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[jesterafterdark]

Feedist Kinktober 2024 - Day 10

"Containment Breach☢️"

(prompts via @fatguarddog)

It Came From the Lab - Part 1

Note: the following story contains extreme weight gain, rapid weight gain, macro/giantess and vore. Read your own discretion.

Attention All Personnel: Practice Extreme Caution Around Live Samples

That was the sign that caught Emmy's attention. She'd signed on for janitorial work at the laboratory to hopefully keep a roof over her head while she paid off her student loans. The job had some risk, she had been told when she signed on, and that was why such a menial job paid surprisingly well. She had been at the lab for around a week and still not entirely sure what they did, just that it involved a lot of barrels with big warning labels being wheeled around by men in hazmat suits. It made her wonder if maybe she should have more than a set of navy blue coveralls, especially when her job primarily involved cleaning up spills. But that sign jumped out at her.

"Live samples?"

She glanced around and tried her keycard. Being the janitor did mean mostly free reign of the facility, but- BEEP- it clearly didn't extend to this area. Resigning herself to unsated curiosity, she continued down the hall with her mop bucket. Behind her- click- the door swung open. The man in the yellow hazmat suit sped down the corridor, leaving the door to slowly shut itself behind him. Emmy just barely stopped it with the tip of her sturdy work boot before it could fully slam shut.

The air on the other side of the door felt different. Heavier, colder. A thick mist covered the floor. While the rest of the facility had the same aesthetic of any other industrial setting, gray walls and florescent lights, this space was like something straight out of a sci-fi flick. Green, luminous strips along the walls and floor were the only light source, the walls were black with a matte finish. Emmy got the distinct sense that this was not somewhere she should be. She turned to the door behind her, finger hovering over the door release. No, she thought, I've come this far and I've only got more questions. I need to know.

She skulked further down this bizarre corridor that she must have walked past without a thought a half-dozen times a day. How had she not noticed this earlier? It was too surreal. She came across an observation window. An empty lab stared back through green tinted glass. Cages lined the walls and sat on racks across the room. She couldn't make out what was inside of them, but she could definitely see things moving.

She tried the door to the room. Gently, it slid open. Stepping inside, Emmy felt her heart flutter with anxiety. What am I doing, she thought, I could lose my job over this, or worse. She crept up to the cages. Inside, there were... Little furry balls? They were squirming and definitely alive, but they didn't have any clear shape. They were just big, round lumps of fuzz. She tapped the bars of one of the cages, and the blob stirred. It turned to her, and suddenly she realized what she was looking at. It was a rat. A little white lab rat. Well, not so little. The poor thing was so fat that it was unrecognizable, just a chubby face peeking out of a mound of lard.

"What did they do to you," she frowned, sticking her finger in to stroke the rat. She decided that whatever this was, it couldn't be ethical. She had to do something, call someone, she had to-

Something behind her groaned. She turned on her heel. The cage opposite her was huge, and she wondered for a second what else they could be experimenting on. She took a few cautious steps forward and peered inside the enclosure. It... It was another rat, no doubt about it, not as round or unrecognizable as the others but...

"Holy shit, you're HUGE." She gasped. And it, the thing was definitely some kind of rat, but it was as big as a state fair pig. The rat looked up, sniffing at her. Then-

CRASH.

The enormous rodent lunged at her, smashing its body against the cage and denting the bars. Emmy tumbled backwards, crashing into the wall of cages behind her that housed the rat-blobs. She felt a sharp sting as one managed to sink its teeth into her arm, tearing clean through the sleeve of her coveralls.

Emmy slipped out of the restricted area, trying to leave as little evidence as she could, cleaned and bandaged the bite in the bathroom and clocked out as normal at the end of her shift to minimize suspicion.

At home, Emmy crashed. Hard. The experience left her feeling drained, and anxious. She threw herself on the sofa and prayed that tomorrow wouldn't bring a meeting with HR and a notice of termination. Her stomach gurgled, and she decided that maybe a pizza would settle her mind. She dialed the number. Maybe two. With stuffed crust. And some garlic bread wouldn't hurt. And plenty of soda.

The pizza guy arrived quickly, carrying boxes stacked high enough to obscure his vision. "Having a party or something?" He said, staring down the stick thin girl in her baggy pyjamas.

"Yeah," she said, rubbing her gurgling stomach, "Or something."

She made short work of the first pizza and chugged a half bottle of soda to wash it down. She'd never felt so hungry in her life, it was unbelievable. The second pizza didn't stand much of a chance either. Soon she found herself polishing off the last few slices, stuffed to the gills, and dialing the number of another takeout place. Chinese food sounded really good right now.

Back at the lab, the head researcher was chewing out anyone dumb enough to enter his eyeline. There had been a major breach, the projects being developed here were top secret and some jackass had stumbled in, agitated the test subjects, compromised numerous readings and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Not to mention, if word of what was going on in the facility made it to the press, every single researcher on site could kiss their ass and any future employment goodbye.

"None of the serum has been taken, sir, every sample is accounted for."

"Thank God for small miracles. If this got into anything bigger than a rat, we'd have a damned monster movie on our hands."

Emmy scratched the bite on her arm. Four orders later and she was officially too stuffed to stand. She couldn't peel herself off the sofa, let alone make it upstairs to get to bed. She decided to sleep where she was, or rather passed out into a food coma before she had the chance to choose. As she slept, her body began to swell. Had she been awake, she'd definitely be panicking, but instead she snored her way through the ordeal. Her body ballooned, every last inch growing like a marshmallow in the microwave. Her baggy pajamas suddenly fit a lot more snug, then began to ride up on her belly. It was only when the sofa bowed, then broke, under her enormous frame that she woke. Barely able to see past her swollen breasts, she struggled to her feet. Her head hit the ceiling with a thunk and she realized that she was bigger in more ways than one. For a moment, she began to panic, but then her stomach groaned again and she doubled over.

"So... Hungry..." She whined, frantically reaching for her phone to order another meal. Thick fingers struggled to hit the correct places on the screen, but eventually she managed to get through. The order was large, but she needed every last bite.

It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door. She knew she couldn't answer like this, but she'd planned ahead.

"It's open!" Emmy yelled. The driver cautiously stepped inside, carrying bags upon bags of food. She stepped over the savaged remains of last night's binge. "Just leave it in the kitchen."

Emmy waited a moment, then stumbled into the kitchen thinking the driver had left. But no, there she stood, a short little brunette with glasses and a baggy tracksuit bottoms. Emmy felt her stomach gurgle, and the driver was shocked by what had just stumbled into the kitchen behind her. Huge, round, head scraping the ceiling. The hunger overcame Emmy, she couldn't even think. She grabbed the driver and lifted her clean off the ground and into her mouth. Her legs kept kicking as she slid down Emmy's throat, squirming the whole way down. Emmy felt the driver hit her stomach and keep wriggling inside her. It felt incredible. She made short work of the takeout too, of course. Her body continued to swell and grow, wider and taller, as the contents of her stomach dissolved. She looked to the window, seeing everything- everyone- outside. She had never felt so hungry.

Author's Note: Part 2 to be released October 25th, a little patience goes a long way 💕

[not-alien-girl-v]

New Girl au (The 1975)

warning: drinking people being drunk they play true american (i pretend i know how true american works)

note: mr healy you are being a little fucking freak. george could hit it anyday he’s so hot especially in this. someone find a shawty for ross bro is lonely. also where the fuck is adam

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Violet," she speaks firmly, a ghost of a scold somewhere hidden under her tone.

Violet stands to the right of Y/N, fresh out of a photoshoot and it's evident by the lengthy false lashes glued to her lids and the heavy contour of her face. She just got off of work as a model, and came straight to her friend's loft once she heard that tonight would finally be the night she would become acquainted with the 2ish hot guys she lives with. (Y/N described two as the hottest giants on the west coast and one as a greasy rat man who bites ankles, so Violet wasn't sure what to think)

The three men sit posed on the couch in their usual spots, beers in hand, and Ross is the first to stand and greet her. "Pleasure to meet you, Violet," he gives her a firm handshake like a father greeting his daughter's date to prom, "I'm Ross."

Meanwhile, Matty has already slithered over to her, snaking an arm around her shoulders like she's an old friend or a new beau, "you staying for the game tonight, love? We get the drinks going, gets pretty crazy around here," he speaks closely to her face, speaking directly into her ear like a microphone.

"Eugh, you're being weird, Matt, jar!" Y/N calls from the kitchen where she's grabbing Violet a drink.

Matty surrenders, hands raised in the air as he digs through his pockets for a $5 bill that he reluctantly shoves forcefully into a jar already full with cash labeled 'Douchebag Jar.' Violet huffs a laugh at the sight.

"I apologize, I'm on my 5th beer already," Matty takes a seat back on the couch but ultimately just flops down on his back, nearly smushing George in the process.

"Hey, watch yourself, mate!" George shoves Matty's legs off of his own, then stands up.

"I'm George, nice to meet you, Violet. Are you staying for the game?"

Violet turns to find Y/N with their eyes who's now entering the room with 2 six packs in hand. "What game?" Violet asks.

Y/N stands up on the couch to make an announcement. "The game is True American! It's like 50% a drinking game, 50% life sized Candy Land."

Matty interjects, "actually, it's more 75% drinking, 25% Candy Land."

Ross puts them in their place, "it's 90% drinking game with a loose Candy Land like structure. And everything you hear during True American is a lie, knock on wood," he knocks on the wooden table he stands next to.

George initiates the game suddenly, "alright, pick your teams! Numbers on your foreheads, people!"

"Violet! Pick 3! Hold up a 3!" Y/N demands.

"Pick 2 or else you'll lose!" Matty adds in, confusing Violet further, and when the time comes to hold up a number, Violet holds up a 2, and she is immediately yanked over to one team's side next to Ross and George, while Matty and Y/N turn to look at each other, a 4 on her head and a 3 on his, "damn it!"

"Wait, wouldn't that mean that one of you switches over here?" Violet tries to make sense of the situation.

"No, that's not the rules." Matty speaks through a half drunken pout.

"What are the rules, anyway?"

"Well, the floor is lava, and when the game starts you have to finish the quote, and then the iron curtain- wait, are we playing Clinton rules?" Ross lists them out.

"Co-ed game, fuck yeah we're playing Clinton rules!" Matty adds, leaning in to high five George over his decision, who just looks at him odd as Matty slowly lowers his hand and returns to Y/N's side.

"Really? Last time we played Clinton rules, my entire ass was out for 2 whole rounds," Y/N complains.

"That's just how Clinton plays, baby," Matty slurs.

"And we begin with a shotgun tip off, as the guest of honor, would you like to start us off?" George asks her kindly, ignoring all the madness coming from his friends.

"I'll give it a try," Violet skillfully shotguns and chugs down a can of beer handed to her by George, and once she's done, he begins to yell.

"1, 2, 3, 4, JFK!"

"FDR!" The rest of the group screams, save for Violet, who is getting tugged up onto the couch by the arm by Ross and joined by George while Matty and Y/N move to the coffee table and with that, the game begins.

⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

1 hour later

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” The three of them chant in regards to Y/N and Matty, who have both been shoved behind the iron curtain for the next round.

“Guys please!” Y/N bangs on the wall, hoping to change her fate.

“It’s the rules, bitch!” Exclaims Violet, who thankfully came to understand the game now.

“Send us a picture of it, then you guys can come out!” Calls Ross, abandoning the group to fawn over his fish sitting tastelessly by the sink.

Meanwhile, Matty and Y/N, who have done a complete clothes swap by this point, stress over their currently situation. Well, mostly Y/N stresses.

“Look, it’s not the end of the world, let’s just suck it up and french a little,” Matty tries to reason, playing with the straps of the lacy bra he has strapped around his bare torso. His girl jeans (which surprisingly fit him perfectly) are uncuffed at the bottom, a change from the typical way Y/N wears them, cuffed a few times to make up for her short legs, but Matty’s longer one’s fit well into them.

Y/N, in an oversized Slayer shirt and black skinny jeans, “‘suck it up and french a little?’ What are you, 12?”

“I just don’t see why it’s such a big deal to kiss me. You know how many people I kiss on a daily basis? You’re not even my first kiss today. Not even my third!” He throws his hands in the air wildly in exasperation.

“Wow, that’s good to know,” she’s dry and and sarcastic in her response. “Wait, you want to know what I’m curious about? Why do you want to kiss me so bad, huh? We had a choice between going behind the iron curtain or moving three steps back into the crazy zone, which you know our team would have survived, yet you still chose this. Why?”

“Nothing- I- I just didn’t want to get stuck in the crazy zone again.”

“No, it’s more than that, because you and me, for some crazy reason, we make a great team together, and you know as a god damn fact that we would have still won the game either way, so why did you choose this?”

Her stare is shattering his soul by the minute and she’s backed him into a metaphorical corner of the room.

“I just… it’s because…”

“Literally just tell me. If somethings bothering you, tell me. I can get shitfaced enough after this I won’t remember it, if you want.”

He nods and swallows harshly.

“I��� you know… and you’re… just…”

“I’m on the edge of my seat, dude, don’t let me fall off.”

“Is that a real saying or did you just make it up?” He counters.

“Don’t change the subject, Matty.”

He sighs. “You’re very pretty, I’ve told you that before.”

“So that’s it? I’m pretty so you want to kiss me? Is that it?” She’s unsure how to feel about the whole situation if that is the conclusion he’s coming to currently. Sure, he’s not made for her but she would love a little drama in her life if he did have something wild to confess.

“No, there’s more, it’s just… you’re very pretty and I’ve started to feel… ways about you. That I don’t know if I should be feeling. So I figured, if we kissed, maybe I’d know for sure about you. Or, how I feel.”

“So you want closure? I’ll give you closure, then.” She lunges for him and attempts to tipsily press her lips to his but out of nowhere, he dodges her.

“No, no, I can’t, I don’t-“

“What now?”

“I don’t want it to be this way. Like this. If I’m going to kiss you, I’m going to do it right. And this isn’t right.”

She goes silent, starting to realize the true depth of his so called ‘feelings’ he has for her. As far as she’s concerned, Matty Healy doesn’t have those types of feelings for regular old girls like her, and it’s just one of his moves to get into her pants. She’s become familiar with his ways in the month she’s lived with him.

“Rain check then?” She’s hopeful he’ll agree to put this aside and hopefully never speak of it again, if he truly would go so far to say he’s falling in love with her. He hasn’t said it out loud yet but she can smell the bullshit brewing in his mouth.

“Yeah. Back to the crazy zone.”

He slides open the door for her, and just as she’s about to leave the room, he calls for her.

“Wait. Do me a favor? Get shitfaced? Please. I didn’t mean to say anything tonight, if it’s an option, I’d like for you to forget about it.”

“Of course, that’s what friends are for,” she responds with a wry smile and leaves him in the room.

⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

While Matty and Y/N are talking about god knows what behind the iron curtain, Violet took to scrolling through her phone while sprawled out on the couch. She’s almost completely zoned out of reality when a heavy body is roughly dropping itself into the seat next to her, making her entire form recoil on the plush sofa. She sits up.

It’s George, the hot one, as she’s decided for herself. Ross, who’s currently sweet talking his goldfish next to the sink, was just a little too eccentric for someone like Violet, and by that, she means he seems like he’d play for a different team. If you catch her drift.

“So, you enjoying yourself? Liking True American?”

“It’s intriguing. You’re all very…”

“Fun? Handsome? Dashing? Sexy?” George tries out some words for size on her.

“Honest? And individual. You all have your things.”

“Things?” He leans forward in interest. “What things?”

It was Pandora’s box he opened. “Like, there’s just something about you all. A thing you all have. It’s individual and it’s different but you all have something. Matty? He had to Shazam Bohemian Rhapsody. He was so secret about it too, tried to make sure no one saw it, but I did. Ross, well, he’s got that goldfish thing.”

“God, that’s so weird. It’s weird, right?” George confesses, hunching his long torso over in order to keep his words hushed. His breath nearly fans over her neck, but he keeps a gentlemanly distance, even when intoxicated. It sends a message to Violet. Not an entire narrative, but she notes it as something to remember when she’s sober.

“Yeah, it’s just… it’s a fish. An open fish bowl, one fish and it’s next to the sink.”

George bursts out into slurred, heavy laughter, emanating deep from his chest, and he lays back onto the back of the couch, letting his head fall back over the top of it. Violet gets the urge to follow him.

She does the same, they’re shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the ceiling.

“Well?” He begins. He twists his head to look at her, realizing he’s incredibly close to her face, if he were to exhale too harshly, he’d be sure to see her eyelashes flutter.

“Well what?” She giggles.

“Well what’s my thing?”

She exchanges glances in his direction, feeling electric every time she looks at him for too long so she looks up again. Her heart picks up.

“You know, it’s that thing with your jaw.”

He shoots up and looks at her incredulously, “what!”

“Hey, I mean, no offense, but like, it’s just kind of old looking. Looks like you wouldn’t have any teeth. In an old man kind of way. And I don’t mean it in an offensive anti-British way, like it’s not because you’re British, I love British people, Ross, Matty, your elusive friend Adam, it just seems like you’re like way more British. Like the Britness runs really far back into your bloodline. You know?”

His face is hidden in his hands now, he’s utterly flabbergasted. He picks his head up for a moment to come face to face with her, “so you think I’m ugly? Here I was thinking you thought I was a bit fit.”

“Hey, I didn’t say that!”

Ross butts into the conversation, showing he’s been easily eavesdropping this entire time, “no, you definitely sort of did!”

“Stay out of this!” George calls, as if he’s not being backed up by Ross, but Ross takes the hint anyway.

“I didn’t mean it, at least. I don’t think you’re ugly, it’s kind of the opposite, really.”

His ears metaphorically perk up like a dog hearing one of its favorite words. “Oh really?”

She rolls her eyes, “don’t let it get to your head, handsome.”

He falls back onto the couch, head lolling to the side to be close to her once more, something about the proximity made him feel some sort of way.

“I won’t. Promise,” he speaks lowly, voice gravely from a night long of yelling. His head barely inches closer to her, she almost didn’t notice had she not had all of her focus on him in this very moment.

He’s looking down her face, then back up again, while she holds solid eye contact with him. He halts his movements forward, feeling as though her lack of glances at his waiting lips are a sign she’s not as interested as he is, but she takes him by surprise when she moves her own head just an inch further, her soft breath prickling his lips.

She’s millimeters away, and his lips just barely touch her own before the iron curtain is being ripped open, Y/N coming out.

“Crazy zone! We pick crazy zone!” She exclaims.

