#This is probably the best April Fools Day I've ever had!

[brooklynisher]

Boop Thanks You!

Happy birthday!

[velariscalling]

Morally Grey - An Azriel Imagine

Characters: Azriel x Archeron!Reader

Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: Cassian drags the IC to his new obsession: open mic night at Rita's, and much to his delight, Azriel has been paired up to sing with the Reader.

Warnings: Alcohol, suggestive language.

A/N: My first ever imagine is HERE!! Honestly I've been so nervous to put this out as it's all very new to me, but I really hope you guys enjoy it! I'm really looking forward to see how my writing develops as I post more, but for now, I hope you enjoy my first post! It's just a load of silly fun tbh. And finally, thank you so much to @sarawritestories for helping me out with the ending, you're the best! <3

Soundtrack: 'Morally Grey' by April Jai feat. Nation Haven

Disclaimer: GIF isn't mine - credit to whoever it belongs to.

Rita’s was bustling.

As it always was on a Friday night, really. They probably should have known better than to come on a weekend, but the welcoming vibrancy of the bar was a welcome reprieve from a long week’s work. Y/N took a deep breath as the music hit her, exhaling as she let any remaining stress seep from her body and into the night.

Before she could think too much about the busy days she’s had as of recently, a hand grabbed each of hers - one perfectly manicured, one covered in swirls of black ink - and pulled her in the direction of the bar. Mor flagged down a barman who recognised them immediately - it wasn’t a rare occurrence for the Night Court’s Inner Circle to make an appearance here.

After a moment, she handed her a shot glass filled with bright green liquid. “Bottoms up, you’re gonna need it tonight,” she grinned, already having necked her own. Feyre giggled as Y/N raised a questioning eyebrow at the blonde, throwing back her shot anyway and wincing at the tangy liquid.

“And why is that, exactly?” Y/N cocked her head at her friend, who’s brown eyes danced with excitement.

“Oh come on,” she rolled her eyes playfully, already flagging down the barman for yet another shot, just for herself this time. “You really think Cassian’s going to let us miss out on tonight? He’s been preparing his song with Rhys for days.”

It’s true - Cassian’s favourite night of the week was their newest tradition, open mic night at Rita’s. Four songs, four duos, randomly selected. Or so he says, anyway. He probably matched himself with Rhysand so he could convince him to sing Mysterious Girl together.

Feyre gripped Y/N’s hand from her other side, clearly trying her hardest to hold back a squeal of excitement. “How are you feeling?” She knew that there was more to that question than meets the eye. It wasn’t a secret that Cassian’s little game had paired her up with Azriel, much to his delight.

She put on her mask of indifference that she had mastered over the months of knowing the shadowsinger, refusing to give any details away of her incessant feelings for him that prodded at her constantly. “I am feeling absolutely fine, High Lady,” she smiled, eyes shining, but a scoff from her left interrupted her.

“Please,” Mor drawled, looking at her with a face that said, don’t even try. “You literally can’t fool anyone, especially not us, so drop the act.”

Okay, so maybe she hadn’t mastered her mask as well as she had initially thought, her twin’s nod of agreement cementing that conclusion. “Okay fine, but what do I have to be nervous about? You are all the ones who should be nervous when we out-sing you.” She smirked at them, but they shared a knowing look.

“There it is, changing the subject,” Feyre chuckled, nursing her drink in her hand. Y/N scowled at her, but she could never actually be mad at her. Frankly, she was more irritated by the fact that she knew her so well. “What? Y/N, this is what happens every time we bring him up.”

She opened her mouth to argue, when an arm was slung over her shoulder, and Feyre’s. “Ladies,” Rhysand’s melodic voice sounded over the music as he appeared between the sisters. He nodded at Mor with a grin, who was already on her… third, or fourth shot? Who knows. “Cass will have a temper tantrum if I don’t drag you all over to the stage right now.”

Feyre rolled her eyes with a laugh and allowed her mate to spin her into his arms, and they both made their way over to the Inner Circle’s area of the bar. Y/N’s heart warmed at the sight of them, knowing that her twin, her double in every way, had found her happiness. Mor looped her arm through hers as they walked behind them, her eyes following Y/N’s gaze. “You’ll have that soon, you know.”

Y/N looked over at her. She was so breathtaking, her brown eyes contrasting her golden hair, and her signature red dress hugging her flawless body in all the right places. Any male or female in this room would be lucky to get her, and yet, she didn’t care. Next to her, though, Y/N felt like nothing. As if Mor could sense her thoughts, she squeezed her arm affectionately. “Come on. Tonight’s the night you’re going to show that other side of you- oh don’t give me that look, I know it’s there.”

Y/N huffed, a lighthearted sound, and shook her head softly. “I wish I had your confidence,” She murmured, a dry joke.

“Babe, you’re sexy. When are you going to realise that?” The sheer certainty in Mor’s voice had Y/N raising her eyebrows at her friend, who simply nodded, as if agreeing with herself. “Channel it tonight. I’ll be watching.” She winked, and released her arm as they arrived at their own table right in front of the stage.

Rhys and Feyre had already taken their seats at the centre, High Lord and Lady looking elegant as ever. Cassian sat to Rhys’s right, his excitement akin to a golden retriever, as Amren, who was sat next to him, clearly tried her hardest not to throttle him. Next to Feyre sat Azriel, his looming shadows making the already dark bar appear pitch black in his presence. There were two empty chairs to his left, and finally Nesta sat at the end of the table, clearly trying to make the most of as much peace and quiet as she could get before the night’s shenanigans unfolded. Mor was quick to take the seat next to her, leaving Y/N between her and Azriel. He gave her a short smile as she sat down, ever the emotionless. “Are you ready?”

The low, icy voice of the shadowsinger never failed to take her by surprise. If the living embodiment of darkness could talk, it would sound like him. She looked at him, his hazel eyes glowing even in the darkness, and replied, “Are you?”

Before Azriel could respond, a flute of sparkly champagne slid from Y/N’s left into view. She turned to see Nesta, wordlessly handing her the drink, with grey-blue eyes that told her that she, too, thought she needed an extra little liquid confidence tonight. She noticed Mor biting her lip so hard she looked as though she may explode, and she rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips as she turned back to Azriel. To her surprise, it appeared as though a similar grin was tugging on those lips as well.

He merely raised his glass to hers, eyes shining with a grin that he wouldn’t let fully show on his face. She picked up her own glass and clinked it against his, matching his honey gold gaze.

Let the night begin.

It’s safe to say that the performances of the night were… well, entertaining. Cassian was a little too excited dragging Rhys up to perform their number first, giving major boyband energy up on that stage. Feyre was in fits of laughter, but Nesta looked like she wanted to claw her eyes out… but perhaps secretly enjoyed it behind that mask of disgust. Y/N’s two sisters were up next with a rendition of Love Story in which Nesta was surprisingly involved, followed by Amren and Mor’s take on Lady Marmalade, which was frankly the worst thing anyone had ever heard. If the monster lurking beneath Amren’s skin was anything like her singing voice, then Mother help us all.

It wasn’t long before her friends were cheering and whooping as Y/N stood from her seat - the final song. “Get him girl,” Mor whispered as she passed her, Azriel on her heels. She felt the shadows licking at her ankles as she ascended the steps to the stage, gripping the microphone that had been handed to her on the way.

As Azriel situated himself to her left, she stole a quick glance at him. He was looking at the floor, uncharacteristically tense under the gazes of all their friends. It was no secret that Azriel had the most beautiful voice you’d ever heard, a gift from the Cauldron itself, but it occurred to her now that maybe no one else had heard it before. Aside from her, at the couple of short practices they  had done. Even then, she didn’t think he was giving his all.

Y/N faced the front and prepared for the music to play - she was more of a seasoned performer than Azriel. She had played her fair share of gigs around Velaris, a good handful of which on this very stage. If she was showing some confidence, she hoped that it would spark some inside of him. She steeled herself, breathing in deeply as she raised the microphone to her lips, and the music began.

“He’s got gold eyes, crooked smile, knows that he drives me wild,”

She felt the heat of the spotlight on her as she let her voice ring through the bar. It was soft, to begin with, giving the song room to breathe, to build. She looked over at the man she was sharing the stage with, noticing tension already lost from his shoulders at the sound of her voice. His eyebrows were raised ever so slightly, and she knew then that he’d realised how she’d changed the lyrics to fit him, those perfect golden eyes.

“Can’t help myself, no I’m not in denial,”

The smile she sent his way was telling, it spoke a hundred words. But it wasn’t just her grin that conveyed the message she sent: you’re okay, you’re with me, move with me. There was something between them, an invisible thread connecting the two of them, body and soul and mind. Certain thoughts, certain feelings - she could feel his, and he could feel hers. A bond like this had meaning, they both knew this, but neither of them were bold enough to explore it, acknowledge it. Across that bond, she beckoned him: Azriel, you’re with me, and I’m with you… play with me.

“I know he’s no good for me,”

There was a flicker of something in the shadowsinger’s eyes, as if his mind had decided to pull him down an alternative route to the one he was prepared to go down, the one where he’d back out and run. A shadow of a smirk lingered on his lips, as his own shadows danced around him excitedly, egging him on. The weaving tendrils were clearly more than satisfied with the idea that flashed through their master’s mind, whatever images Y/N’s words had conjured up. Azriel, play with me.

“But when he gets down on his knees,”

The spark in his eyes only seemed to brighten as he brought the lyrics to life, sinking slowly down onto his knees before her. The shit-eating smirk he wore on his face in response to her evident surprise could have sent her to her own knees as she beheld him, kneeling, for her. Mother spare her. A quick glance to her right at the others confirmed that they had all had the same reaction she had, and she feared that the bar staff may have to assist in picking their jaws up from the floor. Azriel’s face was challenging, knowing, yet almost the picture of innocence as she felt his response in her mind: You told me to play with you. She sent one word back at him: Bastard.

If he was going to play dirty, so was she.

“He’s so eager to please, knows the right frequencies,”

He reached a hand out as if to touch her - where, she wasn’t sure - but she grabbed it before he could make any contact. Scars felt rough against her soft skin as she walked slowly, teasingly around him and she sang the chorus, her heeled boots tugging her posture upright so her body curved in all the right places. She caught Feyre’s eye as she circled Azriel, still knelt on the floor and looking as though he was more than content to stay there forever. Y/N’s sister looked like her eyes were about to bulge out of her head, her smile growing so big that Y/N thought it would be too big for her face. Next to her, Rhysand simply winked, an encouraging smirk boosting her confidence.

“They say he’s morally grey, what can I say? Grey’s my favourite colour,”

As she made her way back to the front of Azriel’s view, still gripping his hand as he held it upright for her to use, she slowly lowered herself down to a squat in front of him as she sang the line. From this angle, she was now much closer to his face than before, and she noticed the subtle sheen of lust glazing over his eyes. It almost made her lose balance - almost. She brought his hand gently to her lips, placing a chaste kiss onto his marred knuckles, and he took in a sharp breath. Most people flinch when they see his hands, or grimace, or turn away. Not Y/N. No, she thinks Azriel’s scars are part of his story. The backstory to a warrior, a survivor. Scars are not the memory of what happened, but a testament to who you have become.

“Morally grey, what can I say? Grey’s my favourite…”

She rose to her feet, prepared to give Azriel some space to begin his verse, remembering the nerves that clung to him barely a minute ago. As she began to turn, taking the first step away from him, something cold slithered around her ankle, and one around her waist. The shadows pulled her straight back to where she was as the music lowered, and held her in place, as if they knew that hearing his voice would send her to the floor. And Mother above, they knew her well.

“What can I say? No I don’t pray, but for your body, I’ll worship,”

She could have sworn her knees buckled, but she couldn’t tell from the shadows holding her still. Azriel’s voice was like silk, so soft and pure, yet it lit her insides on fire in a way that she’d never felt, burning her up like a beautiful, dying star. If his voice was to be the thing to send her to her death, then so be it. She would die very, very happy. He reached out once again, and this time she did not stop him as he ran his hand up her thigh all the way to her waist from his position on the floor. Even kneeling, his Illyrian frame was intimidatingly large, her body standing not too much taller than his. His eyes watched his hand intently as it traced the curve of her side, as if they didn’t have an audience, one that was most definitely gaping at Azriel’s sudden brazenness.

“Girl don’t be afraid, my love’s a grenade, just be a good girl, you can take it,”

Like an angel rising from the ashes of war, Azriel stood slowly, wings flaring as he rose to his full height. His gaze was already intense when she was the one looking down at him, but now that he was the one towering over her, the darkness in his eyes shot electricity straight through her body and into her core, her head reeling with thoughts so sinful that nothing could save her. His hand on her waist squeezed on the words good girl, and she was forced to bite her lip hard to stop herself from reacting in a way that would later be incredibly embarrassing. His eyes tracked the movement, lingering on her bottom lip as she released it from her teeth with a pop.

“Call me insane but for you, I was made, I’d burn the world down if it’d make you feel safe,”

The fire in Azriel’s eyes blazed as he took one step toward her, and another, and another, closer and closer. The upper hand that Y/N had held up until now had slipped, yielding step after step backward, her control completely faltering. She had always known that doing this with Azriel would likely create some… tension between the two of them, and he must have known, but Cauldron, this was unlike anything she had ever expected. Azriel was so close that she felt his body heat, felt her face warming, likely for everyone to see under the harsh glare of the spotlights.

“It’s you that I crave, and nothing compares to your taste,”

Y/N couldn’t help but feel like Azriel meant every single word he was singing. No, he didn’t write the lyrics himself of course, but the way his eyes burned with such feeling, and… what looked to be desperation, told her there was much more to this than meets the eye. And Gods… the way his voice cracked ever so slightly with a primal need as those final words left his mouth had her praying to whatever higher powers she could to forgive her for the damning shivers he was sending straight to the very heart of that taste he craved so badly.

As the chorus rolled around once more, their voices finally blended as one, and nothing had ever sounded so right. Azriel’s shadows danced freely around the two of them, creating a tornado of darkness, of intimacy, where they were right in the eye of the storm. The song continued, and the pull between the two of them was magnetic, almost hypnotic as they completely forgot about the audience they had; their family who were most definitely gaping like fish out of water. Y/N could feel Azriel’s warm breath on her face as he sang, his angelic voice whispering less-than-angelic promises that only she could hear in the way it trembled.

Y/N honestly didn’t think that Azriel could get any closer - what she failed to consider was that the shadowsinger was in so deep that he wasn’t planning on stopping until there was absolutely no space left between them. As the song once again softened, Azriel took his chance and leaned impossibly closer, abandoning his vocals in favour of a different use of that mouth. Y/N inhaled sharply as Azriel’s lips brushed against hers, gently, experimentally. Some instinctive part of her that knew this was right pushed her forward to press her lips a little harsher against his, earning a shiver from the shadowsinger. She heard a soft rustle coming from behind him as his wings twitched from the anticipation.

As he pulled away, Azriel heard a shaky exhale escape her lips, caused only by the feeling of him, the heat of two bodies pressed close together, the rush of meeting the lips of the person who, deep down, you know is made for you. Your partner. Your mate. That shiver he elicited from Y/N was the final straw - the last thing he needed to cement his plans for the night. His face still inches from hers, he whispered with a voice so low he wasn’t sure it had even come from him, “You’re mine tonight.”

One moment, the IC were watching dumbfounded at the scene playing out in front of them, some wondering if they really should be averting their eyes (apart from Cassian, who sat with a shit-eating grin on his face). The next moment, the stage was empty, a whisper of shadows the only thing left standing in their wake. Azriel had disappeared in a flash, winnowed to who knows where, taking Y/N with him.

“Goddamn, Az,” Rhys chuckled into his drink after a beat of shocked silence. “Nicely done.”

“No! But they didn’t even finish their song!” Cassian pouted, gesturing wildly at the empty stage as the music still played from the speakers.

