eyes holding a playful twinkle. "Besides," he says, a sly smile on his lips, "we need to celebrate our marriage properly, don't we?"

He passes a wine glass to her, his fingertips lightly brushing against hers for a moment as he does so. The atmosphere in the kitchen suddenly feels a tad heated as the implications of his words hang in the air between them.

Y/n takes the offered glass, her heart skipping a beat as their fingers touch briefly. The look in his eyes and the undercurrent of flirtation in his tone are hard to ignore. The words "we need to celebrate our marriage properly" echo in her head, causing a flutter of anticipation in her stomach.

Lewis pours himself a glass of wine, then pours another for Y/n as she settles into her seat. He moves around the counter, the wine glass in his hand, and takes a seat next to her. The silence is comfortable, but the air is charged with a simmering tension, the earlier flirtation not yet faded.

Y/n holds up her wine glass, lifting it slightly in his direction. "Cheers," she says, her voice carrying a note of excitement. The clinking sound of their glasses meeting fills the air, the act oddly intimate and charged with unspoken desires.

Their eyes meet over the rims of their glasses, the moment charged with a mix of tension and anticipation. Y/n takes a sip of her wine, the liquid smooth and cool as it touches her lips, but it's the man sitting next to her that leaves her feeling flushed and warm.

Time has passed, and the wine has taken its toll. Both Y/n and Lewis are visibly tipsy, their cheeks flushed and their inhibitions lowered. She finds herself in a slightly drunken state, her speech more slurry than Lewis's. They're exchanging stories, the wine loosening their tongues and making them more susceptible to sharing their secrets and embarrassing anecdotes.

Y/n continues her story, her voice a bit slurry from the wine but filled with amusement. "So, there I was, planning to go grocery shopping, right? But then Lyka calls and invites me out for drinks. And well, as you can imagine, one drink turns into several, and the next thing I know, it's been three hours. I completely forgot about the grocery shopping. Then, instead of coming home with actual groceries, I end up bringing home this stray white cat I found. And thus, my cat Extra Virgin Olive Oil was born."

Lewis can't help but chuckle lightly as he listens to Y/n's story, finding it both absurd and endearing. He leans his face against his palm, his elbow propped up on the counter, his eyes sparkling with tipsy amusement. He glances at her, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "You named your cat what?" he asks, his voice tinged with playful disbelief.

His laughter continues, the image of Y/n coming home with a cat instead of groceries amusing him more than it probably should in his current state of drunkenness. "You named your cat Extra Virgin Olive Oil because you forgot about grocery shopping and got drunk instead?" he asks, grinning widely, clearly finding the situation hilarious.

Y/n grins widely, nodding enthusiastically in affirmation. "Yep, that's right," she says, her voice filled with tipsy mirth. "Extra Virgin Olive Oil. And let me tell you, he's the most spoiled cat ever. All because I couldn't stick to my grocery shopping plans."

She feels a sudden brush of fur against her leg, her gaze dropping down. But before she can even react, Roscoe takes off like a shot, darting away with one of her high heels clenched in his mouth. Y/n's eyes widen, and a tipsy laugh escapes her lips.

Y/n jumps out of her seat, a tipsy grin on her face. "Roscoe!" she yells, giggling as she tries to catch the dog who's now prancing away with her high heel. Lewis watches the scene unfold, his laughter joining hers, finding the whole situation hilariously adorable.

Y/n's pursuit of Roscoe continues, her steps a bit unsteady from the alcohol. She tries to catch him, but her foot catches on the edge of the rug, her already tipsy balance getting the better of her. She trips over, her body stumbling forward, a yelp of surprise escaping her.

Lewis sees Y/n's fall, her carefree chase after the dog abruptly interrupted by her slip on the rug. He gets up from his seat, a slight worry crossing his face. But before he can make a move, Y/n raises an arm up from the floor, and yells out, "I'm okay!" Her voice is slightly slurred but there's a sense of pride in her tone, as if she's proud of her resilient demeanor despite her tipsy state.

As she stands up with a wide smile on her face, she doesn't realize the small cut on her elbow until Lewis points it out. Y/n glances down, noticing the slight trickle of blood on her arm. She touches the spot, a little surprised, but the alcohol has numbed the pain, giving her a false sense of invincibility. She giggles, looking at the cut with amused detachment.

Despite her stumble and the small cut on her elbow, Y/n's demeanor remains carefree, her eyes blinking in a slightly confused manner. The alcohol has dulled her senses, so pain feels distant and the reality of the fall hasn't quite registered in her mind yet. She looks up at Lewis, a slightly bewildered expression on her face as if she's not quite sure how she ended up on the floor in the first place.

Lewis lets out a small, playful exhale and saunters over to Y/n, gesturing for her to sit on the couch. "Alright, come on, sit down," he instructs, his voice laced with a hint of amused frustration. He guides her over to the couch, steadying her a bit as she clumsily flops down onto the cushions.

He turns away, giving her a warm smile, and says, "Okay, sit tight. I'll be right back. I'll get a bandage for that cut on your elbow." He strides out of the room, leaving Y/n slumped on the couch, a little drunk and a bit bewildered.

Y/n lounges on the couch in a slightly disheveled manner, her body stretched out like a starfish. She looks like a ragdoll, her limbs flung about in a completely comfortable yet chaotic way. The alcohol has made her feel relaxed and carefree, completely unbothered by the fact that she's lying haphazardly on the couch, waiting for Lewis to return with a bandage for her now-forgotten cut.

After 5 minutes, Lewis enters the room carrying a small first-aid kit. He looks over at Y/n, noticing that she's a bit more composed compared to a few moments ago. The alcohol's effect seems to have subsided a bit, perhaps due to the short break in time. He walks over to her, sitting down on the couch next to her, the first-aid Kit in his hand.

"Seems like you're getting a bit more sober now," he observes, his tone gentle as he opens the first-aid kit. He takes out an antiseptic wipe and a small adhesive bandage, preparing to clean and cover the cut on her elbow.

"Hold still for a moment," he says, his voice soft. He gently takes her arm and begins cleaning the wound with the antiseptic wipe. The cool touch of the solution stings a little, but he's careful not to cause her any unnecessary pain.

Y/n winces a bit as the antiseptic wipe touches the cut, a small "ow" escaping her lips. The alcohol has numbed her a bit, but the sting of the antiseptic still registers. She looks at her arm, watching as Lewis carefully cleans the cut, his touch light yet deliberate.

"It's alright," he soothes, his tone gentle. "I'm almost done." He continues to clean the cut, making sure it's free of any dirt or debris before gently placing the bandaid over the cut. His touch is light and careful, his fingers grazing the soft skin of her arm.

Once the bandaid is placed, he gently pats the area around the cut, securing it in place. He then releases her arm, his touch lingering for a moment longer than necessary. He looks up at her, a small, reassuring smile on his lips.

Y/n gazes at Lewis, her eyes studying his face intently. She takes in every detail - the curve of his lips, the flecks of gold in his eyes, the slight stubble on his chin. The alcohol still in her system has lowered her inhibitions, making her bolder and more observant. She continues to stare at him, not saying a word.

Lewis notices Y/n's unwavering gaze, her eyes taking in every feature of his face. He raises an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his expression. Seeing her silent observation, he jokingly asks, "Got something on my face?" His voice is light, and his words are filled with humor.

Y/n shakes her head, continuing her silent observation, her gaze still fixated on his features. And then, in a surprising move, she leans forward, her lips brushing against his in a soft, slow kiss. The alcohol in her system lowers her inhibitions, making her actions more impulsive and carefree. The kiss is unexpected but filled with an undercurrent of desire and affection.

Lewis is taken aback for a moment, caught off guard by her unexpected kiss. But then, he relaxes into it, his eyes closing as he responds to her contact. His hand comes up to cup the back of her head, his fingers lightly brushing through her hair. The kiss deepens, the alcohol in their systems making it heady and impulsive.

Y/n, emboldened by the alcohol and the heat of the moment, makes another bold move. Without breaking the kiss, she shifts her position, straddling his lap, a leg on either side of him. Her body presses against his, her hands on his shoulders, pulling him closer as she continues kissing him, her actions driven by a combination of intoxication and desire.

She suddenly pulls away from the kiss, the reality of her actions sinking in. Her blush spreads across her face, a mixture of embarrassment and desire filling her. She looks at him, her eyes wide, her breathing slightly ragged from the intensity of the kiss. The alcohol in her system has lowered her inhibitions, making her bolder and more impetuous, but she still feels a mix of shyness and confusion at her own behavior.

Lewis looks at Y/n, a hint of confusion and surprise in his eyes. He gently cups her face with his hand, his thumb tracing the contour of her cheek. He asks her softly, "Why did you stop?" His voice is a mix of curiosity and tenderness, his gaze holding hers as he waits for her response.

Despite the buzz of alcohol in her system, Y/n hesitates, her actions and her desires at war within her. The kiss had been spontaneous, driven by a heady mixture of alcohol and desire, but now she feels a sense of self-consciousness and insecurity. Her blush deepens under his touch, and she looks into his eyes, trying to find the words to explain her sudden break in their intimate moment.

"I…I don't know," she stutters out, her voice small and unsure. "It's just…I don't know…" Her gaze flickers away from his, unable to hold his intense, questioning stare. The alcohol and the heat of the moment have made her impulsive, but now she feels exposed, vulnerable in her straddling position, her guard faltering under his soft but insistent touch.

Lewis gives her a reassuring smile, his hand still cupping her face. Seeing her hesitant, he gently draws her back towards him, his other hand coming up to rest on her hip. He pulls her down, bringing her face closer to his, and kisses her again, his lips pressing against hers with a soft but determined pressure. The kiss is slow, tender, and deliberate, his tongue slipping out to caress her lower lip, seeking more.

With a swift movement, Lewis stands up, still not breaking the kiss, his hands holding onto Y/n's thighs to keep her stable. The shift in positioning causes her to tighten her arms around his neck, and their bodies press even closer together. Lewis's grip is firm but gentle, his strength evident as he holds her up with ease, the kiss continuing unhindered.

He walks with purpose towards the bedroom door, his strength and balance holding Y/n securely in his arms. In a move that seems completely effortless, he keeps one hand on her thigh, supporting her weight, while his other free hand reaches out, unlocks the door, and swings it open. He strides across the threshold, carrying her into the room, the kiss never once breaking.

Inside the bedroom, he kicks the door closed behind them, shutting out the rest of the world. The only sounds filling the room are the soft gasps and sighs exchanged between them as the kiss deepens, fueled by a heady mixture of desire and alcohol. Lewis shifts his grip slightly, his hand sliding from her thigh to her waist, holding her steadily as he guides her towards the bed.

Lewis gently sets Y/n down on her feet, helping her regain her balance. Then, with a soft yet firm pressure on her shoulders, he eases her backward until she sits on the edge of the bed. He stands in front of her, his body looming over hers in a way that is both dominant and protective. He looks down at her, his gaze darkened with desire, his breathing slightly heavy.

With a subtle but deliberate action, Lewis's hand moves up to Y/n's neck, his fingers wrapping around the delicate skin in a light but firm grip. He squeezes gently, not enough to cut off her air, but enough to assert a sense of control and possessiveness. The kiss that follows is quick, fierce, and possessive, his tongue invading her mouth in a dominant, needy manner.

Y/n whimpers into the kiss, the sound caught between a protest and a moan of pleasure. Lewis's dominant grip on her neck, the way he claims her mouth in a possessive kiss, fuels the fire within her. Her hands come up to cling to his shoulders, the mixture of pleasure and submission washing over her in waves.

Too caught up in the intensity of the moment, she grips the loops of Lewis's pants, her fingers hooking onto them as if anchoring herself. The action is both needy and desperate, a silent plea for more as she looks up at him, her eyes burning with desire and anticipation.

Lewis glances down at Y/n, noticing her fingers gripping his pant loops, a small, amused smile playing on his lips. Teasingly, he leans down, his face close to hers, and whispers, "So needy, aren't you?" His voice is a low, gravelly murmur, his words carrying a hint of possessive satisfaction.

She looks up at Lewis with wide, innocent, doe-like eyes, her expression a mixture of need and submission. She doesn't respond, her voice caught in her throat, but her grip on his pant loops tightens just a fraction, her body silently begging for more. The contrast between her innocent gaze and her needy actions is striking, and the heat in her eyes speaks volumes.

Lewis continues to look down at her, his eyes taking in her beautiful, vulnerable expression. He reaches out a hand, tracing the line of her neck with his fingers, but the touch light is barely there. He can hear her soft, ragged breaths, can feel her pulse quickening under his touch, and his own need, his own desire, increases exponentially.

He leans in, his lips moving to her ear, his breath against her skin as he whispers, "You're so gorgeous like this, so needy for me." He kisses her ear, his lips moving down to her jaw, leaving a trail of soft, hot kisses down the delicate curve of her neck.

Lewis continues to kiss along her neck, his mouth nipping and sucking gently at her skin, his tongue darting out to taste her sweetness. His hands slide down her body, caressing her sides, his touch both tender and possessive, his own need growing with every soft sound that escapes her lips.

He bites gently at her pulse point, a small, possessive act that makes her gasp and whine softly. His hands move to the hem of her shirt, his fingers tracing the line of exposed skin, his touch both gentle and firm. "I want you," he whispers against her skin, his voice rough and full of desire, "so badly."

