#and Maven stopping first

[lilyharvord]

that maven corianne interaction u posted was truly insane and i have not stopped thinking about it and how much i love there dynamic

I have brainrot about young Coriane and her strangely Loner™️ uncle who is staying with her family, and her parents struggle to be in the same room as the guy, and she is not allowed to talk to him or be near him, but she is and always will be Mare Barrow's kid and that makes her a Problem™️. So she decides to invite him to play games with her when they are not home. First, she asks him to play hide and seek. He looks over the faded edge of the book he is scowling at and says, "fine, go hide." She giggles and runs away as he "counts". She uses her best hiding place, the one her dad can't find her in, and she waits and waits and waits (she hides for a good two hours) and then she comes out to see him still sitting in the exact same place and says, "You're bad at this game." And he just turns the page and says, "I found you didn't I?" He looks up from the book with a bored raised eyebrow and says, "So clearly you are bad at it." And she is fucking GOBSMACKED, her little mouth falls open in horror and she stares at him for a solid few seconds. He expects her to argue, to stomp her foot and be mad, but instead she just crosses her arms and glares at him in a very "Mare Barrow" fashion and it kinda unsettles him. He pulled an Uno Reverse (not that that exists in this universe but whatever) on her and she is like: I will not be fooled into losing my favorite game again. So she keeps finding all these games to rope him into: cards, a board game she realizes her parents have just been letting her win at after he wins four times in a row, a different card game that she makes up (she cheats and keeps changing the rules to try and beat him but he finds a way to out-craft her every time), and then finally one day she brings him an old faded wooden box and sets it on the kitchen table where he is reading in the sunlight and then climbs on the chair across from him and sitting on her knees takes the top off and flips it around to show him a chess board and the pieces in the box. He tenses and she very awkwardly starts setting the pieces up incorrectly (she's only seen Cal set it up once or twice when Julian comes over) but with absolute confidence that she is correct. She crosses her arms, stares him down, and says, "we are going to play." and he just stares at the board between them before closing his book with a snap and rising. "No." he says and walks away. He's never said no before and she is furious. She chases after him, begging him to come play with her, grabbing his hand and pleading until she is almost crying. Eventually she lets go of his hand in the hallway and just sits down and starts crying. He is frozen and that is when Cal pokes his head out and is like: what happened? And she runs to him crying and Cal just takes her in his office and closes the door. And then like 30 minutes later, Cal finds Maven and is holding a sniffling and puffy eyed Coriane who clings to his neck and hides her face there when Cal stands there in silence for a few seconds. Maven watches him struggle for a bit before raising a brow and saying, "yes?" Cal inhales deeply and then says, "get the board set up, we're going to teach her how to play." And then just goes into the kitchen where the board is still waiting. Maven hesitates, then slowly follows and eyeing them like a cornered animal as Cal gives Coriane a glass of water and calms her down a little more. He brings her over at the time as Maven readjusts the pieces and sits down with her in his lap and begins explaining the pieces, what they can do, etc. And Maven watches her purse her little lips, and laughs internally because she is literally 5 years old why the heck would she be able to play chess? And then they start playing and she is getting it (kinda sorta, she's getting it for a 5 year old), guarantee she has Cal helping her and it is mostly him playing, but she is asking all the questions and understanding his answers and she has more than glimmer (more like a shine) of a strategic brain. And then when they win she is so excited and Maven smiles at them, and then Cal smiles at him.

[snakerdoodlle]

It’s nearly 2 AM and I’m literally crying over Cal and Maven rn

The way Cal defended Maven and stood by him until the very end, being the only person who still loved him despite everything. Cal hanging on to any kind of hope for his brother that he could, searching desperately for someone that could possibly help him. Cal putting off the inevitable for as long as possible, never wanting to give Maven a death sentence but being forced to by the court/Scarlet Guard with so much regret behind it. Cal knowing that it’s not Maven’s fault. Cal blaming himself for years and years for never seeing what was happening to his baby brother, and for never shielding him from his mother. Cal going to Maven’s body first when finding him and Mare. Cal burying Maven on Tuck with the hopes that maybe at last, the broken, lost boy he knew could finally have peace. He promises he’ll always keep Maven with him, he’ll never let him go, never let him be forgotten in his memories. He gave Maven a proper headstone, he made sure his brother could have what little honor he was able to offer. It also basically served as Cal’s final message. Cal will always love Maven, he will always regret what happened, he will always wish he could’ve changed things, he will always have guilt weighing on his shoulders, even if it eases with time. Cal will never abandon Maven like so many others.

And then the way Maven spared Cal the final blow, letting Cal believe he was truly gone despite it being a lie. He hurt Cal just to save him the much worse pain it’d have caused him if he knew the truth. Cal would’ve done anything to try and save Maven if only he’d known, and Maven was aware and didn’t want Cal to go through that. They both knew nothing would’ve come of it, but none of that mattered to Cal ever. He would’ve been willing to do anything.

I am so unbelievably emotional over these two brothers good god

[lightsaber-dorphin]

Jedi Order Corps and Subdivisions

More of my worldbuilding for the inner structure of the Jedi Order. This time focusing on the Corps and the schools of thought/ roles within the Order.

Some of these are canon, others are my own creation. The Jedi consolidating to one temple on Coruscant during the Ruusan Reformation is canon, but I’ve taken my own liberties with it. Without further ado, lore!

Prior to the Ruusan Reformation, there were a number of independent denominations of the Jedi. Most of them merged into one order based in the Coruscant temple during what was called the Reunification.

Many denominations had different ideas of what a Jedi should be/ how they should use their powers. As a result, Jedi from certain traditions tended towards certain jobs within the reunified order. The corps and their branches formed as a result of certain traditions and teachings being passed down by Jedi who occupied certain roles.