“Somehow I don’t think that’s their priority right now, Cass,” Mor giggled, practically vibrating from excitement and pride, exploding with glee at what had taken place since her little pep talk earlier.

Rhys set his glass down on the table in favour of throwing an arm over the top of Feyre’s chair. “It’s about time those two did something about the obvious, right?”

As Feyre’s eyes sparkled with delight for her twin, she giggled at his words, overjoyed at the knowledge that Y/N may at last feel the happiness of having a mate. A partner for all eternity.  “Yeah… finally.”

[allmyocsarebritish]

Happy birthday Angel Dust!!

Pairing: Angel Dust X Reader

Warnings(?): fluff, brief mentions of drinks and drugs, we love Angel <33

A comfortable silence engulfed Angel Dust's room as you lay on his bed, lovingly stroking Fat Nuggets. Angel sat backwards on the chair by his dresser, facing you as he rested his chin in his palm, another of his hands twirling a cigarette absentmindedly.

"You know," he began in a serious tone, a sudden break in the banter you had been sharing prior to this moment. This caused you to pause and devote your attention entirely to the star. "This is probably best day I've had in a long time, despite the, uh, moments."

You both laughed softly at the memory of Charlie's attempt to make Angel's birthday special, resulting in utter chaos filling the hotel. It had begun with decorations, which had been torn to shreds by cat alastor, a strange new arrival at the hotel. This was followed by the princess herself dropping the cake, having been tripped by one of Sir Pentious's eggs. The mess was extremely distressing to Niffty, as she had just finished waxing the floors.

Later events also did not go quite to plan, with Angel's party being crashed by Cherri bombing down a wall. This turned out to be a positive turn, though, as she was his best friend and made the day vastly more entertaining. The final disaster was when Niffty, ever the lightweight, became rather tipsy quickly, and proceeded to tidy away everyone's drugs and drinks.

Despite all this, you knew that the day had been more than ideal for Angel, and just what he needed, following the long week he had in the studio. As evening drew out, you and Angel joined Husk at the bar for some celebratory drinks, laughing and joking together long into the night.

~

"If your birthday is today, does that make you an April fool?" Husk asked intently, a slight smirk playing on his lips, as you stifled a laugh when Angel's response was to flip him off.

~

Eventually Husk decided to retire to his room, and, as he didn't trust either of you unsupervised around his alcohol (even more so when together) you were forced to head off to Angel's room. So there you were, surrounded by comfort brought only by your favourite person in your favourite place, talking and cuddling the night away.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm grateful. For everyone at the hotel, but, especially you, toots." His voice was slightly wobbly, not noticeably so, but you still picked up on it.

"I'm grateful for you too, Angie. I don't know what the fuck I'd do without you." You hopped off his bed, making your way over to the chair he was sat on and wrapping your arms around him. Angel hugged you back immediately, burying his face in the crook of your neck as you joined him on the chair, practically sitting on top of him.

"Thank you, for being here." He whispered against your skin.

"Of course." You gave him one last tight squeeze before pulling back and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. "You know we love you, Angel."

His smile grew at your words, followed by your own. "And I love you the most."

"I love you too." He responded, hand rising to cup your cheek.

"Happy birthday, Anthony."

"Thanks, sweetheart."

Of course, following the theme of the day, your sweet moment was interrupted. Biting back a laugh at the irony of this continuously happening, you looked down at what (or who) interrupted this time. Met with a cold, wet snout pressing against the back of your hand, you leant down and scooped up Fat Nuggets, sandwiching him between you and Angel. Leaning your head against his fluffy chest, you let out a sigh of contentment. All four of Angel's arms were put to use, the lower set hugging you and the little demon pig close, one gently running through your hair and another petting Nuggets.

"Y'know, I really can't consider this eternal torment." You whispered. "Not when I'm with you, baby."

"Me neither, toots. Me neither."

[arcane-vagabond]

Hey, so...

This is going to be a LONG post, so please bare with me.

I've been doing a LOT of thinking the past week about what fics I'm doing and when. I've made some decisions that some people are probably not going to like, and I completely understand that, but at the end of the day, it's my blog and my time. I know there have been some fics that people have been very excited for, but unfortunately, things change.

As of right now, Til the Summer Comes Again is getting shelved until sometime in November. I love the fic, and I want to finish it, but I do think it'll be a lot more fun to do in the winter considering it's a Jack Frost fic. This past winter was really hectic for me considering I started a new job after being unemployed for a couple of months, and with the stress of all that and the pressure for other fics, it definitely fell by the wayside. The fic idea is something so special to me, which is why I'm shelving it instead of scrapping it altogether. We will see Jack Frost!Bob again in November!

I am also scrapping my Hadestown fic (In Spite of the Way). I'm doing this because it's such a specific story, and unfortunately, I just don't see myself being able to add anything new or interesting to the story at hand. It would just be a complete retelling of the story that's already there, and that's not something that I want to do.

I am also tabling my Studio Ghibli fics. I'm not sure if I'll ever come back to them, but they've been pushed to the side for so long that it just doesn't make sense to have them on my masterlist when it's becoming clear that other things are drawing my interests away. I'd love to re-explore them farther down the line, but for now, Our Hill of Stars and The Word of the Crooked are being taken off my masterlist. Whisper in the Wind I believe will be started come early September or so and be a part of the Autumn lineup.

Now that Meet Me at the Sea is done, my focus is going to be on finishing Fool's Fare and updating the Dagger Posse Universe here and there. Fool's Fare is most likely to be done sometime in April if I had to guess, which means...

It's time to talk the Sailor-Aviator Summer Cinematic Release schedule!

As we all know, I've just announced the MMATS stand-alone sequel: Down By the Bay featuring one Bradley Bradshaw. But what else is coming this summer? Let's talk about it!

There have been a few of you waiting for my Indiana Jones!Jake fic aka Fortune & Glory, and I'm so excited to announce that it is on the roster for this summer! Tune in to follow Jake and Bucket as they try to secure the legendary staff of Moses before the Nazis do!

Next up on the roster is the long-awaited Mafia fic! Titled after the age-old idiom, Two Birds follows the reader as they unwittingly catch the eye of not one, but two mafia bosses, both standing as the dual heads of the Dagger Syndicate. Two Birds is a M x F x M featuring Jake "Hangman" Seresin and Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (No Hangster).

I'm hoping to start these fics anywhere from Mid-May to early June, so stay tuned!!

Meanwhile, I will be dedicating some time to the DPU as well, trying to wrap up some fics within that to hopefully have it finished (or down to the last one) by the summer's end.

If you've stuck around this long, I just want to say thank you. Not only for reading this monster of a post, but for continuing to read my work and for following and supporting me through everything! You guys are the best! Until next time~

[adobe-outdesign]

Not aure if u have, but have you reviewed the Gnorbu pet yet?

Gnorbus (or Norbs, as I've gotten into the habit of naming them) are super cute, and I'm surprised they're not more popular than they are. They're basically like llamas or alpacas, to the point where their pet day is known as Gnorbu Shearing Day (TNT even swapped out the standard pet image for a shaved version the first time it was celebrated). However, they're incredibly chunky and short compared to either of those animals, so they don't come across as a 1:1 copy or anything. They have some nice use of color to, with a (typically) darker mane and spots and lighter muzzle, toes, and tail.

One thing most people probably already know is that Gnorbus started out as a fake pet called a Lamameeah, which was introduced on April Fool's Day Y7 (2005) along with many other fake pets. However, enough of these fake pets were popular than TNT eventually held a poll to make one of them into a real pet, which the Lamameeah won.

Al of people back used to whine about how they "ruined the Lamameeah" when its design was finalized, which I never understood. All they did was make it look more like a Neopet. For example, in addition to short and chunky proportions, Neopets usually have very large eyes and well-defined faces, and you can see they tweaked that up to be more in-line with other pets for the Gnorbu.

Another thing is color blocking; most Neopets use color to define areas of the design. You can see on the Lamameeah that areas like the white around the eyes and chest or that stripe down the back doesn't help emphasize any part of the design, and were fairly arbitrary additions (though they did keep it from being too solid-colored). With the final design, they gave it a mane and then added some spots on the side to break up the body, along with white on the muzzle. This helps emphasize the design quite a bit and looks a lot better than the original ever did. They also improved a few elements like the shading and the lineart.

Gnorbus basically didn't change with customization at all, though they did screw up the mouth shape slightly (as the lip no longer seems to connect). Also, for some reason some post-conversion Gnorbus have a weird error where they occasionally have an extra piece of hair, but only occasionally—compare the blue Gnorbu above with the green and you'll see the issue.

Favorite Colours:

Toy: Most of the Gnorbu's best colours I've discussed already elsewhere, but as I mentioned in my toy colour review, the toy Gnorbu is delightful. The overall piñata concept is perfect and it's nice and colorful without being too chaotic. My only nitpick is the eye should've had colored lineart so it would match the body better.

Cloud: One of the only good cloud pets, the cloud Gnorbu is super cute, with a lovely pastel blue and a fluffy white cloud and tail. The cloud patterning over the body breaks things up nicely and the darker eyes and ears stand out. No complaints here.

Robot: Even cuter than the base Gnorbu, which is not an easy feat, the robot Gnorbu has lovely bright green accents that are contrasted with its light and dark gray body. Red helps draw emphasis to the face and it has a sawblade tail, and looks good both both pre- and post-customization. What more could you want?

BONUS: The Christmas Gnorbu really isn't anything special all things considered, but I really find myself liking it. The dark greens are a lovely contrast against the white base, and the dropping of a few extra markings lets the mane stick out all the more, which is done up like a Christmas wreath complete with lights and a bow. My only issue with it is that the lights and bow are unfortunately not wearable; if they were, you could remove them and get a killer base out of it.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

A/N: I wrote this loosely based on my own experience where my feelings for someone was used a prank for April Fools. Except it was the guy I liked who pranked me, and there was no happy ending. Also, my best friend at the time was part of it. Still hurts to think about.

Kevin hated Steve Harrington and hated him with a passion. He never did anything to him personally, but he didn't do anything to stop his friend Tommy from shoving him into lockers. He swore that if he had ever been given the opportunity that he would get revenge. Tommy had gone off to God knows where Steve would have to do, especially since he's been hogging all of Eddie's time since Spring Break.

Kevin had heard all sorts of stories about how Steve saved his life and how he had been taking care of him. He knows what kind of guy Steve is, knows that he's probably yanking Eddie's chain. Guys, like Steve, they never really change. He was going to hurt him before he could hurt Eddie. He knows that even douchebags can have feelings, and they were clear as day when he looked at Eddie. No, Kevin couldn't allow that. Saturday was April 1st. What a perfect opportunity. It was also perfect that he could copy Eddie's handwriting almost exactly. He wrote the note and slipped it on Steve’s car at Family Video. He ran back to his car, where it was parked down the road.

"I'm telling you, Robin," Steve said as he walked out of work with his best friend. "Even if he does like guys, it doesn't necessarily mean he likes me."

"I've seen the way he looks at you!" Robin practically growled at him.

"I don't want to get my hopes up here," he replied.

"It's worth the risk to have a little hope," she said softly. "Hey, what's that on your car?"

Steve shrugged and picked up the white piece of paper. It was a note from Eddie. He smiled, the smile growing as he read the note.

"Holy shit, you were right, Robin!" Steve exclaimed. "He likes me. He really likes me!"

Robin squealed and made a grab for the note. She jumped and hugged Steve. The next thing Robin knew, Steve was spinning her around and dancing with her in the empty parking lot.

"It's all coming together, Robin," Steve said softly.

When Saturday rolled around, Steve waited around impatiently for the evening to come. Robin had come over to help him get ready, and she began to get nervous with him. It wasn't even her date. When it came time to meet Eddie at the restaurant, Steve dropped Robin and her bike off at her house with promises to call if the date went well. He walked into Enzo's, flowers gripped tightly in his hand, and sat at the table reserved for him. It was quite a fancy restaurant for Eddie, but then he remembered how he had mentioned before about really working really hard to save up for something special. Had he been talking about Steve? He wondered what he would be wearing. He hoped it would be his regular clothes. That would be a sight.

As he thought about Eddie, an hour went by, and then another. It was pretty close to closing time, and Eddie was still a no-show. Steve frowned into his glass of water. He knew that if he hadn't shown up by now, then he was never going to show. It felt like someone had punched him the gut. The waiter came over to him with a note, and he perked up. Maybe it was from Eddie explaining himself. He opened it, and he sucked air through his teeth. It no longer felt like a punch. It felt like someone had rammed a sword through his stomach. On the note, in Eddie's handwriting, were the words: April Fools. Fuck.

Steve stormed into his home, slamming the door so hard it rattled. He was finding it hard to breathe. He could feel his face flush with shame and humiliation. Of course, it wasn't real. Of course, it had been a joke. Of course, no one could ever really love him. His parents certainly didn't. Nancy didn't, and now. . .now, it was Eddie who didn't love him, who thought he was a joke. That one hurt most of all. Fool. Bullshit. Fool. Not good enough. Not smart enough. Not worth it. Steve screamed and began breaking the things in the foyer. The end table came crashing to the floor, and he pulled the mirror that hung with it, the vase on top breaking on the floor as the rest followed suite. The notes were still crumpled in his hands, and he let them fall to the floor as he walked over the broken glass.

"Hello?" Robin called out as she entered Steve’s house the next morning.

She tried calling first, knowing he liked that, but he didn't answer, and so she got worried. He had promised to call if the date had gone well. Robin frowned as she moved all the way in and felt the crunch underneath her feat before she saw it. She glanced down and saw the wreckage on the floor along with the note. April Fools. She gasped, running over the glass and up the stairs to Steve’s room. She burst through the door, and her heart broke at the sight. Her best friend was lying in bed, still in the clothes from last night. His eyes were glassy and swollen. He looked so tired, so sad. . .

"Robin," Steve croaked.

Robin spent the next week when she wasn't working or going to school, taking care of Steve. She called off sick for him and worked hard to be there for him. She prevented the kids from stopping by, claiming that she didn't want them to get sick, but she knew that wouldn't hold for long. Friday had been enough for her after seeing him in school all happy and smiling while her best friend laid up in bed. He went to the bathroom and he still ate food but he stopped bathing. He stopped caring about his hair! Enough was enough!

"MUNSON!" Robin yelled, seething, as she stormed into the drama room.

He was holding Hellfire, had just begun when Robin ran in, and he nearly toppled out of his chair. He had never seen her so angry before, and honestly, it was terrifying.

"Robin, what -," Eddie started.

"He can't get out of bed because of you because of this!" Robin exclaimed, slamming pieces of paper to his chest. "After everything he did for you! What the fuck?!"

"A-are we talking about Steve?" Eddie asked. "I thought he was sick."

"No, he's fucking not. He's fucking devastated because of what you did," she said in disgust.

Eddie frowned, and his eyes widened when he read the notes. Oh God, he felt like he was going to be sick.

"How long did he wait?" Eddie asked.

"Hours," she replied.

Shit.

"Robin, I didn't write this," Eddie said.

"Oh, likely story," she scoffed.

"I swear, but I know who did," he said darkly and looked Kevin's way when he heard him laugh.

Eddie stood up, letting the notes fall, and walked towards a laughing Kevin. He grabbed Kevin by the collar, pulled him up out of his chair, and slammed him roughly against the wall. Kevin stopped laughing.

"Seriously?" Kevin asked.

"What you did was beyond fucked and you did it in my name," Eddie said furiously.

"King Steve deserved what he got. He is and always will be a bully," Kevin sneered.

"Jesus Christ, Kevin!" Grant spoke up.

"Steve Harrington is a better man than you will be. He grew up. How about you do the fucking same? In the meantime, you're out of the club," Eddie said.

He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and ripped it down the middle before slamming him back against the wall. Kevin glared at him, grabbed his things, and walked out. Eddie turned around, full of rage.