His hands slide underneath her shirt, his palms pressing against her skin, feeling her warmth and softness against his touch. He feels her shiver at the contact, her body responding to his touch like a perfectly tuned instrument. He kisses her collarbone, his mouth moving down to the hollow of her throat, his lips trailing along her skin with increasing need.

His hands move higher, his fingers tracing the contour of her stomach, her ribcage, her breasts. He feels her arch into his touch, her body craving more contact, more of his touch, his caress, his attention. He can feel her need, her desire, the way her breath hitches at his touch, and it only fuels his own fire, his own burning need for her.

Lewis pushes her gently back onto the bed, his body hovering over her, his weight propped up on his forearms. He looks down at her, his eyes roaming over her face, her body, taking in the sight of her beneath him, soft and yielding, yet filled with an undeniable fire and desire.

His fingers move to the buttons of her shirt, his touch slow and deliberate as he unfastens them one by one, revealing her bare skin inch by inch, his lips following the path of his fingers, leaving a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses along her skin.

Y/n's breathing becomes ragged as Lewis' hands reach the last button, freeing her breasts from the confines of her shirt. She pushes the fabric off her shoulders, tossing it aside, her nipples hard and aching for his touch.

Lewis' hands cup her breasts, his thumbs teasing her sensitive nipples. Y/n moans, her head falling back as she arches into his touch. Her hands roam over his body, unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants.

She slides her hand inside, gripping his erection through his boxers. Lewis groans, his hips bucking into her hand. Y/n pulls him closer, their lips meeting in a rushed kiss as she fumbles with his boxers, freeing his hard cock.

She strokes him slowly, her thumb rubbing over the head, making him moan into her mouth. Lewi's hands leave her breasts, training down her sides to her waistband. He hooks his thumbs into her pants, pulling them down her legs, leaving her completely naked.

Y/n steps out of her pants, her body trembling with desire. Lewis' eyes roam over her, drinking in the sight of her before he pulls her back against him. He reaches around, unfastening his braided belt, letting it fall to the floor.

He pushes her onto the bed, following her down, his lips trailing kisses down her neck, his hand guiding his cock to her entrance. Y/n's breath hitches, her legs parting, welcoming him.

Lewis positions himself at her entrance, his eyes locked on hers, filled with lust and desire. He pushes inside her, slowly at first, allowing her body to adjust to his size. Y/n gasps, her nails digging into the sheets as he fills her completely.

Y/n bites her lip, her eyes widening as she feels the full extent of Lewis' size. "Fuck, you're huge," she hisses, a mixture of pain and pleasure coursing through her.

Lewis smirks, his hands gripping her hips as he begins to thrust, his rhythm slow and deliberate. "Like it sweetheart?" he growls, his voice deep and seductive.

Y/n nods, her eyes fluttering shut as she adjusts to his size. "Yeah, I... I love it," she admits, her voice breathy and needy.

Lewis grins, his hand sliding around Y/n's neck, applying gentle pressure. "Good," he murmurs, his thrusts growing faster and more forceful.

Y/n's eyes widen at the added sensation, her body arching off the bed as her arousal intensifies. "Lewis," she whispers, her nails digging into his back, "don't stop."

He doesn't, his thrusts becoming more aggressive, his hand tightening around her neck just enough to heighten her arousal. Y/n's moans grow louder, her body trembling in anticipation of her impending orgasm.

Y/n's voice is barely a whisper as she gasps, "I'm... I'm close, Lewis."

Lewis, however, is lost in the sensations, his focus solely on the feel of Y/n's tight, wet pussy wrapped around his cock. He continues to thrust, his hand still tightly around her neck, his body moving in perfect unison with hers.

Y/n's orgasm hits her like a tidal wave, her body convulsing as she cries out, her nails digging into Lewis' bicep. Her walls clench around his cock, milking him as he continues to thrust.

Lewis' thrusts grow more erratic, his grip on Y/n's neck tightening as he feels her orgasm grip his cock. Her shaking only serves to fuel his desire, his release drawing near.

He pulls out of her, Y/n's protest cut off by the loss of his cock. He positions himself at her entrance once more, his cock glistening with her juices. "On your knees, sweetheart," he commands, his voice thick with lust.

Y/n obeys, her body still trembling as she gets onto her hands and knees. Lewis lines up his cock with her wet pussy, thrusting back inside her, this time from behind.

His hand leaves her neck, instead gripping her hair, pulling her head back as he begins fuck her with renewed vigor. Y/n's moans fill the room, her body responding to her every thrust,

Lewis' thrusts become more rushed, his breathing heavy. "You're such a good girl, taking my big cock like that," he praises, his voice thick with desire.

Y/n's body shudders, her arousal building once more as she feels him fill her from behind. "Mmm, Lewis," she moans, her voice thick with lust.

Lewis' hand tightens in her hair, his thrusts growing more urgent. "Cum for me, sweetheart. Cum for me one more time," he says, voice a mixture of command and desire.

Y/n's body responds to his words, her orgasm building once more. "I... I'm close," she gasps, her nails digging into the bedsheets.

Lewis feels his own release building, his thrusts becoming more erratic. "Come for me," he demands, his cock pulsing inside her.

Y/n's body convulses, her orgasm washing over her like a tidal wave. Lewis can no longer hold back, his cock pulsing as he releases his hot seed deep inside her. He collapses onto her back, his breathing heavy as he tries to regain his composure.

Her body shudders, her mind swimming in the aftermath of her orgasm. Lewis slowly pulls out of her, his cock leaving a trail of cum between her legs. He rolls off her, pulling her into his arms, their bodies entwined.

They lie there, their bodies intertwined in the aftermath of their passionate encounter. Both are out of breath, their hearts still racing from the intensity of the experience. Lewis is holding Y/n close, her head resting on his chest, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her back. The room is quiet, the only sound being their ragged breathing, the sound gradually slowing and evening out as they regain their composure.

Y/n breaks the silence, her voice a bit hoarse but weary. She looks up at Lewis, her head still pillowed on his chest, and says, "That sobered me up real fast." Her words are a mixture of exhaustion and satiation, the aftermath of their passionate encounter leaving her both depleted and fulfilled.

Lewis gives a soft laugh, his fingers still tracing patterns on her back. He nods, agreeing with her words. "I guess that's one way to sober up," he replies, his voice still a little breathless. He gently brushes a stray strand of hair from her face, his touch soft and affectionate.

Y/n jokes, a weary but playful smile on her face. "Well," she says, "that was like our very own little honeymoon night, wasn't it?" Her comment, although lighthearted, carries a hint of seriousness, a nod to the intense and passionate connection they had just shared.

Lewis chuckles softly, a smile on his lips. He gently pulls her closer, his arms tightening around her. "I guess you could say that," he responds, his voice warm and gentle. "We definitely made some memories tonight." He looks down at her, his gaze filled with tenderness and affection.

Y/n hisses as she adjusts her position, a slight wince on her face. Her body is likely still sensitive from their passionate encounter, and she moves gingerly, trying to find a more comfortable position.

Lewis notices her hiss and the wince on her face, his expression immediately becoming one of concern. He asks her gently, "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" His voice is laced with worry and concern, his fingers lightly coming up to caress her cheek.

Y/n shakes her head, her eyes meeting his. "No, I'm alright," she reassures him. "Just a little sore, I guess. But it was worth it," she adds with a sleepy smile.

Lewis continues to look at her, his eyes searching her face for any signs of discomfort. He asks again, his voice filled with concern, "Are you sure you're alright? Soreness is normal, but I don't want to hurt you." He gently tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch tender and caring.

Y/n nods, a small smile on her face, and jokingly says, "Well, I guess there's an easy fix for that. Just take me out on a shopping spree, and I'll feel like a million bucks again." Her tone is light and humorous, indicating that she's not entirely serious but also hinting at her desire for some pampering and shopping therapy.

Without hesitation, Lewis reaches for the nightstand near the bed and grabs his wallet. He opens it and pulls out a credit card, then hands it to Y/n with a smile. "There," he says, his voice lighthearted, "your ticket to feeling a million bucks. Go wild."

Y/n's eyes widened as she took his credit card. She playfully gasps, a mischievous smile on her face. "Are you serious? You're giving me carte blanche with this?" she says, holding the card up and examining it like it's a precious gem.

Lewis nods, a smirk on his face. "Dead serious," he confirms, leaning back against the headboard. "Go nuts. Buy whatever you want, and don't hold back. It's on me."

Y/n places the credit card on the nightstand, her smile playful. "Oh, it can definitely wait till tomorrow," she says. "I think we should both rest and recover from tonight's… activities." Her tone is teasing, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction.

Lewis chuckles, a knowing smile on his face. "I agree," he replies, his voice deep and gravelly. "We definitely need some rest after tonight. But tomorrow…tomorrow is all yours. Shopping sprees, pampering, the works. I can't have you sore for too long, can I?"

Y/n smirks at his words, her eyes narrowing mischievously. "You know, you might be starting to regret giving me that credit card already," she teases. "You're creating a little monster here."

Lewis laughs heartily. "Oh, I'm fully aware of the monster I'm creating," he replies, still sporting a smile. "But honestly, I find it kind of hot. The thought of you going on a shopping spree, spending my money without a care in the world… it's strangely alluring."

Y/n teases, a mischievous grin on her face. "Oh, don't worry, I plan on getting something for you too," she says. "After all, a good shopping spree isn't complete without a little gift for the guy who's footing the bill."

Lewis pulls her back towards him, drawing her close against his chest. He settles back against the pillows, his arm wrapping around her in a protective, comforting embrace. Y/n's head rests against his chest, her body tucked snugly against his, and he gently kisses the top of her head. "Sweet dreams," he whispers, his voice soft and affectionate.

yn.ln

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[tooti-fruiti]

Since some people liked my last Wally Darling fanfic

I've decided to write another one

WALLY DARLING X GN! READER

It was Julie's birthday and she wanted to throw a dance party to celebrate it

Everyone attended, including you

Except, you sat by yourself on the sidelines

You didn't know how to dance, and you didn't want to make a fool of yourself

Especially since Wally's here too

You adored Wally and obviously didn't want to embarrass yourself in front of him

Everyone's dancing and having a good time while you sit in the corner trying to not feel bad for yourself

That was until Wally himself walked up to you

"Come on, my friend. Give me your hand." He said, offering you his hand

You ask him what he's doing and he smiles

"I'm walking you back to your house."

As he ushers you out of the party, you keep asking him why he's leaving and that you'll be okay by yourself

"It's okay (Y/n)!" He says

"We already gave Julie our gifts, and she understands that you weren't having fun. And besides, we can hang out with her another day."

You ask him why he decided to leave

"I can't have you walking all by yourself in dark, now can I?"

Your face turned a little red and you two walked together in silence

"(Y/n)?" Wally asked

"Why were you sitting by yourself? You could have joined us."

After deciding to be honest with him, you tell him it's because you don't know how to dance

Wally starts to laugh his awkward monotone laugh

Why was he laughing?

You looked away and he realized he had accidentally offended you

"Oh I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I was laughing because I could have taught you how to dance."

You turn to face him again and he smiles.

"This way." He says taking your hand

Wally starts to lead you away from your house and you ask him where you two are going

"We're going to teach you how to dance!"

He leads you to Home and gently knocks on the door

You try to explain to him that he doesn't have to do this

"Of course I do! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you out? What if Julie wants another dance party for her birthday?"

Home's eyes fluttered open and smoke blew out of their chimney.

"Good evening Home. I'm sorry to wake you up. May we come in please?"

More smoke blew out of the chimney

"Yes. We. I brought (Y/n) with me."

After a little bit of silence, Home opened the door and Wally led you inside.

"Thank you, Home."

You always found it a little bit endearing how Wally talked to his house, it was cute.

In a weird way

"This way my friend." Wally said as he led you to his art studio.

"Wait right here."

He moved his easel to a corner in the room and led you to the center

"Home?" Wally called out

He got a small creak in response

"Can you play a slow song for me? Please?"

You heard a low and long creak from a floorboard, as if Home was annoyed in someway

"Thank you." Wally smiled then turned back to you

"Follow my lead, we'll take things slow." He said as he put his hand on your waist and held your other hand in his own

"Put your free hand on my shoulder."

You did as you were told and a slow classical song began to play throughout the room

"Step to the left, step forward, step to the right, step back, and repeat!"

After stepping on his shoes for the first few times, you eventually got the hang of it and spun around the art room as Wally held you in his arms

After dancing for you a few minutes, you told him this wasn't the kind of dancing that Julie was doing at her party

"I know." He said with a wink

Your face turned a bright red again

Wally smiled and held onto your waist tighter before slowly dipping you as the song ended

You felt as if you were going to melt into a puddle

"See how much fun dancing can be?"

You nodded, still too flustered to say anything

Wally stood up straight and let go of your waist

"Looks like Home fell asleep again." He whispered. "That means it's time for us to go to bed too."

You asked him what he meant by "us"

"You're spending the night of course!" He whisper yelled

You knew at this point that you couldn't win against him so you just accepted it

"So, I'll show you my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

You quickly stopped him and reassured him that you could both sleep in the bed

"Well, if it's alright with you. Then it's alright with me."