The corps aren’t administrative divisions. Individual Jedi have their corps and branch affiliation listed on file as a marker of what they specialize in/ what they’re trained to do. Jedi are selected for missions based on their corps and the specifics of the mission, and answer to whichever body sent them on the mission. (see my Jedi Order Bureaucratic Structure)

Reunified Jedi Order:

One permanent location on Coruscant

Wayfinders:

Wandering Jedi who are technically members of the Order & follow its precepts but don't answer to the Council

Nonspecific:

Individual members can and do have corps/ division affiliations, but the group as a whole doesn't have a corps/ division affiliation

Usually part of the Sentinels or EduCorps

People aren’t selected to be trained for these jobs it’s all volunteer work

A lot of people do it part-time or for short periods, but a few folks make it their permanent gig

Maintenance workers:

Sometimes someone says “what if instead of going on missions I patched all the holes in our drywall” and why would they stop them

Lots of part-time volunteers

Most are Sentinels, because their philosophy encourages learning random useful skills

Quartermasters:

Distribute supplies

The Order buys stuff in bulk and then Jedi pick it up from the quartermasters office

Kitchenmasters:

Jedi way of saying chef

Transport mechanics:

Do you know a Car Person? Imagine if they were a monk.

Accountants:

The most dedicated to preserving the Jedi way of life of any group in the Order

Without these unthanked warriors the Jedi Order would’ve been destroyed by late-stage capitalism

Most are Lore Keepers

Lawyers:

Usually hired from the outside

Inspired by "Jedi Counsel” on ao3

Sometimes a Jedi goes to law school

Temple Guards:

Protect the temple and are its first responders

Based on the lore from "Nameless"

Very connected to the living force within the temple

A little spooky!

Education Corps:

Advance in rank via academic achievement

Maven is the title equivalent to Knight

Can have multiple padawans at one time (but usually don’t)

Lore Keepers:

Strongly believe in the importance of academics

Believe knowledge is the path to connection with the Force

Based on "The Librarian's Lineage"

Preceptors:

Teaching is hugely important to the Jedi, and all Jedi teach & learn how to teach to some degree, but for Preceptors it’s their main focus

Like the MedCorps it has a lot of transfers

Normal Preceptors:

Classroom teachers

Have formal education training

Either work for the Department of Classes or the Department of Primary Classes

DoC and DoPC are roughly the same thing, except the DoPC is for the general education classes all Jedi take as children and the DoC is for elective and continuing education classes

Battlemasters:

Teach lightsaber classes

Have formal education training

Inspired by "Careless to Let It Fall" on ao3

Main differences are that there’s more than one & they take education classes

Crèchemasters:

One lead crèchemaster and two-ish assistant crèchemasters per every 6-ish younglings

Formal training in early childhood education

Must serve as an assistant crèchemaster before being a lead crèchemaster

Assistant crèchemasters are from "aphelion" on ao3

Exploration Corps:

One-on-one apprenticeships

Rarely in the temple (unless they have a padawan, when they’re required to be there more often)

Usually have a bed in a communal room at the temple instead of their own apartment

Use Knight title. Yes this is sometimes confusing

Vanguards:

Wandering explorers/ patrol the galaxy

Instead of responding to specific requests they visit places & are available if anyone wants their help

Specific purpose is to make sure the Jedi don’t neglect/ are unaware of certain parts of the galaxy just because it hasn’t requested Jedi aid in a while

Seekers:

Find potential Jedi and offer them a place in the Order

Bond with new initiates and ease their transition into the Order

Archaeologists:

Expertise in Force-temple ruins

An undead Sith~ sleeping in your bed. Who you gonna call? Ghost! Busters!

Work closely with the Lore Keepers

Most likely to become Wayfinders or leave the Order (by percentage not numbers)

“Former Jedi who got really interested in a niche of archaeology without many Force-related ruins” is a thing in the archaeology community

They can work on normal digs but the Senate won’t approve sending them/ use of Jedi funds

Medical Corps:

MedCorps padawans are very rare. Most members transfer in from another corps

Student healers from other corps have a healing mentor in charge of their healer training, separate from their lineage-master

Healer is the equivalent title to Knight. Healers-in-training are called Student Healers, no matter what their rank is

Knight Corps:

Knights being a fifth corps

This is the corps we see most in canon

One-on-one apprenticeships, Knight title

Guardians:

Focus on fighting abilities & lightsaber combat

Consulars:

Negotiators, ambassadors, diplomats

Focus on Force abilities

Sentinels:

Focus on non-Jedi skills such as hacking

Considered a midpoint between Guardians and Consulars

Shadows:

Jedi spies

Answer to the High Council

Watchfolk:

Permanent/ long-term posting within a system

Agriculture Corps:

Focus on nature-related abilities

Grow most of the food for the Order

Very involved in disaster relief work

Rarely in the temple & usually have a bed in a communal room instead of a personal room

Have long-term postings & typically get settled there

Padawans are assigned to a group rather than an individual

Maven is the Knight-equivalent title

The chapter that inspired this whole project

Terraformers:

Large-scale Force usage

Can revitalize uninhabitable areas

Use the Force to rapidly speed up regrowth, kickstart life on planets where there is none, etc.

Conservationists:

Don’t believe in using the Force on the scale that Terraformers do

Use the Force to help individual plants grow, stave off rot and parasites, connect with animals, etc.

Beastmasters:

Creature specialists

Force-sensitive animal control

Inspiration

[docgold13]

Heroes & Villains The DC Animated Universe - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Roulette 

The unscrupulous gambling maven known as Roulette was a greedy entrepreneur who would stop at nothing to make a profit.  She earned a fortune in the casino industry, used to finance a more high-stakes venture called ‘Meta-Brawl.’  This entailed super-powered individuals battling one another in no-holds-barred cage-matches while patrons paid huge sums to watch and gamble on the outcomes.

Many of Roulette’s combatants were super villains, such as Evil Star and The Atomic Skull, yet she made much more money when she could get a super hero to participate.  Roulette struck gold when she was able to coerce the Justice Leaguer, Wildcat, into being a contender.  Wildcat had once been a prize fighter.  As one of the oldest members of the League, however, he was relegated to being a trainer and rarely assigned field missions.  It fostered something of a midlife crisis and Roulette was more than happy to oblige in Wildcat's need to prove he still had it.  

Although Wildcat reigned as the undisputed champ of Meta-Brawl, his protégé, The Black Canary, was concerned it was all going to end in tragedy.  Aided by Green Arrow, Black Canary was able to convince Wildcat to give up Meta-Brawl and Roulette’s entire operation was taken down.  

When Grodd formed the Legion of Doom, Roulette suddenly found herself with a dearth of villainous participants for her new venue.  She, Lex Luthor and Sonar concocted a scheme to create ‘Glamor Slam,’ wherein they utilized mind-control technology to force the female members of the Justice League to fight one another in exclusive and highly lucrative matches.  