"Anyone else have a problem with Steve Harrington?! If you do, speak now!" He snapped, pausing. "Alright then, Hellfire is canceled for tonight. There's someone I need to tend to. I swear, Robin, I - "

"I believe you," she said quickly. "Let's go."

Eddie nearly broke down crying at sight of Steve laying in bed, looking so utterly defeated. Steve flinched away from when he tried to touch him. Eddie was going to curse Kevin's name until the day that he died.

"Steve, listen to me. I swear on Hellfire, Dustin's mother, and James Hetfield that I didn't write that note. That was all Kevin, and it was for something that Tommy did. I was going to ask you out to a Tears for Fears concert. I even bought the tickets, I've been waiting to ask you. I still want to ask you, but I understand if you don't believe me," Eddie said.

"I never stopped him," Steve said, looking at him.

"Stopped who?" Eddie asked.

"Tommy."

"Oh, baby, you weren't the only one who could have done something. Besides, it wasn't your job to stop him. The only one who well and truly could have stopped Tommy Hagen was Tommy Hagen. He made his choice, and he got to lay in whatever bed he made. You didn't deserve what happened to you, my love, nobody does," Eddie said.

"Am I?"

"What?"

"Your love?"

"Abso - fucking - lutely you are!"

Steve met him halfway to the sweetest kiss that either one of them had ever gotten. Eddie pulled back with a grin.

"There's no doubt about it," Eddie said. "I love you, baby, I do, but your breath stinks, and you need a shower."

Steve laughed, and it was the most beautiful song that Eddie had ever heard. His favorite song.

[jmdbjk]

Good morning! Pt. 2

I forgot to mention that it started to pour down rain (hence Rainy Day Fight) whenever JK was out there lost in the streets and I’m sure that added to his stress because he didn’t know how to get back to the dorm. Thundering, lightning, who knows... wind maybe... some outside force got upset at JK in that moment. The Universe seemed to step in and pour a bucket of water on a young JK's head to get his attention... it worked.

Continuing...

So he's scrolling through a million cooking videos and then all of a sudden "Lee Mujin Service April Fools Day Special" comes up?

I can't be the only one who is giving that the big ol' side eye... amongst all the food/cooking videos THAT one shows up? Riiiight...

He says he hasn't seen it... riiiiight.... whatever you say Kookie.

Curiously... the translation subtitle says he said "Jimin!" but that's not what he said. I don't know what he said but it wasn't Jimin.

He fast forwards a little and then this:

Hahahahaha! Yep, I bet you've heard enough about Face album to last you a while. That project tied up your Jiminie for most of the past year and had you sitting in your living room-cave drinking beer and eating gobs of fried chicken in front of Netflix all winter long singing to your giant tv and keeping the neighbors awake.

But that doesn't stop Kook from obviously loving Like Crazy...

[we're sorry we're experiencing technical difficulties with the video, please standby]

He couldn't think of Bosa Nova for the genre.

The mimicking was 💀 ... I died. I can see Jimin practicing some mock interviews with him. That seems very much like something Jimin would do. JK loves his Jimin. That's all there is to it.

Then he sang along with Lee Mujin on "Butterfly" and "Traffic Light" where he unleashed some killer ad libs. He proceeded to play air drums.

When he was done with that he scrolled some more and commented there are only cooking shows... I swear ... how did the Lee Mujin show just appear amongst all the cooking shows Kookie?? hmmmmm????

He has watched it before, that's how, it was in his history.

I have to tell you... I will admit, my mind lives in the gutter... please get that stick out from between your legs and ESPECIALLY STOP rubbing the knob at the end of it!!!

You can't tell me he doesn't know what we say on here about him. He lurks in the rabbit hole...I just know it.

Finds this specific thing and then proceeds to sing along with himself... if the neighbors managed to keep sleeping through the drumming on the furniture jam session, they surely woke up when he started to belt out Airplane Pt. 2.

But he couldn't remember the lyrics to Save Me...

When the Best of Me verse came up where he and Jimin do the switchy-switchy back and forth choreo he couldn't help himself... he had to couch dance... and it turned out to be a loop hahahahaha!

Then he belted out Wasurenai by Tanaka. The neighbors probably have given up on sleeping in by now. It's a workday anyway. Get your ass out of bed.

[the toes...] I'm not a foot person but I would give him a foot rub.

That's because you are interrupting your body's involuntary intake and exhalation of oxygen. It is theorized that the brain triggers yawns to keep you alert. I know everyone needed to know that. Don't look at my brain, its scary in there. Moving on...

And then he swapped hats and launched into a 5 minute impression of G-Dragon... I don't know anything about G-Dragon except he was in BigBang with Taeyang. I did see him arriving at Incheon one time and he was wearing the shortest shorts I've ever seen a man wear in public these days. They were like booty shorts... He did not make eye contact with anyone, as if he wished he was somewhere else. Came across as a typical western rapper... full of attitude and not gratitude. That's my impression of who G-Dragon is. Anyway. This:

Paint me clueless because I have no idea what just happened.

Ok, let me take a step away for a second and speak about something: Jungkook just parodied G-Dragon. He was mimicking Jimin earlier... ALL IN FUN. The theory is, when you mimic others, you subconsciously create a bond with those individuals. If you dislike someone, your subconscious will dampen any desire to do that. Psychology is fascinating isn't it?

I've seen some trying to weaponize these instances during this live. Jungkook mimics and copies because these are people he enjoys, not people he hates. There is not a malicious bone in JK's body. Just a lot of bones and cartilages that sound like bubble wrap being stepped on when he cracks them. Again moving on...

He stopped on Kurzgesagt, a Youtube channel that creates animated videos on a variety of topics that are informational and enlightening. Kookie loves the aesthetics of the channel.

He spends the next 10 minutes searching for something to watch while his brain tries to wind down and tell him its time to sleep. He subconsciously starts humming Like Crazy again and then finds a Jay Park song. I am thinking a collab is coming even though most of us could do without Jay Park. Obviously, Jungkook has a thing for him so I will remain open minded about any song should one be released. JK's vocals will elevate it to the stratosphere regardless.

I remember the pushback when we learned about Jimin's collab with Taeyang. And it turned out to be a great song and speaking for myself, I found Taeyang to be a decent and likable human. Why I ever doubted the kind of person Jimin would admire, I have no idea.

Displaying his prowess of composing songs on the spot:

The entire live was classic Jungkook. He will talk about almost anything and share a wide-ranging amount of TMI. Even now, he shows us how open he is about so much. He covered so many random things but mostly talked about his three favorite things: working out/body care, cooking and Jimin.

And Jimin and Jungkook...they are still the same as they've always been, always and forever since the rainy day fight up until now.

He finally decided to "rest a bit" before heading out and bid us farewell.

Apobangpo Kookie! I hope we get to see you soon again!

More thoughts as I sit here thinking about Jungkook and Jimin through the years... it shouldn't be taken lightly how much influence Jimin has had on Jungkook. And to think of their dynamic over the years, watching the way they look at each other and speak to each other has evolved. It is rare to be able to observe such a thing happen between two people in real life. The way they both light up when they see the other's presence... lately we've seen it during these lives... they both beam with joy at each other... it's an amazing thing.

(FYI: My gifs and video prevented this post from showing up on the tumblr feed so there are screenshots for now.)

[illleavemymessageinmysong]

MTV Unplugged: Singing The Blues

“We’d rehearsed a bunch of songs and tried to keep it a kind of unusual selection so that there was a slightly historical interesting angle to the stuff we were playing”

Mean Woman Blues

Matchbox

Midnight Special

I Lost My Little Girl

Here, There and Everywhere

San Francisco Bay Blues

We Can Work It Out

Blue Moon Of Kentucky

I’ve Just Seen A Face

Every Night

Be Bop A Lula

She’s A Woman

And I Love Her

The Fool

Things We Said Today

That Would Be Something

Blackbird

Hi-Heel Sneakers

Good Rockin’ Tonight

Junk

Ain’t No Sunshine

We Can Work it Out

Singing The Blues

For a while, Paul’s full MTV Unplugged performance was up on YouTube (including songs that weren’t broadcast on the tv show or included on the album) but it’s since been taken down. A couple of things stuck out for me when I watched it: firstly, how naturally funny he is, his between song patter is such a laugh; secondly, how the setlist, with a few exceptions, felt kind of thematic.

Largely, the set felt like a bit of a story and that story, as his fellow Liverpudlian Pete Wylie might have put it, is The Story Of The Blues - and I don’t mean Everton FC.

No, it felt like the story of love found and love lost.

Far fetched? Well, I was listening to the When They Was Fab podcast episode from April 2023 on the mtv unplugged show and it included a clip from an interview with Paul (sorry, don’t have the original source) and he says the following:

“We’d rehearsed a bunch of songs and tried to keep it a kind of unusual selection so that there was a slightly historical interesting angle to the stuff we were playing”.

So, he’s saying there’s something thematic about the setlist. It’s not just a bunch of songs that would sound good done acoustically or, as I’ve heard suggested, that he interpreted the brief as meaning skiffle. I mean, sure, there are a couple of skiffle type songs in there in Midnight Special and San Francisco Bay Blues but even the rest of the 50s covers are more rock & roll, r&b or 50s pop.

If Paul talks about a “slightly historical interesting angle” the first thing we’d probably want to look at is The Beatles or maybe, more particularly, John. Well, the set includes ‘Be Bop A Lula’, a song John and the Quarrymen played the day Paul met him, so there’s that. Is there anything else particularly John or Beatles related in the set? Other than their shared love of 50s r&r and r&b? Don’t really see it.

There are some feel-good uptempo songs in the set to keep the mood up but most of the songs chosen, I think, come into these categories:

* Beatle Paul songs widely accepted to have been written about his then girlfriend

* Beatle Paul songs that may or may not be specifically about her but perhaps reflect the position he was in relationship wise at the time

* Songs about the despair felt when a relationship has ended - singing the blues

The last category covers a couple of his own songs and many of the covers. From the latter:

“I've got news for you, baby, leave me here in misery, all right”

“I got the blues from my baby left me…. didn’t mean to treat her so bad, she was the best girl I ever have had, she said goodbye, I can take a cry, I want to lay down and die”

“It was on a moonlight night, the stars shining bright, they whispered from high, your love has said good-bye”

“gather round me buddy, raise your glasses high and drink to a fool, a crazy fool, who told his baby goodbye. Too late he found he loved her so much he wants to die, so drink to a fool, a crazy fool who told his baby goodbye..he needs her, he needs her so, he wonders why he let her go”

“ain’t no sunshine when she's gone, only darkness every day, ain’t no sunshine when she's gone and this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away”

Finally, as a summation of the performance, we get:

“well I never felt more like singin' the blues, ‘cause I never thought that I'd ever lose your love dear, why'd you do me this way?..well I never felt more like cryin' all night, ‘cause everythin's wrong, and nothin' ain't right without you, you got me singin' the blues”

[bottombisexual]

36, 62, 65, 75

And I'm flipping 30 on its head. Forget something you could change, what's one thing you really like/would never change about your body?

36. Have you ever liked one of your best friends?

Unfortunately, yes. Twice, because apparently I don't learn. In high school, my best friend was a guy in the grade ahead of me and he was single for a while, but I was scared to say anything. When he got a gf, I literally cried in bed for hours to my mom. After they broke up, I eventually told him I had feelings for him -- it happened to be on April Fool's Day, but I was barely even aware of that and he knew I was serious. He told me he was gay as a prank. Total asshole move. Anyway, it took me a long time to get over him, even after he admitted it wasn't true and that he didn't like me back. He moved away for college and the last couple times I saw him when he came back to visit, he's turned into a pretentious asshole, so I say good riddance 😅

The second one is one of my best friends, though we haven't met in person. We met on tumblr through a mutual fandom. She didn't return feelings for me, but was very kind about it, and even though it really hurt at the time, I'm glad I was able to move on bc she's still an amazing friend.

62. What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you?

Oh god, I feel like this question has so many potential answers, but I'm going to think of it in terms of what would turn me on the most to have someone do or say to me. They'd sit me down between their legs, my back to their chest, and run their hands all over me, all while kissing and biting at my neck and whispering very sweet, very filthy things before finally making me cum once or twice with just their fingers. And then maybe using a toy on me? Fucking me with a dildo while I arch back against them. Yeah, that'd do it 🫠

65. What is your favourite foreplay routine?

So like. I've never had sex, which is probably surprising given the shit I say, post, and reblog on here, but for questions like this, I don't really know what would be my favorite! I certainly have an active imagination though lol

75. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you?

My date for my senior prom asked me to go with him with a big bouquet of flowers 🥺 He was two years behind me, but I went to a very small school and we all were fairly close regardless of grade. My senior year was a very bad, dark time for me, but he was always so nice to me, no matter what. Even still, he's just a genuinely kind person and idk if it meant as much to him as it did to me, but it was incredibly sweet.

Something about my body that I'd never change... my eyes bc they're a very pretty blue and my boobs 😂

[seitmai]

Once again many thoughts

You looked sleepy, like you could close your eyes and drift right off. "You're a DILF, Bradley. It's so annoying that you don't listen when I tell you that."

For real! He has to finally accept his DILF status and just run with it, especially because I think he secretly loves is

He was just alternating kissing Rose's head and yours, making you laugh, when a nurse opened the door and called your name. Bradley wasn't as nervous as he had been when you and he were here a year ago, antsy to find out more about Rose. He had the hang of this parenting thing by now, and he was just excited to hear a heartbeat today. The rest would sort itself out. You and he would figure out which room would become the second nursery. He would open a second college savings account even though both kids would get a full ride. He wasn't worried.

I wish I was chill like that in a situation like that, my anxiety could never lmao

But you still were. He did his best to keep his enthusiasm at a normal volume when you started to stress about money or how exhausted you already were, but inside he was elated. Two kids! Two! If you would have asked him five years ago if he thought he'd ever buy a house, he would have told you no. Now he had a whole fucking family and a dog in the Craftsman. Two kids under two would be a breeze. He just knew it.

He calls himself out to be more chill about it hahaha I really envy him for being so positive , but honestly it probably helps that he is not the one that has to grow a human and therefore share his body 🫣

Bradley let you get changed and settle onto the exam table while he bounced Rose in the chair. She was fresh from her nap, and she'd start bugging to eat soon enough. "I must admit, Nugget, I'm a bit surprised you're meeting your little sibling while you're still so tiny." "He's lying, Rose. He planned it out this time," you replied, laying back with your eyes closed while he reached for your hand. "Your dad is a con artist."

He is really leaning into his act of being surprised and innocent 🤭😅

The door opened, and Dr. Morris strode in, looking from you to Bradley and back to you. "I thought you were using the pill? What happened?" You glared at Bradley. "Yeah, Roo. I thought we were using the pill."

I know Dr. Morris on the inside is shaking her head and thinking: "of course those two"

He didn't want to point out that you were the one who left the birth control at home over the July Fourth weekend. "Well, you see, we were using the pill, but then plans changed." He cleared his throat and tried not to grin. "Dr. Morris, are you aware that the pullout method is not foolproof?" She cradled her head in her hands before looking at him. "You know, I've heard that. Which is why I prescribed the pill."

Hahaha I just know this is not the first time she had this exact conversation and always is questioning her entire career, poor Dr. Morris😅

Bradley cleared his throat again as the ultrasound wand disappeared beneath your hospital gown, making you wince as it was inserted. "Uh, actually, I can probably tell you the exact date and time of the... impregnation."

"I missed one when we were away for a weekend," you whispered, drawing her attention your way. "And I'm really nervous that I didn't give my body enough time to heal after the last pregnancy," you added, gesturing to Rose. "And I'm still a little... heavy... from having her. What if I end up with high blood pressure again because of my weight?" Bradley's eyes went wide. "You're worried about that? You're not even heavy, Sweetheart."