Wally gave you a robe of his that you could sleep in when he went to the bathroom to change into his pajamas

The robe smelled like green apple

After you and Wally laid down in bed, you turned away from him as an attempt to not make things more awkward than they already were

That was until you felt him grab your hand

"Turn to me." He whispered

You did and saw him smiling at you. "Did you have fun?"

You nodded and smiled back at him

"I had fun too. I really enjoy your company."

Wally pulled you into his chest for a hug and held you there. "If you know what I mean."

You hugged him back and told him you understood, your face turning red

You heard him laugh a little before he gave you a kiss on top of your head.

"Goodnight my dear."

This was stupidly long

But I enjoyed writing it

[hikennosabo]

#tristampparty day 10, episode 10: humanity

oh we're REALLY in it now. @tristampparty let's goooooo

wonder who these journalists are, who the sources are... oh, and the radio dj is masaya onosaka, as always!

AHHHH SEE IT WAS JULY IN THE FLASHBACK LAST EPISODE!! IT'S THE SAME CRACKED EGG SHAPE!!! IT'S JULY I'M NOT STUPID!!!! I'M NOT STUPID!!!! IT WAS JUST MY 3AM SLEEP DEPRIVED BRAIN!!!!

....

"whose side are you on?" count: 4

so not only do conrad and luida know each other, conrad knows exactly what luida is up to... he immediately knows who meryl is talking about even though she didn't say her name. have they been in contact at all over the past 150 years, i wonder?

vash's sneeze alerting the police is so funny. why is he so sneezy.

vash letting himself get shot... oof. ough. ouch. agh. (<- me taking poison damage)

the dramatic chord at the title drop... very foreboding. i like it.

...

my japanese isn't good enough so i can't tell for sure if wolfwood actually says "deer" (it doesn't sound like it, but the kansai dialect could be throwing me off) or this was just the translator using a metaphor without thinking about the implications. how does he know what a deer is. (he doesn't say "deer" in the dub, ftr)

conrad's exposition dump about his motivations is... a lot... he thinks he's doing good, working towards a better future, but meryl and roberto rightfully call bs lmao.

it's just... okay, we don't know exactly what happened with him and tesla. we only have the photo with the two of them, and the flashback to her discovery by the twins, but... it seems like this adaptation of conrad was combined with the other scientists on ship five. so now instead of conrad being the only ally to rem against the other scientists' experiments on tesla, he became the person who did the experiments in the first place. and that's just so... i don't know. to atone for tesla, he's... doing more unethical experiments?? he's doubling down??

knives is the king of hypocrisy and doubling down, too, and the king of the sunk cost fallacy... i'm not making excuses for knives, especially not for his current behavior, but he was very young when all this started. so it's easier to understand why and how he became the way he is. but conrad's a grown ass man.

he's trying to make humans more like plants, and the way he talks to meryl and roberto about knives it's clear that he views humans as an inferior species. and even when expressing regret over what happened with tesla, it's like he doesn't see Why what he did to tesla was Bad. if he truly understood that, he wouldn't be doing more unethical experiments in the first place. in his eyes, independent plants went from being below him (as something to experiment on) to being above him (as something humanity must aspire to) and it's equally dehumanizing (for lack of a better word). and now he views himself as above humanity; humanity is "imperfect" and in need of repair, and he's the one to... bring them salvation or whatever.

also i wonder if the kids in jars are gonna come back in the future as actual characters...

a plant-human hybrid with homophobia in her eyes...

i've said this before. i'll say it again. elendira ii is nothing like elendira i. she is a completely different character to me. it's not just her physical appearance, it's her personality, her emotions... wherever elendira i is i hope she's lounging with a margarita as her little sister/clone wreaks havoc or whatever.

i do think it's fun to see her shooting a bunch of nails though. i'll give her that.

i just don't understand her at all... she gets upset about being perceived as a child and plays a childish act to manipulate her opponents but also does genuinely act like a child sometimes? what is orange planning. why. giving her plant powers to explain her endless supply of nail-ammo is one thing but they added so much on top it's taking her in a really weird direction. give me trimax elendira back.

aaaand roberto's dead. o7 still not a character i'm super attached to but i appreciate his observation skills and his jokes.

"back then." in japanese he says "that time." i think he's talking about the flashback from last episode. maybe it's the very same plant he watched die in front of him.

oh the emotional manipulation... but i think knives is hitting some truth about vash, namely that he is driven primarily by his guilt (aaaand knives is just making that guilt worse). and it's something vash is afraid of acknowledging.

sinners with the capital S again!!!

the impression i get from knives and conrad's working relationship is that... conrad is helping knives with the plant dimensional stuff, and in exchange knives just kind of lets conrad do what he wants...? like i don't see why knives would care about conrad's "humanity enhancing" experiments - humans are lesser than himself, no matter what. even if they're ostensibly for the sake of lessening the burden on plants... just killing humanity would have the same effect and would be way faster. and his current plan is just ignoring humanity and gathering the plants not caring about how it affects them... because he doesn't care!

i dunno i've just seen people talk about EoM and their experiments and everything as if it's directly knives's fault, but i don't think he's dictating any of this so much as just... letting it happen. outside of anything that directly advances his higher-dimension-connection plan, i don't think he would care enough about whatever else they're doing. in the manga too, iirc, the cults that formed around knives weren't something that he made, it was more like they were formed around him regardless of his own input. ofc enabling it all is still BAD but all of this is more on conrad's shoulders than anyone else's imo.

this shot kinda fucks... very commanding. i like it.

this ended up being an unintentional observation, but we still haven't really seen a full view of knives's face in the present day. we see it in flashbacks, but every time knives has been on screen in the present his face has been partially concealed...

hey wait a second why is wolfwood back to being just "nicholas d wolfwood" in the credits

is it because his contract is finished?? man can they NOT keep dealing me psychic damage in the fucking CREDITS

can't believe we're almost to the end.... aaaaghghh...

[frevandrest]

Is there a timeline for Saint-Just’s divorce opinions? I remember him early on writing that it was immoral and then he said a marriage could be separated if the couple didn’t have children in 7? years.

There are only two "phases" that we know of (against then in favour); or, rather, only one source/point when he voiced he was against divorce. This is in his 1791 book "L'esprit de la révolution". In it, SJ says that divorce ruins the social contact, but doesn't elaborate much. I mean, there is an entire chapter about it, but it's a few paragraphs long (half of which are ramblings about Rome and God/religion). I honestly must admit that I don't understand why he argues against. He says that it's against nature. That book aged badly like a week (?) after it was published, because it praised the Constitutional monarchy and then soon after Louis decided to take a trip to Varennes.

So soon after, in "De la Nature", we have SJ arguing pro divorce, and he remained very in favour of it for the rest of his life. Now, we don't know when "De la Nature" was written, but it had to be after "L'esprit" but before September 1792 (when divorce was legalized), because he talks about how divorce should be allowed (implying that it's not yet legal at the time of writing). He said some really based things in "De la Nature" about the rights of women (of which divorce is important aspect) but I need to go through that book to be able to talk about details. As I understand, he talks about how the existence of divorce would ensure independence (I guess as in, autonomy). (I think this independence when it comes to women is a theme he mentions more than once in his writings, though in different contexts). Then in "Les Fragments d'institutions républicaines" (written sometimes in late 1793-early 1794), he talks positively about divorce once again. Although here it is more in practical terms (since it was already legal), so he was writing about the regulations surrounding divorce and the rights of children after divorce.

"he said a marriage could be separated if the couple didn’t have children in 7? years."

Yes, but he does not give this as a condition under which a divorce can happen - he advocated for free divorce without a reason. This note says that a couple that has no children after 7 years is divorced by law and must separate. Like a mandatory divorce in this situation? Which may sound strange, given that he wrote a few paragraphs earlier that "man and a woman who love each other are married" so... what if those childless people love each other, Antoine? (Spoiler: he never explains). So this is really wtf and contradictory and some historians tried to explain it as SJ seeing having children as marriage's only purpose (so if no children = divorce), and idk, maybe? But I don't really see it. SJ generally writes so much about the right of women to decide on their spouse, AND he openly says that a man and a woman who love each other are married and they don't have to tell anyone (they can keep it a secret), unless she gets pregnant, when they must declare it. So he definitely argued for the existence of marriage without children. Which makes this comment about mandatory divorce after 7 years very confusing.

But! Let's not forget that this was 18c century and boy did they love to include things that were happening around them as if those are universal laws (to the point where you can glean people's personal biographies through srs political writing). In this case, we know that Thèrése Gellé left her husband on the 7th anniversary of their marriage (25 July 1793), and they did not have children.

No idea if SJ had any link to Thèrése at the time, but this was a marriage that affected him a lot in 1786 and SJ Never Forgets. And we know he knew of Thèrése's escape to Paris after she left her husband so he definitely knew of this incident (since he was believed to had kidnapped her and/or responsible that she left). So I am positive that this note in the Institutions was inspired by the event, for whatever reason.

[captainlunaxmen]

The Lady and the Lord

Chapter 2

Eddie munson x fem!reader

This is a repost since the old blog doesn't work anymore. 🥰

Chapter summary: they have one mission: find Eddie.

Chapter warnings: spoiler season 4, violence description.

"And then Vicki laughed. And it wasn't like a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like... it was a real genuine laugh." Robin tells us as Steve put some vhs on the shelfs and I hold some to help them. I don't work here, but I like to help instead of sitting at home doing nothing.

"Of course. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious" Steve says very proudly, and I roll my eyes.

"My point is that Vicki laughed and everything was just like...it was perfect" she keeps going with a dreamy voice.

She's so cute.

"But?" I ask, knowing something's up.

"But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking." She explains "I have said everything I need to say.but then I guess I get nervous and the words keep spilling out, and it's like my.. my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or rather my.. my mouth is moving faster than my brain. And it's like I'm digging this hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't. And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"

She finally turns around to look at us after her babbling.

"Yeah, you are" Steve says and I nod with a half smile.

She exhales deeply and move backwards to rest against the wall.

"I'm hopeless" she says.

Steve follows her against the wall. "We both are"

I roll my eyes at their pessimism.

"If only we could just, like, combine." Robin suddenly says, I look at her confused.

"Combine?" Steve's confused too.

"No. Think about it. I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams, but I can't get the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile, you go on, like, a million dates, and you have no idea what you want. So if we just combine, all our problems would be solved."

Steve lets out an understanding "Oohh"

"Because, I mean, alone let's face it..."

"We totally suck." Steve finishes for her.

"Totally and utterly"

"C'mon, you guys are the most amazing persons that I know... just have hope" I look at Steve "and some courage" I look at Robin "and everything will be fine"

"Oh yeah?" Steve sends me a very sceptical look.

"Ooh, I think I found our morning movie" Robin gasps, running to a shelf and grabbing a vhs. "Doctor Zhivago"

"Ugh, you know I don't do double vhs" Steve groans shaking his hands in the air.

"But it's about doomed love" she tries.

"That's relatable" Steve agrees, and we both follow Robing behind the counter.

"Exactly. Also Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like seriously the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life" she turn the TV on.

"I gotta agree on that" I declare.

"We're in the Forest Hills trailer park on East Roane County." The reporter's voice says loud and clear "we don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body kd a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family"

Oh shit.. as if alternate dimensions creature's weren't enough.

"Holy shit" Steve whispers beside me.

"Who could that be?" I ask worried.

"I don't know.." Robin replies.

"Isn't it where Max lives?" I ask again looking at them.

They just nods.

Oh shit.

We spent the morning watching the news and organising the store to keep ourselves busy.

All of a sudden the door bell rings and Dustin and Max come in.

"Hey Steve" he says, he looks visibly agitated.

"You guys see this?" Steve asks them.

"How many phones do you have?" Dustin asks, completely ignoring Steve's question.

Robin and I share a confused look

"Someone was murdered"

"How many phones fo you have?" He repeats more firmly.

"Two. Why?" He answers

"Technically three if you count Keith's in the back" Robins specifies.

Max and Dustin look at each other.

"Yeah, thee works" Max says.

So Dustin take off his backpack as Steve asks "what are you doing?" And, again, ignoring his question Dustin throw the backpack on the other side of the counter and climbs on top of it to get through.

All this while earning very annoyed reactions from both Robin and Steve.

Ignoring both of them Dustin positions himself in fron of the computer.

"What are you doing?" Steve asks.

"Setting up base of operation here." He simply answers.

"Base of operation?" I ask. "Why?"

Steve tries to get Dustin off of the computer, but with no use.

"What do you need it for? Dustin?" I ask, getting more and more confused.

"Eddie's friends' phone numbers" he answers and I look at Steve.

"Oh Eddie, your new best friend who just is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?" Steve asks, sounding quite jealous, I gotta say.

"I never said that" Dustin defends himself from Steve's accusatory tone.

"Seriously, you guys, maybe know a Monday you can play around like toddlers, but it's Saturday. It's our busiest day" Robin tells them, putting the tapes back on the counter.

"Robin, look, I empathise, but this cannot wait until Monday" Dustin firmly says.

"Calling Eddie's friends is an emergency?" She asks back.

"Correct" Dustin shouts, like that was the most obvious thing.

