#and less bad stock photos of my job

[hylianengineer]

I went looking for lab tech stock photos because I thought they'd be hilariously bad. And, okay, some of them are, mostly in the form of over- or under-doing the PPE and also TERRIBLE micropipetting technique, but also? This thing where people stand around staring at their coworkers measuring liquid?

Yeah I've done that. I did that last week. We do in fact stand around to give each other second opinions on whether the volumetric flask is perfectly filled yet. I mean, his angle's all wrong, you have to get on eye-level with it, and I can't imagine why you'd use a micropipette to fill a volumetric flask in the first place, but still.

[theswordwizard]

ai art: both sides

I think a lot of non-artists are also just really and truly not understanding the big picture. I personally could not care less about that cat image, it was fun, whatever, but you are only producing those kinds of images in the sense that an art director "produces" whatever art they are in charge of. They are telling another artist what to do, even guiding them, but they are not considered the artist themselves. Artists who are creating their own art, who are trying to survive off of their work (many of whom have some form of disability, as art is easy to do while sitting down, etc), who are already in the middle of fighting to not just be tossed aside for a product which doesn't even produce the results it claims, are reacting negatively because they are seeing that in parallel with tabling spaces taken up with people presenting generated art as their own illustration, and game devs/producers using it as a way to explicitly avoid paying people for work, while using something that was trained on their work.

"Why do people react so strongly to things possibly being AI art?" If you want to keep it out of the courts, then public opinion matters all the more. It's about a party line that is easily communicable. Most artists are going to be strongly anti-AI because that's the best way to protect themselves than trying to "open a discussion" about it. It's like nurse scabs. We can argue back and forth all day about the intricacies of scabbing for important jobs, but at the end of the day the party line will generally be "scabbing is bad," "we don't like scabs," "scabbing harms workers."

People are trying to compare people getting mad about it to people getting mad about Duchamp's fountain, which just lets me know about their level of art education, and the level of which they like to talk out their ass.

Duchamp's fountain isn't a major point in art history because of the object itself, its because of the STATEMENT. It is because of the placement of the object IN THE GALLERY. It is the equivalent of a political pamphlet, but summed up in a single object that incites discussion around his political statement. It isn't about the object it is about the CONCEPT. We can literally call anything we want "art" if we dedicate ourselves to reframing it and treating it as such, it's just that most non-artists don't even care. They want the label of being an artist without even putting in an effort to. It's like if I wanted to be called a photographer and I wanted people to treat me as such, and so I just made a portfolio of pictures I took off of Pinterest or even a stock photo site, because I've decided that it's the photos I would WANT to take, and thus I can just act like they have anything to do with me.

There have been arguments over much more "similar" things for a long time too. Since the 90s Richard Prince has been taking people's instagram photos, making slight tweaks to avoid copyright, and then printing them large scale and selling them for tens of thousands of dollars. Technically legal, kinda shitty, as he does it without even contacting the (plenty of times, women) original posters. And that's just with selfies people have taken! But I don't see people mentioning that because a lot of people don't like him, and most people arguing to legitimize AI art to be uncontested don't actually care that much about contemporary art. They have zero real interest in being an artist and talking about art to that degree, to have those discussions in a way that isn't validating themselves. Duchamp's fountain in a gallery incites discussion because galleries are places of art discussion. If someone brought a crate of mechanically woven baskets (that they bought from amazon) to a craft fair, people are going to be rightly pissed off. It's about context.

It's also, in my opinion, a similar discussion to the one that was big on twitter not too long ago, where people argued that artists weren't obligated to be able to draw non-white and/or disabled people. Which, sure, but you probably aren't that good of an artist if you don't know how to. And someone going through a portfolio of exclusively white people might go "huh, only white people. interesting." (I even want to include a gotcha here! If an artist has a portfolio of white people, and they have a section talking about their focus being painting their family tree in like, northern Ireland, it's gonna be a totally different story. why, you ask? because there is an underlying concept other than "wow this artist really only likes white people." this is part of the reading comprehension test that will follow.)

And you know what, I'm going to be honest - and this is likely a result of me not being a photographer - but I'm not even really talking all that much about AI photo edits, outside of the large scale implications of what it means that anyone can create a highly realistic image of anything they want (including political figures, female celebrities, you see my pattern here) with zero effort, on a mass scale we've never seen previously. I think they should only be used with stock, and I even think that photographers who upload their works should get additional payments from it. I actually had used a generator back in 2019 for a project, well before this even became a discussion, and it was even featured in a gallery show for a bit! The overall theme was "fake news," so it was a conceptual piece with fake landscape photography that I made with some beta tool. The point was the tool in combination with the tool's result, not how pretty the fake pictures were. I also want to say it was trained a lot more ethically than a lot of the generators that are so popular today.

And this isn't to say that you have to have a gallery or be so fully integrated in a physical art scene or whatever to be able to make conceptual art or talk about it - honestly I think zines that could actually combine whatever your concept is with having room to talk about it, and they're easy to create both physically and digitally and share. maybe just don't have it be around "look at all these pretty pictures that I made with AI." similar to how people at the art book fair aren't going to be impressed with me being like "look at all these pretty pictures I found on Unsplash."