The Huntress investigated the matter and was ultimately able to bring the whole operation down, freeing the various Leaguers who had been mind controlled.  Roulette and Sonar were sent to prison and ‘Meta-Brawl’ seemed to be shut down once and for all.  

Actress Virginia Madsen provided the voice for Roulette, with the conniving villainess first appearing in the first episode of the second season of Justice League Unlimited, ‘The Cat and the Canary.’  

[married-to-google-translater]

I love imagining scenarios where the yandere gets kidnapped by their darling not knowing that their darling is a yandere for them and Maven is the most entertaining one for me to think about.

Also, should I just go with the nickname plastic anon?

Oh yes~ your name shall now be plastic anon. And I finally made anon list for you <3 I am happy u love our yandere albino boyyyyy

But Back to scenario...

Kidnapping Maven would actually be really easy. You could just ask him to come to you and he would XD

Maven.exe would have stopped working.

You would really break Maven if you kidnapped him first. Maven could never imagine that you love him the way he loves you. He would be happy and disappointed in himself at the same time… Because Maven thinks he should have known this.

He wouldn't be able to speak for about half an hour. That's how confused he would be. Maven will just hug you (if you let him). Finally he would get his thoughts in order… And could tell how much he would love you. It wouldn't be hard to believe. This guy would have a phone full of pictures of you XD

Happy yandere couple <3

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The DUFF 15

Warnings: groping, insecurity, food and body issues, manipulation, and the usual. Proceed with caution.

Feedback is always welcome. Love you and thanks for the wonderful responses so far. ♥♥♥♥

Image credit (I want to give dues where due but don’t want the creator to keep getting tagged in my posts as I have been approached by some before that they don’t want me in their notifs)

You sit down as you wait for your order to be called. The metal seat isn’t very comfortable, especially after hours in your office chair. You tuck your bag against the wall and stare out the window as Andy shrugs off his jacket.

He sits with the dark blue garment hung behind him, tugging at his tie but not loosening it. As you glance over, he flicks his fingers up to scratch the stubble along his neck. You rest your elbow on the table then drag it off. You don’t know what to do as the awkwardness of the situation settles in.

“So,” Andy breathes out as he claps his hands on his thighs. Is he nervous? No, why would he be nervous? You’re projecting. “Long weekend, you said?”

You smile, a click in your throat. “Um, yeah, I probably shouldn’t go into detail.”

“That bad?” He lifts a brow.

“Let’s just say next weekend, I’m going absolutely nowhere,” you sigh.

“Sounds like heaven. My wife, ex-wife, is coming back from vacation so she’ll be dropping off the kid,” he brings his hand up to the tabletop, rubbing his ring finger, as if searching for the missing gold, “not really a kid anymore. His teenage angst blows right in after him like a raincloud.”

“How old?” You wonder. You didn’t think Andy was that old, but you’re a bad judge of these things.

“Sixteen, for now. Can’t wait to leave for college next year. Honestly, I kind of feel the same,” he chuckles, “I probably sound like an ass when I say that.”

“I think you mean well,” you shrug, “you know, my dad wasn’t so nice about it.”

“No?” He furrows his brow.

“Uh, yeah, but let’s not get into all that. I’m starving and vulnerable,” you kid.

The bell rings and your number is called. Andy stops you from getting up and insists on grabbing the order himself. He comes back with a tray and doles out the tacos. You try not to be too eager and wait for him to fold one up first.

Your stomach growls in an echo of your mind. You’re thankful for the distraction of the meal, you’re not exactly a social maven. Further, he’s your boss and you’d hate to step on any lines, or over them.

You chow down on the grilled chicken chipotle. The spice is more than you expect and has you reaching for your Sprite. Andy hums in delight as you sip and glance out the window again. It’s dark out now. You’re going to be home late. Ugh, your whole routine is entirely lost.

“I was curious,” he begins between bites, “about this club you went to…”

“Uh, yeah, I dunno,” you say evasively, chewing your straw before stopping the anxious gesture. “It was my friend’s idea.”

“Ah, well, I’m trying to get back on the scene, you know? I tried a few dating apps and a bit too few man girls want to charge for just a chat…” he puts his hand up helplessly, “I’m out of touch, I think. In my day, you just met people face to face so I thought maybe, give it a try, but I don’t even know where to go.”

“Mmhmm,” you swallow, “well, I don’t think a club is really the place for that. It’s more so a hookup type place.”

“Hookup? Is that what happened?”

“Uh,” you shake your head, “maybe a book club? That might be somewhere to start.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t suggesting anything about you,” he backpedals, “I just… I don’t have much going on so I might be trying to fill that void vicariously.”

“Yeah, no, it’s fine,” you wipe your fingers, “I don’t really date. Not seriously. Well, I mean, I haven’t been actively looking. With work and everything–” The door jingles as you ramble, “I barely have enough time for m–”

A figure steps up beside your table. His sole squeaks loudly and you look up, shocked to find Curtis glaring back at you. You’re struck dumb as you can only sit there.

“So this is it? You’re ignoring me for this guy?” He barks, “Bunny, you could’ve just told me you’re a slut–”

“Woah, woah,” Andy stands, “what’s going on? Let’s cool off–”

“No, fuck you!” He grabs Andy’s plate and throws the tacos in his face, “I know who the fuck you are. You got a habit of fucking your employees, Andrew?”

“Curtis,” you get up and grab his arm before he can grab your boss, “Curtis, we’re just having dinner–”

“I’ve been texting you,” Curtis snarls as he turns on you, “all day and I can’t get one reply. Don’t lie to me.”

He latches onto your arm and you cry out. You don’t understand why he’s doing this. Or how he even knew you were here. He’s crazy!

“Let go of her,” Andy slides his arm between you and Curtis, bringing his hand down against Curtis’ wrist, “calm down.”

“Calm down,” Curtis sneers as Andy inserts himself between you and rabid man, “mind your own fucking business.”

“You’re scaring her,” Andy puts his hand on Curtis’ chest and tries to ease him away, “so come on, cool off. Like she said, there’s nothing going on–”

Curtis keeps a hold of you as you’re pulled against Andy. You whimper as you're almost pinned against the table.