I am ELATED that she addresses he worries and with that the issues she has with her body and confidence at once and Bradley not only heats it but is instantly there to squash all those worries 🥹👏🏻

Lmao I can't with him hahahah

But Bradley already knew. He'd already done the math in his head. He was not at all surprised when she said the due date was April Fool's Day.

Of course that's the due date 😂

"Thanks," you whispered, holding tight to the ultrasound images that had been printed out for you. Dr. Morris gave Bradley a stern look as she walked past, and he had to fight the urge to salute in response. He was probably on thin ice with several people right now.

Oh I'm sure he is haha, the salute would have been so freaking funny though 😂

He examined the little nugget shape before showing it to his daughter. "Do you think it's a brother or a sister? Daddy doesn't care either way. I just love Nuggets."

The Rooster and his Nuggets 🤭

She held the photo in her tiny hand as Bradley helped you get dressed again. He thought maybe it looked like you already had a bump growing, but he wasn't about to comment on your size, even if it did look cute.

Good thinking ☝🏻also Rose holding the first picture of her sibling 🥹😍

Jake was perceptive, but Cat made you feel like you were transparent. Entering code while sitting next to her in the lab was tedious. Every time you breathed, it felt like she was going to figure out you were pregnant again. You swore she already knew.

She probably does, or at least has a feeling about it, I'm sure of it

You threw your arms around his neck and kissed him while he chuckled, but his hand slid lower on your back to your butt, giving you a little squeeze. "Not gonna lie, the first thing I thought of this morning when Mav told me was how cool my dad would have found this." "Oh, Roo," you whispered, heart clenching. "The second thing I thought of was fucking you senseless on my desk."

Bradley's fingers fumbled with your zipper as he said, "You know, this would be a lot easier if you were wearing your maternity tent." "I was just thinking about that thing earlier!" you replied, laughing as you kissed him.  "Ugly but functional," he whispered, mustache rough against your skin when he mashed his mouth to yours. 

Not the tent 🥲😂

When his tongue dragged the length of your slit, his fingers tightened on your hips, digging in until you gasped. "You know when to take me seriously and when I'm full of shit. And right now, I'm so serious about making you scream."

😮‍💨🤤🤭

Your body jerked forward, making you hang onto the desk for dear life as he fucked you hard and deep with one stroke. "If you weren't already pregnant again, you would be after this," he swore, withdrawing before plowing into you again. "Let's have ten kids."

That man is not beating the breeding kink allegations lol

"No," you gasped. "From the Academy? Your ex?" "Yep," Cam replied with a grin. "And he looks terrible."

Isn't that the best feeling 🤭

She was beautiful. Young and slim with dark hair and the brightest blue eyes you'd ever seen. And she was walking next to your husband and laughing like he'd just told her the most hilarious thing she'd ever heard in her life. Bradley nodded and smiled down at her, his expression merely polite. At least that's what you thought. Now you weren't so sure. He knew you came to the cafeteria, so why wasn't he looking around for you? Why wasn't he checking to see if you were still here? 

Oh no this is not good😬😌

You stumbled along, thinking about the way Bradley fucked you against his desk barely thirty minutes ago. He'd made you feel so good, but now you were outrageously jealous over some unknown woman, and you had to get back to work. You couldn't control it. Why were you reacting this way? This wasn't even like you. But somehow you could just tell that something wasn't right.

💔💔💔

Bradley get your fucking act together and take care of your pregnant wife and the mother of your child, pronto! 😤

Aim for the Sky Part 30 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Even though Bradley isn't as nervous this time around, his excitement for the baby overflows at your first appointment with your doctor. After he surprises you with something at work, you get hit by a wave of jealousy.

Warnings: Angst, adult language, body image, DILF Roo, smut, pregnancy topics, lactation kink, jealousy

Length: 3500 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Aim for the Sky masterlist. This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order.

Bradley sat in the familiar waiting room at Dr. Morris's office. Just like before, your hand was held tight in his with your cheek resting on his shoulder, but now he also had Rose curled up against his chest. She was sound asleep, her tiny body rising and falling in a hypnotic rhythm that he was obsessed with. Even her fuzzy hair was starting to get a little longer now that she was over five months old. He couldn't be near her and not kiss the top of her head. It was actually impossible.

"I hope both babies look like you," he whispered.

When you tilted your head back to look at him, you rolled your eyes. "Rose looks like you."

"Nah. She's too cute."

You looked sleepy, like you could close your eyes and drift right off. "You're a DILF, Bradley. It's so annoying that you don't listen when I tell you that."

He was just alternating kissing Rose's head and yours, making you laugh, when a nurse opened the door and called your name. Bradley wasn't as nervous as he had been when you and he were here a year ago, antsy to find out more about Rose. He had the hang of this parenting thing by now, and he was just excited to hear a heartbeat today. The rest would sort itself out. You and he would figure out which room would become the second nursery. He would open a second college savings account even though both kids would get a full ride. He wasn't worried.

But you still were. He did his best to keep his enthusiasm at a normal volume when you started to stress about money or how exhausted you already were, but inside he was elated. Two kids! Two! If you would have asked him five years ago if he thought he'd ever buy a house, he would have told you no. Now he had a whole fucking family and a dog in the Craftsman.

Two kids under two would be a breeze. He just knew it.

"Right this way," the nurse said pleasantly. "You can wait in here. Dr. Morris will just be another minute or two."

Bradley let you get changed and settle onto the exam table while he bounced Rose in the chair. She was fresh from her nap, and she'd start bugging to eat soon enough. "I must admit, Nugget, I'm a bit surprised you're meeting your little sibling while you're still so tiny."

"He's lying, Rose. He planned it out this time," you replied, laying back with your eyes closed while he reached for your hand. "Your dad is a con artist."

The door opened, and Dr. Morris strode in, looking from you to Bradley and back to you. "I thought you were using the pill? What happened?"

You glared at Bradley. "Yeah, Roo. I thought we were using the pill."

He didn't want to point out that you were the one who left the birth control at home over the July Fourth weekend. "Well, you see, we were using the pill, but then plans changed." He cleared his throat and tried not to grin. "Dr. Morris, are you aware that the pullout method is not foolproof?"

She cradled her head in her hands before looking at him. "You know, I've heard that. Which is why I prescribed the pill."

"I missed one when we were away for a weekend," you whispered, drawing her attention your way. "And I'm really nervous that I didn't give my body enough time to heal after the last pregnancy," you added, gesturing to Rose. "And I'm still a little... heavy... from having her. What if I end up with high blood pressure again because of my weight?"

Bradley's eyes went wide. "You're worried about that? You're not even heavy, Sweetheart."

You shrugged, barely able to meet his eyes as Dr. Morris placed a soft hand on your arm. "Let's just give you a full exam, okay? There's no reason to assume the worst right now."

"Okay," you whispered, letting Bradley wrap your fingers up with his. He didn't understand how you could think you were anything other than perfect as you answered the doctor's questions while she turned on the ultrasound machine. Your blood pressure and heart rate sounded like they were perfect, and now it was time to find out more about the baby.

"Since you didn't menstruate after your daughter was born, it might be hard to pinpoint the exact due date."

Bradley cleared his throat again as the ultrasound wand disappeared beneath your hospital gown, making you wince as it was inserted. "Uh, actually, I can probably tell you the exact date and time of the... impregnation."

"You're not helping, Roo," you said, but a smile broke out on your lips. "God, I can't believe we fucked this up."

Then the baby was suddenly visible on the screen, and Bradley rocketed to his feet with Rose. "Look, Baby Girl. Another Nugget! There's the heartbeat!"

"Oh," you whispered, tugging him closer by your connected hands as you stared at the monitor. Tears shimmered in your eyes. "Okay, so maybe we didn't fuck up too badly."

"Everything looks great," Dr. Morris said, taking a few measurements. "You're about eleven to twelve weeks along. Let me narrow it down for you."

But Bradley already knew. He'd already done the math in his head. He was not at all surprised when she said the due date was April Fool's Day.

"That's not funny," you told Dr. Morris, gasping before bursting out laughing.

"I'm not joking," she replied. "Next year, April first. That's your due date. I'll see you back here in a few more weeks."

"Thanks," you whispered, holding tight to the ultrasound images that had been printed out for you. Dr. Morris gave Bradley a stern look as she walked past, and he had to fight the urge to salute in response. He was probably on thin ice with several people right now.

"I have to call my parents later. I wonder if we should tell them now?" you mused.

Oh, shit. He hadn't even thought about how your mom and dad might feel. They would love another grandchild, of course, but two so close together?

"Whenever you want to tell them is fine with me," he replied, taking the ultrasounds in his hand. The fridge at home was still covered in Rose's, so now there would be more to add to it. He examined the little nugget shape before showing it to his daughter. "Do you think it's a brother or a sister? Daddy doesn't care either way. I just love Nuggets."

She held the photo in her tiny hand as Bradley helped you get dressed again. He thought maybe it looked like you already had a bump growing, but he wasn't about to comment on your size, even if it did look cute.

"We have so much to do," you sighed. "You've got your new recruits turning up at work soon, and I'm about to start a fourth quarter project next month." A yawn overtook your sentence. "I don't know how we're going to handle things."

He didn't know what else to say, so he said what was becoming his new motto. "We'll figure it out, Sweetheart."

--------------------------------

Jake was perceptive, but Cat made you feel like you were transparent. Entering code while sitting next to her in the lab was tedious. Every time you breathed, it felt like she was going to figure out you were pregnant again. You swore she already knew.

You were past twelve weeks along. It wasn't like you couldn't start telling people, but you were still apprehensive to do so. But why? It wasn't like you were going to get smaller instead of bigger. Your pants were already fitting a little tighter, and you were absolutely dreading wearing that sad excuse for a maternity uniform again.

"Not the tent," you groaned softly, picturing the hideous, khaki monstrosity in the back of your closet.

"What did you say?" Cat asked, and your fingers froze on the keyboard.

"I said, I am intent on finishing this up today."

"Same," she agreed, her engagement ring sparkling in the fluorescent lighting. "I'm sick of looking at this project. We've been working on the same thing for months. You ready to get lunch?"

You were about to agree when you glanced at your phone and saw a text from your husband. "Um, actually, Bradley asked me to stop by and check something out."

"No worries," she replied, closing her laptop. "I'll see you in an hour."

"Right," you agreed, reading the text again as she walked away.

Bradley Rooster Bradshaw <3 <3 <3: can you meet me in the outbuilding next to the tower? wanna show you something

"This better be good." 

It was hot outside, and the asphalt smelled like it was burning before you got to the tarmac. The sun beat down on your back as you power walked your way to the building in question. It was just a bunch of offices, nothing else, so you weren't sure why he wanted you to come all the way over here. When you ducked inside the air conditioning again, you were sweaty and even more tired than before.

But then you saw it. A staff member was changing the names on the directory in the front foyer. One of them jumped out at you immediately, and your belly swooped with excitement.

LCDR Bradley Bradshaw (Room 117)

You rushed along the hallway, going nearly to the end before turning a corner. Room 117 was on the left, but the door was closed. When you knocked, it opened a few inches, and you saw his smiling face.

"You got an office!" you shouted, and the door swung all the way open to reveal a nice, quiet space a little bigger than your own. "Oh, Roo! It's swanky!"

"Swanky?" he asked with a laugh as your boots squeaked across the tile floor. "I wouldn't go right to swanky."

"You have a window! And a little couch!" you exclaimed, peeking out through the blinds to the tarmac. You spun around and looked at everything stacked up on his desk. There were aircraft manuals and clipboards, but there was also a framed wedding photo which was taken in the beach parking lot. And there was a photo of Rose trying to crawl next to Tramp which must have come from his locker. "I'm so proud of you."

You threw your arms around his neck and kissed him while he chuckled, but his hand slid lower on your back to your butt, giving you a little squeeze. "Not gonna lie, the first thing I thought of this morning when Mav told me was how cool my dad would have found this."

"Oh, Roo," you whispered, heart clenching.

"The second thing I thought of was fucking you senseless on my desk."

"Bradley!" Your voice was a needy whine, surprising even you. It had been at least a week since you had enough energy for sex, simply passing out in bed as soon as Rose fell asleep each night. But right now, your head tipped back, teeth sinking into your lip as you thought about how good he could make you feel if you let him.

One eyebrow was raised as he asked, "Do you want to? I have thirty minutes until I need to show my new pilots around."

Your hands were already on the fly of his khaki pants. "Yes." You didn't know what came over you, but you were horny as hell and absolutely needed this.

"Yeah?" he grunted, sucking in a deep breath as your hand delved into his underwear to wrap around his heavy cock. "Shit, Sweetheart."

You staggered backwards when he pushed you toward his desk, but he was gentle as your rear end met the edge. He'd be careful with you, that much was certain, but you were so horny, you wanted him immediately.

Bradley's fingers fumbled with your zipper as he said, "You know, this would be a lot easier if you were wearing your maternity tent."

"I was just thinking about that thing earlier!" you replied, laughing as you kissed him. 

"Ugly but functional," he whispered, mustache rough against your skin when he mashed his mouth to yours. 

You were left a moaning mess as his fingers stroked your tattoo before yanking your pants down to your knees. Then he was on his knees in front of you, looking up as he kissed your chubby belly, pushing your shirt out of his way. His lips were so soft, but his voice was raspy.

"The first quickie in my new office. Hopefully the first of many."

"Once upon a time, you promised you'd keep your hands off me at work," you whispered, his lips kissing along until his nose was rubbing your clit. "Pretty sure you lied about that one, Roo."

When his tongue dragged the length of your slit, his fingers tightened on your hips, digging in until you gasped. "You know when to take me seriously and when I'm full of shit. And right now, I'm so serious about making you scream."

He was. You could tell he was. Your husband was ready to go at a moment's notice all the time, and even a few days without fucking made you feel like he had some pent up energy that was going to make this explosive. Your nipples were tender and leaking into your nursing bra, but he didn't let you have a second to yourself before he turned you around and shimmied his pants lower.

"You ready for me?" he grunted, cock tapping your butt with excitement as he stroked your clit. Your hands were braced on his desk, and he nudged your boots further apart before guiding himself to your opening.

"So ready," you whispered. "Fuck me, Daddy."

Your body jerked forward, making you hang onto the desk for dear life as he fucked you hard and deep with one stroke. "If you weren't already pregnant again, you would be after this," he swore, withdrawing before plowing into you again. "Let's have ten kids."

"Bradley!" But he wasn't listening. He was fucking you rough, desk rattling against your knees and hands as he jerked the furniture across the floor a little more with each thrust.

"You look so good when you're pregnant. I wish you could see your ass. My god." He moaned your name. "Go ahead and scream for me."

That's when you realized your gasping breaths had gotten loud enough that they were echoing around the room over the sound of the desk moving. Bradley was relentless, his movements almost too much, but the steady stroke of his fingers on your clit kept you on your feet. A loud, long keen escaped your lips when you tried to breathe.

"That's it," he coaxed, rolling your clit between his thumb and index finger. "Just... a little louder."

His voice was breathless in your ear as his palm landed on your ass, the loud, stinging slap making you scream his name. 

"Perfect," he whispered, cupping you with his palm, grinding the heel of his hand against your clit while you came. "Let me cum in your pretty pussy, and you can wear it to lunch with your friends."

That thought alone had your eyes rolling back in your head. You'd smell like him for the rest of the day, his sticky mess teasing at your thighs whenever you walked around. He did as he promised, fucking you until you were filled up, and then he dragged your underwear up your legs, keeping you full of him.

Bradley was kissing along your sweat-slick neck as he zipped and buttoned his uniform pants. But now you were standing there, so exhausted, you just wanted to curl up on his couch and take a nap.

"You're not eating lunch?" you asked, stifling a yawn as he helped you squeeze into your pants. "I'm starving."

"I don't have time," he replied, kissing you as he tucked your shirt in. "I've got ten new pilots to attend to, and I want them up in the air by the end of the week."

You held back another yawn. "Okay. Do you want to get Rose from daycare later or should I?"

