#also i had some good salmon for dinner which is nice

[seawardboundsammy]

girl help school is kicking my ass

[rbbrbikerthorp]

Meeting Mick

In the centre of London, a 22-year-old junior office clerk named Gareth found himself trawling through his email inbox once again. For such a young lad, he was already fatigued with the tediousness of routine.

He had been conventional all his life, descending from a lineage of monotony. His father was an accountant who was coming up to retirement - a greyish man who wore greyish suits, his grandfather had been an accountant and he was pretty sure his great grandfather had also been in the profession. “It’s in our DNA, numbers run in our blood,” the words of his dad would echo around his head.

As a teenager, Gareth tried to rebel, well he put a bit of effort in to trying to rebel. First of all he let his hair grow, then he got a number 2 at the barbers. He bought a pair of DMs with some of his savings but never wore them for fear of what his mother and father might say. Once he came home ten minutes late for dinner, which was enough for his father to take him on one side and lecture him on the importance of timekeeping.

Anyway, let's get back to the present. Gareth got home early evening after another dull day in the office. He prepared a nice healthy meal of grilled salmon and steamed vegetables. After washing up, he decided to check his social media feeds, not that he was a prolific user of social networks, but at least they were a doorway to 'other worlds' that offered some escape.

As he was scrolling through Tumblr one profile in particular caught his attention. The profile belonged to someone calling himself 'Mick', an older man who proudly identified as a Skinhead Boss.

Gareth just stared at the profile picture; he studied it from top to bottom; his overarching thought was that this was an older guy who didn't give a f**k. He lost himself staring at the shiny black boots, which contrasted with the white laces and the arms covered in tattoos. Gareth then clicked on the profile and immediately pressed the 'follow' button.

He scrolled through Mick's blog and found himself getting more and more aroused at the pictures, which included from videos of lads getting their heads shaved, pictures of skinheads in full skinhead gear, groups of skinheads drinking and even photos of skins getting pierced and tattooed. The posts included many skinhead transformation stories as well as a few articles about skinhead culture, which Gareth read with interest.

Gareth really wanted to message Mick, and he pointed the cursor but kept hesitating because, to be honest, he felt a bit stupid. The voices in his head told him not to bother, Mick is a hard, tattooed skinhead and why would he want to chat with someone as boring and vanilla as you, Gareth?

After deliberating for many minutes whilst continuing to look over Mick's blog, he managed to silence the voices momentarily finding the resolve to send a message. He clicked on the icon and noticed the green dot, so Mick was probably online. After a lot of thought he decided to keep the first message short, "hey there, love the blog, love the gear," and pressed the send icon. No, he thought in a moment of regret and as the voices reasserted themselves, why did I type that? After a few minutes, and much to Gareth's surprise, the number 1 appeared on the messages side-menu. Expecting a "get lost" or "Eff off back to your boring, mundane life," he clicked to see what the reply was.

“Oi oi m8 thx. I didn’t think I’d be your type. Just seen your profile pic you look like just a conventional clean-cut lad." Reading this, Gareth was rock hard. He’d never spoken to a skinhead before and the thought of chatting with one was already driving him crazy. He thought very carefully about what to type next. “Ha ha, well yes, but skinheads - they're something else,” and he pressed send. Mick replied straight away “Thanks. I know you’d look good with your head shaved, wearing a nice tight pair of bleachers and all booted up lad.”

Gareth had often wondered what his life would be like if he had taken a different path maybe as a tradesman or a workie, even a punk or skinhead but it would never work, plus what would his parents and friends say. He quickly typed a reply, “Ah, I’d love to but I don’t think I could - I’d be a terrible skinhead,” and clicked on the send icon.

Gareth was starting to feel stupid again for initiating the conversation with Mick - but before he cold wallow in his foolishness he received another message, which had a much firmer tone to it “Listen lad, you WILL make a perfect skinhead. I CAN make it happen m8. I'll be in the White Hart pub on Grange Road at tonight 8 - be on time. If not, we won't chat again. It's a one time offer."

Having read the message, Gareth noticed the green light disappear - Mick must have signed out.

Gareth didn’t know what to do. This skinhead he’d spoken to for all of five minutes was willing to take him 'under his wing' and make all his dreams come true. Was this a set-up? Was it all one big joke? Was he being foolish turning up in a pub some stranger had mentioned

In that moment Gareth was 'paralysed' Should he carry on as Mr Conventional or take this opportunity to escape the monotony and drudgery of routine? Well there was only one way to find out.

After nearly an hour of procrastination he decided it was worth the risk and he would go and meet Mick. After all nothing was going to happen in pub full of customers? With a mix of excitement and apprehension, Gareth put on a pair of jeans, a plan blue t-shirt and a his coat. He opened Google Maps and searched for The White Hart and followed the directions.

After a twenty minute bus ride and ten minute walk he arrived at The White Hart. He paused for a moment. This looked like any other pub he'd seen in the city. Was he really going to enter a pub frequented by skinheads? Was he about to meet the man he'd been messaging on Tumblr? He was about to discover that this pub, adorned with memorabilia reflecting the skinhead subculture, would become the backdrop for his transformation.

He walked through the double doors and entered the tap room. He was immediately met by the sight of three skinheads standing at the bar. He checked them out; they all had shaved heads, some dressed in green or black bomber jackets, some just in t-shirts or Fred Perry polos and wearing skinhead boots; some black some red/brown.

Standing for a moment, just inside the doors (close enough to make a quick retreat should it be necessary), he took in the atmosphere. He looked around the room, trying not to catch anyone's attention. However, a few of the skins had noticed the new lad enter. Gareth was aware of several faces looking in his director, some seeming to sneer at him in contempt. He imagined they were thinking "what are you doing in our place?" After all he was a normal looking, average 22 year old in the middle of a pub occupied by tattooed, pierced, and booted skinheads.

Gareth got a sense that tension was building, but at the same time he was very aroused. He'd never been so close to one skinhead, let alone a pub full of pretty hot looking skins. He glanced at his watch - it was almost 8 o'clock - so finding Mick was his priority.

Gareth was feeling intimidated by the many eyes focussed on him. Believing Mick would be somewhere in the pub meant he was able to dig deep and find the courage not to run out through the door through which he entered. As he walked around, he noticed a skinhead standing at the bar smoking a cigarette. He always thought that smoking was banned indoors - and that included pubs - but this skinhead didn't seem to care. "You look out of place my lad - don't think you want to be in here!" he said taking the cig out of his mouth.

"Well, erm, I, I'm supposed to be meeting someone here." Gareth stuttered a reply taking in the sight in front of him.

"Oh, is that so?" The skinhead started to smile. "And who is this person you're supposed to be meeting or do you just like being in a room filled with skinheads?"

Gareth was getting even more aroused. "No, erm Mick," he initially replied meekly, then getting his confidence back, "he's called Mick".

Suddenly Gareth heard a booming voice to his right, which he knew was aimed at him. “Boy, I've been waiting."

Gareth headed over to where the voice originated, very aware that the skinhead he'd just been talking to was still staring at him as he walked away.

"Good job you turned up lad." Gareth was mesmerised at seeing Mick in person - as if in a trance, he walked towards the man that would permanently change his life. With each step forward, he took in Mick's weathered face, shaved head, tattooed arms and, holding a metal baseball bat in his left hand. "Boy, I thought you might chicken out." Finally standing next to Mick, he laughed nervously; he actually was scared-stiff but at the same time he was so turned on by this older skinhead. “You wanna be a proper skinhead - just like ALL the lads around you, don’t you?"

Gareth turned around and looked around the pub - no one was staring at him now. Everywhere he turned he saw skinheads laughing, chatting, getting the beers in and even playing pool - it was the camaraderie that caught his attention.

All his life he'd been a 'lost sheep'; he'd been desperate for the kind of kinship he was witnessing. Yes this is what he wanted, and he would do whatever it takes to be accepted. He turned back to Mick, and more certain than he'd been about anything in his life, "Yes, YES, I want to be a skinhead."

"Good lad," Mick cracked a smile for the first time since they'd met in person. "I can make it come true boy. First, I should warn you that once you say yes, there’s no going back. So, you're absolutely sure about this?”

Gareth had never been more certain in his life, oh and had never felt like this before (not to mention the forming bulge that was hard to miss). “Yes, I really want this”.

Mick was relieved, he made it a mission to bring new lads into the skinhead world “good choice, I’ll make a proper skinhead out of you boy. When I'm done with you, you'll be a proud skinhead, following the skinhead code.” Gareth nearly erupted in his trousers, he couldn’t believe this was happening. Right seat yourself down, I'll get the beers in an we'll talk about your skinhead transformation.

In a matter of minutes, Mick returned accompanied by two other skinheads who sat down alongside Gareth. "This is Charlie and this is his boi Chris. Chris once had a boring life - he was a going to be a lawyer but he hated his life. He met first Charlie on Grindr and now they're inseparable; Chris now works for the council in the cleansing department. Lads, this is Gareth," he said, nodding in Gareth's direction."

Gareth nervously picked up his glass that had been put in front of him and took a big gulp of the beer. One gulp turned into two, three, four and in no time, he'd almost finished his pint. In doing so he'd plucked up the courage to initiate a conversation about what life would be like as a skinhead.

Mick was about to start waxing lyrical about his life when Charlie jumped in, having just finished his pint, "tell the lad how long you've been a skinhead Mick," turning to Gareth, "Mick also knows what it means to be a skin and how we watch out for one another. C'mon Chris let's get the next round in."

As they chatted over three more pints Mick regaled his life experiences and the subculture he had embraced since he started secondary school. He shared stories of camaraderie, rebellion, and talked affectionately about the unique sense of identity that exists within the skinhead community. Despite the age gap, a connection had formed between the two. Mick decided it was time to begin Gareth's transformation. "Right lad, follow me."

Mick put on what Gareth would learn is his black Harrington, he picked up his baseball bat and headed through a set of double doors. Gareth followed a few paces behind Mick heading down a short dimly lit corridor.

They walked through the door and entered a room with black and white tiles on the floor, three sides of the room had walls covered in pictures of skinheads, the other wall was simply a floor to ceiling mirror. In the middle of the room was a barber's chair.

"Right lad, take your top off"

Without a second thought Gareth complied. "Get in the chair." It was an order, not a request, which had to be obeyed. Gareth was about to take the first step and most symbolic stage his transformation to a skinhead.

Sitting in the old barber's chair, Gaz could only watch as Mick walked over to the shelf and picked up a set of clippers. Mick removed the guard that was covering the cutting end and turned to Gareth, ""this is it lad; in a few minutes Gareth will be gone. I'm going to transform you into Gaz - my Skinhead boi."

With that Mick pressed the on button on the side of the clippers; immediately he heard the familiar 'clack' sound echo around the room. Mick pressed the clippers into the nape and worked his way up the lad's head. With a deliberate slowness, Gareth's hair was stripped away. With each stroke, inches of hair fell on his chest and on the floor around the chair until it was all gone.

Gareth was more turned on than he'd been; at any time in his life. Nothing he'd done in his 22 years to date had resulted in the mild sweating, butterflies and raised heart-rate that he was experiencing as he stared into the mirror watching this tattooed thug denuding his head.

Mick could tell Gaz was enjoying the experience as he heard a little pleasure moan escape from his mouth. He ran the clippers over Gaz's head at least three times, ensuring there was only stubble left. Mick noticed Gaz staring in the mirror - it wasn't all he noticed. "Like what you see boi?"

Gareth simply nodded - his brain simply couldn't process the combination of his feelings and the sight of his shaved head in the mirror. He was about to touch his head when Mick interrupted, "No you don't boi. I'll tell you when you can touch your head."

Mick then walked over to the sink and turned on the hot tap. When the water was steaming hot, he grabbed a towel and wet it thoroughly. He squeezed the towel removing the excess water and placed the very towel on Gaz's head; leaving it for a few minutes.

This gave him time to grab a can of shaving foam. He completely covered his boi's head in foam. He grabbed a new Mach III razor and started the next stage of the transformation. It took a few minutes to shave away the stubble from his boi's head and make him as smooth and shiny as a baby.

Gaz sat there frozen in disbelief as each stroke of the razor revealed another patch of scalp completely void of hair. As Mick finished up, he produced a handheld mirror to show the back and sides: “what do you think boi?”

Gaz didn’t recognise the person staring back at him - he was starting to look like a dumb thug who’d grown up on a council estate and spent years getting in trouble with the law. Not some twenty-something who had grown up the perfect, but very boring, nuclear family. “Yeah, this is perfect, just how I wanted to look”.

"It's only the beginning of your transformation lad. Now we need to get you dressed. Stay there." Mick ordered and walked over to a cupboard ar the back of the room.

Gaz didn't want to move. He was transfixed by the skinhead he saw in the mirror - so much so that he didn't hear Mick calling to him.

"Get over here boi!"

Gaz came back to reality and jumped out of the chair. He walked over to where Mick was standing. It was a cupboard full of boots, jeans with bleach splashes, t-shirts, polo shirts and bomber jackets.

For the second time in as many hours, Gaz was enthralled by the content in the cupboard - as he stared at the many pairs boots on the shelf he was almost drooling. "Right lad," Mick said jerking Gaz out of his boot gazing, "we can get you started with what's in here. You'll need to get more in time but that can wait till you start yer new job."

With that Mick began to outfit his boi in classic skinhead attire. He started by handing Gaz a t-shirt wich the boy slipped over his head, then came a pair of very tight fitting jeans with bleach splashes - bleachers as they are generally known. As he put them on he could sense blood rushing towards his groin area. Seeing this Mick smiled; Gaz smiled back sensing he was blushing. As he finished buttoning his bleachers, he saw the jeans had been cut off just below the knee - he would soon find out why. Next, Gaz was handed a pair of white(ish) football socks. "Get them on your feet."

As Gaz was putting his socks, he looked up when another skinhead entered the room. He was a bit younger than Mick but older than Gaz; his arms covered in tattoos and a huge ring in his nose and both ears pierced, "is he ready Mick?"

"Not quite Al, he's got his boots to put on an lace properly." He turned to Gaz, "for now you need to pull your socks over your knees." When Gaz had done as instructed, Mick put a pair of black 20 hole boots with white laces in front of him. He sat down and began talking him through tightly ladder-lacing his boots, first the right foot then the left.

In no time at all Gaz had ladder-laced his boots.

"Stand up lad - look in the mirror!" Mick instructed, "how does that feel?" He didn't need to ask - the lump in the boi's bleachers was there for all to see.