Violet springs apart from George. He remains there, closing his eyes and sighing. He purses his lips, then comes to a stand, deciding he’ll have to find a better time to finish this. But he knew for sure: he would be finishing this.

Meanwhile, Ross sighs to his own fish. “Everybody gets action around this house except for me, as of late, Mr. Fishy. Well, you too. Must be hard for you, living alone in your fish bowl, no hot girl fishes to hook up with. I’ll drink to that. Cheers, Mr. Fishy.” He brings his beer up, gulping down the rest of it for the night.

⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

taglist: @itssimpleanditgoeslikethis @indierockgirrl @milkluvr8 @americanangel

[webironmongeryofficial]

The Ultimate Guide to Stainless Steel Door Handles in London

Stainless steel door handles london are the first choice of every homeowner, interior designer or architect while they find for better durability, timelessness and security in London. A wide range of finishes and styles of stainless steel door handles help achieve functionality and aesthetics across various ranges of spaces, from residential homes to commercial offices. This guide details everything you should know about stainless steel door handles in London-from the benefits and popular styles through to where to find quality options and real-world applications.

Why Choose Stainless Steel Door Handles?

Durability and Longevity

Stainless steel is very resistant as it does not get worn out even when used daily. In a city like London, where footfalls are among the highest in residential and commercial places, the property is assured to have stainless steel door handles london looking great and functional for several years.

Corrosion resistance

Climatic conditions in London are constantly fluctuating, rainy, and damp. Stainless steel contains natural anti-corrosive elements that resist these air elements, ensuring that your door handles won't rust or lose their shine.

Easy Maintenance

Stainless steel door handles require very little maintenance. Often all a single wipe with a damp cloth has to do the trick to make them look new again. In addition, this is what makes it a practical option for busy households or commercial environments where some time cannot be wasted on anything labeled as maintenance.

Modern Appearance

Stainless steel really makes for a great addition of any modern structure, probably something that is very common in London's urban interiors. Brushed or even polished stainless steel door handles london effectively bring about the look of modernity, which seems to be in fashion at the moment.

Eco-Friendly Choice

Stainless steel is fully recyclable and thus environmentally friendly. By using stainless steel door handles, you become one of the proponents of efforts in the direction of sustainability, and it is an aspect that is becoming increasingly valued by London's green-conscious community.

Types of Stainless Steel Door Handles in London

The market of interior designs in London offers an extensive range of collection stainless steel door handle designs based on individual preference. Some of the popular types include:

Lever Handles

Lever handles are functional and ergonomic that also facilitate a proper grip. In addition, straight and curved styles can be applied, thus providing a classy look to the designs of interior doors.

Pull Handles

These are some of the best options for large-sized doors as well as commercial use. The pull handles provide an efficient and bold appearance. Stainless steel pull handles are widely used in office buildings and other high-profile buildings in London.

Knob Handles

Knobs

Complimenting the classic looks and, of course, perfect for the traditional homes, stainless steel knob handles come in round, oval, or even decorative shapes that enhance the interior doors.

Flush Pull Handles

As a part of minimalist designs, flush pull handles mount flat against the door surface. This provides a sleek look and makes it the perfect option for sliding doors that small space apartments nowadays comprise in London.

Rose and Backplate Handles

These handles have a circular rose or a rectangular backplate. These give a special design characteristic to the handle. The rose is very often used in modern home interior design, while the backplate is very much suitable for a vintage-style theme.

Stainless Steel Finishes for Door Handles: How to Pick the Right Match

The stainless steel door handles london finish determines significantly their aesthetic and functionality. Among the most popular finishes available are;

Brushed Finish

Brushed stainless steel is matte finished and suitable for high-traffic areas, as it hides fingerprints and minor scratches

Polished Finish

High-gloss, mirror-like finish: This kind of finish is necessary for areas where luxury is required. Polished stainless steel is attention-grabbing but could be a bit more maintenance-intensive in keeping fingerprints at bay.

Satin Finish

Satin finishing on stainless steel presents a soft, nonreflective sheen that confers understated elegance to spaces. It is definitely good for interiors that prefer subtle sophistication.

Antique Finish

The antique finish replicates old metal looks. This is ideal for heritage properties or even vintage-inspired interiors.

Case Studies: Stainless Steel Door Handles in Practical Application

To further promote the variety and appeal of stainless steel door handles, five case studies below represent different kinds of properties across London.

Case Study 1: Luxury Residential Apartment in Central London

Problem: A high-end apartment in Central London sought a door handle that would meet the interior richness of the apartment yet be durable for daily use.

The interior doors of the apartment used the polished stainless steel lever handles with a satin finish. It was a good match against the apartment's present décor since the reflective finish was smooth and gleaming; it is also known that the material used would be strong enough to last for a long time.

Result: After a few months of continuous use, the stainless steel door handles were still shining and had that touch of sophistication to the apartment. They were unyielding and could withstand wear without easily noticeable signs of slight wear and tear.

Case Study 2: Office Building in Canary Wharf

Problem: an office building in Canary Wharf which has huge office buildings with high foot traffic-entrance doors and flush pull on the sliding doors of meeting rooms required door handles that were likely to sustain minimal replacement or maintenance.

Solution: the project team decided to adopt brushed stainless steel office door pull handles and flush pull to the sliding meeting room doors. This gave a finished look that would not attract dirt marks or fingerprints.

Outcome: The stainless steel handles were durable and provided a modern look, making the building look beautiful while it was drenched in heavy daily use.

Case 3: Reviving the Old Building in Kensington

Problem: The renovation of an old building in Kensington required new door handles that would complement its antique look.

Solution: Antique-finish stainless steel knob handles were used for interior doors too, that provided them with an antique look without compromising on durability.

Outcome: The antique finish on the stainless steel allowed the handles to seamlessly blend with the historical character of the building, producing an aesthetic function solution.

Case Study 4: Modern Retail Store in Soho

Challenge: A retail store in Soho wanted door handles to withstand heavy use and match the industrial-chic of the stores.

Solution: Brushed stainless steel lever handles are used on all interior doors, and polished pull handles on the main entrance door.

Result: The brushed finish gives this look as modern and industrial. The polish handles on the entrance add a little sophistication to it. The stainless steel material handled traffic really well.

Case Study 5: Contemporary Home in Notting Hill

Challenge: New modern house was to be built in Notting Hill. This house was minimalist in nature, with necessary minimalist accessories for interior doors.

Solution: Satin stainless steel flush pull handles were used at all the sliding door outlets. Other interior doors provided satin-finished lever handles.

Outcome: Good-quality stainless steel door handles complemented the character of a clean, minimalist home while offering practicality and low maintenance functionality.

Things to Keep in Mind when Choosing Stainless Steel Door Handles in London

Size and Form

Stainless steel door handles london also depend on the sizing and shape that best fit the door as well as the style within the room. One could go for a large-sized handle for dramatic effect or opt for one of the smaller, more minimalist styles perfect for modern interiors.

Comfort and Functionality

Handles should be comfortable to grip and functional at all times. Lever handles are extremely good for accessibility purposes and therefore suitable for homes occupied by seniors or young children.

Safety Features

Most door handles made from stainless steel accommodate high-end safety features. Therefore, consider door handles that integrate with lock mechanisms, particularly if you are to install the door handle in exterior doors, since this will enhance your house or office's security wall further.

Compatibility with Door Material

Ensure that the door handle style will complement the material of the door. Satin or brushed finishes look great on glass or metal doors in polished stainless steel, but satin or brushed work best on wooden doors.

Where to source best quality stainless steel door handles in London

There are highly reputable suppliers and retailers in London, which deal in the high quality of stainless steel door handle. To mention a few are;

Webironmongery: It provides a wide assortment of stainless steel door handles in various designs and finishes.

Beautifulhandle: It is a well-curated assortment of stainless steel handles that deliver functionality with flair.

Designerhandle: This company deals in modern designs hence has a variety of contemporary stainless steel door handles.

Installation and Maintenance Tips

Now that you have your stainless steel door handles london, here are some installation and maintenance tips that will keep them looking their best:

Installation: Ensure to place the handle correctly so that they are evenly worn and not at one end. You may seek the help of professional installation for complicated handles that ensure optimal performance and durability.

Clean them regularly by wiping the handle with a microfiber cloth. Avoid using tough chemicals as they might damage the finish of your door handles.

Polishing: Polished finishes shine periodically for that sparkling look. Satin and brushed finishes are low maintenance and don't require much upkeep .

Conclusion: An Investment in Quality Stainless Steel Door Handles in London

Investing in stainless steel door handles london is basically putting resources in durability, aesthetics, and functionality. Such handles give the perfect solution when both aspects, design and robustness, are given equal importance in the dynamic ambiance of London. From luxury homes to office buildings, stainless steel door handles are versatile enough to come in an incredible variety of styles, finishes, and configurations. If functionality is an important consideration in an installation, then stainless steel door handles are up for the task. If you weigh the benefits, styles, and proper maintenance of stainless steel door handles, they will become an asset you will be proud to have on your property for years to come.

[sunainaa0]

Sunscreen: Your Essential Guide to Sun Protection

When it comes to skincare, sunscreen is often hailed as a non-negotiable step, and for good reason. It's not just a summer essential; it's a year-round necessity that helps protect your skin from harmful UV rays, premature aging, and skin cancer. Whether you're heading out for a beach day or just running errands, applying sunscreen should be as routine as brushing your teeth. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of sunscreen, how to choose the right one, and tackle a common question: Can I use sunscreen without a moisturizer?

Why Sunscreen is Essential

The primary function of sunscreen is to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays are classified into two types: UVA and UVB. UVA rays penetrate the skin deeply, leading to premature aging and wrinkles, while UVB rays are responsible for sunburn. Both types can contribute to the risk of skin cancer.

Regular use of sunscreen can prevent these damaging effects. It acts as a shield, reducing the risk of sunburn, skin damage, and the appearance of dark spots. Over time, incorporating sunscreen into your daily routine can help maintain a more youthful and even skin tone.

How to Choose the Right Sunscreen

With so many options on the market, choosing the right sunscreen can be overwhelming. Here are a few key factors to consider:

SPF (Sun Protection Factor): PF indicates how well the sunscreen protects against UVB rays. An SPF of 30 is generally recommended for daily use, as it blocks about 97% of UVB rays. For extended outdoor activities, consider an SPF of 50 or higher.

Broad-Spectrum Protection: Look for sunscreens labeled "broad-spectrum," which means they protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

Water Resistance: If you’re swimming or sweating, opt for a water-resistant sunscreen to ensure continued protection.

Formulation: Sunscreens come in various formulations, including lotions, creams, gels, sprays, and sticks. Choose one that suits your skin type and preferences. For example, if you have oily skin, a lightweight, oil-free sunscreen might be best. For dry skin, a cream-based sunscreen with moisturizing properties could work well.

Can I Use Sunscreen Without Moisturizer?

Now, let’s address a frequently asked question: Can I use sunscreen without moisturizer?

The short answer is yes, you can use sunscreen without a separate moisturizer, but it depends on your skin type and the formulation of the sunscreen. Many modern sunscreens are designed with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides, which means they can double as both sunscreen and moisturizer. Here’s how to decide what's best for your skin:

For Oily or Combination Skin: If you have oily or combination skin, you might find that using a moisturizing sunscreen is sufficient. In this case, a lightweight sunscreen with a matte finish can provide the hydration your skin needs without making it greasy.

For Dry Skin: If your skin tends to be dry, you may benefit from applying a moisturizer first, then layering your sunscreen on top. This combination helps lock in moisture and provides a smoother base for makeup.

For Normal Skin: Those with normal skin can usually choose either route. A hydrating sunscreen can be enough, but if you prefer the feel of a separate moisturizer, go for it.

How to Layer Sunscreen with Other Skincare Products

If you decide to use both a moisturizer and a sunscreen, it's important to apply them in the correct order. The general rule is to apply sunscreen as the final step in your morning skincare routine, after cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. This ensures that your skin is well-hydrated and protected. Here’s a simple guide:

Cleanser

Toner (optional)

Serum (optional)

Moisturizer

Sunscreen

If you’re using a sunscreen that doubles as a moisturizer, you can skip step 4 and go directly to sunscreen after applying any serums or treatments.

Tips for Proper Sunscreen Application

To ensure maximum protection, follow these tips for applying sunscreen:

Use Enough: Most people don't apply enough sunscreen. Aim for about a nickel-sized amount for your face and a shot-glass amount for your body.

Reapply: Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, or immediately after swimming, sweating, or towel-drying.

Don't Forget Sensitive Areas: Apply sunscreen to often-missed spots like the ears, neck, back of the hands, and tops of the feet.

Conclusion

Sunscreen is a critical part of any skincare routine, offering protection against UV rays that can cause both immediate and long-term skin damage. Whether you choose a stand-alone sunscreen or a product that combines sunscreen and moisturizer, the key is to use it consistently. Remember, even on cloudy days or when you're indoors near windows, UV rays can reach your skin. So, make sunscreen a daily habit for healthy, glowing skin.

By understanding your skin's needs and choosing the right sunscreen, you can simplify your skincare routine without compromising on protection.

[printerydubai]

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Printing Service for Your Business

In the bustling cityscape of Dubai, businesses are constantly striving to stand out in a crowded marketplace. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through high-quality printed materials that reflect your brand's professionalism and appeal. Whether you need eye-catching flyers, professional business cards, or informative brochures, selecting the right printing service is crucial. This guide will help you navigate the options available for label printing, flyer printing, business cards printing, brochure printing, and digital printing in Dubai to ensure you choose the best service for your needs.

Understanding Your Printing Needs

Before diving into the specifics of printing services, it's essential to identify your business's unique needs. Are you looking for promotional materials to boost your marketing efforts, or do you need professional stationery to make a strong impression? Different types of printing services cater to different needs, so understanding what you require will help you make an informed decision.

Label Printing Dubai: Making Your Products Stand Out

Label printing is a fundamental aspect of branding and product presentation. In Dubai, businesses can access a range of label printing options that can enhance product appeal and provide crucial information to customers. When selecting a label printing dubai service, consider factors such as material quality, print resolution, and customization options. Look for a service that offers durable labels that can withstand various conditions and maintain their visual appeal over time. High-quality label printing can help you create a professional image and ensure that your products stand out on the shelves.

Flyer Printing Dubai: Promoting Your Business Effectively

Flyers are a versatile marketing tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, from announcing sales and events to sharing information about your services. When choosing a flyer printing Dubai, focus on options for vibrant colors, crisp images, and high-quality paper. The right flyer printing service should offer various sizes and formats, enabling you to create flyers that capture attention and effectively communicate your message. Additionally, consider services that provide design assistance to ensure your flyers are visually appealing and aligned with your brand’s identity.

Business Cards Printing Dubai: Making a Lasting Impression

Business cards are a timeless tool for networking and establishing professional connections. Business cards printing Dubai services offer a range of options to help you make a memorable first impression. Look for services that provide high-quality card stock, customizable designs, and advanced printing techniques. The best business cards will reflect your brand’s professionalism and offer a tangible representation of your business. Consider opting for unique finishes such as matte or glossy, and explore options for rounded corners or embossing to give your cards a distinctive touch.

Brochure Printing Dubai: Crafting Informative and Engaging Materials

Brochures are an excellent way to provide detailed information about your products or services in a visually engaging format. When selecting a brochure printing Dubai, look for options that offer a variety of folding styles, high-quality paper options, and full-color printing capabilities. A well-designed brochure can serve as a powerful marketing tool, capturing potential clients' interest and conveying essential information about your business. Choose a service that offers design support and can help you create a brochure that effectively represents your brand and communicates your message.

Digital Printing Dubai: Versatility and Quality for Your Business Needs

Digital printing is a modern and versatile solution for a wide range of printing needs. In Dubai, digital printing services offer high-quality print options for various materials, including business cards, flyers, labels, and brochures. Digital printing Dubai is known for its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and ability to produce high-resolution prints with quick turnaround times. When selecting a digital printing service, consider factors such as print quality, service reliability, and the range of products offered. A reputable digital printing service will provide consistent results and help you achieve your business goals with professional printed materials.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Printing Service

When evaluating different printing services in Dubai, keep the following factors in mind to ensure you make the best choice for your business:

Quality of Work: Look for a printing service that offers high-resolution prints, durable materials, and attention to detail. Request samples or check online reviews to assess the quality of their work.

Pricing: Compare pricing among different printing services to find a balance between cost and quality. Be cautious of services offering significantly lower prices, as this may indicate lower quality or hidden costs.

Customer Service: Choose a printing service that provides excellent customer support, including clear communication, responsive service, and helpful guidance throughout the printing process.

Turnaround Time: Ensure the printing service can meet your deadlines without compromising on quality. Discuss your timeline and confirm that they can deliver your materials on schedule.

Customization Options: Look for services that offer a range of customization options to suit your specific needs. Whether you require unique sizes, finishes, or designs, the ability to tailor your print materials is essential.

Choosing the best printing service for your business in Dubai involves careful consideration of your needs and evaluating various providers based on quality, cost, and customer support. By focusing on key services like label printing, flyer printing, business cards printing, brochure printing, and digital printing, you can find a printing partner that will help you create effective and professional materials for your business. Remember to assess each service’s offerings, review their work quality, and ensure they meet your specific requirements to make a choice that will support your business’s success.

[psatalk]

Kurz's surface decoration solutions at drupa 2024

Leonhard Kurz, the official Platinum Partner of drupa 2024, will exhibit its finishing and packaging solutions as well as the associated machines and services under the motto ‘Re:think what's possible' at stand E71, hall 3 at the show from 28 May to 7 June 2024. 

drupa, an important trend barometer for the print industry, offers a platform for exhibitors to present innovations in the fields of printing, finishing, packaging and more. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience technologies, products and services live and exchange ideas directly with manufacturers and experts. 

Finishing with elegant 3D effects

Innovative finishes are becoming increasingly important, especially when it comes to visually highlighting premium products at the point of sale. One of the many highlights at the Kurz stand is the new Silver Line finishing line, which adds a touch of elegance to any packaging with its silver-metallic play of light. The 3D effects add a touch of luxury. Both reflective and matte designs are possible for full-surface decorations or partial decorations with fine details. 

Silver Line can be used flexibly, as it can be seamlessly integrated into existing systems using processes such as hot stamping, cold transfer, or digital finishing. "The diffractive effects of Silver Line create a special optical depth and give the impression of real movement, resulting in dynamic designs and real eye-catchers. All this is possible because we are rethinking what is possible. I am proud that we are presenting Silver Line at drupa," explains Laurin Leeb, head of International Product Management Business Area Industrial at Kurz. 

