#also seven's route is so frustrating

[mitskiluvr]

replaying mystic messenger is so crazy because why am i gentle parenting these grown men and teaching them how to handle their feelings

[pitchsidestories]

homecoming II Ingrid Engen x Mapi León x Reader

masterlist I word count: 1573

a/n: the inspiration came from this request, your feedback is alway appreciated. <3

warnings: reader is confronted with her past body image issues while visiting her homecountry Norway with her lovers.

The sky was covered in light grey clouds, blocking out the sun. But that didn’t matter, the air was nice and mild on this summer day in the middle of Norway.

You enjoyed the warm weather as you walked through your small hometown, flanked by Mapi and Ingrid on either side of you.

Ingrid stopped and took a deep breath with her eyes closed like she was trying to soak up the smell of her childhood here.

You both had promised to show Mapi where you and Ingrid had grown up together for a long time now so you decided the summer break was the perfect opportunity.

You smiled as you continued you walk. You knew this route like the back of your hand. So many afternoons and weekends were spend running down this road, side by side with Ingrid. It was the start of both of your football careers.

Mapi beamed delightedly as she spotted the small football pitch. It was empty at this time of day but it smelled of freshly cut grass.

“So this is where the football journey started?“, she asked.

Ingrid nodded and absentmindedly stepped closer towards the fence encircling the football field: “Yes, that’s where I played my first games.“

Mapi nodded in your direction: “Y/n too?“

“Yes, that’s how we met. I mean we also went to the same school but we never had any contact there…“, you replied. Memories of you two at the age of seven, the only girls in a team of boys appeared in front of your inner eye.

Ingrid nodded and softly smiled at you: “That’s true. But we became close when we realized that we both like football.“

“And when you both realized you liked women?“, Mapi teased. You weren’t quite sure if she really meant it as a joke.

Ingrid playfully slapped her on her arm: “Mapi! That was way later!“

You forced yourself to smile: “Honestly.“

“We were basically babies!“, Ingrid laughed.

Mapi seemed satisfied to hear that nothing had ever happened between you and Ingrid when you were younger.

It’s not like she had not welcomed you into the relationship when Ingrid had told her that she fell in love with you, and it hadn’t taken long for you to adore Mapi as well. But the fact that you and Ingrid had history without her seemed to bother her.

You shook your head lightly. Back in your teens, you had no interest in dating at all, not even Ingrid. “And we had different problems back then…“, you said to no one in particular.

“Right.“, Ingrid bit her lip.

“What? What are you two talking about.”, the Spaniard frowned confused. She tried to think about what could have happened here which left such a mark on you.

You took a deep breath it was time to let the defender know about the dark moments in your past. No one in Barcelona was familiar with that story only Ingrid.

“Y/n?”, Ingrid approached you cautiously, sounding deeply concerned.

“I’m good.”, you wanted to assure her, so the worried lines on her pretty face would disappear.

They only grow deeper. The midfielder has noticed that you fainted during training. She saw right through your defensive behaviour.

“Yeah, sure you’re.”, the dark-haired teenager replied unconvinced.

“Really.”, you emphasized your words from earlier, you hoped she would let the topic fall just like your coach had.

“You just passed out.”, Ingrid reminded you anxiously, handing you a little snack.

“I can’t eat.”, you shook your head while pushing it right back into her open hand.

“You need to. Your body needs it.”, the midfielder stressed.

“But..”, you begun.

“Just eat.”, she interrupted you softly.

Her unwillingness to understand frustrated you.

“I need to be thinner like the rest of the team.”, you explained exasperated.

“What?”, Ingrid answered stunned.

“Even the coach said I could lose a bit more weight.”, you told her. The moment he said that was unforgettable, it was forever engraved into your memory.

It came out of nowhere and made the hit so much harder when you felt so defenceless and vulnerable against the authority of a man who might play a role when it came to you ever making it as a professional football player.

“That’s ridiculous. You’re perfectly fine.”, the midfielder disagreed with a passion which surprised you.

“You think so?”, you questioned quietly.

“Of course. You’re so good. That’s only what your body looks like.”, Ingrid nodded. The usual reserved and calm girl was gone, the remarks of your coach clearly made her furious.

“Ingrid.”, you stopped her from talking by putting a finger against her lips, but the dark-haired teenager shook it off.

“It’s true.”

“Oh wow, I didn’t know that.”, Mapi commented, her voice brought you pack into the present. It took you a few seconds to realize that you weren’t that helpless teenager anymore, that part of you has been mostly healed.

“It was a rough time.”, the fellow Norwegian admitted.

“I really thought my body wasn’t athletic, feminine and pretty enough.”, you confessed to them.

The three of you went on with your walk leaving the pitch behind.

“But your body was perfect.. still is. We just didn’t have the right representation back then.”, Ingrid remarked, looking at you admiringly. You blushed under her gaze.  

“That’s true. You’re beautiful.“, Mapi agreed, her voice soft and so was her face when you looked over.

She closed the distance to you until your arms touched as you walked.

“Oh… thanks.“ You kept your gaze fixed on the ground in front of your feet, trying to hide the blush in your cheeks. You felt a bit awkward, having your insecurities exposed like this but at the same time it was a bit of a relief.

“You both are.“, Mapi added to her previous statement.

Ingrid smiled adoringly at her: “So are you.“

“That’s true.“, you nodded. You may not have always found beauty in yourself, but you were sure to see it in others.

Mapi smiled: “Thanks. I really like that we get to change the view on female bodies.“

“Me too…“, you agreed. You knew too many young girls still felt the same pressure that you felt back then and if you could help at least one of them accept their body, it was all worth it.

There was a moment of silence before Mapi admitted: “And I understand the bond between the two of you better.“

Ingrid looked at her in surprise: “You do?“

“Yes.“

You gently took Ingrids hand into yours: “We’ve really been through thick and thin…“

You then turned to Mapi, intertwining the fingers of your other hand with hers: “And now with you.“

The Spaniard looked back at you, visibly touched: “So it’s the three of us against the world?“

“It is!“, Ingrid confirmed with a resolute nod.

“I like that a lot.“, she grinned.

“Me too.“, you agreed. There was a lightness rushing over you, your heart felt so full being here with these two.

Ingrid suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing you all to halt: “My girls, we have to go if we want to reach our first destination tonight.“

Walking through your home town and reminiscing your childhood, you completely forgot that you wouldn’t be stay here. The three of you had a roadtrip planned through Norway.

Mapi nodded: “You’re right. It’s time to go.“

You walked back towards your van, retracing your steps. You felt like fully different person when you passed the football pitch for a second time.

You wished that you would have known back then that your body was only doing its job and that you were always worthy of love, independent of your weight.

A two hour drive later, the sun finally came out as it began to set. Mapi parked your van at a lake, your first destination. You scrambled out of the passenger seat to have a better look at the nature right in front of you.

“This is beautiful!“, you marvelled at the sight.

“It is, right? Nice and quiet.“, Ingrid agreed, her black hair shining in the orange light.

“Stunning.”, the Spaniard hummed taking a photo of her two favourite Norwegians with her little camera hanging around her neck.

“You were supposed to take a photo of the nature.”, the midfielder grinned amused.

“Honestly, there’s a beautiful sunset right there.”, you continued gesturing to the sky, the red and orange was reflected in the lake, looking like a masterpiece an artist would never be able to capture or do its justice.

“I already saw the prettiest view today.”, Mapi countered, her eyes set lovingly on the two of you.

“Stop it, you already got us, charmer.”, you reminded her, hiding your burning cheeks with the hands.

“Okay, okay. I’ll take a photo of the stupid sunset.”, she gave in laughing.

“And afterwards a selfie.”, Ingrid chirmed.

“Come here girls.”, the defender nodded after she took a few photos of the nature around her.

Happily, you scanned the result of the couple photo, the Spaniard was standing between you and Ingrid, all of you had a happy smile on your lips and the background was breathtaking as much as the three women in front of it.

“Here to make new memories.”, Mapi announced solemnly.

The past was the past, you couldn’t change what happened to you in the country as a teenager, but the present Norway never looked more beautiful.

[hypersaline]

Tutorial: adding new shapes to bodyshapes mod

Here's the promised tutorial. I'm sorry about the delay. Please also note that this is for v2 of the mod only; v1 is no longer supported.

Before I begin, I've realized I forgot to credit Quinctia the first time around. Their tattoo boxes and tutorial were where I started experimenting with overlays, and this mod contains resources cloned from their work. So, I'm giving them belated credit here.

First, one very important warning that was exceptionally frustrating to figure out and is responsible for most of the delay: you MUST use SimPE v0.73.44 for this. IIRC, later versions process certain kinds of resources a little differently, and the difference in the resulting package breaks a few kinds of mods/CC. This is apparently among them. Following this tutorial with any version of SimPE past 0.73.44 will very likely damage the character file of the sims the resulting overlay is applied to. (Specifically, in testing I found it to screw up the face and body meshes stored there.) If you test the overlay and the test subject's UI portrait completely blanks out (not just their face texture, but their hair/body/accessories too), then this is probably what's happened, and the best thing to do is throw it all out and start over.

With that out of the way, you'll need...

a pair of nude meshes, top and bottom, for each age group the shape is available for. A full-body nude mesh won't work.

a full set of seven outfits in the shape, set up as in this tutorial, for each age group the shape is available for. YA/A/E can all use the same outfits as long as they're enabled for all three ages.

a shape number. This has to be an eight-digit hex number; the first six digits all have to be zero, and the last two can't be zero or one and can't be the same as any other shape for the same gender. I've got a list here on Dreamwidth of a few numbers I've used or am planning to use. Please leave a comment telling the rest of us which number you're using for any shape you set up.

these template files.

You probably want...

a hex editor. This is optional, but it speeds things up quite a bit. I'm using HxD in the screenshots.

Open up Bodyshop and start a new project. All we need are valid group and family numbers; once you've copied those down somewhere, you should throw the project out. (If you leave it in the Projects folder, it'll conflict with your shape.) An eye color is probably quickest.

Get the following numbers together:

the new group and family numbers from your Bodyshop project

the shape number

two new GUIDs (generated however)

the instance-high and instance numbers for both the CRES and SHPE of each nude mesh

the group number for each outfit being used

Make a copy of the two template files and the template spreadsheet.

You have two main options from this point: either use the 'Hex Editing' tab on the template spreadsheet to find-and-replace various numbers reasonably quickly and then do a few more things by hand, or go the slower route, use the 'By Hand' tab, and replace them all in SimPE.

If you're using a hex editor:

Fill the requested numbers into the correct green boxes in the "Hex Editing" tab. Do all of them before you do any find-and-replacing.

Copy/paste the orange boxes into the hex editor's "replace" field, and copy/paste the yellow boxes into the hex editor's "find" field.

Make sure you pay attention to which numbers you can expect to find in which file, make sure you're in hex mode when you f&r, and make sure the numbers you're using are correct. If you paste in something with a different number of digits, your file will break and you'll need to start over.

Once you're done with find-and-replace, open up SimPE. Make sure you don't get any errors when opening resources up, and do a few spot checks to make sure, for example, that the most common group number you're seeing is the same as what Bodyshop gave you. If things seem OK, do the remaining replacements listed in the "Hex Editing" sheet by hand.

If you're editing by hand:

Look at the "By Hand" tab in the template workbook, which lists the various places you'll find the numbers you need to swap out and gives you room to organize the new ones. Please note that all numbers are hexadecimal even where not marked: 10 isn't twice five but twice eight.

If you'd like to speed things up without a hex editor: export all the resources inside Template1.package, open up the package.xml file in a text editor, find-and-replace every instance of "3166489547" with the DECIMAL version of whatever group number you got from your Bodyshop project, save, and then import those resources to a new (shape)1.package file using the edited package.xml file. (Note that SimPE won't show you the package.xml file by default.) You'll still have a heck of a lot of numbers to replace, but this will take care of several dozen.

Regardless of the method:

You'll need to make the BHAV edit pictured above - change Literal 3 (which is invalid) to Literal 0 or Literal 1 as appropriate.

One thing you'll want to keep in mind: the gender BHAVs detect for any given sim will always match the pronouns on their chance cards. If you're setting up a shape for trans women, for example, you'll want the BHAV to make it available to women even though those outfits are in the broader-shouldered half of the catalog. The mod won't be able to stop you from trying to apply a shape to sims it won't fit; if that happens, you'll get an error message and the sim's appearance won't change.

At this point you're ready to check things out in game.

