#She claims her wife left her but it was just her girlfriend. It also happened years ago and she hasn't moved on. She fears seeing her again

[2goo-p]

Elliot has grown on me so much she's like a fem Harry with a deep fear of confrontation and so many insecurities

[sweetteainthesummerx]

THE LOVE LASTS SO LONG

Ollie Bearman and his girlfriend turned wife, as seen from social media and the public. 

series masterlist

reader has a name and a no fc, but is portrayed as East Asian :) No warnings, probably going to have multiple parts :) ALSO NO HATE TO MACE CORONEL I literally searched up young actors and he popped up AND no hate to ollie and Estelle's relationship I just wanted to write for fun. pls be kind this is baby's first Tumblr post also someone pls help me how do I make my blog aesthetic

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

E-news!

TRENDING NOW

AUBREY YANG WINS OSCAR AT AGE 17

Aubrey Yang, age 17, wins Best Supporting Actress in break out role on blockbuster movie, Station 13. This young star has been acting since the age of 7, landing roles such in which she worked with household names like Michelle Yeoh and Robin Williams. Her astounding and emotional performance as a newly orphaned teen in the apocalypse adjacent Morgan Freeman has secured her spot in this tumultuous industry. In her acceptance speech, Yang delivered an impactful critique on Asian presence in Western Media and how her win is “ not just [hers], but for all of us”. 

Yang is set to star in upcoming movie, White Jade Tiger, a historical film based on the book of the same name, directed by John M. Chu next fall. 

See below for Audrey Yang’s Acceptance Speech I 2024 Academy Awards. 

aubreyyang posted

liked by morganfreeman, michelleyeoh_official, and 987,432 others

aubreyyang Wow. I am still in absolute shock. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me and helped make this happen. Here’s to more change and more love in the future! 

view all 26,183 comments

morganfreeman well done, and well deserved Aubrey. It was an honor seeing your incredible talent and hard work. 

— aubreyyang thank you so much for guiding me and imparting your wisdom!! I love you on set dad!

michelleyeoh_official They grow up so fast…proud of you, Aubrey!

— aubreyyang MICHELLE MY HERO

dior.n.goodjohn MY QUEEN YOUVE SLAYED TOO HARD IM AFRAID

— aubreyyang AHHH MY GF VAN TRIP WHEN???

user dior and aubrey are friends???

user2 yes they’re both from vancouver their friendship is so cute 

macecoronel ❤️

liked by author 

sabrinacarpenter girlboss

aubreyyang SABBB my lover

olliebearman posted

olliebearman Spring break, ready to get back on (the) track 😁

tagged: kimi.antonelli

comments are turned off.

liked by kimi.antonelli, arthur_leclerc, and 7,4720 others

celebgossipnews_page posted

celebgossipnews_page Aubrey Yang has won an Oscar: but is she winning in the love department? The actress was seen arguing with long-term boyfriend, Mace Coronel in front of Nobu Downtown last Friday night, at 9:00 pm. She left the restaurant in tears, without Coronel. Could this power couple break up at the height of Yang’s career?

Liked by 7344 others

view all 207 comments

user1 dude I hate him sm like wdym u pulled Aubrey, the baddest baddie out there

— user2 fr man is washed up

aubreyyyfanpage girl stand up that man is not worth it LEAVE HIM

— yang4eva WORDD miss ma’am he does not deserve u ONE CHANCE PLS

aubberieyaang posted

aubberieyaang as liv once said, its brutal out here 

liked by celine_diorr and others

view all 20 comments

celine_diorr NAH NO WAY LIL BRO CHEATED ON U LIKE WDYM

celine_diorr WHEN I CATCH U BRO WHEN I CATCH U

liv_laugh_love girl are r u ok u know its bad when ur quoting me

— aubberieyaang I can’t help it I start singing one step forward three steps back whenever I start crying

chuck_bushes do u want me and walker to go beat him up

— celine_diorr YO I want in

— aryannawhatrudoinghere me too

— walkdontrun pulling up to his house rn

— leeahh_j AUBREY I LOVE YOU DONT CRY

— aubberieyaang AW I LOVE U GUYS

dallastexas dude how r u showing up to set and pretending to be okay

dallastexas im gonna grab food and come over to urs

— aubberieyaang PLS. Also water im so dehydrated

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

© sweetteainthesummerx.tumblr. all rights reserved. unauthorized copying, translation, or claiming of my writing or any works as your own is strictly prohibited.

[marvelseries19]

THE ONLY MEMORY IS US KISSING IN THE MOONLIGHT

Pairing: Mary Earps x reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Summary: All of your memories are lost after a concussion... All but one.

A/N: First, it was meant to be a one-shot but, it turned out to be a bit too long for my liking so, in the next few days I should be able to post the second part if you want it. Despite studying to be a nurse, I have no idea how a concussion works, so, don't quote me on anything. Also, I used to play football like a hundred years ago, so, again, don't quote me on anything. I hoped to post this on Valentine's Day, but life happened, and I ended up driving my sister to get a few things, which set me back a lot. I hope you like it and I'm open to reading your feedback and your ideas if you want. I did not proofread it so, if you see a misspelled word or something... no you didn't.

Warnings: Mention of injuries mostly.

Word count: 1.4k+

[You do not have permission to repost or translate any of my stories or claim them as yours]

Part one

Manchester United vs. Manchester City 

It was Derby match day, and as such, you were all nervous about it. Everyone was very determined to get another win for the team. But there was no one more determined than your fiance. Mary tended to take it very hard whenever someone got the ball past her, especially on a Derby match, and you more than anyone knew how much it affected her, having witnessed Mary's dedication and passion for the game countless times before. Her commitment to the team was unwavering, and she always gave it her all on the field. The pressure of this match only fueled her determination further, making her even more focused on stopping every shot that came her way. It was also the reason you were so committed to ensuring she could, hopefully, maintain a clean sheet.

Traveling to the stadium proceeded as usual. Before heading outside to do the field inspection, you went to the changing rooms and put away your gear. Following one of your pre-match traditions, you went hand in hand, talking about some ideas and your hopes while also giving each other sweet, supportive words.

After you were done with the inspection, everyone headed toward the changing room to start getting ready to go out for the warm-up. "Baby…" Mary came to sit next to you in your cubby, holding the physio tape out for you to take. Another one of your traditions was for you to tape her fingers before every game. You kissed each of her fingers as you taped it, taking care to get it exactly how she wanted it. "All done, baby." You leaned in to kiss her cheek before she moved to tie your boots. When you first made it a tradition, your teammates made sure to tease you relentlessly about it, but after time passed, they realized how important it was for both of you and decided to just silently admire the dedication and love each of you put into the task.

It felt like you blinked when you suddenly had to get out to the tunnel to make your entrance, but not before sharing a sweet kiss with your soon-to-be wife.

The next hour passed like a blur. Each team left it all out on the field in the first half, both being very physical about their game. By this point, the goalkeepers were the only players who had not been taken down by another player. Leaving the first time 0–0 didn't help either to calm their playing strategies.

Halftime goes as expected. The pressure of the derby weighs heavily on everyone, especially on the defensive line and Mary, since the opposite team managed to break it a few times, creating dangerous opportunities that your girlfriend was successfully able to save.

Going to the second leg of the game, you were even more determined to help Mary get a clean sheet, so when the other team got a corner kick, you were inside the penalty box to make sure that the ball didn't get past the blond's hands.

Your heart was racing while you waited for the city player to take the corner, fighting to maintain the mark on your player. All that was on your mind was keeping that ball away from the danger zone, so when the ball was finally in the air, you, along with the other players, jumped to head the ball.

That is the last thing you get to see, as your head not only collides with the other footballer's head, but since you were near the post, your head ended up hitting it too. Mary got a hold of the ball, but before she could send it far, she noticed your unmoving body. Ella, who was near you, leaned down to make sure you were okay, but if the blood on your forehead wasn't enough to scare her, your lack of response was.

The medics are rushed to the playground, worried that head injuries can become bad really fast. Mary is stuck in place, not able to do anything more than call out for you in hopes that you open your eyes.

"Baby, please just open your eyes." A nudge from Zelem takes her out of her shock, finally making her way toward you.

"We need to take her to the hospital; she's not waking up." One of the physios said as they called in the paramedics on standby at each game.

"I need to go with her," Mary said to her captain. "Go, I'll talk to the coach." With a pat on the goalkeeper's shoulder, she sent her on her way. "Let me know what happens!"

—

Mary is left in the waiting area, concerned about your condition, while you are hurried into the hospital for some scans to determine the extent of the injuries. She understands that injuries are inevitable in such a physically demanding sport, but it breaks her heart to watch the person she loves so much lying on the ground, unable to open her eyes. The blonde was struggling mightily with her tears, trying not to think of the worst-case scenario because she knew it would not help.

The remainder of the squad started to move toward the waiting room an hour later. Even though Mary wasn't crying just yet, her expression made it obvious that she was frightened about your condition, and they were all rather concerned about it.

They didn't have to wait much longer for a status report. The doctor appears through the door of the waiting room. "Y/n Y/l/n's family?"

Mary shot up from her seat. "Yes, I'm her fiance."

"I have some news; there are no signs of intracranial bleeding, which was our main concern, but she does have a pretty serious concussion, so I must warn you. She may present some loss of memory, but it will be temporary, and there is no way of knowing how much time it will take for her to recover it or how much of it she'll lose if she does at all."

"So, she's going to be okay, right?" Mary said, her voice filled with concern.

"Yes, she will need to rest a lot and take it easy for a while, but she's going to be okay." Everyone could feel the tension leave their shoulders. "Would you like to see her?"

"Yes, please." The doctor was quick to direct the blonde to your room. Mary wanted to cry at the sight of you, so small on the hospital bed and with a big bandage on your head.

"Remember that she might not know who you are just yet; just be gentle with her." The keeper could only nod to the doctor. "I'll leave you with her; if you need anything, just press the button on the side of her bed."

Mary walked next to you and held your hand in one of hers; with the other, she very gently caressed your cheek, not wanting to disturb you in any way. She was scared out of her mind. You were about to get married; you were supposed to enjoy this chapter of your life, and now you might not even remember who she was.

The first few hours were the easiest for her. The more time that passed, the more she worried. What was taking so long? The doctor had said that you would be okay; it was just a concussion.

Your teammates had tried in vain to lift her spirits, but at least they'd succeeded in getting the blonde to change out of her still-fitting team kit and take a shower.

The shower, the strong emotions of the day, and the game you had played tired her out. She fell asleep with her head resting next to your body on the bed while holding your hand for dear life.

—

Your eyelids flickered open and then shut again as soon as you noticed the room's brightness; this made the pounding sensation in your head worse. You tried moving your hand to cover your face when you felt a weight on top of it. The movement stirred Mary up, who took a second to understand what was happening.

"Baby, you're awake," Mary whispered with a mixture of relief and concern in her voice. She gently moved her head from your body and sat up, allowing you to adjust to the light. "How are you feeling?" she asked, her eyes filled with worry.

"Who are you?"

To be continued…

[sunsetcougar]

So while stuff is going down in the Lyrebird AU’s Heaven, stuff is also happening in Hell!

Lucifer, having started to pay a little more attention to his kingdom, hears some rumors that peak his interest and goes to investigate. What does he find? A lyrebird esc sinner who is very drunk and lamenting to a very exhausted bartender about how much he misses his girlfriend.

Even in this new form Lucifer recognizes Adam almost immediately. Huh, guess the First Man wasn’t as flawless as he claimed to be if he was down here with the rest of the filth.