This wasn't the kind of sexy post-fuck discussion the two of you usually had, which made you feel very conscious of the fact that you couldn't stop yawning. Bradley was adding pages to his clipboard as he said, "Can you get her? I'm not sure when I'll be done today. There's so much damn paperwork. I swear to god, the US Navy hates trees."

"Yeah, I can get her."

You started to head for the door when he looked up and asked, "Want me to walk you out?"

Yeah, you kind of did, but he already looked like his focus had moved on. "No, I'm fine on my own. See you at home tonight."

"I love you." He kissed your cheek and patted your butt with one big hand, and you were off in search of lunch. When you walked back along the sidewalk in the bright sunlight you considered just going home and sleeping for the afternoon. Would anyone even miss you? Perhaps you should just turn toward the parking lot.

"Hey!"

When you looked up and actually focused, you realized you were about to run into Cam. "Oh, hey."

"Want to split one of those super cheesy pasta bowls that we always say are bad for us but get anyway?" he asked, guiding you inside to the cafeteria as you laughed. 

"Yeah, why not?" You wanted to tell him you were about to gain a ton more weight anyway, so it wouldn't make much difference. But you didn't.

"Perfect," he replied, loading one tray with enough food for both of you. "Then you can tell me how Rosie is, but first I need to tell you who showed up on one of my dating apps."

"Who?" you asked, covering your mouth as you yawned again.

"Guess!"

You started eating food off the tray before you even got to the table. "I don't want to guess. I'm too tired to guess."

"Fine," he sighed. "Ryan."

"No," you gasped. "From the Academy? Your ex?"

"Yep," Cam replied with a grin. "And he looks terrible."

You got to spend the next fifteen minutes indulging your friend in his gossip session. It helped that Ryan from the Academy did in fact look awful now, and you helped Cam swipe through his app options as you ate more than half of the pasta yourself. You were just finishing things off with a breadstick and telling him about Rose when you saw Bradley walk in.

Your hand was in the air, ready to wave him over and laugh at him for his inability to skip a meal when you realized he wasn't alone. There were several officers with him, none of which you could remember seeing on base before. You assumed they must be his new pilots from Texas. But one of them pushed her way to the front of the group, and your hand slowly lowered back down to your side.

She was beautiful. Young and slim with dark hair and the brightest blue eyes you'd ever seen. And she was walking next to your husband and laughing like he'd just told her the most hilarious thing she'd ever heard in her life. Bradley nodded and smiled down at her, his expression merely polite. At least that's what you thought. Now you weren't so sure. He knew you came to the cafeteria, so why wasn't he looking around for you? Why wasn't he checking to see if you were still here? 

"So is Rose crawling yet?"

You turned to look at Cam in confusion, heart pounding at a sickening rate that made you want to throw up. "Huh?"

"Rose," he repeated, chewing up his breadstick. "Is she crawling?"

"Oh. Um, no. Not yet."

You couldn't look away as the other woman's smile seemed to light up the area around her, and you wanted to cry when Bradley handed her a tray before the whole group got in line for lunch. Maybe you really were going to throw up.

"Hey, Cam, I have to run," you whispered, voice harsh as you stood.

"Brunch on Sunday with Maria?" he asked hopefully, but you could only nod as you headed for the far exit as quickly as you could move. 

You stumbled along, thinking about the way Bradley fucked you against his desk barely thirty minutes ago. He'd made you feel so good, but now you were outrageously jealous over some unknown woman, and you had to get back to work. You couldn't control it. Why were you reacting this way? This wasn't even like you.

But somehow you could just tell that something wasn't right.

----------------------------

Why do I have the urge to send Bradley to jail? Someone needs to be locked up for poor behavior, and it's not Rose. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

@solacestyles

@blog-name6996

@bcon24

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@katiebby04

@marantha

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[smartzelda]

For the ask game

🌞🤭🎃🍦 I know this is asking a bit much, but I love seeing you gush about making fics so-

*GASP* Thank you best frien🥺🙏💖💖

ㅤ

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

Not really!😂

Although I think my body's preferred time of day is sometime between 10pm and 9am so...not day at all😂

ㅤ

🤭 Do you have a favorite tag to use when posting your works?

Not really

I try to use my blog name as a tag and "my writing" for sorting purposes, but with the tumblr search being the way it is it doesn't help all that much😂😅

Other than that I don't have any special or fun tags when posting tbh

On ao3 though I do have some funny tags. I think my favorites I've used more than once are "Happy April fool's day and a new year's crackship", and variations of "It'll look like smut but it's just kissing guys I promise"😂😂

ㅤ

🎃 Do you write fics for certain holidays? Which is your favorite holiday inspired fic?

Okay, so picture me, reading this, running thoughts in my head like "Have I ever written a Christmas fic or Halloween fic" or "Have I ever written a fic for Valentine's day?"

And then it hits me

April 1st

The fool's day

So to answer your question (which I know you put this emoji for the purpose of this most likely 😂) yes. Yes I do write fic for holidays, but for one holiday in particular

For those of you who aren't aware, every year, Xion and I choose a "crackship". Crackship (affectionate), mind you. We think up a pairing, often including characters from different (or wildly different) properties (and sometimes from the same property), that most people wouldn't just consider, and for a whole day we pretend to be number one stans of it (making memes, brainrot posting, posting fic and fanart, the like)

Of course, I don't think I have to say that it backfires each and every time, and that by this point we're well aware that making content is a pipeline to liking the thing, but the point is that every year I write up a fic for a "crackship" I've never or rarely heard about

As for my favorite, I don't think anything can beat the lusid fic for me. 2021, the year of Luxu x Yen Sid was the very first time we tried this, and I don't think I've ever written kissing the same after that (and it was probably the best job I did at this annual game of ours, being that I posted a lot and did it for tumblr and twitter). I think, as funny as the concept of that fic is, it's more dear to me than you'd expect😂

ㅤ

🍦 What's the sweetest fic you've created so far?

Ah that's...really hard

I don't write a lot of fluff, but I wrote a surprising amount of fics with that tag last year.

My initial thought was "A Free Day", the last soriku fic I wrote, but when I think of Soriku I think of how intimately sweet "Alone Time" was despite it being smut first and foremost, and from there I think about "Yozora's Birthday", which has so much sweetness in it. Of course from there I cross the title thread with the opening scenes of "A Free Day" and I think about "Mikleo's Birthday", which (despite being an angst with a happy ending type fic) had such a sweetly domestic opening scene, with Mikleo waking up in bed and Sorey making him french toast

Idk, if I had to designate it by pure fluff factor, "A Free Day" would win, simply because it's one of the few I wrote to be purely fluffy, and the best written of those few. But without that factor I don't think I could choose, because there are so many fic scenes I have (posted and unposted) that tug at my heartstrings to this day

ㅤ

Anyways, thank you again for the ask, dear friend! I'm glad you love seeing me gush because I love having the chance to gush😂💖

(No seriously. I think if anyone started asking me about my writing and my wips it would take a lot out of me to not just let everything slip out, even stuff I have yet to post😂

...that's not discouragement by any means though 😳)

[eddisfargo]

I posted 3,305 times in 2022

That's 1,882 more posts than 2021!

7 posts created (0%)

3,298 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@exponentiate

@bbauthor2

@luminarily

@testingcheats0n

@copyrightedpodcasts

I tagged 916 of my posts in 2022

#dracula daily - 233 posts

#ouat - 33 posts

#goncharov - 24 posts

#once upon a time - 22 posts

#psa - 17 posts

#queen's thief - 11 posts

#elon musk - 9 posts

#backreading dracula daily - 9 posts

#skipping the queue - 9 posts

#incredible - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i sometimes have like a dozen that are still sitting on my default new tab page just because i opened one and then remembered there's a tab

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Not a day will go by (9/?)

Hello my patient friends! Sorry for the wait! It won't be this long again (for real this time)! This is a Christmas fic for last year's Secret Santa, and I've given myself a deadline to finish it before this year's secret Santa. Specifically, I'm trying to finish before December 18, which is mine and @cosette141's birthday! Thanks so much to everyone who's still reading and leaving comments--they keep me going when my brain refuses to write! Thanks especially to @MotherKat for being the best beta EVER! I'm going all out in November, and I've actually already got Chapter 10 written!! So it won't be too long!

Tagging: @resident-of-storybrooke, @everything-person, @teamhook

AO3 Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9

Summary: He may not remember his present, but she doesn't know his past. If she did, she wouldn't have married him… right?

See the full post

19 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

#4

Not a day will go by (10/?)

OK, confession: I've had this one mostly-finished for a couple weeks. Nervous about it! Finally earning the M-rating, although it definitely goes nowhere near E. Not a thing I've done before, so your patience is appreciated! I'm really hoping I can finish the fic this month! Wish me luck! Thanks as always to @motherkatereloyshipper for her EXCEPTIONAL beta-ing, and for this BEAUTIFUL cover I just edited in! If you find any errors, they were probably my last-minute pre-post edits!

Tagging: @resident-of-storybrooke @everything-person, @teamhook

AO3 Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9 Ch 10

Summary: Hook gets a chance to get to know his wife.

See the full post

20 notes - Posted December 3, 2022

#3

Not a day will go by (7/?)

APRIL FOOL'S.

Get it? The joke is, you thought you were definitely not getting an update of this fic today, but actually YOU DID. The first of 2022 (yikes)!

But seriously, so sorry it took me this long! ADHD is apparently the boss of me much more than I would like. But I'm hoping to get back on--not nearly an every-day posting schedule, but definitely better than every-four-months.

Thanks a bazillion to @motherkatereloyshipper for coincidentally being awake at a million o'clock her time and willing to beta so I could post this on April Fool's!

Tagging: @resident-of-storybrooke   @everything-person @teamhook

AO3 Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7

Summary: Captain Hook wakes up in a strange bed, next to a woman he does not remember. He finds nothing particularly unusual about this situation. But the woman seems to know him very well.

In Storybrooke, there’s only one surefire way to get back a lost memory. And it’s not going to work until he loves her.

See the full post

20 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

#2

My beautiful complete set, + a bonus first edition I got from a Secret Santa and the Spanish edition I’m working through! Somewhere I have the Vince Natale edition of The Thief, but I lent it to a student. I’d... better get that back before graduation, huh?

I think I might already have a somewhat more matched set in my classroom, at least part of it. I don’t mind whether I win or not, I just really wanted to share my beauties! 

25 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

My fellow Friends of Jonathan on the Discord were talking about who they picture when imagine Quincey P. Morris. There were many excellent answers, like Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Daniel Craig doing his Benoit Blanc accent. 

I apologize profusely but my answer is Doug Dimmadome, owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome. .

42 notes - Posted May 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[quill-pen]

Custard, Strawberries, and April Fools'

I did it again. I had to--this idea was too cute! And it was so Ebeness (yeah, I guess that's the ship name now--best I got). I am whipped for them--absolutely whipped! UGH!!!

I guess this is how I celebrated April Fools' then.

Surprisingly, this one didn't get as sexual, but there's definitely a touch of it there, as per us. Eb and Bess just can't ever keep their appendages off each other, they're so besotted with each other. It's so cute it hurts. Like a lot.

Setting-wise, this is probably highly inaccurate. I have no idea what spring weather in London England is like except that it seems to be much nicer than what we get here in the Midwest U.S. So could trees already be leafed and blossomed out there? IDK and IDC. It was a cute setting for a cute ficlet and I went for it. Sue me! (But, no, really don't sue me--I have nothing of value.)

Um... yeah. I'mma say it's okay for minors here. MINORS, YOU'RE A-OKAY FOR THIS ONE.

Warnings: Gentle April Fools' pranks, some innuendo and implied sexual themes, fools in love, Ebenezer burps (yes--I went there), light groping, a little self-consciousness, a semi-wet willie, some slobber, and love, love, love, love, love!

Apart from the reblogged scenario, inspired by:

This pic:

And this pic:

Also, you should go check out their art--it's amazing. And completely inspirational.

Music:

"Uuuuuuggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh...."

"Well, that's certainly an undignified noise for an English gentleman to make."

Ebenezer Scrooge snorted in amusement at the statement. Opening his eyes, he slightly craned his neck to look up and see the upside-down face of Bess. The woman was gazing at him fondly as he lay stretched out with his head in her lap: An impish glint was in her midnight blue eyes and a cheeky smile curled her lips. The Englishman returned her smirk.

"On the contrary, my sweet," he retorted playfully, rubbing his large hands up and down his middle. "I believe it was a perfectly acceptable compliment on your fine culinary skills. That custard of yours was worth the trip home for lunch itself; I've never felt so full or satisfied."

Bess quirked an eyebrow at that. "Oh, you've never felt so satisfied, have you?" she prodded knowingly, her smile turning the slightest bit devilish. She crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to huff, sticking her nose in the air. "Well, perhaps you'd rather take my custard to bed with you than me then."

Playing along with her, Ebenezer pretended to perk up at the suggestion. "Say, that's not a bad idea!" Rising up on an elbow, the man looked around to let his gaze fall on the almost empty bowl of custard sitting at the center of the picnic blanket. "What do you say, custard my love? Will you make me the happiest of men and bed with me? I don't mind a little mess if you don't."

"Oh, you silly--hush!" Bess giggled, playfully swatting her love's shoulder.

Laughing, Ebenezer sank back down to once again rest his head on the woman's lap. His eyes drifted shut as her fingers came to thread through his steely hair, gently scratching and massaging his scalp. He sighed deeply through his nostrils, humming softly. His lips arched with a soft smile. Peace and quiet fell over the garden, with nothing but the gentle breeze and the calls of birds to break it.

Then, without warning, Ebenezer released a generous belch, startling them both. Apparently, he hadn't intended on doing that, as his cheeks suddenly flushed a hint of pink and he pressed a hand to his mouth, his eyes widened in surprise. Where on earth-? He must certainly have been full!

Bess burst into laughter, making Ebenezer feel as warm and pleasant as the balmy spring day that surrounded them. Letting her head fall back against the trunk of the apple tree, a hand pressed to her stomach, the sunlight dappled Bess' laughing face through the leaves and blossoms, making her look even more angelic than ever. (At least Ebenezer thought so.) "Further compliment, I presume?" the woman teased, nudging him with her knee.

Her husband smiled again, though he was still blushing. "But of course."

Bess snorted and shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "You're a cheeky old rascal." She lifted a hand and tapped the tip of his nose in affection.

Ebenezer reached and snapped up her hand before she could pull it away. Pulling it down to his mouth, he lovingly kissed her fingers, gazing up into her eyes as he did so. His heart melted as he watched a pink hue spread across his wife's freckled cheeks, the mischievousness fading from her gaze and only leaving behind a wholly adoring and infatuated warmth. The man's insides tickled with delight. That he could be lucky enough to possess both this woman and her unadulterated love after all the bad he had done in his past--it was a miracle he didn't think he'd ever be able to wrap his head around. But maybe that was the point: Maybe some things in the Lord's plans just weren't meant for humans to understand. As long as he had Bess, Ebenezer decided it didn't really matter if he understood or not. He would just accept the blessing she was, and do his best to cherish her as much as he could every day of their lives.

Wrapping her small hand in his large one, the gentleman gave it a warm squeeze and rested their entwined hands against her thigh. He smiled up at her again. "Your cheeky old rascal, Love," he rumbled with a wink. That delighted tickle inside him grew as Bess' blush deepened with that declaration.

"Yes," Bess agreed quietly. "My cheeky old rascal, Love." She bowed down and pressed her lips to the ridge of her husband's impressive nose, kissing him lingeringly there and smiling as the man hummed in approval. She planted another kiss between his eyes and one more on his brow before sitting back up and leaning back against the tree trunk. Carding the fingers of her free hand through Ebenezer's soft locks again, the woman let her dark head fall back against the trunk again and closed her eyes. She breathed deeply the sweet air.