"i...," Gaz was stuck for words. After a few moments he spurted, "I can't believe what I'm looking at," as Gaz found himself feeling a sense of belonging he had never experienced before.

Mick was pleased with the transformation so far. He offered Gaz a cigarette. “Sorry, I don’t smoke”. Mick threw Gaz against the wall “lesson one, you don’t get the choose what you do and don’t do anymore. Skinheads smoke and now you're a skinhead so that means you're a smoker too. I want you to smoke a pack a day boi”.

For the first time since he walked into the pub Gaz was intimidated - especially knowing there was another skinhead in the room watching. Gaz gingerly took the smoke from Mick and lit up. It tasted awful and he was trying his best not to cough after every inhale.

“You’ll get use to it boi. Give it a few weeks you won’t be able to get out of bed without sparking up” Mick laughed. This is Al by the way. He's a tattooist - he's going to make your transformation more permanent.

"Right Al, he's ready for the next stage."

Al smiled, "come slong me boi."

Gaz followed Mick and Al out of the room, and out of a side door in the pub. Even though he'd worn his Doc Martens on a number of occasions, walking in 20-hole boots felt so different. To start with the leather was new and the soles of were solid and heavy. Mick and Al were heading off and Gaz had trouble keeping up. Eventually the two older skinheads arrived at a tattoo studio, with Gaz arriving a few seconds later.

"Right here we are. It's time to finish the job. Al's gonna give you your ink and we'll get some metal into you too,"

"Yes boi," interjected Al, "in the chair, take your shirt off and we can get started."

Gaz took off his shirt and sat in the chair.

"I think you should light up boi," Mick instructed, holding out a pack of cigs. Gaz took one and lit up. Even though it was only his second cigarette, he was doing better at not coughing every time he inhale.

"Right Mick, so just as we talked about earlier?" Al asked.

"Yes, just the ones he can't hide - the ones on his knuckles, hands, neck for today, then over the next few visits he can get his sleeves done and then you can work on his back.

Gaz's heartbeat was rising rapidly as he was listening to what was about to happen. The transformation so-far was reversible, but the moment the tattooing started there would be no turning back. Then all of a sudden he felt a wave of calm as he realised he wasn't forcibly being transformed. His lifetime wish was become a reality and Mick and Al were facilitating his deep desires.

Al set up his equipment and began. As the needle buzzed, skinhead symbols etched themselves onto Gaz's skin – a commitment to a lifestyle that was rapidly becoming his own. The letters S-K-I-N and H-E-A-D were tattooed onto his knuckles. Next, a swallow was tattooed on the back of his left hand, followed by his right hand. Then Al began the more painful and time consuming work of tattooing a spiderweb onto the left side of Gaz's neck and a pair of red DMs on the right hand side. Both would be positioned too high for Gaz to cover them up - even if that's what he wanted to do - and he didn't, ever!

Piercings followed suit, adding a further edge to Gaz's appearance. His ears were adorned with small gold hoops, then his nipples were pierced - wincing at the pain as the needle went through the sensitive skin.

"One more for today boi and then we are done. If you thought your nipple piercings hurt, then you'll really feel it when we get your septum done."

Mick wasn't wrong. However, compared to the continuous, vibrating pain of being tattooed, Gaz would describe the septum piercing as a quick, sharp pain. In no time at all he had a 14 gauge septum piercing with a gold ring though it.

"Your nose is going to be tender to touch and will probably take a couple of week to heal." Al told Gaz. We'll look at changing to a slightly bigger ring as Mick wants in a couple of months, that's provided it has healed well."

Mick walked over to Gaz and grabbed him roughly. Mick pressed his body up against Gaz and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then he thrust his tongue harshly into Gaz's mouth. Gaz had never kissed a man before, in fact he hadn't kissed many girls before. So he just let Mick take charge. Gaz found he loved the smokey taste of Mick's mouth too - imagining that his would taste the same as he become a 20-a-day smoker.

In that single moment Gaz felt a sense of liberation that transcended his previous life. There would be no return for once ordinary office worker. Instead, with Mick's guidance, Gaz secured his first manual job. Being a workie on a building site was a fitting occupation for his newfound identity.

In the end, Gareth's (now Gaz's) transformation went beyond skin-deep. He found a sense of purpose and community that resonated with him on a profound level. Mick, the seasoned skinhead mentor, had unwittingly become Gaz's Alpha guiding the 22 year old through a journey of self-discovery that led him to embrace a life that, just weeks before, had been unimaginable.

[redtsundere-writes]

Jinx | Sukuna Ryomen

mmafigther!sukuna ryomen x femcoach!reader

Part 11. The Other One

Beginning. ← Previous | Next →

Sypnosis: Sukuna is a world champion with anger issues. It's believed by many that he is untrainable. Yeah, you can't train him, but you can dominate him. Contents: Fighting. Sukuna being Sukuna. Female reader being dom. Jinx AU (the BL, not the character from lol) Yuuji, Choso and Sukuna are brothers. Warnings: Cursed words. I only read it once lol Word Count: 4667 words. Author's Note: We are so close to the end. I already want to get to the grand finale, but I can only write one chapter at the time. uwu Thanks for all the support so far!

Btw I made a PLAYLIST

“Salmon or hake?” I wondered as I compared the two frozen fish. I was in the frozen section of the best supermarket in the city.  My exposed skin was cold by being exposed to the bed of ice and near the refrigerators full of snacks and fast foods. The nerves in my hands were beginning to tighten from holding the frozen packages for too long.

Ladies slowly dragging their carts through the white aisles, children crying to their mothers who already want to go home and the employees running from side to side behind me. The popular music framed my thoughts as I read the nutritional facts for each product, focusing on the grams of protein. Since I was in charge of cooking for Sukuna’s birthday, I had to choose the best products to make him the best dinner he ever had

Salmon has 20 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat and zero carbohydrates. In addition to its contribution of Omega-3, for high-performance athletes it is the ideal fish to eat, since it has a very good ratio of proteins and healthy fats. If I baked it in the oven, I was sure it would be delicious. The only problem? The famous mercury. Although, according to some studies, it is true that salmon is the fish that contains the least amount. Hake is usually its alternative, which has less fat, but the same or more amount of protein, also it digests better.

“Salmon has more potassium, selenium, and vitamin B12." A female voice interrupted my mental debate.

My eyes widened when I saw the beauty next to me. A thin and tall blonde woman. Her blonde hair was long and her bangs looked great on her. His thin eyebrows framed her big brown eyes. His tight-fitting black turtleneck shirt and high-waisted pants made her look phenomenal. It was like admiring a beautiful porcelain statue, you could easily get lost in the details of her person.

"Oh, thanks. Are you a nutritionist or something like that?” I asked curiously as I returned the hake to the bed of ice.

"I'm a jiu-jitsu coach. I never thought I would meet the Medusa Snake in a supermarket,” she joked.

I should have seen it before. Her physical build was magnificent for a jiu-jitsu fighter. Her arms were perfectly toned, and his long legs could knock down any rival with one kick. I started to envy her body.

"I was told you were Ryomen's coach, I see that you are… very close," she said as she looked directly at the bracelet that Sukuna had given me earlier this morning. That was strange.

"It is a complicated task, but I think that every day we understand each other more," I answered honestly.

"I wanted to be his coach, you know?” she told me as if nothing had happened.

Something in me set off a warning alarm. I could sense that this conversation had a double intention. Was she threatening my position? Did she know that I wouldn't be Sukuna's coach anytime soon? Was she just trying to have a nice conversation in the middle of the frozen section? She was a beautiful woman to admire, but I didn't like where this was going.

"Who are you?" I asked confused, completely breaking the flow of the conversation.

"My name is Yuki Tsukumo," she introduced herself with a smile. “This is the Yuki who sent the bracelet to Sukuna!” I thought, trying not to reflect surprise on my face, but I'm not sure if I did it. “I see he received my gift, it's a shame he didn't want to use it."

"Sukuna doesn't like receiving gifts, that's why he gave it to me,” I answered, my tone sounding more defensive than I intended.

"Thank goodness he didn't throw it in the trash," she said before taking the hake I left. "I hope he doesn't throw you away either." With that threat, she walked away, getting lost in the cereal aisle.

I just saw the beautiful woman swinging her hips away, like a poisonous viper with beautiful colored scales. I couldn't help but see the gold bracelet that rested delicately on my wrist. My gaze hyperfixed on the letters engraved on it, wondering what kind of relationship this strange woman had with Sukuna. I put the salmon in my basket and continued with my shopping in an attempt to forget the unusual conversation.

After paying for the salmon and the rest of the ingredients I would use for the special dinner, my phone started ringing. I arranged the plastic bags in one hand to get my phone out of my pants. It was Yuuji.

"Hello, Y/n!" His friendly voice sounded from the other side. "Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Not really. I am only going to make Sukuna’s dinner for his birthday,” I answered as I walked back home.

"Cancel that. My parents just invited me and my brothers to dinner at the restaurant they just opened in the bay.” I stopped dead and sighed. “The salmon will have to wait until tomorrow.” "Do you have a pretty dress?" he wondered out of nowhere.

"Why you ask?". I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I asked my parents if you could come. When they found out you were Sukuna's friend, they said yes.”

"Why did you do that?" I asked him, even more confused. This couldn't be good.

"Because Choso is going, duh," he answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Because I was thinking about Sukuna 24/7, I had completely forgotten about Choso's existence. Yuuji still doesn't know that I like his other brother now. Plus, his parents will be there. Oh no, this can't be happening. This would be a disaster, I could sense it. Did I really have to go? My feelings churned in my chest the further I walked down the sidewalk. I stopped when I reached the crosswalk. The traffic light was red.

"I don't think this is a good idea..."

"Don't say that! It's the perfect opportunity for Choso to see you slay like the queen you are,” Yuuji lifted my spirits that I was dragging on the ground.

"Hang up the phone now!" I heard Gojo yell at him from a distance, Yuuji was still be in the gym, training with Sukuna.

"See you in the afternoon," he said goodbye before hanging up.

The light turned green, but I still couldn't cross. I stood frozen on the sidewalk, stunned by the unusual invitation. I felt lost. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to go because I really like hanging out with the boys, but I was afraid to find out what my true feelings were for Choso and Sukuna. Also, I raised Choso’s hopes up. What if I didn’t like him anymore because I liked Sukuna? Thai was a mess. 

The traffic light turned red again. Why was I questioning my feelings for Choso? It's true that I liked Sukuna, but I liked Choso the moment I saw him. Sukuna had been an acquired taste from the times we've slept together. The gifts and me living with him seemed to have no meaning to him. I was in a dangerous situation, and he just wanted to protect me, right? Everything was so confusing. Maybe if I was to go to dinner, I had to find out what my true feelings were.

The traffic light turned green again.

After picking my outfit, an everything shower and doing my makeup, I was ready. It had been a long time since the last time I dressed up like a fine lady for dinner. I always have to wear sporty clothes due to work. Putting on a cute pink dress and applying a small wing eyeliner made me feel like a pretty princess. I brushed my hair in front of my large bathroom mirror while my stomach churned nervously. Seeing myself so different from how I normally look was like seeing an old friend I hadn't seen in years. As I put the brush back in its place, I noticed that I still had Sukuna's bracelet on my wrist. 

“I don't think it's a good idea to wear it today,” I thought aloud before taking it off and putting it in a jewelry box.

I went down to the entrance at the time Sukuna and I had agreed to leave. My heels echoed with every step I took. I already wanted him to see me as “the queen” that I am, Yuuji's words. I went downstairs with every intention of surprising him, but I was the one who ended up surprised. He was already there, fixing his elegant suit in front of the mirror. I never thought I'd see a man like Sukuna, who always dresses in T-shirts and shorts, wearing a sharp black suit with an ivory turtleneck sweater. This was not the cranky man I coach, this was a millionaire man with a mobster vibe straight out of a romance novel written by a woman. From the shine on his shoes to his well-groomed hair, Sukuna looked like the jackpot. 

“You look... different,” he said as he analyzed my whole body. “Of course I look different! What kind of compliment is that?!” I thought annoyed. 

“You look different too.” I told him reluctantly. 

“Are you ready to go?” He asked. I just nodded excitedly before following him out the door. 

In the nighttime tapestry of the city, the bright lights painted a surreal panorama. The asphalt shone like an ebony river, reflecting the headlights of passing cars like wandering fireflies. The city had an air of mystery and adventure. Tokyo was a place where anything could happen, where dreams came true and nightmares lurked in the shadows. The steering wheel turned under my fingers like a rudder guiding a ship through a sea of ​​metal. The roar of the engine was a discordant symphony that echoed in the silence of the night.

“How did training with Gojo go?” I asked him to get a topic of conversation.

"Everything was going well until I had to train again with the useless rookies,” he muttered in annoyance, gripping the steering wheel firmly. "Have you thought about who your replacement will be?" He asked.

"I have a few candidates in mind,” I answered. "In fact, a coach approached me when I went to the market, but she didn't give me a good vibe.”

"Why?" he asked, curious.

"I think you already know each other."

"What's her name?”

"Yuki Tsukumo." Sukuna braked the car in its tracks, making us bounce in our seats. Thank God we had our seat belts on. If we hadn’t, I would have slammed into the glass. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I exclaimed with my heart in my hand.

Sukuna didn't answer me. He squeezed the steering wheel, clearly annoyed, to park next to the curb. He took off his seatbelt to lean back on the steering wheel. Who was this Yuki Tsukumo that could make Sukuna act like this? An ex-partner? Impossible, Yuuji told me that he has never had a girlfriend. Someone he slept with in the past? I don't blame him, she's beautiful.

"You better not tell Choso or Yuuji that you ran into he," he told me after letting out a long sigh.

"Why not? Is there something I should know?” I asked him confused with the whole situation.

"She is Choso's ex-fiancée,” he answered before holding his forehead in concern.

"Oh…” I could not believe it.

Sukuna POV

I couldn't believe this blonde bitch had shown up again. Finally, when we had all left her in the past, she decided to come back for more. I clearly remembered the first time I saw that stupid girl smiling from cheek to cheek as if she were a pure soul. Choso looked so happy and proud to introduce her as his future wife. Poor asshole, he didn't know what he was getting into... and neither did I.