“Nothing going on?!” Andy jolts as Curtis lets you go, grabbing Andy’s collar instead, “she’s mine, you understand? You’re just some desperate old man–”

“Get your hands off of me,” Andy’s timbre drops dangerously, “before I make you.”

“Hey, hey,” an employee comes out from behind the counter, “no fighting. Get out now or we’ll call the police.”

Curtis huffs as you cower behind Andy. You can’t see him but you can feel his anger. Andy brushes against you as Curtis releases him. Your boss keeps you shielded behind him as Curtis lets out a snarl.

“Whatever, I was just about to fucking leave,” he stomps to the door as you hide, clinging mindlessly to Andy’s shirt.

“I’m sorry,” Andy apologises to the employee, “we weren’t trying to cause a scene. We’ll just clean up and go.”

The worker says nothing and disappears behind the counter. You see Curtis’ shadow stalk off outside the window. Andy turns to you and puts a hand on your shoulder.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

“Um, I think…” you’re voice quavers, “I don’t know.”

[factoryfileshorrorseries]

Poppy Playtime Sketch Dump . . .

[ DO NOT REPOST, ALL ART & CONCEPTS WERE MADE BY ME ]

Illustration Time: 13hrs 15min

Characters Featured: DogDay, CatNap, Poppy

Oc’s: Button, Maven, Nash

-

Bro there is so much happening in the fandom rn I am so overwhelmed! But hey I’m also living my best life, and I am so glad DogDay is getting the recognition and love he deserves through the fanart! That poor boi needs so much therapy! Since this is my first P.P. fanart I wanted to do it justice and really put in the effort to making it stand out.

This is for a series I’m calling “ The Factory Files” , it will feature five main stories (at least for now) that go into the world of Mascot horror. “Vol. 2 The Rising Hour” is the story that features the Poppy Playtime Lore, so keep an eye out for any teasers within these drawings coming up! Anyways thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

[ This is a Poppy Playtime AU, in no way is this canon to the OG storyline. ]

[6thofapril1917]

don't wanna be alone anymore [ken lemmons x oc]

A/N: the first in what will (hopefully) be a series of maggie/ken drabbles and one-shots. this one is pretty stream of consciousness and shifts tense so i apologize if it's incomprehensible. in my defense uni has been kicking my ass lately (one more week of the semester left, thank GOD) ken lemmons x oc. word count: 1.3k. crossposted on ao3.

For Maggie Zielinski, romance is something that she watches other people get to experience. She’s long been resigned to the fact that it isn’t something she’s meant to experience herself.

She doesn’t know what it is about her. She certainly isn’t bad looking, she understands that much. Clear blue eyes, full lips, and an even fuller chest. Still, that had never stopped her from becoming the butt of all the boys’ jokes back in grade school.

And it’s not like she’s never had friends. No, Maggie’s always had loads of friends. She knows how to work a crowd, how to say the right things at the right time to set the whole room laughing. Even before she met Vee, Loretta, Mabel, and the rest of the ground crew, she’d had a whole gaggle of friends back home in Detroit. 

Her main circle was a raucous group of six—Ida and Annemarie, Nina, Victoria, Victoria’s brother Paul, and Ida’s cousin Vinny. They’d been friends since the very first day of junior high, maybe more out of the novelty of the experience than anything. For all that Detroit was a metropolis, its neighborhoods could be as insular as any backwater town. In Maggie’s world of newly-arrived immigrants and babcie who watched the streets like hawks, where everyone worked at the same auto plant and everyone knew everyone else’s business, it was nice to see some new faces.

Maggie loved her Detroit friends. She loved their laughs, their smiles, their inside jokes and their secrets. She tried her best to help them out when they needed it, to offer a shoulder to cry on or an ear to talk off. She gave her friends everything she could. It was just a shame that they never did the same for her.

As the years passed, Maggie found herself confronting a terrifying reality—that for all she was devoted to her friends, they would never love her as much as she loved them. 

Sure, things were fine when it was just two or three of them alone. Catching a matinee with Victoria, or going out to lunch with Ida and Annemarie—here, Maggie felt comfortable. Victoria would always riff on whatever movie they were seeing, making her dissolve into giggles. Ida and Annemarie would insist on paying for Maggie’s meal, and they’d stay in their booth for hours on end, just chatting the day away.

But when it was the six of them all together, Maggie couldn’t help but feel that something was off. That there were things that the other five were privy too that she wasn’t—and to which she maybe wasn’t meant to be. There’d be some new in-joke that nobody ever bothered to explain, some party that she hadn’t been invited to, some other get-together that they’d forgotten to tell her about. 

Well, two could play at that game.

When Maggie enlisted as a technician with the Army Air Force, she didn’t tell any of them what she had done.

Nina and Vinny, newly engaged, spotted her the day before she left for basic training. The image of the couple stopping dead in their tracks, eyes wide as they took in Maggie’s new uniform and fully-packed suitcase, filled with a determination that would carry her thousands of miles away from Poletown, was forever burned into her mind.

Maggie wasn’t sad that she’d be missing the wedding. It wasn’t like she was going to be chosen to be a bridesmaid. Money was still tight, after all. There was only enough in the budget to get dresses made for Annamarie and Victoria. Ida, of course, would be the maid of honor.

(She understands, Maggie says. No, Nina, really. It’s fine. She understands completely.)

(She cries herself to sleep into Agnes’ shoulder that night.)

When she meets the Mavens in basic training, she spends the first few months of their friendship waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

It’s not that she’s awkward around them; in fact, it’s exactly the opposite. The four of them get on like a house on fire. Loretta with her witty comebacks and shining black curls, Mabel with her dry wit and hands that always smell of chain grease, and Vee with her earnest modesty and the snapping lens of her Kodak 35. For all her faults, Maggie’s never had a problem charming people. It’s getting them to stay that’s the difficult part. 

Is she boring? She doesn’t think she’s boring. Especially not here in the army, where stories of home practically form a currency among the enlisted women and men. Besides, Maggie knows how to spin a yarn, to make even the most mundane story from a life spent in auto plants and dim garages seem like something out of an adventure magazine.