For a long moment, she stayed that way, and the garden became quiet again. Then Bess felt as though she was being watched. Opening her eyes once again, the American looked down to see slate-blue eyes gazing up at her. Her heart felt as if it would flutter out of her chest and away. Why his gaze always had such an effect on her, the woman didn't believe she'd ever know, but with as wonderful as it made her feel she didn't really care either. "You know, it's impolite to stare," she stated, puckishly smirking at the man.

"I can't help it," her husband said with a smile.

Bess felt herself blushing all over again the longer he looked at her. "Oh, Ebenezer, stop," she muttered, pulling her gaze from his and looking shyly away.

"No, Darling, I truly can't help it," the man insisted. He pointed to her face. "You have something on your cheek there."

Bess gave him a quizzical look. "I have?"

"Yes. Right there." He stretched his arm up to more clearly point out the spot.

Bess lifted a hand and swiped at her cheek.

"N-No, right there."

Bess rubbed.

"No, you're not--lean down here, and I'll get it for you."

Bess did as suggested, angling her apparently marked cheek towards the man for easy access.

Ebenezer couldn't have asked for better. Rising up on an elbow, he reached up, gripped his wife's face, and gently but firmly pulled her down so that her cheek met his lips. He blew a sloppy, raspberry kiss right beside her ear.

"Ah! Wolf!" Bess shrieked and jerked away out of his reach. Grimacing, she lifted her arm and wiped her spittle-slicked cheek on her sleeve. "You're as bad as Millie--I swear!"

Ebenezer laughed joyously. "April Fools', Sweetness!"

"Ha-ha--a riot," Bess deadpanned. She tried to glare at the man, but she loved him too dearly, and the joke had been innocent and funny enough that she couldn't quite achieve it. However, the look of disgust was authentic as she suddenly felt moisture in her ear. "Blech! You spat in my ear," the woman grumbled. She reached into her bosom and pulled out her hankie to start cleaning up.

Still chuckling, Ebenezer sat up, reaching over to his discarded waistcoat and pulling out his own handkerchief as he did so. "I'm sorry, my darling," he chortled sincerely. "Here, allow me." Shifting and leaning in closer to the raven-haired Yank, the Englishman brought his handkerchief up and tenderly began mopping up her cheek and ear.

Bess watched him intently, his face so close to hers but not as close as she would have liked it. A shiver ran through her as his fingertips--deliberately or not, she could never tell--tickled against the side of her neck. Her bottom lip hooked itself between her teeth of its own accord. Her heart hammered in her ears so that she wondered if Ebenezer could hear it too, and the thought that maybe he could, made her flush pink again. You're married to the man! a small voice in her head chastised her as it always did. You've been to bed with him--seen and touched him in unspeakable ways and let him do the same to you! Why are you still like this? The answer was simple: he was Ebenezer Scrooge--the absolute love of her life; and he made her feel newly in love and romanced every second of every day.

"There," Ebenezer murmured after a moment, lowering his handkerchief from her face. Bracing his arm over his wife, the gentleman leaned in and planted a lingering kiss of his own right beside the woman's ear. "All cleaned up," he whispered, his lips ghosting against the lobe of her ear. He smiled as she gasped and shivered at the sensation. Then he nuzzled into the loose curls of soft hair near her temple and kissed her cheek again, shifting even closer and bracing his other hand against the trunk, effectively trapping the woman against the tree. "My beautiful She-Wolf," he hummed, tracing the curve of her cheekbone with his lips.

Bess felt herself blush red hot. Making a quiet squealing noise, the woman ducked her head away from her husband's affections and buried her face in her hands. She felt like she could burst from love and die of embarrassment at the same time! "Stoooop!" she meekly whined, her voice muffled. "You're making me blush!"

Chuckling, Ebenezer backed off a bit and smiled down at her. "Excellent, as that was the intention."

Bess growled and just dared to peek through her fingers at him. "You fiendish man, why do you insist on doing this to me?"

Ebenezer shifted back in again, making his wife snap her fingers shut and squeak. "Because I like making you blush," he chuckled, lifting a hand up to trace a teasing finger over her ring finger and down her arm, sending another delightful shiver through the woman. "You look so pretty when you blush, Bess."

"I do not," Bess insisted with a shake of her head, face still firmly in her hands. "I look like a strawberry with all these freckles."

The former miser hummed thoughtfully at that. "I adore your freckles," he stated, tracing his finger back up the path it had descended down her arm. He ran it off her finger and over and around the shell of Bess' ear and down the nape of her neck, making her squirm. "And as it happens-" he brought his hand back around to gently grip her left wrist and pull it away from her face so he could meet her gaze again, "-I'm also very fond of strawberries." He leaned in so close his forehead was almost touching Bess', smiling flirtasciously. "Especially if they're as adorable as you."

Bess rolled her blue eyes but couldn't help the slight smile that pulled at her lips.

Ebenezer chuckled and slipped his index finger beneath her chin, gently tilting her head up. Bess' hand fell away from her face as a result. "There," he crooned lovingly, his slate-blue eyes brimming full of gentle and complete adoration. He unfurled his hand and took his wife's jaw in his soft grip, gazing deeply into her eyes. "Now that's the most beautiful strawberry I ever did see."

Bess felt she could burn away, and she was sure her heart was about to break free of her ribcage any second. Then her love leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, and the heat of her blush and the pounding of her heart faded away: There was just him and his touch, so full of love and devotion. Framed by long, dark lashes, Ebenezer's eyes met hers for a moment, silently asking for permission. She granted it by leaning in closer and parting her lips, her gaze becoming veiled as the man molded his soft, smooth lips to hers. A moaning sigh escaped her and she brought her hands up his chest, first clinging to his shirt to pull him closer; then, following her instincts, she pushed against Ebenezer's shoulders until he was tilting back to lay on the ground, moving slowly enough that their lips never parted.

For a moment Bess was atop the prone gentleman, straddling him, then she was being shifted--rolled over so that she found herself beneath him in the grass. One of Ebenezer's arms circled around her neck and shoulders to cradle them: The other slithered down her side to grip at her thigh bunching up her skirts. He lifted her leg up around his waist, and Bess shivered as the breeze graced her bare thigh. The American broke the kiss and smirked up at the Englishman who held her in an all-possessing gaze. She bit her lip and blushed, as per usual, but lifted a finger to trace his jaw. "You naughty old man," she snickered. "You'll expose me to anyone who happens to look out here if you're not careful."

Ebenezer's eyes widened in obvious excitement at that statement: It drove him absolutely wild when Bess went without underthings! Without wasting a second, the man quickly slipped his hand beneath the ample skirts of his wife and felt his way up her leg, growing more and more excited as she gasped and whined at the pleasant intrusion. For a long way up her thigh, he felt soft, supple, bare skin, but as he closed in on his destination he felt the unmistakable texture of drawers graze against his fingertips and knuckles. When the giggle reached his ears, he knew he'd been had. Trying to look unamused and failing miserably as his lips twitched into a smirk, he playfully glowered at the woman beneath him. It was hard to keep it up, as a smiling, impish Bess looked simply divine haloed by soft green grass and fallen apple blossoms. If this was the last vision he ever had of her, Ebenezer Scrooge would die a happy man.

Bess grinned deviously back up at her husband, her fingers playing with his cravat. "April Fools', Wolf." With a laugh, she tugged on his tie and brought him back down for another sound kiss that Ebenezer eagerly obliged her with. And, as Bess discovered, he tasted delightfully of custard.

GODDAMN, THEY ARE SO ADORABLE.

Taglist: @rom-e-o @oldmanlusting @themostanonymousscribbler @the-house-of-auditore-frye (if anybody else would like to join the list, let me know in the replies)

Imagine you and your f/o are chilling together, doing whatever you usually do until you notice they are looking at you.

"You have something on your face, let me get it"

They move closer to you and suddenly... they kiss you on your cheek .///.

"April Fools!"

pr//oshi//ppers plz DNI

[im-in-love-with-pizza-bites]

It Takes A Village Chapter 10

Chris Evans X Pregnant!Daughter!Reader

Series Master List

Series summary: You find out that your pregnant. After being kicked out of your mom's house you go to live full time with your Dad who you only saw once every few months. Will he react badly to you being a mom at such a young age?  

Chapter Summary: you announce your pregnancy on Instagram and start rethinking everything.

Series Warnings: swearing, fighting with a parent, teen pregnancy, speak of abortion.

Chapter Warnings: teen pregnancy mentions puking

You had been on the couch watching Peter pan but now your morning sickness kicked in. You were home from school today due to it being a half-day, your dad was at the store. So you were home alone and throwing up in the toilet with Dodger staring at you concerned while he whimpered. Once you were done you washed your face and brushed your teeth before you went back to the couch to finish the movie. After you posted the photo showing you were home there were rumors as to why. A few gruesome ones, like your mom died, (in all different ways) and a few normal less gruesome ones, such as your dad was able to get full custody of you.You ignored them you were planning on sharing the real reason tomorrow.

"Sweet-pea! I'm home!" You heard your dad say when he entered the house a few bags of groceries in his hands.

"Hey dad!" You said looking over the couch to look at him.

"Hey you okay? Seeing all those rumors?" He asked from the kitchen as he began putting everything away. You got up and walked in.

"Yeah haven't been on social media much since I got out of school I've been watching movies. And I think I have some baby names." You told him excitedly as you began to help him.

"What happened to not picking a names until you knew the genders?" He asked smirking at you.

"Don't worry one of them are after you." You said. He looked at you smiling silently begging you to continue. "No! You don't get to know! But I'll tell you the middle name ideas I have." You said.

"Continue." He smiled at you.

"Okay, so Christopher and Scott are the middle names if I have boys." You said continuing putting away the groceries.

"Okay what about the girl names?" He asked.

"Maxine, and of course the basic white girl middle name of Anne." You said giggling.

"Basic white girl name?" He shook his head at you but you could see the small smile on his face. "The other one is cute though." He said.

"I know!" You told him smiling.

"And Scott will also be happy will one of those names... He's been telling me how you were definitely going to name your baby after him." He explained, you giggled.

"Because I already told him." You said giggling.

"Sweet-pea how could you tell him first! I'm your dad!" He feigned offense before you both laughed. "But really those are great middle names. Especially the first one you said." He smirked at you. "Okay I'm going to make dinner you can get a movie set up for us to watch okay Bubba?" He asked.

"Okay. What movie?" You asked him.

"You pick bubba." You nodded leaving the kitchen Dodger following.

----

You stood in front of the mirror looking down at you baby bump, phone in hand. Unbeknownst to your dad you were doing this. He was outside with Dodger and you told him you were doing your homework. Of course he'd know that was a lie once this photo goes around. You faced your camera to the mirror the bump was clear from your side you took the photo. You went onto Instagram, a bunch of notifications from your last post filing in. You clicked the new post, you picked your photo before writing a brief caption that said:

"As my last post has cause many questions maybe this with clear some things up. Two new Evans are due in November. I prefer not to go into detail about anything about me being home or about the babies or their father, I just prefer the media and my dad's fans stay out of it. I hope you all can respect that."

You hesitated reading over the caption as many times as possible. Before setting your phone down not posting the picture. You sighed sitting on your bed. You looked back at your phone grabbing it and turning the comments for the post off before quickly clicking it then going down stairs and outside where Chris sat.

"Dad I posted a photo of my baby bump everyone knows." You sat next him sighing. He looked down at you. He pulled you into his side giving you a reassuring smile.

"I told you not to post anything bubs." He mumbled. "Has anyone said anything yet?"

"I turned the comments off..." You mumbled into his shirt.

"That was a good idea. You gotta show me how to do that Bubba." He leaned over kissing the top of your head.

You giggled. "Okay old man." His phone dinged and he looked at it and sighed.

"Well your post is getting attention. Sebastian and Mackie and asking if it's true." He showed you his phone.

"Ooh call'em I want to say hi." You sat up leaning your head on his shoulder. He chuckled shaking his head before face timing them.

"Hey lil Evans!" Mackie said seeing you. "Are you pulling a late April fools prank or was that post real?" He asked.

"It was real... I forgot you guys follow me." You said.

"Your gonna be mom aren't you like 10?" Sebastian asked, slightly teasingly. "Wait... We're you not gonna tell us if we didn't see that post?"

"I'm 15. And before you ask any questions about the babies, I'm having twins, the dad knows, he doesn't want them, I'm 12 weeks along I don't know the genders, and... I think that's all.. Oh and that's why I live with dad, and no I'd tell you eventually, probably next time I saw you and you met the babies." You rambled.

"Who is the dad?" Sebastian asked.

"Jake." You mumbled.

"And your good with this? Two new babies in your house?" Anthony asked Chris.

"We already talked 4 weeks ago when I found out." Chris said.

"You've known for four weeks and didn't tell us Y/n I thought I was your favorite uncle?" Sebastian pouted at you thought the screen.

"Hey I thought I was your favorite uncle!" Anthony said.

"Why do I need to have a favorite?"

"I'll be the babies favorite uncle." Anthony said

"With all of the people I've told about the babies you guys are definitely the most chill about it." You muttered before looking at your phone eyes widening at how many people have already liked the post already. And the press was probably already writing about it.

"Okay bye guys we'll talk to you later." Your dad said before hanging up the face time.

"I think I made a mistake I shouldn't have posted it, dad!! I shouldn't even be a mom now I'm putting my kids into the media! Dad, I had the privilege of not being in the media often since I lived in texas no one is gonna go there and try to take photos rednecks would shoot em! My kids have to live where ever you are because I'm a minor! I'm so dumb! I should've kept it a secret." You rested your head on his shoulder as you rambled. He sighed not knowing how to calm you down so he just looked down at you rubbing your shoulder. "Oh not to mention what is someone from town sees that! They'll all know and show Jake or mom! My kids won't even have their father! Only a mom. I can't take care of the babies I can't even drive! What am I going to do take them to school on a bicycle?" Your rambling continued.

"Bubba... You'll be able to drive when they start going to school besides you have me. Don't worry about town. Or the press." He said. To be honest those were thought he's been having it was why he didn't want you to tell the press. You grew up in a small town in texas with a whole bunch of rednecks even if the paparazzi found out where you lived the town would've chased them away, not because they liked you but because rednecks are crazy. If you still lived there press would be a lot less of a problem. And for the whole, your kids won't have a father thing he knew even if their dad wouldn't be there he would be the best male role model he can for them. But he also noticed that if you weren't at school or work you were always busying your mind, with homework or reading you barely read before. He could only assume it was because of the breakup and being kicked out. Just a way for you not to think of them. Dodger ran over licking your hand as you continued your rant to your dad.

"Shh, bubba." He cooed softly as your rant ended. "I told you, you're not going to be alone. I'll be there to help you the whole way."

Taglist: @toastisgood @coldmuffinpartycloud @thevelvetseries @uniquebeautyqueen

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #32

Victor

I spent the day with my lifelong best friends, Leo and Ellie, and it was amazing, but also kind of bittersweet.

I love Ellie and Leo so much, and I've missed being with them ever since I moved to Mt. Komorebi. Growing up, we were always together. In fact, the first time we were ever apart was when Ellie went to university, and even then, she was home on weekends, at Winterfest and in the summer, and Leo and I could always make the trip to Britechester to visit her if we wanted to.

When I took off to Mt. Komorebi, it was different. We really were separated then, and if I'd known how painful it was going to be, maybe I wouldn't have done it. And the worst part is, I didn't even understand just how much it would hurt until we were reunited. I know, that probably sounds stupid, but it's how I feel. I was super happy to have the team back together, but at the same time, I was sad because I didn't want to think about being away from them again.

Oh, In case I never mentioned it before, Leo is my cousin, and he’s only about three and a half months older than me. Ellie isn’t related to me, but we call each other cousins, too. She’s Julian’s daughter, and we basically grew up together. She’s exactly four months younger than me; my birthday is December second and hers is April second. We always joke that she barely missed being born on April Fool’s Day. Just like Ellie, to be slightly late for everything.