He still vividly remembered the night where everything turned into a shit show. The UFC had paid me the best suite in Las Vegas for my first championship fight. Sometimes I closed my eyes to return to that majestic place. Admiring the Strip, a glittering ribbon of casinos, hotels, and attractions that never sleeps, Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower twinkling with a thousand lights, and the High Roller Ferris wheel rising above the horizon like a giant lighthouse. I fucked a prostitute in the middle of the wide balcony, enjoying the panorama that stretched out in front of me.

"Sukuna!" The whore screamed my name desperately.

My hips didn't stop pounding into ramming her. Her tits were bouncing in my face and her legs were spread across the couch. I opened her ass to reach the deepest part of her being. He had paid a good amount for her, he was willing to destroy her physically and emotionally. I pulled her hair while my cock hit her cervix, her limit. I was so close to reaching the climax, ensuring my future victory... but some idiot had to ring the bell at that moment.

I was so close that I didn't care that the person would stay outside all night. I didn't care if it was Choso, Gojo, Yuuji or my parents. I was very busy. The idiot didn't seem to want to understand that I wasn't going to open it, so he kept insisting on the fucking doorbell. Ding-dong. Ding-Dong. Ding-fucking-Dong. The annoying sound made me lose concentration.

"Fuck!" I screamed before pulling my cock out of the whore. She sighed in annoyance, plopping down on the couch. "Hide in the closet or something, I'm not done with you." I told her before wrapping a towel around my hips.

"I'm going to charge you extra!" She yelled at me before following my instruction.

I straightened my towel before reluctantly opening the door. In front of me was the last person I thought I would meet. It was Yuki, Choso's guest. What the fuck was she doing here at midnight? Especially alone. From her pajamas and her slightly messy hair, I could tell she had escaped from the bed she shared with my younger brother.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked her, annoyed. "It better be important."

"I want to talk about business, can I come in?" she asked me with her usual flirtatious smile.

"No. Just tell me what you have to say so you can leave me alone,” I answered. I could already feel my balls turning blue.

"Do you kiss your mother with that filthy?" she joked.

"I'm not in the mood, spit it out before I slam the door in your face," I blurted out. It was the last warning I was going to give her.

"I noticed that you don't have a trainer who specializes in jiu-jitsu. I know you don't accept women in your gym, but if you allow me to be part of your team, I can…".

I couldn't help but laugh in her face, cutting her off completely. Did she just interrupt my good luck ritual to offer herself as my trainer? I knew she was a jiu-jitsu trainer at a local gym, but I never thought she had the balls to ask me to recruit her. Couldn't she do this another day or in the morning? Why right here when Choso is surely sleeping peacefully thinking that she is by his side? Was this shit serious? There were so many questions about her behavior that I could only laugh.

"I don't see what's funny about it," Yuki said, crossing her arms.

"Then you have a terrible sense of humor," I answered. "Is that all you have to tell me?"

"I'm sure I'm a better fighter than you, I could kick your ass if I wanted to," she said annoyed.

"I want to see you try," I said. “She wouldn't dare,” I thought for sure.

Well, she dared. She attacked me by surprise with a kick to the abdomen. I lowered my arm, preventing it from connecting completely, but it did hit my side. I couldn't defend myself well while just having a towel on. One wrong move and I was already naked. I backed away out of inertia, allowing her to enter the suite. She jumped at me to continue hitting me.

"Bitch!" I screamed while covering my private parts.

"I'm going to show you that you need me on your team!" she shouted with a smile on his face.

"I don't want anyone else on my team!" I exclaimed.

How the hell did we get to this situation? I wasn't sure, but I had to do something about it. She pulled and punched me, trying to take me down like any jiu-jitsu fighter would do. She launched another kick at me, this time I evaded it in time, but she broke a lamp in the process. I was debating in my mind whether I should knock her out with one punch. I could not do it. Even though she was crazy, she was Choso's fiancée. My first option was to call one of my brothers or someone saner.

"Just think about it seriously, with my brain and your muscles I could make you a millionaire in less than you think," she told me excitedly.

So she was after the money. Which is normal… but that didn't explain why she was acting so secretive. Why didn't she tell Choso he wanted a job on the Team Black? There was something else she wasn't telling me. I entered the master bedroom as quickly as possible without exposing my cock to grab the phone, but she ended up cornering me against the closet before I could get to it. At the sudden knock, the prostitute screamed.

"Who is it?" Yuki asked me confused.

"I didn't know he had a wife!" The whore screamed opening the closet door. “Oh no,” I thought. "Please don't hit me!" The poor girl yelled as she fled the scene.

"Hey! We're not done yet!” I yelled.

And as if fate was mocking me, I dropped the towel. I was in the middle of a teenager's worst nightmare. Yuki shamelessly looked down, making this more awkward than it already was. By this point I was praying that this was a bad taste prank. I just wanted Yuuji or Gojo to come into the room with a camera in hand, mocking my reaction, but that never happened.

"Nice girl you hired," she laughed at me. And just when I thought this was only going to get worse, I heard the voice of my potential savior.

"Sukuna!" I heard Choso's voice from the door as he rang the doorbell as if his life depended on it.

"You worried your future husband," I told her before pushing her to let go, so I could put the towel back on.

"Hire me or I'll tell Choso I cheated on him with you," Yuki threatened me.

"What?!" I asked him, frowning at the tremendous bullshit she just said.

That's when it hit me. Yuki came to ask me for a job without Choso because she is only with him for convenience. She's only with him to blatantly get close to me. Since I don't accept women in the gym, this was his solution to get to me. I should have seen it before. I remember how at dinner with our parents he spent the time talking about jiu-jitsu and the UFC, sharing his extensive knowledge on the subject. Everyone was delighted with her, but she drove me crazy. 

"Are you that desperate for money?" I asked him, not believing what was happening.

"You don't have much time,” Yuki crossed her arms as the ringing continued.

"Sukuna!" Choso exclaimed again.

"I trust Choso, he is not stupid enough to fall for something like that."

End of Sukuna POV

"Choso was stupid enough to fall for that,” Sukuna blurted out after recounting the tragedy that happened that day. "He knew about my lucky ritual and to this day he still thinks I fucked his fiancée," he said as he looked towards the car in front of us.

I was just listening to him while Sign Of The Times by Harry Styles was playing on the radio. We were still parked so that Sukuna could tell me in great detail what had happened with Yuki and Choso. It was a hard story to believe. A woman interrupting his suite in the middle of his lucky ritual and then threatening to break off his relationship with his brother over a measly coaching job is not something you hear every day.

"I tried to explain to him several times what happened, but he never wanted to listen to me. Then he told Yuuji and since that idiot doesn't know how to shut up, everyone in the gym knows,” he explained. "It's an absurd story, I know, but…".

"I believe you," I told him before he could finish his sentence.

"You do?" he looked at me, confused.

"Why are you surprised? I believed you when you told me about your lucky ritual.” I said. "Is it a strange story? Yes, but we are a team. If you tell me the sky is pink, I believe you. If you tell me that pigs fly, I believe you. If you tell me that Yuki Tsukumo is a son of a bitch, I'll believe you.”

Sukuna smiled at my response. He looked relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. I smiled back at his reaction. Sukuna always has been honest with me, I had no reason to doubt him. Even though I had little time left as his coach, I planned to continue by his side. I don't know if it was the sad story or my feelings towards him got in the way that made me take off my seat belt to reach him. He didn't know what exactly was going through his mind, but whatever it was, he needed a hug.

My body felt light when he reciprocated the gesture. Our bodies melted in the warmth of the moment. His hands traveled down my back to press me closer to his broad chest. I would have liked to stop time to stay here all my life. Maybe Sukuna didn't like me back, but I knew I someone important to him, and I was happy with that.

The luxurious restaurant at the Grand Palace Hotel had an elegant atmosphere with high ceilings, panoramic windows and sparkling chandeliers. Sukuna and I made our way among the tables covered with white tablecloths and velvet chairs that invited guests to delight in an exquisite menu. In the distance, we saw his family. They were happy to see us, but they were also clearly disappointed for arriving 20 minutes late. Everyone looked elegant and sophisticated, especially Choso. He always looked good, but today he looked phenomenal in his gray suit and white shirt. He greeted me with a smile on his face as soon as we approached the table.

"You look beautiful,” he complimented me. My heart skipped a beat with happiness. “Are you watching, Sukuna? This is how you give a compliment,” I thought with blushing cheeks.

"I thought I raised you to always be on time," the mother scolded Sukuna.

According to Yuuji, Kaori Itadori was a highly sophisticated and strict mother. She has always focused on giving his children the best education so that they would grow up to be strong men and providers. An extremely traditional and Catholic woman. She sounded like the worst mother-in-law you could have.

"There was a lot of traffic," Sukuna answered reluctantly as we sat at the table.

Choso helped me, pulling my chair like a perfect gentleman. I was so nervous having him so close, since Yuuji gave me his seat, so I could sit next to him. My mind was at peace realizing that I still liked Choso a lot.

"At this time? The report says that the streets are quite clear,” his mother challenged him.

"Honey, it was only 20 minutes. You're going to scare his girlfriend away,” her husband, Jin Itadori, told her. He was like any dad, pretty chill and care free. 

"She is not my girlfriend. She's my coach,” Sukuna clarified, starting to get annoyed.

"But you live together," his mother said.

"You live together?" Choso asked me confused. “Oh no,” I thought. I had barely arrived, and I already wanted to go home. I had a feeling this woman was going to try to embarrass me in any way possible the rest of the evening.

"It is a long story," I said, trying to cut the tension.

"You see, Sukuna kicked his ex's ass. This ex almost raped her in the past, so Sukuna offered her to live with him so she would feel safe,” Yuuji explained the situation.

"Yuuji!" Sukuna and I scolded him.

"I'm just trying to help!" Yuuji defended himself.

I wanted to die. Yuuji just told the whole table my life trauma as if it were the plot of a movie he watched on Netflix. I hid in my hands from shame, praying that the earth would swallow me whole.

"I'll take a smoking break," Choso said before getting up from the table to retreat to the balcony.

"Is it necessary to ask those kinds of questions now?" Sukuna asked his mother, already annoyed.

"You know what I think about concubinage," His mother reproached him, disappointed.

"We're not a couple. We just work together.” Sukuna rolled his eyes.

"Besides, Y/n likes Choso, don’t you?" Yuuji asked me to make his mother stop bugging me with questions about my relationship with her son.

"I need fresh air," I excused myself to get out of there as quickly as possible.

I knew this was a bad idea from the start. I should have said no to Yuuji. I went out to the balcony to breathe deeply and admire the view of the city. I looked at Choso to explain what was happening. I found him smoking on the other side of the balcony, just as he had told us. He looked so elegant and mysterious in front of the pretty city lights. A beautiful contrast between brightness and darkness.

"Long time no see," I greeted him, approaching him.

"Does Sukuna treat you well?" He asked me, ignoring my greeting. It seemed like being straightforward ran in the family.

"I can not complain," I answered honestly. "Sometimes he's a jerk, but you already know that," I joked. He smiled with the cigarette between his lips.

"I know… very well," he said as he blew the smoke into the wind, being careful not to blow the smoke in my face.

"Does it bother you that I live with him?" I asked him worried.

"Of course not, I just didn't expect it," he answered. "Yuuji told me that you're going to quit soon, is that true?" I was happy to see that he was treating me as always.

"That's right, I'm very excited to return to the gym with my team," I explained with a smile.

Choso despite having some similarities with Sukuna, he was so kind in comparison. His voice was sweet, his touch was pleasant, and his words filled me with joy. My heart moved every time he spoke to me. In the end, I realized that I still liked him, and I was very happy that it was that way. He was my ideal man.

"Are you still thinking about calling me when you become the protector again?" He wondered with a thread of hope. My cheeks blushed redder as I listened. I had already forgotten what I had said to him that night at the bar.

"You know it," I answered him with a smile.

Next →

Masterlist.

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Tag list: @maskedpacific @thepurpleempath @mazzd4 @charlie-xo @s0uldarling @sunako-0120 @berranurates @00frenchfries00 @crowned-gemini @alialucille @azuremyst99 @azuremyst99

[hackedmotionsensors]

I went to library con (lol its not called library con but thats what i called it. Its American Library Association Annual which is funny bc they call it ALA and I was like...that shitty anime con???) this week in san diego to promote the comic I worked with Terry on "Eat your Heart Out"

I got jumpscared seeing the big banner. My art has never been on anything bigger than art center presentations lmao

We handed out signed copies and it was honestly pretty fun. I have a ton of bookmarks as well if anyone wants one.....if you can find me in real life LMAO

I also got to be on a PANEL like a big professional lmao And met Josie Campbell an animation brethren and we were like "LETS GO TAG! LETS GET THOSE NEGOTIATIONS!!!!" (Reminder that The Animation Guild is due to negotiate with studios in August so please support us!!!)

Downside was is that some of my sunburns are still really fresh (most of them are in gross peeling stage and some are...kinda painful) so I was a bit sweaty and uncomfortable...and now I'm paying for it bc i feel really under the weather.

BUT. lol my issues aside (it was my own damned fault getting burned the weekend before)

It was really fun!

Librarians are really cool lol Especially since I tried to get into that field during my unemployment last year and a half it was interesting hearing what they had to deal with as Librarians for children or teens (The teen librarians kept talking to me about Slam Dunk and One Piece *u*)

There's also this huge emphasis for book sellers in getting your books IN libraries. Books in actual physical libraries does so much for the value of payments of the book (which in turn pays the authors and artists that work on those books).

And how much librarians and libraries do for the industry as a WHOLE. I learned that back in the day when english manga was coming out they were binding the books REALLY SHITTY and its funny bc I DO remember that. The quality was really bad. And because librarians complained about it, because a book circulates through a lot of people rather than if you buy a volume for yourself, the book will get damaged really fast if the book is made poorly. So Viz had to change HOW they bound their books and you can definitely tell now how the quality is so much nicer.

Anyway it was really cool lol And also since it took place at the San Diego Convention center it was really cool to see what SDCC looks like when its not an absolute cluster fuck of people and noise lol I saw where I slept on the ground outside to get into Hall H and we were treated to a dinner at Roys which I'd only ever seen in passing lol (ALSO ROYS WAS SO EXPENSIVE!?!? And I thought the onigiri was like...the salmon went INTO the onigiri....so that was the dish. but it was...a ball of rice onigiri shaped with some salmon ...and it was REALLY good salmon and the misoyaki was good too but.....i was expecting really expensive onigiri and was oddly disappointed it wasn't....that.......anyway)

ANYWAY ANYWAY lmao. Our comic comes out in August 13! I've finally seen the finished product and it came out so well. Yknow that thing where you see your art from a few years ago and you want to crawl into a hole and die? Well lol I still feel that but also I don't because it honestly looks so good and its nice seeing it all in one whole place! The coloring came out really nice ! And I can't wait to see what Claudia did in the second half of the book

Oh yeah I also got a comped train ticket to get me down there and I got to ride the Amtrak which was pretty cool! I ...was EXHAUSTED on both trips down and back so I slept most of the way lmao But look at this guy!