Lucifer slips onto the stool beside him, and Adam… is to drunk to recognize him. The bartender takes the opportunity to flee and Lucifer is left listening to Adam bemoaning his separation from his girlfriend, who in his words is, “the hottest, smartest, sexiest, stabby-est bitch in the entire universe and why couldn’t she have just been my wife from the start? She’s so much better than both of those bitches the fucking angels made and I didn’t even get to marry her! Have you seen my girlfriend? Shes got, like, a great rack and so many muscles I think she could probably decapitate me with her thighs if she wanted and I’d say thank you cause obviously you gotta say thank you when the most beautiful woman ever squeezes your head between her thighs and you get to-”

Lucifer is regretting following his curiosity as Adam’s rant gets more and more vulgar and disturbingly graphic.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

This may be a weird request, but pls hear me out. Could you do something in the format of those headcanons you write for EM characters—like which planet they are associated with—but just describing the character and their role in the series/movie in like 2-3 sentences? Like a trivia of sorts. I’ve only seen HOTD, and while some of his chars can be googled easily, like Osferth or Tom Bennet, the ones like Genyen or Michael are very obscure to me due to not having seen the stuff they’re from yet, and there isn’t always a wiki page available for them. You being the #1 Ewan Mitchell expert, I don’t really know who else to approach with such a thing. Please & I’d be very thankful 🏵💞🍀

Yeah, I can certainly do that for you. Below the cut!

Abraham - features in only one episode of a long running soap opera called Grantchester. The main protagonist of the series happens across a Romani camp. Ewan plays a character who is engaged to a girl named Luella. Luella keeps disappearing off. When Luella's father won't tell Abraham where she's going, he kills him with a fireplace poker. It later transpires that Luella is having an affair with the farmer whose land they're camped on and she doesn't want to marry Abraham at all. He's upset, not only at the loss of his wife-to-be, but also because he was next in line to become leader of their settlement, and has ruined that by killing someone from their community.

Aemond - Second son of Viserys Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. Bit of a twat, resentful because his dragon egg never hatched in his cradle. Claims his dead aunt's dragon, and his nephew gets the arsehole with him and knifes him in the face for it. He loses hie eye, but puts a gnarly sapphire in the socket in its place. Kills his nephew for rocking up to Storm's End and cockblocking him, which starts a war within his family and loads of them die. Gets distracted by a big tiddy witch and spends the rest of the war slinging one up her until eventually him and his uncle commit murder suicide.

Billy Taylor - sweetest little treasure in the world. Works as a bell boy at a hotel called the Halcyon, which quite frankly ought to be shut down for its negligent business practices. Anyway, Billy is sweet on a maid called Kate. When a hotel guest assaults her, he pulls the guy's own gun on him and narrowly avoids getting the sack for it. His mum interferes in his drafting, because she doesn't want him going overseas to fight in the war, so he's stationed at the London army barracks manning the anti aircraft guns. Dies anyway, because he gets blown up.

Billy Washington - hopeless brother of boss bitch Lana Washington. Doesn't have a job, has been refused from the army and feels pretty shit about life. His girlfriend has left him and his flat's a shit state. Because of his mardy outlook on life, a fascist organisation is able to radicalise him and frames him for vandalising a Halal butcher's. They later plant a bomb in his car, with the intention of it going off when he gets out at Farringdon station, where an anti fascist protest is taking place. Lana intercepts him on route, and he drives to Cranstead Gardens instead. He panics in the car, not knowing what to do, and against all advice, ends up opening the door to get out, which sets off the bomb and kills him.

Ettore - on board a space ship with other death row inmates to try to find alternative energy resources. Essentially understood that it's a suicide mission, but the doctor on board is conducting heinous fertility experiments on everyone. They are not allowed to sleep with each other, but have a "box" that they can go into to masturbate. Ettore is generally considered creepy by everyone on board, and he is really perverted - lots of inappropriate staring, etc. One night, he sneaks into the cell of an inmate called Boyse and tries to rape her. When her bunkmate, Mink, tries to defend her he beats her up. Eventually, male members of crew are alerted and Ettore is beaten to a pulp. Mink then stabs him through the eye and he's chucked out of the airlock.

Genyen - Only in one episode of a soap opera called Doctors. Introduced in a Buddhist centre with a senior monk called Jinba. Jinba tells him to go out and collect money for the centre. A doctor from the series runs into him while he's collecting and feels sorry for him because he looks cold. He gives him his lunch and donates £20, which Genyen tucks into his robe instead of the charity box. Jinba sees and takes the money off of Genyen. At this point it seems as though Genyen is being mistreated by Jinba, and the doctor seems to think this too, so when Genyen wants to leave he gives him cash to help him. It then transpires that the reason Jinba doesn't want Genyen handling large sums of money is because he steals. He stole Jinba's bank card when he left and empties his bank account at an ATM. He is apprehended by the doctor though and the police are called.

Jack - from the short, Fire. Jack has an ability where the angrier he gets the more fire he is able to produce. His dad and him have made a living out of stealing cars. Jack runs away when he decides he doesn't want to do it anymore and his dad pursues him through the woods. Gets so angry his fire powers causes him to fell an entire tree.

Jason - from the film, Just Charlie, plays a guy hanging out at a play park. Beats up a girl when he finds out she's trans.

Michael Gavey - a student at Oxford. Befriends Oliver Quick because he believes him to be a social outcast, much like he is. Is a mathematical genius. Is quickly ditched by Oliver when he manages to befriend the more popular students. Incredibly abrasive, outspoken and looks down upon the popular students as he believes them to be "vapid cunts".

Osferth - King Alfred's bastard. Enrolled as a novice monk, but leaves the monastery when he's of age to join Uhtred, as his uncle Leofric had always spoken fondly of him. Not a particularly seasoned fighter, but brave in his own right and extremely loyal. Incredibly kind and maintains his faith throughout, but has some absolutely cracking one lines. "What is smite?" "Well, it's a word, isn't it?" Fucks like a dinosaur, according to the prostitutes of Winchester. Dies when he's stabbed in the side during battle, and it's honestly one of the most heart wrenching scenes I've ever watched in my life.

Poacher - from the short, Stalker, this film is minutes long and Ewan appears in it for seconds and says nothing. Plays a poacher that is in trouble for illegally hunting deer on private land. Just stands there holding a rifle.

Scott - from the film Stereotype. Literally only a voice part - a voicemail of Scott encouraging his friend to beat someone up.

Tom Bennett - a troublemaker that always seems to be attracting the attention of the police. He doesn't want to be drafted into the war, so decides to sign up as a conscientious objector. However, when it transpires that his latest crime is more serious than he realised, he enlists in the navy to avoid going to prison. Is stationed aboard the HMS Exeter and has a canary named Vera, which he takes bets for which ports she'll lay eggs in. Survives the Battle of the River Plate and it matures him. He's short in Dunkirk and ends up in a hospital in Paris around the time that they surrender to the Nazis. Is snuck out and across the Spanish border. In season two, somewhere on his way back home he stopped for a haircut that was administered by a lawnmower. His father died when their house was shelled and he blames his sister for it. He then goes back to war.

Will - from the short Salad Days. Robs people's houses with two of his friends. Discovers a gun in one of them and uses it to hold up a post office. Takes a worker hostage and his friends freak out and run away. He lets the guy go, but when his friend reveals he wants to go to the police about what they did, he beats him up because he doesn't want to go to prison or give back the money they stole.

[p0isonyouth]

Mastermind | Spencer Reid

Spencer Reid didn't want to love again.

After the passing of his late girlfriend, Maeve Donovan, the young genius believed that everyone in his life would eventually leave him.

So he chose not to get attached.

Valeria Bela had no time for love.

Though the young woman grew up in a home full of love and care, she refused to have her feelings get in the way of her work once again.

So she chose to be closed off.

Both Spencer and Valeria had come to terms with their resentment of love, more so what had happened to get them to feel so negatively about it. But, when young Supervisory Special Agent Bela joins the BAU, both soon forget about their rule with strong rivalry and stolen kisses.

A/N - Unfortunately, I do not own Criminal Minds, nor their characters or plots. I do not own dialogue, cases, or episodes, those go to the beautiful minds of the writers (MGG EPISODES !!!!). I also do not own any of the gifs presented in this story. These were picked at random via Pinterest. I do, however, own Valeria Bela as well as any other characters that are not created by the Criminal Minds enterprise. I also own plotlines that are designed by me. Without further ado, welcome to Mastermind!

P.S. - Valeria's face claim is Shay Mitchell. Timothy's is Pedro Pascal. Antonio's is Avan Jogia. And it's up to interpretation whom her mother's is.

Warnings:

Since you are reading a Criminal Minds Fanfic, I'm sure you expect what is to happen in episodes, but just in case you like jumping into a fandom by fanfic, here's some trigger warnings: assault, depression/depressive episodes, gore, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, sexual innuendos, swearing, torture, violence, etc... ( there are way more, but i'm sure you get the point)

NOTICE ~ CHAPTER ONE

"YOU COMING, ROSSI?" Timothy Bela questioned his partner as he started the engine of a government-owned black SUV. 

They were chasing an unsub that they had been after for weeks, a serial killer who targeted normal families. With all the information gathered, they had determined their suspect to be Stephen Jenkins, a 28-year-old man. The boy was an orphan, always by himself until he went to college, found a job, and married the so-called love of his life. That was until she passed away a couple months later. The man kept to himself, only venturing out of his house every so often. To kill.

Timothy Bela and David Rossi had no doubts that the sadistic man was not working alone due to his elaborate work, but they had to catch him first.

Timothy lived for the thrill of the chase. He loved the adrenaline that spiked in his veins as he was catching an unsub, however, he knew he had to be more careful with his life. Timothy had a wife now, Meredith Bela, and two children, nine-year-old Valeria, and one-year-old Antonio. He was expected to be a role model, a parent, and most importantly, a hero.

The red and blue lights flashed from the top of the black SUV as the duo raced through the streets to catch their unsub. David Rossi's eyes focused on the streets ahead but moved over to his partner and longtime best friend for a brief second. "So, how are the kids, Timothy? Is Valeria still up to her usual trouble?"

"She sees her Uncle Rossi a little too much for her own good." The man said with a small chuckle, turning the wheel to make a hard left turn. "Wants to be just like us when she's older."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Bela." 

The black vehicle stopped in front of an abandoned house, the wooden planks that once blocked the door from being entered were littered on the broken-down porch. "What an idiot," Timothy commented as he took his gun out of his holster, approaching the opened door. Rossi came behind him, making sure that the coast was clear.

The two stepped into the house, the floorboards creaking beneath their feet. Timothy winced as the sound pierced his ears, venturing deeper into the house with a careful foot. "Don't you come any closer!" A voice said as Rossi and Bela entered into a hallway. The voice was weak, tired, and out of breath. "I said don't you come any closer to me!"

"FBI! Stephen Jenkins, come out slowly, hands up." Rossi yelled gun brandished in front of him.

"I don't want any trouble. Just go away, don't come any closer!" Stephen called out again, his back against the wall. If he peered to the right a little, he could see the eyes of the men in a mirror that hung against the wall. "I have a gun, I'll use it."

"Yeah, so do we, kid." Timothy was confused. This man didn't seem like who they were looking for at all, he didn't seem like he'd hurt a fly. He was done playing the boy's game, hoping to hurry up the delay so he could get home to his family. "You have one last chance to get out here or I'm coming inside."

"I-i can't." 

"Why not?" Rossi asked, getting no reply in return. He motioned for Timothy quietly to go into the room at the looming silence, when suddenly a loud thud hit their ears. The two men raced into the room as the sounds of their team members slamming their car doors echoed outside.

Timothy entered the dusty, dark room first, desperately trying to find a source of light. He walked further into the room, pulling a cord that led to a light bulb in the middle of the room. Slightly turning, he rested his eyes on the body of Stephen Jenkins lying on the floor, shriveled in pain and frankly red as wine. The blonde boy, barely a man, struggled to breathe, his face turning pale as if he had been suddenly drained of all that was keeping him alive. Timothy's stomach dropped, and Rossi made his way to his partner's side to investigate. "Dear god," Rossi sighed, crouching to examine the pale body.

Stephen's body had bloody gashes all over him, carved into his chest like some satanic ritual. The young man looked up at the two men, fear written all over his face. His blue eyes were slightly dilated, his hands trembled, and his body squirmed.

"Stephen, who did this to you?" Timothy said, staring the young man in the eyes. 

"He..." Stephen started before choking on the blood that wound up in his throat. "He just wanted you to notice."

"Wanted who to notice what?" Rossi asked, holding pressure on Stephen's wounds, knowing it was no use.