Silver Line was developed from the already successfully established Light Line finishing line, which will also be exhibited at drupa 2024. It comprises a range of finishing solutions for packaging and labels that are also characterized by their unique 3D optical effects. Light Line offers, among other things, real hologram effects with depth effect. The difference to Silver Line is the rainbow-colored motion effects that refract the light in a fascinating way and reflect it in all colors of light. These effects help to create an eye-catching and appealing aesthetic. The areas of application are diverse and range from cosmetics packaging to drinks labels. 

High-gloss effects and metallization

Various classic finishing solutions from Kurz are being rethought and can be experienced at drupa 2024. Lumafin highlights products with unique visual effects. The semi-transparent finish has been specially developed to create a shimmering look that allows the underlying design to gently peek through as if behind glass. Print motifs embossed with Lumafin inspire with a magically translucent play of colors, a timeless vintage look, or a high-quality patina effect. In many applications, including cosmetics packaging, spirits labels, book covers and consumer goods packaging, the brand identity is strengthened by distinctive and recognizable design elements of the finishing. 

With Luxor/Alufin, Kurz is presenting the ultimate in metallic hot stamping in Düsseldorf. This classic is one of the top products and is known for its exceptional quality and remarkable optical gloss effects. The Luxor/Alufin range comprises a large selection of transfer products whose brand essence is glossy metallic effects and represent a brilliant all-round hot stamping solution. This product range offers a wide variety of colors and surface effects and allows finishes to shine in the best quality. In addition, the carrier thickness has already been changed to 10 µm for most products. Soon, hot stamping products from Kurz will only be available on 10 µm substrates. Luxor/Alufin finishes give many printed products a luxurious and elegant appearance. This is achieved not only by the high-quality appearance, but also by the relief-like structures, which contribute to the overall aesthetics and impression of value. At the trade fair, you can find out what's new at Kurz in the field of hot stamping.

Sustainable finishing for sheet-fed printing

 At drupa 2024, Kurz will be providing comprehensive insights into the Kurz Transfer Metal (KTM) Technology which complements the repertoire of sustainable finishing processes. The centerpiece is a smart add-on module for processors who do not want to invest in a new cold transfer machine. The module can be easily combined with existing laminating systems, keeping costs and effort manageable. With the ultra-thin finish, packaging can be decorated with breathtaking high-gloss designs without leaving any plastic behind. This means they remain recyclable and therefore more environmentally friendly - a clear advantage compared to conventional laminates. This makes the technology particularly interesting for large-volume production. KTM can be applied to a variety of substrates - including paper and cardboard. 

Furthermore, with KPS slim 2.0 (patent pending), Kurz is once again demonstrating its commitment to innovative solutions that not only impress in terms of quality and efficiency, but also make a significant contribution to environmental protection. KPS slim 2.0 (patent pending) sets new standards in terms of sustainability by reducing the carrier thickness and thus the PET content in the decoration process by an impressive 50 percent. This development not only means considerable material savings, but also enables more efficient handling thanks to more running meters per roll, which in turn leads to fewer roll changes and therefore less downtime and set-up time. The end result on the printed sheets is an incomparable gloss - even on the most demanding surfaces and difficult substrates. The technology offers maximum process reliability and efficiency as well as exceptional design flexibility. "The introduction of KPS slim 2.0 (patent pending) marks a turning point in the finishing industry - both in terms of application and environmental protection. The solution is characterized by its outstanding technical performance in offset printing and at the same time enables a reduction in waste and disposal costs. In addition, the technology contributes to a significantly reduced CO2 footprint. Our decoration solution guarantees that no plastic or laminate remains on the decorated items, which means that the recyclability of the end products is not impaired," explains Marco Hanisch, Kurz head of Global Business Development Packaging and Print.

Design concept makes trends and design possibilities tangible

With its annual 'boxes' design concept, Kurz has developed a unique method of making social developments and trends tangible through innovative packaging design and new product colors. In all four themes from the current 'boxes No. 3' collection, which will be presented at drupa, the departure towards more humanity is tangible - a reflection that seems particularly relevant in times of rapid digital developments. 

The project comprises four artistically designed cardboard boxes, which were created in collaboration with the Kurz subsidiary Hinderer + Mühlich (H+M) and the Italian paper manufacturer Favini. The innovative approach, which brings design to life, hits the nerve of the times. "Our customers regularly tell us that they look forward to the new edition of the 'boxes' every year, the trendy colors and the stimuli and inspiration they receive," explains Annie Kuschel, head of Design Management Packaging and Print at Leonhard Kurz. In addition, the concept has already won several internationally renowned awards. 

No contradiction: Elegant design and cost efficiency

At drupa 2024, Kurz proves that high customer demands at the point of sale are absolutely compatible with cost-optimized production. One of the solutions is the new Ecofin range, which not only turns products into real eyecatchers with its gold and silver tones, but also reduces production costs. Ecofin meets all the requirements for making products stand out and promoting sales. Fine details and large-scale metallization with a wow effect, high gloss and outstanding results are possible, even on recycled cardboard. The new product range is available for hot stamping and cold transfer in roll and sheet-fed printing. "With the Ecofin series, we have succeeded in developing an extremely cost-efficient product without losing the performance features typical of Kurz," emphasizes Stéphane Royère, Kurz head of Business Area Packaging and Print International Sales and Marketing. 

At a glance 

Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co KG: Hall 3, Stand E71-1 + E71-2 

[giftingproducts]

Quapri’s Custom Circle Stickers are designed to showcase your brand, products, or events with style. These durable, high-quality stickers are fully customizable, offering vibrant colors and sharp details. Perfect for business promotions, packaging, or personal use, they’re an easy way to make your message stand out and leave a lasting impression.

Features of Quapri’s Custom Circle Stickers

High Resolution Printing for Stunning Artwork: Round Premium Labels feature high resolution printing which means that all your artwork details are printed super bright and clear. This is ideal for designs that will capture interest yet still communicate the message.

Durable, Weather resistant: Owing to premium materials, these circle labels are robust and can withstand any types of weather conditions. They remain intact and colorful enough for indoor and outdoor uses and are able to perform for an extended period.

Range of Choices in Customizations: We offers a wide range of choices for the customization of your circle stickers. Select from a variety of sizes and finishes according to specific requirements.

Build Your Branding: Personalized round stickers from Quapri are a part of a holistic and memorable brand identity. Class of appearance promotes the visibility and appeal of the brand.

Easy Application and Removal: Custom Circle Stickers feature a user-friendly adhesive for easy application and removal. Also, being applicable and removable without residue, they can work great for temporary purposes as well as for promotions. Explore our complete product range in the Quapricatalogue.com and discover the perfect solutions for all your branding and gifting needs.

[mediakonceptinfo]

How to choose the handles for the home?

Handles are often overlooked, yet a poor or good one may completely alter the feel of a room. Because of this, you should pay close attention to the hardware you employ to finish your cabinets and doors. 

The range of handle designs and patterns has expanded along with the popularity of interior design as a profession. The styles of today's espagnolettes handles range from thoroughly modern to more traditional and retro.

It might be challenging to choose the ideal handles for your house. With so many options, it might be tough to choose a single piece of decor for your house. So, let’s have a look at some pointers to choose the handles for your home. 

Think about the time period you'd want your renovations to reflect

Although it may seem apparent, remember this when shopping for new cabinet pulls and door handles. A conventional style, for instance, might seem out of place in a mid-century modern home. A Scandinavian-style handle, on the other hand, would seem out of place in a federation building. Take inspiration from sites like Pinterest and Instagram.

Hardware selection

It's best to leave the cabinet hardware till last when designing the cabinet arrangement. In this way, you may adapt the fasteners to the kind of cabinetry you're putting in. Once you've got everything else in order around the home, you can go back and pick out handles that match.

Get familiar with your doors and how they work.

Before going hardware shopping, make sure you have a thorough understanding of your door and drawer configuration. It's crucial that you know the exact dimensions of your door, including its thickness, swing, width, and any holes it may have. Comparably, drawers. Take a lot of images on your phone before going shopping, whether it's at a store or online.

Choose between knobs or pulls

The knob and pull couldn't be more different from one another in the kitchen. However, although handles are adequate for drawers, pulls are ideal for pantries and other large pull-outs due to their superior ergonomics. The drawer slides in your kitchen cabinets need to be sturdy and simple to use since your pots and pans may become rather heavy over time.

Choose the perfect shape 

The shape of your cabinets will determine the kind of handle you choose. Choose fasteners that are also angular if you're constructing a modern home with plenty of right angles, left angles, and other sharp corners. If your restoration or new building has rounded edges or a more traditional nod to the past, you may choose to use rounded handles and pulls.

Consider your finish

If you're thinking of remodeling, you really must know the importance of finishing that you are seeking for: 

Satin finish

Due to their muted shine, satin finishes don't show fingerprints and smudges as easily as other materials. This means that they need almost no maintenance beyond a periodic wiping down with a chamois cloth. Homeowners nowadays are increasingly gravitating towards satin coatings because of how well they balance form and function.

Matt black 

Door knobs and locks with a matte black finish are now all the rage. Because of this, many homeowners and decorators like matte black finishes for their home's appliances, furnishings, and accents. Hardware in a sleek, modern black stands out well against doors of natural wood or white paint.

Chrome 

Chrome is a timeless material since it is easy to match to any aesthetic. Because of their striking simplicity, they are often misunderstood for a more modern coating. Installing uniform chrome door and drawer handles throughout your home is one option for doing so.

Cost

As with everything else, you get what you pay for, so keep that in mind while deciding on handles for your home. There is no disputing that some producers and retailers peddle imitation or otherwise subpar goods under their own labels.

However, instead of going to a large box store, you could contact the cabinet handle suppliers in your area. By taking this course of action, not only will you save time, but you will also save money.

Presentation and layout have a significant impact on the value of any given item. However, stainless steel and bronze are the two most common options due to their versatility and attractive appearance in a wide range of applications. 

The extra cost may be attributed to the additional material needed to create the longer handles. It's always a good idea to get a couple extra of whatever you choose with, just in case anything breaks or the finish wears off.

Ergonomics and comfort 

The handle is the very first thing a visitor to your house will feel. It's vital to the user's satisfaction that the grips feel comfortable in their hands. 

Handle ergonomics depend heavily on the handle's proportions and shape. A well-made handle will be easy to grip and provide little resistance. Handles should be curved or have a rough surface so that people can get a good grip on them, especially in high-traffic areas.

Consider maintenance 

Handles, like every other household fixture, need care and upkeep. It's important to choose handles that you'll really be able to use consistently. 

Maintenance requirements for different materials and finishes vary in frequency and intensity. In comparison to polished brass handles, which may need frequent cleaning to maintain their shine, handles made of materials like stainless steel are more long-lasting and require less maintenance.

It's possible that standard cleaning products may damage certain materials and finishes. Cleaning chemicals that are too abrasive, for instance, might scratch perfectly good coatings. Make sure to only use mild cleaning solutions on your handles if you want them to last as long as possible. Read more about this topic in the Swedish news article “Med en spanjolett kan du uppgradera säkerheten i ditt hem”.

Conclusion 

Building a home from the ground up is an exciting and rewarding experience. We realize that after you've found the perfect house, you'll want to decorate it in a way that reflects your personality. If you're in the market for new door handles, we hope this article has given you some things to think about.

[sophie-adam]

The Best Moisturizer for Oily Skin: A Comprehensive Guide

When it comes to skincare, finding the perfect moisturizer for oily skin can be a real challenge. Oily skin requires a delicate balance of hydration without exacerbating the excess oil production. In this article, we will explore the top-rated moisturizers that cater specifically to oily skin types, ensuring a shine-free and nourished complexion.

Understanding the Needs of Oily Skin

Oily skin is characterized by excessive sebum production, leading to a greasy and shiny appearance. However, it's essential to remember that even oily skin requires proper hydration to maintain a healthy barrier. The best moisturizer oily skin can help control oil production and keep the skin's natural balance intact.

The Best Moisturizer for Oily Skin

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel - The Mattifying Wonder

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel is a game-changer for those with oily skin. Its lightweight, oil-free formula is specifically designed to control excess oil throughout the day, leaving your skin with a smooth, matte finish. Enriched with hyaluronic acid, it not only hydrates but also helps reduce the appearance of pores and blemishes.

SkinMedica Ultra Sheer Moisturizer - Balancing and Nourishing

For individuals seeking a moisturizer that strikes the perfect balance, SkinMedica Ultra Sheer Moisturizer is an excellent choice. Its non-greasy formula contains THD ascorbate (vitamin C), which helps regulate sebum production, keeping your skin nourished and healthy without clogging pores.

The [pH]ix - Oil-Free Hydration

The [pH]ix is a top contender for the best moisturizer for oily skin. It boasts a refreshing gel texture that absorbs quickly, providing instant hydration without leaving any residue. Infused with anti-inflammatory & anti-microbial, it soothes and calms the skin while maintaining a shine-free complexion.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Moisturizer for Oily Skin

Before making a decision, take these factors into account to find the perfect moisturizer for your oily skin:

Non-Comedogenic Formulation

Look for moisturizers labeled as "non-comedogenic" to ensure they won't clog your pores, preventing acne breakouts and blackheads.

Oil-Control Properties

Opt for products with oil-control or mattifying properties, as they help regulate excess sebum production and reduce shine.

Lightweight and Fast Absorption

Choose a moisturizer with a lightweight texture that absorbs quickly into the skin, avoiding any heavy or greasy feeling.

Ingredients to Avoid

Avoid moisturizers containing heavy oils, silicones, or added fragrances, as they may worsen oiliness and irritate the skin.

Tips for Optimal Skincare Routine

To maximize the benefits of your chosen moisturizer, incorporate these tips into your daily skincare routine:

Cleanse Thoroughly

Start with a gentle cleanser to remove impurities and excess oil from your skin before applying the moisturizer.

Use a Toner

Consider using a toner with astringent properties to further control oil and minimize the appearance of pores.

Sun Protection

Always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the journey to finding the best moisturizer for oily skin may require some trial and error, but with the right information and understanding of your skin's needs, you can achieve a shine-free and nourished complexion. Remember to choose a product with non-comedogenic properties, oil-control features, and lightweight texture to keep your skin healthy and radiant. With the right moisturizer and a well-rounded skincare routine, you can embrace your oily skin and maintain a fresh, matte look all day long.

[cleanservice23]

Professional exterior house paint service near you

Exterior House Paint: How to Choose the Right Color and Finish

Your home's exterior is one of the most important aspects of its curb appeal. A fresh coat of paint can make your home look its best, but with so many different colors and finishes to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start.

In this post, we'll discuss the factors you need to consider when choosing exterior house paint, as well as some tips for finding the perfect color and finish for your home.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Exterior House Paint

There are a few key factors you need to consider when choosing exterior house paint service near you:

The climate in your area. If you live in an area with hot, sunny weather, you'll need a paint that can withstand the elements. Look for a paint that is labeled as "weather-resistant" or "sun-resistant."

The type of siding on your home. Different types of siding require different types of paint. For example, if you have vinyl siding, you'll need a paint that is specifically designed for vinyl.

The amount of sunlight your home gets. If your home gets a lot of sunlight, you'll need a paint that can resist fading. Look for a paint that is labeled as "UV-resistant."

Your personal style. Of course, you also want to choose a paint color that you love. Consider the overall style of your home and choose a color that complements the other elements.

Tips for Finding the Perfect Color

Once you've considered the factors above, you can start to narrow down your choices for exterior house paint color. Here are a few tips for finding the perfect color:

Look at the surrounding homes. What colors are popular in your neighborhood? If you want your home to blend in, choose a color that is similar to the other homes in your area.

Consider the time of year. If you live in a climate with distinct seasons, you'll want to choose a color that will look good all year round. For example, a light blue color might look great in the summer, but it might be too bright in the winter.

Think about the style of your home. If you have a traditional home, you'll want to choose a classic color like white, black, or navy blue. If you have a more modern home, you might want to choose a bolder color like red, yellow, or green.

Get samples. The best way to see how a color will look on your home is to get samples. Most paint stores will give you free samples so you can try out different colors before you make a decision.

Finishes

In addition to color, you also need to choose a finish for your exterior house paint. There are three main types of finishes:

Flat. Flat paint has a matte finish that is very low-luster. It is the most affordable type of finish, but it is also the least durable.

Satin. Satin paint has a slight sheen that is more reflective than flat paint. It is a good compromise between durability and affordability.

Gloss. Gloss paint has a high sheen that is very reflective. It is the most durable type of finish, but it is also the most expensive.

Choosing a Paint Contractor

If you're not comfortable painting your home yourself, you can hire a professional paint contractor. When choosing a contractor, be sure to get quotes from several different companies. You should also ask about the contractor's experience painting exteriors and the type of paint they use.

Exterior House Print Services near Me

If you're looking for an exterior house print service near you, there are a few things you can do to find one. First, you can ask your friends, family, or neighbors for recommendations. You can also search online for "exterior house print services near me." Once you've found a few companies, be sure to read their reviews before you make a decision.

Conclusion

Choosing the right exterior house paint can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. By considering the factors above and following our tips, you can find the perfect color and finish for your home.

[itwasthereaminuteago]

|| 01. Dirty talk ||

Kinktober Masterlist

Frank Castle x female reader

Warnings: 18+ only, small amount of public fingering.

Frank returns from the pool table to sit down next to you as Karen celebrates her victory over him racking up the balls for a new game with Matt, and while Foggy's at the bar for another round, he leans in.

"You know why I lost, right?"

You grin, "because she's better than you?"

"Nah," he shakes his head softly, "s'cos you're distractin' me."

You gawp at him. "Me? I was just sitting here watching!"

"Yeah, and the way you're watchin' me, suckin' and chewin' on that damn straw? Swingin' your hips like that when you came over with the beers? Think you're a little distracted yourself, sweetheart."

Your cheeks flooded with heat. He wasn't wrong, you had a nice little two drink buzz going on, and add to that the way he leaned over the pool table showing off his ass, and had his shirt sleeves shoved up exposing those thick veined forearms and fucking giant hands of his… your mind was wandering down a single track and yeah, you felt a little flirty.

"Want me to tell you what you got me thinkin' about?"

It was a rhetorical question of course, you knew once he had something in mind he was like a dog with a bone. His voice is low as he leans in even closer, his lips almost brushing against your ear. You swallow hard.

"Thinkin' bout how wet I can get you before I even touch you."

"Frank…" You shift on the stool, looking straight ahead. He keeps talking.

"Thinkin' about kissin' all the way up your bare legs when I get you home, spreadin' them and your pussy lips apart, givin' that clit a little kiss too."

You squeeze your thighs together and take a shaky sip of the last of your drink.