Sure, AI art is "real art," but it's not illustration or photography or whatever, it's conceptual art. Which means it's main goal is to incite thought and discussion about it. Like the D&D book's release that suddenly turned to being about the AI art they used. So if you want to be an artist using primarily AI, go ahead, no one can stop you, but the topic is culturally significant with the current fight between the entertainment unions to protect their livelihoods, so the discussion will be heated.

[90stvqueen]

I have been contacted by multiple multi-level marketing "job opportunities" this week.

It's starting to occur to me -- and nobody really tells you this -- that unless you are looking for something specific (and probably not entry-level), Indeed is not the place to look for jobs. I was applying for jobs pretty indiscriminately on there a few days ago, and have since been contacted by what looks to be multiple multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes.

Here are some red flags I've found in these job postings that point toward a pyramid structure:

[Company] is a [PR/marketing agency/local startup] that is looking for outgoing, motivated candidates who are just out of college or looking to make a career change!

[Company] will pay for you to be trained in business and sales, so don't worry if you don't have prior experience! This is an entry-level role with HUGE opportunities for growth!

You'll have networking and travel opportunities, such as leadership development conferences and seminars!

Sounds good, right? But if you look up these companies on Glassdoor, you'll either find nothing or you'll see a mix of reviews:

positive reviews from the current employees who are incentivized to talk up the company

negative reviews from former employees that will often flat-out tell you it's an MLM

there's a lot of repetition in the phrases you'll see across the board: "a great opportunity," high turnover/burnout, manipulative management, lack of transparency, no job security, "hard work pays off," "not for everyone"

sometimes you'll find out that the company was renamed from another company, and if you look that company up, you'll find even more bad reviews explicitly calling it a pyramid scheme/MLM

If you go to the company website, you'll see a clean interface with stock photos of people looking happy, and all of the "who we are" text on the site will be utter jargon that doesn't explicitly tell you what the company does. It will tell you, however, that they're hiring now!

If you make it to the interview portion, (which, if you apply, you almost certainly will, because these companies are preying on people who are desperate for a job) you will be rushed through an initial interview, which will look something like this:

You'll be interviewed alongside another candidate or in a group.

It's a quick 10-minute getting-to-know-you call so the company can see if it's a good fit.

They will ask you to tell them (in front of the other candidates) what you would bring that makes you stand out.

They will ask you if you have reliable transportation.

They will go over the "job description" without ever making it clear what the day-to-day looks like.

They'll tell you about how you're going to be trained in different departments. The departments will have names like "Marketing & sales," "HR & PR," "Leadership development," "Logistics, numbers, and operations," and "Client relations." This is an actual example from a Zoom interview I just did less than an hour ago. These are the "departments" of this company, according to my interviewer.

They'll emphasize that expansion is the goal. Top-level customer acquisition. Their clients are looking to open to new markets, so they're looking for go-getters to quickly fill the role.

IF YOU ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE COMPANY, THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER NOT TO ANSWER IT. They'll tell you that you'll have the opportunity to ask as many questions as you want if you make it to round two; they'll tell you they have another interview in 2 minutes and don't have time to answer your questions; they'll repeat that this is a preliminary getting-to-know-you call, so there's no need to get into the details just yet.

If you do manage to get a question in, they'll put as vague & positive a spin on it as they can. I asked if the company I interviewed with was a new company (because I couldn't find it on BBB or Glassdoor) and the interviewer told me yes, it's a "branch-off company" to a company that's been around for a few years. He did not tell me what that company was, and I didn't ask, because at that point I knew I wouldn't get a straightforward answer either way.

Y'all, if you find a job that raises any red flags for you, DO YOUR RESEARCH. You should be looking up any company that reaches out to you. Find their website. Read their reviews on Glassdoor and Better Business Bureau. BE SMART AND DON'T LET THESE COMPANIES PREY ON YOU.

[lamajaoscura]

NaClYoHo days 26-29

Festive tree and wreath acquired, including the Tree Guy's 'Nice truck, dude. Are y'all farmers or something?' aka the universal vehicle expression of admiration.

2 doctors appointments - done

1 haircut and highlights acquired

1 job interview plus essay portion done. Make it so!

House tidied for craft night, because friendship as grown folks means a 3 week advance notice and loose activities. And dagnabbit, I am an extrovert.

Turkey carcass turned to stock and frozen.

Mom's xmas beret bound off.

Chestnuts roasted and turned into soup (Soupspiration - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8fb2uQ1/)

Faced the big bad of tackling the photos in one box o' memories. Spouse thought there were Way Less Photos and also that they had years written on the back. He is Sorely Mistaken. I sat down, opened the box and sorted, discarding photos of folks I don't know from summer camps, and when it became too much, I put it away. He has since offered to help physically put them into albums, because it decimated me for the rest of the day. Even the poorly lit, sideways photo of high school me sitting on the kitchen floor of the childhood home (now-demolished) with all 15 lbs. of tabby cat, Oliver Cinnamon Twist, the first cat who truly loved me (also deceased) was a lot, so close to my (deceased) dad's birthday.