"He wanted Timothy Bela... to notice." He said, finally succumbing to his injuries. The rest of the department entered the room, examining the scene as Rossi looked up at Timothy with confusion. Timothy's eyes never left the young man, his mind focused on what he was to notice.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✧ ★ ✧꒱ ˎˊ˗

Valeria watched her mother pull out the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies from the oven, the delicious smell immediately hitting her nostrils. Her mouth watered for the sweet treat, getting up from her spot across from her baby brother to her mother who was standing at the counter. "How much longer until we can eat the cookies, mama?" 

Meredith laughed, taking the oven mitts off of her hands. "In a few minutes, mi amor. They must cool down first."

Valeria nodded happily, going back to sit across from her little brother, Antonio. "I can't wait until you are able to eat cookies, Antonio. I think you'll like them!" Baby Antonio gurgled in response to his older sister, slamming his tiny hands on the baby seat tray. The girl grinned, going back to drawing on a piece of paper with her crayons. 

Meredith watched her children from afar with a sad smile, disappointed that her husband was missing out on all the little moments of their children's lives. She didn't regret moving to Quantico, it was a good environment for their family. She just wished that Timothy wasn't so occupied with solving crimes. The sound of loud knocking had taken the woman out of her thoughts, as she made her way to the front door.

As she opened the door, a tall man stood in front of her, a gun pointed at her forehead. Her eyes widened with fear, as she took three steps backward into the living room. It was a rare occasion for Meredith to let her nerves get the best of her, but her mind was blank as her eyes locked on the barrel of the gun. The man followed her inside, a sinister smile appearing on his face. "Meredith Bela, as beautiful as I remember. It's been a long time, don't you remember me?"

Meredith swallowed a sob, remembering that her children were in the next room. A faux smile appeared on her face as she smiled. "I do remember, of course, I do."

The man's smile dropped, a scowl taking its place. "Don't lie to me, darling."

"I-i'm not lying. I do remember you." Her voice waivered, the gun practically resting on her forehead. 

"No need to get defensive, Meredith. I'm just playing." He sneered. "I want to say hello to the kids, let's go to the kitchen." The woman planted her feet, shaking her head frantically.

"Please don't hurt them, take me. Don't hurt them." 

"Let's remember who has the gun and who is begging for their children's lives to be saved. The kitchen. Go!" He yelled, aggressively pulling her into the kitchen. Valeria looked up to see her mother in pain, tears flowing down her cheeks. She tilted her head in confusion, watching as the man bent down to her level. "Hello, Valeria."

"Hello. Do I know you?" She asked, staring into the man's cold, blue eyes. 

"I'm a friend of your father's."

"Daddy's not home, so maybe you should come back later." Valeria shrugged the man off, going back to coloring on her paper. "And you can't have any cookies because they aren't cooled off yet."

The man stood shocked at her manners, gritting his teeth with a fake smile. The girl's face didn't show an ounce of emotion like she didn't question his intentions at all. He was intrigued by the young girl, albeit amused. 

"That's enough, now leave our house." Meredith spat, wrestling her wrist out of the man's grip, grabbing a kitchen knife that lay on the counter. "Get out, now!"

Valeria turned to look at her mother, realizing that the man wasn't a friendly visitor. A chill ran down her spine as the man began to laugh, shaking his head at her mother. "And I thought you were always up for a challenge, Meredith. Truly a shame that we had to do this so quickly." He took out his gun with a sad sigh, resting his finger on the trigger.

And shooting her quickly between the eyes.

The young girl wasn't sure if there was a sound. Valeria felt so lightheaded that she knew it wasn't long before she would pass out. She blinked but couldn't see anything except her mother's cold, dead eyes on the floor.

The man smirked at his work, turning to face the two children. Antonio was bawling at the loud noise, not realizing what had happened, and Valeria stood still with shock and fear. The man approached the crying baby, attempting to coo him. "There, there. She wasn't that special anyways." 

"What are you gonna do?" Valeria croaked out, her mouth dry from tears.

"Excuse me?" 

"What are you gonna do with us?" She questioned.

"You see, I hadn't planned that far ahead." He spoke slowly, walking over to the counter and grabbing a cookie from the rack. He took a bite, chewing with his mouth open. "Cookie?" He offered, sitting back down at the table after getting no reply. "You see, I have to get rid of the evidence that I was here... which means you two have to go. And he'll finally notice me."

Valeria stood, staring at the table, not daring to look into the man's murderous eyes. "Go? Notice you?"

"Go. Die. Exterminate. Croak. There's a lot of ways to say it." He dismissed by waving his hands, grabbing a cigarette and lighter out of his pocket. He put the cigarette to his mouth, lighting the end of it. "It's a shame really, I was starting to like you guys."

"You can't cause a fire with just one cigarette." The girl said, crossing her arms. "You need a reactant of some sort to cause the fire. Which you didn't do."

"Which I did do, actually, little girl. Do you really think that I haven't planned this through? Watch and-" He said, coughing as his cigarette smoke hit his lungs. Valeria raised an eyebrow at the man, rolling her eyes in disbelief. Amid his coughing fit, he dropped the lit cigarette on the table. The tablecloth immediately burst into flames, catching on the man. He screamed out in pain as the flames engulfed him, Valeria rushing to unbuckle her younger brother from his seat.

The man fell backward as the flames got wider, soon covering half of the kitchen. Valeria ran out into the living room with her brother in her grasp, looking for a way to escape. "This is why you don't smoke, Antonio." She said out of nervousness, as the fire captured the wall of the house. 

They were trapped inside.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✧ ★ ✧꒱ ˎˊ˗

Timothy Bela bid Rossi goodbye as he finally finished his paperwork for the case. Though it hadn't gone the way that he wanted it to go, they were closer to solving the murders. As he headed out the door, an agent ran to him, calling his name. "Bela! Bela! Bela!" 

The man turned, eyes finding the panicked state of the agent. "Bernhards? What's going on?"

"Your house! It's all over the news!"

"My house? The man questioned his eyes widening in worry. "Bernhards, what's wrong with my house? Finish your sentence, goddammit!"

"It's on fire...!" The man said, exasperated and out of breath. "Your house is on fire!"

Bela didn't hear the man any longer as he ran to his car, racing down the streets to get to his house. Fear ran in his veins as he thought about his family, wondering if they had made it outside yet. Little did he know, they were still inside. 

By the time Timothy got to his house, news anchors surrounded the lawn. The house was up in flames, immediately consuming everything from the inside. He spotted his neighbors, running over to them and asking multitudes of questions. "Did Meredith and the kids make it out? Has anyone called the fire department? Has anyone gone in yet to check?" The neighbors shook their heads in worry, watching the flames blaze. 

Everyone outside had no idea what to do while they waited for the fire department to get there. Nobody dared to run inside and start saving the family themselves. 

Worry struck the man's features as he started to strip himself of his jacket and tie. One neighbor, Eugenia Miller, a kind lady from across the street, grabbed his arm. "You are not going in there, Timothy." 

"I'm not letting my family burn alive. Every second that fire is getting worse and worse and my children are in there." He broke himself free from her grip, hogging into the house. The flames flew behind him as he kicked down the door, entering the house. 

"Dear god, that man is a maniac," Eugenia muttered, joining the rest of the neighbors. 

Timothy ran into the kitchen, stumbling upon the burnt body of the man, his gun still in his hands. The agent furrowed his eyebrows, looking at where the table once was, before seeing the body of his wife. He choked back a sob, covering his mouth with his hands, pressing the white sleeve of his uniform to his mouth to breathe. "Meredith, amore mio." He whispered, exiting the kitchen after not bearing to see the sight any longer. "Valeria? Valeria, where are you?" He called out, his hope leaving him every second.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✧ ★ ✧꒱ ˎˊ˗

The only thing that Valeria could process during the smoke was the pain she was in. Her broken heart, her ears ringing, and a burn on her right thigh. She held her brother close to her, putting her thin sleeve over his mouth so he could breathe filtered air. She placed a kiss on his forehead, closing her eyes. "We're going to be okay, little brother. I promise. They're coming for us." As she calmed herself down, she visualized firefighters calling out her name, hoping they would reach her on time. 

She was exhausted; her throat burned with every swallow, her muscles ached, and her lungs were starting to sting from the gathering smoke that slowly leaked into the enclosed space that they were trapped in. It didn't help that Antonio started crying once again. With nothing to calm him down with, she closed her eyes tight, praying that someone would save them soon.

"Valeria!" She heard a voice shout from somewhere. "Valeria?"

"In here!" She cried out with all that was left in her. "Help! Please help!" A sob ripped from her throat, joining the cries of her younger brother. 

Timothy appeared, moving rubble out of the doorway as he entered the room. He gazed at the sight of his two children, rushing to hold them in his arms as they cried. "Valeria, Antonio. You're okay, I got you."

"Daddy, mama's dead." Valeria cried into her father's shoulder. "She's gone!"

"I know, baby. I know." He soothed, rubbing her hair. He pulled away from his daughter, noticing the large burn on her leg. "Your leg, Valeria. Can you walk on it?"

"I don't think I can."

He looked behind him at the doorway, watching as small flames began to form at the bottom of it. Cradling Antonio in his left arm, he picked up the young girl with his right. "Hold your breath, Valeria, close your eyes for me." She did what she was told as the agent made his way through the fire, making sure his children were not harmed any further. He met the fire department halfway, sobbing in relief as they made it completely out of the house.

Valeria and Antonio were taken out of his arms as he collapsed to his knees on the front lawn. A paramedic ran to his side, grasping his shoulders. "Sir, you have to calm down. Let us check you out." He cried out, his head touching the cool, wet grass. 

Rossi arrived at the scene, racing toward his best friend. "Timothy, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay." 

"Meredith is dead." Timothy gasped out, looking up at the man. Rossi helped him up, leading him to the back of an ambulance to get checked out. "Valeria and Antonio-"

"They'll be okay," Rossi reassured, nodding to the paramedic as she finished checking on him. "They're together, on their way to the hospital. You're going too."

"I'm done with this, Rossi." Timothy looked back at his friend as he was put into an ambulance to join his children. "I can't do this anymore. This happened because of me. I quit." 

[babygirl-diaz]

I would really love to read a Love Actually style fanfic for 9-1-1 with all the couples. I wanted to write it this year but I am just not in the mood to write fics. So here is my idea of what happens in the story instead:

- We meet Athena first and find out that she is recently divorced after her now ex-husband came out as gay. Every one of her friends is trying to set her up with someone but none of the guys they want to set her up with pique her interest. Until her friend Henrietta sets her up with on a blind date. This is the only guy who sounds remotely interesting so she decides to give it a try. Besides she trusts Hen not to set her up on a bad date. So she goes on this date and meets Bobby. Bobby is cute and funny but after a misunderstanding, Athena leaves.

- Then we meet Hen. Hen is on her way to Athena’s to talk to her after her bad date when she gets into an accident with a lady who bites her head off because she has her son in the car and she thinks Hen is drunk because of how fast she was driving. Despite all this, Hen can’t help but find this woman, Karen, really cute. Except Karen doesn’t think the same.

- Then we meet Maddie and Chimney. These two are already in a relationship. But the spark that was once there in their relationship seems to have fizzled over the years. Chimney has been highly suspicious lately though, and Maddie’s brother plants a seed in her head that Chimney might be cheating on her. So Maddie gets a little paranoid and accuses Chimney of cheating who angrily leaves their place.

- Then finally we meet Eddie. Eddie has just moved to LA with his son after the death of his wife. One night, while he is asleep, some drunk guy breaks into his apartment. Eddie calls the cops but then fights the burglar off himself who thinks Eddie is the one who broke into HIS apartment. The cop, Athena, gets there and arrests the drunk guy, Buck, who claims that he lives upstairs in apartment 916 and accidentally got off on the 8th floor and went to apartment 816. When he couldn’t get in, in his drunk state, he broke down the door. Athena doesn’t believe his absurd story and arrests him anyway.