"You like that, baby? Like when I talk about going down on you?"

You did. "Frank, stop."

"Love teasin' you, touchin’ you. Gettin' you all riled up and fuckin' you with my fingers, feelin' you squeeze and shake an-."

He cuts off as he hears you barely suppress a moan. You want to wipe that smirk off his face so bad.

"Mm, you're soakin' into those panties right now ain't ya girl?" He smiles innocently, places his big hand on your thigh, just resting it there.

"Like it when I lick up your sweet wet pussy with my tongue, huh? Get my face all covered in the taste of you. I know I fuckin' love it, god damn it, can't get enough of you."

Foggy returns to the table with more drinks and you thank him a little too loudly, gripping onto the bottle with both hands so tightly it might crack, watching him heading over to Matt and Karen with theirs. You start picking frantically at the label with your nail.

Frank leans back in, of course he isn't finished. "Just thinkin' bout how I could get a lil taste right now…" he inches his hand further up your leg and your own hand clamps down on it, gripping his wrist hard.

You stare him straight in the eye and he stares right back, the side of his mouth ticking up again as you very slowly guide his hand under your skirt between your thighs.

"Yeah, that’s what I thought. Dirty girl, spreadin' her legs f'me in the middle of the bar…"

He draws up and down with the pads of two fingers, pressing the fabric of your underwear against your cunt, causing it to dampen even more. You swallow and bite down on your lip as he very discreetly hooks your panties to one side, gliding his fingers through the wetness between your folds. "Mm, yeah there's my good girl…so fuckin' wet and ready f’me, ain’t ya?."

He pulls away slowly and something in you snaps as he brings his glistening fingers up to his mouth and sucks them clean.

"Okay." You announce. "We're going home. Now."

You grab your stuff, and Frank, and wave the quickest goodbye ever to the others as you bolt towards the door.

"You gonna tell us what's up with them?" Foggy says, staring confusedly after the pair of you, there’s almost a dust cloud left in your wake.

Matt clears his throat. "Uh.... nope."

[aboysbestfriendishismum]

CHAPTER 60 - JUKEBOXES, CORN AND BRACES

In the previous chapter: Angie and Grace visit the set of Singles and meet Cameron Crowe. Grace would want to meet and talk to the actors but Angie's too shy and does everything to avoid them, especially Matt Dillon. The director offers her a small part in the movie and Angie is shocked. When she hears Tim Burton is supposed to make an appearance in the same scene as her, she sneaks away from the set. Eddie and Angie meet up the same night outside her apartment building to have a cigarette together and talk a little bit, a quick "date" in between their obligations. They flirt a little and Eddie not so subtly hints at the fact that he misses her a lot, also physically. Angie wonders how will they do once Eddie eill be out touring with the band after the record release and will be away for weeks and months. Vedder reveals his solution to the problem. In the meantime, Jerry wants to spend a nice uneventful night at home but his plans are shattered by Layne and Demri, who set him up in a blind date with one of the girl's coworkers.

Seattle is not Los Angeles and First Avenue is certainly not the Sunset Strip, but walking this street that almost entirely crosses the city from north to south is the best choice if you want to enter the heart of the Emerald City. And if you want to meet a musician or an artist of any kind, the area between First Avenue and Pike Street, before the market, or the border area between Belltown and Downtown, are the ones to keep an eye on. Not because of the live music venues, which certainly are not lacking, but because here you can find the ideal combination of goods and services particularly sought after by the just mentioned category: sex shops, pawnshops, second-hand shops, record shops, drug dealers and, above all, places to eat and drink super cheap. Whether they're signed to a major label or not, the average musician here is perpetually broke anyway and couldn't survive without places where they could get a decent meal for a few dollars. Many wonder why and how this fervent music scene developed in Seattle, bringing into discussion college radios, fanzines, independent labels on the one hand, isolation, cold, rain and not having shit to do but staying at home and listening to or making music on the other. In my opinion, however, there would be no Seattle sound without the cafes, diners and bars that feed and quench the thirst of the broke artists who have lived here forever or moved there to be part of the scene. 

The Frontier Room is one of those holy places. It opens at six in the morning it could very well knock you out by half past seven. Drinks are cheap here and the bartenders are known for having a heavy hand. I'm at the bar with Layne, for a second round after the first round of introductions, small talk, and booze with Demri and Heather. I must say that girl is not bad, she is not even what I expected. I don't know why, but from the name, I pictured her as a sort of sex bomb all boobs and perm... not that I have anything against boobs or perms, God forbid! And I don't even mean that she's ugly, on the contrary. She is a beautiful girl, tall and thin with legs fir miles, blue eyes and dark hair, she could easily be a model and she would kill it, even walking the catwalk with the white sweater and the jeans she's wearing now. She also seems likeable and down to earth. In short, she would be my type. If I gave a damn. Layne walks off with gin and tonic for him and Dem, while I watch the bartender mix the two whiskey and coke for Heather and I at the same time. He basically fills whiskey glasses half full, then grabs the coke, and as he turns to talk to another guy, he doesn't notice that most of the drink he pours misses the target and ends up soaking the rag over the counter. When he finishes the exchange, he notices that the glasses are still just short of half empty so he tosses in some more whiskey. This is the secret of the Seattle sound: the places that give you more whiskey than coke, I hope live forever. 

I grab my glasses and make my way over to my friends' table when I spot a smooching going on right between Layne and Demri. Nothing exaggerated, but enough to make me take a small U-turn in search of a diversion, which materializes right in front of me in the form of a jukebox. I set the glasses down on the machine and flip through the titles to waste some time, sorry Heather! I skip a lot of country music, not because I don't like it, but because I'm not in the right mood. Garth Brooks, Bob Seeger, there's a bit of classic rock, but I keep scrolling, partly because I want to be sure to find separated lips when I come back, partly because nothing particularly strikes me. Eagles? Ugh... Scorpions. WAIT. I stop there, for a double reason. Number one: I love this band. Number two: Angie hates this band. I don't think I've ever heard her say a bad word towards anyone other than the Scorpions, Bon Jovi and…um, well, yours truly. There is Love at first sight, easy, there's Animal Magnetism, which is my favorite album, there's also Crazy world, the latest, a good work, but certainly the most commercial. And I totally fall for that right now.

 

Wise man said just walk this way

To the dawn of the light...

 

Kenny Rogers finishes just as I get to the table with the drinks, Send me an angel begins and my three evening companions moan almost simultaneously. And they're not the only ones because I can almost hear a single moan run through all the people in the bar one after another as they listen to the ballad and reflect on the meaning of their lives. A little too depressing maybe, huh? The evening seems suddenly quieter and colder and perhaps not even the supercharged whiskey and coke is strong enough for this song. I think I've officially ruined everyone's night, at least until Heather gets up, at which point I think I've mostly ruined hers. And Dem and Layne's too. After all, they only want me to socialize like a normal person and I don't think they're asking too much but why has everything gotten so hard all of a sudden? Anyway, the girl doesn't pull up her jacket and bag to just up and leave with an excuse as I thought. She just takes a couple of coins from her pocket, winks at me and with a few strides reaches the jukebox. With the same grin on her face she scrolls through the titles, inserts her quarters, presses the buttons and returns to the table, while my song fades, leaving the bar in almost total and surreal silence. Heather doesn't sit down, but she looks at us, looks around and addresses the whole place judt as Rudolph Schenker starts playing some grittier chords.

“His fingers just slipped and hit the wrong button, that's all!” Heather raises her arms and then points her gaze at me, takes the glass and takes a nice sip of basically plain pure whiskey and starts singing, here, in the middle of the bar, as if nothing had happened. This surprises me, but what surprises me most is that I sing along.

 

I look in your eyes, I really think you're fooling me

You're pretty and nice, it doesn't matter don't you see

 

We sing Falling in love by the Scorpions in a duet, but only until the first chorus, because from there on it becomes a choir, first of our table, then of the whole bar. My memory could easily fail me, but I think it's the first time I've helped start a bar sing-a-long. It's easy to have the crowd sing at your concerts, but it's much more difficult to wake up a group of drunks in an anonymous place on a cold and humid evening in March. Sometimes a wrong night just needs the right fingers.

 

“I love that album,” I comment with Heather nodding, long after the chorus ends.

"It's the breakthrough disc." she says, just before Dem and Layne leave with the excuse of cigarettes "My favorite song is The Zoo , but that was more catchy"

“Hehe yeah, better for bar karaoke. Anyway The Zoo is a masterpiece, you're the first girl I've met who knows the Scorpions so well” leaving out Angie who, just because she knew them well, vomited just hearing their mention, I really don't remember any fan in particular. Well, aside from her , but she wasn't that badass.

“Oh man, Jerry, I'm sorry” Heather immediately becomes serious and places her hand on mine, which rests next to the ashtray after having just put out a cigarette.

"Eheheh well, no big deal. I mean good musical tastes are welcome, but they are not everything. I am pleased when I find someone who shares my interests, but it is not fundamental". I mean, music is my life, but I stopped selecting friends based on musical tastes in 1980, more or less.

“No, I meant, I'm sorry…but I'm not going to sleep with you.” She shakes her head and looks at me contritely, as if offering me condolences.

"What?"

"I'm not sleeping with you, don't get any strange ideas"

"Oh. Okay. But what does it have to do with it?”

“I wanted to be honest with you before you started hitting on me But I couldn't say anything before, in front of Demri, she cared so much about this date”

“Who says I wanted to hit on you?”

“You're already doing it… You're the first girl I've met who loves Scorpions, uh! After this sort of imitation she pushes my hand away from hers giggling and finishes her drink.

“So, I understand that it may sound like a pickup line and I admit that I have used something like this in the past, but I swear that in this case the intention was absolutely not that”

"Come on! Look, you don't have to pretend with me, it's normal to expect something from a blind date, I don't blame you" Heather reaches out for my pack of cigarettes without asking, takes one and lights it with my lighter.

“Of course it's normal, but normality doesn't really belong to me lately. I can assure you it was a simple remark, I was not hitting on you. To tell you the truth, since it's the moment of truth, I didn't even want to come tonight."

"Oh really?"

“I was this close to standing you up”

“This reminds me of the fox saying that the grapes were sour…” Heather winks and blows smoke in my face.

“Hahaha I know what it looks like, but it's not like that. I would certainly make a better impression if I went along with your story, but no. I'm much more pathetic than that” I don't know why, maybe it's because deep down I don't know her, she's a stranger, and it's easier to be honest with strangers; it may also be because of the vibes I get from her but to me telling the truth seems the easiest thing in the world right now, sitting at this table with Heather.

"Pathetic? What do you mean?"

"That until a few months ago I would not only have hit on you, but I would have also succeeded and by now we'd already be driving towards my house"

“Hahaha even if I told you that I had no intention of putting out?”

"Of course and I would have done it in such a subtle way as to make you believe it was you who changed your mind, indeed, I would have convinced you that I wasn't even thinking about it either and that everything was happening totally by chance"

“That is exactly…what are you doing now? Or am I wrong?" she smiles at me curious and even though she thinks she has caught me, she doesn't seem irritated. Is it because she believes me? Is it because she plays along? I don't know.

"No no, now I'm just baring my soul to you, I'm not using tactics, I swear"

“So what has happened lately that has changed you so drastically?” here is the fateful question. I take a deep breath and spit it out.

“I fell in love with a girl, broke her heart, got dumped and haven't been close to another female since then, which would be three months ago, more or less”

"Oh. Well, you made a great recap”

“I went straight to the point, at least with words I'm still able to do it” what is it, have I started walking the path of self-irony? Well it sort of works, I laugh and she giggles with me.

“You know, your story is very similar to mine. Well, I mean, more or less. I fell in love too, I've been dumped for a while and I still haven't recovered”

"I'm sorry"

“But I'm the one whose heart was broken. Well, he dumped me for someone else”

“I understand what you're going through, I really do. It's not a pickup strategy!” I repeat trying to make her laugh again.

“I killed the mood, didn't I? Like you did before with that fucking song!"

“Nah, I totally beat you, sorry! And I win the award for saddest story too, because I'm in such a bad place that my friends introduce me to girls hoping to cheer me up and instead I end up driving them away by talking about my ex"

“Haha and what about me? What do you think I'm here for tonight? Demri is sick of seeing me cry on cigarette breaks day in and day out. And she's not the only one. All my friends push me to get to know new guys, but they don't understand that it's much worse this way!”

"Exactly! I don't know if it's the same for you, but... it's hard to explain. When you have to forget someone, the best solution would be to avoid everything that makes you think of that someone, right? Well, how can't they see that a date is the first thing that makes me think of my ex because..."

“Because that's the thing you used to do with her! Same thing for me, I agree. You date a guy and you come up with the same situations and…”

“And make comparisons!”

"Of course, how the fuck can you not make them!"

“Do you know why I chose the Scorpions on the jukebox?”

“Cause you have memories of her with that song?”

“Because she can't stand that band, she hates them!”

“Hahaha”

“I've been scrolling through all the titles on that fucking jukebox for a while and there wasn't a name that made me feel something. And music is my life, mind you. Then my eyes landed on that name and... byeeee"

"And then, I even told you that I like them"

"Right! Tell me, how could this arranged date make me forget Angie, it can't, it's the opposite"

"Five minutes after you arrived, I had already made a mental comparison between the shades of blond of your hair and those of Rob, as well as your heights and way of laughing"

"We're both so fucked up, we need to make a toast!" I exclaim, as I pour some of the content of my glass into hers, then go back to being serious for a moment "You're not squeamish, are you?"

"Hahaha no, nit at all! Here's to the broken and pathetic hearts!"

"Cheers" our glasses touch each other and we drink them all down in one.

“You're nice, if you weren't brokenhearted I would have hooked up with you. You're cute too"

"Really?"

“Yeah, tall, long hair, musician… you're pretty much my type”

“Wow, thanks, I'm flattered”

“And at least you understand me. Whereas I'm going to have to go on who knows how many more blind dates."

“Well, maybe sooner or later you will find someone you'll be so attracted to that you will even forget your ex's name”

"Eheh after what we said to each other, you are not credible anymore, I'm sorry"

“Well, just tell your friends that you don't want to date anyone right now”

“Do you think I didn't? Like it's a prerogative to have someone, I mean, what's wrong with being single?”

“Single and happy!”

“Besides, sex is overrated”

"Well..."

“Yeah, it's cool, I'm not saying it isn't, but it's not like I miss it that much. It's not the thing I miss the most about Rob, so that's proof that it's not fundamental."

“In fact, it's not like I'm struggling either. And I wasn't one to spare himself, on the contrary..."

“I bet your not sparing yourself has to do with how you broke your ex's heart, right? I'm not judging you, huh! We all make mistakes, we are human"

“What can I say, you hit the mark. But now the girls who go around in the backstage of our concerts... I don't even look at them, I don't see them, I don't want to "

“LOOK, I HAD AN IDEA!” Heather slaps her palm hard on the table, causing even the guys sitting at the table next to her to turn towards us.

"What an idea?"

“We are in the same situation and we have the same problem. Why can't we be each other's problem solvers?"

"Uh?"

“It's just occurred to me right now, maybe it's bullshit, but I think it would work”

"Do you want to explain yourself better?"

“So, Demri and Layne will be back at the table soon, they'll see there's no chemistry between us, they'll see us leaving without even exchanging numbers, and what will they do next time?”

“They'll torment us asking why it didn't work?”

“No, that what they will do tonight, immediately. But what will they do next time?”

“What will they do?”

“They'll introduce us to someone else! And on and on and it will never end!”

“I'm about to go on tour with the boys, they'll ask me to do the fourth every time they pick up someone with a friend"

“And Dem? She knows literally everyone in Seattle, do you have any idea how many tall, long-haired musicians will be sitting where you are right now?”

“And what would your solution be?”

“Put on some chemistry”

"That is?"

“Let's not tell them it didn't work” Heather shrugs as if she's telling me the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you want them to believe we've clicked?"

"We'll make them believe we like each other, we can exchange some effusions..."

“Exchange what?”

“Just for show! We can also exchange numbers. You're going on tour soon, aren't you? At most you call me once or twice, just to make the game more believable for my roommate too. Your friends will see that you're into me and you're doing ok and they won't dare pushing other girls to you at the risk of screwing you up again"

"And your girlfriends will quit arranging blind dates"

“It's a win win for both"

“Mmm”

“I know the fake boyfriend archetype is overused and may sound like a John Hughes rom-com cliché, but I assure you I have no ulterior motives. And it would be for a good cause: our sanity” Heather looks at me hopefully. All in all she's not talking bullshit and, fake or not, her eyes are hard to say no to.

“It's so absurd that it could work”

"WHAT?" I'm so focused on Heather's evil plan that I don't notice our friends returning, or Demri coming over to scream in my ear.

“What, what?” I ask playing dumb.

“What could work?” she repeats, as she sits down with her boyfriend.

"Us! We found out that we are very different, but also have so much in common, right Jerry?” Heather winks at me and moves the chair a little closer.

"True! You were right to drag me here, man, you know?” I reach around my new accomplice's shoulders as Layne looks at me in amazement.

"Seriously? Well…” but not without suspicion.

 

I'm not getting into another mess, am I?

 

************************************************** *****************************************

 

"Your first kiss? When did it happen? With whom? Tell me..."

Grace and I are in the midst of our almost daily post-coital Random Questions session to get to know each other better, hosted as always on the couch in her apartment. Grace's couch is the official home for pretty much everything we do, whether it's sex, post-sex, no sex, listening to records, eating, watching tv, looking at aquariums, or hanging out. Oh and I also sleep on it, because Grace's bed is still offlimits. Because the speech I made to her the other night was perfect and I know my words hit the mark, but in the meantime, making love without her boots, let alone sleeping together, it's still not an option. And so here we are, me in my underwear, she wearing my T-shirt and her ever-present boots, both on the sofa which has now taken on the shape of our bodies, especially mine, eating toasted cashew nuts and asking questions to get to know each other, when in reality we'd just need to undress completely and go to her room to really get closer. Anyway, intimacy is made up of many things and it takes a lot of time to build it. I have patience, it's just that I have the bad habit of always turning around and keeping an eye on the easiest route, while I trudge along the most impervious path, unanimously considered the most effective.

“It happened on sixth grade, with a redhead I didn't like,” I recall as the scepter of power, aka the bowl of cashews, passes from Grace's hands to mine.

"I don't know why, but I expected such an answer. Was she crazy too?"

"Mmm no, Jane was normal, as normal as an eleven-year-old can be. She was nice, okay, but not someone I intended to kiss"

"And how did it go?"