Ellie's tendency to habitually run five minutes behind schedule was the reason we all decided to meet at her house. Leo texted me after breakfast and said he'd pick me and Yuri up in his car, but it was a nice day, and I opted to ride my bike instead.

As it turned out, Yuri didn't want to join us. When I asked him why, he said he wasn't feeling well. I don't know if that was true or not, but if I were to guess, I'd say it's more likely he was anxious about hanging out with my friends for an extended period of time. Yuri's not antisocial or anything. The problem is, he knows my friends are loud, spontaneous and high energy, and he finds it stressful and exhausting to be around people like that for too long, especially if he's not well-acquainted with them. He'd do better with them one-on-one, I think.

Anyway, to my surprise, Ellie was ready when I got there, and it was Leo we had to wait for. According to him, he was trying to figure out how to fit his bike in the trunk of his car.

"You should've just rode it over here, dude," I told him.

"Couldn't," he said. "I'm going to need the car later."

I didn't ask him what for, but I was sure I'd find out sooner or later.

We agreed that Ellie and I would ride to Magnolia Blossom Park on our bikes, and Leo would meet us at the municipal parking lot across from the park. We'd do a little bike racing once we got there.

Before we left, we set up all our phones on the fence in front of Ellie's neighbour's house and put them on self-timer so we could take a bunch of silly photos of ourselves. Far be it from us to make serious memories. That's not our style.

I’m pleased to say, I haven’t lost any of my bike racing prowess, despite not having done it for a while. It’s not my best sport, but I guess you all know that. Still, I’m not bad at it, even if I say so myself.

Speaking of my best sport, Leo told me there’s already been snow on the mountains. I’m hoping we’ll see a decent snowfall while I’m here, so Yuri, Leo and I can go up there and get a few good runs in. I’m dying to show Yuri where I learned to snowboard. It may not seem like much compared to Yukimatsu, but I love it anyway. It was my first love, you could say, and it's where I'd trained for the Canada Winter Games.

It's hard to believe it's already been seven years since I won my Canada Games silver medal. That was my first really big win as an adult competitor, and it was the moment when I realized people other than my family, coach and friends would take me seriously as a professional athlete. It feels like it was only a short time ago that Mom, Julian, Ellie and Leo travelled out west with me and my coach to watch me compete and cheer me on. That's another one of my most wonderful memories with my friends.

Unfortunately, our bike racing only lasted as long as it took for us to annoy some old people who were playing chess and drinking lemonade at a table with a yellow and white striped umbrella. One old guy picked up his cane and waved it at us, and literally yelled at the top of his lungs, "Stop making so much noise!"

We cracked up laughing at the sheer irony of it. To be fair, we were making quite a lot of noise, but it's a public park and there's no law against having a good time. In the interests of not aggravating the elders to the point where they decided to call the park patrol on us, however, we wheeled our bikes over to the fence. Then, we retrieved a ball from Leo's car and started up a random game of soccer.

We played ball until we were starving and ready for a rest. Ellie spotted a hotdog vendor, so we all searched our pockets for money, and ran over to the food truck.

The food truck guy looked at us funny when we ordered nine hotdogs, but a paying customer is a paying customer, and he didn't complain. He just loaded all the hotdogs onto a Styrofoam plate, gave us some napkins, mustard packets and some extra plates to eat off of, and took our money without comment.

We found a picnic table in the shade and settled down to enjoy our lunch. Behind me, I could hear kids on the playground equipment, laughing and talking. Someone was cooking something in one of the public fire pits, and the smell of wood smoke and roasting food drifted in the air. I closed my eyes for a minute, wanting nothing more than to soak in every non-visual detail; longing to commit every sound, scent and sensation to my mind and aching a little because I knew there would be elements I could never recreate in my imagination no matter how hard I tried.

Ellie nudged my leg with hers, under the table. "Victor? You okay?"

"I'm good," I said, opening my eyes again. "Just thinking."

"You gotta be careful doing that," Leo said. "You could start a fire."

"Shut up, dumbass," Ellie said. "I think he's having a nostalgia moment or something."

"I kind of am having a nostalgia moment," I affirmed. "We used to come here all the time, and I don't know what it is about the hotdogs from food trucks, but they always taste the best. You can't get good hotdogs in Mt. Komorebi, and it's been like a million years since I've had any kind of hotdog at all, because Yuri can't eat them."

"The only hotdogs that are better than food truck ones are the ones cooked on campfires," Leo said.

"Exactly," I agreed. "Now that I think about it, I did have hotdogs during my trip to Sulani, back in late spring, so I guess it hasn't been that long. Maybe it's the company that makes them taste so great."

"How was that, anyway?" Ellie asked. "Sulani is on my list of places to go before I'm too old to enjoy it."

"It was fantastic," I said. "If you get a chance to travel, you should definitely do it. You'd love it."

"I don't know about her, but I'd love it," Leo said. "Kilometers of golden beaches and lots of cute girls in bathing suits? Yes, please."

"Ignore him," Ellie said. "Tell me about the cute boys in bathing suits."

I grinned at her. "Well, I was there."

"Shut up!" she kicked my foot. "I can't have you, can I? I meant the other cute boys."

"I have an idea, Ellie," Leo said. "We can go together, then there'll be at least one cute boy and one cute girl in bathing suits on the beach."

Ellie kicked him as well. "Can I get new friends, please?"

"Come on," I said. "You love us."

"Yeah, I do," she acquiesced. "Probably way more than I should."

"Victor, are you still planning to go to Selvadorada after Winterfest?" Leo wanted to know.

"That's the plan," I said. "Why?"

"Well, I had some thoughts about that."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "What thoughts would you have about me and my husband going to Selvadorada?"

"You can say no to this if you want," Leo said. "But, I was thinking we could turn it into a group adventure. When you first told us you were going, Ellie and I talked about it, and we thought it'd be fun if we all went."

"Really? You guys want to come to Selvadorada?"

"We wouldn't exactly come with you," Ellie said. "Not unless we both came to Mt. Komorebi first, or you and Yuri came back here. We were thinking that the four of us could arrange our travel plans together and meet up when we arrive."

"That..." I began, but had to stop and take a breath. "You guys... I would love that. You're serious, right? Please say you are, because I totally want to do this with you now."

"Of course we're serious," Ellie said.

"I'll talk to Yuri about it," I promised. "I think he'll agree, but let me ask him and get back to you. Then we can start organizing it."

"Sweet!" Leo exclaimed. "If you can't convince him, let me try to talk him into it. I'm very persuasive."

"I don't think that'll be necessary," I said.

"You'd probably scare him, Leo," said Ellie.

"Me?" Leo retorted "Like he wouldn't be scared of you?"

"He'd be nervous of both of you, acting like this," I said. "He needs to get to know you a little more. Let me see what he thinks of the group adventure, and if he's okay with it, maybe we can all do something he enjoys while we're here, so he can have a chance to get used to you."

"What's he into besides snowboarding?" Ellie asked.

"Music and art and history. He likes video games and movies, and one of our friends recently started teaching him how to knit, so he's been into that lately. And he can swim now, so there's that."

"If he likes art and history, maybe we can go to the museum," Ellie suggested. "It'd be boring as hell for us, but it'd be a low stress environment, and maybe we could go to the municipal pool afterwards."

"Great," I said. 'I'll ask him when I get back to Mom's house tonight."

"Sounds like we have a plan." Ellie gave us a thumbs-up.

We finished our hotdogs and then — I kid you not — we took a nap. The three of us laid on the cool grass under a tree, all heaped together in a pile of cuddles, and dozed off to the soft whispering rustle of leaves overhead.

These are my people, I thought, as I drifted off. The only other person in the world I could lie down with and sleep this close to is Yuri, but I still feel like I have to be careful with him. With Ellie and Leo, I'm not the protector. I'm the one being protected. Or perhaps more accurately, all three of us are protectors and protected in equal measure. With them, I've always felt absolutely safe, and I was infinitely grateful to discover that fact hadn't changed one bit in my absence.

I'm not sure how long we slept, but It must've been at least an hour and a half, judging by how far the sun had crossed the sky by the time we woke up. We disentangled ourselves and sat up, favouring each other with stupid, sleepy grins. Ellie picked leaves out of Leo's hair, and I picked one out of hers. I shook my head vigorously to dislodge any leaves that may have been stuck to me, and my friends laughed when all I accomplished was to make myself dizzy.

I flopped backwards into Ellie's lap, and she plucked a leaf from my hair with the teasing comment, "Look, Victor. You're turning into a tree."

"Are you saying I'm tree-mendous?"

"Yes," she said. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

We climbed to our feet and brushed ourselves off. Not quite ready to call it a day, we wandered around the park, chatting about everything and nothing. When we passed by the grandstand, we saw there was a band just setting up for an outdoor concert, so we bought some snacks and bottled water and returned to get a good spot on the grass by the stage before the area started to fill up.

The band was a local one, and although they probably weren't going to make the Top 100 any time soon, they weren't too bad. We had fun and danced a bit and tried to sing along to some covers. Sadly, Ellie is as bad at singing as I am. Leo is the only one of us with any musical talent whatsoever. It didn't matter, though. Musical ability isn't a requirement to be a member of the team.

The sun was beginning to set by the time the band wrapped things up, and we made our way back to the spot where we'd left our bikes chained to the fence.

"What should we do now?" Ellie inquired. "Do you guys want to go to the Blue Velvet for some burgers and drinks or something?"

"I'd love to, but I gotta get going," Leo said. "I promised Uncle JP and Aunt Lin that I'd babysit the girls tonight while they're out."

"Seriously?" I said. "Aren't they too old to need a babysitter? They're like, fourteen and sixteen."

"How old were you when your mom let you stay home alone overnight?"

"Um... never?" I said. "If Mom had to be away overnight for some reason, I was always at your house, or Ellie's. The first time I stayed overnight anywhere by myself was when I had my own apartment."

"Right," Leo said. "Anyway, would you leave Isabella and Maddie home alone? They'd probably fatally wound each other if they were left unsupervised."

"Not much like your sisters," Ellie commented. "Alessandra and Kiki are practically joined at the hip."

Leo grinned. "Kind of like us."

"Yeah, except we're capable of wounding each other if we're left unsupervised," I said.

"Mostly because we're doing some crazy plan you guys came up with," Ellie pointed out.

"Us?" Leo said. "You come up with the craziest plans. Remember that time we decided to build our own hang glider? That was totally your idea."

"True, but you two are just reckless enough not to have said no."

We all laughed at that, and it felt so good. I remembered the adventures we used to have, and I recalled the hang glider incident all too well. It was lucky we'd only decided to jump off the roof of Uncle Stephen's garden shed, because, although the contraption we'd built kind of worked, it wasn't capable of sustained flight and we probably would've killed ourselves if we'd tried to jump off anything higher. As it was, Ellie had ended up spraining her ankle, and Leo had accidentally hit me on the head while we were trying to position the ladder to climb up to the shed roof. Somehow, Leo had been the only one unscathed, and we'd called him Super Leo for weeks afterward.

"A fine example of why we shouldn't be left unsupervised," I commented. "There was also the time we built the raft and became Willow Creek's first pirates, remember?"

Leo laughed. "It was all good until the cops found out."

"How were we supposed to know you're not allowed to sail homemade rafts in the canal?" said Ellie.

"Hey," I said. 'I was the one who said we should've stuck to sailing in the creek, in case you forgot."

"I thought your mom was going to lose it when the police car pulled up to the clinic with all three of us in the back," Ellie said. "It's one of those times when I wish I'd had a camera, just to capture the expression on her face."

"Your dad's reaction wasn't much better," I reminded her. "Not to mention how Aunt Millie screamed at me about accidentally almost drowning Leo."

"Mom overreacted," Leo said. "The way I remember it, I nearly drowned myself, and you were trying to rescue me. And like, I'm still here to talk about it, so obviously you succeeded. Mom should've been thanking you."

"I don't think she saw it that way at the time," I said.

"No, probably not," he conceded. He sighed. "I'd love to continue this, but I really have to get going. Catch you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," I said.

"Ellie?"

"I'm off tomorrow," she said. "I'm definitely up for whatever you've got in mind."

"I have to work till three o'clock," he said. "After that, though?"

"Awesome," said Ellie.

"I'll text you in the morning, Leo," I told him. "We can do something when you get off work. I'll try to talk Yuri into joining us, too."

"Cool," Leo said. "The more the merrier. See you tomorrow."

"See you later, Leo," Ellie said.

We all gave each other a playful, exaggerated wave goodbye.

Leo unchained his bike, and walked it up to the road. Ellie and I followed him for a short distance, but then we stopped and watched him trot off in the direction of the municipal lot where he'd parked his car.

Ellie reached for my hand. "Just us, now."

I smiled, loving the familiarity of her hand in mine. "Want me to walk you home?"

"What about our bikes?"

"They're chained on," I said. "They'll be fine till morning. I want to take the slow route back to the house."

"Maybe I should walk you home," she said. "You can invite me in for homemade ice cream and a movie. You know, if your husband isn't the jealous type and doesn't mind me cuddling you on the couch, that is."

"Uh... about that," I said. "Yuri probably wouldn't like us cuddling, even if it is totally innocent, but you can still come over. Ice cream and a movie sounds awesome, and you can even stay the night if you want."

"I'd like that," she said. "If I'm staying over, we'll have to stop at my place for a minute so I can grab some stuff. So, you can walk me home, and then I'll walk you home. Everybody wins."

"Everybody wins," I echoed happily. "I feel like I always win when I get to be with you, though. I've missed you a lot."

"Me too," Ellie said. "You don't even know how excited I was when you told me you were coming home. I almost offered to meet you at the airport myself."

"Why didn't you?"

"Mostly because I thought I'd start crying all over you and make a fool of myself in front of your husband," she admitted. "That, and I didn't want to deny your mother the opportunity to be the first to see you."

"You think Mom didn't cry all over me?"

"I'll bet you cried all over her, too."

"Yeah," I confessed. "You shouldn't have worried about crying in front of Yuri. He's used to people crying in front of him by now."

"And by 'people' you mean yourself," Ellie teased.

"You know I cry over everything."

She squeezed my fingers gently. "I know. You're sensitive. Most guys would try to be all tough and macho, and keep that stuff in, but I like that you don't."

"Yuri says the same thing. He doesn't judge me for it."

"You wouldn't be with him if he did," Ellie said. "He sounds like a sweet guy. I'm looking forward to getting to know him better."

"I think you'll get along," I said. "Remember not to be too loud, and not to touch him, and it'll be fine."

"So, that's really a thing? He actually doesn't like to be touched? Like, at all? Because you guys look like you're all over each other in the pictures you send."

"He lets me touch him now, but generally, yeah. He has a lot of anxiety about being touched. Like, it took a while before he was comfortable with me doing it, so..." I shrugged one shoulder. "If you want to upset him, that's the way."

"Good to know," Ellie said. "I'll keep that in mind."

We walked along in silence for a while after that. The sun was sinking lower and the air was starting to cool off dramatically, the way it always does on autumn evenings here. After having acclimated to the consistent cold temperatures in Kiyomatsu, I barely felt the damp chill. It entertained me to think that two years ago, I would’ve been reaching for a sweater right about now.

Ellie pointed in the direction of the creek. "Look how gorgeous the trees are. Does it look like this in Mt. Komorebi?"

"Sort of," I said. "Down in the valley, the leaves change colour like this. I took Yuri to Hanamigawa for his birthday back in September, and this is kind of what it looked like, but without the willows and the creek."

"That's why they call this place Willow Creek," she said, sounding amused.

"Logical."

"Want to go down by the water before it gets too dark?"

"Okay," I said. "Take me to our spot."

'Our spot' is about half a kilometer downstream from the park. The creek runs slowly there, and there's a huge old tree that reminds me of Grandmother Willow from that one Disney movie. It's a little challenging to get to, because you have to scale the fence along the side of the road and climb down over an embankment, but once you're down next to the water, the ground is level again.