But that’s never enough, is it? It wasn’t enough to keep the people she thought were her friends, the people she loved more than life itself, from leaving her in the dust. It wasn’t enough to keep her from becoming a veritable untouchable among the boys in grade school, the kind of girl you would ask out to the pictures on a dare, only to leave her stranded at the ticket booth. Even the boys who considered her friends were just that—friends. Never anything more. While Ida and Victoria and Nina and Annamarie were busy with first kisses and sneaking out of bedroom windows late at night, Maggie sat in her room and watched them grow up without her.

There’s only so many rejections you can take before you start to think that romance, hell, even reciprocated platonic love, just isn’t something that you’re made for. Only so many missed engagements and plans made behind one’s back until you start to think that maybe there’s something, some reprehensible quality inherent to yourself, that pushed people away. 

So, she holds her breath and waits. Waits for the Mavens eventually grow tired of her. 

But they don’t.

Because it’s there, isn’t it? The love.

It’s in the filmstrips Vee develops late at night after their shifts, holed up in the makeshift darkroom she’s set up in an abandoned storage closet. It’s in the magazines Loretta always passes to her once she’s finished reading them, telling her to use it for the scrapbook, there’s some great stuff in there. It’s in the way Mabel taught her how to ride a bike way back during basic training, shocked that she had never learned, but oh so willing to help her try. Maggie can never forget the way Mabel had cheered when she finally got the hang of pedaling.

And then, of course, there’s Ken.

When she kisses him that night on the floor of Rosie’s Riveters, she burns with shame and tears, shed and unshed for her siblings and for Cleven and for Ken and for herself. She waits for him to recoil, to glare, to tell her not to do it again. At best, she waits for him to let her down easy. But he doesn’t.

That night he kisses her like she’s the only thing in the world that matters, and it just makes her want to cry harder, because she doesn’t deserve it. Her brother is dead, her sister is missing, Major Cleven is God knows where, and she completely lost it at Rosenthal, so what right does she have to be touched like this, to be held like this? None. None at all.

At the same time, she doesn’t have it in her to fight herself. The floor of the nose is cold, and Ken is so, so warm. The kind of warmth she wishes that she could crawl into and live inside of. East Anglia is chilly this time of year.

She shifts, opening her mouth to his, and for a moment wonders what sins she’s committed to have had this feeling denied to her for twenty-one years. Yet there’s no use wondering, is there?

Ken loves her. That much is clear.

She just has to be ready to accept it. And after two decades of loneliness, that’s easier said than done.

[bougainvillea-and-saltwater]

OC in Fifteen!

I was tagged by @skyrim-forever and @hircines-hunter (thank you so much both! 🧡) to post fifteen lines of dialogue that showcase my oc's personality, so naturally, I'm doing this for my Last Dragonborn, Jia.

“What is there to answer? It was your fault all along. If you had killed Alduin in the first place, none of these would have happened. I wouldn’t even have been born.”

“I did not need your help. I will brew my potions.”

“These days, they say that versatility is the spice of life. Keeps me on my toes, among other things.”  

“My people call me Lady of Man and Dragon, and Ysmir and Dragonborn, whereas to the dragons, I am Sunfyre the Golden, and they call me Shulyolviim. Some call me Harbinger, others Guildmaster, others honor me as Archmage, and others... others may still call me with a name I no longer go by. To you, I can be Jia.”

“These are called mountain flowers. They blossom on foothills and close snowlines. Blue, purple, and red are fairly common, but the yellow variety is a rare specimen. When I finally found it, I was overjoyed. I brought it here immediately and sprouted it along with the others. I just couldn’t put it at withering risk; this way, I won’t need to seek it all over Skyrim again. They are mischievous and sneaky, the yellow ones. Always hidden away from prying human eyes. That alone makes them so mysterious and even more beautiful. Look at its color. Isn’t it so lovely? As if a little ray of sunlight slipped right into their petals. . .”

“I had a brief interaction with your fellow Dragon Priest before letting my arrows fly from the shadows and soul-trapped him in my bound bow. He had the nerve to taunt me in dragon tongue when he sensed my presence in Labyrinthian. Cowardly men will find no mercy here, he’d said. The thing is, I was neither a coward nor a man.”

“And you, stop patronizing me! You do not even have the slightest idea what the Thalmor are capable of, Miraak! None of you here have!” 

“I will answer to murder, terror, and injustice of this war just the way it deserves.”

“On behalf of what, should I give up my revenge? Virtuous preaching and moral codes? And what about evil’s penalty? Who shall grant it in the end? The Divines? I prayed for Their mercy, day and night then, and what did it gain me?”

“No! I was a stupid girl! Laughable! Did I... Did I even want to really take revenge for the parents I never knew, or satisfy my selfish, foolish need of being the ultimate control of something? An idea of control that was naught but a ruse, a shade upon the wall! [. . .] Don’t touch me so much, so long. I may leave a stain on you.”

“The moment I return to Heljarchen Hall and see those I love harmed—in any way—I will come for you, Maven Black-Briar. And I swear to you: then, I will not stop the fire; then, I will let your screams be heard. And then, I will make you understand what terror really means.”

“What you did while I was in Riften, I will never forget it. You protected Heljarchen Hall, battled my enemy, and healed my friend. I’d say I trust you with my life now, but I have already trusted it in your hands long ago, haven’t I?”

“You are not in the Dragon Cult any longer. You don’t have to wear a mask anymore. Let go of it; let go of this false veneer once and for all. You are here now, with me, and you are more than allowed to feel. Here, you are home with friends and... and family. You know it; you have to know that—I’m—I’m your family. Zu’u los brodiil nu, qostruni.” 

“I do not play with fire, sir, and I have already been sizzled to the soul; no fire can harm me anymore. I am fire itself. Whatever burns is mine to put out or, if necessary, to flare up.”

“I am not some kind of weapon for you to think you can wield me at your whim. My blood is neither Nord nor Imperial and belongs to no man. I’m the blood of the dragon—and I’m afraid constantly patronizing my stance in this war won’t help your cause, Jarl Ulfric.”

I was never ‘no one’, as he was taking pleasure in naming me. I was written in the Wall of a God, I am not a creature that was born, I am an omen foretold, I am eternal. Now, I crack my halo between my thighs, and my claws shall carve its broken pieces into horns.

OOOPS, I accidentally put 16 lines in there. . . Couldn't resist, I tried to pick one from each chapter.