"We were walking home from school, we lived on the same street. We got off the school bus and walked together, her house was before mine, when we got there and I was saying goodbye, she took her chance"

"Girls who take the initiative are a recurring element in your life, have you noticed that?" Grace reaches into the bowl and takes a hefty handful.

"Yes. But not with you, I kissed you" let's give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

"Okay, and all the work to get to the kiss? What about that? I did it all man!" okay, always dotting the i's.

"Details"

"Anyway, Jane tried to kiss you and you?"

"I panicked, of course"

"Obviously"

"And as her lips were getting dangerously close..."

"You ran away?"

"No, I told her the first thing that came to my mind"

"That is?"

"That I'd just threw up"

"Ahahahaha what???" the sofa shakes a little under us as she laughs. 

"I told you, it was the first thing that came to my mind! And as I tried to explain to her that it must have been the meatloaf from the cafeteria and that I had thrown it up in the school toilet before going out, she threw me off"

"Did she vomit too?"

"No he said It's okay , he shrugged and kissed me anyway! Can you believe that?"

"Wow she must have liked you so much"

"So she wasn't quite as normal as she seemed" 

"You gotta have a crush to be willing to kiss a pucked mouth"

"No, you must be sick! However it was a wet and cold kiss. And there were no more kisses between me and her. To be safe anyway, from then on I went to school by bike"

"It didn't traumatize you at all, nooo"

"And what about you?"

"Ah my story is less funny. I was twelve, he was one year older, I had braces on my teeth, he had too. We didn't get stuck or anything like that, but there were some technical difficulties, mini metallic clashes, it was a bit embarrassing, but cute" the little smile that appeared on her face as she recalled the memory almost makes me jealous.

"And your cute kiss was the first of a long series?"

"No, the next day he got together with my friend" and the dreamy smile disappeared, replaced by a half-resigned grin.

"Ouch. Did she have braces as well? It must have been an issue of accessibility, don't take it personally"

"Actually no, she didnt!"

"Come on, next question, but this time it's my turn" I take matters into my own hands and pretend to improvise a question that I've been preparing for a while instead.

"Ok"

"How many guys did you date after the surgery?"

"Oh. Wow, good question" 

"I only ask good questions"

"First of all, define date"

"At least one date, in the evening, alone" I list the primary conditions on three fingers.

"Okay, well, that's an accurate definition"

"Did you expect something different from me?" I set the bowl of cashews down on the coffee table and cross my arms, turning to face her, preparing myself for her response and the big talk that will follow.

"Hehe absolutely not"

"So?"

"Well I don't know, ten-ish"

"What about a more precise answer, adequate to the question?" I know, it's not essential to have the exact data, but while we're at it, I want to know.

"Wait..." Grace, after one last bite, rubs the salt of the cashews off her hands and then I see her start counting mentally and with her fingers.

"Twelve"

"Including me?

"Thirteen" she corrects herself with a satisfied smile. 

"And how many of them did you share your secret with?"

"All of them, except two. So eleven"

"And how many of these did you go on a second date with?"

"Mmmm six"

"And how many have you had sex with?"

"Oh God, where are you going with this?" Grace starts to get suspicious, but I won't give up.

"How many?"

"Four"

"And of these four, how many have also slept with you?" 

"Do we really have to talk about it?" she's not angry, just a little sulky.

"Yup" 

"One"

"Ok. And was this guy so much better than me?"

"Stone..."

“Was he a saint, an empath, a Nobel Peace Prize…?”

"I would say no"

"A psychologist, a therapist, a doctor?"

"No, and he wasn't even a champion of sensitivity, if I have to be honest"

"Great! Just like me. So how about we give my back a break tonight and have a good night's sleep in your room?"

"You have to understand that it's not easy"

"No way! Really? Of course know it's difficult, Grace, and even if I hadn't figured it out myself, let's say that an average of one in thirteen would have been overwhelming proof, don't you think?" 

"It took me a long time to accept myself, it was hard to be able to look at myself, let alone let another person see me and touch me"

"Grace, I know, ok? I know. But I'll ask you a question" I take her hand, perhaps more to block her than to console her. 

"Another one??"

"We have to get to know each other, don't we?" I take the other one too and she squeezes both of them.

"Yes, but at this rate we'll tell each other everything tonight and what will we be talking about from tomorrow on?"

"Haha, do you think I won’t find any more topics to talk about? Me? You underestimate me"

"Okay, what do you want to know?" she sighs resigned.

"You don't show yourself because you're uncomfortable or because you don't want to make me uncomfortable?" 

"Stone, it is...both"

"But in percentage?"

"How can I quantify? I don't know, fifty-fifty"

"Bullshit"

"Ahahahah how can you say that?" 

"What happens if you take off these boots in front of me now? Nothing changes. Nothing for you, you are always the same, the only variable is me and how I could react. This is what changes and this is what worries you"

"And you think your reaction has nothing to do with me? That it doesn't have any effect? ​​I'm obviously worried about it"

"Sure, but you gotta understand that it's not an avoidable thing. I mean, sooner or later it will have to happen, I can't sleep on this couch forever and you can't wear boots inside the house forever" 

"Sometimes I even wear normal shoes. With baggy pants," she points out knowing full well that's not the point, but behaving as if it were. 

"Yes and when you have that outfit it means you don't wanna have sex" I can lighten up a conversation too, you know?

"Ahahahah"

"I've learned to recognize the signs, you know"

"However, I know that sooner or later it will happen. I just want to take my time" 

"The question is... if I see all of you in a month's time, will your foot be less absent than it is now? I mean, is the non-existence of your foot inversely proportional to the time that goes by?" is it a good idea to make sarcastic jokes right now? Yes, because if I didn't, then it wouldn't be me, I would seem fake, and I want everything to be as true and honest as possible. 

"No, but you'll have more time to get used to the idea"

"And why should that be your problem?"

"Huh?" Grace glares at me, as if I've insulted her, so maybe I need to explain better.

"Cause we're back to to my first question: are you more uncomfortable for yourself or is it more like not wanting to make me uncomfortable? Because if it's the second one, well you don't have to, because it's not your job. It's not your job to think how to make your boyfriend feel comfortable when he's with you, that's none of your business, it's the part of the relationship work that I have to do, it's my responsibility, not yours. Will it be a piece of cake? No. Will I be completely indifferent to the thing? Fuck no, but I'm the one who has to deal with my fears and reactions, not you" 

"You must be really uncomfortable on this sofa to try and sound so convincing, huh?" she delivers this pretty good, because she keeps a very serious expression, except for a slightly arched eyebrow. 

"I don't give a fuck about the couch"

"I know, I was being sarcastic"

"Well you can't be when I'm not"

"The light must stay off" the light will be off, but I finally see a glimmer of light.

"Okay, I'll grope, feeling the stuffed animals in the dark towards the bed"

"And the hands must stay away from the legs"

"Jeez, I'll keep them away from everything if you want, I'll stay on my side and won't move, if you want you can come closer. We'll, if you really have to"

"I have to remove the prosthesis when I sleep"

"I'm so ignorant I didn't know, see how much I'm already learning with you? Anyway it's ok" 

"But I have the sock"

"Ok"

"It's a specific sock, which you put on the stump... it covers everything, in short"

"I won't see it in the dark anyway"

“Ok”

"Ok, can we go, then?" I slowly get up from the couch, not letting go of her hands, which I've been holding the whole time.

"Let's go" she takes a moment, then she gets up too.

"Anyway, you don't need to turn off the light right away. You're wearing my shirt and you're completely naked underneath, who gives a shit about your feet? I mean, in general, people aren't constantly looking at each other's feet while interacting. I take it for granted that people have them, but it's not like they're there to be looked at. Have you ever seen my feet? Can you honestly tell me what they look like? I guess not, I think you don't give a shit after all. And the same thing  goes for me. And by the way, I'm too concentrated on what is there to think about what's missing" I go freewheeling, perhaps because the walk in silence towards the bedroom looks so much like a journey to the gallows and this has got nothing to do with that.

"Are you done?" Grace stops in front of the bedroom door and looks at me as if I were a poor jerk.

"Yup"

"I've already said yes, you don't have to convince me anymore"

"You said yes to this now. There are still a lot of things I have to convince you to do, I must keep myself in training"

**************************************************

21:58 

In theory there are two minutes left for my shift, in practice, as usual, it will still take some time before I set foot back home. First I have to dispose of the people in the till, then I have to do the accounts and write down the partial collection, I gotta check that there are enough coins and cash, bags, paper rolls of the card machine and the cash register, leave notes in the notebook for Ian about the things I've done and what still needs to be done. In short, I won't be free before half past ten, but tonight I don't mind. I have to wait for Eddie anyway. Finally we'll see each other and we manage to spend one evening together. At least I hope, cause he warned me that he might be late, but that he will do everything to be here as soon as possible after today's recording session. He cares a lot and, well, so do I. Every time we talk on the phone or see each other in passing it's like he's trying to apologize for his working schedule and I'm always there to reassure him. It's his job, and you don't have to be together 24/7 to be in a relationship. However I am pleased to be able to spend a quiet evening without counting the minutes. And maybe it's because of my unusual good mood that I decide to break the rule of the good old pissed off saleswoman and start a conversation with the customer in front of me that goes a little beyond the simple greeting. 

"Good evening, how are you?" I smile as I type the receipt.

"Have you ever sat on the toilet reading the newspaper long enough to forget you shitted only to realize minutes later that you hadn't wiped your ass?"

"...it's twenty-four dollars fifty-five"

It's my fault, only my fault. 

The intellectual man pays and leaves and it's the turn of another guy in his forties. Of all the items he's placed on the counter for me, I reach for the six-pack of beer first and I am about to scan it, but the man cuts me off. 

"Sorry, I'm actually trying to drink a little less. Could you put them away, please?"

"Sure no problem!" I put the beers to the side and continue with the rest of the shopping, when a woman, who has appeared out of nowhere, approaches him and stares at me with a glare.

"What did you tell him?!" he yells at me.

"Excuse me?"

"Stop talking to my man! You can't have him, he's mine!" then she turns to him "What the fuck did she tell you? Did she ask your number or what?!"

"Mmm no, I just asked her to put the beers aside" he replies in a calm, monotonous voice, in stark contrast to her anxious one. 

I look at her dumbfounded, she stares at him first, then me and I take the beer to show to her and confirm the man's version; then her gaze returns to him.

"Ah! So now you're buying other women drinks, huh?! Forget about coming home tonight!" and that said, she just up and leaves. 

The customer stands there, impassive, rolls his eyes, and then motions me to continue. I tap the last few pieces and at that point I see him stretch his hands over the beers to bring them closer to the till again.

"Okay, l think I'll take the beer after all. If I have to sleep in the dog's kennel tonight, at least I won't be sober!" he hints at a smile, rather bitter, with the face of someone who has already seen multiple scenes like this. I finish his bill, he pays and leaves and I greet him, not envying him at all. 

"Oh, such weird people..." a lady in a long yellow coat, the last in line, at least for now, shakes her head as she approaches the counter.

"Yes, strange types show up sometimes at this time if the day" 

"Very Strange"

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I have to make a return"

"Sure, what is it about?"

"I'm returning this" the lady hands me a copy of today's Seattle Times. 

Never two without three.

"Excuse me, why do you want to return it?"

"Because I've read it all, I need tomorrow's issue"

Take a breath, Angie, a good deep breath. 

"Tomorrow's paper isn't out yet, ma'am, but I couldn't change it for you anyway"

"Well give me a voucher, so tomorrow I can get the new newspaper"

"It's not possible, ma'am, I can't accept this return"

"Why not? It's from today, it's expiring, you have to give me tomorrow's newspaper" 

The thing that drives me crazy the most is actually having a dialogue with people like this: not the assholes, who insult you or pick on you by yelling after you, they are nothing compared to people who are perfectly calm, even kind, and lucid in their their madness, they really think they're right and they just don't understand why you're there making trouble for them. 

"I can't because my superior takes care of this kind of returns, just wait a minute, I'll go call him immediately" I wouldn't want to bother Hannigan, but I can't make it tonight. And then I caught a glimpse of the headlights and the silhouette of Eddie's pickup through the glass, so goodbye. 

I get the boss to intervene and he must be really in a state of grace because he tells me to go and that he'll take care of the rest. It's mid-March, but I'm sure tomorrow it's gonna snow! I go and get changed in a flash and when I come back in front of the till I hear the lady repeating the same objections and, at the same time, the doorbell ringing.

"EDDIE! God I'm glad to see you!" I greet him, and almost knock him down, with a hug.

"Hey! Oh, well, heheh, me too Angie"

"Please save me, take me away from this madhouse" I add softly begging for mercy. 

"Ah! So that's why…"

"There's a particularly high concentration of crazy customers tonight"

"And I thought you missed me, at least a little bit" Eddie frees himself from my clutches and jokingly pushes me away pretending to be offended. 

"Of course I missed you." I come closer and kiss him. Yes, here, in front of everyone, including Hannigan, Ian and the crazy customer. Eddie should be proud of me, I'm not ashamed of anything anymore. Well almost "The fact that your arrival coincides with the end of my nightmarish shift is a plus" 

"I pretend to believe you. I forgive you. But only because it's you. And because it's a special day" he kisses me to seal the peace and I think about how special this evening will be. I guess Eddie has very high expectations, but I just hope I don't fall asleep before the end of the film since I'm also a bit tired.

"So, what do you want to do? Where are we going?" she asks me once outside.

"Oh well, I was planning on staying home, I rented a movie" 

"Okay, kitty" I appreciate the fact that he kept the dumb nickname for when we would be alone, away from prying ears.

"And then I was thinking of ordering a pizza, since I haven't eaten"

"Oh perfect, me neither! In fact I'm starving" with an arm around my neck, he accompanies me towards the door of my house. 

"But maybe you wanted to go somewhere"

"Nah, your place is great"

"Perhaps you were thinking of something in particular. We can also change plans, you know"

"The program is fantastic and, to tell you the truth, it's exactly what I was hoping for, I'm a little tired. Of course, if you had planned something else then I would have adapted, but really, pizza, movie and sofa with you seem like a dream to me right now"

"Are you sure?" he's kept talking about this special evening for days but now he wants me to believe that he was waiting for nothing but to be sprawled out on the sofa to stock up on pizza and horror?

"Absolutely. Then it's with you, so it's perfect regardless"

"Is it?" I ask him as we climb the stairs.

"Of course. Well... actually, no." he changes pace, in every sense, because he accelerates and passes me on the steps, then he turns around and I see that he's pouting. Real or fake? "No, because I'm actually mad at you" 

"Hehe what? Why?"

"Ask Matt" he starts running up the stairs, but not too fast, because he knows very well that I would catch up with him the day after tomorrow and out of breath.

"Matt? What does Matt have to do with it?" I ask both him and myself, not understanding the connection between the drummer and some crap of my own that I may have said or done. 

"Well Matt told me something this morning during our guitar lesson"

"Ah. You mean that Matt" I understand he's talking about Dillon and not Cameron.

"Yeah, that Matt. Let me tell you, I'm very, very disappointed" we get to my floor, we cross the corridor, he always pouting ahead and I behind, laughing a little and thinking about how I'll get out of it this time. 

"I don't understand what you mean, what did he tell you?" I play dumb as I open the door, under Eddie's stern, judgmental gaze. 

"He told me that a few days ago he met some of my friends on set, which would then be you and Grace"

"Ok"

"So I explained to him that you're my girlfriend and guess what he said?" did he really feel the need to tell a Hollywood actor that I'm his girlfriend? 

"Um what if I order the pizza first and then I guess?" rhetorical question as I take off my jacket and grab the cordless phone.

"He said we would all surely meet each other more often on set, since Cam OFFERED YOU A FUCKING PART IN THE FILM" Eddie reveals everything and raises his voice just when I've finished dialing the number and put the phone to my ear.

"Is it okay with double cheese?" 

"Yup." she concedes and then takes me by the hand to the sofa while I finish ordering "But you're a liar"

"It's not true, I told you so! I also told you about how I escaped and about the shitty figure" I try to justify myself to him, who looks at me like a principal listening to the apologies of the student in trouble, undecided whether to suspend them or not, obviously sitting on the opposite side of the sofa a thousand miles from me.

"You told me you ran away because there were too many famous people and you were getting anxious and not because Crowe had just asked you to star in the movie"

"It's not a lie, technically it's more of an omission"

"And why would you have omitted to tell me this?"

"Because if you had known, you would have tried to convince me to accept"

"Why? Don't you want to accept?" he suddenly asks me in amazement and moves on the sofa in my direction.

"There we go"

"But why?" Eddie moves a little closer. Why? As if he didn't know me.

"Because… it's not my thing"

"But cinema… is your thing, isn't it supposed to be like your job?" he gets even closer until our knees touch.

"I want to write for cinema, not act"

Eddie unties my legs, which were crossed until a second ago, and gently adjusts them on his, he pulls me towards him and now we're as close as we can get. 

"I too want to write and sing songs, not be a roadie. But I set up the stages anyway. It's all part of the system, you have to start somewhere"

"You only did it so you could see concerts for free"

"Well, just think that you can watch a movie for free, from inside the movie." he reiterates hugging me "You can see how a film is made, see the actors"

"I don't care about actors and movies look much better from the outside, trust me"

"Angie, can I ask you one thing?"

"Yes" I say and I already expect the correct and perfectly logical, as well as almost certainly funny, speech with which he will bare the stupidity of my insecurities and demonstrate that accepting that part is the only sensible thing to do and will convince me to say yes and that's exactly why I didn't want to tell him a damn thing in the first place. 

"Actually two"

"Ok"

"Where's Meg?"

"She went to be a stewardess at a cardiology convention or something, and she said she'd go dancing with the other girls afterward, so she'll be back late."

"And when does the pizza arrive?" it confuses me and I try to understand how far he's taking it and where he's going with his motivational speech starting from my roommate and passing through pizza.

"In half an hour. Why?"

"Because… I know we're discussing important things and I don't want to sound inappropriate at all, but we're alone and so much can be done in half an hour and you're so sexy when you insist on defending your indefensible opinions and wee haven't had sex in like fifteen years, so how about going to your room for a sec?"

"How can it be fifteen years if we've known each other for less than one?"

"Tsk you want to be a writer and you can't recognize hyperbole?"

"What?"

"Hyperbole"

"Say it again"

"Hyperbole"

"You're sexy when you say hyperbole, could you say that in a more indefensible tone?"

"Fuck you. Shall we go?" 

Since I'm good at being cool and resisting, about thirty seconds later we are in my bed. And we're still there exactly seven minutes later, gasping for breath in the dark. 

"A bit fast, huh?" 