This was the place we sought out when there was something serious going on in our lives and we needed to talk it over. Sometimes all three of us would gather here, and sometimes only two. In any case, it was always a safe space for us. No one bothered us there. It was perfect for discussing things that we didn't want anyone else to hear.

Ellie and I sat facing each other, and I tried to think of how many times over the course of our lifetime that we'd positioned ourselves like this.

We were about eight years old when we found our spot for the first time, and it was due to Ellie wandering away from her father and getting lost. Me and Leo and Uncle Stephen had found her here, leaning on the fence and staring at the creek. She hadn't been scared. Once she realized she didn't know how to get back to the park, she'd stayed where she was and waited for help.

Clearly, she'd paid attention on the way back, because the next time we visited the spot, it was on purpose, and Ellie had told us that her mother was getting remarried and that she didn't want to be in the wedding. Leo and I had attempted to help her hatch a plan to avoid wearing a princess dress and trying to mind her manners around a bunch of people she didn't know, but all our scheming had been to no avail. She was forced into the frilly daffodil coloured monstrosity, and had an utterly horrible day. Leo and I saw some pictures after the fact. Ellie looked murderous in every single one.

"What's so funny?" Ellie demanded.

"Nothing's funny," I said.

"You're smirking."

"Oh." I shook my head. "Thinking about those pictures of you at your mom and Patrick's wedding in that gross yellow dress."

"Ugh." Ellie scrunched up her face. "Can you not remind me?"

"Sorry," I said. "I've been thinking about a lot of stuff today. Not all the memories are good ones for everybody, apparently."

"It's okay. I shouldn't be surprised that you're remembering a lot of stuff. I have as well. I guess it's the team being back together."

"Yeah," I said. "That's mostly what I've been thinking about. I want to spend as much time with you guys as I can. I don't want to waste a moment, and maybe I have more thoughts than moments."

"I hear you," Ellie said. She picked some long blades of grass and began idly weaving them together. "Know what I've been thinking about?"

"What?"

"All the fun we used to have on camping trips. Leo and I haven't done that since you left."

"Why not?"

"It's not the same without you," she said. "Know what we should do before you go? We should drive up to Granite Falls and camp for a couple of nights.”

"I don't know," I said. "I don't think Yuri would like that. He's not much for roughing it."

"He doesn't have to come if he doesn't want to," Ellie said. "Anyway, I was thinking you, me and Leo, just like old times."

"All right. I'll see if it's okay with Yuri."

"It's so weird that you're married," Ellie said. "I mean, it's great. I knew you'd find somebody at some point, and I'm happy for you. It's just strange, you know? You go away for two years, and you come back with a husband."

"You knew me and Yuri were together before I even left."

"Yeah, of course, but if I'm being honest, I never expected you to leave in the first place. I guess I didn't realize how serious your online relationship was."

"Maybe I didn't either, until I got there. It was only supposed to have been a visit, but once I was physically with him, I knew I never wanted to be apart from him."

"I get that," Ellie said. "There are some people you need to have in your life, right?"

"Yeah."

"And some people you have to leave behind to make that happen."

"I guess."

"There was a time when I thought you, me and Leo would be together forever, just like your mom and my dad, but I guess life doesn't always go how we imagine, does it?"

"No, it doesn't," I agreed. "I'm sorry I broke up the team, but no matter what, I'll always be your friend. I'm never going to be out of your life, even if we're not in the same place."

"I know," she said, "But, it's not the same."

"You're right," I said. "It's not."

"Sorry if this sounds selfish, but sometimes I wish you'd never gone there. To Mt. Komorebi."

"It's not selfish. It's honest." I said. "You want to know something?"

"What?"

"There's a part of me that wishes I'd never left Willow Creek."

"Really?" She said.

"Yeah."

“What about Yuri?”

"I love Yuri more than anything, and I don't regret being with him, but being so far away from everything and everyone else I love is super difficult. Sometimes, I feel like crying because nothing's familiar. And trying to be an adult when I don't think I'm ready and there's nobody to help me is just... terrifying as hell." I sighed and looked away from her. "All those feelings hit me really hard when I walked into Mom's house the other day, and I... I don't think I want to go back to Mt. Komorebi now."

“Does Yuri know that?”

“No,” I said. “He’s never going to know.”

“Don’t you think you should tell him?”

“What would be the point? It’d only upset him, and it’s not like I have a choice anyway. We both have jobs and responsibilities there, and Yuri’s family is there. Plus, my immigration process was finalized a couple months ago, remember? Don’t you think it’d be kind of stupid to leave a country I just got permanent resident status in?”

“It’s more stupid to make yourself miserable just because you think it’ll help somebody else stay happy,” Ellie said.

“I don’t hate living in Mt. Komorebi, and I’m not miserable all the time,” I said. “I didn’t think I’d miss boring old Willow Creek that much, that’s all, and the dumbest thing is, I didn’t even know how much I missed it until I was back. I don't know. I'll probably get over it once I'm in Mt. Komorebi again, though."

"You don't always have to get over stuff, you know."

"What am I supposed to do, then? I can't drown in self-pity continuously. It's easier to figure out some kind of way to let it go."

"Easier for who?" Ellie asked. "You have to live with it, so it can't be easy for you, and I can tell you it's not easy for your friends to watch. Obviously I don’t know Yuri that well, but I doubt it's easy for him, either. If he loves you, don’t you think he’d want you to be happy instead of torturing yourself trying to please everybody else?”

“He always says that. That he wants me to be happy.”

“So, what is it? You don’t believe him?”

“No, I do believe him, but…”

“But what?”

“This is going to sound dumb,” I said.

“Go on,” she said. “I’m used to you sounding dumb.”

“You ever love somebody so much that you want to keep them safe from everything that could possibly hurt them? Like, even bad feelings and stuff? That’s how I feel about Yuri,” I said.

“It’s impossible to protect someone from everything.”

“Yeah, I know it’s impossible,” I said. “But, that doesn’t stop me from wanting to do it anyway.”

“I’ve never loved anyone like that,” Ellie said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever loved me like that either, but then again, I’m not sure I’d want them to.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because, as much as I’d want my partner to be my hero, I’d prefer him to be honest and open with me if there was something he thought might hurt me. I wouldn’t want him hurting himself and suffering in silence because he thought it’d make my life easier.”

“But, what if he knew you couldn’t handle it?”

“If I really couldn’t handle it, I’d expect him to support me through it.” Ellie levelled her gaze at me. “If he didn’t ask me and was just assuming I couldn’t, I’d be mightily pissed off at him for lacking faith in me and underestimating my ability to cope.”

“Yuri isn’t like that. I don’t think he’s angry at me for wanting to protect him. He likes it when I protect him.”

“But, would he want you to protect him if you had to put yourself in harm’s way to do it? Unnecessarily in harm's way, I mean. Think about that before you answer.”

I did. I tried to imagine what Yuri would say if he knew how badly I was hurting, how he might respond. I pictured him putting his arms around me and letting me cry, like he did the night I’d told him what happened with Ren at the fitness center. He’d be patient while I stumbled my way through a clumsy explanation of my feelings, and he’d surprise me with his insight and his resilience. I know I shouldn’t be surprised by that any more, but sometimes I think I can’t see past his physical frailty and tiny stature, and how he always says he needs me and wants me to keep him safe. My desire to shelter him overshadows my own need for him to take care of me, and maybe sometimes I deny him the opportunity to show he’s capable of that, because I’m too determined to not be a burden to him.

I didn’t even bother to hold back my tears or try to conceal them from Ellie. She’d seen me cry enough that it didn’t matter any more. I had nothing to prove to her.

I sniffled. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Trust him," Ellie said. "Trust him the way you trust me and Leo." She reached across the space between us and placed her hand on my knee. "Make him part of the team."

Hearing her say that, I felt like she'd knocked all the air out of my body. The team was me, Ellie and Leo, and it was... everything. I often tell Yuri he's everything, but in that moment I started to feel scared that it wasn't really true. How could I love someone so intensely, and yet not trust him as completely as I trust my friends?

But, I do trust him, I insisted to myself. I trust him in so many ways that matter.

But not in the way that allows him to protect you.

That night at the hotel, Yuri promised that from now on, he'd protect me the way I protect him, and it'd sounded good in my ears, but I wondered if it had ever penetrated my heart or my mind enough for me to believe it.

I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand, but it was no use. "I love him so much," I managed to say. "How could I fail this hard at being a good partner for him?"

Ellie stroked my knee. "I don't think you failed. You know what Dad says. You've only failed if you stop trying. You're not giving up on him, are you?"

"N-no," I said. "I'd never do that."

"I didn't think so," she said. "You've just got some stuff to work on."

"It's all so hard," I said "Growing up and having relationships and dealing with real life in general. You know what I mean?"

"Nobody said it'd be easy. You didn't think it would be, did you?"

"No, but I wish it was easier."

"Me too," she said.

"How am I supposed to tell Yuri that I don't want to leave?"

"Just tell him. You know you have to leave in a couple weeks in any case, but if you don't tell him, how will he know you want to come back?"

"Do you think he'd want to live here? Like, permanently?"

Ellie smiled. "I think you'd know that better than I would. Honestly, Victor, talk to him. Let him help you work through whatever's going on inside your head. You told me before, he's good at that, so you should let him do it more often."

I nodded. "You're right."

"Naturally," she said. "Why else would I be the team leader?"

I laughed, even though I was still crying. "I love you, Ellie."

She got up, and held out a hand to me. I took her hand, and she pulled me up to my feet and straight into the tightest embrace.

"I love you, Victor," she said. "I will always love you and I'll never stop. You can go to the ends of the earth, and I'll still love you."

"The ends of the earth and back," I whispered, and suddenly, I remembered where that phrase had originated. Ellie had said it into my ear as she hugged me goodbye at the airport on the day I left for Mt. Komorebi. Unwittingly, I'd started saying it to Yuri, and he'd started saying it to me.

We stood together for a long time, and I found it easy to calm down and stop crying in the security of Ellie's arms.

Eventually, we both stepped back.

"You look awful," Ellie said. "Let's go to my house and get you some cold water and something to get that redness out of your face." She gave me a mischievous little smile. "Yuri won't want to be my friend if he thinks I did something to make you cry."

"It wasn't you," I said.

"A likely story. 'I was alone with your husband and he was crying, but it totally wasn't my fault, I swear'."

"Okay, maybe he'd be suspicious if you said it like that. But yeah, let's go to your house. You were going to get some stuff and come over, right? You still want to?"

"Only if you're not planning to have that conversation with Yuri tonight."

"I don't think I'm ready to have a deep discussion tonight," I admitted. "Come over and spend some time with us. Maybe we can figure out a way to make homemade ice cream with almond milk so Yuri can have some too, and if you're nice, we might even let you pick the movie."

"Maybe we should let Yuri pick the movie," Ellie said. "You and I would probably choose the same sort of thing, but I'm curious to find out what he's into."

"I hope you have a secret passion for historical romances," I said.

Ellie groaned. "Ugh.. big no to that. Now, I'm one hundred percent convinced of how much you love him. The Victor I know wouldn't sit through five minutes of a historical romance, so you've got to be doing it for him."

"You have no idea how many historical romances I've sat through for him," I said. "Mostly, I'm in it for the cuddling, though. He watches the movie, and I'm the warm and comfortable human cushion he sprawls on."

"Okay, then. Historical romance it is," Ellie said cheerfully. "I've got to see that. Like, I'm already dying of how cute it sounds like you guys are."

"I can't speak for me, but Yuri is pretty cute."

"Don't worry. You're cute too." She slipped her arm through mine. "Come on. You're going to walk me home, aren't you? We'd better get going if we want to have movie night and not stay up past bedtime."

"Right," I said. "Ice cream, movie and a sleepover. Everything might not be exactly like it used to be, but I'm glad some things haven't changed."

[mars-colony]

OC Interview

I was tagged by @marvilus73 a bit ago! Thanks so much for the tag Marv!!

I’ll tag @psijics for sure, and anyone else who sees and wants to do. It’s fun! I’ll put most of it under a read more (if I can get it to work).

BASIC

name ➔ Dollie Anne Wallace

are you single ➔ Oh, uh, no. [laughs]

are you happy ➔ [glances around] Yeah. Yeah, I am.

are you angry ➔ Not now, no. Not right now.

are your parents still married ➔ Technically, they never got divorced, but til death did they part when my father passed. They haven't been together since I was a kid though.

NINE FACTS

birthplace ➔ Michigan. Or, what was Michigan. Wonder what it's like these days...

hair color ➔ Black.

eye color ➔ Brown, hazel, whichever you'd call it. Danse teases me and calls them gold. [snorts] Fools gold, more like it.

birthday ➔ April 21st, 2045

mood ➔ Pretty agreeable most of the time, I think.

gender ➔ Female

summer or winter ➔ Summer. You can get more done. The crops keep coming in. Don't have to worry about those radblizzards. Now once upon a time, winter was good, but these days. Summer.

morning or afternoon ➔ Oh, that's tough! Morning is nice 'cause everything’s quiet before everybody wakes up. It's a chance for a little bit of peace before everything gets moving. But afternoon is good to, because you can see everyone out and about, working together. So again I'll have to say both.

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ [nervous laugh] Yeah... I mean yes. [clears her throat] Anyway what's the next question?

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ No. [laughs] You can't love somebody if you don't know what they're like, what they believe in. [shakes her head] God knows I made that mistake.

who ended your last relationship ➔ [grumbles flatly] A mercenary with a .44 and a death wish.

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ Hm. I mean. Well, I never meant to. I might have, but I never meant to.

are you afraid of commitments ➔ [heavy sigh] In a way, I mean I was. I'm working on it. [Nods] You've got to... to commit to letting people in.

have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ Definitely. [whispers, smiling] I'm a hugger.

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ Not to my knowledge. [thinks for a moment] I mean, I don't think so.

have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ Hard not to. I think we've all done that.

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ Love. There's no point if there’s nothing underneath all the actions.

lemonade or iced tea ➔ Oh man, what I wouldn't give for one last glass of lemonade.

cats or dogs ➔ I've had more dogs, but cats are good too. So both.

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ Funny for me to say it, but a few best friends, people who know you better than you know yourself, well... you can't trade that for anything.

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ Wild nights out have their place, don't get me wrong, but I've always been more of a night in girl, myself.

day or night ➔ Day, especially out here in the Wasteland. You can see more coming, don't have to worry about what's out in the shadows.

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ [smiles sadly] Never got caught. Wish I had.

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ I'd be lying if I said I hadn't.

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ [another sad smile] Yes.

wanted to disappear ➔ I have.

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ Eyes'll tell you more than a smile. Smiles can be less honest.

shorter or taller ➔ Probably taller, not that it really matters. But based on history, taller.

intelligence or attraction ➔ Intelligence and the way you use it can make someone more attractive. Gotta have something going on in their brains. [laughs]

hook-up or relationship ➔ Relationship, no contest. Gotta have a connection.

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ We did, yes. My mother, sister, and I were always very close.

would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ [scratches the back of her neck, laughing] I mean, I wouldn't, but it is. I still wouldn't.

have you ever ran away from home ➔ No, never. Not really.

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ It's best to leave before they can kick you out, but... yes.

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ Of course not! Not a very friendly thing to do, now is it?

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ I know some friends more than others, or differently, but I do consider them all good friends.

who is your best friend ➔ It's hard to pick between people, we've all been through so much together. But if I had to pick I'd probably say Valentine. From the start there was just something that clicked between us.

who knows everything about you ➔ [twists the ring on her finger] I guess I'd have to say Danse... It's always been easier for me to tell him, well, the truth and what's on my mind. He knows things about me that I... well I don't tell anyone. [laughs, smiling] Tells me you can't shoulder everything by yourself, the big hypocrite.