"Why? What happened?" I ask, now getting more worried. "Did something happen to Eddie?... Dustin?"

"Can you just fill them in while I do this?" Dustin asks Max.

"Fill us in on what?" Robin is definitely annoyed.

We all look at Max waiting for her to explain what happened.

We found ourselves calling so many different numbers, trying to find a lead to where Eddie might've gone.

I type down the numbers while Robin, Max and Dustin call them, and Steve flirts with every girls he can, pretending he's just working.

"Hey, guys. I might have a lead" Max calls pur attention.

"Seriously?" Dustin turns to her, hopefully.

"Yeah, apparently, Eddie gets his drugs from come guy names Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there." She explains.

"That's promising" I comment.

"Where does this Reefer Rick live?" Robin asks.

"See that's the thing. No one knows. He's more of a.. a legend than someone that people actually know." Max explains.

"And.. what about a last name?" I ask.

"I don't know that either" She answers.

"Less promising" I shake my head.

"Bet the cops knows the last name" Steve intervenes.

We turn all to him.

"What?"

"Cops. I mean listen if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system" he explains like he found the perfect solution to all our problems.

"The cops? Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?" Dustin asks incredulous.

"I mean, I just think they should be filled on on what we know, what's going on" he says simply.

"You think Eddie's guilty, don't you?" Dustin accuses.

"Whoa. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit." Steve defends himself " I just, you know, don't think that we can rule it out"

"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve." Max says annoyed.

"And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent less time trying to find a girlfriend and more time trying to find Eddie"

"He' not wrong here, Stevie" I agree with Dustin.

"Oh well somebody has to attend to the customers" Steve says, again, to defend himself, and I roll my eyes scoffing.

"Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin teases with a wink.

"Hey, not fair, okay?" Steve points his finger st her "I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike. We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming for people"

"Yeah it can be" Robin says, I can tell she thought something to actually help us so I quickly follow her to the computer.

"What are you doing?" Max asks.

"Maybe we don't need a last name" she answers.

She type on the keyboard, Rick's name and a list of Ricks appears on the screen.

"Twelve Ricks have accounts here" she tells us.

"That's a lots of Ricks" Max comments.

"You're a genius, Robin" I tell her.

"I know. Now, let's narrow it down, uh? Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo...what are the chances our drug dealer has a family?" She asks.

"Not likely"

"All right, Rick Conroy. Sixteen candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the stone." She move to the next Rick.

"No"

"Okay, Rick Joiner, Mask, Footloose, and Grease"

"Nah"

"Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon, and Splash."

"Definitely no"

"Okay. Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgermont High, Cheech & Chong's next movie. Cheech & Chong's nice dreams. Cheech & Chong' up in smoke."

"Bingo" Dustin chuckles.

"Lipton?"

"Spelled like the tea. 2131 Holland Road" Robin reads.

"That's out by Lovers Lake" Dustin says.

"Middle of nowhere" I comment.

"It's a perfect place to hide" Robin agrees.

That being said we all head out to Steve's car and to this Reefer Rick's house.

And hopefully to Eddie.

We all grab a torch each and get out of the car to walk to this Reefer Rick's house.

The lights are out, which could mean that no one's home or... Eddie's hiding.

Dustin repeatedly tries to ring the bell, but to no use.

"Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here." Steve says, trying to make Dustin stop.

But Dustin just start to shout for Eddie to come out and tries again with the door bell.

Me and Max move to the side of the house with our torch, seeing what looks like a boathouse. Maybe Eddie's in there.

"Hey guys!" Max calls.

"Well let's go" I say already walking towards the small building.

Robin is the first one to enter.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" She tries.

We all enter and start to look around.

"What a dump" Steve comments

The place is far from clean, there garbage everywhere and, as expected, a boat in the middle filled with something covered by a tarp.

I spot Steve grabbing an oar as a weapon and starts to poke the boat multiple times.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asks.

Steve just doesn't answer so Dustin repeats the question, more shocked.

"He might be in here." Steve simply replies.

"So take the tarp off." Dustin tells him.

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off" he basically challenges.

"Stop bickering, you two." I say.

Steve just keeps hitting on top of the tarp covered boat.

"Hey, look over here" Max tells us. She points our attention to some food envelopes.

"Someone was here." I try.

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran" Robin suggests.

"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar" Dustin says sarcastically.

"Oh I know you think you're being funny, Henderson, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight-"

Steve is cut off by a loud scream and Eddie jumping from under the tarp and pushing him against the wall, a broken bottle in his hand.

We all gather as close as possible, trying to not scare him further for Eddie to react too badly.

"Whoa whoa whoa Eddie! Eddie! Stop!" Dustin says, holding his arms out to stop us from getting further closer.

Eddie turns to look at Dustin, not moving the broken glass away from Steve's neck yet.

"It's me. It's Dustin" Dustin tries to stay calm while getting Eddie's attention. "This is Steve. He's not going to hurt you, right, Steve?"

"Right, yeah" Steve agrees, quite agitated.

"Steve, c'mon.. drop the oar, will you?" I say, as calmly as possible.

Steve does as I say, dropping the oar away, but that just startles Eddie more pointing the glass back at Steve's neck.

"He's cool, he's cool" Dustin says.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie says, voice breaking.

"We're looking for you" Dustin replies

"We're here to help, Eddie" I add.

Eddie turns his head again to us, listening carefully.

"Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band. This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. You know Y/n too. The quiet girl you always stare at, at lunch. Eddie. We're on your side. I swear on my mother. Right guys?"

"Yeah yeah we swear"

"Yeah on Dustin's mother"

"Yeah, Dustin's.. mother"

We say no more, tense as never before, but at the end Eddie lets Steve go and moves to the side sitting down.

Steve just come to us, I check his neck in case the broken bottle accidentally cut him but he's fine.

I turn to look at Eddie, Dustin kneels in front of him and I slowly follow.

He looks... terrified.

"Eddie...we just want to talk" Dustin very slowly tries to grab the bottle in Eddie's hand, but as soon as he gets to close he flinches grabbing the glass harder.

"Eddie... we just wanna know what happened. " I tell him.

"You won't believe me" he tells us.

"Try us" Max says.

Eddie told us everything that happened, about Chrissy coming to him to buy drugs, and how she died, right in front of him.

"Her body just lifted up into the air and.. and she just like, hung there. In the air. And her bones.. she.. her bones starter to snap"

He struggling to tell us what happened, all I want to do is grabbing his hand and reassure him...

"Her eyes, man" he continues "it was like.. there was something, inside her head, pulling. I.. I didn't know what to do so.. I.. I ran away. I left her there." He sounds so ashamed... he couldn't do anything for her.

Poor girl, she was really one of the sweetest person in Hawkins.

Fuck.

Eddie looks up to us, only to turn his head away quickly, scoffing.

"You all think I'm crazy right?"

"No. We don't think you're crazy" Dustin tries to reassure him.

"Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds" Eddie snaps.

"We're not bullshiting you" Max intervenes.

"We believe you" Robin says and Eddie just scoffs, still not believing us.

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little.. difficult to take." Dustin starts "you know how people say Hawkins is...cursed? They're not way off. There's another world.a words hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours." Dustin explains.

"Like ghosts and shit?" Eddie asks.

"There are... there are some things worst than ghosts" I tell him.

"These monsters from this other world, we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you."

"If they're back again, we need to know" Max says.

"That night, did you see anything?" Robin asks.

"Dark particles, maybe"

Eddie just shakes his head no.

"It would almost look like dust, swirling dust." Dustin specifies.

"No, man, there was nothing you could see or.. touch" Eddie explains.

I look at Steve who, now, looks more worried than before, full attention on Eddie.

"You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she.. she was in a trance or something." Eddie explains and we all listen carefully.

"Or under a spell" Dustin points out.

"A curse."

"Vecna's curse" Dustin realises.

"Who's Vecna?" Steve asks

"And undead creature of great power" Dustin answers.

"A spell caster" I say, earning a confused look from Steve.

"A dark Wizard" Dustin finishes.

This might be worse than all the ones before...

Fuck.

We decided we have to go and get some food for Eddie.

"We'll be right back, man, I promise" Dustin says.

As we all walk to the door.

Steve and Dustin turn to me stopping me in my tracks.

"Why don't you... uh... stay here and keep him company?" Dustin asks.

"What? Why me?" Now I'm confused.

"Because you're the sweetest and he clearly has a thing for you" Steve replies as the most simple thing ever.

"He does not" I tell him sternly.

"Either way you're the best choice. You're calmer and... easier to be around than the rest of us" Steve convinces me.

"Y/n, trust me. He needs someone like you now. Please, I don't think he should be alone now" Dustin says looking me in the eyes.

"Fine" I tell him nodding "yeah, I'll stay with him. But you better stay out of trouble"

"As always" Steve shrugs.

I give him a warning look and just sigh. Watching them driving away.

I get back to the boathouse and see Eddie's figure watching nothing on the boat.

"Hey" I say quietly.

He seems to snap out of trance and looks at me surprised.

"I thought you all went" he says, with a small smile.

"Yeah well... we didn't.. uh... Dustin didn't want you to be alone right now" I tell him, fidgeting with my rings again.

"Thanks.. I guess he's right" he says.

I nod, walking a bit closer, but not too much.

"So..." he starts.

"So..." I mimic him, earning a laugh from him.

"You knew about the spell caster" he implies.

"Yeah... a-and?"

"You know about D&D..?" He asks.

"Yeah.." I say nervously.

"No way!" He whisper shouts.

"It's true!" I tell him, with a small chuckle.

"How come didn't you join Hellfire?" He asks, genuinely curious.

"I.. well.. I just..." I stutter.

"Hey.. I'm not judging, m'lady" he assures me, with a smile.

"I'm just too shy, I think.. also I'm not very good at playing" I laugh quietly.

"I could've taught you" he says.

"I... I'm not very good with people" I honestly tell him.

"What do you mean?"

"I.. I'm not very good at talking to people, I get nervous and stutter the whole time. And just... I just shut up so I don't bother anyone" I explain.

"You're not stuttering with me" he shrugs.

"I.." I stops realising it's true.

With him it feels easier, somehow..

"No need to worry about a freak's opinion, i guess." he lower his eyes, almost disappointed.

"No! Not at all!" I quickly say.

He look at me, searching my eyes to see if I'm messing with him.

"I... listen, I don't understand why people always call you that, but I personally always saw you as someone... cool" I say, getting shy as I finish my sentence.

"Really?" He says, he tries to hold back a smile, but he fails.

"Yeah.." I look away from him. "You always walk around like you don't care about anything. You have your ideas and you're not ashamed, and of course you shouldn't be ashamed of them. You're like smarter than any of those dickheads from the basketball team"

"Wow" he blushes... he blushes?

Did I make Eddie Munson blush?

"Are you blushing, my lord?" I gather some courage and make a joke.

"Oh... 'my lord' uh?" He looks at me with a smirk, that makes me instantly lower my eyes with my cheeks warming up.

"I.. yeah.. I mean, you keep calling me-"

"M'lady? Yeah, so I'd say 'my lord' fits perfectly" he sweetly smiles at me.

We stay silent for a while.

It's a comfortable silence, the kind you don't have to talk to fill it. We just need each other company to be okay.

I watch him fidgeting with his own hands.

He's getting nervous.

Instinctively I reach out for his hands and he turns to me, surprised, but he doesn't retreat his hands.

"It's gonna be okay" I tell him. "I know it sounds like a shitty cliché.. trust me I know." I let out a small chuckle "we've been through this shit a few times.. the point is, we're with you on this. We're gonna solve this."

He holds my hands in his.

"I want to believe you" he says looking me in the eyes.

"Good" I say.

He starts to stroke my knuckles gently.

"I'm glad you're the one to stay here, m'lady" he says.

"Apparently I'm the easiest to be around" I tell him with a shrug.

He's still not letting go my hands.

"Maybe... but that's not the only reason, but yeah" he says, a playful smile on his face.

"Then... w-why?" I say, feeling my cheeks warming up again.

"Well.. that's an answer for another time, uh?" He winks and I'm just speechless.

All of a sudden we hear noises from outside.

I grab the oar Steve used earlier and move to the door.

"Stay there" I tell Eddie.

I get closer and closer to the door, that suddenly opens reveling Robin, Dustin, Max and Steve holding some bags full of food and drinks.

"Fuck sake!" I exclaim as they enter with apologetic looks.

"delivery service" Dustin announces.

I look at Eddie who look just as startled, heavy breathing and all that.

I just exhale deeply and grab one of the bags they carried inside.