One last, frustrating troubleshooting note: if most things seem fine but one particular outfit makes the game crash when a sim swaps into it, then after double-checking that it's been referenced correctly, make sure the GZPS in the recolor file is not compressed. I don't know why that's sometimes a problem, but I ran into it a couple of times during testing.

Here's a link to the updated V2 SFS folder, which contains the shape templates (note that the UniformTemplate file is for the older tutorial on giving sims with certain traits different age-up outfits), an updated version of the core mod and the Lady Apple files, and the Athletic Girl files created while getting this tutorial together. All meshes are included. If you set up any other shapes, please let me know!

[moonlitstoriess]

Across the Universe-ch.16 (Fenrys x Reader)

Summary: Y/n has everything she needs in life. A family, friends, a safe place she calls home and most importantly a male whom she loves. What happens when it all changes when Y/n finds out about the betrayal of her lover and her so called family? Well, ending up in Terrasen and in queen Aelin's court was not what she expected but what she will need to start her new journey full of surprises.

See masterlist

Unsatisfied and frustrated doesn't even begin to describe how she was feeling at the moment. After Eva called her down, Fenrys and Y/n waited until she was gone before adjusting their appearances and leaving her room together. Of course, throughout their little journey towards the sitting room, they could only steal glances at each other because there were servants all around them.

And it was killing her. It was killing her how she couldn't just drag him back into the room and finish what they started but....all this lust started to disappear as soon as they entered the room and she heard the ugly voice of the Book of Breathings hissing.

They entered at the same time as Aelin and Rowan and moved towards the table around which everyone was gathered, their faces frustrated and confused. The book just wouldn't stop hissing and once she reached the table, coming to stand right beside Lysandra, y/n could finally understand what it was talking about.

"They are coming"

"For her, for her"

"They are coming for her"

"Magic is shifting"

"What in the seven hells does any of this mea-" Aedion's words cut off by Yrene shushing him, clearly telling everyone to be quite for a little more.

"They are interfering"

"Gates, shifting"

It was as if there were multiple voices, all hissing the same things at once.

Aelin looked concerned as she looked at no one in particular and asked, "I don't understand. Is it talking about the valg's coming? Because we already know that."

Yrene shook her head, "No. You're right, we do know that already so it must be saying something else. Did you hear what it said? Something about shifting magic and interference."

Elide crossed her arms, gaze still locked on the book. "Yes, but what does that mean? Who is interfering?"

Y/n took a sharp breath in before asking the book directly, "What are you talking about, exactly? Who is interfering? Is this about the valgs?"

And then the book said only two words which were more than enough to answer her questions,

"Death Incarnate."

Y/n may not be the most genius fae to ever exist, but she for sure would know that only one being across any universe has this title.

Her ex friend, her ex high lord, the one who came to her doorstep in the first place.

Rhysand.

Her gaze locked with Lucien's who, seemingly, also understood what was going on as his eyes widened.

Her body suddenly grew colder as she asked with a shaky voice, "Is-is he interfering with the gates? Is he the reason for the shift in magic or whatever? Is- are they coming?"

"Who?"

"What are you talking about, y/n?"

"Who is 'he'?"

She ignored everyone elses questions as her mind was solely focused on the book and what it would say.

"Yes. They are trying to come."

She should feel happy, hopeful. They were coming to get her and once the valgs were killed, the gates were closed, she would get to go back to her world. She should be happy. She should be grateful. But why wasn't she? All she felt was dread and anger at the prospect of having to face them as well.

"Shhh, y/n. I am here, you are safe, just relax."

It wasn't until she felt Fenrys' grounding touch and sweet whispers in her ear that she realized her whole body was shaking as her eyes were distant, ears not hearing anyone but her own thoughts.

"Someone, please get water."

Fenrys led her to the small lounge chair and sat her down as Lysandra gave the cup full of water for her but quickly changed the route and handed it to Fenrys after seeing her shaking hands. The male helped her drink it before placing the cup on a nearby table and holding her hand while caressing her back with the other hand.

Chaol looked at Lucien, "What is going on?"

The prince just sighed before replying, "Death Incarnate is the title of Rhysand. The high lord of the Night Court. And y/n was asking if it was him who was the cause for the shift in the gates, if he and the rest of his court were trying to come here and apparently, according to the book, they are."

Once Lucien's words were out, y/n felt Fenrys' whole body stiffen, his hold on her to tighten as he slowly turned his head sideways to look at her friend.

Manon looked at Lucien, her anger clearly evident in her voice as she asked, "The same court that mistreated her? That lied to her?"

"What are you talking about?" Aedion's voice was full of confusion as he looked at the witch, expecting her to reply.

Manon's gaze came to y/n, her eyes asking for permission to tell them what they need to know. She nodded her head, too tired to argue or think of anything as the witch turned back around and explained what y/n once told her, filling the ones who didn't know in on the situation back in Prythian.

Once she was done explaining, y/n could physically feel the tension in the room that could be cut with a knife.

"Oh Gods..." Aedion's mouth was hanging open as Lysandra crossed her arms, the shifters tone cool as she declared, "They are fools for coming here, then."

Rowan nodded his head. "Because we won't let them live what they did to you down."

Elide put her head on a distressed Lorcan's arm as she said, "How can you go back with them, y/n? I do hope that once you do, you will leave them immediately."

Dorian shook his head, glanced at Fenrys with a knowing look, "Whatever the case is, they are not welcome here. They are clearly not wanted by the book either because their interference is causing a shift in the magic. We have to finish this job by the day of the lunar eclipse. And if they do somehow appear, then the choice to make will be y/n's and no one elses."

Lucien sighed, coming forward and placing a comforting hand on y/n's shoulder, "They- I don't even know what happened to them. I will be honest, me and them were never truly close....we have a long and complicated history which is why they never fully liked me, especially Rhysand and Mor-"

"Who is Mor?!" Petrah's voice sounded frustrated and protective as she looked directly at Lucien from her position on the opposite couch.

The prince gave Manon's second in command a small shake of his head and said, "She is....well, let that be a story for another time because her main issue isn't even directly related to me, her issue is with my brother."

"So, she is an idiot then."

They all looked at Lorcan as Lucien coughed out an "Excuse me?!"

The tall man just shrugged his shoulders, "If she is hating on you simply for whatever your brother did, then she is a fool and so is the rest of them if they support her."

"I agree." Petrah didn't sound happy at all as she voiced her agreement.

Y/n managed to place a reassuring hand on Lucien's as the redhead said, "Well, that isn't the main point. My point is, they- I never expected them to be like that towards y/n because, after all, they knew her for so long and from what I saw, enjoyed her company extensively. They were like family. Especially Cassian, Rhysand, Mor and Amren. And then Feyre and her sisters came into the portrait and everything just went downhill from there. And Azriel-"

"Is mine."

Y/n froze.

Lucien froze.

Everyone froze.

The room went silent as all head turned to the owner of that statement.

Fenrys.

When she looked at him, y/n only saw anger, possessiveness and violence readiating of off him. His expression, his eyes and his body.

She broke the silence, speaking for the first time since sitting down. "Fenrys, what- what do you mean?"

His intense gaze landed on her as he simply said in a chilly tone, "I mean, if he dares to step here, to come within my vicinity, then he is mine. Mine to break, mine to deal with, mine to beat up and mine to destroy. You all can deal with the rest of them but I will say it now, no one touches Azriel. He is mine."

Her eyes widened as she and Lucien spoke at the same time,

"Fenrys, no. You don't- it will only bring more trouble than necessary to you."

"Rhysand is the most powerful high lord, he won't let you treat his brother like that."

"Watch me."

From the way he sounded and looked, Fenrys was not fooling around, nor was he afraid of what Lucien just revealed to him. Y/n didn't know whether to feel safe or worried.

Aelin cleared her throat, drawing all the attention to her. "Well....this is definitely a new side of Fenrys I have never seen. What about you two?" she looked between her mate and Lorcan.

The two male's exchanged knowing looks, Rowan seemingly realizing the reason for Fenrys' sudden protectiveness as he said, "Believe me fire heart, this is new for us as well."

Lorcan smirked, "Yes, very new."

Yrene's calm voice filled the room as she said, "I don't think I can keep that book in our room, it talks too much."

Aelin moved towards the object and took it, ignoring it's protests as she turned towards the doors, followed by her mate, "I am taking this to the library. I need Arthur to have a look at this thing."

As everyone slowly began to leave the room, Lucien gave her shoulder one final squeeze before moving to help a struggling Petrah up, and leaving with her still asking him, "What's that Mor's issue with you?"

"Petrah, not now."

"No! Tell me, I must know so that when I see her, I will know how to attack her."

"Are you mad?! Over my dead body will I allow you to get yourself involved in this mess."

Y/n smiled at the couple's banter as their voices slowly began fading away, leaving her and Fenrys alone in the room. She sighed but leaned her head on his chest, causing his arm to come around her waist and slowly help her get up.

Once out in the hall, she detached herself from him as they began to walk silently.

"Fenrys, you shouldn't attack Azriel if he shows up here."

"Y/n, my respect and care for you is eternal, but I will have to go against your wishes on this one because even hearing his name causes so much rage to bubble up within me. Now, imagine I get to finally see him in real life, how can I hold myself back? It's as if fate has delivered him to me on a silver platter. As if he is wishing for death by coming here."

As they began climbing up the stairs she could only manage to squeeze his arm, "Fenrys-"

"What did I tell you, y/n? That I will protect your light from any darkness that dares to approach. Azriel is that darkness and I won't hesitate to end him if he even comes into the same world as you."

They reached her room, she opened her door and turned to look at him, "Please, please, Fenrys. You may hurt yourself-"

"And what about you? You were hurt countless times by him, by his friends and by someone else whom you clearly won't tell me about but that is fine, I am willing to wait on that. Whatever the case is, you are not alone princess. Not anymore. Not as long as I live."

And with that, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and turned towards his own room, quietly saying, "Get some rest now, princess. You have had a long day."

She couldn't sleep the night away, her thoughts filled with everything that was happening around her. By the time sunrise hit, y/n was once again heading towards the training area but stopped once a thought came to her head. She turned in her path, heading towards the library, her determination growing with each step that she took.

When she reachd the large area, y/n saw a tall, frail and quite old male in robes putting books inside the shelves. When he heard her enter the room, the male turned towards her and gave y/n a small, polite smile, "Welcome, my name is Arthur and I am one of the three head protectors of this ancient library."

Y/n gave him a small smile in return and said, "Hello, Arthur. My name is Y/n and I believe queen Aelin brought a book here last night?"

The librarian nodded his head, "Oh, yes. Her majesty asked me to keep it safe and protected here so I put it under wards."

She fiddled with her fingers as she asked him, "Could I- could I please take it for a short moment? I have some questions that I believe it can answer so..."

Arthur smiled and gestured for her to follow him. "Of course, y/n. I know of you so I am aware that the book responds well to you and only you. No one else."

He brought her to a medium sized, square table. with the book in it's center, emanating magical essence from around it. Arthur said a couple of words before the room suddenly felt less heavy and suffocating. He turned towards her and said, "I removed the main wards, still keeping some precautionary ones around. Do be careful, y/n, don't stay with it for too long."

She nodded her head at him. "Believe me, I am very well aware of it. Thank you, Arthur. I only need a couple of minutes."

The male nodded and left the corner in which they were in, heading back towards the other end of the room, leaving her alone with the ancient object.

Y/n sighed before coming to stand right in front of it, steadying her voice as she spoke, "I am not scared of you anymore. You fooled me the first time by sending me here but you can't fool me this time around."

The book replied with a knowing tone, "Good, because I am not sending you anywhere anymore, Illyrian."

Realization slowly dawned upon her, "You knew, didn't you? All this time, you knew that I had a mate here. That this was where I was meant to be sent."

"I did say that you are home now when I sent you here didn't I, child?"

She sighed, "Yes, you did. And....what now? Do I just accept it because you sent me here?"

"You tell me, witch. What do you think you must do?"

"I don't know."

"My job was to only send you here. The choice to make will be yours. Elara said as much."

"Wait. My mother- you- how?"

"She managed to bypass all of the high lord's wards and contact me. Ordered me to do what I did and how could I say no to the most powerful ironteeth witch, Elara?"

Her heart warmed. Her mother, the woman whom she didn't even know of for most of her life, was the one who started it all. She smiled gently, reminiscing the mother whom she only knew for such a short time.

"I think I know my answer now."

"You do not have any more questions left in you?"

"No, I have finally understood my purpose. Goodbye."