- They go back to the police station and Buck calls his boss to come bail him out. The boss turns out to be Bobby and he and Athena meet again. Bobby bails Buck out and talks to Athena and they resolve their misunderstanding. He invites her to a Christmas party at the firehouse where he and Buck work.

- Buck goes back to Eddie to apologize and meets his son who takes an immediate liking to Buck. Eddie is still wary of Buck but after his own investigation he found out that Buck indeed lives in the apartment right above him. Buck offers to help fix Eddie’s broken door and the two bond, leading Buck to reveal that he was drunk because his girlfriend just left him and went overseas. Buck then invites Eddie and his son to the firehouse Christmas party after he finds out that Eddie is in the fire academy and about to graduate. He wants him to meet Bobby and hopefully get recruited to his firehouse.

- At the party, Hen, who is also a firefighter, is surprised when she runs into Karen and her son, Denny, again. Turns out Karen is a friend of Chimney, also a firefighter, and he has invited her to the party. It was Chimney’s secret plan to get the two of them together but he is surprised to learn that they’ve already met and got off on the wrong foot. But Hen and Karen talk and resolve their misunderstanding and Denny absolutely loves Hen.

- Maddie arrives at the party with Jee-Yun and she and Chimney refuse to talk to each other but then Maddie breaks the silence and asks “who is she?” to which Chimney reveals that there is no one. He was just taking extra shifts at the firehouse because he wanted to surprise Maddie on Christmas and take her to this expensive, ritzy hotel. Maddie is surprised and she immediately finds Buck and hands Jee over to him so that he can babysit him for the night. She also tells him that they will definitely about his breakup and arrest when she and Chimney get back the next day. Chimney also tells Buck that they’re gonna talk the next day because Buck was the one who practically instigated the fight between Maddie and him.

- All in all, it’s a happy ending.

[arziaisfrench]

▪︎ IPKKND Ep 174 : Happy hearing how much she cares so much for him - Kissing her (part1)

" -Where were you?

-… " Arnav is smilling.

-"What are you looking at me like that? Why are you standing silently? When and where you went? Why didn't you inform anyone?

-… "

Khushi was extremely worried about Arnav's safety. Just like he also can be when he thinks she might be in a bad situation.

Arnav disappeared for three hours without answering his phone, something he never does.

He probably went somewhere in secret, probably in relation to Khushi. Where did he go? He also clearly lied to Anjali when she asked him about it ! 👀

"- Do you know how many times I tried to call you? Do you even …

-Why? Are you bothered if I leave?

-It does bother me ! I'm so worried !"

He's so suprised to see her that worried for him. His heart is so happy, he can't hide the satisfaction in his face, full of smiles. CUUUTIE !!

Khushi starts questioning him about his absence confessing she cares. He loves every second of that questioning session lol. He makes sure she repeats how worried she was. He got words, a confession, not what he has in mind, but it's enough to make him happy.

"Be careful Khushi, orselse, I'll think you're worried about me!"

Arnav is even more happy, she's behaving as if she was his girlfriend/wife. And he loves her openly claiming him.

"Why is everyone worried about me?"

Arnav is annoyed seing Khushi leaving, and the fact that they are yet again, missing the chance for them to speak about their relationship more, because of Anjali's entrance.

He makes sure to let her know with this sentence that he knows that indeed she's worry for him, worried like a girlfriend can be for the man she loves. He wants her to know that there is no turning back from that confession.

"At least I got to know how much I'll get missed."

There is no turning back indeed. Khushi claimed her man to the point of puting a A on her hand unconsciously LMAO !

Arnva is shocked and really touched to hear the phone message she left accidently.

"So she was also willing to admit she cares for me on the phone? She said it, without me trying to make her confess !! My precious Khushi ! I didn't just caught her being worried for me in secret, she wasn't trying to hide it , I need to talk to her, I can't miss that chance !"

" -So you called me?

-No …not at all, when?"

Arnav clearly heard her voicemail but here she is, still trying to deny she did. Arnav can't hide the smile on his face and the love in his eyes. He finds her so adorable !!!

"So you were worried"

"Khushi say it to my face, I want to hear it from you again! Tell me how much important I am to you! I know you said it because you thought something bad happen to me ! I want you to tell me you just care no matter what ! Then, I would ask you why, and you would've to answer, do it Khushi pleeeeease !! Let's hurry, and move to the next step already !"

Arnav's eyes lighten when he saw the A on Khushi hand! Another evidence after that voicemail that Khushi can't deny! This scene is one of my favs, ugh I love how he's teasing her !! My babies are so cuute !

But Khushi is too embarrassed to the point of trying to say that the voice in that voicemail isn't hers and the A as nothing to do with his name LOOOL GIIIIIIRL !!! 😂🤣😅

Arnav can't be mad at her ridiculous attempts to hide how much she cares, especially when her attempts are ridiculously so adorable haha. She's so cute, he wants to kiss her. And he will try soon hehe !

Khushi sense how annoyed Arnav is because of Nk ruining his attempt to make her confess.

From that moment, she'll use Nk to annoy Arnav. She can now see he doesn't like how Nk tries to flirt with her, how jealous he is !! 😏

At this point, the only thing Khushi doesn't know is how much he cares for her. She knows he likes her and desires her. But still can't dare to believe is in love with her as much as she is with him !

Khushi choose to use Nk because Arnav didn't give her any other choice. He didn't take pity on her when he knew how much embarrassed she was for having to face all those evidences of her feelings lol.

So she decides to play his "game", she uses the evidence she found out just now for her revenge. What evidence? HIS jealousy !

Khushi doesn't know Arnav is jealous not because he sees Nk as a credible rival but because it bothers him to see him steal her attention and most importantly, he reminds him of what he still couldn't achieve : make her smile.

[rachelbethhines]

Speed-running Doctor Who - 13th Doctor and the Fugitive Doctor

A quick and dirty guide for those who want to get into the show, but don't want to watch everything from the beginning.

For Those Who Just Wanna Get An Idea of the Era

Kerblam! - S37E7

A good outing for the 'Fam', everyone has something to do and the plot is typical of the era. Politically aware, but perhaps not as left leaning as people would like. Features striking but understated design and has call backs to past stories with out being too continuity heavy

Plot Important Episodes

Entrances, Exits, Enemies, Lore Drops, and Character Development

The Woman Who Fell to Earth - S37E1 (first story to feature the 13th Doctor. Introduces Gram, his grandson Ryan, and Yaz. Also features the recurring villain Tzim-Sha, who becomes Gram's nemesis after he murders his wife Grace)

The Ghost Monument - S37E2 (the Doctor goes on a quest to get her Tardis back and the Fam have their first off-Earth adventure)

Arachnids in the UK - S37E4 ( we meet Yaz's family and are introduced to Robertson, a minor reoccurring antagonist)

Demons of the Punjab - S37E6 (character development for Yaz)

It Takes You Away - S37E9 (character development for Gram and Ryan)

The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos - S37E10 (Gram plans to kill his wife's murder, Tzim-Sha)

Resolution - 2019 New Years Special (Ryan dead beat dad turns up after years of being gone, oh and the Daleks are back)

Spyfall - S38E1&E2 (meet the Dhawan Master, oh and Gallifrey is destroyed again after just getting it back 🙄)

Fugitive of the Judoon - S38E5 (The start of the Fugitive Doctor arc, the return of Captain Jack, and foreshadowing for the season finale)

Can You Hear Me? - S38E7 (character development for everyone and the return of the Eternals)

The Haunting of Villa Diodati - S38E8 (introduces the Lone Cyberman and leads directly into the season finale)

Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children - S38E9&E10 (ending of the Lone Cyberman arc and introduces the controversial Timeless Child theory into the lore)

Revolution of the Daleks - 2021 New Years Special (Jack break the Doctor out of prison, Robertson joins forces with the Daleks, and it's Ryan's last episode)

The Halloween Apocalypse - S39E1 (start of the Flux arc and we're introduced to Dan, Karvanista, Vinder, Claire, Dan's girlfriend Diane, and the show's newest villains Swarm and Azure, who want to destroy the universe)

War of the Sontarans - S39E2 (The Sontarans have used the Flux disaster to alter time and conquer Earth, we also meet Vinder's wife Bel)

Once, Upon Time - S39E3 (The 13th Doctor regains some of her missing memories and we see how the Fugitive Doctor first defeated Swarm and Azure while working for the Division)

Village of the Angels - S39E4 (we find out what happened to Claire and meet Professor Jericho, the Doctor is captured by the Division)

Survivors of the Flux - S39E5 (the Doctor finally meets the leader of the Division, Tecteun; one of the founders of Time Lord society along side Rassilon and Omega. Tecteun claims to be the Doctor's adopted parent and the inventor of reintegration but the Doctor doesn't remember them. Tecteun is then killed off before the Doctor can discover the truth, meanwhile the Sontarans are still messing with time and working to undermine UNIT in the future)

The Vanquishers - S39E6 (The end of the Flux arc, Swarm and Azure are defeated, the Sontarans are overthrown with the help of UNIT, Karvanista is the sole survivor of his people and leaves the Doctor, blaming her for his misfortune, Vinder and Bel are reunited, Jericho dies, and Claire is returned to her proper place in time, and the Doctor decides that she doesn't want to know about her past anymore)

Eve of the Daleks - 2022 New Years Special (we get are first overt confirmation that Yaz is in love with the Doctor)

Legend of the Sea Devils - 2022 Easter Special (Yaz finally confesses her feelings for the Doctor, who returns them but says she's not interested in starting another romantic relationship and they agree to remain friends)

The Power of the Doctor - The BBC's Centenary Special (sixth multidoctor story, the return of Gram, Ace, Tegan, Kate/UNIT, and Vinder, Dan and Yaz both leave the Tardis, last episode thus far for both the Dhawan Master and Fugitive Doctor, and the 13th Doctor regenerates)

Personal Favorite and Least Favorite Stories

Because one man's trash is another man's treasure and vice versa

Favorite for 13: Rosa - S37E3

Favorite for Fugitive: Power of the Doctor - The BBC's Centenary Special

Least Favorite for 13th: Orphan 55 - S38E3

Least Favorite for Fugitive: Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children - S38E9&E10

(disclaimer: no spin-offs or extended universe stuff was considered when making this list)

[anexperimentallife]

So we had to report someone after they posted a picture of El and me along with a long, totally unhinged (and wildly inaccurate) rant, @'d @thesurestthing and me, and sent dms to both of us, both the post and dms being about what horrible people we all are, how disabled people are just lazy, how anyone who has to ask for help after being hit with too many unexpected emergencies in a row is a terrible lazy person, that interracial relationships are bad, how I'm going to die soon, etc...

Oh, and how they they HOPE Zoey and El suffer for the rest of their lives after I'm gone, and how Zoey will be begging for help forever because she's useless.

So... Monday here.

Also, they claim Zoey is just my girlfriend (she's my wife), they didn't know she's from the US, and opine that it's my fault my youngest son died in his twenties of pneumonia (which according to them he did to himself--while I was a thousand miles away--but it's somehow still my fault) and my fault that my older son shot himself after refusing attempt after attempt from myself and others to get him to accept help for his bipolar disorder. So yeah, thanks for using the deaths of my sons to attack me. Shows a lot of class.

Also, they claim Zoey is a terrible mother, has no drive, and no skills (despite her being an excellent mother, earning a college degree while she was still in high school, and despite ONE of the reasons we're going back--in addition to me needing medical treatment--being for her to work and get a higher degree), and apparently we should both be working here even though we're not legally allowed to (because, again, disabled people are just lazy and we should also risk imprisonment, because THAT would be responsible)?

Somehow, they're also very concerned for Zoey and El despite outright saying they HOPE El and Zoey suffer?

Just completely off the rails, unhinged ranting.

They didn't even get the timeline right. I was autistic with ADHD and head and spine injuries before we found out (during the Philippines STRICT lockdown) that we were having a baby, and at that point I'd just gotten contracted for the licensing fee, which we had every reason to believe (based on the longevity of the company's other properties) that it would gp on for basically as long as I was game m--so it LOOKED like smooth sailing ahead. (That contract was the only reason we stopped being so careful to avoid pregnancy, too.)