Lol ALTHO I was genuinely surprised that when we came back from san diego the train just goes in reverse.

On shinkansen the seats on the train are able to turn around so you're always facing forwards. So it was a little disorienting at first. I also wished I had an ekiben on the way down.

Its cool I can get an ekiben in august when i go to japan lmao

[imperatorrrrr]

My Highlights from the Q&A: (I paraphrased some of the questions/answers, but most of it is direct quotes)

Q: Out of all the different jerseys that you wear, which one is your favorite? A: The Jersey Jersey

Q: What's the most fun/exciting part of the game when you're playing hockey? A: OT Win, especially at Home

Q: What is your favorite meal to eat here in New Jersey? A: The Italian spots here. I love Italian food, I grew up next to Italy

Q: Why do you wear number thirteen? A: I wear it because of my brother, my big brother always wore 13 and kind of also a little bit because both of us had the same favorite hockey player back in the day, Pavel Datsyuk.

Q: Besides the Rock, what NHL arena do you like playing in the most? A: Vegas, T-Mobile Arena -- its a vibe there, definitely fun

Q: Favorite and memorable goal you've ever scored? A: First NHL Goal in Ottawa

Q: Top Three Moments as a New Jersey Devil? A: My first NHL game, at the Rock versus Colorado, we won 4-2. Second one is first ever playoff game at the Rock versus Tampa, and, so far, the most memorable thing would be the Game 7 win against the Rangers. Gotta go with that one.

Q: Where do you still wanna go in the NJ/NY area? A: I've been to Asbury Park and I kind of want to see some more stuff from the Shore.

Q: What do you like to do to unwind and relax in the off season? A: I love the water, so lakes, rivers, ocean, I just try to be outside when its sunny. Don't like to be at home when its sun out.

Q: What is your favorite genre of music/band/artist? A: I do like Tom Petty

Q: Besides, Nico, what other nicknames do your teammates have for you? A: Hisch, HischSHAO, HischSHAO Jr

Q: What are you personally looking forward in the leadership position on and off the ice, going into this season as the Captain? A: Just to help the team as much as I can on and off the ice. I think obviously on the ice its clear, but also off the ice, just being as good of a person I can be for guys that need me in anything and I think thats the reason why I got Captain too, so thats what's I'm trying to do.

Q: What's your favorite ice cream flavor? A: Strawberry Vanilla

Q: Do you eat bagels and what is your favorite type of bagel to eat? A: Here in Jersey there are great bagels, I like the salmon cream cheese bagel, everything bagel.

Q: What's your favorite family tradition? A: Probably sit together dinners where we eat fondue or raclette where the dinner takes a little bit longer but you have enough time to speak with your family and friends, so thats always a good time. I feel like I always try to do it with them once I come back during summer.

Q: What's your favorite place in Switzerland? A: Bern

Q: Besides anyone on the Devils, who is your favorite current player in the NHL? A: McDavid

Q: Whats been your favorite year? A: I would say last year was pretty fun

Q: Who's your best friend on the Devils? A: Those are ALL of my friends. We got a really good group of guys, so I'm doing well with everyone, but I would probably say I'll do the most together with Jonas 'cause I've known him the longest. I've been playing with him in the Swiss National Team when we were younger so I would say that's kind of the guy I'd go with dinner and stuff but obviously I like ALL of them.

Q: Hardest team to play against? A: Carolina.

Q: What's your favorite Girl Scout Cookie flavor? Do you know what those are? A: (He did not know what those were and so he said) No cookies for me.

Q: (I didn't hear the question that well, but I think it was something like this) Who on the team would you want your daughter to date? A: I would say everyone because they know if they're not nice to my daughter they'd be in trouble.

[asshlyyyy]

Strawberry Pie

It is time to get rid of some drafts that I have had for months at this point. Even if they have a few sentences I want to get them out. I also hope that having these one-shots thrown in people will remember me... and maybe my posts will do better then... (22 notes). It really is unmotivating sometimes. Looking at your follower count and then your notes. Like so far... the year is not going good for this account.

Masterlist

Pairing: Austin Butler x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Death, Fluff, Mentions of Baby Talk, Perhaps Some Swearing. Spelling and Grammatical Errors. Let me know if I missed anything!

Word Count: 1.6k

You scrolled through the list of songs on your phone. Today you were in a cheerful mood. You were happy, and you felt no sense of sadness. Let’s not jinx it just yet, but you had big plans today. Austin was out with his agent talking about some upcoming deals. You wanted to surprise him with a small gift. 

Once you finally decided on the song you turned off your phone and went over to your recipe box. You only had a few recipes in there that were from you, but you had your grandmother’s as well. She always talked about how you were going to get that box when she died and well… That day came a couple of months ago. It still pained you, but you were finally in a good mood. 

Peering through all the recipes your eyes found the one you wanted, Strawberry pie. You remember eating this during the summers at your grandmother’s house. It was such a fond memory and such a wonderful pie. You pulled it out of the box and brought it over to the middle island. 

You brought out all of the ingredients needed and started to get to work. You had a few hours before Austin came in, so in theory… the pie should be cooled down when he arrives. That way you two can have a slice after dinner. Seems like today is a day you’ll be spending in the kitchen. You had no issue with that though. You loved being a housewife. 

As stereotypical as it was… it was nice. Not having to worry about working. You were able to stay home, keep the house clean, cook your husband a wonderful dinner… or order it… and tend to other matters. Hopefully one day you can add a little one to the equation. For now, that wasn’t on Austin’s list and you had to respect that. 

For dinner, you had planned a dish that would go along with your pie. You were thinking about making salmon with mashed potatoes, and then some type of veggie on the side. It just depended on what you had. That seemed like a good meal, and then you two could have some pie afterward… It sounded perfect. 

Once everything was in the oven and everything was getting cooked you decided to take a break. You untied your apron and took it off. You’ve been standing on your feet for some time now, you wanted to sit down, and that is exactly what you ended up doing. You grabbed your phone to check your notifications.

A few messages from Austin, some even from your sister. A missed call from your mother, a few emails- wait… a missed call from your mother? You went ahead and called her back. Your mother usually didn’t call. If she did, she would let you know. Plus, she didn’t leave a message either which… is even weirder. 

“Hello?” Your mother’s voice entered your ear.

“Hi momma, I was just returning your call. I didn’t know you called.” You said to her. 

“Oh, I didn’t mean to. I just accidentally hit the call button instead of something else. I tried to hang up quickly so… I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry honey.” Your mother explained. You let out an oh sound and nodded.

“It’s okay, I just thought it was weird is all. Figured I would give you a call and check-in. Make sure that everything is okay.”

“Well, now that I got you. What’s going on? Anything exciting happening today?” She asked you.

“Well, you remember that strawberry cake grandma would always make us in the summer?” You questioned her. 

“Of course I do,” she replied.

“Well, I decided to make that today for Austin. I was just feeling in a good mood and I figured to use that energy and create something with it.” You explained to her.   

“Oh, that sounds delicious. I wish you would bring us some over, but that is too long of a drive.” Your mother chuckled. You rolled your eyes playfully and shook her head.

“Well next time you guys come and visit, or we come to yours to visit I’ll be sure to make some. I know Grandma would want me to share it.” You told her. 

“Yeah, she would have.” Your mother said softly, “I miss her.”

“I miss her too… it’s been rough… I honestly hoped I would’ve had kids before she passed. She was such a wonderful lady but… You have one fall and it’s all downhill from there…” You replied back with a soft tone. Here was the sadness, that sadness you all so had to jinx yourself with earlier. 

“I know… but, she’s still around. In our hearts… in our minds… in spirit. She will always be around. We just can’t see her,” Your mother recited some type of religicall sentence. Like the father, son, and the Holy Spirit. 

“I know… well… I better get back to it then. I have to check on the Salmon and see how the pie is cooling. Bye, momma, I love you.”

“I love you too, honey.” She replied and hung up. You placed your phone down and let out a sigh. 

You pushed yourself up and walked over to the big sliding glass doors. You pushed them open and stood in the middle. You felt the cool wind brush past your skin in a soothing manner. The clear blue skies let you know that… she was here. The clear blue skies those summers you would spend with her. 

You smiled softly and went back to check your mood, leaving the doors open to let in fresh air… and maybe even your grandma. You knew spirits could do anywhere they wanted, but your grandmother was a respectful woman. She would only enter when allowed, and when it was okay. 

You pulled out the food and started to get the plates ready. You heard a ding from your phone and went to quickly check it. A text from Austin that read, Just down the street. I’ll be home soon :P 

You giggled lightly at the expression he added and shook your head. For once, you had managed your time, and everything will fall into place right when you need it to. You brought the food over to the table and went to quickly wipe your hands. You rushed over to the door and opened it just as Austin was.

“Oh, hi,” Austin chuckled lightly. You smiled and pushed yourself up on your tippy toes and kissed his cheek.

“Hi, I missed you.” You greeted him and moved out of the way. 

“I missed you too, sweetheart… but what is going on?” He looked at you confused.

“What do you mean?”

“You hardly greet me at the door.” He pointed out to you. 

“Well- you aren’t wrong, but I made dinner… and I made a special dessert. One I’ve been wanting to make you for quite some time.” You explained to him.

“Let me freshen up and I’ll meet you in the kitchen then okay?” With a nod of your head, Austin made his way upstairs to freshen up. 

You made your way back over to the kitchen and decided to get the drinks. You poured two glasses of water and brought them over to the table. You sat down and patiently waited for Austin. You looked out into your guys’ backyard and smiled. Your grandmother’s backyard was a field of memories. Easter time in the annual Y/l/n egg hunt. You always won of course. No one could ever beat your skills. 

You remember around Christmas time when you would go out with your grandparents and build snowmen with them. The snowball fights you all shared. The summer barbecue with the strawberry pie. God, you’re going to miss having those every year. 

“Oh wow,” Austin said as he entered the kitchen. You looked over at him and smiled.

“Remember how I tell you the stories about my grandma’s strawberry pie?” You asked him gently. He nodded and found his way across from you.

“Every time you tell it, it leaves my mouth watering.” He chuckled lightly. 

“Well… I made it,” you smiled.

“Is there a special occasion? I didn’t forget anything right? Cause I swear our anniversary isn’t until another two months. Your birthday isn’t until another five months… As far as I know, today is nothing.” He started to freak out a bit. You laughed gently at him. 

“I guess I just wanted to celebrate being in a good mood. It’s been rough these few months you know… and I finally wake up and I’m in a good mood. Wanted to treat my boyfriend.” You admitted to him.

“Dammit, I knew I should’ve stopped for flowers.” He swore at himself. 

‘’Austin stop,” you shook your head, “you get me flowers all the time. I wanted to treat you for once.”

“I love you,” Austin said as he reached over for your hand. You blushed gently as he gave your hand a squeeze.

“I love you too.” 

“Well, shall we dig in so we can get to that pie?” Austin suggested with a smile. You nodded early and started to eat your dinner. 

You two talked about each other's day. Though, Austin’s was much more entertaining than your baking story. Though, Austin would never say that. He always had nice things to say no matter what. When the time came to eat pie, you two went out onto the deck to enjoy it. Where you shared stories about your grandma to him.

“Maybe one day we can do that.” Austin hummed from beside you. You turned to look at him confused. What did he mean by that? “Make new memories with our kids.”

“Our kids…?”

“Yeah, I think… I think we can start trying. That is if you want to of course. Share your grandma’s pie to generations.” He smiled as he wrapped his arm around you. 

“I would like that,” you whispered and kissed him softly. 

I think you all could have noticed that I don't post as much as I used to. It's mostly because I am loosing motivation. I know I talk about the lack of notes a lot... but it really is a big factor. I used to get hundreds and now I'm barely breaking a hundred.

I know it sounds like I'm being ungrateful but I'm just lost and confused in what happened.

Thank you to everyone who voted for a time! I really appreciate it. Also, this is my first time using the queue function so… let’s see if I did it right.

Mutual Taglist: @babyhoneypresley @emmymaehereeeeee @venus-haze @austinstyles

[mangostarjam]

fuji!! how are you doing on this fine day lovely lady? i'm responding to our thread here bc idk what the etiquette is on reblogging long ass conversations on the same thread lmao so to be safe i'll just send u a new ask.

soupmates is so cute and i love when typos become canon jargon in friendships hehe. you've made me crave croissants again and i am wistfully thinking of how we have a rule that while we're in france, if one of us asks "what time is it?" the other is legally obligated to respond "croissant o'clock" and then we go find a boulangerie. this is how we end up eating 8 croissants/day whenever we're there.

wttcsms is on my deep dive list too!! every time i see them on my dash i'm like how does it feel to never be wrong? ack i've just been so busy that the only time i have to trawl tumblr is during my unhinged insomnia hours when i'm only half aware of what i'm keyboard vomiting lmao NO FILTER only screeching.

okay not mushrooms but this weekend i was busy running around the kitchen experimenting with my lil hoard of fig leaves! i made fig leaf syrup, fig leaf oil, and experimented with dehydrating and freezing the leaves for preservation. i also tested different ratios of toasted fig leaves and pandan in creme brulee and panna cotta so i could see how the flavors bloom in dairy in preparation for the idea i had for my cake. then i gave all the excess treats to baristas at our fave local coffee joints bc i'm not a huge sweet tooth and this was tew much dessert! after i found a ratio i thought worked, i made the cake except i'm afraid it's going to turn out hideous (it's still in its cake ring rn) but it's basically a first draft cake and i can refine it next time! you should see the notes i took on it. i always try to start with a neat plan and end up scribbling all over it with ideas and corrections.

tonight we've invited a couple of our friends over so i can do a fig leaf-inspired dinner with hamachi crudo with fig leaf oil, tomato bisque with fig leaf oil drizzle and crouton, slow roasted salmon in fig leaves (finished with a sear from our bernzomatic + searzall bc crispy salmon skin is life), and the fig leaf and strawberry cake. my friend also got cheesybf a new cocktail set for his bday so we can use the fig leaf syrup to make some nice gin cocktails or a fig leaf strawberry mocktail!

right now i'm munching on leftover crying tiger steak and nam jim jaew for lunch with jasmine rice that i steamed with some of the leftover pandan leaves for extra ~aroma. i still have a ton of leaves so i think i'm gonna make a pandan simple for my favorite matcha pandan lattes.

re: urls haha YES chopsticks are the best way to eat flaming hot cheetos and no one can change my mind. i always think of puffins when i think of my own username. those cute lil round birds. with like a lil cheese hat. i also associate you with apples now as we move into fall. but mentally my picture of you is a swirl of the colors in a kent mango, scented by mango skin by vilhelm and just a hint of kilian's apple brandy on the rocks. maybe a waft of mfk 724 and something like clean cotton or a soft white floral.