[smellofemale]

songs that remind me of my dr s/o and gives me motivation to shift ^^

i found a reason by the velvet underground

"i found a reason to keep living and the reason dear is you, i found a reason to keep singing and the reason dear is you. i do believe, if you don't like things you live for some place you've never gone before"

it truly grounds me and reminds me when i am down that i do have a reason. there are infinite realities, i have infinite people waiting for me there are infinite people that love me. when i am crying in another reality he is holding me.

i love you more than words by Karen Dalton

"you've got me in your hand. why can't you understand? i love you more than words can explain."

just imagining myself dancing with him to this is so ahhhhh!! it gives me so much motivation :")

april come she will by simon and garfunkel

"april, come she will when streams are ripe and swelled with rain. may, she will stay. resting in my arms again. june, she'll change her tune. in restless walks she'll prowl the night. july, she will fly and give no warning to her flight."

it reminds me just like the seasons, no matter how long i wait, they will always come. even if it doesn't feel like winter right now, it's still winter!

time is on my side by the rolling stones

"time is on my side, yes it is. now you always say that you want to be free but you'll come running back."

it's really just an affirmation in itself haha. time is on my side!

i'll be your mirror by the velvet underground

"i'll be your mirror, reflect what you are, in case you don't know. i'll be the wind, the rain and the sunset. the light on your door to show that you're home. when you think the night has seen your mind, that inside you're twisted and unkind. let me stand to show that you are blind. please put down your hands cause I see you. i find it hard to believe you don't know the beauty you are but if you don't, let me be your eyes, a hand to your darkness so you won't be afraid."

i think this one is quite self explanatory.

(till i) run with you by the lovin spoonful

"i used to be blue then you showed me that love was near and that's all i had to hear. i can't believe that dreams come true. 'till i run with you. now i can't sleep at night, 'till i run with you"

just makes me feel SO HAPPY and reminds me about my love of shifting!!

ok that's it :)

i am definitely gonna do more posts like this. it was so much fun and i am super passionate about music!!!

[empressofthesunwriter]

Cosmic Phantoms

What do you get if you put a sassy Half-Ghost, a bubbly Magical Ghostly Girl, a strongwilled Goth and a skirt-chasing Tech-Nerd together?

Well, the greatest Ghost Hunting Team on Earth!

Join Danny, Julia, Sam and Tucker on their crazy adventures.

Puberty is a joke against the forces they are up to!

Attack of the Killer Garage Sale

After a long school day, our favourite quartet hit up their favourite fast food joint.

Nasty Burger.

The girls were sitting on one side of the booth and the boys on the other.

Julia was chewing her Nasty Burger with extra bacon, as she listened to what Sam had to say.

"So, Saturday night plans. I say we hit the amusement park. I hear the new roller coaster has a free fall that'll take three years off your life expectancy."

"No way.", disagreed Tucker. "It costs forty bucks just to get in there, not to mention food and stuff."

"I'm more worried about taking three years of your life, I am already half-death and don't want to be deather...", said Julia, eating now fries.

"Hey, if you're tapped out, I could lend you the cash.", offered Sam to Tucker.

Tucker shook his head.

"Lend" means "repay," and "repay" is out of my reach. Right, Danny?"

He notices how his best friend isn't even turned to them staring off somewhere.

"Danny? Hello?!"

Curious the other three follow Danny's line of sight.

It's Dash handing out party invitations to his friends, who cheer.

Dash then hands an invite to Paulina and winks at her.

"Great. It's the hottest party of the whole school year, and Paulina's going, and I'm not, again.", signs Danny dramatically.

"I don't understand what you see in her.", deadpan Sam at him.

"My guess is this.", says Julia, waving her hands so around that it forms the curvy figure of a woman. "At least for me, I still would tap that."

"Get your head out of the gutter, Julie!", scolds Sam, drilling a pointer finger in her friend's side, which makes the red-haired girl giggle.

Danny looks annoyed at them.

"Haha, very funny Julie."

"I'm not joking- Autsch, Sam this hurts now!"

"Paulina is only, like, perfectly flawless."

The quartet looks at how the Latina girl orders a Mighty Meaty Cheesy Melt, only to ask for less meat and get a Mighty Mini Meaty Cheesy Melt.

"You're right. She's a goddess.", scoffs Sam sarcastically.

"And we are unworthy peasants!", jokes Julia, raising her cup of Nasty Cola into the air.

"Why don't we get invited to the really cool parties?", wonders Tucker. "We've got style, charm, good looks. At least I do, anyway."

"Dream on. On the social circuit, we're as invisible as Danny and Julie in their ghost modes.", reminds Sam. "Not that it'll matter five years from now, but we have each other, right?"

Suddenly Dash slaps the invitation for his party in Danny's Face.

"Here! Your sister made me invite you."

Sam and Tucker smile hopefully at Dash, while Julia just looks bored.

This doesn't seem to bother Dash since he hands the red-haired girl an invitation.

"For you, Julia."

Confused the girl holds the invitation in her hand asking: "Why?"

"Cause you are hot, duh.", explains Dash, like it is obvious. "Just you two, Fenton. Show up, shut it, go home, and nobody gets hurt. I will see you Saturday, hottie."

Dash winks at Julia, who makes a grossed-out face, and leaves their table.

Meanwhile, Danny couldn't be happier about his invitation, smiling brightly.

A random girl greets them.

Kwan walks up to their table.

"What's up, Fenton and Heinrich?", he yells and raises his arms in the air. "Party!"

He leaves them, as Paulina walks by and waves.

"See you Saturday, Danny, and Julia."

"I'm...I'm invited!", gasp Danny in disbelief, hugging the invitation card. "I've arrived!"

"Swell. Send us a postcard from Popularity-ville.", grumbles Sam.

"I will!"

With that, Danny runs out of the Nasty Burger.

Expectantly Tucker and Sam look at Julia, who just deadpans.

"What?"

"You aren't going to leave us hanging too?", wonders Tucker.

"No, I don't need popularity, especially only because of my looks. And that Dash finds me hot makes me throw up a little in my mouth, eww!"

"I wish Danny would think the same.", signs Sam and gives Julia a little smile. "And I totally agree with the throwing up part, the thought alone makes me sick."

The three remaining friends chuckle at this.

(*)

As they walk to school Danny's three best friends look at him worried.

He seems formally high since he got the invitation to the party.

"Seriously, Danny. Ever since you got that invitation, you're all about the "In" crowd.", tells Tucker straight.

This makes Danny only chuckle.

"Come on, Tuck. That's ridiculous."

He then stops, which makes the others stop too, and pumps a fist in the air.

"Kwan! Looking good!"

The boy in question turns away from Valerie to greet Danny back.

"Fentonmeister! Woo hoo!"

"This is getting ridiculous.", states Julia.

Danny was way over his head.

"They're right, Danny. It's like--"

Sam gets interrupted by Dash who calls for Danny. The boy races up to him.

"--we're not even here."

Julia pats Sam's shoulder as they listen to what Dash wants from Danny. Apparently, there is a dress code and Danny needs to wear these sweats or he will get hurt.

After Dash and his posy walk away, the three rejoin Danny.

"Oh, man. This must cost a fortune! Where am I going to get the money by Saturday?", wonders Danny desparte.

This makes Sam sign.

Is she really going to offer this?

"You know, I almost hate to offer--"

Again the black-haired girl gets interrupted, this time by Paulina, who calls for Danny.

"You wanna hear my new CD? It's really crunk!"

Confused Danny asks Tucker if crunk is good, to which Tucker replies it's Paulina.

So it's good.

Faster than Sonic Danny sits with Paulina on her blanket to listen to the CD.

"Okay, this is getting really annoying.", states Sam.

Julia nods.

"If I ever act that way, you guys are free to hit me."

(*)

Saturday afternoon we find Danny and his friends doing a garage sale, so he can raise the money to buy the cool sweats.

Well, Danny and the girls sell the old Fenton stuff, Tucker enjoys the sun on his skin on a beach chair.

Sam walks up and hands Danny some money.

"Just sold a toaster. You know, I'm surprised your dad's letting you sell off all his stuff.", says Sam, holding a remote up. "He's such a pack rat."

Julia joins them, handing Danny cash too.

"I sold some weird-looking thingy, I said it was for cooking. Are you sure this was a good idea? Isn't some of this stuff for ghost hunting?"

"Yeah, well, he's been planning on getting rid of this junk for a long time. He won't even miss it, I hope.", tells Danny. "And these things are so broke they can't hurt even a fly, so no worries."

"I'm pleased with the turnout today. We're doing a really brisk business.", says Tucker, opening up a sun reflector to tan with.

Frowing Danny counts the money they earned.

"I'm still twenty bucks short of what I need for those sweats."

"You're still welcome to hang with us tonight. Mega-movie marathon at my place.", offers Sam with a small smile, while Tucker and Julia stand beside her.

"Your place? Wow. Besides Julie, you never invited us to your place before."

"That's because we're usually fighting ghosts with you guys. I figured it's time--"

Again for like the 1000 times this week Sam gets interrupted because Dash calls for Danny and he leaves them in a flash.

"--for you to totally ignore me for about the billionth time this week."

The three look at how Danny sells Dash some computer software before their friend celebrates that he has now enough money to buy the cool clothes.

He races back to them.

"You guys don't mind cleaning up for me, do you? Great! See ya!"

And with that, Danny is gone.

The girls have twin frowns on their faces and cross their arms.

"So now we're his clean-up crew, too?", they choruse together.

They look over to where Tucker is standing, but he's running off as well, waving back at them.

"See you tonight, girls!"

This makes them frown harder before Julia signs.

"Come on, let's clean this up and then before Tucker comes tonight, we will have a Spa afternoon in your Spa at home."

"You really love the Spa, huh, Julie."

"Ya bet, honey!"

So the girls quickly clean up the garage sale and enjoy a royal spa afternoon together, before it's evening.

Exactly at the time they agreed on Tucker knocks on the Manson's door.

Sam opens him, while she is on the phone: "Right. That's three medium, one pepperoni, one frutti di mare and one veggie. Put it on my tab."

"Hey, Tuck.", greets Julia.

"Hey, Julie, so you really didn't go to the party, huh?"

"Nope!"

Meanwhile, Sam ended the call and closed the door.

"Hey, Tucker."

"I hope they hustle. I'm starved.", tells Tucker the girls.

Not a second later the doorbell rings and Sam opens it.

"Here's your pizza, Sam.", says the Pizza Delivery Boy.

"Thanks, Nate.", smiles Sam at him, takes the three pizzas and hands him some money.

"Ten bucks? Thanks, Sam!"

Nate walks away and Sam closes the door behind him.

"You tipped the guy a ten-spot?", points Tucker out in disbelieve.

Julia and Sam share a secret look.

"Whoops. Sorry. I thought it was a one.", answer Sam and both girls walk past Tucker. "Come on. We're watching movies downstairs."

As Tucker reaches the bottom of the stairs, where he is left in awe of Sam's home theatre, which includes a giant movie screen, three lounge seats, a popcorn machine, and a soda fountain.

"This is your downstairs?!", shouts Tucker shocked.

He can't help but notice how Julia seems completely comfortable here. She already sits down on a lounge chair, while Sam puts the pizza on the snack bar.

"What? Too much?", asks Sam Tucker.

"Uh-huh."

"I know, I should have told you and Danny this a long time ago, but my family's kind of...filthy rich. Weird, huh?"

"She is Richie Rich in real life, only a girl and goth.", adds Julia from her comfy lounge chair.

"Whoa! Time-out!", begs Tucker and drops his backpack. "Sam you're loaded? And Julie knows this? Since when?!"

"My great-granddad Izzy was an inventor. He invented that machine that twirls cellophane around deli toothpicks. And Julie knows since the school dance that I am rich, remember we got ready together here.", explains Sam.

"You're the deli toothpick cellophane-twirling heiress? No way!", gasp Tucker and sits down in another lounge chair.

"Look, if this is too much for you, we can do something else."

"Are you kidding?!"

Thus starts Tucker asking Sam 1000 questions about being rich, while Julia looks amused.

"Tucker, are we watching movies or not?"

"Okay, okay. Just a few more questions. Could you buy a plane?"

"Yep."

"A yacht?"

"Yep."

"Um...a bowling alley?"

"Nope."

Sam presses a button on a remote and the movie screen wall slides out of view to reveal a four-lane bowling alley.

"There's no place to put a second one."

Ida, Sam's adorable grandmother, rides out on a motorized scooter onto the bowling alley and bowls, getting a strike.

"Yippee!", the old lady pumps a fist. "Bubbe's hot tonight!"

The movie screen wall closes back over the bowling alley.

Still in disbelief, Tucker sniffs the air.

"That's weird because you don't smell stinking rich."

"You can smell that?", asks Julia not believing it, while Sam signs and sits down on the last free lounge chair.

"Will you stop it?", turns Sam to Tucker. "That's the whole reason I didn't tell anybody, besides Julie. She took it with more grace."

"Well, my family is not as loaded as hers but we can't complain.", explains Julia at the question look Tucker sends her.

"But I don't get it. With all this money, Sam and with your looks, Julie why do you girls hang out with me and Danny? If you flash a little of that bling bling, you'd be Miss Popularity and Julie, as your friend, could be the new Queen B!"

"I don't need popularity, Tucker, especially not if I have to buy it."

"And I said already this week I don't want to be popular just because of my looks."

"You girls should tell that to Danny. Can you believe people actually spent good money on that old junk from his parents' shed?"

"Well, I did snag this really cool remote for three bucks. And he did give Dash a pretty good deal on the computer stuff.", points Sam out, as she holds the bought remote up.

Finally, all is settled and the three start to eat their pizzas and watch their first movie of the movie marathon.

An old Karate classic.

They are way into the movie, when suddenly the screen pauses on one man kicking another in the face, then skips back and plays the kick repeatedly.

"Tucker, if you want to watch a part over again, could you please tell us first?", says Sam for her and Julia.

"Me? You're the one messing with the remote."