"Fast, but effective"

"I told you it felt like fifteen years..."

"If these are the effects, I recommend continuing to see each other at this frequency"

"What a bitch!" I can make out his smiling profile in the dark, as he shifts closer under the covers "Anyway, going back to the previous topic…"

"Ah, do you want to go back to the previous discussion? I thought you'd dismissed it by now due to more urgent needs- OUCH!" I joke and he, close to me, takes his revenge with a pinch where the sun doesn't shine. 

"No, I haven't dismissed it. And be good, because I'm about to say something serious"

"Mmm ok, shoot" here comes the bullshit in disguise that will lead me to accept the proposal.

"I don't want to tell you what to do, because in the end it's you who have to decide. I can only give you my opinion. I think that deep down you want to throw yourself into this adventure but you're scared or ashamed or both. I don't know if you can do it, but Crowe is a professional, I think he can tell if a person can act or not and would never entrust you with a part above your skills. I have a line too, you know?"

"But I have more than one, that's the problem!"

"He definitely doesn't give a shit about our acting skills, he wants us to play ourselves, so you too, you'll just have to be yourself"

"Okay, I correct myself, that 's the problem"

"I don't…" My eyes have adjusted to the darkness and I see almost every detail of his face as she tries to piece together what he wants to say "but I don't see why you shouldn't try. Worst case scenario, if it really doesn't work, Cam could always cut your scene, you've got nothing to lose."

"Except my dignity"

"Mmm don't pretend to be a coward"

"Hahaha do you think I pretend? Sure, I'm actually super brave"

"You're very brave. Since I've known you, I've seen you do a lot of things that you might not even want to hear at first: play basketball with us, play the drums, go up the Space Needle, dance in a disco full of people without shyness, taking a plane to San Diego alone..." he kisses me after the last one in the list "I wasn't there yet, but I heard you even took the elevator in this building once" 

"There I risked seriously"

"Anyway, it seems to me that you are quite good at doing the things that scare you the most, this would be just the umpteenth demonstration of how cool you are, you wouldn't risk anything"

And I would like to tell him that I'm neither cool or brave and that if I've done each of those things it's because each and every time there was someone else to push me and that it takes very little insistence to make me do things, it's really easy to make me say yes. But for once I don't want to exaggerate, I don't want to make him snort as usual and turn out to be the ever problematic girl, I don't want to destroy his beliefs: I mean, if he's drawn this little portrait of Angie the Intrepid in his mind, who am I to refute it? At the same time, I have no idea what the fuck to say because I never understood how the hell you respond to compliments.  Like, who was supposed to teach me and when? Usually I respond with a sarcastic joke, but now I'm in bed with my boyfriend and something tells me that would not be the best reaction. So what do I do? Do I show discomfort? Do I scale back his flattery? Do I justify the reason for the success of all the experiences he listed? Do I distrust? Goat? Not say anything? Drop the subject? Thank him and stop? The sound of the intercom comes to my rescue.

"Oh. Either Meg broke all hearts at the cardiologist convention or our pizza's early." Eddie pulls away from me and sits up on the bed.

"We gotta get up to find out" 

"I'll go, don't worry" Eddie with sudden newfound energy springs out of bed and leaves the room.

"EDDIE?!" I yell at him as he runs away, but he doesn't listen. He reappears at my bedroom door a minute later.

"It's the pizza" he acts as if nothing had happened.

"BUT DID YOU GO LIKE THIS?" I insist, holed up under the duvet, while he turns on the light and explores the floor of the room. Luckily I'm already lying down, otherwise I could have collapsed.

"Like what?" he asks absently, then finds his boxers at the foot of the bed and, picking them up, finally looks at me. And I look at him. And then he understands "I only answered the intercom, he can't see me" he smiles slyly putting on his underwear.

"Thank god…"

"Don't pretend to be jealous, you're not credible" he quickly puts on his cargo pants and red checked shirt, buttoning it at random. 

"The money for the pizza is in the cabinet outside in the corridor, in the drawer"

"Okay." starts to leave the room again, but then turns around "What are you doing? Aren't you coming?"

"I'm coming now"

"Ok"

"Ok" I answer, still under the duvet, while he doesn't get out of there. 

"Or maybe you want to have dinner in bed?" the little shit winks at me.

"No no, no crumbs in my bed"

"All right"

"Okay" and he stays there.

"Come on or pizza will get cold" 

"I told you I'm coming now, just go and I'll join you!" he almost laughs at me, but the pizza guy saves me a second time as he rings the doorbell. Eddie gives up and goes to open the door but I don't hear the sound of the drawer opening. What the fuck. I get out of bed in a sprint and close the door before putting on my pajamas in record time. When I leave the room we almost have a head-on collision: the jerk thought he would be catching me red-handed! 

"Ready?" he asks pretending to pass by by chance.

"You payed?" 

"Yup"

"But the money is here" I open the drawer and show him.

"I took the money from my wallet"

"And why?"

"To make it faster. Are you coming now or do we have to stay here and discuss until the pizza becomes inedible?"

"Come on, let's go!" I would like to take his hand, but I end up pulling him by the unbuttoned sleeve of his shirt, and take him to the sofa. Eddie immediately grabs a slice of pizza and I manage to throw paper napkins at him, threatening him "If you dirty my sofa I'll kill you"

"What movie are we watching, kitty?"

"We're watching Children of the corn !" I reply enthusiastically by pressing PLAY on the remote control and pounce on the pizza too.

"From the title, I imagine it's a romantic comedy with a guaranteed happy ending" 

"Obviously" 

"And are you sure I can eat while I watch it?"

"Ahah yes, don't worry, it's not that strong" I open two beers and give him one.

"You said the same thing about Hellraiser "

"Okay, you're the one who's too sensitive! Amyway this is a lot softer, there's no comparison, I'd say it's almost comedy"

"Ok, I trust you, kitty" we toast with our cans and start the vision.

***

"Well comedy… I wouldn't say that…" the movie is over, as well as pizza and beer.

"Come on, shall we talk about the acting? And then, those fucking special effects! It seems like they ran out of money at some point"

"They must have spent it all on corn"

"Haha exactly! Hey, by the way, did you know that in a certain sense I was a child of the corn as well?"

"Were you a member of a satanic cult of baby-killers?" Eddie, who was completely slouched on his side of the sofa, now sits up a little curious.

"Eheheh no, also because at this age they would have already sacrificed me"

"So?"

"Well, you know the summer jobs you used to work when you were a kid? Ok, you're from San Diego, so well, your concept of a summer job will include things like lifeguard, waiter, ice cream guy, stuff like that, right?"

"More or less. Whereas in Idaho?"

"In Idaho we went out castrating corn!"

"Hahaha what?" at this point I have Eddie's full attention, and he sits up straight and approaches me.

"Corn detasseling, I went four years in a row, to Notus"

"What the fuck does detasseling mean? Does corn get castrated?"

Of course now I'm teaching my mini-agriculture lesson that Eddie was dying to hear. On special evenings, couples talk about projects, they slowly discover each other, they flirt. Instead, I talk about how corn has both male and female flowers, explaining that if you remove the male part of the plant it will not pollinate itself, but it can be fertilized by the variety chosen by the farmer, which will not be clipped, thus creating hybrids . 

"In simple terms, the work consisted of walking for hours and hours in the corn fields, pulling the tops off the plants with your bare hands. You started in the morning, when everything was damp, and you ended up in the afternoon, soaked in sweat from the heat. Also because you had to wear long pants and long sleeves if you didn't want to cut your skin completely"

"Sharp leaves?"

"Like fucking razors, Eddie, you don't understand"

"The ideal job for children"

"I'm sure you'll be more understanding with Malachi now"

"Hahaha yes! Now I understand why they rebelled, poor kids"

"I'm pretty sure He who walks behind the rows is actually a child who got lost while corn detasseling, bleeding to death, and now his soul continues to wander in the fields in search of his parents to take revenge"

"Blood red corn from children employed in child labour"

"Those in short-sleeved T-shirts! But I was making twelve dollars an hour..."

"Not bad! Anyway, you were practically working as corn contraceptives"

"We Were Corn's Planned Parenthood "

"So corn has sex too. And more than us, I guess”

"Hahahaha Eddie!" I get up acting shocked, and I go to throw away both the pizza box and the empty beer cans.

"I'd rather not be neutered though"

"You're an asshole! How long have you been circling around the concept to finally get there?"

"It's been a while. Just kidding, kitty"

"I know" I get back from the kitchen.

"It's just that… well, we just got together, we should be in the middle of our honeymoon phase , but I'm never there and I'm so sorry"

"Our phase what??"

"Yes, the first phase of a relationship. When you are constantly looking for each other... euphoria, lots of mutual attention, cuddles, continuous search for physical contact, passion, chemistry... you know?"

"Well, I'd say we still have these things, don't we? They're just more… diluted over time"

"Uh I'd rather concentrate them"

"But that's not necessarily a bad thing if you think about it: it means you'll get tired of me much later" 

"Why do you always have to say stuff like that?" it's not that he's really pissed off, but you can clearly see him frowning a bit.

"Heheh come on, it was a joke"

"I know, but I don't like it when you make these jokes. About me breaking up with you, getting tired or bored… it's like you did that to normalize the thing, to prepare yourself for when it should happen"

"It's not like that" but it's exactly like that, fuck, and I could not have summarized the concept better. If I can't help saying certain things it's not because I want to be reassured by him that they will never happen, but precisely because I know for sure that they will happen and at least that's how I get used to the idea. 

"I'm exaggerating, I know. I don't want to make a drama out of it, it's just that I don't really think about the end of our relationship, I don't wanna think about it, not even as a joke"

"Maybe it's because we've had different experiences, that's all"

"Yeah. Anyway, I didn't want to start an argument, who cares about other experiences, let's think about this one now, ok? And then, especially today" he takes me by the hand and the dimpled smile becomes overbearing again.

"Hehe why today?"

"Well, because it's a special day"

"Wow the fact that you missed me so much flatters me, but does it take so little to make a day special?"

"It always is when we're together, but… this time it's not special just because of that"

"No? For what then?"

"Well, you should know..."

Oh shit. 

"Mmm should I?"

"Angie, what day is it today?" he releases my hands and, arms folded, begins the interrogation.

"Thursday"

"Yes, but what day is it?"

"March 14th"

"And what day is it?"

"Your Birthday is in December"

"It's clearly qnot my birthday. And neither is yours"

"Name day? I didn't know you were Catholic"

"No and no" by the fact that he's smiling I know I'm not in trouble, but it's clear that I'm not making a great impression. 

"Were we supposed to do something and I completely forgot about it?"

"No, it's something we've done before, some time ago." he explains to me and when he sees the cosmic nothingness in my eyes he gives me another clue “One thing we did this day”

"But last year in March we didn't know each other, I wasn't even here"

"Don't go back too long"

"What do you mean?"

"A month ago, what day was it?" he rolls his eyes and gives me yet another little help.

"February 14th, Valentine's Day?"

"And where were you a month ago at this time?"

"Dunno, same as the last 18 years? Most likely in bed sleeping"

"No. Think about it, where were you?"

"Wait, yeah, I was on a bus to Seattle"

"Okay, what about a few hours before? Where were you? What were you doing? Angie, you're fucking making me sweat"

"Aaaaaaaaaah! I know! At the bus station! We kissed!"

"BINGO!" Eddie even starts a mini applause, I don't know if it's relief or to take the piss out of me or both.

"Yay! See? I did it"

"So you understand why it's special"

"It was great, yes. At one point I didn't understand shit anymore, but it was an unforgettable moment" he kissed me and I started hearing Depeche Mode in my head and then I couldn't even remember where I was, if he hadn't physically put me on that bus I'd probably still be there.

"Yes and that's when it all started. Well, it's a kind of anniversary, isn't it? It's not an anniversary, but…"

"It's a... Monthliversary! Ahahahahah like welve year olds say, who count months"

"Well, we've been together for a month, so…"

"A month…? What do you mean? Cause you… you count since the kiss?"

"Yes, for me it started from there. Why? Since when do you count?"

"I don't count"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I never asked myself the question. I didn't know I had to count, that's it"

"You didn't know you had to count" he repeats, looking at me almost in amazement.

"I didn't… I explained to you that I haven't really had any regular relationships, right?"

"Are you saying you never counted ?"

“Exactly, the guys I was with weren't interested in those things. And so I never was either. I never celebrated anniversaries, monthlyversaries  or dayversaries or anything really. My relationships were all so short that I never even had time to figure out if I wanted to celebrate"

"Well, it's not that it's essential to have a date. But… no, fuck it, it's not true, I want a date, I need it, so if it's okay with you, February 14th is our day, ok?" his inner debate can be seen very well even from the outside and makes me smile.

"What you call our day ironically coincides with the most hypocritical and commercial holiday in the world, did you notice that?" 

"Of course! And making it our day is the greatest revolutionary act we can do, don't you think?" 

"Well, it's a point of view- WAIT" I don't smile anymore because I just realized it's not a fucking laugh.

"Hehe what is it?"

"You've been talking about this special night for days. Because that's what you meant! Celebrating our… Oh my!  Our monthlyiversary?!"

"Yes, but it's not like we had to do who knows what celebration, what we did is fine"

"But it doesn't count if I didn't know shit! I forgot, do you understand? I feel like shit" I stare at the carpet in the living room and I would like to roll up in it and then be thrown into the landfill in shame.

"Hahaha but no, why?"

"You thought of something sweet and I'm the fucking cold loveless nonaffective girlfriend" I take a pillow from the sofa and sink my face into it.

"Nonaffective? You?? How?!"

"I'm a bitch. Luckily you didn't buy me a gift, otherwise I'd be a total bitch"

"Uhm…"

"Eddie?" his hesitation leads me to remove the pillow from my face and I read his answer on his.

"It's not like I really got you a present..."

"HOLY FUCKIN SHIT" this time I slump directly on the armrest of the sofa.

"But it's a thing for both of us, not necessarily to celebrate the month" he tries to sugarcoat the pill as he gets up to retrieve his jacket to take something from his pockets.

"You bought me a present. And I didn't even make you a sandwich. I ordered a pizza. WHICH YOU PAID FOR!"

"Kitty, don't fret" she comes back and kneels on the rug in front of me, making me feel more anxious.

"Advice: NEVER call me Kitty when I'm upset"

"Listen, I only bought two tickets to Neil Young at the Coliseum in April. I would have bought them anyway, apart from the monthlyiversary" he explains, showing me the two white and blue tickets.

"I can't believe you say monthlyversary, you're an adult" I breathe a sigh of relief, even though I still feel like shit.

"Are you trying to make me feel stupid?" thinking about it, I feel stupid for forgetting about it, but how must he feel? He made all this big deal about this special occasion when I wasn't even remotely thinking about it, and what's more, I'm making a Greek tragedy out of it.

"No! It's pretty obvious by now that I'm the dumbass of the couple" Eddie puts the tickets in my hands and then takes them in his own.

"So, what I'm trying to say is that I just took them, regardless of the anniversary, because as soon as I heard about the concert, the first thing I thought was that I would go with you. I thought I'd give you the ticket today because. it seemed like a nice way to say Hey, Angie, I didn't disappear, I'm still here and I want to be with you and do things with you and even though the currents seem to carry me away a lot, you'll never lose me because the currents are always changing, and I'll only ever come back to you"

"You really have a thing for surfing metaphors, no doubt about it"

"Fuck off, Angie. From the bottom of my heart" he kisses me and I can't help but think about how much I love when Eddie tells je yo go to hell.

"Now I have to think about what to give to you that can compete with Neil Young"

"You don't owe me anything" he shakes his head as he gets off the floor and settles down on the couch.

"Ok, what if I want to give you a badass gift for our second monthlyversary? Who'll stop me? This time I'll mark it on my calendar though"

"Haha it's not like we have to celebrate every month now"

"Why not? And how do I make up for my poor figure ?"

"You don't, so I keep the upper hand in our couple dynamics"

"I was already looking forward to the fifth, with the curious interposition between our anniversary and the anniversary of the Bastille Day: the two revolutionary acts par excellence"

"I see you're still fucking with me" I pull away again slipping towards the other end of the sofa, but he follows me and is practically on top of me.

"Who? Me? No!"

"You're sexy when you do"

"So yeah, I'm definitely fucking with you, big time"

"The truth is, you do and say a lot of sexy things, have you noticed that?" 

"Yes, you see that's my upper hand in our couple dynamics"

"This too, very sexy"

"Do you want to, like… go to my room?"

"And you read my mind too"

“But I can't read every single thing"

“No?”

"Uhm no"

"Then I guess I'll have to give you some advice"

"Please, I'm all ears"

[pers-books]

Kate Stewart - according to Big Finish

I’ve finally finished re-listening to all of the Kate Stewart audios to date so, without further ado, I present to you the background info on Kate Stewart provided in said audios. Please note, there are one or two which feature extensive references to the Brig, but unless the conversation pertains to Kate’s background, I’ve not quoted it.

They’re listed according to boxset order and I’ve included the writer of the audio as well as the title. What I’ve learned from this is that Matt Fitton wrote a lot of background material for Kate in the early boxsets and Guy Adams in the later boxsets. 

What I also found interesting is that Big Finish has pretty much ignored the semi-canonical direct to video Downtime (1995) which first introduced Kate Stewart as the Brigadier’s daughter (then played by Beverly Cressman) insofar as BF’s writers have given Kate a much closer relationship with her father.

Vanguard - Matt Fitton

Kate's described by the internal computer security system as UNIT's Chief Scientific Researcher She "Doesn't do labels" She usually skips past Orbit News TV on the way to the movie channel

Power Cell - Matt Fitton

"My eldest is cooking. If I'm lucky there won't be any leftovers." Kate's reason for working late. "There've always been factions who'd have preferred UNIT to remain under military control. Colonel Shindi knows I haven't had an easy ride."

Ice Station Alpha - Matt Fitton

"You're setting me up as a patsy. It's been hard enough working my way up the ranks the last few years. I bet they didn't take much persuasion."

House of Silents - Matt Fitton

[sounds of gunfire] Kate Stewart: How did I do? Josh Carter: Very good grouping, ma'am. You're a natural at this. Kate Stewart: I have put in the practice before, you know. I just thought I might be getting a little rusty. Josh Carter: Keep up these sessions and I don't think you'll have anything to worry about on that front. Kate Stewart: Good! If we're caught out in a combat situation in the field I don't want to feel like the spare wheel. We were lucky to make it through that scrape with Cerberus. Josh Carter: I thought you didn't believe in luck. Kate Stewart: An ability to shoot straight should help keep the odds in our favour. Josh Carter: Shall I set up the targets for another round? Kate Stewart: No, that's enough for today. Paperwork beckons. Now, let's see if I still remember how to disassemble this. Josh Carter: This interest in military hardware is new. I thought 'Science Leads'? Kate Stewart: Oh, it does, Mr Carter. Science just needs to remember to carry a gun sometimes.