So yes, I was disabled when we got pregnant with El, but in a stable way at that point. It wasn't until AFTER we found out about the pregnancy that I got covid three times that my health started scarily declining. THAT was when all the scary stuff with my eye and heart and feet and face started. But apparently we're horrible for... not knowing that was going to happen?

Thing is, if the company that was paying me a licensing fee to turn my first-sold story into a game hadn't canceled the project one year in with zero notice (while we were still paying for El's birth), if El hadn't had a mistake on her birth certificate that left her stateless and took almost two years to resolve, and if I hadn't gotten COVID three times, we'd be okay financially. We wouldn't have had to ask for help with El's legal stuff or my medical bills, and we wouldn't have to be asking for help now.

Of course, we're the only people they follow, and that's their only post, so they obviously made the blog just for this purpose. I think I know who it is, but I can't prove it, so oh, well. Took screen shots in case receipts are needed later, but since it's obviously a throwaway account, it would be pointless to @ them here.

(Oh, apparently we're also bad people for being... liberals? LOL We're leftists, man. Liberals are more conservative than we are.)

Like I said, pretty sure I know who it is, and they probably hate-follow us from another account anyway, but, y'know, they're too cowardly to show themselves. So hi. Go to therapy.

Yeah. Fun stuff.

Anyway, if you'd like to help us all get back to the US so I can use my benefits to get the medical treatment I need (which, again, is needed as a result of me getting covid 3X AFTER we found out we were having El), please see my pinned post.

[raspberryconverse]

Coley's Beaus, FWBs and Ladies: A Cheat Sheet (updated 1/19/25)

It occurs to me that with all my beaus (and FWBs and ladies) mentioned in my post, it might be nice to have a cheat sheet. Also it might be helpful to know who I'm still dating and who I'm not, considering we're up to #6, but I'm not really dating anyone at the moment (I did just have a nice first date, so we'll see where that goes). There are also several FWBs, so keeping those straight is also going to be an issue. My poor therapist had to make her own cheat sheet (she literally has rolled her eyes when I've mentioned a new person with a one syllable name, because apparently my type is short men with beards and one syllable names).

Beau #1: Straight, 4½ years older than me, 5'6"ish, married with a girlfriend (used to be 2, but one broke up with him), used to do DoorDash, but now works at a car dealership. We met on Feeld and had been talking for awhile when my spouse had told me they wanted a divorce (we went back and forth for awhile, but 6 months later we actually are getting divorced). He was kind of my poly mentor, so when this happened and I didn't know who to talk to, I turned to him. We talked on the phone and when he was done dashing for the day, we met for tacos, made out a bit in his car and then went back to his place and had amazing sex. Hands down the best sex I've ever had. I joke that he's ruined me for other men.

My biggest complaints with him were smoking and scheduling. The smoking is really bad because he has asthma (as much fun as it is to say I've nearly killed him during sex, it's not fun to stop and grab the inhaler) and how the AuDHD affects us getting together. He can't seem to get a calendar going with his wife, so it greatly affected when we could see each other. Me being able to host should have helped, but he only came here once and it was the week after my spouse asked for a divorce (for real this time).

I finally broke up with him, after asking myself for at least 2 months why I was still seeing him.

Beau #2: AKA The KitchenAid Mixer Guy, because one of his Feeld profile pics is a nude with his KitchenAid mixer. One of the main reasons I swiped on him, TBH. Heteroflexible (as in he likes playing with couples), 3 years younger than me, 5'7", used to manage a theatre until he got fired for sticking up for one of the owner's tenants. He was seeing someone else besides me. He was really funny and reminded me of a friend who passed away 7 years ago. We saw each other weekly for almost 2 months before he fucked off to Michigan and didn't tell me he was actually leaving. He was between jobs and had been waiting for over a month on a background check for one and told me if he didn't get it, he'd go stay with his parents for a bit. Then I didn't hear from him for a few days, checked in and he sent me a pic of his mom's ugly rug on her front porch 🙄

He tried to tell me that our relationship wasn't serious enough for a heads up that he left. "The only person who needs to know where I am at all times is the person I'm living with" (which I argue there's a difference between wanting to know your whereabouts at all times and wanting to know you left the state for several weeks). He claimed we had only gone out 5 times and had been seeing each other for a month (it was 8 times and almost 2 months, but whatever). I miss him a lot, but clearly he needs to get his shit together and treat the people he's seeing with more respect. We had a really good thing going where I'd come over, he'd cook dinner, we'd watch a movie and then have sex (the sex wasn't the greatest, but what he lacked in skill he made up for in enthusiasm). I never wanted more than that, but he seemed to think otherwise.

Beau #3: The drummer. Another Feeld match. Divorced dad of 6 year old twins. Straight, same age as me (graduated a year after me because his birthday is later in the year), 5'6", works in a warehouse, never been poly, but was open to ENM (which I now know is yellow flag). We really clicked right away as oversharers. We both like to try new beers and would go to breweries often on dates. I have my theories as to why he broke up with me based on his "things were moving too fast and I don't think we're a good match" statement. I honestly thought we were a great match because of how comfortable we were talking about deep stuff and I really miss our naked cuddles. We only successfully had sex once because he was having some unexplained ED issues. Best of luck to him with that.

One of the things I'm really bummed about is I actually genuinely like his band. I mean, I'm sure part of it is he looks hot when he's playing (those forearms 🥵), but their music is good too. I really want to show up at a show, looking really hot and see what happens. My therapist will tell me that's a very bad idea. My friends already have (and they managed to keep me occupied when he had one literally 10 minutes from my house to avoid temptation).

Beau #4: Queer, 4 years older than me, 5'7", ex Army Ranger, works in marketing for a big tech company and has an anchor partner. Not a Feeld match (we met at Queer Poly Cocktails). I think being queer cancels out a lot of the problematic military stuff. He's very passionate about suicide prevention for veterans, cowrote a coffee table book of veteran stories, is working on another book about with a friend about how they helped get the abandoned troops out of Afghanistan and was apparently in a really bad zombie movie comprised completely of veterans. He actually has a few pics on WikiFeet, which is... interesting.

He can deadlift more than double my body weight, so that's pretty hot. But he doesn't look very muscly, which I really love.

He seemed pretty smitten with me, but he's also had a busier than normal late summer/early fall (he said it's the busiest time for him at work). I was been super frustrated by this because he does make time to see his anchor partner, but would go weeks without seeing me. We did finally have a talk about it and he said it's just been bad timing. He claimed he was definitely is into me, enjoys spending time with me and didn't think things were casual, but he also doesn't have the bandwidth right now to develop something more serious. Then he broke my heart. I am almost as heartbroken about this as I am about my divorce. He was the kind of man I should be pursuing, but it's clear that emotionally mature men who treat their partners well can recognize when someone is a hot fucking mess and will run the other way.

Possibly Beau #5: Pansexual, 6 years younger than me, 5'7", ex Navy, mobile urgent care nurse (though recently got disability benefits approved). He doesn't seem that young, which I think is probably due to being in the military (and again, being queer seems to cancel out problematic military stuff). We met on Feeld. We get along really well and sex was been really good. We actually talked for 3 weeks before meeting IRL.

I had a good feeling about him. I was wrong.

We went out once and it was absolutely lovely, but over the course of 4 weeks, he cancelled on me 3 times. The 3rd time was the final straw for me. He agreed that I had every right to be upset and want to break things off after that. I really wanted him to fight for me. He didn't. Things like this make me feel like I'm not worthy. Deep down, I know it's not true, but I'm just not at a point mentally where I can believe it. Hopefully I'll get there someday.

We actually started texting again. My therapist helped me realize that I reacted poorly (not that I shouldn't have been mad, but my reaction was out of line). I apologized and he offered to talk it out, but he's been really busy, apparently 🙄 I eventually told him I missed texting with him and he said the reason he wasn't responding was because he thought I wouldn't want to start texting again without talking. I told him that ideally, talking first would be good, but that I was open to texting anyway and waiting for him to have the time to talk. So far, it's kinda how it was before with less sexy talk (though it's becoming more and more and even not when I'm drunk or high). We finally talked about it and he would love to have something with me, but he can't offer what I deserve, time commitment-wise. So we'll just keep texting, I guess. His recent disability approval might result in the possibility of being able to see each other regularly, but he has to get his meds under control first.

Honestly, I can't stop thinking about how he first kissed me, how good the sex was and I often pull up the intentional shirtless selfie because he's really fucking hot. I have a problem and his name is Beau #5.

Beau #6: Straight, 4ish years younger than me, 5'10," software engineer. We originally met on a Discord for some of the board gamers in the local poly group (I'm not into board games, but they assured me their gatherings aren't as board game focused). He offered advice on buying a house, but realized I had already done it pretty recently, so I didn't need it. We ended up talking at poly cocktails and when I got home, he asked if he could text me instead of using Discord and I replied with my number. Then he asked me out.

We've only been on a few dates, but they've been amazing. I'm actually the first person he's gone out with since he met his wife. He didn't really feel like he was poly, even though his wife decided she was. He had started thinking about dating, but hadn't really put himself out there until he met me. He thought I was really cool and ended up asking me out. I cannot wait to see how this develops.

FWB #1: Straight, 2 years older than me, 6'1", works for some sort of non-profit (I think). We met on Feeld. I was high on our first date (unintentionally) and having a beer made it worse. But even with that, I realized I definitely didn't want to date him. He is excellent in foreplay (definitely a pleasure dom), but mediocre at sex. He's definitely too tall for me to want to date (when you're over 5'10", your face is too far away for kissing), but he's nice to have in my back pocket for when I want to get laid.

I also went on 2 dates with a bisexual guy who is only 5'9", an ad exec and is 3 years younger than me. The conversation flowed well and while I wasn't sure if we had chemistry, he kissed me while we were waiting for my bus and yup, there definitely was chemistry.

We had a very successful second date that resulted in an accidental hickey. It was totally one of these:

We also had a good talk about expectations. He's not poly and isn't really interested in it, but is perfectly comfortable with me being poly and hearing about my other relationships. Before we met, we were chatting the afternoon where I was finally meeting Possibly Beau #5 and he said, "Get it, girl!" and was happy to hear that I got it. Ultimately, he was looking for a long term monogamous relationship, but he was also content with seeing me in the meantime. He recently told me his ex asked to get back together and he said yes.

I'm honestly not sad about it because I didn't like him as much as my beaus. I mean, I did like him, but the connection wasn't as strong as it is with my beaus. I didn't even feeling any NRE with him really. But I enjoyed the companionship and sex.

The Tree: so I had the following in my Feeld profile

I was striking out with the really tall guys. Some were fake. A few seemed interested and then disconnected (the worst was when I sent one a sexy photo and he disconnected with me upon seeing it). I've been talking to one who is actually 50, but doesn't look it at all. I've been trying for months to get together with him, but he's got 4 kids in their teens and 20s and is just too busy. It's a shame because he's really hot.

Finally, I matched with The Tree. He's 6'4" and straight (possibly heteroflexible, as he's interested in being in an MMF) and 2 years younger than me. I met him and it turns out I actually really like him. Like honestly, if he were at least 6" shorter, he'd be 100% my type.

My curiosity is the logistics of having sex with someone over a foot taller than me. The tallest guy I ever dated was maybe 5'10" and then, as I said before, FWB #1 is 6'1". I also have very short legs (25" inseam), so that could make things even more complicated.

We've been doing the FWB thing for a bit now and I don't think I could have picked a better specimen, TBH. I mean, there was one who looked like Matthew Gray Gubler that I was very interested in, but he had a very sparse profile and well, he didn't like my sexy pic (unmatched after I sent it 😒). It's definitely a novelty, but we have fun. And he actually has asked me if I wanted to get together, so it's nice not to always be the one asking for a booty call.

Recently, I've had rough times with Beau #4 and my spouse and he's really been there for me in a way I would not expect from a fuck buddy. But I guess we're more than that. We are definitely friends and I can tell he really cares about me. I mean, anyone who'll let you cry all over them after sex clearly does. I'd honestly like to date him, despite him being freakishly tall, but he's been dealing with a messy breakup for awhile and he's just not ready for a relationship. But he's been amazing to me (and not just in bed) and I really think there could be something there once our lives become less of shitshows. If we're being honest, we probably are actually dating and he just hasn't figured it out yet.