"No, I don't."

They turn to Julia, who shakes her head.

"Me neither."

The remote glows and floats up from the table between them in midair.

"I'm not schooled in the ways of the rich, but do all your remotes do that?", wondered Tucker.

Sam disagrees. "No. Well, my toaster does, but it's from Denmark. That stuff Danny was selling must have been contaminated with ghost stuff!"

"See, I said it was dangerous to sell this stuff!", shouts Julia triumphantly.

It's only short-lived as the remote shoots a zap of green lightning at the popcorn machine, which breaks and blasts popcorn everywhere, and another one at the sods fountain, which turns on and sprays soda all over the room.

The girls and Tucker duck out of the way, and the remote phases up through the ceiling.

Julia doesn't waste time and transforms into Julie Cosmos.

Together with Tucker and Sam, they run/fly out of the house and see a steady stream of electronics and appliances flying in one direction.

"Looks bad. Probably a job for Julie Cosmos and her partner Danny Phantom.", grins Tucker.

Sam smirks.

"Probably. And if I wasn't so mad at him, I'd probably care that it's going to interrupt his big jock party. Shall we?"

"We shall hold on tight guys!"

Cosmos wraps each arm around the waist of her friends and starts to fly in the direction the electronics go.

As it turns out all the electronics have been flying to Dash's house.

Cosmos gently places Sam and Tucker back on the ground and checks her Fenton Thermos.

"Well, I am ready!"

"Good thing you carry it with you always.", praises Tucker. "Danny should take an example on you."

"Everything is gravitating here to Dash's house. Looks like whatever fun Danny's having will be coming to an end soon.", points Sam out.

It would be a lie if the three don't find pleasure in it.

They are still salty at Danny for ditching them.

Speaking of Danny, he comes flying as Phantom past them, slamming into the side of a building.

"Hi, Sam. Hi, Julie. Hi, Tuck. Glad you could make it.", says Phantom dazed.

He falls to the ground, unconscious, and Sam, Cosmos and Tucker turn back around to see a giant robot emerge from the alleyway.

"I am Technus, master of technology and destroyer of worlds! Behold my awesome electronic fury! ", yells the robot aka ghost Technus and bends forward. " Who's your daddy?"

"Eww, Daddy Kink, yunk!", mumbles Cosmos disgusted.

Phantom regains consciousness and sees Technus.

He flies up and punches him, but Technus doesn't budge.

Then Phantom continually tries hitting him, until Technus brings a hand up and knocks him to the ground.

His three friends stare down at him.

"Guys? Help!", begs Phantom, as he flies back up only to get knocked down by Technus again.

Still pissed Cosmos, Sam and Tucker cross their arms and turn their backs on Phantom.

"Come on, guys! Guys, come on, seriously! I'm sorry I chose to hang with the popular kids over you guys. It was stupid and shallow and I'll never do it again!"

This is what the three wanted to hear and turn back to Phantom as he, again, gets smacked to the ground.

"What ya need, partner?", asks Cosmos.

"He's running an old version of Portals XL.", explains Danny.

"That piece of vaporware? It's the worst software ever.", says Sam surprised.

"Danny, Julie keep him busy.", tells Tucker them. "I think I know how you can beat him."

"That, I can do. Shall we, Julie?"

Cosmos nods and both fly up to Technus.

"Get back, you hunk of my dad's junk!", calls Phantom after him.

"Could mere junk do this?", gives Technus a rhetorical question.

A remote and a robotic finger emerge from the dryer in his chest.

The finger presses a button on the remote, and Phantom changes into a cowboy and Cosmos into a cowgirl.

The button is pressed again, and both change into female models.

The button is pressed once more, and he changes into Spock and she into Captain Kirk from Star Trek.

Annoyed Phantom gets the remote.

"Give me that!"

He returns them to normal, only to get grabbed by Technus's claw and slammed into a wall.

"Tucker, any time!", the Halfa's shout together.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!"

Turns out Tucker has problems hacking into Technus, but Sam has the solution for it. She calls a delivery girl who gives them the newest version of Portal XL, while poor Phantom and Cosmos get smacked repeatedly against the wall.

"Uh, excuse me.", calls Sam up to Technus, who stops and turns to her. "I'm Sam. I don't believe I caught your name. Perhaps you should scream it really loud and shout out your motive."

Incredible he really does it.

"Hello. I am Technus! Manipulator of machines! Lord of all gadgetry! Wizard of integrated circuitry!"

"Go on.", encourages Sam, while she bends down and picks up the ends of two power cords. "Isn't there more you'd like to tell me?"

The Goth plugs the two cords in together.

"Oh, yes! I am also master-", Technus starts to glitch. "of all..."

He fades out.

"What's happening?", asks Phantom, while Cosmos blinks in surprise.

What happened is a cord trailed down from the back of Technus's head, which Sam plugged into a cord leading into Tucker's PDA, which reads, "SHUTDOWN."

"Portals XL is happening. Everybody knows that every new version of Portals XL has a gigantic hole in its security system.", explains Tucker smugly.

"What?! No!", cries Technus, as he continues to glitch, and the claw holding the Halfa's release them.

Phantom flies up and grabs the end of the claw.

"Process this!"

He shoves the claw into Technus's front disk drive, which electrocutes his battle suit and causes "ERROR" to blink on his screen.

"Wait! That doesn't go there!", screams Technus.

The suit sparks and shuts down, hunching forward.

"Now it's my turn!", grins Cosmos and opens her Fenton Thermos. "Bye-bye Mister Technus!"

The Fenton Thermos sucks Technus out of the battle suit and Cosmos closes the cap when he is inside it.

The battle suit shakes and falls apart into a heap of electronics on the ground.

"Nice going, Tuck.", praises Sam.

The Halfa's join them on the ground.

"Don't thank me. Thank lousy software.", says Tucker grinning.

(*)

On Monday morning our quartet walks together to their first hour.

"So, what's the damage from this weekend? Did you get in trouble for taking your folks' stuff?", asks Tucker Danny.

"Not really. I hauled it all back to the shed yesterday while they were out. My dad's checking every piece for government surveillance devices."

"Sounds like you got off pretty easily.", notes Sam.

"Well, I do have to return those stupid sweats so I can refund everybody's money.", signs Danny and stops, which makes the others stop too. "And I still feel terrible about the way I treated you guys. Of all people, I should know how it feels to be invisible."

Sam leans on a locker and asks: "So would you say you've learned a lesson from all this?"

Danny looks over at Dash, who opens up his locker.

A pile of teddy bears from his closet fall out onto the ground.

"Fenton!", yells Dash.

"Yep. That one person's trash is another person's revenge."

"Good one, Danny!", praises Julia.

The quartet laughs together, happy to have each other back again how it's supposed to be.

[deafknell]

LiM Julius Route Summary

This route starts in Arc 1, where Subaru chooses to go to the guards to look for the insignia first and meets Julius.

After explaining the situation, Julius is the one to take down Elsa instead of Reinhard, and Subaru ends up becoming good friends with him.

Full explanation under the cut.

Part 1:

The guard on duty doesn't seem to know much about what Subaru means by a "lost item," but Julius steps in and takes over questioning. Subaru tries to tell him he needs to look at confiscated items/lost and found, but without any description of the stolen item, Julius has no good reason to co-operate or show the box to him.

Subaru hasn't got a good description of the insignia, only knowing it as a "shiny thing," so he gives up on asking about it and apologises to Julius and the guard for wasting their time. After this, he goes back to Emilia, and arc 1 proceeds as normal.

Part 2:

After dying in the loothouse, he rushes back to the alleyway so he can meet Emilia again. Instead, he runs into Julius, who mentions the alleyway being quite narrow and to be careful if he's in a hurry. Subaru recognises him instantly, but Julius has no clue who Subaru is.

He explains to Julius about there being a dangerous guy in the slums, and needing somebody strong to come check it out. Julius asks him why Subaru's heading there if he knows something is dangerous. After telling him that people's lives are at stake and Subaru needs him, Julius agrees to be his strength.

Subaru thanks him, and Julius asks again how he knew his name when they'd never met before. Depending on the choice you make as a player, Subaru will either say they'd met before and Julius just forgot, or Subaru says he heard it from another guard.

As they walk along, Subaru explains the whole situation, and Julius replies:

Julius: I understand the situation. I can't believe you'd risk so much for a woman you've never met.

Julius: Even so, the risk to a citizen is too great. I understand your feelings. I'll accompany you.

TonChinKan were hoping Subaru would pass by, but seeing Julius accompany him, decide to leave him be.

At this point, Julius mentions about him appearing in the slums with a knight's uniform may cause some trouble. Subaru gives him his jacket to disguise him, and Julius asks him to call him Juli.

When they reach the Loot house, Subaru warns Juli of the danger, but Juli doesn't quite see anything dangerous. Seeing Subaru all worried about entering, he decides to take the lead first.

Rom's fine, and things go pretty much the same as canon. Subaru asks Rom if he died recently, Juli doesn't quite know what to do here, and Rom ends up eating some of his potato chips.

(Side note: Juli says he really likes this outfit, but it doesn't quite look right on him.)

Subaru explains he's looking for the insignia, and that a girl with silver hair had it taken from her, which gets Juli's attention. As Rom confirms Felt won't be back 'til late, both Subaru and Juli are asked to leave for now. Subaru asks if Juli will stick around, and Juli agrees, intrigued about the stolen insignia.

Part 3:

Felt returns, and is immediately wary of Juli's presence. She tells him people like him don't go here, and tries to bascially get him to back off, but he's able to tell Felt deals in stolen goods. Depending on your choice, Subaru either asks Juli to back down, or begs Felt to listen to him.

Things go similar to canon, he asks to buy the insignia off her, using his phone as a bargaining chip. Rom's interested, but Felt is very very wary of why both Subaru and Juli are around. Juli having such an expensive sword and being in this area spells trouble for her.

Juli tells her that he is a knight, but there's no reason for her to reject the negotiations over the insignia. To which Felt responds:

Felt: There is a reason. I don't like you.

She tells them she's going to sell it to somebody else, and Juli mentions once more "I can't abide by this." Subaru has to stop both of them from being rash, and players can either choose to reason with Juli, or reason with Felt.

...Which doesn't work, and Felt says the client's going to show up soon. Elsa appears, and Juli immediately tells Subaru to stand behind him. They start fighting, and Subaru doesn't want to just run away and leave Juli alone.

Juli compliments her skills, but asks why she does this sort of thing. Elsa asks him "Are you doing this because you want to do it?" and they continue talking while exchanging blows.

Eventually, Juli strikes her down enough to incapacitate her for a moment, and Felt and Rom leave. Subaru attempts to leave as well, but Elsa aims for him, only to be stopped by Juli using Al Clauzeria on her.

Thinking it's over, Juli talks to Subaru for a moment, when Elsa finally takes down Subaru. Her coat, being able to block magic, meant she was unaffected by Juli's spell.

Juli tries to save him, instructing one of his spirits to use healing magic on him. Elsa refuses to get out of the way, watching Subaru slowly die as Juli gets more desparate.

Julius : Elsa, get out of the way, or else ------ !

Elsa: What if I don't? Slowly, slowly, the fire of life is fading away ----

Julius: Subaru! Don't lose your mind! You can't die here! You need to return the insignia to the original owner---

Subaru : (dying, insignia, original owner ------ )

Elsa: Fading away, end of story.

Julius: Subaru—!!

Subaru: ( ─ Ah, dead)

Subaru respawns at the Appa stand, and gets given some water and an appa after freaking out in front of Kadomon. Just like in canon, he spots Emilia and calls out to her--calling her Satella, and being glad she's okay.

Part 3 end.

Will continue part 4 and 5 in another post - this one's long enough already.

[yottakitsune]

Julie sat on the bed in your medical office, fidgeting. When you asked what seemed to be the problem, both hands immediately went to her chest. "I had a growth spurt." You gave a confused look, so she explained. "I'm three inches taller and I grew two cup sizes." You tried to explain there was nothing unhealthy about that, but she cut you off. "It happened overnight." That caught you off guard and it was definitely not normal. "And I'm 30. I should have stopped growing years ago."

You ran through the generic questions to see if anything could have influenced it, but there was nothing. No medication, no dietary changes, no overseas travel. Nothing. You took a blood sample and sent it off for... whatever tests could be done. You didn't understand it any more than she did, but you would do your best.

A week later you came into your office to find what you at first thought was a different woman. "Hi again," she said sheepishly. "I grew a whole foot," she explained. You discussed at length the results of her lab work and the only thing anybody could find was elevated levels of stress. "That doesn't make any sense!" she whined.

Slowly, a bubbling sound filled the room, and when it stopped, you looked up from your clipboard. Instead of the red eyes you had come to expect, you were met with a wall of whit fabric stretched taut over her now barely contained breasts. "Please help me..." You promised you would and sent her home to try and figure something out. You sent another sample out for testing, hoping something was found.

The next morning you woke up as Julie crawled through a hole she made in the wall. "Please..." she said plaintively. She knelt on the floor and even then she towered over you while her ears nearly touched the ceiling. That low bubbling from the day before came back and she winced and whimpered as her body pushed out all directions. Joined by the sound of tearing clothing, she grew until she was trapped by breasts so large a normal person could hide in them standing up pressed against the floor while her back pressed against an unrelenting ceiling.