Square One - John Dorney

Kate apologises for wearing her pyjamas - she'd just settled down for an early night. Later: "I have an urgent appointment with a hot water bottle I'm very anxious to keep."

In Memory Alone - Matt Fitton

Kate Stewart: Do you know JM Barrie, Colonel? Vikram Shindi: Peter Pan chap, wasn't he? Kate Stewart: Among other things. He also wrote that "God gave us memories that we might have roses in December." [Source: Rectorial Address at St Andrew's, 3 May 1922, in The Times 4 May 1922]

Call to Arms - Matt Fitton

Kate knows first aid Kate Stewart: I don't know if it was the same in your [Benton's] day, but it's not in my nature to leave a man behind.

Tidal Wave - Guy Adams

Kate speaks Spanish well enough to translate an insult directed at her Kate doesn't do hugs - Jo Jones hugs her! Kate Stewart: I'm a pragmatist not a warmonger, Osgood, you should know that

Retrieval - Guy Adams

Kate Stewart: Fine. A small team can go and take a look Osgood: Who do you suggest? Kate Stewart: If it's a research station, Osgood, I think we need our finest scientific minds on it, don't you? Osgood: Oh. Kate Stewart: Well, don't worry, you're only one of them. Osgood: And the other? Kate Stewart: I'll pretend you didn't ask that.

Kate not wanting to kill the dinosaurs in the Silurian research base

Kate Stewart: There's a reason they let me sit in the biggest office. [Reminding Sam Bishop that she's not there because of nepotism but because she’s actually a scientist.]

United - Matt Fitton

Kate Stewart: I like to think I bring diplomacy to the table, not just a gun.

The Dalek Transaction - Matt Fitton

Kate Stewart: You don't know how hard I am to impress.

Invocation - Roy Gill

Kate stayed at Ealdon House for a week when she was a child. She can translate English-Latin and Latin-English on the fly. She was involved with the university newspaper

Game Theory - Matt Fitton

It's implied that Kate's done an advanced driving course

Code Silver - Guy Adams

Kate's had basic medical training on some of the aliens UNIT had in cold storage

Hosts of the Wirrn - Chris Chapman

Kate refuses to destroy the level of the Well while Osgood and Shana are still inside. She later regrets this when the Wirrn swarms the town of Windermere. [Side note: Shindi forgets himself enough to call Kate by her first name when she reveals she's en route to meet the Wirrn Queen. Normally he says ‘Ma’am’ or ‘Ms Stewart’.]

Breach of Trust - David K Barnes

Osgood: Things do seem to go quiet when Kate's not here. Maybe she should go on dates more often. Josh Carter: She's on a date? Osgood: Oh yes. I wasn't meant to say that. Josh Carter: [scoffing laugh] I don't believe it. Osgood: Well, as far as he's concerned it's a date. But for her it's just professional. I think. Josh Carter: Well, who's he? Osgood: Just somebody she's having a not-quite date with Josh Carter: You don't think she'll - you know? Osgood: What? Josh Carter: Tell him what she does? Osgood: Oh, you mean, 'Hi! I'm in charge of a secret international military organisation that deals exclusively in extra terrestrial activity'? Josh Carter: Yeah Osgood: More of a third date kind of announcement, I'd say Josh Carter: If it is a date Osgood: Which it isn't

Richard can't even remember the name of the Private whom he'd been harassing/having a relationship with. Kate's clearly seething quietly. He talks in demeaning terms about the Private, then immediately makes a pass at Kate.

Richard: Have we finished the bottle? Kate Stewart: We have, yes Richard: Should we order another? Kate Stewart: Well, that could be risky. Richard: How? Kate Stewart: I might smash you over the head with it Richard: Sorry? [beeping of Kate's pager] What's that noise? Kate Stewart: Oh, thank goodness. The Earth's in danger. Richard: Eh? Kate Stewart: Richard, Richard, I'd say I'm sorry I have to go, but I'm not, so I won't Richard: Hey, you can't just leave Kate Stewart: Yes, yes I can. The door's over there Richard: [whiny] Hang on, I thought that you and I might - Kate Stewart: Yes, I know you did. Goodbye Richard. Oh, dinner's on me Richard: [whining more] No, wait a second. [She's already walking away] Kate?

She gets accosted by a drunk soon after leaving the restaurant and is irritated at being told to smile because it's not the end of the world.

Kate refuses to make First Contact in a dress as she likes having pockets. She keeps a spare set of clothes in the cabinet in her office

Osgood: But there's always another way! We just have to find it! Kate Stewart: You know we haven't the time for that! Bleating on about it isn't helping anyone. It's - it's 2 in the morning and I'm about to send a mother and child off to their deaths. Now, you can try to make me feel worse about that than I already do, but I really don't know what on Earth you think you'll achieve by it! Osgood: It's not - Kate Stewart: Fair? Of course it's not fair! Osgood: [runs out] Kate Stewart: Osgood!

[Kate's crying quietly on the roof of the Tower when Osgood turns up, having been told by the Colonel where to find her] Osgood: I'm sorry for disobeying you. And for getting Josh involved. I just - I couldn't face the idea of giving in? Kate Stewart: And you thought I could? Osgood: You were doing what you thought was right Kate Stewart: [bitter laugh] Thank you Osgood: As in fact you always do Kate Stewart: Don't patronise me, Osgood. When I give an order I expect it to be followed because sometimes the needs of the many do actually outweigh those of the few even if that means someone ends up dying. And you know you'll remember their faces. Believe me, you will remember them. Osgood: I'm sorry Kate Stewart: We'll talk about it later

Open the Box - Roy Gill

Kate Stewart: I'm open to new ideas, always, but I refuse to go into anything blind

Kate went to holiday camps as a kid: "They did annoyingly upbeat announcements too."

Kate had a "Classical education" and "an abiding hatred of outdoor sports".

She enjoys custard creams.

She lives with the daily fear of losing her team.

Kate Stewart: Regret doesn't bring people back. Trust me, I know.

This Sleep of Death - Jonathan Morris

Warren Calder: The Geneva Convention outlaws torture and I know how much you care about that

Tempest - Lisa McMullin

Kate Stewart: I hate it when it's Us or Them.

The Power of River Song - Guy Adams

Josh Carter: You know Kate, she won't let emotion get in the way

Kate [to Captain Josh Carter]: I’ve kicked down my fair share of doors in this job. It’s my form of Pilates. Chant: Eugh. Miss Stewart. Kate: Don’t call me Miss Stewart. I’m not a governess in a Victorian novel. Chant: Ms? Kate: I’m here to see the Director. Chant: I’m afraid that’s quite- Kate: Let me explain something to you. One would have thought it obvious but I spend a good deal of my time spelling out the obvious to people who get paid more than me, so - Chant: MS STEWART! Kate: Shush, now. Shush. I’ve been awake for three days. I’m fighting a war of attrition with the coffee machine and I’m currently investigating my own death. It is an effort for me not to staple your tie to your desk. Chant: I understand that you’re under considerable pressure but I simply won’t be talked to like that. Kate: Right. [Sounds of a brief struggle] Chant: Ms Stewart! [Followed by sounds of stapling and somewhat heavy breathing as Kate staples Chant’s tie to his desk.] Kate [not at all breathlessly]: I did warn you. Sorry. Was - was that a very expensive tie? Chant: My mother bought it for me for Christmas. Kate: Merry Christmas. [She literally kicks open the door to the Director’s office.]

The Enemy Beyond - Andrew Smith My father was stationed in Edinburgh when I was a little girl

Fire and Ice - John Dorney

Always do what you're best at, I say.

Kate loves a pun: For now, we're going to have to put your plans on ice (after stopping an Ice Warrior from destroying a large chunk of Australia!)

Eleven's Eleven - Lisa McMullin

Kate Stewart [to the voice activated vault]: Hello. My name is Kate Stewart and I've come to rob your vault. Would you mind opening up, please?

The Curator's Gambit - Andrew Smith

Kate Stewart: Wait, is that new? The Curator: Oh no, not new. I rearrange the exhibits from time to time. Kate Stewart: It's a Turner, isn't it? The style is unmistakable. I thought I knew all of his work. Osgood: That's Hampton Court Palace. Josh Carter: What's that doing here? Is it dangerous? Curator: Ooh hardly. It was a Royal commission. Not for public display. It commemorates the Undergallery's original location beneath Hampton Court. Osgood: I didn't know that. Kate Stewart: Elizabeth founded the Undergallery in 1562. The National Gallery wasn't built until the 1830s.

Kate's aware of the optical illusion in Holbein's ‘The Ambassadors' which looks like a smudge from one angle but is clearly a skull from another.

The Curator calls Kate very astute for knowing he wouldn't leave the Arch unprotected.

Kate mentions she knows the Privy Gardens at Hampton Court Palace because she's visited.

The Man From Gallifrey - Andrew Smith

Kate goes with Josh and his rescue party to get Osgood and Jimmy Tan back. She's always prepared to risk herself for the sake of her people.

The War Factory - Lizzie Hopley

Bamberra: Can you ride a horse and shoot? Kate Stewart: Have you met my father? [In fact Bamberra was talking to him very recently.]

Ten Minutes in Hell - John Dorney

Kate refuses to let Varliss of the Vulpreen break her, despite regular whippings. She refuses to tell him anything about Earth's defences. She urges Worrall to try to escape Varliss, encouraging the Vulpreen whom Varliss has enslaved to rebel. She feels survivor's guilt after Varliss shoots Worrall because Kate refuses to tell him what he wants to know. Kate persists in her defiance because she refuses to give up hope, no matter how hopeless things look.

The Sacrifice of Jo Grant - Guy Adams

Kate gives the impression that she occasionally struggles with Jo's tendency to go off on tangents.

Kate Stewart: A few seconds to get clear. If the Official Secrets Act would ever allow my memoirs, that would be the title.

Osgood: If I can figure out the refractive index, I can probably compensate for it. Then we'd be able to see through to the other side. Kate Stewart: Already done. Someone's working from my calculations right now. You're not the only one with a PhD or two.

Kate Stewart: Why did you jump after me [after Kate's pulled through a pocket of temporal instability]? Jo Jones: I was trying to save you! Kate Stewart: One day, Miss Jones, you'll learn you can't save everybody. Jo Jones: Have you? [ouch!] Kate Stewart: I'm sorry, I - I shouldn't be snapping at you. It's just - well -

Kate carries a Mark 17 [pistol? revolver? Unclear]

Kate muses that she's not sure she can bear to speak to the Brig again (while she's in the past). Later she seriously considers it, but is interrupted before it happens. She finally does call him, after prodding from both Jo and the Third Doctor.

Kate's the one to grab Jo from the Time Vortex thanks to the Doctor's meddling. He brings Osgood 'a gadget' to track Jo through the Time Vortex, but Kate's the one to actually grab her and bring her back into their Time.

[ETA: Can’t believe I forgot there was a UNIT story in the first Eighth of March boxset!]

Narcissus - Sarah Grochala

Kate says she's weak and sees monsters in her bedroom, that she's lost in the woods and her dad can't find her. Which is how she overcomes the alien's psychic hold on her. She allows herself to feel weakness and is able to pull out her gun and shoot the mirrors, destroying the alien's power.

Osgood: I just wanted to say how sorry I am about what happened on the ship. It's not like me. Kate Stewart: It's okay. We all have crises of confidence. Osgood: Do you? Kate Stewart: Sometimes. Osgood: But you always seem so calm and collected. Kate Stewart: [weak laugh] Huh, not always. Not inside. But outside appearances must be maintained for the team. Osgood: That takes a lot of strength. Kate Stewart: You know, when I was inside those mirrors I realised something. Jordan's ship wasn't feeding off anything to do with external beauty, it was feeding off confidence, self-belief. It was never about appearance. How could it be? Physical beauty is subjective, but bravery, strength, intelligence - that's not.    

[contentconsumer]

You're freaking me out

a/n: keep sending in your requests! my masterlist can be found here, my prompt list here and ships are open so find my requirements here NOT MY GIF! sorry for the lack of posting... i'm working 3 jobs rn so am quite busy but enjoy this cute luke fic! word count: 1.8K pairing: Luke Alvez X Female!Reader warnings: n/a summary: you and luke had been so careful hiding your relationship until you're forced to work together requested?: nope! just getting back into writing!

You knew you were dating Luke Alvez. Luke knew he was dating officer Y/L/N. But that’s everyone who knew you were a couple. You had been seeing Luke for around 8 months and you two had moved pretty quickly with you spending more time at his apartment with Roxy than your own recently but due to Luke’s career choice alongside your being a chief officer within the Virginia Police you both found it may to best to keep your relationship a secret for now. Yet this didn’t stop you from gossiping to your colleagues about the man they had labelled ‘tall, dark and handsome’.

“Due to the proximity of this case we are joining Virginia PD at the latest crime scene” Emily finished giving the brief, Luke couldn’t help the way his heart fluttered slightly with the knowledge that he would be seeing you at work and he felt guilty due to the circumstances. “Reid, Lewis you head over to the ME office, Rossi you stay here with Garcia, Simmons and Alvez head over to the offices, the chief is waiting for you there, JJ and I will go to the crime scene.” Everyone stood from the round table, bussing themselves with their instructions.

“Okay look, you’re starting to freak me out a little bit” Luke turns his head from the road to meet Matt’s gaze, “Freaking you out? How?” Luke scoffs in response, “You’re smiling.” “Smiling?” “Yeah you keep doing that weird smirk thing, like you’re excited and it’s freaking me out that you’re excited to go to a police department to try and help solve a suspicious string of murders.” “Maybe I’m just in a good mood - also stop profiling me, that’s weird”

‘SSA agent Simmons and this is my partner Agent Alvez” “Nice to meet you, I’m officer Bennett, you’ll be meeting with my chief when she gets here but feel free to make yourselves at home here” the young woman opens a door to an empty conference room, “Thanks this is great” Matt hums positively already grabbing files to lay out, “Did you say the chief wasn’t here yet?” Alvez queries, right as the woman is about to leave the room she stops by the doorway and turns back around, “Yeah she’s normally late, turns up on this awful old motorcycle that breaks down more than it runs” the officer chuckles under her breath while Luke shoots her a small smile, trying not to hint to the fact that he knew exactly who was going to walk through that door holding the motorbike helmet he had brought for your birthday.

A few minutes pass, with Matt and Luke conversing and lulling thoughts of the case over while simultaneously putting photos of the victims on a clear board. Both their heads shoot behind them as they hear the creak of the office door, “Hi, I’m the leading chief of this case, Officer, Y/L/N, but Y/N is completely fine” you introduce yourself without looking up from the case file that was handed to you as soon as you walked into the precinct, when you do eventually look up your eyes meet no other than your boyfriend, but your eyes are torn away when his partner introduces himself, from Luke’s stories you already know who the agent stood before you is yet hold your tongue as he finishes, “and this is my partner agent Luke Alvez” “Nice to meet you,” you shake his outstanding hand then turn to Luke, there’s an awkward feel to the air, with hesitation you stick your hand out, reluctantly he takes it and shakes it in the most cumbersome manner. While you two believe despite the slight tension you play the part of not knowing each other pretty well and to the naked eye you may have passed the test however, not to the profiller next to you who is watching the whole scene unfold with a raised eyebrow. You three quickly begin to discuss the case and possible leads, before long JJ and Prentiss return from the crime scene with little information, as they return you ask if you can get them anything, to which they hum with coffee orders. You return within minutes passing out all the cups without hesitation, before making your return to your office to give the BAU their privacy.

A couple of days later, the current case was still open, but the list of possible perpetrators was slowly decreasing as time passed. “Hey,” Matt opens conversation with Prentiss, Rossi and Reid as they stood looking over the current case, “have any of you noticed anything weird about Luke and that chief, um Y/N?” “What do you mean?” Prentiss shoots a puzzled look, wondering where this had come from, “Well, when they ‘met’' he begins with air quotes, “it was like they knew each other but were pretending they didn’t, then when she went and got us coffee - she handed Luke his but he never gave her his order…” “So you think they know each other?” Rossi questions, “Well is it that weird of a conclusion?” Simmons asks, “Last time I was in here when they were interacting, they were stood close to each other” Reid begins, “In a study from 2017 it was recorded that humans feel the most at ease stood 3-4 foot from an stranger yet if you know the person you’re more likely to stand around 2 foot away yet a significant other you’re most likely to stand within a foot of each as it creates a sense of safety within a relationship.” Reid rambles on, “You’re implying, Luke Alvez as in our Luke Alvez is in a relationship with the chief officer of Virginia PD?” Emily asks outright. “Well, I mean not for sure yet,” Matt hesitates, “but just keep an eye on them, you’ll see what I mean.”

And so they did, word around the BAU team quickly spread and before you know it, they were all watching your interactions with Luke very closely and they had to admit you and Luke worked well together... a bit too well in the eyes of profilers.

Although, you and Luke believed you two were being rather natural in this whole ‘we don’t know each other’ acting gig it may be falling through, you both noticed how the BAU suddenly took an interest in the way you and Luke acted and you both theorized his team may be catching on, but it wasnt just his team, you’re two work best friends were also suspicious of this new man matching their ‘tall dark and handsome’ description and decided to try and trip you up too, “Nooo Y/N you have to give us more about this mystery man” one of your friends began the teasing making sure agent Alvez was in earshot “Look, I’m not discussing this any further with either of you,” you pointed to both friends, “also I’m you’re boss - go do some work” “But I want to hear about the guys who gives you the best sex you’ve ever had” You’re other friend chimes in, and just as they expected - Alvez’s face turned a crimson red.

“Best sex you ever had huh?” Luke questions you later that night while sharing his bed, “Oh shut up, I don’t wanna hear it from you Alvez” you chuckle, “Not after I had JJ question if I was seeing someone while passing me a case file.” The pair of you spend the night wrapped in each other's arms giggling like highschoolers about the encounters you’ve had with the two teams and trying to forget about the horrible case running through both your minds. The morning follows you’re awaken rudely by your alarm - Luke is already awake next to you - him being more of a morning person than you will ever be, you snuggle deeper into the blankets and feel him pull you against his chest “You need to get up sleepyhead” He rasps out, “Not yet” you whine closing your eyes, “Yes yet,” Luke chuckles and you feel his chest shake, “You’ve gotta get up as I need you to leave before me, can’t have us showing up to work at the same time, not with your reputation of being late.” “Aw, you don’t wanna ruin your reputation?” You tease, “Well good thing that this is nearly over then trust me - we never have to work together again” “Well, maybe I enjoyed it” Luke smiles, “Really?” you beam back “Really, but I do miss not being able to do this in front of people” He gives you a quick peck on the lips then begins to get up and stretch out his muscles - “Well we might as well give it up soon,” you say, “after all both our teams think something sketchy is going on plus we were hiding our relationship due to our career paths and if I can’t share it with my best friends and you with your family what's the point? We both know they can keep our secret safe” you begin to get anxious as you bring up the possibility of exposing your relationship with Luke, fearful of his reaction yet it fills you with confidence when he replied, “Yeah, I say we go for it.”