FWB #2: Straight, 5'7", 3½ years older than me. We met on Hinge. He was actually the first person I talked to on there. There's definitely not a romantic connection there, but I do like him a lot. We have a lot of good conversations. He's actually available most nights, so he'll be the one I text first when I need to get laid. He is also excellent in bed, so even better.

Lady #1: My friend's partner. Originally met on Hinge, but met organically in person, 5'3", 5 years younger than me, bi. Her partner was actually the guy who Beau #4 was going to let have me, not knowing he wasn't my type. I walked into our local poly cocktails one night and went over to say hi to him and she was sitting across from him. "We're talking on Hinge!" she exclaimed. NGL, I was feeling a little awkward about it, especially since her partner was giving off some more than friendly vibes to me, but he was actually excited that we matched and had been talking. He even gave her my number so we could text and coordinate a date.

We went on a date (drinks) and had some good conversations about homebuying (her and her partner just put in an offer on a house) and dating (straight men are horrible). I wasn't sure how it actually went because when we were parting ways, she hugged me goodbye and ran away to her bus stop. And no, her bus was not coming because I was on the same side of the street, walking away from her stop and the bus would have passed me by. We were supposed to have a cute thrifting date, but she had to cancel because of a work thing 😕 She admitted later that she wasn't feeling romantic vibes, but definitely wants to be friends. She also said she's open to things changing in the future, so we'll see how that goes.

Lady #2: Pansexual, 5'4", 5 years older than me, met on Hinge. We had some fun banter back and forth for awhile and then she asked me out. We went out to a local lesbian bar and had some good conversation while we were there. She's a sex therapist, which could be interesting, and also very kinky. The date went well. We ended up making out at the bus stop. We went on 2 other dates that went very well, but never managed to get a 4th date planned, mostly because my life blew up. But she also has tried to be helpful while I've been dealing with the blow up and I really appreciate that. She recently got some bad health news and is focusing on her health, so that's that.

Moxi: 3 years older than me 5'2", bisexual. I've known her for about 9 years. I met her when I played roller derby. She used to play on one of the home teams until she had a TBI, but decided to come back and help coach the rec league (where I was playing). I always thought she was gorgeous and had an amazing body, but I honestly didn't think she liked me like that. Well, apparently she did, but didn't want to cross a line with me.

I quit playing roller derby after some beef with the league and nobody talked to me after that except Moxi. We kept in touch all these years. She did the sweets for my wedding and invited me to hers too. She was the first friend who I told about going poly and it turns out she is too.

We talked recently and admitted there was a mutual attraction there. I needed to get out of the house so my ex could have some people over and she was bench coaching another roller derby league. I also hadn't seen my dad for Christmas because I had covid, so I went to see him, then to the bout. We talked about possibly making out that night and well, it happened. And it was amazing. I'm really excited to see where this goes. She's a really good kisser 🥰

[katie-the-bug]

Left Behind 2: Electric Boogaloo

Tribulation Force, the sequel to Left Behind, is a long book in which nothing happens and nothing continues to happen for chapters on end. If half of this book and half of the last book were cut and the remains were merged into a single book the plot would not suffer. Unlike the last book, which merely made no sense, the choices made in this book are actively frustrating and I have strong words about it. This post is gonna be as long as I can make it. I'm not sorry.

Anyways, for those of you just tuning in, our cast includes:

The Tribulation Force, a core group of post-Rapture Christians whose mission is...unclear:

Rayford Steele, pilot based in Chicago, born-again Christian, father to a Raptured son, husband to a Raptured wife.

Chloe Steele, Rayford's college-aged daughter and only surviving non-Raptured family.

Buck Williams, allegedly the greatest reporter in the world, banished to Chicago for his journalistic failures, also a born-again Christian. He works for "Global Weekly."

Bruce Barnes, the group's pastor and mentor whose lukewarm Christianity and subsequent failure to get Raptured is harped on again and again.

The villains:

Nicolae Carpathia, the most powerful, popular, and charming man in the world and the God-King Secretary-General of the United Nations. Also the Antichrist.

Hattie Durham, formerly a flight attendant and the object of Rayford's illicit desires, now Nicolae's personal assistant and girlfriend.

Chaim Rosenzweig, an Israeli scientist and a friend to both Buck and Nicolae, neither of whom are going to tell him that he's working for the Antichrist.

Without further ado - the first half of the book:

Chapter 1 more or less starts off with Buck arguing with his new manager, one Verna Zee, whom Buck's narration calls a "wanna-be boss who couldn't write her way out of a paper bag." Her crimes are numerous and terrible: taking charge of the Chicago office of the Global Weekly after her superior vanished, refusing to let Buck barge into her office without an appointment, and refusing to feed Buck's massive ego when he claims his journalistic talent is being wasted. Buck's clearly in the wrong here, but Verna is a woman telling a man what to do, so in the authors' minds, she's despicable.

Meanwhile, Rayford's colleagues have resorted to begging him not to proselytize on the job. I seriously doubt that the authors were aiming to set both of their protagonists up as classical assholes, but they've done an excellent job regardless.

Chapter 2 reveals that Nicolae, who is employed by the UN, is working with various religious leaders to create a one-world-religion. I don't know much about the United Nations, but I really don't think inventing new religions is part of their job.

The characters discuss with great anticipation the upcoming peace treaty between the UN and Israel. Israel is a member of the UN, and while there's some talk about how Israel will license its magic fertilizer in exchange for being defended after it disarms itself, it could have licensed the fertilizer already and everyone else is disarming anyway, this makes no sense. But the authors think Israel needs to make a deal with the Antichrist, and so it goes.

Bruce says that, once Israel signs the treaty, "the clock starts ticking" - the seven-year Tribulation will begin, bringing with it human suffering beyond anything seen in history and ultimately the destruction of the world as we know it. This means that if the treaty can be delayed or canceled, so too can the end of the world. The heroes of a better story would use this knowledge to try and save the world. The protagonists of this one don't even think about it.

Chloe wonders whether she should go back to college, knowing that the end of days is nigh, and Bruce cuts in with, "You can go to college right here," "here" being the church. While Chloe won't need the kind of education that could get her a job, she could still go to school for useful skills that will help her and the new Christian community survive the Tribulation, and I think that if she were a male character, this would be the angle the story would take. As it is, Bruce's response carries the all-too-common undertone that the only education a woman needs is religious.

Rayford and Chloe discuss Chloe's interest in Buck, and she remarks that "it wouldn't have been appropriate for her to ask him out by myself." Chloe, you are twenty. And he's thirty, but that's a problem for another day.

At the beginning of Chapter 3, Bruce says, of Hattie's employment, "I don't imagine [Nicolae] chose her for her clerical skills." Every time Hattie comes up or appears in the story, somebody, either the writer or the characters, goes out of their way to insult her. No wonder she likes Nicolae; he probably treats her better than the authors do.

Throughout these first few chapters there's a subplot where neither Buck nor Chloe know what to do about their mutual attraction to each other, and they keep talking about it to everyone but each other and getting absolutely nowhere, saying and thinking the same things over and over while what little plot there is drags on and on. Just a reminder that just because a book is 400 pages long doesn't mean it has any substance.

"Don't involve me in this if it's going to get silly." <- Me to myself before staring this series. If only I had listened.

Buck finally finishes the piece on the Rapture that he was writing for most of the last book, "deciding it might be the best work he had ever done." We see none of it, so Buck's writing credentials remain a myth.

Chapter 3 also takes a few pages to mock Catholics - or, rather, the authors' ideas about how Catholics talk and act - because obviously unity in the Body of Christ is a tool of the devil.

In a sermon about the coming catastrophes, Bruce says "Horrible as these judgements will be, I urge you to see them as final warnings from a loving God who is not willing that any should perish." This after they've just discussed how the first set of judgements will kill a quarter of Earth's surviving population. That does not sound like God being unwilling to kill people. That doesn't even sound like reluctance. God is going to kill a quarter of the Earth's population, knowing that most of them are not True Christians and thus damned, to make an example of them to everyone else. We haven't really gotten into the Tribulation yet, so I haven't talked about it much, but I think we'll find that the God of Left Behind is the most destructive force in the series.

Either Bruce or the authors think that the plural of "millennium" is "millenniums." For shame!

At the beginning of Chapter 4, Bruce preaches about the Antichrist. He knows exactly who the Antichrist is and what he's planning. He does not feel it necessary to share this information with his congregation, answering questions vaguely, even when they concern Nicolae directly. Why does he do this? If I had to guess, he's protecting himself at the expense of his congregation's souls.

Incidentally, I just realized that "Nicolae Carpathia" has the same stress pattern as "Alexander Hamilton" and if I have to live with that knowledge, so do you.

Earlier in the story, Buck had asked a female colleague to drop some things off at his house on her way to pick up her fiancé, at the same time as he had asked Chloe to come over before he changed his plans without telling her. Now, due to coincidence and poor wording, Chloe thinks he's engaged to another woman. Evidently the authors thought that their romantic subplot wasn't stupid enough.

Continuing in the series' grand tradition of characters talking endlessly about every event chapters before it happens, Chaim informs Buck that his buddy, rabbi Tsion Ben-Judah, will be giving a televised presentation on "prophecies relating to Messiah so we Jews will recognize him when he comes." Buck thinks to himself that "a legitimate study of messianic prophecies could lead only to Jesus." This idea, which the authors present as legitimate, that Christians as a whole understand Judaism better than the Jewish people as a whole is ridiculously anti-Semitic - as is the idea that the Jewish people will ignorantly make a deal with the Devil to usher in the end times. Yes, the authors love Israel because of they role it plays in their end-of-the-world fantasy, but they have no respect for Judaism or Jewish people.

Bruce says in Chapter 8 that, "I'll grieve and mourn my wife for a long time, as if she were dead." We return to the idea that people who were Raptured somehow do not qualify as dead, and it occurs to me: from a different perspective, this could make for a really interesting psychological horror premise. "A man loses his family in a mysterious disaster, and he becomes convinced that they are not dead, but have been taken somewhere else. It soon becomes clear that he will do anything to join them..."

I'm running out of letters, so I'm gonna have to end this post right here. Expect more momentarily. Thanks for reading!

[masschase]

SR Boss Asks Answers

I realised how much space long reblogs take up on the reblog page (yeah, I'm new to tumblr) so I've copied this onto a new post.

But yeah, did them all, and I implore anyone who wants to talk about their Boss to do these, because even if no-one reads it, it was fun. There were a couple of things I didn't really think about, like the #16 Casey-cat moment which is my new favourite thing.

#17 is something I've just done a longer post on.

Apologies for formatting issues.

1.What’s their backstory? Cassandra ‘Casey’ Michaiła Clark was born in Stilwater. Her dad left when she was very young citing that he couldn't handle two kids. Ofc he leaves and has two kids with his new wife and barely sees Casey and her sister. He later claims he wanted to leave their mom, not them. Her sister rightfully points out that for all her flaws, their mom never actually stopped him seeing them so that's on him.

Her mom was from a slightly more affluent background than her dad (they met in college but dropped out when her mom got pregnant) and they were scraping by until he left. After that, her mom worked very hard to maintain the appearance to the outside world that they were not struggling with money, even though it sent them into debt. She was always very judgemental and religious, but also had a genuine anxiety disorder. She eventually got addicted to Xanax and would drag Casey with her to make excuses like that she'd flushed her last lot down the toilet/took them to school and they got confiscated etc.

It got to the point where she was pretty checked out and Casey's sister had to make sure they were getting to school on time, that there was food on the table etc.. When she was 14, her sister left home and this derailed her pretty bad.

Her best friend Mori(OC: Moriarty Alleyne- hoping to post more about him soon)'s mom Angela was instrumental in taking care of her from about the age of 12. She always made sure Casey was fed when at her house and gave her some of Mori's old clothes when she outgrew her sister's hand-me-downs. She did try to help where she could but wasn't fully aware of the situation for a long time. Even though Mori's friendship with Casey became a little strained due to his girlfriend disliking her, Angela would still invite her around.