HAHAHA totally fair i just realized it was getting long maybe i should put my responses under a read more LOL

i'm responding a day (??) late (time is fake) bc i had to recover from how gorgeous your cake looked and sounded tbh. but i'm good!! my new assistant at work is picking things up quickly and has common sense which is sadly in short supply around here lmaooo

there's a vietnamese bakery in my hometown that makes the BEST croissants i've ever had in my life (though tbf i have not been to paris yet!) and they supply all the local taquerias with bolillo so they are Churning Out Breads but i cannot emphasize enough that it's like. a warehouse space. with a door on a side street and the price list handwritten and they only recently started accepting anything but cash. i love them. the croissants are huge and lightly buttery and delicious. i will now be declaring it's croissant o'clock any time we happen to drive nearby haha

wttcsms and dee my beloveds!!! on behalf of all writers though i will say no filter unhinged screaming comments/tags are GREAT to read. i hope your busyness is the good kind!! it's always lovely seeing you pop up on the dash or inbox or wherever but i hope you're having a good time here >ᴗ<

oh my goddddd your fig leaf experiments... divine. glorious. something about the description of "seeing how the flavors bloom in dairy" is just. dreamy?? you sound like a wizard creating your own magical spell book tome with your scribbles and notes and ideas (saying this in SUCH a complimentary way). crispy salmon skin IS life i just had some last night hehe i had to look up crying tiger steak and nam jim jaew but YOOO this reminds me of duk prahok... yum. and oh my god crying tiger steak is like. a summer staple for us. i never knew it had a NAME. not to over share but my family is from cambodia and i have so many recipes in my brain that i just figured were things my dad created LOL

AND I LOVE PUFFINS!!! in like second grade i did a report/presentation on puffins unprompted unsolicited to my class. i read a book about them and was obsessed i wanted everyone to learn about them (yes i am/was a nerd) (bless my teacher for letting me present lmao). and i do love apple scented things mmm. one of my favorite candles ever is autumn air from elder&co (notes of wild apple and pear and fallen oak leaves). i'm so glad it's getting cloudy and cozy season is coming bc i can light my candles without feeling too silly. do you have any favorite candles?? oh these other scents are SO GOOD. i love that!! brb going to find a way to smell these immediately

[bl00dst41ned]

*.·:·.✦ final obstacle ✦.·:·.*

this is part 2 to my “the other man” blurb, read it for context (I might do more step daddy Trent, dunno)

pairing: trent alexander-arnold x female parent oc (Alexis)

summary: in which the process of Trent meeting Alexis’ family ends with the final boss, her son

author's note: again inspired by Doug and Sloane's storyline in Grownish, a show I’ve never watched. did not proofread homies I'm sorry I'm too lazy

word count: 840

The moonlight illuminated the inside of the car, where Trent sat at the driver’s side, feeling anxious. 

Today, he was dining at Alexis’ apartment, something he got used to doing for almost a year now. But this time, he got to meet Leo, her now two-year-old son. 

For the past months of their relationship, his girlfriend tried to adjust Leo to Trent’s place in her life while not making the two meet. But it was finally time for it to happen, in a nice little dinner.

Though Leo could not care less, focusing on his cars while his mother was in the kitchen, Trent was beyond stressed. For some reason, a little boy made him more nervous than some major football clubs he had to play against.

Despite wanting to postpone the moment to prepare himself, Trent took his courage in both hands and headed to the building door.

On the other hand, Alexis felt more comfortable. She calmly laid the table for them to eat before being interrupted by the doorbell. She wiped her hand on a napkin before going to open it.

“Hey, come in” She welcomed Trent with a smile letting him in. 

They immediately hugged each other, Trent leaving a kiss on her temple. Alexis could feel how tense he was, which amused her a bit.

“Look, don’t be nervous, he’s not going to bite you…I think” The end of her sentence made Trent’s head snap towards her, eyes open wide. “He can be quite protective but it should be okay”

Trent took off his jacket putting it in a closet.

“Leo!” Alexis raised her voice calling the boy.

Little steps could be heard before a little curly head popped out of the corridor.

“Hmm” A high-pitched hum broke the silence in the living room.

He looked at his mom with his usual puppy eyes, a pacifier in his mouth.

“Come here, I have to introduce you to someone”

The three headed to the couch to sit. Leo sat in the middle of the two adults, making sure to be as close as possible to his mom.

“Here’s the guy I talked to you about. Trent, you remember ?” Alexis pointed at him as Leo’s head turned to him, nodding in response to her.

“He’s going to eat with us tonight, okay?”  Slowly but surely, she tried to explain to him the situation, trying not to be too straightforward but also not lie to him.

Once Alexis explained to Leo the situation, they went to sit at the table as the young mom went to get the food.

“Salmon pasta” Leo exclaimed, his pacifier preventing him from pronouncing his word correctly. He swung in his chair, excited to eat the good food of his mother.

“It’s Leo’s favourite” Alexis informed Trent as she filled the boys’ plates. “I guess I used to eat that a lot when I was pregnant”

“It has an effect on his taste ?” Trent asked surprised wanting to know more.

They engaged in a conversation about pregnancy and kids, Trent learning more about the subject and Alexis’ experience. Little Leo would make random remarks, sometimes off-topic but never ignored by the couple.

The two lovers were now sitting on the couch, Leo on the side playing with his toys. The night had gone smoothly until Leo finally asked the question he had on his mind

“Mommy, Trent your, your lover ?” He asked, struggling a bit to find his words.

Even though she planned on telling him, Alexis didn’t think he would get it by herself. As a kid really young and a bit shy, he did not really understand relationships, especially romantic ones.

“Well, yes, how do you know?” She asked intrigued to know how he figured it out.

“Gigi telled me it” He misconjugated, naming his grandmother by her nickname.

It all became clear to Alexis’ mind. Her mother never realised that Leo was growing and started to understand things and would say any and everything around him. She made a mental note to remind her mom an umpteenth time to be careful around her grandson.

“Less stress for me I guess” Alexis laughed it off leaning closer to Trent.

“His reaction scared me too, I can’t lie” He admitted, laughing too.

“I could tell when I hugged you, you were so stiff”

They kept discussing until it was time for Leo to go to sleep and for Trent to leave.

“Leo, it’s time to sleep”

A pout immediately appeared on the little boy’s face as he mumbled a little “okay” putting his toys away. 

“Say bye to Trent”

“Bye Trent” The toddler waved lowly, disappointed to not be able to play anymore.

He climbed on the couch and walked carefully to Trent and gave him a hug. Alexis admired them happy that her baby and her boyfriend got along. Once they pulled away, she placed him on her hip going to his room.

Once in his bed, Leo spoke one last time, warming her heart.

“I like Trent, Mommy”

like, repost and suggest if you want to (hope you enjoyed it)

masterlist for more

[kristannafever]

Second Chances - 9

Kristanna Modern AU Rated: Explicit WC: 2021

Chapter Index

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

“This is happening!” Anna squealed. 

Kristoff laughed.  “It is!”

“I can’t wait,” she said, hugging him around the neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

He basked in the warmth of her kiss and the glow of her happiness.  It had only taken about two weeks for them to plan the entire wedding, and in one short month, they were going to be wed.

“And I’m glad that works for our sisters to take time off to fly home,” she said, pulling out of his embrace and going back to her laptop where she had just finished booking the venue. 

Kristoff was too.  It was a worry when they brought it up with their sisters that they would find work too demanding for the short time frame, but as luck would have it, they were both able to make the trip and take an extra couple of days beforehand to help them prepare. 

-----

They picked a Ranchers Hall in a small rural town about a half hour outside of the city.   It was perfect for Anna’s vision of a country winter wedding.  And while the place was rather small, it didn’t matter since the only people they were inviting were family and only the closest of friends.  All in all, about forty guests.

His sister and Anna’s sister were going to serve as the best person and maid of honor, and it was decided by Kristoff (and greatly appreciated by Anna) that his parents were going to walk with both him and then Anna down the aisle.  As soon as the ceremony was complete, they were going to do some family photos outside while the venue changed the rows of chairs out for tables and started the bar and serving guests.

The flowers Anna chose were white roses because they symbolized the purity of their love and the new beginnings they were having at life with each other. 

The meal they decided on was either prime rib or salmon as per the guest’s choice, and the caterer they had booked also offered appetizers for the cocktail hour and late-night pizza and popcorn for inebriated party goers.  Kristoff thought it would be a good idea to personally pay for the pre-dinner drinks and then charge a toonie bar afterward and to offer pre-paid cab vouchers to anyone who didn’t want to stay in the town’s small hotel so there was no worry of anyone drinking and driving.

Anna had argued briefly with him about the cost of the wedding as he was handling it all, which turned into a rather deep conversation about how he’d lived with his ex.  He told Anna the sad truth that they never really did anything.  They never even went on a vacation together.  Not that he didn’t want to.  It was all his ex.  She had a group of friends from high school she was still extremely close with, and her vacation time was spent solely with them.  At the beginning he didn’t mind too much, thinking it would be nice to have those quiet weeks here and there to himself, then time went on and when he’d brought up her using her time to go somewhere with him, her reaction had been reluctance and confusion; since they lived together already, why would she give up these trips with her friends to spent more time with him.   So she kept taking vacations with her group and Kristoff saved a ton of money over the years for not going anywhere. 

Upon hearing about this, Anna’s face went deep scarlet and she sat there with her teeth clenched frowning at him.

“You know,” she started, “I have a lot of things in my mind that I could say about that, that I want to say about that, then I think of where we are now, how I don’t want to spend another second of my life without you by my side, and I realize that it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Kristoff shook his head.  “Nope.”

Anna sighed, letting go of her anger.  “I will never not appreciate the second chance at love that I got to have with you, Kristoff.  You are my soulmate and I love you more than anything.”

“I love you too.”  He leaned in and kissed her, then pulled his head back and arched an eyebrow.  “That got you kinda mad eh?”

She nodded.  “A little, I guess.  I just don’t like hearing about you getting mistreated.”

“Well, same here, but you know that.”  He smirked at her.  “Care to take out any pent-up aggression on me?”

Anna’s eyes lit up.  “What do you have in mind?”

He put his mouth close to her ear.  “Why don’t you fuck my brains out?”

Anna shuddered.  “How would I do that exactly?”

He shrugged.  “Use your imagination.  My body is your playground.”

She smiled at him wickedly.  “Damn right it is.”  Then she kissed him forcefully.

They began to undress each other when Anna interrupted told him she wanted to go to the bedroom.  Shedding the remainder of their clothes as they went down the hall, they arrived in their room fully naked and attached at the lips. 

Kristoff pressed her down onto the bed, crawled over her, and began kissing his way down her body.  She smiled.  She would definitely have her way with his body as she saw fit, but she was not about to deny the pleasure that his mouth gave her. 

She curled her fingers into his impossibly soft hair, moaning loudly as his tongue lashed out against her clit.  Her back arched as he worked his mouth, and while she was enjoying the hell out of it, she grew impatient to have him.

When she gently tugged his hair, he stopped and looked up at her.  “I need you now,” she whispered.

“How do you want me?” he asked, sitting up.

“On your back.”

Anna moved and he took her place, laying down in the middle of the mattress.  She crawled over him and took a moment to kiss him passionately before she started. 

Moving slowly, she slid down onto his cock with a passionate and somewhat desperate moan.  It amazed her how she seemed to forget in between the moments they were not making love how good it actually felt to have him inside of her.  There was nothing in the world she could compare it with. 

She moved against him, already so close from his mouth, it didn’t take long before Anna felt the pull towards letting go.  Only, this time, she stopped, and her arousal pulsed briefly before quieting down. 

“Fuck, you have no idea how much that makes me crazy,” Kristoff muttered as he caressed her hips.   

She looked down at his face, careful not to move her hips just yet.  “Yeah?”

He nodded slowly.  “It’s…” He let out a long breath.  “It just feels incredible.  Do it again.”

Anna gave him a wicked smile.  “You read my mind.”

She began to move herself against him, slowly at first, then picking up her pace a bit until that feeling came back.  She stopped again, just one more movement away from going too far, and her center quivered against his cock.

“Fuck…” he said slowly. 

Anna held stark still.  If she moved right then, she was going to come and she didn’t want to just yet.  She waited until her arousal died down, then finally relaxed her body against him. 

“I have to be honest, Anna,” Kristoff said, his hands massaging her thighs, “I don’t think I will be able to last you doing that again.”

She smiled at him.  “Does you in that much, huh?”

“You have no idea,” he mumbled, curling his hands around her back and pulling her down for a kiss. 

Anna gave in to his lips, kissing him back and starting to move herself against him.  She went slow this time, allowing herself to feel every second of her renewed growing arousal.  She pulled back from his lips and braced her hands on his chest as she got closer.  She had never felt such a deep need for an orgasm in all her life.

Kristoff’s grip was tightening on her hips and she knew he was going to come as soon as she did.  Anna found that edge again, only this time she did not deny herself.  She gasped as it got closer, and then a second later she was crying out with sweet relief.

Kristoff cried out softly with her, holding her firmly to him as they climaxed together.  It felt amazing to Anna to be able to ride out her orgasm with his cock pulsing powerfully within her.  It was basically mind-melting pleasure.  It was no wonder she was hooked on it like a drug.  A drug she was so thoroughly addicted to, that she knew they would have sex at least one more time before the end of the day. 

Or maybe two or three.  There seemed to be no way to satiate their hunger for one another.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Their wedding day was stunningly perfect.

Everything went according to plan and the only hiccup of the entire day was when Anna realized she accidently left her precious jewellery – the pieces she got back from her shitty ex – at home.  It was rectified shortly by Kristoff’s parents driving into the city to fetch them while the wedding party got ready.

What followed was flawless.