By the end of the case, both your team and the BAU were almost certain something was going on between you and Luke, but you two were stupid - it was obvious they were all watching you and hiding your relationship was becoming harder and harder, with multiple pairs of eyes watching you it was difficult to do things that became second nature in your relationship like lift sharing or hand holding. As the team packed up their boxes to return to Quantico you can’t help but feel slightly bittersweet - after all this the most you’ve seen Luke in months and yet he’ll be gone again by the end of the morning. ‘It was really nice to work with you,” Emily comes to thank you, “Hopefully we can meet again, but under better circumstances `''I would like that” you answer honestly with a smile. The BAU bundle into the elevator of your precinct and are about to leave Luke stops the door, “Sorry I forgot one thing,” he protests to all the sighs and bickering of the rest of the team. He jogs over to you, grabs each side of his face with both hands and pulls his lips to yours - cue the jumble of cheers and ‘I knew it’s!” from both your team and the BAU.

It’s safe to say now Luke had a lot of explaining to do on the drive back and consequently when he comes to bring you your forgotten lunch due to you leaving too late, your officers warn you with a “Hey chief, tall, dark and handsome here for you again”.

[pixiegrl]

I’m Back in My Body

Luke has a conversation with KayKay that pushes him to re-consider his own gender identity.

Hello all. This was born out of @daydadahlias and I chatting about KayKay in their latest fic and Jess reminded me of part of this series, where I had KayKay come out as non-binary and in turn, it helped Luke come out as non-binary. KayKay uses she/they pronouns and Luke uses he/they pronouns. So thank Jess for pushing me to finish this part of the series. I’ve been thinking about Luke’s gender in this series for a while and Jess gave me the push i needed to explore it. 

Big thanks to @tigerteeff for many things: the original push to write this series, to keep going with this series, for the encouragement of having Luke and KayKay be non-binary. Heath has inspired many parts of this series and I love them for it. Also thanks to @lifewasradical, for the help on this doc and the constant love and support I really wouldn't be half the writer I am without you I love you thanks for putting up with me. And to Mandie, Molly, Brooke and Meg for reminding me to do what I love and listening to me while I ranted about writing. Love you guys.

on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29793279

As far as days go, it’s a pretty average Tuesday. Ashton’s out doing some music things with his friend Matt and Michael and Calum are doing their own weird MikeyandCal things that had sounded vaguely close to sexual. Luke had pouted about being left until Ashton had kissed him and told him it was healthy to spend time apart. Luke doubts it, but it also gives him some free time to go hang out with (harass) Sierra and KayKay at the store. 

Luke shows up close to noon, blowing through the door in a floral sundress and heeled gold boots. It had been one of those mornings, when Luke had looked at all of his pants and felt uncomfortable at the thought of anything masculine. The weather’s nice enough for sundresses now, a relief to Luke’s scratchy brain when he’d put it on. It’s a dress Sierra recommended once, all soft pinks and bright flowers and he wants Sierra to see it. 

Sierra’s standing at the counter, clicking around on her laptop. She grins when she spots Luke, waving him over.

“Luke! Just the person I was hoping to see. I’m putting the final touches on those photos you wanted for Ashton’s gift. Come look!” She waves him over. Luke grins, crossing the store to lean over the counter and look at her computer. 

Luke looks good in them, propped up and posed on the couch they’d used, in his bed (which had taken some convincing to get Ashton out of the house long enough without him suspecting what was going on). Luke looks soft and delicate, pink lips and soft curls and wrapped in lace and bows.

“They look so good, Si. How’d you manage to make me look so good?” 

“Thank KayKay. Without them taking the photos, they wouldn’t look so good. I can only do so much in editing. You’re easy to photograph and KayKay took such good photos of you.”

“I’m not a particularly good model. KayKay’s just really good.”

“Give yourself some credit Luke,” Sierra says, smacking Luke on the arm. He blushes. 

“Where is KayKay anyway?”

“In the back. Why don’t you go see them?” Sierra says, going back to the laptop. Luke nods, rounding the counter and going behind the curtain. KayKay’s sitting at the table in the back on a computer. KayKay glances up at Luke and that’s when he notices the name badge. It has KayKay’s name on it, but under that is listed they/them. Luke stops.

“Hey Luke,” they say smiling, holding their hand out to Luke. Luke sits down next to them, looking down at the name badge.

“Hey KayKay. Sierra was just showing me the photos. Are the pronouns new?” Luke blurts out, questions running through his mind. 

“No. Some days are just more they days and today is one of them, so I put my pronouns on my nametag. No confusion that way.”

“What do you mean they days?” 

“I’m non-binary Luke. Sometimes I have days where I feel comfortable being a woman and some days I don’t feel gender connected at all.”

“I...I didn’t know about that,” Luke says, quietly. The words stick with him, something about the feeling about them sitting heavy in his chest. He can’t place what it is about what KayKay’s said that’s sticking with him, but he’s just on the edge of it as he stares at their face.

“Did you really not know I was non-binary?” 

“I guess I just never paid attention to some of the cues or the pronouns you two used or whatever. I feel so stupid now.” 

“If you had misgendered me, I would have said something.” 

“What does it mean?” 

“What does what mean?” 

“Being non-binary. What does it mean for you?” 

KayKay shrugs, pushing a strand of hair behind their ear. Luke tracks the movement, trying to focus on it, to stop the panic in his own chest that he can’t place. 

“I just don’t always feel right in my own body. Sometimes I wake up and I feel okay. I feel like this is who I am. That I’m a woman and it’s okay. That that’s how I want to present myself and be seen by the world as on those days. Some days I wake up and I know it’s not one of those days. I know it’s not going to be a day where I feel right with myself. I feel a disconnect from the person I am. Sometimes feeling right with myself means I don’t feel like a woman. I just feel like me, no gender attached. It changes how I present myself, how I want the world to see me. Sometimes I don’t want to be seen at all. I just want to exist without anyone labeling me or who I am. Some days I don’t mind the labels. Some days I’m indifferent. Some days it feels like I can’t handle it if someone gives me a gendered label and I have to correct them. Everyone’s different but that’s how I feel,” they say, smiling over at Luke, soft and slow. Luke swallows, feels his chest tighten a little bit. 

“Oh,” Luke whispers, wrinkling up his nose. A lot of what they’re saying feels a little too close to home for Luke. The feeling of unrest in their body, of not feeling connected to the image they’re putting on. How the idea of how other people’s perception was wrong to how they were feeling. It all feels too close to how Luke feels. The sense of unease on some days when interviewers would call them all boys. The fact that the lingerie and dresses blur the lines of who Luke is. That no matter how nice it is, seeing the look of want and desire on Ashton’s face when he sees what Luke’s wearing, it was never about that. It was always about Luke’s ability to breathe, the warmth in his chest, the feeling of security he got whenever he put it all on. It was always about how he felt like it was coming home, getting to see himself in the mirrors, see the delicate lines and soft angles, crying the illusion of softness and femininity to his body, the tightness easing when he sees himself in the mirrors. Luke thinks he might be crying, feels the pressure at the back of his eyes.

“Luke, have you really never thought about this before?” KayKay asks, voice soft. Luke turns to face them, sees the look of concern on their face. Luke just shakes his head, pressing his face into his crossed arms. He’s trying so hard not to cry, doesn’t want KayKay to see him like this, even if they’re his friend. He hates when anyone who isn’t Ashton sees him at his lowest. 

“I guess I didn’t want to. I had one teenage panic about my sexuality. I already had the crisis about wearing lingerie and the dresses and everything else. I have had so many fucking crisises. I’m supposed to be happy now, why can’t I just be happy with who I am,” Luke mumbles. He sniffs, trying to stop the tears from flowing. KayKay sighs, scooting closer till they’re pressed against Luke’s side. They wrap their arms around him in a pseudo hug, resting their head on top of his. 

“Luke, honey, describe to me again how you feel when you wear everything?”

“Happy. I feel so happy. I put the first pair of panties on and it just felt right. I haven’t fit right in my own body since I had my growth spurt when I got all broad and tall. I used to hate looking at myself because I felt too big and masculine and I just miss feeling delicate and it did that. It made me feel delicate and lovely and I felt like I could breath. And I have some days where just wearing them underneath my shirts and trousers are enough, where I feel masculine and that’s okay. But I have some days, where I have to wear it all. I have to put on the dress and the heels and I go out in all of it, where I want to deck myself out, I want to be as feminine as possible. I had someone call me Miss in the store once,” Luke says. KayKay hums. 

“How did you feel?” 

“About?” 

“Her perception of you.” 

Luke pauses, considering it. He hasn’t thought about the incident in months. It was one of the few days where he’s gotten dressed up and gone out in public without any of the guys and without going to Sierra and KayKay’s store. He’d woken up feeling itchy in his own skin, kept pulling on layers, the bra and panties not doing anything on their own. He’d had to put on a whole thing, long flowing summer dress and wedges, makeup to match, until he’d felt comfortable enough to look in the mirror. He’d gone to Ulta and ended up poking around the makeup until a sales associate had come over, called him Miss, asked if he needed anything. She’d asked for his name and without thinking he’d said Liz. He doesn’t know what made him say it, knows that even if he had said Luke no one would have cared, but something in the moment made him want to be feminine. He’s never told anyone this before, took the memory home with him. He never even told Ashton about it, the way the feeling of it had settled in his chest, having someone look at him and see feminine.

“It felt okay. Having someone see me and see feminine it just felt so good. I have to be Stage Luke all the time, that it just felt nice to have someone see me and not wonder. But I don’t feel female enough either, ” Luke says. 

“Maybe that’s what it means for you. For me, being non-binary means I have some days where I feel like a woman, like that’s who I am and some days where I just feel like I’m not, where I don’t feel connected to my gender at all. For you, maybe it means some days you feel more masculine and comfortable being a man and sometimes you don’t feel that way at all. Maybe some days you feel more feminine.” 

“Is that allowed?” 

“Luke sweetie, it’s you. It’s all about how you perceive yourself, what you think of yourself as. There’s no right way or wrong way to be non-binary. That’s the beauty of it. It’s all up to you,” Kaykay says. Luke rolls the words around in his head, thinking about them. Thinks about what it means to have a word to describe how he’s feeling, the sense of who he is. Luke’s never felt all the way “female” exactly, but he does have days where that feels closer to who he is than “male” does. 

“Is it?”

“It is. It’s all a personal experience. That’s the wonderful thing about personal gender experiences. They’re unique to each person,” KayKay says, smiling at Luke, squeezing his arm. Luke smiles at them, pressing his face into their shoulder. 

“I think today is one of those days for me. I woke up and I thought about what I wanted to wear today and the idea of anything masculine made me feel uncomfortable. I didn’t feel comfortable until I went through my whole routine.”

“So maybe today is a they day,” KayKay says softly. Luke rolls the words around in his head.

“I think maybe it is. I think today I want to try it,” Luke says softly. KayKay nods. It’s different to think about, trying to wrap their head around it, but it feels good. Thinking about themselves like that, removing the idea of being one or the other and just existing. 

“I’m proud of you Lu. I’m here if you need anything,” KayKay says, kissing them on the temple. Luke smiles, turning to face KayKay.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime. Now, I heard there were photos to show you. Come on, let’s gush about how pretty you are,” KayKay says, pulling Luke to their feet. Luke grins. It feels right, something about it just feels right.

***

When Luke gets home, Ashton’s car is already in the driveway. Luke sits in the car for a bit, tapping their fingers against the steering wheel. They’ve been thinking about the conversation since talking to KayKay, how to talk to Ashton about it. Luke doesn’t know if it’s too soon or whatever to talk to Ashton about how they’re feeling, but Luke wants Ashton to know. They want Ashton to know they’re exploring themselves and what it means to Luke. Luke’s nervous about how Ashton’s going to respond to it, but it’s Ashton. Luke’s pretty sure there’s nothing they could really do to upset Ashton at this point, easy-going, loving Ashton.

Luke turns off the car engine, leaving the car and heading up the steps to their front door.

“Hey Ash,” Luke calls, coming through the front door. They hear the sounds of Petunia’s nails on the floor, rushing to the door to demand attention from Luke. Luke gladly gives it to her, dropping to their knees and cooing at her.

“In the kitchen darling,” Ashton calls. Luke scoops up Petunia, making their way through the house, finding Ashton at the kitchen table. He’s clicking around on his laptop, frowning.

“What’s up Ash?”

“Looking for tickets to Australia. Fucking complicated to find anything on short notice.”

“Not expensive?”

“We’re rockstars baby,” Ashton teases, looking up at Luke. He’s wearing his glasses, smiling enough that his dimples are showing. Luke giggles, setting Petunia down so that they can climb into Ash’s lap, press a kiss to his lips. Ashton returns the kiss happily, squeezing Luke���s hips, letting Luke sling their arms around Ashton’s shoulders.

“You look nice,” Ashton says.

“Thanks. Felt like a good day for it. Went to see Sierra and KayKay.”

“How was it?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Luke says, figuring it’s better to get it over with. Ashton furrows his brow, letting Luke settle into his lap before turning away from his computer to face him.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?”

“KayKay was talking to me about how they’re non-binary and I think I might be too. They were describing it and I just...I felt so connected to that. I don’t always feel right in my body. Sometimes I feel like Luke, like I’m okay in my own body, and sometimes I just don’t. I don’t feel quite female, but sometimes I just feel more feminine and that’s how I want the world to see me. I’m not sure what it all means, but I want to explore it.” 

“Oh Luke sweetie, of course you can. Whatever you need darling, I’m right here for you. Is today one of those days?”

“Yeah. I think it is. It just feels like it,” Luke says. Ashton nods, face open and understanding. Luke doesn’t have the words to keep describing how they’re feeling over and over again today, but Ashton’s easy acceptance and love feels good. It reminds Luke that they don’t have to figure everything out today, that they have time. They have time and they have the words to describe how they’re feeling and they have Ashton. Everything else will fall into place after that.

***

Luke waits a couple weeks before sitting down with Michael and Calum to talk about it. Luke spends the time between their revelation and sitting down to talk to the guys. It gives Luke some time to explore what their gender means for them, wrap their head around the words. KayKay is sweet about it, giving Luke answers and resources where they fail to have the answer. Between KayKay’s support and Ashton’s easy acceptance, it’s helped Luke figure out what they want to do. Luke’s still not sure how to come out to their family or even to their fans, but Luke knows that the only way to do that is to talk to Michael and Calum. Luke hasn’t come out to anyone except for Ashton yet. It feels right though, taking the first leap and telling the guys. Luke’s hoping that telling their closest friends will ease some of the tension and uncertainty of having to tell everyone else.

Ashton and Luke set up lunch with Michael and Calum, invited them over. It felt better, doing it in their own home, in a place of comfort. Luke’s nervous though, has been since they got up that morning, got dressed. Luke’s put on another sundress for the day, opting to blur their gender lines again, on a day where it feels the most appropriate. 

Michael and Calum showed up about an hour again, bringing some fruit salad with them to lunch. Luke’s been trying to work up the courage throughout all of lunch, find a way to work it naturally into the conversation. There hasn’t been a time yet and the longer Luke waits, the more nervous they get. Ashton’s been wonderful, pressed close to Luke and squeezing their thigh to comfort them. It’s just about the end of lunch when Luke finally finds a natural place in the conversation to finally bring it up.

“I have something to tell you guys,” Luke says when the conversation dies down.

“You’re leaving Ashton for Troye Sivan,” Michael says, tone teasing.

“I’m not...what is that the first person you think of?” Luke asks. Michael shrugs.

“You’ve decided to leave the band to become a mime,” Calum chimes in, grinning.

“Okay, I’m never letting either of you guess ever again,” Luke says, swatting at Ashton as he continues to laugh with Michael and Calum.

“Alright, alright what did you want to tell us?” Michael asks, when he finally stops. Luke frowns, lump in their throat. Ashton reaches over, squeezing their hand. 

“I’m non-binary. Everyone’s gender expression for identifying is different, but for me it means that someday I feel masculine and comfortable being Luke and being male. Somedays, I feel more feminine. I don’t want to be a woman necessarily, but I want to be seen as more feminine. I want to be less gendered,” Luke says, swallowing, chest tight. Michael reaches across the table, holding his hand out palm up, signaling for Luke to take his hand. Luke reaches out, letting Michael grab their hand and squeeze.

“What can we do for you?” Calum asks.

“Some days I want to use he/him pronouns and some days I want to use they/them pronouns. I’ll start telling you guys in the morning how I feel, especially if we’re doing interviews or public appearances, so I don’t get misgendered or have anyone refer to me with gendered words. I don’t want to change my name, I like Luke. I just want to adjust how the world perceives me. And I don’t know how to come out online or what to say to our management,” Luke says. 

“Fuck management. You gotta do what’s important for you. Say whatever you want online, we’ll back you up,” Michael says, all determination and indignation. 

“But what about our fans? Or the online response? I still have to worry about that,” Luke points out.

“Fuck them if they don’t want to respect you. I don’t need those fans,” Calum says. Luke swallows trying to blink back their tears. Michael and Calum leave their seats, wrapping Luke up in a hug and pressing soft kisses to their head. Luke knows it’s not that simple, can’t just say fuck it to what management will think or how their fanbase will respond. Luke knows it can’t be simple, coming out, expressing their gender publicly. Maybe the first step is for Luke to change their pronouns on their twitter and instagram bios, letting the world find out as they check their page. Getting to see the fan reaction that way would be incredible, pouring out support for them and letting them know how valid they are without having to make a big declaration about it. Luke knows it’s going to be interviews and explanations, trying to talk to people about who they are, but it’s nice. The easy love and acceptance from their friends, knowing that no matter what, they have Ashton and Michael and Calum on their side. The world’s a little brighter for Luke, getting to be themselves, getting to be happy, getting to do it all with their friends. Right here, wrapped up in the guys and their hug, the world feels brighter and full of love and possibilities.