✨open tags!✨

[treble-maker1212]

How I would've handled American Satan and Paradise City if I was in charge: a not so short, incomplete list.

Have some build up to Johnny's addiction cause weed to HEROIN is wild���

Make it clear that Lily is bi and lied about being a lesbian to get in the band because "iTs iMpLiEd" isn't good enough for me

Show the build up of the attraction between Johnny and Lily. They showed some but I want moreeeeee

Either change Johnny and Lily's first sex scene completely or ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS ASSAULT

Like seriously, Johnny's spiral would've made so much more sense if it was written as him unable to cope with the trauma, gaslighting and victim blaming. And him turning to Lily because in his own warped justification, she is the only one who "cares"

More stuff with mama Faust's cancer cause they flew by that shit.

More supernatural stuff in the show or none at all. The middle ground bs was confusing for even people who watched the movie

MORE VIC RELIGIOUS TRAUMA

More about the Mavens and a lot more about Sheva because her character was so interesting????

More of a note for the fans but STOP ACTING LIKE GRETCHEN WAS A BAD PERSON FOR MAKING JOHNNY GO TO COUPLES COUNSELING???

More honest conversations with Gretchen and Johnny about their relationship

Not kicking Lily out of the band because that shit was stupid and made things worse

Having Lily and Johnny actually work through things

Maybe have Lily come to a counseling session

Lily needed therapy jfc

If we go with the assault angle then maybe have her realize that it was assault(it feels like she either was too high to realize what she had done, or rationalized to where it was still "her fault" but it was consensual

More interaction with Johnny and Vivian

More dad Faust

ACTUALLY TELL GRETCHEN ABOUT FAITH JFC

Character development for Johnny pls. It kept going back and forth and it was like Ash couldn't decide if he wanted Johnny to be a good person or not

MORE STUFF ABOUT JOHNNY'S SOBRIETY!!!!!

I want to see Johnny struggling, maybe even see him almost relapse.

More studio stuff, and pls for the love of God make it more realistic

LOSE THE SHITTY ACCENT, ASH. THAT WAS CRINGE

More sex

No freezing jizz cause first of all that kills the sperm so wtf you gonna do with it??? And secondly tf were they gonna use it for in the first place????

More Vic stuff

#biVic

We know Vic is in love with Johnny, acknowledge it

It would be so messyyyyyyyy

A flashback to Vic kissing Johnny while Johnny was high so he remembers it, but Johnny doesn't so tension

MAKE VIC AND SHEVA A THING

PLS

Tbh do more with the Simon storyline cause that felt lackluster

[rrlexchange]

Ralph Lauren Takes His Line on the Road

By Stephanie Strom Sept. 23, 1993 (Originally published in the NYT)

While other retailers are taking their acts to television's home shopping networks, Ralph Lauren is taking his new line of jeans and rugged clothing on the road in an 18-wheeler.

A team of nine young salespeople yesterday started selling the designer's RRL, or Double RL collection out of a Peterbilt semitractor trailer truck parked on the campus of New York University in Manhattan. The trailer, painted with mustangs running across one side and pulled by a cherry red cab, plans to visit college campuses across the country cultivating customers who might otherwise miss the company's more traditional marketing efforts.

"It's a traveling billboard," Mr. Lauren, who looked as if he had just stepped out of one of the on-board dressing rooms in full RRL attire, said in a truckside interview at N.Y.U.

But it goes beyond that. The truck gives the designer, who is as much a savvy marketer as he is a fashion maven, and his retail empire reach beyond the fashion magazines and department store shops that feature RRL clothes. College students do not necessarily look to the ads in Esquire and Vogue for wardrobe ideas, Mr. Lauren reasons, or spend money in department and specialty stores.

Ralph had challenged us to come up with a new way of reaching young people because they don't read magazines as much," said Mary Randolph Carter, vice president of advertising for the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation.

Peter Strom, the company's to-the-point President, explained that the traveling store was not about making a profit but, rather, about making a statement. The truck is scheduled to stop on college campuses through the first week of December, but Mr. Strom said he would be willing to finance a spring tour if the one this fall won the company exposure.

That sales are a secondary goal is not surprising, since $68 blue jeans and $78 flannel shirts may not fit into the average college student's budget. But Mr. Lauren is not worried about prices. "All the prices are very competitive," he said. "My products are really good products, high quality, and people will pay for that." Thrift-Shop Ambience.

The shop inside the truck, which has a sort of a Salvation-Army-thrift-shop-meets-general-store atmosphere, opens onto a tented area where clothes are stacked on battered industrial work tables, tossed into baskets or hung on mobile pipe racks. The collection is heavy on items like roomy barn jackets, tooled belts, faded flannel shirts and worn jeans

To handle logistics and campus politics, the company teams up at each campus it plans to visit with a student group, which then makes arrangements for the truck's arrival. In exchange, the traveling RRL shop donates 10 percent of its profits to the sponsoring organization.

Ads in campus newspapers and an "800" telephone number help herald the arrival of the truck, which stays two days at each campus. After leaving N.Y.U. it will head for the University of Connecticut at Storrs and then the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Said Sam Hamilton, the 29-year-old road manager who is leading the team, "I figure I can write a memoir when it's all over."

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: vampires

Listen, vampires are a classic for a reason, but they have also been done to death (pardon the pun) to the point that finding books that are creative with the premise can be a bit of a slog through tired old tropes. Hopefully this rec list can be to a bit of help for all vampire fans out there wanting something fresh!

For details on the books, continue under the readmore

Previous rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding

Really cool sci-fi worldbuilding

Dark sapphic romances

Mermaid books

Sci-fi vampires:

Fledgling by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler my beloved, literally you cannot go wrong with one of her books. Fledgling follows what at first seems to be a ten-year-old amnesiac girl, who finds out she is in fact a decades old vampire on the run from others of her kind. The vampires here are a separate species from human, not supernatural, and are as a whole very fascinating and unsettling. Come in prepared for fucked up power dynamics.

Blindsight by Peter Watts

Vampires and aliens and questions of the nature of consciousnesses, oh my. Not a vampire novel so much as a scifi novel about aliens in which there also happens to be vampires (one of which is captain of a spaceship sent to explore an alien ship just entering the solar system). Another example of vampires as an entire separate species, but more horror focused than Fledgling. No, seriously, this book will fuck you up, highly recommend if you're okay with a lot of techno babble and existential horror.