As she turned around and left, y/n heard the book say, "Make the right choice, child."

"She is your mate, isn't she?"

Fenrys paused his eating and lifted his head to see Rowan enter the room. The blond just muttered some incoherent sentence before resuming his eating. Rowan came and sat on the opposite chair, giving him an amused look.

"Seems like you have worked up quite the appetite. Apparently being a territorial fae bastard turns you into a starved wolf."

"I am not a territorial fae bastard." Fenrys grumbled while his mouth was full of food.

Rowan smirked, "Well, Aelin calls me that whenever I do what you just did in the sitting room last night."

"And what did I do exactly?"

"Get all protective and posessive over your mate."

"We aren't mates."

Rowan chuckled "Oh please, Fenrys. We all saw you stake a claim on y/n in that room. Besides, I already had my suspicions and Lorcan isn't the best secret keeper."

Fenrys clenched his fists on the table. "That little prick. I knew I couldn't trust him."

"So you are mates. Fenrys, you hurt my feelings by choosing to tell this to Lorcan over me."

Fenrys playfully rolled his eyes at his friend and said, "Shut up, bird. Besides, we don't even know if we will be together. Neither of us has accepted the bond."

Rowan's expression became grim. "So I've heard. Seems like you both are scared."

Fenrys sighed "Truthfully, I would be lying if I said that I am sure everything will be perfect. That I will accept the bond and already be deep in love with her. I do feel a lot for y/n but love is something I never had any experience in and.....with the kind of a past that I have, I am of course afraid. Afraid of scaring her away or doing something wrong. But what I do know is that I would never hurt her. And I am willing to accept the bond because I do like her and imagining a forever with y/n does bring me so much joy."

The prince nodded his head at his friends confession and after a moment replied, "You truly need one another, Fenrys. You need healing and so does she, from whatever nightmares she has endured. You both can heal together. Heal each other. Learn to love not only yourselves but also the world around you."

Fenrys gazed towards the window behind his friend, his expression thoughtful. "She is afraid, Rowan. Her life hasn't been easy and it seems like she hasn't gotten to feel joyful much because so many good things have been taken away from her. One of them being..." Fenrys had to reign his anger in as he said, "Azriel."

Rowan nodded his head slowly, gesturing for his companion to go on. Fenrys inhaled a sharp breath in before continuing, "He pretended to be in love with her, Rowan. In love. And she believed him, she believed him and overlooked all the other signs like them not being mates in favor of loving him. But, all this time he was being a bastard who lied to her. What a little coward. I hate him for breaking her, for shattering her heart and making her doubt herself. I meant what I said, Rowan. I will kill him if I see him."

The prince shook his head slowly, "No, you can't kill him."

Fenrys' brows furrowed "What?"

"I said, you can't kill him. I won't allow you to."

Fenrys scoffed, "Please, don't act so almighty with me. If the roles were reversed and Azriel had done all that to Aelin, you would rip him to shreds."

Rowan smiled slightly, "True, but the roles aren't reversed, are they? So, I won't allow you to kill him"

"What?! That's just-"

"He has a mate, Fenrys. You can't do that."

"Like I care. That viper mate of his should also stay away from me if she values her life. She has just as much of a fault in this as he does. I will kill him, Rowan. I am sorry but I won't follow your order on this one."

"I said don't kill him but I never said don't beat him to the brink of death."

Fenrys' eyes widened as Rowan laughed and winked at his friend before getting up and heading towards the door, "You underestimate me, Fenrys. They hurt your mate so of course you should destroy him, just don't kill him and cause an extra headache for us all with a court that isn't even from our world. Oh, and...."

Rowan gave a final look at Fenrys before closing the door, "If they even manage to come here and try something, believe me Fenrys, they will be going back home with broken ego's and shattered bones. Whether or not y/n will be going with them is up to her."

The old house stood silent, its windows staring out like blank eyes into the night.

Y/n must have read this sentence for what feels like the millionth time in the book. Her mind was just too mixed up with other things that she couldn't even concentrate on reading a single sentence from a random book.

"You are reading 'Whispering Windows'? Gods, that's the most boring book I've ever read."

Y/n looked from her place on the couch to see Manon and Eva entering the room as the younger girl made a disgusted face at the book y/n was holding.

"What, you don't like it?"

"Like it? The whole plot is so predictable that by the end when the supposed plot twist happens, you already expected it."

Manon came and sat beside y/n as Eva lay down on the carpeted floor, propping her head on one hand. The witch smirked after taking a peek into the book y/n was reading. "Don't worry Eva, it seems like y/n hasn't even gotten past the first page yet."

Y/n sighed and put the book down, "Yes, can't really concentrate right now."

"Why not?" Eva's voice sounded curious but Manon gave a knowing look at y/n as she said, "Because her mind is currently elsewhere. Something having to do with a certain mate perhaps?"

Eva's eyes widened and she immediately jumped up before y/n could even answer the question, "You have a mate?! Since when?! Is it Fenrys-"

Y/n quickly put her palm on the girls mouth, shutting her up, as she hissed, "Yes, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't go around shouting it for all to hear."

She brought her palm down from Eva's mouth as the girl whispered, "Fenrys is your mate? Oh Godsss!!"

"Calm down, it's not like either of them has accepted it yet." Manon crossed her arms as she looked expectantly at y/n.

"How did you-"

"Know? Hmmm, I have my ways." the queen winked at her before nudging her on the ribs, "So, what will happen between you two? Are you planning on accepting it?"

Y/n tilted her head backwards on the couch and closed her eyes.

"Uh-oh."

Y/n's eyes opened once again as she looked at Eva "What?! I didn't even say anything yet."

The girl shrugged her shoulders before smiling, "You don't need to. Your posture just told me everything I needed to know and then your delay in answer proved me right."

Y/n and Manon both looked at her with slightly wide eyes as the former whispered, "Wow"

Manon turned to look at her once again, "You are going to reject the bond?! Why?"

Y/n sighed, "I went and talked with the Book of Breathings earlier today and turns out my mother was the one behind it all from the start. She knew I had a mate here so she managed to get me sent to this place, effectively making my and Fenrys' paths cross and that just gave me the answer I needed. Assured me of my choice."

"Which is?"

Y/n looked at both of them beore saying in a steady voice, "No."

"What?!"

"Why?!"

Both the queen and the girl shouted at the same time, still looking surprised by her choice.

She put her palm over both of their mouths' as she said, "If you will just shut up and allow me to talk, I will explain."

Once they both stayed quiet, y/n let out a breath and said, "As I mentioned, my mother had a hand in this, in us crossing paths. That's why I feel as if I have forced myself upon Fenrys. If I accept this, I will force him to be with me because we didn't meet naturally. I am afraid that at some point, he will realise this and stop feeling all those things for me and leave like Azriel did. Like everyone always does-"

"I will have to stop you right there." Manon's voice sounded firm yet reassuring and determined as she placed a hand on y/n's shoulder.

"I understand your fears. You have had some hard times in your life it seems, and have loved the very few things you considered good. Such as those fae and especially Azriel. But, they left you alone after you have loved so much and been so vulnerable that now you find it hard to open up again. But believe me, y/n. That isn't your fault at all. They didn't leave because you were mean, bad, unusual or something else but because they themselves are the problem. They are the liars and hypocrites. Not you."

When y/n opened her mouth to say something, Manon put up a hand and said, "Now, as for the whole being sent here situation, if not now then when? If your mother wouldn't have done what she did at that exact time to get you here then when, exactly would you have a chance to come here again? To cross paths with Fenrys? He adores you, y/n. He is ready to go to the ends of the world as long as it's with you. Believe me, Fenrys has changed so much for the better since your arrival. No one has had this effect on him but you. Only you."

Y/n's eyes watered slightly as Eva hugged her silently and Manon squeezed her hand with a reassuring smile, "Just think about it."

Y/n gave her a small smile in return as she nodded her head and sat with them in a comforting silence a little more, thinking over what Manon just said.

It was sunset when she was sitting in the gazebo, staring out into the ethereal view of flowers and other plants. Her surroundings were so serene and peaceful, contrasting with her inner turmoil as y/n was once again, lost.

"May I?"

That voice that always caused a warm feeling to envelop her. That calm yet deep voice that never fails to make her squirm in her seat. The only voice that ever made her feel such things.

Fenrys' voice.

Y/n lifted her head up to see him standing in front of the gazebo, a small smile on his face, looking as angelic as ever. She managed to smile back and nod her head.

He came and sat right next to her, his comforting scent invading all her senses as she couldn't stop her body from leaning against him causing Fenrys to immediately wrap an arm around her waist and put his head on hers.

She felt so safe in his arms. So safe and protected, as if no harm could ever come to her as long as she was with him. And truthfully, y/n did start thinking that it was like that. But then again, another small part of her was still unsure, still telling her that this would never end well. That this was a forced story.

"You seem deep in thought"

His voice that seems to turn gentle only when talking to her brought her back from her thoughts as y/n asked him the question she has been dying to get an answer for.

"Are you truly happy to have me as a mate?"

"Where is this coming from?"

"I don't know, just.... I don't know"

She felt him pull her slightly away so that they can look at each other. Fenrys' brows were furrowed as he looked expectantly at her.

Y/n sighed, "I- I just- forget it."

"No, I won't forget it because you will tell me what is causing you any trouble so that I can smooth it out."

Her eyes widened, "You care about me that much? You- you would try to solve my problems for me?"

Fenrys' arm around her tightened as he said, "Of course I care about you. In fact, I more than care about you. Your troubles are my troubles and so, I would do everything in my power to get rid of every single one of them until you are feeling at peace. Feeling safe-"

"I do feel safe, Fen. Whenever I am with you is when I feel safe."

He seemed to be surprised about that because now it was his eyes that widened. "You do?"

"Of course I do, Fenrys. I feel safe, cared, supported, appreciated and even loved whenever I am with you. You have shown me the love no one has ever shown before. That's why I am afraid that you may doubt this at some point in the future. I am afraid that you- that your feelings will change and you will also leave-"

Her words were silenced by Fenrys' lips on hers. He kissed her fiercely, full of adoration and passion while his hand kept on caressing her back.

When he pulled away from her, his breath heaving, as he put both of his hands on each side of her face, "Never say such things ever again. I would never and I mean never knowingly hurt you. I would rather get my skin ripped off my body than ever betray you, princess. I am ready to spend an eternity with you, I will accept it right this moment, even. But I am more than willing to wait until you are ready to make a choice."

A tear slipped down her eye before Fenrys kissed it away as y/n smiled at him, feeling so warm after the confession he made. "I think- I think I know my answer, Fen. I just need a little more time to be sure."

Fenrys smiled brightly and kissed her other cheek as he pulled her back into his chest and put his head back on hers. "Once you are ready, I will be here, waiting and ready to soothe your doubts."

Once they arrived to dinner, the room was full with everyone chattering and discussing things, Dorian's voice loudest of all as he mentioned that there were only two days left until the lunar eclipse now.

"Well, with two groups, I believe we have a chance at winning." Lysandras confident voice filled the room as she playfully hit the back of Dorian's head while passing by his chair.

Y/n sat down next to Fenrys as she asked no one in particular, "Who is going where?"

Dorian smiled brightly and pointed to himself as he said, "Of course, the one and only me, Eva, Elide, Yrene and Lucien are staying with you. The rest are going after the valgs."

"And me." came Fenrys' voice from beside her, full of determination.

Aelin cleared her throat, "Fenrys, you can shift. You would be more helpful with us-"

"I am staying with y/n."

"Fenrys-"

"No."

"Fenrys," y/n put her hand on his, causing him to look at her, his gaze immediately softening.

"Please, you will be more helpful in the fight against the valg."

"But-"

"I will be fine, Fen. I won't be alone, right?"

Yrene nodded her head "Of course, we will be with you every step of the way."

Y/n smiled and looked back at him. "See? You shouldn't worry about me."

He sighed and clearly was willing to protest more but one look from y/n caused him to give her a resigned nod.

After a while, as everyone kept on talking, y/n noticed that Petrah seemed to be smiling which was the most unusual thing ever because y/n never saw her smile fully. One look at Lucien confirmed what she thought. He told her that they were mates and from the small shake of his head that Lucien gave y/n, she understood that neither of them haven't accepted the bond, just getting to first know more of one another. Just like her and Fenrys, it seems.