"Help me," she said plaintively. The rumbling came back and she whined trapped where she was. You looked up to her, then to the door.

You ran.

To say Julie's reveal to the world at large was explosive was an understatement. In trying to contain her growth and keep it suppressed, she only made matters worse. The force and speed at which she surged in all directions was like an actual explosion and she obliterated the hospital and many buildings nearby with barely a strand of hair disturbed. Every moment the pressure within her multiplied exponentially and the stress she felt multiplied with it. Her whole body ached and all she could do was try and support her breasts and whimper. "Why won't it stop?" she asked as she watched the world around her get constantly smaller. Each instance of stuttering growth saw her breasts outpace the rest of her and grow well beyond what her arms could hold up. "I can't... hold it..."

"Doctor..." rumbled the woman who could only grow bigger with every step. "You said you would help me..." She dropped to her knees with a resounding crash that shook most of what was left of the county. "You said you would fix it..." The rest of her body loomed like a meteor or a falling moon. "Doctor... I... I can't hold it in anymore..." That familiar rumbling filled the air and shook the whole planet like an earthquake. She smiled in relief as the pressure within was released as she had her most powerful growth spurt yet. "Maybe this isn't so bad," she said as one foot left the city she started in as a crater. She rubbed her breasts and smiled more. "Maybe it's just meant to be..." She flopped down onto her breasts and gently stroked one as she continued to wipe out whole cities as she grew.

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 4x20 The Muse thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!) [12 July ‘23]

I had no idea Jake's mind-nomming happened in the same episode as the Lwxana/Odo marriage - okay let's gooo!

"I won't let him do it, Odo." "Who? What?" I guess being telepathic, she might forget she actually has to start from the beginning of a story and explain it rather than have people pick up from what she's thinking?

This alien talks in the weirdest way. I'm glad Jake starts out uneasy, at least.

I hate when Jake picks something over spending time with his dad. Like, it checks out, he *is* a teenager, but Sisko's always so disappointed 😭

"What do you want me to do about it?" "Either cheer her up or get her to leave." Love how Quark thinks Odo could cheer her up rather than just be security getting her to leave.

Oh!! At Quark's request Odo does go and give up his routine and free time to make her happier :3 I do love these two.

Odo's war with himself over being unpleasant to ward her off from his quarters but also not wanting to. :3

"Major Kira and First Minister Shakaar are involved now." "How sad." "Not at all. I'm happy for her." For most of the time Odo is actually such a good bro. I don't like the framing later on that he somehow 'deserves' Kira just because he likes her, but he really is so respectful.

"Well, just don't go do what I did. Look for someone to fix your broken heart then end up pregnant and on the run." "I don't think there's too much danger of that happening." His little laugh. I am sad he and Lwxana couldn't be together.

"[I feel] Like a changeling who's had to hold his shape too long." It's sweet that she puts it in understandable terms, I think?

"Lwxana? Your replicator isn't really broken, is it?" Aww it took you that long? Call yourself a detective XD

"I'm sorry if I made you feel unwelcome." You literally did less to make her feel unwelcome than you do to any other person who comes your way though!

Oh damn I had paused this halfway through and once again forgot Jake's storyline was the other half of this episode!

Why do I feel like that pen should write in Jake's blood?

This alien is so creepy and I hate this so so soooo much

Haha! Odo laughing! I love how much they enjoy each other's time

Why not lie to Lwxana's husband, and tell him that she's not here??

IT'S ODO'S IDEA TO GET MARRIED??? I HAD THOUGHT IT WOULD BE LWAXANA! HE IS THE SWEETEST

Odo's so tender as he helps her up to the stage thing!

Miles' uncertain look at "add her to what is mine"

Quark's wistful sigh at Odo's "I didn't need anyone else."

"The truth is, I was ashamed of what I was, afraid that if people saw how truly different I was they would recoil from me." *camera pans to Julian* OH THESE TWO GIVE ME FEELINGS. They would just have the ability to relate so hard to each other! Tell me that that quote couldn't belong to Julian in DBIP.

"The day I met her is the day I stopped being alone." *Kira looks down* Oh, I wonder what she's feeling about that. Because she definitely thought they were good friends.

I am still surprised the husband doesn't fight harder. All he needs to do is doubt it. I guess some part of him really did love Lwxana?

"What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic!" Really, Quark? Sure.

"You know, for a minute there, I really believed you wanted to marry me." Oh, he DID.

"Orange juice." Sometimes Jake does things that make me remember how young he is. (Even though I'd be ordering apple juice all the time though... But everyone else usually guess got tea or coffee or alcohol.)

At least Jake's in a public place when he collapses. Glad he didn't go back to his quarters.

"He was the youngest I ever found. So eager, ready to give everything he had in one great burst." Apart from he hadn't agreed to give everything, he didn't know that was what you were doing and he wouldn't have consented if he had!

"You really should stay." "I'll miss you, too." Ohhh. Lwxana's ability to cut to what Odo is feeling.

"I could stay, try to make you fall in love with me, but we both know that won't happen. Then I'd end up resenting you, and our friendship is far too important for me to let that happen." I love these two so much though ❤️❤️

"The dialogue is sharp, the story's involving, the characters are real. The spelling is terrible. I especially liked the father." SISKO :3 I love his dad-ing

"All you need to do is learn to find them by yourself." Sisko is such a wonderful dad. And so good at advice and saying the right thing!

Anslem - he wrote that in the alternate timeline where Sisko dies? But on his own? I guess in that timeline, at this point was he too sad for the alien to find him an alluring target? I like how we know it's his - and I'm guessing Sisko does too from his memories of that timeline. :3

[einsteinsugly]

Fictober 18. That 70s Show. July 2004. Nearing Armageddon.

Eric is pacing back and forth, back and forth. A cordless phone is clenched in his hand, like a Jedi would clutch a lightsaber.

He's feeling particularly blue, as he blurts out what's been on his mind. For almost a year. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

In turn, Leah willfully deflects. "I love you?"

Eric sighs, as that's to be expected. "That's nice to hear, but...you're not telling me or your mom much of anything."

"What is there to tell?" She openly challenges, "Everything is fine."

"Oh, okay..." He trails off, refusing to fall into the same old trap. A deadly trap, courtesy of yesteryear. "No, no. I'm not falling for that. Everything is not fine! I know a lot of the whos, the whats, the whens, and the wheres, but I don't know most of the whys."

She nervously gulps. "Dad, everything is fine."

He grows increasingly anxious, running his hands through his hair. "It's not fine, but why?"

"Just stop, okay?" She's angry, and as time quickly elapses, at the speed of light, that anger seems to grow. And grow, like a stubborn little weed. "Get off my back."

"I'm just trying to understand..."

And then, she nearly explodes. "No, you won't understand. Ever."

Now, he's close to pulling out his hair in absolute anguish. And then, if only for a mere moment in the vast expanse of time, he'd be as bald as his father.

Instead, he attempts to remain calm, with a haunting mantra. This kid is driving me crazy!

And it's way more than her having strange friends, wearing strange clothes, and listening to strange music. He doesn't feel like he's in a zoo, but it was like he's been engulfed into a black hole. Being shredded into a billion little pieces, over and over.

And he still tries to understand. With an olive branch, rather than a weed wacker. "Well, I was bullied back in the day. Destroy and Giveback would snap my pencils in half, and said that that's what they'd do to me if I stood up for myself..."

Leah cuts him off, with a sombering reminder. "Isn't one in prison and the other one owns some dinky pawn shop?"

"Hey, I'm pretty sure that the one that owns the dinky pawn shop earns more money than me..." He trails off, once again. "Okay, you've succeeded in getting me off topic."

"It's not hard," Leah openly declares, with a likely smirk, "Should I mention Star Wars or something?"

Eric readily basks in the opportunity, like a cat basking in the sun. "Great, kid. Don't get cocky."

But Leah seems notably oblivious. "I think you're the one getting cocky."

"How? I'm just a father, concerned for the welfare of his daughter," He explains, as his nearest and dearest galaxy comes crashing down, "Because you are going down a dark path, and I fear it will dominate your destiny."

Leah finally catches on. "Dad, stop with the Star Wars quotes."

"Well, it was technically a paraphrase, and you got me going, missy." An awkward chuckle escapes his lips, but he quickly cuts to the chase. "But there's more to the story, and I want to be there for you."

"You don't need to be there for me for anything, because nothing else happened."

"I kinda think it did..."

He hears the phone angrily slam, like a supernova. An exploding star, eventually sputtering out to nothing. Before returning to a sea of darkness.

Once again, he inevitably sighs. "Yeah, I definitely think it did."

[silverloreley]

Assuming the barrier doesn't completely nullify her powers (can even the barrier fully block elemental magic given by the Arendelle spirits?) & Elsa still has trouble controlling them, Bruno could probably actually help with that, since Elsa's power is similar to Pepa's (weather controlled by emotions) & he & Juli knew how to calm her down. & if the barrier does block it fully, then maybe he can help once she gets off/the barrier breaks & she can use her magic again and has no idea how to.

We know the Barrier lets some magic happen in minor ways, yet I'm still not certain Bruno could help Elsa that much, as we saw Pepa's control isn't that good even as an adult. After all, "think of clear skies" is only marginally better than "conceal don't feel". That doesn't mean Bruno wouldn't try, and taking her mind off the dark thoughts would help a bit. They have about a ten years age gap (Elsa was crowned at 21, Bruno must have been 30-something when he was sentenced) so he may feel like a big brother towards her, if given the chance (most likely after Cruella kicked him out, in my AU).

The problem wouldn't be as massive as on the outside anyway, as the Barrier is made specifically to block aggressive magic, so what we saw (Maleficent and Mal's glowing eyes, the Faciliers using shadows...) are minor things. Elsa probably only has an air of coldness around her body, can't suffer from the cold herself, and perhaps, in really extreme distress, freezes a bit (enough to shock an attacker, not enough for real harm), while Bruno likely has some strong feelings when something is about to happen, a vague precognitive ability, nothing more. He could barely explain his full prophecies, let alone those vague feelings. Nothing worrisome, so.

I think, out of everyone, the two of them would be actually relieved of being under the Barrier: it got rid of the worst parts of their curses and they could live a normal-ish life. At first. But I have this - honestly hurtful - theory about repressed magic becoming a problem in the long run.

Once the Barrier is gone, though? Well the two of them would have a really bad day. All of sudden, Bruno is overwhelmed by predictions that stayed dormant, while Elsa panics about having her magic again and panic becomes a snowstorm. Unless someone is there to calm her down or taught her more about magic in the meantime, of course (in any version of my au she married a magician, so he knew how to guide her and explain to her things about how magic works).

Once out for good, things would be lots better, especially because Elsa wouldn't be so tense after knowing Anna 100% forgave her and loves her still and she had been pardoned. Bruno would still have some hesitations, but he too would receive a pardon - in fact, an official apology from his wrongful imprisonment, as Ben realized there had been lots of those - and counseling with magicians that would clear the neutral nature of his visions.

There would be a moment, though, when things would feel weird and they'd need to support each other for something unexpected, which is when Carlos poked a hole in the Barrier (in book 1) and some magic came back/was unlocked. An event minor enough not to cause serious harm, yet a reminder their magic was still there, ready to be unleashed again. It would have been a moment of crisis for both, one they had to support each other to go through as no one else could quite understand that no, they didn't think their magic being back was a good feeling. (Now, if you excuse me, I have to go and try to write this bit, lol. Feel free to do too, I'd love to see your take of the issue!)

[doctorbrown]

DOCTOBER '23 ⸺ 「 30 / 31 * SUNSET 」

July 31, 1992

❝God, Doc, I'm so nervous. Am I supposed to be this nervous?❞ Marty has been pacing back and forth for the last ten minutes, his anxiety spiking, and none of Emmett's previous attempts thusfar have managed to still his feet or calm the storm brewing over his head.

He understands the nerves, having felt them when he had decided to propose to Clara, fearing he may have been too forward and misreading the entire situation or she would, when presented with the opportunity, turn him down for his age or his appearance or the fact that the life he currently had was nothing glamorous, certainly not for a brilliant woman who had her entire life ahead of her.

Clara had quashed every single one of his own worries the moment they arose.

❝Marty. Marty!❞ Emmett stops him in his tracks with both hands on his shoulders and when Marty finally looks up, clarity returning the sharpness to the blue of his eyes, he looks exactly like his seventeen-year-old self again, far younger than his years. ❝Of course it's natural to be nervous, but try and relax. Take a few deep breaths. I can assure you that everything is on schedule, Jennifer is not going to stand you up, and things will go just fine.❞

Marty throws a look at him that says how can you be so sure? when he's feeling so uncertain about everything, and Emmett is certain he's running through possibilities in his head that are so highly improbable they could never happen in this timeline.

He squeezes his shoulders and when Marty follows his advice and takes a few long, slow breaths, Emmett switches to straightening the tie his worry has knocked askew.