Peeps (Peeps duology) by Scott Westerfeld

Young adult. Vampirism as a sexually transmitted parasite that turns most people into bloodthirsty monsters. Cal is an asymptomatic carrier working to find other infected before they hurt people, including his own former girlfriends. But there is something else lurking in the dark, an ancient enemy of the vampire parasite...

Post apocalypse vampires:

The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones duology) by Laura Bickle

Young adult. Katie is an Amish girl eagerly awaiting her rumspringa, when she gets to try out the outside world. But before she has the chance, something happens to the Outside; a nearby town is wiped out, and something evil stalks the night. To protect their community, the Amish elders decide that no one can leave and no one can enter the sacred ground that makes up their home. That is, until Katie finds an injured young man and decides to help him.

The Company of Death by Elisa Hansen

Wild mix of genres, where a zombie apocalypse has struck and vampires gather up humans to keep their food source from going extinct, a robot travels across America with a young man she's tasked to keep safe, and former-vampire-hunter-recent-zombie Emily teams up with Death himself to stop the apocalypse. Features bi and ace characters! Bonus rec: the author also runs the youtube channel Maven of the Eventide, where she talks about various vampire media. Check it out!

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden trilogy) by Julie Kagawa

Young adult. Another zombie apocalypse (well; feral vampires) scenario in which vampires gather humans up to keep their food safe. Allison Sekemoto hates vampires, but when she ends up on the brink of death and is offered a way out, she has no choice but to take it. Hunted by a mad vampire and forced to flee the relative safety of her city, Allie must enter the post-apocalyptic outside world and team up with the free humans roaming there, seeking a cure for the undead plague that ravages the world.

Urban fantasy vampires:

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Queen of fucked up gothic horror, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, comes for vampires in this gritty novel following Domingo, a garbage collecting street kid in a Mexico City where vampires walk the streets. His life gets turned upside down when he meets Atl, a vampire descendant of Aztec blood drinkers who’s on the run and needs all the help she can get.

Sunshine by Robin McKinnley

Urban fantasy on a level of its own, where dangerous magic exists alongside humans. It keeps you guessing and much is left unexplained; if you want clear answers and explanations to everything you might be disappointed, but if you want a world that feels mysterious and dangerous and lived in you'll probably like it. It follows a baker who, after getting kidnapped by vampires, gets embroiled in a dangerous struggle and has to team up with one of them to survive. The vampires here are really inhuman and unsettling.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Young adult. After vampirism swept the land, special Coldtowns were built to quarantine anyone bitten, whether they have turned or not. After having survived a massacre at a party in which her ex-boyfriend got bit, Tana sets out with him and mysterious vampire to reach the nearest Coldtown, not knowing if she’ll ever be able to leave it again.

Modern vampires:

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Swedish literary novel set in the 1980s. Follows twelve-year-old Oskar, a troubled and bullied boy who befriends his new neighbor, Eli. But there’s something strange about Eli, such as her only coming out at night. Also available as two separate movie adaptations (I highly recommend the Swedish original; the American remake is perfectly adequate standard horror fare, the original is a masterpiece).

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

Literary novel following Lydia, who’s grown up as a vampire under the thumb of her mother, who’s been obsessed with self-hate over their existence as blood drinkers. Finally on her own for the first time in her life, Lydia moves to London hoping to make it as an artist. But surviving alone as a vampire is harder than expected. Slow and fairly light on plot, but utterly captivating.

Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

Young adult. After Kerry saves a young man from three attackers who claim he's a vampire, she's drawn into a dangerous game and forced to work with a manipulative vampire. Pre-cursor to the modern ya vampire genre, Companions of the Night utilizes many of the same tropes but in very different ways, making it a unique experience.

Historical and fantasy vampires:

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

Dracula inspired novella, following Constanta, who’s turned from a medieval peasant to an undead bride. As time passes the relationship between Dracula and Constanta grows all the more strained and potentially dangerous. Teaming up with his two other consorts, she seeks to unravel her husband's secrets. Sapphic and polyamorous.

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

Having escaped from slavery in the 1850s, young Gilda is taken in by a vampire, and eventually finds herself turned as well. Consists of a series of novellas following Gilda throughout the centuries, from the past to the present to the future. It’s also sapphic!

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

In a world where the rich drink blood to preserve their health, Marion applies to a position as bloodmaid in a notorious noble house far from home. Suddenly showered with luxuries and debauchery, Marion soon gains the interest and favor of Lisavet, countess of the house. A fresh take on the idea of vampires and deliciously dark sapphic romance.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

The Hunger by Whitley Strieber

Ancient vampire is on the hunt for a new partner, none of which tend to last long.

My Soul to Keep (African Immortals series) by Tananarive Due

I keep seeing this one described as a vampire book, and once stumbled on the description "almost a vampire book" and listen by now I'm simply curious to see what it's about.

Team Human by Justine Larbelestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Young adult. As far as I can tell, a satire on typical ya vampire romances.

The Madness Season by C.S. Friedman

*chanting* vampires in space vampires iN SPACE

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl

Young adult, sapphic. Three vampire girls turned and abandoned by the same vampire get together to stop him from turning yet another girl.

The Balance of Fates by Raquel Raelynn

Young adult, sapphic. A girl enters a competition against vampires and werewolves, complicated by her feelings for one of her vampire competitors.

[northernember]

red queen taking place after the 6th mass extinction event has me so unhinged and feral like,,,

its about the underlying theme of being undone down to your base essentials and than remade entire by circumstances out of your control. its about stumbling out the other end, having miraculously survived the horrors done to you but being unable to recognize the person looking back.

its about how humanities hubris will always guide us down the same paths and corridors. how our base components and nature will always ripple across time even as the knowledge of those that came before us is lost.

and what of the great blood divide? how many times were those that bridged the gap unraveled and sewn back together by the massive amounts of radiation they were subjected to until they emerged with silver blood and abilities? How many succumbed to radiation sickness? How long did it take?