As the dinner went on, y/n's doubts were mostly fogotten as she immersed herself in the endless conversations happening around her, feeling more at home than she ever had. And through it all, she felt Fenrys' firm yet reassuring hold on her hand, his presence like a light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Y/n knew that this was far from over, that they had trouble coming in two days but right in this moment, she was more than ready to face whatever that was coming as long as she had Fenrys by her side.

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

Taglist: @ladespedidas @mis-lil-red @going-through-shit @kaitttttttt @blackgirlmagicforever

@acotar-writing @paleidiot @snoopyspace @stained-glass-eyes0708 @saltedcoffeescotch

@wallacewillow0773638 @cleverzonkwombatsludge @crazylokonugget @bunnyredgirl

@fullmoon-94 @thecraziestcrayon @idkwahr

@sstrohma @optimisticbabydreamer @rcarbo1 @batboygirlie

@glaciuswduo @rosewood-cafe @hannzoaks @mybestfriendmademe @anuttellaa

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

ooohh, alr,,! so can i pls request tan x crybaby and soft!reader. can it be abt how tan is always "mean" to everyone and then he is accidentally mean to the reader? (not wanting to ask too much but can the fic pls have some smut? i would love to see how tan would treat the reader) u can also do this w pietro if u want. Sorry that my request is long, luv ur work and baiii :)

- 😾

hii bby!! love love it! must admit I did kinda steer off course a little bit. thanks for requesting, hope you like it💌

MAKE TIME

tangerine x fem!reader

word count. 1089

warnings. 18+ only!! tiny bit of arguing, tan being a bit of a turd, but a total cutie after!! fingering, horny brainrot from writer. mdni

Tangerine is always coming and going with work, that his mind is often detached - thoughts spread out in more than one place at a time. Sometimes, it's hard for him to adjust to his surroundings, especially when he's constantly filtering between locations. 

Though, when he's with you, he's home. Back in your shared house, he's finally settled. 

But that doesn't stop him from bringing work home - he'd spend hours locked in his office, planning schedules and routes for upcoming missions, never once giving you an ounce of attention during his minimal time at home. 

You knew what you signed up for, though you hated how insignificant you felt compared to his work. You didn't like how he'd be so blase when it came to failed, planned date nights, how he'd be casual about cancelling for the fourth time in a row. You knew work was important to him, but eventually, you were hoping his view would change - that he'd value you more than some silly little mission. 

Tangerine had returned home from an assignment a mere hour ago, and all he had given you was seven measly words. You were planning on allowing him some time to adjust to being back home - to clean up, to clear his mind, but he never joined you back downstairs. 

You weren't angry or upset about it - you just felt disappointed. You always gave Tangerine leeway, constantly allowing him the benefit of the doubt; maybe he was tired from travelling or that he saw something gruesome. You were always sure to see from his side, so you often felt wounded when you didn't get the same treatment.

You wait on the sofa, phone in hand, as you consider sending him a text. Sending him a slither of your frustrations, but you decide not to - not wanting things to escalate.

And just like that, you hear footsteps trickle down the stairs, Tangerine accompanying the sound. 

"Hi," you call out from your spot on the sofa.

Your greeting goes unheard, your voice blocked out by his phone call.

"Mate, gimme a sec," he says into the receiver, pulling his phone away from his ear as he meets you.

"Oh, you got time for me now?" you quip.

"What's that now?" he asks, his tone alarmed. "Mhm?" he repeats, brows furrowing. 

You hear his friend make a snidey comment through the phone - something that loosens a screw in Tan's head. You watch from a near distance, seeing the change on his face.

"Alright, mate. Yeah, that's enough. I got it," he angrily dismisses, ending the call.

"What was that about?" you ask, perching higher from your corner spot, showing interest.

"Why would'ya fuckin' say that?" he snaps at you, eyes narrowing. "Now, I got him in my ear giving me a fuckin' bollocking and you—" he cuts himself off, watching the way your bottom lip wobbled under his reprimand. "No, love. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that— he just got in my head, and I—" he rambles, quick footsteps carrying himself to you.

He sits at the edge of the coffee table, facing you, taking your hands in his. "Darlin', that weren't meant for you," he hushes, thumbing over the back of your hand. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," you shrug, wiping your eyes with your shoulder. "I know," you sniffle, blinking away a few tears.

"No, it ain't," he shakes his head and slips a hand from your grasp, swiping away the wet under your eyes. "Did you mean that a minute ago?" he asks, his tone hesitant.

"Mean what?"

"About me not having time for you," he asks, eyes following you when you divert from his gaze.

You shrug once more, closing your eyes before nodding.

"Is that what you think?" he quietly questions.

"Kind of," you whisper. "Sometimes I don't feel important to you," your words soften, speaking like you were reluctant to share.

"Love," he draws out, hushing you. "That's—" he sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I never want you to feel like that... I guess I have been neglecting you lately," he admits. "The work is never-ending. My head is always frazzled, and I always try to get it done fast, so I have more time with you, but—" 

"I know," you reassure, slipping your hand into his. "I understand."

"How about this..." he proposes, leaning in to give you a chaste kiss. "I take some time off. And I can take you away? Really show how much I love you."

Your smile widens, eyes practically lighting up. "Okay," you nod, leaning forward to kiss Tangerine's lips. "I'd love that."

"Yeah?" he grins, almost boyishly. "Good. I'll make some calls later."

He brings your face back towards his, cupping your cheeks and kissing your lips soft and sweet, guiding you backwards - pushing you against the couch so he can hover above. He rests a hand on the back of the sofa, using it as stability as he towers over you, caging you. 

He parts from the kiss, both of you breathless from the sudden desperation it had turned into. His grip loosens from the side of your face, and his palm slowly travels downwards, slipping over your tits as he continues down. He runs his hand down your t-shirt-covered stomach, halting when he reaches the waistband of your lounge shorts.

"I have some time now," he offers, his tone teasing as his hand slides down the front of your underwear, fingers dancing over your slit. "Would that get me out the dog house?"

"Maybe," you reply, voice airy when you feel his thumb press over your clit, slowly circling it. "Possibly," you add, spreading your legs.

He hums, a soft, sultry coo against your skin, lips barely brushing yours. Dipping the pad of his middle finger between your folds, delving slowly into your cunt til the last knuckle. Long, thick finger wedged into you so nicely.

You keep him close to you, hands engulfing the sides of his face as you meet his lips, copying his slow, sloppy kisses. He begins pumping his finger inside you, hooking upwards as he rocks it into you, swallowing those pretty little sounds you make so well. 

He slowly adds his ring finger, joining it with his other - spreading you ever so slightly, leisurely fucking you with his two skilled fingers.

"I'll let you cum if you forgive me," he teases, picking up pace, rubbing against that gummy spot. "Say you forgive me, darlin'."

— — — — — — — — — — ☆ — — — — — — — — — —

tan taglist: (tagging bc it’s not a blurb/drabble) @tangerinesgf @kpopgirlbtssvt @earth-elemental18 @ashlynhasmanyhyperfixations @idontknowwhattohaveasmyuser @thewinterv @navs-bhat @ilovetangerinewithallmyheart @theredvelvetbitch @randomawesomeperson102 @lov3lypeaches7 @princess-pebbles-things @astermath @dynamitehacke @boldlyimportantface @charmedkim @fruitlovertangerine @psiiconic @bubblezuku @soradiccherryblossom @landryslove @daenerys-supremacy @dontknownameauthor @honestly-who-even-is-this @simplyreflected @apxtowiris

[daddysfangirls-marvel]

Polyamorous: Baby Tax

Steve rogers x female! reader x Bucky Barnes/ Stucky x female!Reader

Warning: fluff, baby talk

Ian West Rogers- Barnes, formally known as Ian West, was 15 months old and had been in the Roger-Barnes home for seven months since being released from the hospital. After being told his younger mother's story, they also received her ashes as well. They now sat in the living room along with a picture of her. She would not be forgotten or replaced. 

The Rogers-Barnes family had come together to welcome Ian into the home. Ash took three months off of work to get to know her new little brother and take care of her parents, yes, parents. As she had read somewhere that new parents often struggled the first few months and didn't take care of themselves. And they weren't letting a lot of people around or help due to Ian's health issues. So she stuck around to make sure they had help, took care of themselves, and that they adjusted well to the new arrangement. Going for that Daughter of the Year award.

Steve and Rogers also took three whole months off and then returned to part-time routines. Part-time routines, as in they returned to work as part-timers, but they route which of them would go to work and who would stay home and work and switch every two weeks. Unless something important or urgent happened, one of them would always be home. And this arrangement would last for the next six months. 

(Y/n) however, was and would always be home as she was a licensed and veteran nurse, and Ian had health issues. She took the first four months off completely to focus on baby Ian and only returned to work from home. She also allows herself to be put on call, but only for emergencies. She would not return to the compound until Ian's health issues were resolved or were no longer a serious threat. Everyone understood and did their best to never need her. 

Seven months into this arrangement, everyone they should be was back to work, to some extent. And the parents had rightfully given up.

NOT give up on Baby Ian but given up on all the parenting books and mommy and daddy blogs, realizing that they weren't helping any and, if anything, were causing more frustration and creating unattainable standards. They simply did the best they could and as they pleased as long as baby came out healthy and happy. 

This is probably why Pepper was looking at (Y/n) so bewildered. 

Pepper was seven months pregnant and came over to ask for some parenting advice to help prepare. Now she was currently sitting at the kitchen counter and watching (Y/n) with Ian on her hip make a drink and watching Ian stick his little fingers in every ingredient she pulled out. 

"Um... is that sanitary?"Pepper asked as she held her glass of water closer. 

" His hands are clean, and it's only a little milk and whipped cream. The consequences will be in his diaper, and I'll pass that on to Steve." (Y/n) joked. 

"Does he always do this?" 

"If I'm holding him and making something, yes. He likes to taste mommy's food. I don't hold him while I use the stove and such."  (Y/n) gave him a pacifier so she could have her frappuccino in peace. 

"You said you wanted advice? Don't be afraid of germs or messes. This baby is very messy and touchy. I can assure you your baby's fingers will be in everything. Their mouth, your mouth, your hair, your food, everything." 

(Y/n) moved to the living room, and Pepper followed. She put Ian on the floor mat with some toys before joining her on the couch.

" I don't think I have a lot of advice, and the advice I do have, I don't want to"

Pepper looked at her, confused. 

"My baby has sleep apnea and underdeveloped lungs. I'm not going to give you advice on that, Pepper, because I pray your baby won't end up like that." It was then Pepper truly looked at her and realized how exhausted (Y/n) looked, not in the way of not sleeping but in the way of someone who worried and pulled out their hair. Someone who had experienced and felt so much that they just couldn't anymore. She could still feel, but she could no longer find it in herself to react to her feelings. 

" If you ever want-"

"Absolutely not."

"I didn't -"

"You were going to say, 'If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here'. No, Pepper, you worry about your own baby, but I'm not going to dump any of mine on you. I won't do that. Not right now, at least. Maybe once he's healthier and started biting my ankles. But not when he is like this... I'm sorry." 

"You're sorry?"

"You came for advice. I don't have much to give." 

 " But you have." Pepper pat her on the back " You have shown me little of what I am to prepare for. Tiredness, fingers in all my food."

"Bucky calls it the Baby Tax—payment for always having baby close. Don't be discouraged by the sanitary implication or the mess, Pepper. It's a very good price." 

"She's right," Steve said as he came around the corner. It was his time to be home. He kissed (Y/n) forehead and squeezed Pepper's shoulder before joining Ian on the floor. "I, too, thought it disgusting and unhealthy at first, but over time...it's just adorable now. In the realm of Baby taxing, keep your baby clean and watch what you eat or make. Everything should be fine."

"The way you talk, you'd think this was your 3rd baby," Pepper chuckled. 

"I think we just got into too many parent blogs and books. Dove head first into those too many expectations and high standards. I think those Blogs forget each situation, and each baby is different." Steve said as he pulled Ian onto his chest. " Hey, that's some good advice. Your baby is different from all the other babies in the world. Remember that, and You'll figure out the rest on your own."  

"While we can't give you advice on birthing or raising your pretty baby, I can advise you on cleaning messes and where to buy certain products such as toys, clothes, and food."

-

"How is prep going?" Bucky asked Tony. 

Tony was aware Pepper was at his house and caught a ride with him after work so he could bring his wife back without taking another car. 

"Prep?"

"Prep for the baby. You got less than 10 weeks left."