At the end of the night, with only a few guests left snacking on the pizza and the popcorn and talking in groups, Anna looked over at Kristoff, the happy and slightly drunk smile on his face, and felt her heart nearly explode with love. 

He was talking to Chester and his parents and laughing about something.  Anna could not take her eyes off of him; the most stunning man on the face of the planet in his pressed suit pants and white button down with the tie gone, top buttons undone, and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.  His hair was mussed from dancing all night, his brown eyes shinning so brightly with life, his smirk of a smile on full display.  Truly, he was nothing but complete perfection in Anna’s eyes.  The sexiest man on the face of the planet.

He happened to glance her way, catching her staring at him, and he turned towards her and smiled.  They walked towards each other and straight into a tight embrace. 

“I can’t believe you are my wife,” he mused, kissing her neck. 

“God, I can’t believe you are my freaking husband!” Anna said back excitedly.  She pulled back to look at his face.  “And now we get to have a whole hell of a lot of fun making some children.”

“You bet your ass we do,” he breathed, and kissed her. 

-----

About an hour later, Kristoff was pushing himself into her. 

The foreplay was only a couple of sloppy drunk kisses before Anna was begging for him.  It didn’t matter to her, her only goal for the night was for him to come inside of her.  She’d had her IUD removed a couple of weeks ago and in the interim before the wedding, he’d worn protection.  Anna much preferred the feeling of his naked skin without the rubber barrier.    

“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” he said between kisses.  “I am so excited to take a real vacation.  With my wife!”

“Me too,” Anna said through a sigh.  “Oh, Kristoff, me too.”

He took the hint that she didn’t want to talk too much and pressed his pelvis flush with hers.  He knew exactly what he was doing, and even through all the drinks, Anna knew she was going to come and that he was holding out to join her. 

She let go of every thought besides the building feeling in her abdomen.  It grew until it reached the point where Anna’s mind went utterly blank, then she reached the edge and fell over it.  They moaned, holding each other through every strong contraction of their shared orgasm.

---

Previous Chapter

[noxgold]

Sealed In Your Hands

"I therefore place it sealed in your hands, wholly, utterly - just as I have already placed myself in them.” ― Franz Kafka, Letters to Milena

This is a companion fic to my wife's Post Zombie Apocalypse Chrisker fic, In The End of Our Time. Because I love Clairlex and she indulges me. You can also find this here on AO3.

The wicker basket was slightly worn in places, but held up nicely for having survived a zombie apocalypse. The blue and white plaid blanket less so, but since they were probably going to end up sitting on it, it didn’t exactly matter that much. Lining the folded blanket along the bottom of the basket to serve as a cushion, Claire carefully loaded in all the snack foods she had picked out for her date night with Alex. 

They had come up with the idea a few months after they first started seeing each other, that every Saturday they would try and make time for each other. Sure, sometimes Claire would have to go on a mission, or Alex would be overtaken by research, but they tried to make it work. And tonight it was Claire’s turn to pick. So she was going with the classic picnic under the stars by the river. 

Fancy food wasn’t exactly in abundance after the end of the world, but she was sure she grabbed a pretty decent selection. A can of that fancy smoked salmon that Alex loved, a jar of fresh garlic and herb cream cheese from one of Carlos’ many goats, non-stale crackers, a jar of honey from the beehives, diced apples, carrots, and cucumber, and finally two bottles of homemade root beer, as well as a platter and some cutlery for serving. 

Waving goodnight to her brother who was chilling on the couch with a new magazine that Barry had scavenged up a few days earlier, Claire grabbed the basket and the already lit lantern, before heading out the door for the next house over. Living next door to her girlfriend did happen to make things so much easier. 

No matter what Jill might have claimed, Claire did not skip up the stairs to knock on Alex’s front door. “Alex, it’s Claire! Are you ready to go?” They had set the time for roughly two hours after dinner, but without electricity, they had to rely on old fashion clocks to tell the time which made getting things down to the minute rather difficult. Of course, Alex still managed to get her elegant hands on the most gorgeous grandfather clock Claire had ever seen. 

It only took a few moments to get a reply, her girlfriend’s voice calling out from inside the building. “In a minute, dearheart. I’ll meet you outside the garage.” The mention of the garage immediately had Claire perking up in concern, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Thanks to Alex’s illness, the other woman had good and bad days. On the better days, Alex could make do with a cane and plenty of rest while walking. On the poorer days, she relied on her wheelchair to get around, unable to support herself while standing.  

Claire had already taken the possibility of the wheelchair into account, and planned everything to ensure that Alex wouldn’t have any trouble getting there, but she still worried about how her girlfriend was feeling. Maybe they should stay inside for the night instead.They could have the picnic over Alex’s dinner table instead. 

The grinding of the garage door rolling up dragged Claire from her thoughts, turning to step back down the stairs to meet Alex as she wheeled herself outside. “Hi. You look lovely.” Blonde hair freshly combed back from her face, lips a bloody shade of red from the homemade lipsticks Alex made for herself, and a soft blue blouse to match her eyes. 

Alex’s answering smile made her feel like she had swallowed sparklers, an admiring look in her eyes as she looked over Claire’s purple dress and red leather jacket, before dropping down to the basket held in one of Claire’s hands. “As do you. Might I ask what is in the basket?”

Claire couldn’t help the mischievous grin that tugged over her face as she bent down slightly to give Alex a quick kiss, careful not to smudge the other woman’s lipstick before she pulled back. “You’re going to have to wait and find out. Come on, it’s not far.” If they had to, they could pack up and go home early, but for now Claire would continue on as normal until Alex says otherwise. 

Ignoring Alex’s playful raised eyebrow at being denied, Claire adjusted the lantern so they could see where they were going and started walking down the road. It really wasn’t far, only a few minutes down the street from where Alex’s house sat on the corner. Waving to Neil who was currently manning the security booth by the gate, Claire turned onto the paved path leading along the riverside to one of the picnic tables dotting the goat mowed grass. 

Smiling over her shoulder at the other woman as Alex rolled her wheelchair up to the end of the picnic table to settle in and watch, Claire placed the lantern on the table to begin unpacking. The platter went down first, followed by the two bottles of root beer, one in front of Alex and one in front of Claire. Then out came the food. The diced apples, cucumbers, and carrots, each in their own little containers. The jars of honey and goat cheese, still sealed and labelled. The box of crackers, and finally the canned salmon. 

Alex’s voice was soft and painfully fond as one elegant hand reached out to pick up the can of salmon, cradling it between her palms. “ Oh , you remembered.”

“How could I forget?” Just over a month ago, Chris, Barry and Jill had come back from a scavenging haul from a grocery store. Like they did every time, they laid everything down on the tables near the dining area and let everyone pick out what they needed and wanted, before the remainder was put away for later. Among the rows of tinned food was two cans of smoked sockeye salmon. 

Claire had never seen Alex move so fast in her life, she was sure the other woman was about to run over Brad just to get to the fish. Alex had hoarded those cans like they were made of precious gold, carefully selecting how she was going to eat them and savouring every bite. Claire had to consider herself lucky that Alex even considered offering her a taste. So when her brother next geared up for another supply run, she had asked Chris to keep an eye out for the red and gold can of fish. 

Alex’s answering smile was bright enough it could have powered the entire settlement for a week. Any other words died a quick death as Alex got to work cracking everything open, selecting a cracker to smear a coating of the cream cheese on before laying it with slices of cucumber and a thin cut of the salmon. Her eyes closed in visible delight as she savoured the bite, bringing a soft smile to Claire’s own face. 

Leaving Alex to her salmon, Claire started picking out her own snacks, dipping the apples in the cream cheese before drizzling it in honey. Honey automatically made everything better, and she felt like she needed it after the past few days she’s been having. The thought bobbed to the surface like a rather unwelcome duck, one she ruthlessly tried to strangle before Alex took notice.

“Claire. Is something wrong?”

Alas, that didn’t seem to be on the menu today. Thought duck: 1, Claire: 0. 

Popping the cap on her root beer and taking a sip to give herself a moment to think, Claire considered if she actually wanted to answer the question or just brush it off. But the ‘what ifs’ had kept her up for long enough.“Do you remember that woman from a few days ago? From that settlement on the other side of Hillfort?”

Claire hadn’t been close enough to catch the name of any of the traders who had stopped by a few days ago, nor to catch exactly where they had been from. She had only been close enough to pick up on how one of the women had been acting around Alex when she had come down to see if some of the scrap they had was useful for any of the scientists. 

A confused little scrunch between Alex’s eyebrows appeared as she seemed to think back on it.“Yes? What about her?”

“Well, I noticed that she was flirting with you and it got me thinking.” At first she had thought it was jealousy, watching the other woman flirt. The woman looked like she was in her late 30s, dressed down in flannel with tattoos wrapped around both arms and muscles like she wrestled bulls for a living. But laying in bed, late into the night long after Chris had gone to bed,  it was then that Claire had pinned down exactly what it was that she had been feeling. Insecurity. 

Rolling the bottle between her palms to give her hands something to do, Claire felt the words pour out of her like a flood. “I know that you care about me, I’m not doubting that or anything. But I just can’t stop wondering if you’re only with me because you don’t really have any other women to choose from. Hana, Rita, and Kathy are married, Jill and Rebecca are dating each other, and Batya is your brother’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son. It’s kinda only me or nothing.”

“You’re beautiful, intelligent, talented, have a doctorate, and I like motorcycles and didn’t even finish community college. And I’m so much younger than you, and this must seem so immature.” The worst thing was that Claire could hear her voice breaking as she stared down at the table, angrily wiping at her eyes. She felt just like a messy teenager again, who was she kidding. She only just gained the ability to legally drink booze, for god’s sake. Alex could do so much better. 

“Are you accusing me of settling?”  The incredulity in Alex’s voice made Claire flinch slightly, unable to lift her eyes from the table to meet Alex’s gaze and see the look on her face. 

“I have never settled for anything less than what I deserve in my entire life. Yes, you are younger than me, but that just means you have so much more time to explore and grow. You are clever, passionate, thoughtful, and brave, and do not need a fancy piece of paper on a wall to prove so. And your engineering skills have brought a grown man to tears of joy.” 

Gentle hands cupped Claire’s face, lifting her eyes to meet the other woman’s, and the softest she had ever seen Alex look. “Yes, there isn’t exactly a plethora of single women living here, but our settlement isn’t the only one left. I could have looked elsewhere if I wanted, I'm sure Hillfort would have been delighted to take me.” 

Claire couldn’t help the full body cringe at the idea of dating anyone from Hillfort, shooting a disgusted look at Alex. The other settlement had spent the past year hounding them for one of their scientists, claiming that a settlement of less than forty people didn’t need three scientists, and a medic in training. They would probably be over the moon at the idea of Alex wanting to date a woman from there, and she wouldn’t put it past them to even set up a pageant for Alex to choose from. 

Clearly pleased at having distracted Claire from her tears, Alex continued, still cupping her face. “I could have chosen to remain single. I do not need to be in a relationship just to be happy. But instead I chose to pursue you because I enjoy being with you, dearheart. Do you understand?” 

Throat feeling too thick to speak, Claire settled on simply nodding. Deciding that was good enough, Alex slowly pulled back before lowering her hands to pull a handkerchief out of her pocket. “Now, dry your eyes before I wake up in a rickety little rowboat floating downstream towards a dam infested by zombies.”

Letting out a watery little laugh, Claire accepted the handkerchief and began cleaning up her face. “Chris isn’t that bad.” Alex’s disbelieving hum had her laughing again, wiping at her eyes one last time before setting the handkerchief down. 

Alex didn’t say anything, just choosing to nudge the pot of honey closer to her. Maybe this wasn’t over and they might need to talk this over again, but for now things were okay. So Claire could eat her honey and enjoy the rest of her date with her girlfriend in peace.

[fenrislorsrai]

I Know Where I'm Going

Season 2 is just Neil Gaiman attempting to get us to read and watch all his favs while looking for Clues.

so got "I Know Where I'm Going" from the library.

as a mundane note on the DVD, the subtitles are incredibly hard to find on the menus for some reason. I finally gave up using the onscreen menu and forced it through opening a track direct on my player. So if you get the DVD, there ARE subtitles, you just gotta work for 'em.

also there's several points where they just subtitle it as "speaking Gaelic". It's effectively shot from a non-Gaelic speaker's POV so I'm okay with it not being translated but it would have been nice is there were subtitles, in Gaelic, for those sections.

This movie rates an enormous HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM from me. Many interesting coincidences.

Free fic title for folks: "may your pulse beat as your heart would wish"

Rest under the cut in case you want to watch this.

You can read the plot on WIkipedia so I'm not gonna focus on the relevant bits for Good Omens cause that's why you're reading this.

First up you get the female lead meeting with her father for dinner, who specifically mentions coming from Eccleshall to see her off. This is a different town than Eccles of the Eccles cake, but did make me go look that up.

The tartan hills sequence really is direct from this movie as part of a dream sequence. Joan's father had warned her she was marrying a man, not his company, but the dream sequence does involve actually marrying the company as shown off by some large industrial machinery. big HMM there on theme.

She's clearly marrying this guy for safety and financial security but you never really learn much else about him. She seems to have worked for him and then climbed into position of getting married. You hear this guy's voice on a shortwave radio but never actually see him. He's also described with general disdain by the locals as an imposter. He's not the real lord, he's just the guy with the money.

Which is something that comes up repeatedly thematically as New Money vs Old Money. even the Old Money doesn't have much and that's why they're renting out to the New Money because they're land rich, cash poor as are post of the people that are in the area.

There's a bit where the rich new folks go call on one of the old nobles and comment on how she's only got three servants on a quite big house and she comments on "don't need them when I have guests" and then you get to see Torquil, who actually is a lord (and the love interest here) getting told to set the table for the elderly noblewoman he's visiting. Which he does. and for the rich New Money folks who do nothing to help.

You also have a conversation with some of the locals making fun of the rich industrialist paying money to import salmon, when he's got salmon swimming in the stream of the land he's renting, but isn't catching. He's also having a swimming pool built... on an inland, which they all think he's mad for. (considering the ocean murdering people is a plot point, wanting to swim in warmer non-murderous water seems pretty reasonable)

But there's an overall Vibe of the new money having MONEY but not class.

Torquil has class but also responsibilities. He's only here because he's been serving in the Navy and is home on shore leave. Catriona, who provides Torquil and Joan somewhere to stay while waiting out the stormy weatehr has been providing housing a unit of soldiers up until about a week ago. So you get that clear "they're doing their part for the war, the New Rich aren't".