How long did humanity claw themselves across the ground of their forefathers failings before they learned how to walk again and how long until they repeat it?

i need to know of the calamities, i need to know what domino fell first. what happened afterwards, How the blood divide happened. Was the Silver’s creation violent and cruel? to mirror the natural, 1500 year evolution of the New bloods? were they made from those in poverty left to die to the radiation, to circumstances they had no control over but managed to somehow survive in spite of it? to mirror the Silvers treatment of Reds now?

was Cal’s arc the radiation? was it the explosion that shattered the windows and cracked the pavement? was it about the unmaking of everything youve ever known to pave a path for it to be remade for those who come after? was it feeling yourself come undone, feeling your dna unraveled, your cells torn apart and Surviving but seeing someone else staring back at you in the mirror? that the blood and ash is still on your hands but the person who stares back is not who you were before. he is scarred and scared but Better, kinder with gentle hands that will hold the world aloft, to help pave a way for those who can fix it, To fix it because he has Learned where his ideals and duty would have lead through his own unmaking.

was Maven’s arc the ruined cities? a place once full of joy and sorrow, of music fluttering through the windows, the smell of paint that clings to some people, the gentle noise of people typing as they write novels and essays and chat with their friends, of people walking and talking, of everything humanity was and now it is nothing more than a hollow city full of the echo of ghosts. A place left to decay and crumble beneath the tragedy brought by those that promised to protect it. A place that is seen as unsalvageable but only needs time to heal. Plants and vines climb up through the cracks, leaving a promise and echo that it Can heal. That it could have healed.

and was Mare’s arc the aftermath? was it the stubbornness and determination to stand on to shaky legs, to look out upon a world ripped apart and left in ruin and choosing to fix it, for yourself and for all those who will come after you? was it about pulling together a community left to die, to rebuild all that was lost, to heal the world and yourselves with gentle seeking hands and promising to do better? you came out bearing scars and cracks, searing memories of the terrible things done to you and choosing to take a trembling step forward even as the earths crust shakes beneath your will. You have had terrible things done to you time and time again but still you loved and still you chose to stand up on your own or reach for outstretched hands. You are scarred and you see yourself as unfixable but your community and family do not and they will give you the things you need and the time to patch yourself up until your tremors stop and your waters settle, until the sun is blanketed by your ozone and made gentle and kind again, until your raging storms become kind bouts of rain. They will wait for you to be okay again, and they know you will never be the same and they will love you through everything. They will stand with and beside you until the end of time. are you the aftermath of humanity or are you the earth’s embodiment?

[minijenn]

Man, angsty what if idea for Together Forever. Dipper threatens to call Allison if Maven doesn’t infuse and Mavens breaks down in tears and only stops crying after 2 hours.

Just to show how Allison affects Mabel.

Hhhhhh lord and the Steven half of Maven is just confused the entire time as he tries comforting them, unsure of why they're so upset in the first place gosh

[lucy-the-cat]

Rq Flash Fic Fridays

Setup: I read a "Maven changes because Mare gets pregnant with his child in the first book" fic and I was like . . . no. So I got to deconstructing how he would react and this was the most interesting outcome

His face goes white.  “You–”

“It’s Cal’s,” I hiss.  “We slept in the same bed for months; it was bound to happen.”

His eyes flicker, as if he, too, is on the boat again.  As if my touch burned as deeply as his did.  “I’ve seen inside your head, Mare.  I know he didn’t have the nerve.” His breath hitches.  “Not like I did.”

I yank down my collar, letting the M sear my vision until I can breathe again.  The reminder of his crimes, the erasure of his kindness, the one I know he can never take back.  “Nerve.  Is that what you call it?”

“I did love you, Mare.”

“Save it.”  The fabric tears beneath my grip, and Maven frowns.  My heart won’t stop racing.  “Will you make me keep it?”

Something rolls over him, a tension I don’t care to unpack.  “It would be better if I didn’t.”  He eyes the brand as if he might kiss it.  “Still.”  A step forward.  “The propaganda.  The spectacle.  And, of course, Cal.”  His lips quirk.  “It would be a shame if he never found out.”

“Elara would skin you alive for this, Maven.”  I shake my head.  “Red children.  I’m surprised you’re even able to say it.”

He stares me in the eye.  “Mother isn’t here, is she?”

@drewtanakagf @nortaeventcouncil

[edgessunflower]

Bathtub kisses and whispers

Pairing: Rey Mysterio x Fem reader

Description: Rey and you end up in a bathtub leading to the childhood friendship changing to more

Loosely based on this scene

You look across the room while sitting in your hotel room's bathtub seeing Rey both of you smiling seeing his muscles through his soaked shirt while he sees the small outline of your bra. The two of you had been friends since you were twelve always following the other around to and from school, each other's houses, concerts, parks, lunch, and dinner with each other's families supporting him as he started wrestling when you were teenagers with his dad and barely a year into his career you started wrestling and became the protege of Princess Victoria who really showed you the ropes becoming close friends with Luna Vachon both of you rising in your careers as she made her way in the WWF while you started off with small circuits most of them with rey and other luchadors before the two of you were signed to WCW a month apart from each other quickly making names for yourselves developing feelings for him halfway through 1997 only falling for him as the years passed by going into an anxiety induced state when wcw shut down really not wanting to get scarred and banged up on ECW leading you to join WWE right before rey debuted strangely debuting on the same episode of Smackdown fitting right in amongst the roster becoming friends with Lita, Edge, Trish, Maven, Molly Holly, and Stevie a long with reuniting with old friends Eddie, Torrie, and Goldberg. "Who are you?" giggles are shared as you caress his face making him lightly up and smile god that smile never failed to turn you to a puddle of putty as you hug each other feeling your heart stop when he takes his mask off always feeling your heart melt that you were one of the few people outside of his family that saw his face without the mask always seeing his unmasked face whenever you saw him with the mask "How you feeling?" goosebumps flow all over your body not from the chill due to being in a bathtub with clothes on but from rey running his fingers in your hair with his hand gently holding the back of your head "Safe, when I'm with you I feel safe" you had heard sweet things he has told others about you but to hear the words he just said to you makes you feel a tender sense of love and joy all at once feeling the air leave your body when he softly presses his lips to yours pulling him back into another kiss this one just as tender and more passionate than the first smiling sweetly against each other's lips whispering an intimate emotional confession of love that both of you had and kept hidden for the past few years of your bond changing as you both say "I love you" just loud enough for the two of you to hear stripping down as the tub fills with warm water melting in each other's embrace before you were asleep wrapped in each other's arms.