"Yeah, the nursery is done. Diapers, wipes, and toys—we got all the goods." Despite talking it out over the years and getting past the obvious, Tony found it awkward having this conversation with Bucky. The two weren't friends, more like a friend of my friend type of situation. Besides the initial short talk about his parents, the two had never had a conversation with just each other, nor were they ever left alone ( unless for work/a mission).

"That's good. If you need anything, Steve and I are here for dad stuff." That was definitely not what he was expecting. He didn't really know how to react to that.  They sat in silence for a few minutes with just that. 

"How is the dad stuff?"

"It's ah going pretty good. A few hick-ups, but that's to be expected.....It's actually ... I'm not having the problems I thought I would."

"Like what?" Tony asked cautiously.

"My arm," Bucky whispered, looking down at the medal appendage. Bucky had two different prosthetics. One for work - heavy vibranium metal, bulletproof, explosive proof, with super strength ( a quarter stronger than his actual strength), with a heating and cooling system. And one for home- lightweight, light Vibranium metal, bulletproof, with an attached nerve system, so he could feel everything like a normal hand. "Thank you, by the way."

"She knew you'd worry about it," Tony said. (Y/n) had approached him about Bucky's arm before they adopted the boy. She knew his fear and asked Tony to make something infant-friendly. Truly, all he did was make it more lightweight, take away the strength, and make sure he could feel his child with both hands. " I was happy to help."

"My dreams,"  while his trip to Wakanda cleared his mind, he still had nightmares from time to time and woke up violently. Fortunately, Steve and (Y/n) were always there to bring him back. "Work, enemies. We've got a lot."

"yeah, we do," Tony said. " Good thing we got Stark and super soldier security. No one is getting through our front door unless we want them to." 

"And if they do, we'll kill them."

"So violent." Tony walked back to his workbench.

" Don't dive into parenting books and blogs. That is my dadvice to you."

"Dadvice"

"Oh, diaper duty is your duty, at least for the first month." Tony made a stink face and shivered. Bucky Chuckled " Should have worn a condom then."

Inspired by Tiktok

[asaka-lucy-hl]

I've only played The Hundred Line for about 50-60 hours so far, so I'm still in the dark about many of the mysteries of the story. Still, I've seen about seven endings.

Also, after reading some reviews on Steam, I had a few thoughts I wanted to write down here—mainly as a reminder for myself. (There are no spoilers regarding the main story or the mysteries, but just in case, I collapsed them.)

Most of the reviews I read were in Japanese, and I was a little relieved to find that many people seem to share the same impressions I currently have.

The one point that came up repeatedly was: "The chime animation that marks the beginning and end of each day is way too long." I agree with this. Seeing so many people mention it makes me hopeful that a future update might allow us to skip it.

Also, although I didn’t see this mentioned much in the Steam reviews, I’ve been playing the Nintendo Switch version—and maybe due to the Switch’s hardware limitations—the loading times have become quite noticeable.

Back when the demo was released, I remember seeing a few people comment that “The Switch version’s loading is a bit slow,” but it didn’t really bother me at the time. However, now that I’ve played more, the long load times during exploration are starting to wear on me.

Some Steam reviews describe the exploration as really boring, but I think I’m the kind of person who gets along well with board game-style systems. I used to play those kinds of games for hours on end as a kid, so the gameplay itself doesn’t feel dull to me.

That said, the loading time before exploration begins, the loading time when a battle starts, and the loading time when returning to the academy after exploration—all three have become increasingly frustrating. 😵‍💫 The long wait before battles in particular just feels like such a shame. If the game could jump straight into battles instantly, I think people’s impressions might be quite different...

I’m still very much into the game, but in the end, my desire to uncover the mystery surrounding Nozomi has gotten the better of me, so I’ve started progressing through what I believe to be the true route. I’m a little worried that once I finish it, I might lose all interest in playing the rest.

It was announced in advance that the true route scenario was written by Kodaka, and I find that his writing has a way of putting me at ease. I don’t know why, but there’s something comforting about it.

In particular, I feel that the way Takumi is written stands out. Kodaka's version of the character is by far my favorite. Because of that, I feel a bit reluctant to read through everything he wrote too quickly - I want to savor it.

That’s how I feel at the moment! Overall, I’m still enjoying the game. Since I don’t want The Hundred Line to take up all my free time and leave me no chance to draw, I’ve been limiting how much I play. Still, I hope I can finish the true route sometime this month.

That’s all for now!

[twstfanblog]

So how did azul find his girls???

Evil Dad AU meeting story 2 unlocked!

As stated, Azul's girls sink a ship that he had promised safe passage. That deal falling through really puts him in a delicate position so he's of course, PISSED. He demands the Tweels look into who sunk that ship and potentially fucked up his whole operation. The Tweels come back saying...by the rumors that...the Sea Witch...was the one who did it... Azul, The Sea Witch: Azul: WHAT!? After more research, they head to where this 'Sea Witch' is supposed to live. Finding an abandoned coral cliff close to a coastline, Azul is already angry and demanding whoever is impersonating him comes out RIGHT NOW. So imagine their surprise as what could only be described as 'Little Girl Azul' pops out from the coral to yell at them to be quiet. After a few moments of the Tweels looking back and forth between Azul and who is CLEARLY his daughter, Azul finally remembers what he was doing and starts demanding she tell him who she is Charysa: What do you have a monopoly on being an octomer? Azul: I-No! I just- Charysa: Look. I'm a very busy girl and I haven't got all day unlike SOME PEOPLE apparently. Just speak your wish and I shall grant it, for a price of course. It's a back-and-forth of sass and underhanded comments before Charysa agrees to not fuck with the route anymore if Azul brings a contract detailing a fair deal for them both. Azul, not really knowing how this young girl sunk a whole ass trading vessel alone, decides to agree to said terms. Azul DOES write the contract and they come back to do the deal, only the mer who exits the coral is SCYLAR. a fact none of them notice because as far as they know, there was only one. it's more sass, but now this child is MOCKING Azul saying this deal wasn't fair in the slightest and if he assumed she couldn't read (Like he couldn't at her age. BURN) Azul snatches the contract back, ready to point how she can't read because the contract CLEARLY SAYS-... The contracts change during each meeting. The sisters switching back and forth to get around any verbal contracts by saying they were only going to keep their word for a week. Knowing Azul only talks to them each once a week with the travel time to get to their coral cliff. Azul is BLINDED by his frustration about being mocked by a 'toddler' but the tweels are more aware that something is going on and that One is more than likely Two. They also...can do basic math and are 90% sure these kids are Azul and Yuu's children. A fact that Azul refuses to accept because he's been getting the run around by CHILDREN.

Azul: Those smug little upstarts are not- Jade: Remember. They'd also be Yuu's children. Azul: Azul sighs, finally relaxing and allowing himself to think about things clearly. Azul: By the Seven, they're mine...Well…they'll have to be punished for targeting their father… From there, Azul realizes that they most likely have the missing conch. And they're both clearly too young to use it to its full capabilities. While they can't use it to 'take' things, it'll be easy to figure out how to use it to 'replace' things. Like words on a contract.

Azul chooses to use what is basically chemical warfare. Makes a scenario where he can spill a potion into the water during a meeting without the current twin knowing about it. It gives them a severe stomach ache, but without knowing the full effect of the potion is concerning enough to warrant a doctor's visit. Scylar, panicked and wanting the deal over with so she can get her sister to a doctor, tries to rush through the signing of the contract Azul brings their next meeting. Azul, smug, snatches the contract out of reach and just coos. Azul: Oh dear! Why so frazzled? In fact, I'm rather surprised you look so well. That potion I used is known to put even the Tweels on bedrest until the antidote is given…then again one of you is on bedrest, isn't she? Scylar: Scylar bolts back into the reef, trying to get to Charysa in an effort to escape. Unfortunately, the Tweels are adults and much faster, so they're both caught fairly quickly. Azul knows they are his and Yuu's children. And now he has the perfect method for getting Yuu to come right back to him and he gets a family. Win-win for everyone in his eyes. But when he asks them where their mother is, they admit they haven't seen Yuu in two years, as the port they use to meet Yuu at was overrun with guards and her wanted posters one day. Azul is mad; One, because that means Yuu ISN'T a mer like he thought which would explain why he couldn't find her over the years. Two, he has to find a clear-cut way to lure Yuu back into the water. As such, he let his children live alone in a dead coral. So, in a turn of irony, he locks the twins into the cleared-out safe room. Claiming them as his two new treasures. (He does let them out as they all get more used to each other. And Azul's efforts to make them trust him via pampering them REALLY pays off.)

[umgeorge]

"Spa Counts As A Victory For Me"

In an interview with auto motor und sport, George Russell reveals why Spa counts as a victory for him, why the Mercedes has become a winning car again, and how he sees his new teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Was the denied victory at Spa your greatest race? Russell: Absolutely, for a number of reasons. I trusted my gut feeling that I could get through the second set of tires. I protected the tires where I had to and attacked where the tires didn't mind. Four corners still had the old aggressive asphalt. I had to be careful, more so in left-hand bends than in right-hand bends. It felt like I was sitting in the simulator. I didn't see any cars in the rearview mirror or in front of me. That happens very rarely. There weren't even lapped cars there.

When were you sure that you would no longer be caught up? Russell: On the two large video walls on the track I could see my lead over Lewis, Leclerc and Piastri lap after lap. I counted every round. With ten laps to go I had 13 seconds to spare and they were gaining seven tenths per lap. I knew then: If they caught up with me, it would only be at the very end. And overtaking was harder this time than usual. That gave me confidence. When I saw the checkered flag it was an indescribable feeling. Let's be honest: For me, this race counts as a victory, even if it was taken away from me. I was first across the finish line. I stood on the podium and celebrated with my team. Everything you do when you really win.

How big was the disappointment after the disqualification? Russell: She was limited. I'm not fighting for the title this year. The 25 points I lost might end up costing me third or fourth place in the World Championship, but I'm not racing to be third or fourth. If it had still been about the World Cup, this disqualification would have haunted me longer. Together with the defect at Silverstone, I've already lost 40 points.

When was the frustration digested? Russell: Pretty quickly. It helped that the very next day I went on vacation with my girlfriend, my sister, my brother-in-law and their newly born child. I'm an uncle now. It was easy for me to leave the Formula 1 world.

When did you hand the trophy to Lewis? Russell: I didn't. I don't even know where it is now. I found out just 25 minutes after the end of the race that there was a problem with the car. That's why I didn't take the trophy with me.

Would a full victory lap to pick up tire shreds have saved you? Russell: I think so. This is a procedure that you already do in the kart. My set of tires weighed over a kilogram less than Lewis's. We've never had such a big difference. I was 500 grams lighter than my usual fighting weight. And the plank under my car had worn more, which also added up to a few hundred grams. These three factors led to the underweight. A tire with a pickup truck easily weighs 400 grams more. With four tires that would have been enough.

We have already seen a few times that one-stop strategies led to success even though they were not actually thought to be feasible. Is this a lesson for the future? Russell: I think that during the race you have to examine the circumstances even more and react to them if necessary. In Spa on race day there was suddenly a strong tailwind on the long straight. That made overtaking very difficult. You have to adapt your strategy. The route itself also plays a role. With the little grand pianos in Spa, the DRS gave you two and a half tenths. In Barcelona it would have been six tenths. My tactics from Spa would never have worked in Barcelona.

Four cars can win a Grand Prix. A mistake on Friday can cost you victory on Sunday. Is that in the back of your mind? Russell: The smallest detail can make a huge difference. Saturday and Sunday. In the last two years it wouldn't have mattered whether we qualified two tenths faster or slower. The starting position would have been the same. Today there is a difference of five starting places. In Zandvoort we made a mistake with the setup. We only realized that afterwards. That's why we ended up in the middle of nowhere. But that's how racing should be. That's how it was in karting, in Formula 3 and Formula 2.

Can the Mercedes win on every track? Russell: We surprised ourselves in Spa, but we showed less than we can do in Zandvoort. In Monza we were strong on one lap, but we lacked the speed in the race. We still struggle to understand why we are fast or not. But the big swings are no longer there. But the others aren't doing any better either. But I think McLaren is still slightly ahead.

What still needs to be improved on the car? Russell: We struggle more when the rear tires are under a lot of pressure. This increases the hotter it is. Then the traction suffers. The problem is not easy to understand. Our predictions are true in reality. We know what we gain or lose depending on the temperature. But it doesn't do us any good to compare ourselves with ourselves. We lose more relative to the competition when it's hot. The question is: Are our opponents particularly good in the heat or are we not good enough? The same applies to cooler conditions. Either we are particularly strong or the others are bad compared to us. And these are exactly the little things that can have huge effects.