❝You two love each other. There's nothing that's going to change that. Everybody is nervous on their wedding day and before other pivotal moments in their lives. The sun is setting on this chapter of your life as you take the next step forward. But I promise you that once you step out there and you see Jennifer walking down the aisle, you won't feel nervous anymore.❞

❝You're right, Doc, I know you are. It's just; it's really happening. I'm about to marry Jennifer. She's going to be Jennifer McFly. We're gonna spend the rest of our lives together.❞

❝So then what's the problem?❞

Marty shakes his head and fumbles for the words to explain the frenzy stirring in his chest. Emmett is unflappable even in the wake of the torrent of Marty's emotions and Marty doesn't know where he'd be right now without him. ❝I—the rings?❞

❝Safely in the possession of the ring-bearers.❞

❝The music?❞

❝The band is all present and accounted for.❞

❝My family?❞

❝Seated beside Detective Parker.❞

❝The photographers? Jen wanted to make sure we got lots of pictures.❞

❝Marty, you already spoke to them, remember? They had taken photos of us not long ago.❞

He shakes his head. ❝That's right; it feels like it happened yesterday or in a dream or something.❞

Emmett gently guides him over toward the long mirror and places him directly in the centre of it. Marty takes a moment to look them both over, dressed sharply in their well-pressed black suits. His hair is freshly cut and styled and Marty smiles at the way his best friend had gone through the trouble of wrangling his hair into something neat and well-kept rather than the wild mane it often was.

Clara almost certainly had a hand in that, he thinks, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he hopes she can hear his thank you.

❝Doc? Can I, uh, ask you something?❞

Emmett nods, using the mirror to now fuss over his own appearance while he still has the chance. As best man, it was important everything be in place, and the setup and smooth operation of the wedding was far more important than his own personal appearance. Clara reminded him time-and-time again of his tendency to get too-caught up in whatever endeavour has his attention, and she had reminded him before they left to make sure his appearance didn't suffer as he ran about aiding in the day's proceedings.

Now that they have a moment and less than an hour until it all begins, the last thing he wants is to add even the slightest bit more to Marty's plate for him to worry over.

His black suit is still wrinkle-free, his hair has yet to adopt a life of its own and begin to fly every which way, and no matter how hard he looks, he can't find any part of his appearance that needs fixing.

❝I think maybe I'm also afraid that once we get married, everything's gonna change, you know? That things are going to have to be different now that we're husband and wife. I guess what I'm wondering is after you and Clara got married, did things feel all that different between you? Did things change a lot when she became your wife?❞

Emmett hums. ❝There was an adjustment period after the fact when it came to calling her my wife. As you know, I never imagined such a thing for myself. As a scientist, I was already married to science, as it was, and the idea of falling in love, let alone at first sight, was simply nonsense. The stuff of romance novels.❞

Marty actually finds himself able to manage a grin as he thinks back to the memory of seeing the doc wide-eyed and tongue-tied in a way he never imagined possible. ❝No kidding. I've never seen you look the way you looked at Clara before. You had it bad, Doc, right at the start.❞

❝Not unlike the way I've seen you look at Jennifer over the years. In fact, I think I still recall the way you looked when you mentioned her in 1955.❞ Marty's cheeks tinge pink.

❝But even after being officially married, our relationship didn't change. It became a little more proper for us to be together the way we were—as you may or may not know, perceptions were very different back in the nineteenth century, and as Clara was Hill Valley's only schoolteacher, it was necessary for her to maintain a very good image, as she was a role model for the children—but we didn't treat each other any differently.❞

They had already been married in all but name by the time their wedding day came around. All that was left was to make it official, sign the documents, and appease everyone else's old-fashioned sensibilities.

❝By that time, we were already practically living together. I wasn't rich by any means, but we had Clara's home and the stable which I had converted into living quarters, we were both working, and I occasionally assisted with some of the school lessons. She was my confidante, the one person with whom I could share the truth of my existence with, and she had embraced the idea of time-travel and life in the twentieth century so quickly that even I was astounded.❞

Emmett turns away from the mirror to properly look at his friend.

❝So I suppose that was a very long way to say no, nothing changed after the fact. Other than the entire town openly wondering when we would finally start a family of our own.❞

That prompts a groan out of Marty. ❝Guess I'll have to be ready for my parents to start asking when we'll be giving them grandkids. Got another question for you, Doc.❞

Emmett checks one of his wristwatches. ❝Sure; we still have a little time before the ceremony is scheduled to begin and we have to get into position.❞

❝What was your wedding day like? Since I didn't get to see it, I'd really like to know.❞

[badjoy-17]

The Playfellow Crew

Chapter 1, Part 3

She woke up laying in the couch seeing Wally's Puppeteer, beside her. He looks so worried sick about her. "Haven't I told you about not going here?" He handed her a glass of water.

"I was looking for my apple, okay?" She emphasized while holding the back of head still aching from that blow.

"It is a huge responsibility to keep Wally's existence a secret." The puppeteer's claim

"But, what happened to me... What did hit me?" She asked still processing what happened to her.

"The consequences." Wally showed up in the shadows with the apple in his hands petting it like it was a small animal.

Ritzy flinched in the sight of Wally confirming she wasn't dreaming. "But literally, what did hit me?" She asked curiously because that blow really did an effect on her.

Wally and his puppeteer looked at each other drawing each other's gaze to the loose tube fitting that hangs on the collapsed ceiling.

"That needs a serious fixing..." Ritzy points out.

"Well, all this company can afford is this so...." the puppeteer yelped as he brushed his hands to his pants.

"Yeah." The three choruses.

"But why are we hiding his existence?" She looks at Wally with curiousity.

He walked back and forth thinking how he should explain it. "Oh yeah, I forgot you're an immigrant so you don't know what does the government do to oddities like this..." He looks around then leans to Ritzy's ears, "...they are confiscated to dealt in some serious experimentations and I cannot let that happen to him..."

He looks like insane telling that to Ritzy but his eyes at Wally trying to interact with the limp Julie puppet with much empathy begs to differ.

"But how does Wally lives but the rest don't?"

"I, I don't know how... But do you know fairy tales, right? Pinocchio."

"So he just happen to exist for some reason? Isn't he like..." She leans closer to the puppeteer's ear and whispered the words "...possessed or haunted?"

"Did you try to exorcise him?", he pulls out her rosary in his pocket, trying to hold on to the last straw. "That doesn't work on him... he's not a demonic entity"

"I'm scared at the moment, okay? I was in shock when he started talking. I thought he was an engkanto" She took the rosary and looks at it . It was that moment everything she knew was about faith went blank. She look so naive and never been looked so lost.

Wally came close to her and pats her hands cupping the rosary. "Hey Ritzy, it's fine. We're both scared, we didn't understand what's happening at that time... I forgive you."

Tears started to roll over her cheek as Wally really do remind of her daughter, her sweet little Bernice. She sobs as now the puppet she held in arms before come alive before her. "I am really sorry, Wally. This won't happen again, okay?" She comforts him and hugged him like she was talking to a literal child which is funny since Wally is indeed a child in his heart.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright...", she wipes her tears, being emotional. "...it's just you remind me of Bernice..."

"Who is she?"

"My daughter."

"You have a child?"

"Where is she?"

"Somewhere far, I had to leave her to my relatives for work."

"Oh, so she's at home!"

"Uhm no, she is not with me here..."

"Of course, she's at home, Silly!" He laughed.

"No... Do you know what immigrant is? An immigrant is a person who moves away from his/her country for some reason. I am an immigrant and my reason is to work here.."

"Oh, so you left her..."

"I'm not proud of it. The last time I saw her is she begging me to don't leave her. But you know... Sometimes you got to sacrifice for the betterment of the rest."

"Isn't that fair?"

"No, it wasn't but I have to... For Bernice.", she curled her lip and embraced Wally."

"Here, you can have the half of it... " Wally offered a half of the apple the puppeteer handed to him since she dropped her half after the blow in her head.

"Thank you, Wally!" She smiled. "So how did you discovered Wally's existence?" She asked the puppeteer.

"Hm? Oh, about that... Just like Pinocchio..."He lazily explained.

"Seems like I can't get alot from you, huh..." She squinted her eyes and chuckled. "So except from me, who knows Wally?"

"Hm... Vicky, Me and You... So that makes us three..."

"You mean... Ms. Victoria Mason?"

"Why you keep calling her 'Ms. Victoria' anyway?" He airquoted.

"It's a sign of respect! Maybe you don't respect her work but I do..."

"Nevermind. Anyway, I'm going to send a memo about your clearance in this room. Now you'll be assigned to take in-charge of the snack here... That includes your apple contract. I'm posting your schedule here so that noone would suspect us." He takes out his tickler and jots down 'Clarita Santos- snack attendant/ video technician.

Ritzy then approached Wally, "Hey there fella have you been reaching out to me before?"

"Oh, about that phone calls? I can't sleep at night so I tried reaching out to you. You look like has a lot of stories to tell so I'm trying to call you." Wally dialed her every night in her first week in PlayFellow.

"That was the roughest week I had, but I'll forgive you." She said with sincerity, because all those time she made a grudge to the puppeteer for the sleep she lose just receiving the call.

"Oh, do you know how to tell time?"

Wally shook his head in dismay.

"Oh, I'll teach you how to tell time."

[katie5000]

Part 1 here.

But shockingly, it is Vash who pulls the gun on Knives. And we get our first serious look from Vash! Knives has no choice but to back off and he leaves with Conrad…

So Vash finally stands up to his brother. Watch Knives' face here - he is shocked, and then he looks pained before he starts cackling wildly in disbelief and madness at the unfairness of it all. Then he declares that he will build the plant paradise himself - you'll see, YOU'LL ALL SEE!

Despite everything that's happened, Knives never thought he'd be rejected by his own brother.

Luida welcomes him back home as he asks about his friends who are all ‘thrilled’ to see him. Though Wolfwood tries to pretend like they aren’t friends.

So we are introduced to a significantly older Brad and Luida here. Meryl is surprised to learn that they've known Vash for 150 years, and they reveal that their secret is cold sleep. They also explain that in order to lessen the load on the ship's plants, they've left all of the original colonists in cold sleep as well.

Confirmed - no puppet master arc with rampant civilian deaths to be replaced by puppets that fall apart in Vash’s arms.

Nope, guess not.

Meryl asks if plants are powering the ship and Luida takes her and Roberto to the large internal garden.

Luida shows them but a fraction of what presumably existed back on Earth, and what was supposed to exist on their new homeworld were it not for the crash. Now, they only have enough power to cultivate that rooftop garden. And Meryl has evidently never seen flowers before.

A common item found in all versions of Trigun is alcohol. You need grains to brew beer, distill spirits and the like. Stampede is telling us that all of that booze we saw in the beginning is produced by something other than grains?

Yes. My understanding is that the plants-in-bulbs produced a lot of the basic materials and raw goods that were later processed into other things. This is why Luida is initially so curious to find out what it is that Vash "makes", and why it seems so weird that he doesn't "make" anything. This is also why humanity is relying so heavily on the plants in the first place - they crashed on a world unfit for farming.

Roberto tries to smoke and Luida tells him not to which results in his request of Meryl. That’s right, he’s no longer calling her newbie, she’s now Meryl…

He only calls her by name this once, then he's back to calling her "newbie" for the rest of the episode. But calling her by her name suggests that he's starting to see her as an equal - a big deal in a culture that's not as egalitarian as the US is.

Vash is more intent to not kill - adding he’ll never do it again. This implies that there was an incident where he did end up killing. Our non-July-July incident of the past 150 years? What else happened - since so far we don’t have anything to go on for Vash’s own past mistakes.

…Are you fucking serious, OP?? The incident in question was the initial crashing of the colony ships. Remember how Nai branded Vash an accomplice to the act and said that Vash gave him the computer passcodes that allowed him to alter the ships' trajectory? And how Vash was utterly horrified by the dead in the wreckage and took it upon himself to atone for his role in the act? THAT IS THE THING THAT HAPPENED.

Luida meekly stumbles into the room to inform them that Worms busted in and kidnapped Meryl and Roberto.

No, Luida stumbles into the doorway out of breath and clearly distressed.

I get that she’s older but she didn’t run to them…

Yeah, she did.

…she leads them back to the dome and Wolfwood is able to state that Zazie the Beast is the one who took them.

I mean, he'd be the one to know what Zazie's handiwork looks like.

They way up in another generic looking room as Zazie welcomes them to July, which is the crashed plant carrying ship.

Well, the city around the ship, I guess. I can't believe the worms carried those two all the way there, dang. Seems like a bit of a stretch.

Meryl asks if they’d met before and Zazie replies not in the current form.

So Zazie kidnaps Meryl here, too, as per the manga.

Roberto then shoots Zazie, who disperses into individual worms before reforming their body on the other side explaining it is a conduit.

Y'know, maybe the worms flying toward the ship in that one scene were actually Zazie and not like, a separate swarm of worms like I initially assumed they were. Hm.

This entire interaction is Zazie the Beast as our new info dump character.

Zazie provides exposition here, yes. They state that humans seemingly already destroyed one planet, and are perhaps set to do it to another. The worms are the native species of No Man's Land and view both humans and plants as invasive species. However, they've been sizing up the situation and are trying to figure out who best to side with to ensure their own continued survival.

This does sort of guarantee that all road lead to July, which Vash may blow up with - his still remaining right arm?

I dunno, probably. But yeah, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

I'm not even gonna bother with the rest of whatever's there, because it's basically so much whining about how the 90s series was better and I'm tired.