You also get Joan attempting to pay a local fisherman quite a lot of cash to take her to the nearby island in heavy weather. It's really too much cash for him to refuse. That could buy him ability to marry and buy a boat of his own. Torquil is Pissed Offabout it though because he considers it thoughtless. You could wait and not risk that man's life over this. He eventually gets talked around but goes with on the boat trip since he actually IS in the Navy and can manage to help get engine restarted in boat when they get swapped.

So a lot of themes in common, but lets get back to the real meat here: THE CURSE.

Torquil has never been in the nearby castle, which is basically just a standing square tower. Not have any of his immediate ancestors because everybody knows about the curse and that he can't set foot in the castle of Something Terrible Will Happen.

This gets called back to several times but without any indication of the exact nature of the curse.

This IS a romance so the whole point is this delay in the travel makes Joan reconsider marrying the rich guy. but before that, you have Joan and Torquil split up. They have a farewell kiss and then part ways. Torquil wishes her well and suggests since some pipers got hired for this delayed wedding, she should have them play a tune they heard earlier in a dance scene.

meanwhile, he's been delayed so many times getting to the same island (which is his home), his shore leave is now over, he has to go back to the Navy. So is walking off to catch a ride and goes past the castle.

Stares at it and is "okay, Joan's right, this is stupid I've been scared by this curse the whole time" so goes into castle to climb the tower actually see the curse carved in stone.

OH HEY, THAT CURSE AIN'T WHAT YOU THOUGHT. It's one of those written in such a way it can be read several ways. One of which is "you can never leave this place without the person you love." oh hey, are those bagpipers playing Our Song???

Happy reunion had, Joan wants to be with Torquil nevermind marrying the company for riches. what they do about Torquil's leave being over, IDK, movie over, this is a romance, off we go.

[cianmarstoo]

fuck it friday

cause i got distracted before i could post this on wednesday hahaha so here's a look at the family dinner party with Amelia and Carolyn Shepherd visiting the family in Seattle, with Meredith acting all perky, and Alex having undiagnosed adhd

Alex fidgeted in his seat at the dining table, it was done up with a tablecloth, and candles which he’d been told multiple times he wasn’t allowed to touch, and had now been moved fully away from him. The table was completely full, both with chairs around the table, with people, and with food filling up the table.  His mommy was still smiling looking very weird: it wasn’t her usual smile, he liked his mommy’s normal smile, and how she would usually roll her eyes, and joke and talk, but now she was talking all… high and too happy, and giggling, and agreeing with everything his Grammy said, it was just… wrong. It wasn’t his mommy.   There was also some gross fish on the table taking his attention. His daddy had tried to encourage him to have some, telling him the salmon would be good for his brain, but had given up when Alex had made barfing noises. So instead his plate had been loaded up with some of the pasta and meatballs and garlic bread. Jackson and April both had some of both the salmon and the pasta.  He pulled his tongue out as April ate some salmon.  “It’s yummy, Alex,” she insisted, “and it’s so-fiscal-rated.” “It’s gross.” “This one’s nice,” Jackson told him diplomatically, “an’ uncle Derek maked it, you like uncle Derek’s cookin’.” “Nuh uh, he maked salad and yucky broccoli,” Alex protested, “only spastgetti good.” April glared at him, “That’s ‘cause you’re a baby.” “No I’m not!” “You’re babier than me.” “He’s not a baby,” Jackson frowned at her, “that’s not nice April.” “He is littler than me and you though,” she protested, her cheeks were now bright pink and burning.  “You’re eatin’ Nemo!” “NO I AM NOT! YOU’RE A DUMB BABY!” Alex didn’t bother with words: He didn’t like how everyone was acting weird, Mark and Owen were acting nervous, his mommy was broken, his Grammy was frowning at his mommy like she didn’t understand her, and even his daddy was being weird, he kept looking at Amelia who was trying to avoid looking at him, which was weird because Alex liked her a lot- she was good at building towers and good at making them fall, which made her one of Alex’s new favourite people.  Then there was April, calling Alex a dumb baby.  That was the breaking point.  Alex didn’t bother with words.  He grabbed one of the meatballs from his plate and threw it at April, hitting her on the face.  Everyone fell silent. “Al-” April picked up some of her salmon, throwing it at her cousin across the table, but Alex ducked down, and the salmon hit Jackson.  Jackson didn’t hesitate, throwing salad at both April and Alex.  Before any of the adults could do anything the three littles started to throw food across the table, hitting each other and the adults at the table. Their dads all tried to say their names to get them to stop, but they were all ignored. “Stop this, right now!” 

tagging @anewkindofme and @alessiankarev and literally anyone else who wants to do it!

[remembertoeat]

Dinner Recipe: Salmon and Vegetables

TIME: ★★★✰

PRICE: ★★✰✰

EASE: ★★★✰

CLEANUP: ★★★✰

There is a WIDE scope to salmon and veg recipes. Salmon, at least where we are, is a little on the pricier side, but we love it and the doc said it was good for our eyes so we ran with that as an excuse, LOL!

We are constantly looking for a variety of ways to cook and dress salmon. I believe these recipes would generally work for both frozen and fresh fillets, with some minor modifying.

It's a super quick thing to serve these with a handful of salad greens, but our go-to is broccoli! I made a short blurb on how we like to prepare broccoli in a tasty way! The different recipes could range between 20-40 minutes, depending on which one you're making!

Cast Iron Salmon (DishNTheKitchen)

Crispy Honey Orange Glaze Salmon (CafeDelights)

Salmon with Apple Fig Chutney (WhatJewWannaEat)

Lemon Basil Pesto Salmon (JarOfLemons)

I don't have photos of these recipes but I have made them and they're very tasty!

Brown Sugar Soysauce Salmon (Key to My Lime) This is one of our go-to salmon recipes! Very classic and tasty!

Parmesean Crusted Salmon (Cooking Classy) Recently made this and it was a really nice change of pace with texture and flavor! Highly recommend it if you like parm!

We also enjoy making Salmon Bowls. Just dig up some veg we have lying around and serve it with salmon over rice. Below we had avocados, mukimame, cucumbers,carrots, and mandarin oranges over rice with some orange glaze salmon!

[unhonestlymirror]

Rating food of the countries I've been to, from West to East:

Disclaimer: it's veeery subjective

***

Spain🇪🇸 : 7/10. It's okay. I expected their fish and seafood to be better, tho. A LOT of relatively cheap fresh juices, 10/10 for health. They also make surprisingly amazing pasta and surprisingly average paella.

France🇫🇷: 9/10. Never visited cafes or restaurants there, but Carrefour has an incredible variety of good meat. I love their pineapple pie, too. There are a lot of products for vegetarians, Muslims, and, in general, different people who have different eating styles. There's a lot to see. And omg, their bazaar days are something worth attending: I still regret that I never tried clams with white wine.

UK🇬🇧 : 6/10. Not impressed. Something tells me that they deliberately make fish-n-chips that terrible. But I absolutely loved the strawberries under hot chocolate, which was sold by two cheerful Polish girls near Madam Tussaud museum.

Switzerland 🇨🇭: 6/10. Migros has nice buns with spinach and those Japanese "sandwiches", overall, your whole salary is gonna be spent on food. (Lithuania core lol😭) McDonald's there SUCKS.

Norway🇳🇴: 4/10. I expected a lot for some reason. Prices gonna cause you a heart attack, the quality is gonna give you a second heart attack. Also!!! THERE WAS NO FISH IN THE SHOPS EXCEPT THE CANNED!!! I was deeply injured. Norwegian salmon is super popular in Ukraine, how can they not have any normal fish in the big supermarkets...

Germany🇩🇪: 1/10. I may be just unlucky, but every time I visit Germany and pick a random cafe with lots of people(!), it has the worst food I've ever tasted in my life. It's like that scene from Desperate Housewives: "Really? A woman who orders Chinese food for Christmas dinner cooked a pineapple pie?" I understand now why Ukrainian women often marry Germans. My heart bleeds when I see what exactly you eat. I want to cover you with a blanket and cook you a normal soup.

Czech Republic 🇨🇿: 7/10. The soup was nice, ставлю вподобайку👍

Poland🇵🇱 : 8/10. Soup in bread, my beloved. Doughnuts were some kind of overcooked in oil, tho.

Montenegro🇲🇪: 10/10. I love you. I love your salads, your seafood, and I LOVE YOUR LEMON ICECREAM!!!!!

Slovakia🇸🇰: 7/10. I don't really remember what I ate, I am sorry. But I was really impressed with your supermarkets for some reason. Gotta visit it again.

Hungary🇭🇺: 6/10. It was my first time I've ever tried street food, and I liked it. You guys know how to cook meat.

Greece🇬🇷: 7/10. One day, I'll find the guy who can cook Karavidopsiha and beg them to cook it once again. Nice fish!!! I remember your arbutus honey as old women remember their best lovers. But. One time, a man served my family with unpeeled shrimps in batter. :/ What the hell was that? Is that some kind of a national dish I'm not aware of? Minus three points for such bullying.

Cyprus 🇨🇾: 7/10. I shouldn't be obsessed with your carob tree pastille that much.

Lithuania🇱🇹: 10/10. I love you. Although, I'd love to spend less money on food too. I love your Maxima and Rimi and Iki. I love your cafes. I love your bakery, I love your cocktails, I looooooove your soups, and I love your Asian food too. It's very easy to become an alcoholic with such delicious wines and tinctures.

Latvia🇱🇻: 11/10. Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm on my knees. Your cream chanterelle soup and Lidl croissants and marinated onion and šašlyk and fish and dairy products🛐🛐🛐. You guys know how to serve. I've never seen such pretty food designs anywhere. And of course, Lido. It brings me in tears of joy and makes me remember Puzata Hata. No, for real, is there any dish you don't know how to cook?

Finland🇫🇮: 7/10. That's okay. Nice street food.

Belarus ⚪️🔴⚪️: 9/10. Oh my dear Belarus, you're gonna be the best chef in Europe once you're free from russia. I wish I ate more machanka and drank your pine tincture when I had the chance. I love your chicory, it's a bit greyish, but it's much more delicious than an average chicory. Delicious meat in the shops. Other food is soviet-like, which makes me nauseous.

Ukraine 🇺🇦: ♾️/10. Вітчизно моя! Ти як здоров'я, наскільки ти цінна, тільки той знає, хто тебе втратив. I don't know if my favourite shops still work. I loved every single cafe I've been to, yes, even that shitty prorussian Mafia and Eurasia. I loved Puzata Hata. I loved Khlibna Kava, and its amazing cherry cupcakes. I loved Moloko Vid Fermera. I loved little kiosks with fresh Makadamia nuts and huge variety of vegetables and fruits. I loved Flagman and Silpo, Lvivśki croissants, and chocolate shops. I loved my seafood store. I loved giant frappes in Shevchenko Park. I loved my Continent with its old classical French background songs. I love my Japanese food stores. There are so many places I love. I used to find my bazaar so ugly and dirty, but I would give everything to buy the sea ​​buckthorn jam from the cheerful old lady. But it's not gonna happen. My bazaar was shelled by russians to the ground.

Turkey🇹🇷: 9/10. Your Katmer, seafood soup and baked shrimps(?) are something 🛐.

Jordan🇯🇴: 7/10. Nice! You cook paella better than Spain, be proud of yourself. Although, I'd love to not be scared for my life as a woman all the time. Your bazaar seemed very interesting, but unfortunately, I don't speak Arabic. And I am a woman, which also sucks, I guess. I was totally covered in black, except for the face and hair, and people still stared at me like on a zoo exponate. McDonald's kinda sucks too, but not as much as in Switzerland.

Egypt🇪🇬: 7/10. It's okay. I've tasted only hotel food.

Sakartvelo🇬🇪 : 10/10. Our guide forgot about our existence, and we had to find any source of food to not die from hunger, so we went to your local bazaar and asked to fry some cheap fish. It had lots of bones, and I hate fish with bones, but I ate it all, and it tasted amazing.

Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦: 6/10. Most of the week, I just cooked some simple spiceless products like pasta and eggs from the small store. You are far from the level of grocery stores in Turkey. Although, your cold orange juice bottle saved my life from dying in the middle of the desert.

Qazaqstan 🇰🇿: 7/10. I don't really remember your supermarkets, I guess they were okay. But your bazaars are definitely something worth attending. Millions of varieties of honey with millions of tastes and very salty hard cheese Kurt.