Hamilton and you praised the current car from the start, even though Red Bull dominated at the start of the season like last year. What gave you the confidence that the W15 could be made into a winning car? Russell: For the last two years we've had a car that's been extremely moody. When we pushed to the limit in the corners, the rear started to slip at the entrance to the corner. No matter what vehicle setup, we simply couldn't get rid of this problem. When we tested the current car for the first time in Bahrain, we were confronted with the opposite handling. But we knew we could solve this problem much easier and faster. That was the turning point for us. That's why the upgrades worked. Each change put the car in a better window. The old problem was essentially in the DNA of the chassis and therefore could not be eliminated.

From your perspective, the last two years have probably been disappointing. In the end, did you learn more from the difficulties? Russell: The last two years have flown by, and I feel like I still have 15 to 20 years ahead of me. That's why I don't see it as wasted time. As a racing driver, you always want a perfect car. You learn that this is not possible. When you have success over a long period of time, people think it lasts forever. This is a fallacy. When Vettel became world champion four times in a row, you couldn't imagine that someone else would win. The same with Lewis and now maybe with Max too. If the season had started after the summer break, nobody could say who would be world champion. These wave movements are the nature of this sport.

This is the third year now that you have been racing on an equal footing with Lewis Hamilton. Did it surprise you that you can consistently keep up with one of the best drivers of all time? Russell: I never had any doubt that I could compete with the best. And I have been working towards this opportunity. I became champion in all junior categories. The results spoke for themselves. When I entered Formula 1 with Williams, over three years I always beat my teammates in qualifying, with two exceptions. That was confirmation, but not headline news. That's why I wanted the opportunity to assert myself against Lewis because that was the only way I could show what I can do. Toto Wolff and Mercedes knew it beforehand. They didn't need that confirmation. Lewis is a complete racer and I learned a lot alongside him. But I knew that I could keep up with him in terms of sheer speed.

The qualification duel, which ends 12:4 clearly in their favor, also speaks for this. Russell: I'm really happy with my performance in qualifying this year. Mentally I have never been as strong as I am now. Qualification is purely a matter of your head. Every driver on the grid knows how to drive fast. But it is important to show this at the crucial moment. You sit in your car for 45 minutes on Saturday afternoon and everything revolves around a lap in Q3. You have exactly one round in which it's all or nothing. In which your weekend is decided. Then no one cares anymore how fast you were in FP1, FP2, FP3, Q1 or Q2. I have worked for a long time to ensure that I can perform optimally at the right moment. But it's always extremely close between Lewis and me. There is only one driver pairing that is even closer together in terms of lap time.

You will be the veteran and team captain at Mercedes in 2025. Are you ready for this? Russell: This is the next step in my journey. I'll be in the team for four years and part of the Mercedes family for eight or nine years. I feel ready in every way to fight for the World Championship in 2025. I also feel ready to be a little better together with the team every race and to help develop the car further. Next year we will build on what Lewis and I have sown over the last three years.

Your new teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli is joining a top team straight away. Is it easier or harder for him than you, who was able to study with Williams for three years? Russell: When you're thrown in at the deep end, you learn faster. From my experience I can say that I learned more in my first year alongside Lewis than in my three years at Williams. Every driver who has won championships in their career is fast. You can put him in a top team in his first year, like Lewis once did at McLaren. I'm sure that Charles at Ferrari or Max at Red Bull would have done a good job in a smaller team even without the pre-season preparation. Maybe at the expense of one or two mistakes, but that's part of it. Kimi will learn from this. You either have the speed or you don't. Kimi has it.

[k4txlulzz]

yknow now that i think about it, if mystic messenger wasn't so loyal to traditional gender roles it would not have the issue of "female character does emotional labor for the male characters and puts up with their bs"

if only mc was not stuck in a traditional role of "soft nurturer girl" and able to be a lot more proactive and take on the "protector" role instead

i read an amazing honkai star rail analysis on gender identity in aventurine's story and loved that it basically reverses the roles ; which is, as the author of that analysis said, probably one of reasons why he is a popular character amongst ladies . why cant cheritz do the same ? i honestly think it could really benefit the narrative!

cheritz needs to realize that by liberating our fem mc from traditional gender roles it will give her more power and make the issue i began this post with almost nonexistent. y'all alrdy have two canonically queer characters, you might as well stop with the archaic gender norms😭its okay for her to be the knight instead of the damsel in distress

it's especially frustrating when its with characters like saeyoung, who, in my opinion, require protection more than actually being the protector lol . (hes also one of the two before mentioned queer characters so this gender norm issue is especially confusing in his route)

this is one of the reasons why i like hana from the webtoon !! shes more proactive and bold, which also leads to her basically speedrunning seven's whole "im too dangerous for you go away" shenanigans

and again we circle back to "if only mystic messenger mc was non-binary" 🥲 .... these issues would be nonexistent

[musingmelsuinesmelancholy]

culmination of the Pleiades

After nearly a full year of "stellar holy days" (I missed the acronychal rising) I am certain that this is the route I'm gunna take. I want to figure out the acronychal setting and helical setting, Morgan Daimler only gives four dates in her book. Very tentatively creating a narrative around the cycle of the seven sisters relating to my witch queen. I need more information and experience before I have anything concrete. I'd also like to learn more about Venus and start incorporating "Venusian holy days" into my ritual calendar. Venus's conjuncts the cluster very closely, .20 something degrees every 8 years. I think there's less close conjunctions every year too. Her journey from evening to morning star could, potentially, fit in nicely with the mythic narrative I have in mind. Interested in Orion, Sirius and Puppis (agro navis) too. Not too sure how or if they'll fit in yet.

SO frustrated with myself for missing the acronychal rise, I'll have an incomplete picture till next year haha. Completely agree with Daimler about this being a time of heightened otherworld activity. The Queen appearing less like a light emerging from the deep, as she felt during the helical rise in June. instead, she felt more like a Sovereign Queen, wise and mature, hung high in her rightful place. A light delighting in the inky indigo of the night. To quote Briar, loosely "at night the heavens drown"-this describes the feeling well. During the rite it felt like I had a hundred eyes on me, the wind picked up at rather interesting points during my rite. Very shrieky and musical sounding. Don't know if id describe it as a gate being opened as I don't believe there's a "veil".

Decided to celebrate Samonios on this night too; nothing too elaborate. Just prayers and offerings of homemade baked goods. Felt watched, perceived. Sometimes when I pray it's like speaking to air, this time it felt like there was a presence. Unsettling but I'll take it as a good sign. Though the gaulish calendar is a lunar one, holy days falling two new moons after the solstices/equinoxes (correct me if I'm wrong). Samonios would've fallen on nov 1st this year, if I'm not mistaken. I've celebrated it on the date corresponding with the Coligny Calendar too, had a similar but less intense experience.

"Yes, I do believe the Pleiades were celebrated as original markers for certain holy days- and world mythology does support this of course-but because of the drift in timing we can't just go back to that. The conjunction isn't in late March anymore it's in May; the heliacal rising isn't in May it's in June. That makes a significant difference when these aren't just static dates but also living traditions. The mythology and focuses that we do have for the oldest stories of the Pleiades don't work anymore when the timing has shifted so radically. We have to find the threads of old and hints of the significance this may have had for us in our own forms of historic paganism, and even back before into into the roots of the Neolithic and bronze ages, and then work those traces into a viable modern system." Morgan Daimler, Living Fairy.

[juminies]

Don't know if you've ever talked on this subject or not, but what's your interpretation on Jumin's relationship with Jaehee after her good ending? Really love how mindfully you explain Jumin's feelings and actions, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter! Especially bc her route kinda leaves many people feeling like he's an antagonist of sorts 😬 But I kinda always felt like he'd respect her a lot, especially once he sees how much passion she puts into her dream? And Jaehee shows her genuine care for Jumin, too, moreso after his infamous crash. I'm kinda babbling here, but yeah! Really curious to read up on your interpretation <3

I haven't talked about this before actually—I think there's a lotttt of nuance to it and I didn't want to be haphazard with it in case it comes across as me being over lenient with corporate heirs or whatever hahah. I promise I'm not! I just love Jumin. Also sorry this took me a while to answer, I had actually just started a game the day you sent it with the intention of doing Jaehee's route so I decided I would play before responding to ensure it was fresh in my mind. I hadn't played her route in so long, and I wanted to get the Jumin outgoing calls too!

To get into how I think he would treat her after some time passes I first want to discuss their dynamic in her route a bit, because I honestly think people are unnecessarily harsh on him because of it sometimes. I personally don't feel as if they pushed him too far into an antagonistic role, but perhaps since Cheritz weren't bringing in an outsider (à la Echo Girl or Sarah Choi) to act as the driving force it seemed that way to some people? It was inevitable given the nature of Jaehee's struggles that Jumin would be viewed as the bad guy in a sense, but I feel like it's often sort of blown out of proportion due to a misunderstanding of both Jumin's intentions and his character as a whole. He is admittedly at his worst in Jaehee's route, but people tend to brush his actions during it off as completely out of line and absurd and then go on to use it to totally mischaracterise him as someone who doesn't value his employees whatsoever or is an abusive boss. In reality though, the way he acts as a superior in general as well as given the specific circumstances is very... Jumin? in that it's logical and efficient and goal-driven. Jaehee's route is such a push and pull in the sense that the two of them clash repeatedly in a scenario where neither person is willing to compromise—for what, to each of them personally, is good reason! Jaehee is a victim of a wider system, of capitalism itself, less so than of Jumin as an individual.

On one hand, Jaehee having to give up a project she was finally actually enjoying working on would be incredibly frustrating, even without having something she actively dislikes stacked on top of it. I get why she went against Jumin's wishes of doing a bad job (why would she choose now of all times to put in half of her effort when it's something she's actually having fun with?) and I get why she used Seven's cat hotel proposal. Life can be messy like that. Sometimes you have to make a decision that has a shitty outcome for someone else for your own sake or vice versa. She should be doing something that makes her happy, and had she not gotten the encouragement to find something she loves she would have continued to feel unfulfilled for god knows how long. Plus, in regard to the coffee report she is still technically doing her job and doing it well, even if going against her boss' personal wishes in doing so. She also does use her own time to revise it in the end so Jumin can have his way (and maybe a little bit so she can use her ideas for her own place) so, to me, that says she understands where he's coming from and doesn't particularly resent him. It's a complex situation for sure, and objectively Jumin does have the upper hand even if he doesn't quite realise the extent of it. I absolutely support Jaehee in her endeavours; I love her so much and she absolutely deserves better than eternal C&R bullshit.

At the same time, Jumin's perspective does make sense if you try to understand his worldview a bit more. Jaehee is the only person at C&R he feels he can genuinely rely on, and when he's already been thrown through a loop with his father prior to her disobedience it's entirely logical that he would feel as if everyone who should be working with him is suddenly against him. Jumin has been shown before to not quite have a grasp on the social standing he holds over Jaehee, for example in this chat from deep story day 2 where he doesn't understand why she can't tell him, as he told her, that she doesn't like seeing him in chatrooms.

And I think it's genuine obliviousness as opposed to purposeful ignorance; he overlooks bigger structures at play because he legitimately values hearing the honest opinions of the people around him and expects them to have a mutual respect for him. As far as Jumin is concerned his employees should be able to come to him with honest feedback, but of course that typically isn't the case and so Jaehee can't express how she really feels to him lest she face consequences. Jumin's thought process when it comes to employment is shown to be, to put it simply, people work for money -> more work is more money -> more work is good, and it hasn't been explained to him why this isn't the case for a lot of people. Jaehee's actions register to Jumin as is simply a betrayal of his trust and respect, because he doesn't quite see the level at which he and Jaehee are on unequal footing in the first place. On top of that he is rigid in that he needs everything to be done as he expects it; he does not like sudden change and (as demonstrated in his own route) can be incredibly rattled by it if he is already otherwise stressed or overworked. Just because he stands strong for his friends does not mean he is entirely invulnerable to being overwhelmed and acting out, and while I completely agree he was on some level being selfish in regards to the cat project, at the point where Jaehee quits she has already left him with what (to Jumin) is a mess to handle essentially on his own. He is overworked too, something Jaehee admits herself, and he wanted to transfer the coffee project to another department both to make less work for the two of them and in order to not succumb to his father's lack of consideration for anyone or anything but his current partner.