When Casey was 15 her mom caught her making out with a girl she liked and it led to her mom throwing her out of the house. She stayed with Mori and Angela for two weeks straight but Angela started saying Casey should go check on her mom, and offers to go with her- having realised by this point that drugs are involved she's worried her mom might have OD'ed (Casey doesn't realise that's why until years later). Casey assures her she has been in contact with her mom (technically she has been, she's been sent texts about repenting her sins and guilt trips about leaving her at home the whole time) and pretends to go home but obviously can't.

So instead she finds herself on Saints Row at a really stupid time of night and… well, you know… Saints Row happens.

2. How old were they when they first joined the Saints? Fifteen, almost sixteen. Weird little angry kid born 29th June 1990. I think she has pretty obvious millenial tastes and tendencies. I find the post-SRIV dynamic pretty fascinating actually. She probably has a lot more in common with Pierce and Shaundi who I hc as similar ages compared to Johnny who is xennial, Kinzie and Asha who I think are borderline millenial/gen z, and 110% zoomer Matt. Then you've got Keith and Ben complaining that the ship is ran by kids and CID, Jane and Jezebel being extreme outliers to the whole thing.

3. Did they have a happy childhood? I mean overall she says it wasn't terrible. She had some nice moments with her sister. Kinzie calls her backstory "tragic" when she hears it and Casey disagrees calling it "just, y'know, a bit shitty". She heard stories of other kids going through physical and sexual abuse, she saw how Mori was affected by his dad's death and had to help him through some very dark times with his depression. She doesn't class her borderline sociopathy as a mental health issue until much later on. She starts therapy around the time the Saints rise to fame, around 2012-2013.

4. Do they have any siblings? Yes, she has a sister called Phoebe who is approximately 4 years older than her and as above, pretty much had to raise her. She left home when she was 18 which led Casey to feel pretty abandoned all over again, especially because she didn't fully understand her reasons.

5. Did they graduate high school? What about college? No, she dropped out of high school. She had plans to study English Literature at college had she got that far. She held on to school for almost a year after Phoebe left, still scraping Bs, but eventually it all took its toll. She got a job as a dishwasher in a small restaurant. If it wasn't for stealing food off of plates for a few months she wouldn't have had the muscle mass for the physical strength she displays in the first game.

6. What’s their sexuality?She self-defines as bisexual. Later she wonders if it should be pansexual. She didn't know what pan was in like 2003 when she was figuring it out, but either would fit her. Equally she would describe herself as panromantic but many of her friends assume she is fraysexual or otherwise arospec based on her choices around relationships.

7. What do they look for in a partner? She doesn't. She ignores or downright avoids that sort of interaction if possible. Suddenly becomes fucking mute again if she tries to talk about feelings. But she seems to be romantically attracted to people that are quite physically affectionate because she is very friendly emotionally but has trouble initiating non-sexual physical contact.

She does have the odd short-term partner, but tends to be drawn to people she doesn’t like all that much as something in her brain knows it won't last (talking days, I think her longest was like 10 days for many years). She has a lot of one-night stands/other casual hookups.

8. Are they currently dating anyone? Currently when? ;) Throughout the games, no, unless it’s a matter of days as described above. She's capable of romantic attraction but as above, doesn't want a relationship for practical reasons (actually fear) because a partner could be used against her.

9. Who do they love most in the world? Her friends. They are her family. She is unwavering on that. This doesn't change when she gets a partner or meets a blood relative from the pods. But it does shift a little some time in 2024.

10. Is there someone from their past they will never forgive?

Her parents. Anyone who contributes to the several deaths of her friends also but the difference there is that she doesn't let them live. So no need to forgive them. Hell she only considered letting Matt live because he reminded her of herself when she got dragged into the gang life at 15-16. The upgrades just sealed the deal.

11. What is their favorite food? Mori and his mom are Bajan-American so Barbadian food is a comfort food for her, especially salt fish and macaroni pie. Unfortunately none of the lieutenants stationed with her are of that heritage, so she often seeks out Carribean restaurants while still on earth. Phoebe's pecan pie is also a comfort, it was their grandma's recipe but she died when Casey was 6 and Phoebe was 9-10. Casey has the recipe but can't cook anything besides like frozen pizzas, instant ramen etc. She eventually tries to make the pie and realises burnt pecan pie is still good pecan pie! Despite this, lemon meringue pie is her favourite dessert. When the nice manager was on shift at the restaurant she would sneak her a piece every night. She also has a soft spot for fries because when she the dishwasher in the diner they were the easiest things to eat off plates before scraping them. Also pieces of burgers and ribs.

12. What are their pet peeves? She gets really restless when waiting on someone. Like she'll say meet at 2 and by the time Johnny gets there by 2.03 she's been pacing back and forth for five minutes. She doesn't mind all the gang being sarcastic with each other but if they all start talking each other at once she usually has to silence them. She is open to being called out on things like her white cis privelege or some of the hetronormative bias instilled by her background but she doesn't much like being challenged on some of her more bullshit 'rules' or lieutenants pushing back on her decisions once she's made them. She does eventually mature out of the latter.

13. What are some of their fears? Her biggest fear is losing someone she cares about. Unfortunately she's frequently had to live it. This is one of the things that contributes to her feelings on relationships.

14. How do they deal with injuries? Major: the Saints have a heavily bribed doctor in Stilwater, Steelport and DC. Minor: She usually asks Johnny to bandage if needed bc everyone else is too slow and gentle. Then more or less runs and hides until she's feeling better.

15. What is the MOST embarrassing moment in their life? That time she almost slow danced with Josh Birk at the 4th of July party is certainly up there.

16. Are they a cat or dog person? Cat, I think. I think she wouldn't have thought of herself of much a pet person in general because she grew up without any and she assumes she'd be too lazy to take care of them. But then she goes to a friends house who has a cat. Maybe Mori(which would be funny because his mom affectionately compares Casey to a stray cat). And she doesn't really know how to react around them so she's just kind of like "Sup.". Then the cat just kind of comes and sits on her lap and she's like… oh… warm! Soft. You are my new homie now.

17. Beside the 1950s sitcom, what else would their hell be?Again, just losing all the people she cares about. The only reason that was not her simulation is because Zinyak/the system he uses has a very shallow understanding of the human psyche, not surprising because Zin have a very conscious mind compared to humans where a lot is subconscious. This makes them fairly intelligent but also means they can adapt to changes due to their time travel easily because they just go "oh, a memory has changed.". See also: Pierce's simulation. Maybe everyone's.

18. Which death affects them the most? (Besides Johnny)

Oh this is different because they all impact such different areas of her life. Lin’s death probably had the greatest impact on her actions as a leader.She becomes very front-and centre/self sacrificing because of Lin.

On a more personal level I was going to say Carlos because she had pretty strong feelings for him but actually it's Aisha. Watching how her best friend, who she looks up to more than anyone and basically wanted to be, was just walking around with a piece of him missing really solidified her fear of relationships and anger at the injustice of life and death; things she might have otherwise grown out of/conquered with therapy.

19. What is their favorite music? She likes a pretty wide range of music because she doesn’t want to let anyone down by not following their recommendations and always finds at least one song she likes from the artists they like. Not taking that into account, she really likes '80s shit' and also ska but as a 00s teen she went through the pop punk phase pretty hard too.

20. What are some of their hobbies? Reading, definitely. Almost every spare moment when she gets to the stage where there are spare moments. In high school, Yu-Gi-Oh cards were big for her. Tbh she is pretty nerdy but because she's so technologically challenged her friends don't seem to pick up on that. I feel like in an AU 2020 she would get really into cottagecore during the pandemic then get really pissed because she can't bake or draw or knit.

[cosmicdreamt]

"I don't think I ever got the full story... How did you meet Abel? And even more fascinatingly, how did you get together?"

Inbox Call || @the-composer

"Would you believe he was actually nice to me when we first met?"

Was that a genuine little laugh of amusement from her? Not a small little chuckle or a hum like she usually does? Well now look at that!

"I was going on one of my nightly walks. See I'm a little insane and like traveling to the parks and forests when I can't sleep. Hilariously enough I feel safer there than I do on the streets because like....y'know nature is nature, you know what to expect from it. People are more frightening, and I say that but I found him in that forest at three in the morning and still struck up a conversation. Anyone else woulda ran for the hills seeing him."

If she were telling this to literally anyone else they'd agree she was insane. Maybe there was a chance Joshua did too, but would he be wrong? None of them were all there in the head, to be fair.

"It's funny, actually. You know we met, and the moon was visible, and it was the moon phase I was born under? Waxing crescent. He nicknamed me Ursa Major at the time because...y'know...bears in the woods. That's not important, really, but now you've got me reminiscing and feeling all nostalgic about it. Gosh that was....what? Four years ago now? Maybe more? Anyway, that's how we met. Then things just kinda....went from there.

Honestly I was embarrassed and feeling pretty pathetic cause I knew he wasn't really looking for a committed relationship and I still ended up falling for him. I told myself I could handle it cause he was honest with what he was about and I wouldn't get any of the wrong ideas. Well....the latter part of it was right, but I indeed, could not handle it. My heart is too big and I hold too much empathy to not connect with people like that. As for how we got together? You know...."

She thinks on it for a minute, then snorts and shakes her head.

"It just kinda happened one day. At that point our 'fooling around' had started looking a bit too domestic, and whenever I tried asking what was up with us he wouldn't give me a straight answer. He'd tell me just 'are' or 'were' or whatever. Then he asks me what we are and I was ready to chew on him and wave him around like a feral dog. I'd told him exactly where I stood and what I wanted to be. He never really said his part of it. Said that he really liked me but was also scared and left it at that. Then next thing you know he's calling me his girlfriend and saying he loves me."

Neff sighs, throwing her arms up in a shrug.

"And now we're at standstill part two because I proposed to him like twice at this point and he never gives me an answer. The audacity of that man, really. Watch, in another year he's gonna just randomly claim me as his wife and I'm not gonna be able to tell you when that happened, it just did."

[h-pelessly]

June Reads

When You Left Me Speechless by Jess Christine (9/10) I loved this book so much. Most ARC reads are good enough, but they don’t make me feel anything. But this one was so cute. Not only did I enjoy it because it made me realize what I wanted in life, I loved Poppy and Logan’s story as well. Poppy is independent and wants to focus on school, so I kind of see myself through her. Logan’s a teacher, and the whole profession makes me swoon. The thing I didn’t love about the book is the FWB aspect, but other than that, I loved how patient Logan is with her. Poppy was mostly the iffy one in the relationship, but her concerns are valid. And she had a past where she let a man stand in the way of her future/education so she’s valid. The FWB aspect was unnecessary in my opinion because I feel like they were so enamoured with each other before that. The conflict in this one was stupid, but parents do unruly things for their children so I get it. I loved this one.

Our Secret Game by Janisha Boswell (7.3/10) This book wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. The characters (found family) interacting with one another bothered me because how are you acting like this in your twenties but like I’m here for the romance which is there. Nora, which is a stupid name like how are you going to tell me this is a young adult? You can’t. Anyways, is trying to get over her ex for months, which is understandable, but like six months? Insanity like she’s still so mad like please have some maturity. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been led on or cheated on or anything? So she fake dates her best friend, who she has always thought was annoying which didn’t make sense to me. How are you claiming he’s your best friend when you act so much better/different with your girlfriends? He, Wes, is not your best friend!! Do not lie to me. But also, the girls are such bad friends like Cat is so engrossed with her bf like I get you had your book and moment, but your friend needs you???? And Elle or whatever the fuck her name is left Nora with her ex when it was clear she, Nora, was uncomfy??? Like i don’t care if u are uncomfy. If you guys are as good as friends as you claim, don’t leave her in moments of stress? Nora and Wes fake date, but it’s to Wes’s benefit because he’s always been in love with Nora so he is sweet. But also, Wes has STRONG family and individual problems. I don’t think it should’ve been resolved that quickly or a relationship could’ve fixed it. Anyway, I had iffy feelings about Wes. He was sweet and romantic, but also, like you need to grow up and realize you need help. I don’t think they should’ve ended up together. They are cute and stuff, but like Nora only gets with him due to forced proximity and her horniness. Wes deserves her, but he doesn’t need a relationship right now. I do love this was POC written and had an Asian non-MC.

Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders (6/10) This was an audiobook that I nearly DNF'ed. I wanted something like Freida McFadden bc her books are so easy to digest, but I didn't want to finish all her books so I decided to give mystery/thriller books a chance. I hated this one. It was so slow, and the gaslighting was INSANE. This woman marries a rich man, has a child, moves far in the countryside with him. Then, his daughter from another marriage visits, and weird stuff happens. False, it wasn't weird. It was just a kid fighting for their dad's love or whatever. The kid, Chloe, is 20 and calls her dad "daddy", is nasty to the wife, is creepy to their child or whatever. Everytime the wife tells the husband, he gaslights her as well as the half child or whatever. Anyways so they end up killing the husband because the wife is manipulated into thinking he is why his late wife, Chloe's mom, is dead, but it turns out that it was Chloe all along. I hated the characters so much. This book was honestly a waste of my time.

Her Wicked Plan by Hannah Jo (8/10) I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know if I'd be into it, but the blurb and tropes seemed interesting as an ARC reader. I love Veronica and the insane asylum. I love how much character Veronica had, but Leo on the other hand... he's... something. He was annoying and a little whiny bitch, but when he's with Vee, I suddenly can stand him. Leo is the voice of reason and whatnot but like he's also an overthinker and needs to be a little more professional (or vice versa, but make up your damn mind.) And the spice?! Oh lord. Makes me think unholy things I want to try. The ending definitely fucked me up. Even though it's expected, it still took me by surprise like how was she able to fake it that much? Granted, she is a patient at an asylum and pleaded mental insane, but that freaking hurt as a romance girlie. But could I have liked it if that ending didn't happen and they got their HEA?

Wrecked by Lauren Asher (7/10) This has been the best one so far out of her Dirty Air series, but the tension is so immediate and the same, it's repetitive. Like I don't feel anything at all. I've come to the realization that F1 is a hot sport, but the way it's written makes you expect it to be a hot sport and them as celebrities. Maybe because she also admitted Lewis Hamilton, a real life F1 driver, was Jax. It's weird, but I mean besides the look, it shouldn't be like him. Unless it is then it's weird. Elena surprisingly had a very heavy and dark background for being a sunny character. Jax did as well, and to find out he has the disease just killed me like this man is going through it. I also hated the way Lauren wrote about his anxiety and then it's just forgotten. Overall, the better book out of the other two with heavy characters, but some parts bored me so much.

Overtime by Mari Loyal (9.5/10) I actually really liked this one. I thought I liked the first one, but this one felt so much better. Maybe because it seemed like the perfect book for someone who I read growing up (since the first book was 5/6 years ago and Aran, the MMC, grew up.) The tension and angst made me giggle so much, and the FMC was such a cutie pie who struggled to love herself because she surrounded herself with people who didn't love her for herself. She's also an author so that made me love her so much more. The way this book was a clean romance/closed door one, but it had me giggling and kicking my feet so much. I also loved the fact that more hockey is on page in this one. Like are you just writing about it because it's hot or because you know it? I love tutor x jock trope so this was definitely right up my aisle. I'm so proud of Mari Loyal.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelidas (7.5/10) I throughly enjoyed this audiobook. It was long and out of my comfort zone, yes. But I did love how detailed the author goes into psychotherapy and just the therapy aspect of it. Long story short, Alicia shoots her husband, Gabriel, and is placed in an insane asylum instead of jail because she goes silent. Theo wants to figure out why so he works as her therapist. I thought it was super weird how invested Theo was to Alicia's story at first like I know it's like a celebrity death/murder in a small town, but this dude was too obsessed like let it go!!! To find out he's behind why she killed her husband like that made so much sense. But the fact that he tried to drug her after he got her to talk again. I'm so fucking confused. Anyways, it was a good book, but I'm not too keen on the genre.

The Reluctant Roommate by Angela Casella (6.8/10) It wasn't horrible, but I didn't have a fun time reading it. I just got so bored reading it and it felt so long for no reason whatsoever. I got this for free during a SYK event, and when reading the tropes, I was interested, but it's part of a series. Technically it's a standalone, yes, but I believe the best way to read it is in order to feel the character development and to grow an attachment to them. Literally they were just characters on a piece of paper for me, and like the characters had zero chemistry. Like how are you going to tell me that he's been in love with her since he was six because he brings her a cup of water??? I love the FMC's sassiness, but in this case, it made her extremely childish because again, the author expects you to know her personality and doesn't explain it well in this book. Don't even get me started on the fairy godparents aka the PI investigators. Who the FUCK do they think they are? Like this bitch Nicole does some good or at least helps her out and expects her, the FMC, and literally everyone else to bow at her feet. She was so infuriating. Idk, this book was just not for me.

[shesaidcalliope]

Callie and Arizona were once a couple that everyone looked up to and turned to their own relationship goals. Neither of them were really looking for anything serious, but in a bar one night, they found each other and since then, their relationship just got stronger. Nothing could break them, or so they thought. Everyone adored them but then the car crash happened where Callie and their unborn baby had to fight for their lives and everything changed. 

Luckily, both Callie and Sofia made it out alive but it took weeks of physical recovery and years of mental recovery to get over such an event. Callie was very protective of Sofia and didn’t like to leave her out of her sight for too long. She struggled with the idea of something bad happening to her again but what she really should have been worrying about was her wife. Arizona had taken Alex’s place on that plane and it crashed, taking their marriage down with it.

The crash was horrific, with Lexie losing her fight on the scene and Mark later passing in the hospital. Callie had to say goodbye to Mark, but was left no time to really grieve as she was also Arizona’s doctor and her wife. She was split between the two and had to deal with Arizona freaking out about the state her leg was in. Callie knew it was bad and when Arizona asked her to make that promise, she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she promised to try everything she could so that she could keep it and she did. She tried, but ultimately, it was her leg or her life and Callie couldn’t handle losing anyone else so she took Arizona’s leg.

When she took Arizona’s leg, it left the blonde with a lot of resentment and Callie pulled away from her. She tried to be there as her doctor and as her wife, but Arizona was too much. She claimed that Callie was only there to be her doctor and didn’t care about her as a wife. She wanted Callie to be only her wife but as Callie watched Arizona struggle to adapt to life with one leg, she felt guilty and so, she wanted to help and that meant that sometimes, she would have to be her doctor in order to make sure that she was okay. 

In the end, the plane crash caused too big of a strain on their marriage and the two separated. It would have been fine if they stopped there, but they didn’t. Callie dragged Arizona through a court case to try and get custody of their daughter but it didn’t work. Callie dragged her name through the dirt and did everything she could to throw Arizona under the bus but Arizona was awarded custody of Sofia and Callie was left with nothing but her new girlfriend, Penny. 

Penny was moving to New York and wanted Callie to come with her but Callie wouldn’t go without Sofia. After losing the court case, she spoke to Penny to see if there was any chance she would stay in Seattle but they argued and Penny told Callie that she was leaving. They broke up and Callie stayed in Seattle to try and build up her bond with Sofia again and heal her past with Arizona. She had been attending therapy since the court case and had been working really hard to heal and to realise her past mistakes and so far, it was working. She was becoming a new person and had managed to gain partial custody of Sofia, having her every other week.

Her connection with Arizona was coming back, but it was slow. She didn’t trust Callie fully yet and she couldn’t blame her but as Arizona cleared her throat, Callie straightened her posture and looked over to the blonde. A smile immediately grew on her face as she heard the dinner invite and she nodded. “I couldn’t think of anything else I’d like more.” She was filled with joy and had to fight back the urge to take Arizona’s hand in hers. They weren’t there yet... She knew that but she couldn’t help but to feel that undying love reach the surface. “What time were you thinking? I should be finished here in the next hour and then I’ll have to go home and change.” Callie explained her schedule. It was all Arizona’s plan and she wanted her to feel that she had that control. She didn’t want to overshadow her, but she was excited about this. Maybe, just maybe, the bond that they had been working hard to fix was coming back... Maybe this was it.

Sometimes All We Need Is A Little Space To Grow

When Arizona got to Seattle, she wasn’t looking for anything in terms of meeting someone. She wasn’t someone who wanted to settle down. She wasn’t someone who thought she could find someone who wanted to her settle down and seen things in her life that she didn’t even know were possible. But that is when she met Calliope Torres. The brunette changed her life for the better. Not that she was complaining, because when she looked at the brunette, she seen everything she didn’t even think she wanted. Marriage, kids, and even just growing old with her. But Arizona seen that with @shesaidcalliope and she couldn’t even be mad about it. But when things seemed perfect it seems everything happens. 

They were the aspiration couple for a lot of people. They were steady after the car crash that brought their daughter into the world and that was the best day of Arizona’s life. She was a mother and that was something she didn’t think she was ready for, but she fell into the role easier then anything else. But all that changed when she decided to take Alex’s spot on the plane that was going to Boise for conjoined twins. Before she knew it, she was in the woods, with her bone sticking out of her leg and mentally she was exhausted and she was back there every time she closed her eyes. It brought a lot of strain onto Callie and herself. Callie lost Mark, and Arizona lost her leg in the end, the one that Callie promised she would try to save. The one she promised she could help her. But deep down, Arizona knew it was a lie, but she wanted to blame someone for it. 

As time after the accident went one, Arizona grew more angrier at the fact her wife was her doctor. She couldn’t separate either of it. It hurt to know her wife has seen her in her most vulnerable state and it made her recluse even more. Causing her to sleep with the first woman who likes her for her and knew her after her leg was cut off. Not that she was proud of that, because after the divorce, Arizona went to therapy and learned more about herself and who she was now. She was hurt in the end and she was working on not letting things affect her too much. But in the end she lost Callie and watching Callie move on was the hardest things Arizona had to witness but she made it happen. She was the one who ruined their marriage, but the one thing she didn’t expect was Callie to throw her not being Sofia’s biological mother in her face when they went to court for custody since Callie was going to leave and not look back. 

Throwing in her face the fact that she wasn’t looking for anything serious and hooked up with women at the time that she didn’t have Sofia those night. But in the end, the things Callie let her Lawyer say about her damaged her. Made her work on herself more seeing just how Callie looked at her. But at the end of the day, Arizona won sole custody of Sofia and Callie ended up not going to New York. With meant, she had to see those sad eyes look at her every time they were at work and every time she passed her in the hallway. It hurt to know they were once the strongest couple to being strangers in the hallway. That is when Arizona knew Sofia deserved more then her parents not talking, and not getting along. They started working on their relationship. Even as co-parents for the most part. That is what Sofia needed to grow up happy and be with both of them at once when time permitted. 

As time went on, they both split custody with Sofia and the young girl seemed to be better mentally and smiling more then she was the past year or so that they weren’t together. But one thing Sofia wanted was to have dinner with both of her parents. Something Arizona couldn’t deny her of. She knew they had to eventually and why not do it now. Why not extend and olive branch and make Sofia happier. Spotting Callie in the hallway and Arizona took a deep breath and looked down at the floor before rolling her shoulders back not showing her nerves. She used to be married to Callie, so why should she be nervous? She knows Callie more then anyone at this point. As she approached her ex-wife, she let it be known she was there by clearing her thoat. 

“Callie, hey. Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering, and Sofia was wondering, if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight? You know kind of like a family thing. You can say no, but I just wanted to ask as Sofia has been hounding me to ask you. So what do you say?’ Sure, Arizona was rambling, but how do you ask an ex-wife over for dinner. That is what Arizona was having a hard time, but being they were in a better place, why not try from there and Sofia being the buffer and just being together like old times. They are both single and Arizona hasn’t really looked for anything serious as she was still caught up on hoping things would work out. Not that she was holding her breath, but this was the first step and she proud of herself for not running from it.