[addisonxoconnell]

[female & she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [ADDISON O’CONNELL]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [DAKOTA JOHNSON]. You must be the [THIRTY-FOUR] year old [THERAPIST]. Word is you’re [OBSERVANT] but can also be a bit [DETACHED] and your favorite song is [CIRCLES BY PIERCE THE VEIL]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [AURORA BAY DRIVE]. I’m sure you’ll love it @aurorabayaesthetic

warnings: mentions of suicidal ideation, parental abandonment, miscarriage

basics:

full name:  Addison Renee O’Connell

nicknames:  Addy, Ida, and Teddy used exclusively by her siblings

gender:  female  

pronouns:  she/her

sexuality:  heterosexual

aesthetics:  a lingering hint of perfume in every room she visits, a never-ending supply of notebooks and pens littered throughout her house, small lamps of warm light shining in corners to hide her messy life

age:  34

date of birth:  april 1 1990

zodiac sign:  aries

residence:  aurora bay drive (due to her husband)

occupation:  therapist

appearance:

faceclaim:  dakota johnson

height:  5’7

build:  slim athletic build with most of her strength in her arms and legs

eyes:  blue

hair: dark brown

piercings:  both lobe and upper lobes of ears, nostril stud, and a navel piercing

tattoos:  left arm sleeve, ‘777’ tattooed above her right antecubital, 'bite me' tattooed on her butt cheek, 

other distinguishing features:  though her siblings look more like their mother, Addison looks most like her father

style:  she’s very much into jewel toned colors and goes for more comfort than what’s in fashion. In a way, she’s settled nicely between the all black attire of her brother and the brighter colored attire of her sister

personality:

traits:  observant, melancholic, thoughtful, quiet, aloof/detached

labels / tropes:  the caim, the metanoia, 

mental health:  up in the air if she’s honest 

physical health:  the only reason she’s where she’s at physically is because yoga and kick boxing keeps her emotions in check 

likes:  French style hot chocolate, knitted blankets, yoga on the beach, weekly personal spa day at home, pastel highlighters, and the months of October and November 

dislikes:  the overwhelming smell of alcohol when someone drinks too much, the brightness of the afternoon sun, her parents, and cold food

fears: turning into her mother, spiders, her husband leaving her, and too small spaces

hobbies:  reading smutty romance novels and fantasy novels, daily word search puzzles while she drinks her morning coffee, half ass attempts at knitting which end up as an incomplete project collecting dust, smoking at least one pack a day (she’s supposed to be quitting)

skills:  considers herself an average yoga master, decently good at surfing, knows how to make homemade pasta and usually pairs it with her homemade alfredo sauce, 

quirks:  when nervous she twirls whichever ring she finds first on her hand, she needs coffee before any interaction with anyone including her husband, she likes to keep some money in her wallet just in case something goes wrong with her card

family:

mother:  Janey O’Connell

father:  Keith O’Connell (deceased)

siblings:  Arkin O’Connell & Eden O’Connell

birth order:  Arkin, Addison, then Eden

spouse / lover:  soon to be wc

children:  none (has had 3 miscarriages)

pets:  a cat named Lady 

notable close relatives:  Nikki Keaton, Erica Manning & Serena Keaton

faves:

ice cream flavour:  brownie batter

time of the day / night:  early mornings

weather:  rainy weekends

breakfast food:  yogurt parfait 

dinner food:  salmon alfredo pasta

colours:  teal and gold

wanted connections:

Childhood friends

The best friend who's been there from the start

Her own personal trainer at the gym 

Her usual tattoo artist that she will only go to 

Her girl gang 

Neighbors

People she does yoga with in the mornings

Her own therapist 

Her current husband (it will end quite messy) 

Her high school ex boyfriend (a love will blossom here in the future)

A frenemy in which they have to get along with each other either bc of family involvement or possibly husband involvement 

High school enemies that never really got over the betrayal so they continue to hate each other (maybe a boyfriend was stolen)

Husbands personal assistant (in the future he will leave addison for this woman due to having his baby)

biography:

Addison O’Connell didn’t think she’d live past the age of eighteen. She didn’t know what would suffocate her first - the never-ending grief of a life she’d never get, or the hole left in her heart from when her father left. It does sound quite selfish if you didn’t know the whole story, and you didn’t understand that at one point for a brief second, she did have a piece of happiness before it was ripped away. 

Addison was born three minutes after Arkin. Mostly a surprise for the O’Connell family, as they were certain a baby would fix all of their problems (but not two babies). She grew up as being always waited on second to her brother. He seemed to be the loudest of the two, so he got anything and everything first. Not completely understanding it until grade school, she tried to follow in his footsteps and be loud and demanding as well. This resulted in a spanking and to be quiet. In all of her life, she never tried it again after that. A lesson was learned very quickly and probably wasn’t the best one for her young mind. Things weren’t going to be fair for her. She tried to be jealous of her brother. She tried to want more for herself, but it turned into wanting more attention than anything else. 

Addison did everything she could to make her parents want to love her. She tried cleaning the house after school, doing all of her homework, and even figuring out how to make breakfast one morning (it was burnt toast). It never seemed to work. She was never met with a loving hug or any word of praise. It didn’t matter what she would do because her parents simply didn’t care. A fact that no one else in the world seemed was out of the ordinary. As if everyone avoided their children, when she knew her friends’ parents were completely different. 

It wasn’t until their third child, their third attempt at fixing a horrible marriage, that their father had left. Addison never knew if it was from getting cold feet at having another mouth to feed or another soul to crush. A harsh statement, but as she didn’t feel anything but disgust for the man. It wouldn’t have been right to try to convince herself it was anything more honorable. A father he claimed to be, she didn’t see any resemblance of the fathers of her friends. There could have been a small light of hope that if part of the problem was gone, things could’ve been better for the O’Connell family. It eventually died out, with their mom having two jobs just to stay afloat in the two-bedroom apartment. The added stress meant more nights they’d find their mom passed out, either in the bathroom or sometimes in her bed. It left Addison and Arkin to raise a baby mostly on their own. 

This had more of an effect on Addison as she continued to grow in the same environment that didn’t change if she was there or not. Besides keeping Eden alive and out of harms way, there wasn’t anything else needed from her. Arkin had his own life going on, and he didn’t necessarily need her as much as she needed him. She grew relaxed in her studies, the former high scores were slowly turning into more and more red marks and concerns from teachers. She started to sneak out at night after everyone had gone to bed. She tried to fill the hole her father left with anyone she could convince of being with her. The rumors going around certainly had its own troubling affect on her, but it only served as more fuel to stop trying. 

Surprisingly, she continued her life at Ocean Crest before her brother was able to help turn everyone’s life around. No, she didn’t do any better in school and would be an awful student if college was ever in the future. But, Addison figured out, finally, that things had an effect on Eden and that maybe she might need to set a better example to follow. She could say it was the spite of proving her parents wrong. To show her mother how to actually be one when she wasn’t consumed in her own grief and despair. But two very important people would say otherwise. Her brother and sister wouldn’t have let her leave without them, and she didn’t want to leave them alone in the world. Not after everything they had been through together, it was just about a tradition at this point to stick together. 

The idea of college never really appealed to her, but it was a way out. It was something new and different, and maybe she’d find a better version of herself out there. Which she did eventually find. It took some time and a few new habits gained instead of continuing on bad ones, but Addison O’Connell was able to turn her life around. She decided to become a therapist with the idea of helping people who really wanted a way to be better and not knowing where to start. She doesn’t know how much Aurora Bay might need her, but she wanted to be there for someone else like her. Addison wanted to be that person she never had as a child. 

[braveclementine]

Chapter 4

Warnings: None (anyone can read this story)

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. I do not condone any copying of this.

𝓦𝓔 were in a room that I recognized as a kitchen. It was much larger than the one at Tommy and Billy's home. It had more chairs and more appliances. A very large refrigerator which was where yummy things were kept. It was filled with delicious smells and the red head from before was already cooking something that smelled good.

"What are you cooking today Nat?" Bucky asked as he put me down on the counter, going over to the big black box of coldness, and pulling out something yellow. He set some of it down in front of me.

I sniffed at it tentatively, biting into a small piece of it. It wasn't as good as the bread, but it had a nice, light taste to it and I ate the rest of it, before looking back up at Bucky.

"Now where is my fish I've been promised?"

Bucky just smiled at me, petting me.

Steve, Sam, the girl named Gnat, and another dark man were roaming the kitchen now, passing food out on plates. Bucky was setting down glasses filled with delicious milk.

I padded over to one of the glasses when Steve turned his back, sticking my nose in it, and started to lap it up.

"Aww here Blizzard." Steve said, getting a bowl and pouring the rest of my milk into it. He put the glass in the sink before grabbing another one to pour himself some milk.

"When'd we get a cat?" The black man said. He didn't have much hair, but he seemed fit. I didn't like him much though. He smelled like a black lab.

"Today." Bucky said, putting something from the stove onto a small plate and putting it in front of me.

It was rich smelling, though very hot and I decided to wait a moment. Was this fish?

"Is this fish?"

"Nat made you some salmon, I hope you like it." Bucky said.

"So it's not fish?" I asked.

"Does she even understand you?" The black man asked.

Sam laughed, "Hey Rhodes, we all know you talk to Ash like that."

Who in their right mind named their kid Road?

Tony and Bruce came up out of the lab to join us for breakfast. Bruce and Road had a conversation together while Tony sat next to me, petting me mostly while drinking a cup of coffee. I noticed that he got no food and I graciously patted my plate so that some of my Salmon sat in front of him.

"Want to share?" I asked.

Tony smiled a little, "What kind of fish is this Steve?"

"Salmon." Steve replied. "I think she likes it."

"Good." Tony said, scratching my head and eating a small piece of it.

"Have you gotten anything off the cameras yet?" Bucky asked. He seemed very interested in what happened to me and I was glad. I hoped that they could track down my owner so that they could find Billy and Tommy. I hoped they would protect them since I couldn't.

"Not yet. She's working on my main project yet. But she's hacking the cameras on the side. I should have the surveillance early tomorrow morning. And I'll let you know the minute she gets it." Tony said nonchalantly.

"Sounds fair." Sam said with a shrug.

Good. So by tomorrow, they would see evil owner toss me into the cold lake. Then. . . then they would find evil man and I would scratch him with my claws!

"What are we doing today?" Bucky asked, picking up his dishes and putting them in the sink.

"Nothing." Tony said. "Fury told us we have a two week break. I mean, you could probably do training if you want. I'm just going to head back down to the lab. See you at dinner. Maybe."

"Tony." Gnat scolded. "You need to eat dinner."

"I just had some breakfast." Tony said, already leaving the kitchen. "See you later."

"He's going to starve himself to death." Gnat grumbled.

"That's what Pepper is for." Sam laughed, also getting up from the table. "I think I'm going to go and do a workout to make up for the run. You two coming?"

"Sure, why not?" Steve said, also getting up from the table. He scooped me up into his arms. "You can come with us Blizzard."

I mewed softly, purring contentedly as I curled into his chest. He was so warm and firm and safe. I wondered if maybe Billy and Tommy could stay here so that I could stay with Steve and Bucky and Tony.

We went into the moving metal box again, going down this time, before they went into a very large room with lots of metal things in it. There was a lot of metal in this building.

There were padded benches and lots of metal bars holding big black circular things. There were also blue squishy mats on the floor, along with several black things hanging from the ceiling.

I padded over to one of the blue mats, walked on it, and decided it was the perfect place for a nap. I sprawled across it, and only opened one of my eyes when I heard Bucky start to laugh.

"Guess we're going to have to find another place to spar Sam. Blizzard took our mat."

Sam chuckled. "Just keep an eye on her as we workout. I don't want to see her get stepped on or something. She's a sneaky little thing."

I kept one eye open, watching as Steve and Sam faced each other on the mat. Bucky had his arms crossed over his chest as he watched their fists fly at each other, sometimes using their legs as well.

I understood to a degree that they weren't trying to hurt each other. It was. . . fighting without hurting each other somehow.

But it reminded me of Mr. Peters and the way he treated Billy and Tommy. I hated it.

When Sam knocked Steve on his back and raised his arm to punch him, I darted forward, leaping onto Steve's chest. I sat down firmly where Sam was going to punch, mewing loudly up at Sam.

Sam froze, looking stunned, sitting back on his butt.

"Wow." Bucky said, also sounding stunned. "She protected you Stevie."

"Aww, I wasn't going to hurt him." Sam said softly. "We're just practiced our sparring. It's fake fighting, no one was going to get hurt, okay Bliz?"

I mewed softly, starting to cry. I couldn't control my emotions very well.

"Aww Bliz." Steve said softly, sitting up and holding me in his hands. He gave me soothing pets and my mewls soon turned to content purring.

I sat up on my hind legs, reaching so that I could lick his face with my tiny tongue. I was giving him kisses. Steve laughed fully, kissing the top of my head. "I'm okay, see Bliz?"

"She's an extremely smart cat, isn't she?" Bucky asked, but it didn't sound like he was praising me. He sounded concerned.

I looked up at him, tilting my head.

"Yeah. . ." Sam said softly. "Do you think she saw abuse? And maybe that's why she reacted that way. Like she thought I was going to hit Steve and she was trying to stop it?"

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. said she was healthy though." Steve said with a frown, "Wouldn't have detected if the kitten was hurt?"

"But maybe she didn't account for past hurts?" Bucky asked. "Healed ones?"

"I did, actually Mr. Barnes." the robot voice in the ceiling said.

"And?" Sam asked.

"She had a few mild strains in her ribs and legs, but nothing serious. I did not think it was important at the time, as you were only concerned in her immediate health, not her past health. Her past strains however should not affect anything in the long run. They have mostly healed and as long as she doesn't jump off anything high or get hurt, they will heal completely by the end of the week." The robot voice said. "Does this answer all of your questions?"

"Do you know what possibly could have cause her strains?" Steve asked.

"It is possibly being kicked could have caused the ones to her ribs. Being dropped or thrown would also cause strains in the legs. However, the legs could also have been caused by her attempting to jump from a high place to a low place, putting to much strain on her legs. This could potentially affect the ribs as well if done often."

"Thank you F.R.I.D.A.Y., could you please relay all of that information to Tony as well?" Bucky asked.

"Yes Mr. Barnes."

"Alright, let's get back to sparring." Steve said, motioning to Sam. "Bucky you could pet her, that might keep her calm."

Bucky took me from Steve and went and sat on one of the benches. He let me lay in his lap, petting me from my head, down my back, to my tail, repeat.

I didn't freak out anymore, after watching carefully the first few rounds. They truly didn't seem to be in any pain, and through some of it, they even laughed. I knew laughing meant they were happy, which seemed to be the opposite of pain.

Bucky switched out with Sam, but I didn't sit in Sam's lap. Instead, I explored underneath the benches, and a found a bottle cap to play with. Sam would flick it towards me and I would bat it back to him.

Sometimes, we even played keep away, and I kept scratching his hand lightly, trying to get it. But he didn't seem to mind, just laughing and calling me cute or saying good job whenever I got the bottle cap from him.

"Well you two look like you're having fun." Steve said with a grin as he and Bucky came back over. Both of them were dripping with sweat, but they smelled like nice spices and something else underneath that overpowering stench. "Think we'll go and hit the showers."

"Together?" Sam asked, sounding like he was teasing them.

"Of course." Bucky said, throwing his arms around Steve's shoulders, "What else would we do?"

"Want to take the kitten with you?" Sam chuckled.

"We should probably leave her in our room." Steve admitted. "C'mon Blizzard."

I trotted after them as they made their way out of the training area. We went into the metal box for the seventh time today. I felt it vibrate under my paws, and I kept tapping the metal, wondering how thick it was.

The metal doors opened once again and I trotted after them once more. They made their way down a long hallway, before opening one of the doors and letting me inside.

"Okay Blizzard, we're going to take a shower. We'll be right back." Steve said, walking into another door. Bucky followed after him and the door was shut lightly, a crack still there.

It was a very big room. There was a section with a nice sofa and a table and one of those black boxes on the black wooden dresser. There was a door that was wide open, leading to a bedroom which had a very large bed in it. There was also a window.

I jumped onto the chair, before leaping onto the bed, and then leaping onto the window sill.

"Wow." I said as I looked out over the city.

I was very high up. I could see almost the whole city spread out below me. I could even see the strange white thing that I had seen in the water this morning.

Wait? That had only been this morning? Boy I was exhausted.

I curled up in the windowsill, tucking my tail over my nose, and fell asleep. 

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