Again I do not blame Jaehee for anything she did whatsoever—I think it was a good idea for her to quit and she absolutely deserves the happiness she finds in MC and their café!—but Jaehee is incredibly competent and Jumin knows that. Consequently he knows she has big boots to fill and it can't be done on a whim. I'm sure you can see why he would be incredibly frustrated. As a whole it's just a very messy situation where the two of them can't really fathom the other's perspective. Their lives and outlooks on the world are so intrinsically different at this turning point in Jaehee's life, and that's fine. Neither of them have bad intentions towards the other whatsoever.

Now to actually answer your question! Firstly I want to put out there that he says this on days nine and ten respectively:

Then I want to add that I do not think Jumin is the type to hold a grudge. He is shown frequently to take on a sort of each to their own/whatever will be will be attitude, and though this situation is something that impacts him directly I can't imagine him taking it any more personally in the long term than he would anything else. Sure he's a little hostile in her AE, but to be completely honest with you I do not think he would have gone to visit the café at all if he was completely furious and had lost all respect for Jaehee (and/or MC) after her endeavours. Again he knows that Jaehee is highly capable, hardworking, and generally a very good person, and I can't imagine that one rocky dilemma between the two of them is something that would make him bad tempered around her forever. He still clearly held her highly and has a lot of respect for her despite their differences, and she doesn't seem to have any ill will towards him either. Ultimately, as you say, he would grow to respect her passion and would hear her out on why she took the course of action she did in the end. While Jumin may not be great at putting himself in others shoes he can identify patterns well, and it lets him draw parallels between his own experiences and other people's. Once he finds the common ground (he knows how fulfilling passion projects can be, he knows how frustrating it can be to work yourself to the bone for others' sake without any real incentive, and he values real friendship an awful amount) I think he would accept it.

I actually feel like hypothetically in the long term not working together would be good for their relationship in terms of RFA too—Jaehee was only made part of the group originally because of Jumin and it meant that all of their interactions even amongst their mutual friends were that of a work relationship. We know they both dislike being in chatrooms together and dislike hearing each other talk outside of work, which was bound to have put a strain (even if very minor) on their association with RFA as an organisation. Jaehee even says herself it's like an extension of C&R for her! Dropping the working boundary between them means less tiptoeing around each other and more openness among friends, especially for Jaehee.

As for Yoosung becoming Jumin's intern/assistant, I don't think it would carry the same tone into RFA as it did with Jaehee since they are already well associated without the business relationship prior to Yoosung being hired. Sure things might be a little weird at times, but no discomfort or frustration to the same extent. It's already shown to be kind of unserious and silly, and I honestly don't think Yoosung would last long as Jumin's assistant anyway, lol.

[hillbillyoracle]

For the longest time I’ve been thinking these thoughts as well that I don’t think the Ace label fits me completely. It’s not completely wrong but it’s not the whole picture. Before I came to this same understanding I made the decision to not have children or get married. Now that I’m coming to terms with the fact that I actually have low energy I’m still not sure how life will look. I was starting to think that I was non commital and that my ideal relationship would just be a long term partner. I don’t think I have the energy for « society’s relationship expectations » and I don’t feel like bothering other people because I already know they don’t want to deal with me. What are some of your long term relationships tips? It’s either that or I stay single forever which is an idea that’s I’ve always considered as an option. One of the things with being Ace is that when you don’t just follow the script that’s when your the villain. Any other time our sexuality is convient for the system so it’s fine but the minute it starts disrupting their program suddenly what was once admirable is now disdained. Can we briefly mention what sexual power looks like when your this sexuality. I’m super self conscious about how I dress because I know I can’t event express my sexuality the way I want to because people might get the wrong impression. I’m not looking for anything I’m expressing myself because with the little energy I have left I use for creativity. I don’t have a problem with people doing things to signal sexual willingness my problem is the violence in our society when someone finds you hot and you don’t want to « put out » That’s not even getting into the mind games that the genders are playing with each other just the idea of it makes me not want to date. I’m tired just thinking about it. I’m really starting to imagine my life as the village witch living in the forest far from the villagers.

I also don't know that Ace/Aro really fits me but whatever I'm experiencing is at least Ace/Aro adjacent because there's a major overlap in experiences - getting frustrated with compulsory sexuality/romance, chaffing against society being organized around romantic and sexual coupling, simply not having impulses that my friends and family do. I made the decision very young that I didn't want to get married. I wanted to care for children but I didn't necessarily want to physically have any. So I knew from a pretty young age I was going a different route - in those ways I really relate to a lot of aceness.

However, I'm hearing from so many people that dating has become exhausting. And it's substantially more of a sentiment than it was say 10 years ago. Research backs this up - fewer people are dating and having sex. The younger you are, the more pronounced this is. So clearly there's also been a cultural shift in and around dating that's made it unsustainable for a lot of people as well. I'm sure that's also shaping my desire too.

So it's difficult to parse for me.

I think I have very little in the way of advice for long term relationships for a few reasons.

One, while I've been with my partner for seven years, it's been a tumultuous relationship. She was originally diagnosed with BPD and more recently was diagnosed with NPD. While I care about her a whole lot, she's not exactly emotionally available and it's taken years of painstaking effort on my part to establish norms and guide us toward a point of relative stability in our home life. Even if therapy and treatment eventually lead to her being more available, the likelihood of other aspects of a typical relationship (sexual desire, level of romantic reciprocity, etc) lining up seem low.

"Then leave!" I always hear.

No. Because on some level this works. We both are polyam/relationship anarchists who value our friendships very highly and build parts of our lives around them. We have similar preferences in how home and finances should be maintained. She has few preferences in areas I have many and vice versa. She's very good at things I suck at (bureaucracy, paying bills, speaking with officials, etc) and I'm good at things she sucks at (meal planning, ordering and organizing inventory, maintaining a social calendar, etc). While she's far from perfect, she's the most functional and helpful roommate I've ever had. I simply cannot afford to live on my own and neither could she.

So I feel like I have little to offer in the way of long term relationship advice other than don't be afraid to establish relationship norms that aren't common in other relationships. If the other person is on board, you're not harming any one. I know of no one who's been living with someone for 5+ years who has stuck 100% to the classic romantic formula for success.

My parents have been together for 30+ years and have always maintained a high degree of autonomy and alone time - even with my mom's stroke leaving her paralyzed on her right side several years ago. I have a friend who's lived separately in the same town from her long term partner of multiple years and they're both quite happy with that arrangement. I think often of the research lead I worked under who lived in a completely different city than her husband for 10+ years. They visited each other's spaces most weekends but not all.

A lot of things people swear are innately part of a relationship are really optional. The base model is respect and mutual appreciation, everything else is an upsell. Take it or leave it.

Per dressing to express - I think miscommunication is just always going to happen. People act according to their lenses and there's no way to completely circumvent that. And yeah, they're hellishly rude and can even be dangerous about that but there's no way to be totally free of it since it's so far outside of ones own control.

I have found no way to accurately communicate my sexuality/preferences through my appearance with any reliability. My classic example of this for me is that it seems like no matter how I dress, people on dating apps assume I'm a top/dom/pleasure centered. Even when I included a picture of me in self bondage and explicitly listed my preferences on one more open minded app - only seemed to get interest from bottoms/subs/pleasure centered folks. Many of whom didn't bother to ask they were so certain - just based on my look. I've just come away from those experiences pretty convinced that people see what they want to see regardless of how hard you try to communicate yourself.

So fuck em. As frustrating as it all is there's really only one path I've found - do what you want (as long as you're not hurting anyone.)

Cause like what the fuck else is there to do?

[fierce-little-miana]

I really like your fic and I'm love how you do Chizuru and Kaoru relationship. I must admit I'm was very disappointed with how they handle Kaoru in the game, like no kidding he did horrible things and wanted to make his sister suffer but at the same he was a victim of abuse. I wanted a route for him - platonic of course - where he and Chizuru would make up or at least come to a understanding

Thank you so much for the kind words about my fic. It is always super nice to hear some feedback on it. If you like how it focuses on the Kaoru&Chizuru relationship you might have a nice surprise in the coming days (provided that you do not hate modern AU).

I perfectly understand your frustration with how Kaoru was treated in the game (though I am even more frustrated by how he was dispatched in the movie!).

I have only finished Okita's route (good ending only - I don't have enough time to play right now) in the Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi version, but I am super eager to receive my copy of the Switch version so I can play Sannan's route and the other one (Yamazaki? Sakamoto?) in which Kaoru plays an important role. I want more Kaoru content!

That being said, I did not find the content I got in Okita's route to be frustrating at all. I think Kaoru is a well-written and coherent character in it. He is not sane, he does horrible things, his goals are megalomaniac and very probably unachievable even if everything went as he wanted, but it all makes sense. He can't come back from what happened to him, he is stuck in a headlong rush. There is no escape. He is a well-executed tragic character.

I love tragedy so I love Kaoru. I love him even more because having him as a villain sort of anchors Okita's route as a route deeply centered on Chizuru and since she is sort of the main character you know… Well, narratively the oppositions "ChizuruVsKaoru" and "OkitaVsKaoru" are super interesting to me.

So I don’t mind that Kaoru is a tragic character who could not escape his cruel fate. Even if some days I believe that there was a short window in which he could have been brought back toward the light (I might write a fic about this idea one day). Other days I truly believe that Kaoru was too far gone the minute he decided to take control of the Nagumo clan to ever come back from the path he had decided to travel.

(This is basically me about Kaoru)

But I totally agree with you about something super important: Kaoru is without a doubt a victim of abuse (child abuse from when he was seven, and the game is not clear on when this stopped, sometime before the beginning of the game? sometime in 1864 taking advantage of the political turmoil in Tosa han?) that might very well have a sexual and scientific experimental dimension. That abuse ended in blood when Kaoru killed every authority figure in the Nagumo clan that wasn't him. Generally speaking every important character in the game is more or less given a redemptive action (even if that one action does not rehabilitate the entire character) that sort of acknowledges a "what could have been" scenario. Kaoru is not given that grace. The thing that comes the closest to this is his conversation in the forest by the Yukimura village with Chizuru after she has regained her memory. He is calm and apparently open during it but he is still hellbent on his "evil" plan and, for Chizuru, this conversation is more a corruption offer than a redemptive gesture from her brother. Plus we discover later that he is still lying to her about things at this point (notably about her being able to "keep" Okita).

Having the poster child for horrifying child abuse being among the very few irredeemable characters is… a choice? As I said, Kaoru’s character is well-written and coherent but the optics of that are not super good.

I too would very much enjoy a sibling (platonic) route that would explore their relationship and Chizuru oni’s heritage. Also, but this is because I am fucked up stories enjoyer, Kaoru’s route bad end could be a non-platonic ending. A bit on the same tone as Shiraishi’s Adonis Ending in Collar x Malice in which he is still with Hoshino but both characters are merely nightmarish shells (or everything they feared they could become) of what they were before.

[pennysperfectpolls]

Adoption poll preliminary match 12

Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)

Qiqi (genshin impact)

Venus (solarballs)

Bernadetta von Varley (Fire Emblem)

Only two will move on

Propaganda under the cut

Kakashi Hatake (Naruto) Propaganda

He joined the lower ranks of the Ninja-Military at like five and then Dudes Father killed himself, he does not have a mother, when he was like six because he was bullied to death by the entire village for refusing to heed a rule that would have made him sacrifice a teammate of his.

After that he lived alone in the house where his Father killed himself and got like an obsession with not breaking the rules and they just let the kid keep running around in the Ninja-Military and a teammate of his "killed" right after he went "maybe sacrificing people for missions isn't good" pushing him out of the way of a bunch of rocks and then he got his dead teammates Red Ninja Eye transplated into his skull.

His other teammate killed herself by impaling herself in his hand in order to protect the village because she had a creature implanted into her that was supposed to come out and destroy everything, kinda like a living bomb.

I think this all happened before he was approximately thirteen.

And you know, there's only one more thing you can do now, as his teacher who's the highest governmental authority in the village and also dies by the way decided. Put him into the super secret (everyone knows about them) assassin murder furry corps. Where he spent like a decade before being spontaniously kicked out to go from professional government Killer to Teacher of possibly the most fucked group of children known to men, two third of which are tied to people from his past.

He's like twenty-seven and just another Orphan in Orphan Town. There is no one in your way, custody is ripe for the taking.

I'll be honest, I haven't seen Naruto, but I do know a good part of the Lore through other means. The guy reminds me of a rescue dog.

Qiqi (genshin impact) Propaganda

My girl tragically died trapped in a cave due to a demon battle, dying with sad thoughts so sad it gave her a Cryo vision. The Adepti felt bad so they revived her, but she came back as a murderous zombie so they had to seal her in amber for a long time. When she finally came out, she was peaceful but has a terrible memory and must follow commands now. In order to break her out of a command that makes her “stuck”, she has to be hugged and told that she’s loved… and when her main guardian tries it, it doesn’t work. And poor Qiqi has become the poster girl of “losing the 50/50” within the fandom, there’s even a whole lamenting song about “I pulled a Qiqi”. Well maybe I *want* a C6 Qiqi and am frustrated I keep pulling Keqing and Tighnari!

Venus (solarballs) Propaganda

Cute lil grumpy planet that has a gruff voice n hates being called by his namez meaning!!

Bernadetta von Varley (Fire Emblem) Propaganda

My Beautiful Bernie Bear! She needs to be swaddled in the comfiest blankets and gifted all the stuffed animals and insectivorous plants in the world. Her dad was super abusive beating her friends and tying her to chairs and her mom hired someone to kidnap her to send her to the officers academy. There she’s basically a child soldier but at least she’s away from her parents and gets a real found family.

She has so much anxiety and is constantly paranoid of everything so she spends most of the game locked in her room. She only comes out on specific occasions and in the one route where she feels comfortable.

She’s often the first person I talk to each in game month and she’s such a joy. She’s so creative and kind and ah! I want to adopt her so bad!

Also one of the ways people use her in game is to keep her at as low health as possible and that’s so mean and I need to protect her.

[jazzthatonewriterchick]

Lovers & Friends (18+ Fic)

Pairing: Keigo Takami x Black!Fem!Reader (Friends to Lovers)

Synopsis: In which you and Keigo have begun to realize the strange new feelings you both have for each other after one drunken night at a close friend’s wedding that ends with you in his bed, but because of your longtime friendship and committed relationships with other people, you’re more than happy to forget that night even happened and keep your mutual feelings in the dark…for now, at least. 

Story Warnings: Smutty Smut; 18+ (MINORS GET AWAY); Cheating/Infidelity; Mating; Light Degradation; Spanking; Exhibitionism; Multiple Positions; Creampie; Unprotected PIV Sex; Facials; Scent Play; Marking; Spitting; Deepthroating; Cunnilingus; Begging; Edgeplay; Power Play; Daddy Kink; Some Angst; Hurt/Comfort; Mild Violence

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!

Writer's Note: This week has been hella weird (I think it's cuz of an eclipse coming or Friday the 13th) but in other news, HAS ANYONE SEEN THE NEW JJK EPISODE? BITCH NANAMI CAN HAVE ALL OF ME. -Jazz

Chapters: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Bonus Chapter.

Read on AO3 here!

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

Chapter Thirteen: I'll Kill For You.

That night across the city, Keigo is tossing and turning in his king-sized bed. 

Usually, on a Friday night such as thing one, he would be inviting his friends over for a little kickback or play a round of video games. Maybe he’d even be out in the streets, bar hopping or going to clubs.

But tonight, he doesn’t want to socialize.

He doesn’t want to be with anyone. His phone has been blowing up since he’s gotten home, but he ignores it. He even smoked a blunt and went to bed early for work tomorrow, also hoping this would calm his mind that is won’t shut the fuck up about you and Sakura. 

But it won’t. No matter what, his brain keeps replaying Monday afternoon when you looked so damn good in your work clothes when he met you for lunch and the moment Sakura walked out on him last weekend.

“Dammit,” he swears, frustratedly sitting up in his bed. He figured going to bed early in time for work tomorrow would help him clear his mind for a while, but he was wrong. All he can think about are you, Sakura, and how fucked his situation is. 

But mostly, his thoughts lie with you. He is glad things are “cool” with you after that lunch meeting you two had, but things are still…different.

There is still that layer of attraction underneath every conversation you two have; every text he sends you; every laugh you give him at his jokes. That night at the hotel only made that attraction more palpable for him. He can’t even look at you the same way again.

"Fuck!” he growls, gripping his hair in frustration. This is ridiculous! He’s never going to get any sleep if his mind keeps racing like this. 

So, against his better judgment, Keigo rises from his bed, tosses on some sweats and a tank top, and takes to the skies in an effort to stretch his wings, destress, and tire himself out enough to get some sleep. He originally plans to just fly about randomly, a particular route not planned…but what the fuck does he do instead?

He takes the route to your and Rumi’s apartment. 

“You stupid motherfucker,” he sighs, criticizing himself and his need to see you.

Logically, he knows he isn’t. There is about a one in ten chance he’ll actually see you in your bedroom window, especially considering that you and Rei aren’t a thing anymore and as far as he knows, you’re single. So when he pulls up to your condo, he expects to see your bedroom curtain closed for the night.

What he doesn’t expect to see, however, is Rei’s ass strutting out of the condo building like a proud peacock. Keigo pauses in his route immediately and zips behind the building, pressing his front up against the brick wall.

He peeks out from the side, sneakily eyeing your ex-boyfriend as he practically skips down the steps of your building. Why was he in there? Could you two have talked? Are you back together? God, he hopes not. How could you have taken back a fraud like that? 

Rei begins to whistle a low tune as he digs into his pocket for his car keys. He clicks a button on the pod, causing the headlights on a white sports bar parked off to the side of the street to blink on.

Keigo carefully examines everything about your ex as he pauses for a moment to take a call when his phone rings, noticing how careless he seems. He even turns around, facing away from his car, as if he has no care in the world.

That kind of confidence can only be accomplished through something he managed to receive. Is it you? Did he come over begging for you back and you said yes? Could you have met him for dinner tonight, gotten too drunk, and had sex with him, which is what he was chasing after all along? 

“This raggedy bitch,” Keigo snarls.

The more he thinks, the angrier he gets. And that anger propels him toward Rei’s car, right behind his back without him even sensing the pro. Keigo is just too fast. He zooms right by and settles onto the hood of Rei's car, one foot up while the other dangles above the ground. He waits for Rei to finish his car, half of the conversation nothing but mumbling.

When he finally hangs up with a laugh, Keigo makes his move. “Stalker much, Tempo?” he asks. 

Rei startles and immediately whips around to find Keigo sitting on the hood of his car. Keigo smirks a this reaction, glad he can scare the guy. At the sight of Rei’s eyes narrow. “Well, if it isn’t the number two pro hero,” he huffs. “You mind getting off my car?” 

Keigo cracks his neck, making Rei tense. “Yeah, I do mind,” he growls. “Nice ride, by the way. I can only imagine what kinda shit you’d be able to get with your award.”

A cool smirk that ticks him off stretches across Rei’s face. “Well, we’ll see in a week, won’t we?” he curtly chuckles. “If you don’t get off the car, I’m taking you with me. I don’t think Y/N would wanna see you under a car though.” His smirk only grows wider. 

Keigo imagines punching it off of his face. This fucker is way too cocky and confident right now. Something definitely happened with you tonight. “Were you with her tonight?” he asks, cutting right to the chase. He knows that this doesn’t concern him, but if you’re going to be with anyone else, he'd rather it be someone who isn’t an insecure phony. 

Rei’s smirk fades, replaced with a bitter stare. “Why’s that any of your business?” he asks, placing a hand on his hip. That makes Keigo even angrier for some reason, despite him being right…but shit, he doesn't wanna hear it from him! 

He begins to argue that your happiness is absolutely his business, but Rei stops him. “You think you’re gonna take my place?” he acerbically hisses.

Keigo’s mouth abruptly closes, his brows furrowing in confusion. What the hell is he talking about? “You think I don’t know what you’re doing?” Rei asks, an accusatory look on his face. "Trying to intimidate me, scare me out of breaking up with Y/N so you can steal my spot?” 

Keigo silently stares at him for a minute, wondering if this man had too much to drink and is just saying shit. “Okay,” he begins. “First of all, you’re crazy. Second of all, Y/N already broke it off with you. Third, you’re crazy.” 

Rei chuckles at his insult, rolling his violet eyes. “Not crazier than someone desperate enough to intimidate their best friend’s boyfriend,” he rebuttals.

Keigo scowls at his words, realizing that he’s talking in the present tense again…as if he is still your boyfriend.

Rei laughs, finding humor in this. “What, you didn’t hear? We got back together just tonight. A few hours ago, actually.” A suggestive smirk stretches across his punchable face. “I’m sure you can smell the perfume.” 

Keigo immediately jumps off of the car, his wings shuddering with anger. “You’re lying.”

Rei raises an eyebrow at him. “Am I?” he challenges. He raises his phone to Keigo, that smirk still on his lips like he’s winning this game. “You want me to call Y/N so she can tell you herself?” Keigo blankly stares at the phone, his jaw tightening. he’s almost tempted to say yes. 

Rei cackles, making the winged pro want to wring his neck. “You’re pathetic for trying this card, Hawks,”  he sighs pityingly. “I mean, as a pro, you should be smarter than this thinking you could break us up and steal your way into Y/N’s heart…or bed.”

Keigo's ears perk at the last part and his top lip begins to twitch––something that happens when you’ve got him heated. “Da fuck’s that supposed to mean?” he asks through a growl.

Rei isn't the least bit intimidated, or is at least pretending he isn’t. “Look, who you spend the night with is my business,” he says, putting his hands up in mock defense, “but everybody knows you get around. Is that what your current girlfriend is? A one-night stand that turned into a weekly nightstand?” 

His eyes turn into darkened, violet slits, his stare becoming ice cold. “How is she, by the way?” he asks. “Does she know you cheated on her with your best friend?”

Keigo swears his heart falls into his ass. At the sight of his shock, Rei smirks. “Yes, I know. Y/N told me and she seemed pretty torn up about it. Even said it was a total mistake and wished it never happened.”

He sighs, putting a hand to his heart. “She even persuaded me to walk away even after she told the truth. How amazing of a girl is she?” 

Keigo digs his nails into his palms so hard that he winches at the stinging sensation he feels. But it’s all he can do to not clock this joke of a man and a pro hero standing in front of him. He knows that Rei is just trying to rile him up, but he won’t let him.

And as pissed as he is that you took him back and that you told him the truth even after you swore him to secrecy, he also knows that this is your decision. He has no say in who you date being that he is just your friend. And only your friend. 

He takes a deep breath and relaxes his shoulders which are wound up tighter than drums. After finding his inner peace, he looks at the man in front of him, calm and collected. “Look, Rei,” he starts, “I’m not here for this or to break you and Y/N up if it’s true that you’re back together. I just want her to be happy.”

Rei’s smile is bitter, not at all touched by this. “Well, isn’t that sweet of you?” he scoffs. “Now get the fuck away my car.” 

But Keigo doesn’t budge. Instead, he stands there as one of his feathers separates from one of his wings and sharpens to the point. It then zips through the air to stop at the hood of Rei’s car where it sits dangerously close to the metal, its point nearly digging into it and creating a scratch. The fear that crosses Rei's face is nearly orgasmic for him.

“Listen carefully unless you want a feather fuckin’ up your paint job,” he says in a dangerously low voice fit for a horror flick. “Y/N is very important to me, and so is her happiness. She’s like my family.” 

He steps closer to Rei, getting up into his personal space. It’s enough to intimidate Rei even further and make Keigo even happier. “And if anyone fucks with my family, they….” He pauses, letting his words and the meaning behind them linger in the tense air between them. 

Rei tries to act tough, but Keigo can see his Adam’s apple bob––an indication that Keigo has got him by the balls. “They what?” he quietly asks. 

But Keigo doesn’t finish his previous sentence. He can’t. It would be too violent. Plus, to see Rei squirm makes him happier than he’d like to admit. “Just be careful with her, alright?” he says, a warning in his tone. "You hurt her once; don’t do it again.”

Without another word, he turns to walk away from Rei, mostly to ignore the urge to punch him for the one time. 

But as he does, Rei has more to say: “Is that a threat, Hawks?” he calls after the winged pro, definitely intending to poke the bear and push Keigo to do something he’ll highly regret. 

Keigo stops short, standing in the silvery moonlight a few yards away from Rei. He flaps his wings once, giving Rei a sight of the majestic, crimson creation that is attached to his back. His feather comes zooming past Rei’s face, nearly taking a bit of his ear and causing him to flinch out of the way.

Once his feather has connected back with the other bunch, Keigo cracks the other side of his neck and glares daggers at your boyfriend from across the lot.

“That’s a promise, Tempo,” he warns. “Don’t test me.”  And then, in a flash of red, he's gone.