[int-writersmind]

I Hate Christmas, Peter Parker {Part 3}

Peter Parker x f!Reader

It’s simple: You don’t see what the big fuss is all about surrounding Christmas, but Peter Parker thinks that this is unacceptable and puts you through the last of a multiple step list to make you fall in love with the holiday. 

{Read Part 1}

Warnings: Fluff,

Word Count: 1.8k

Authors Note: In order to get this out today, this is not well edited. I will fix it soon.

Peter rarely spent the night, often heading back into the city after a few hours of sleep. But this morning, a shirtless, sleeping vigilante was a welcome sight in your bed. You very carefully climb out of bed, limbs slowly reaching over Peter’s body. 

You were just starting to prepare your coffee when Peter shuffled out your bedroom, dressed only in his underwear and messy hair. “What if breakfast in bed was on the list?” Peter comes up next to you, kissing your cheek as he goes to pour his cup. 

“Please,” You smile slyly as his arm wraps around your lower waist. “You don’t need Christmas to do that.”

“Yeah I know, but I do have something for today.” 

“Really?

“Yeah and I know at first you’re gonna hate it, but I promise that at the end–”

“I’ll love it so much that my heart will grow ten times it’s size.” You interject.

Peter glares at you before downing his drink. “Trust me ok?”

Peter stands there arms folded. “And will Peter Parker go out in his Spidey cosplay or birthday suit?”

It takes Peter a second before he notices his current situation. “I left some stuff here right?”

You think for a moment before taking another sip of your drink. “Yeah, but I think you have to borrow one of the coats.”

~

You found yourself standing in the cold of Bryant Park. You felt your cheeks start to turn red by the time Peter found you. He was in a nice dark blue pea coat, jeans and sneakers. He kisses you on the cheek before looping your arm in his. “Ready?”

“I want to say yes, but I don’t know what I’m agreeing to.”

“Fair enough,” Peter leads you through the sitting area, towards the temporary winter village that is always set up during the holiday season. A crowded place with overpriced items, tourists and gullible natives. It had its charms but it mostly had drawbacks. “What I’m proposing is a full day filled with Christmissy fun, but in an appetizer style, since we don’t have that much time.”

That was an understatement, it was less than a week till Christmas, so everything was sent into overdrive and increasingly more busy. It was so busy that it was a struggle for the two of you to fit down the rows of little shops. You tried your best to put on a face that didn’t imminently give away how much you hated all of this.

“As much as I like spending time with my adoring boy-toy, a full, uninterrupted day together seems unlikely” You gently squeeze Peter’s hand to get him to look at you. “It’s not like you can just up and ignore your other job.”

As the two of you reach the end of one row, a stand that was giving out free samples of warm cider. You wince as you take a sip, Peter gives you a reluctant smile. “I think that NYC's finest can keep the city safe today.”

You give him a look.

“Listen if things get that bad then I’ll go…and only then.” Peter finishes his drink before taking yours and finishing it right there.

“Fine Parker, let’s try to enjoy this day.”

~

As the two of you slowly shuffled your way through Bryant Park Winter Village, You settle on buying one thing from a booth with monogrammed Christmas stockings. You try to hide your smiling face from it, but Peter quickly catches a photo of you with his camera you didn’t realize he brought with him

After the initial snap you jokily start posing. Peter indulges with one extra, you sticking out your tongue.

There was only one close call, when some sirens caused Peter to snap his head in that direction. You place a hand on his arm, giving him an understanding glance. Peter takes your hand in his. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily” he says.

Peter grabs your hand and leads you to a PhotoBooth where the two of pose for pictures. One with you kissing him on the cheek, another where you both cross your eyes and make stupid faces, a third where you guys make a threatening faces, hands up ready to fight and, lastly a genuine smile because why not. You collect your photos from the outside after spending way too much on them and choosing a festive border (Peter’s choosing). “God these are actually more expensive than I remember." You say.

"Same, anyway, let's head to the next place." Peter says.

~

So your plan is for us to just stare at Radio City?” you say, as you stand across the street, watching patrons line up and enter the building.

“Well, did you want to watch the show?” Peter asks.

“Oh no.”

Some nearby buskers start playing Christmas songs, as the two of you start walking down the sidewalk. “The real reason behind this was that Radio City is just on our way to our next place, just thought you would get some residual Christmas magic.”

You just shake your head and pull Peter closer to you, arms linked with one another. You guys continue to walk down the sidewalk as the buskers continue their show. Instead of just walking by like every New Yorker, he slows down, forcing the pair of you to join the small cluster that has surrounded the performers. Peter takes off his camera and hands it to you as he goes and joins some people dancing to the music.

You giggle quite loudly, trying to cover your face with your hand. You pick up the camera, lining up your eye to the viewfinder. Using some basic camera skills that Peter taught you one date night , you snap a photo of Peter locking arms with a random passerby, dancing in a circle.

When Peter notices you and the camera he unlocks from the stranger and grabs on to you. The two of you sing and dance to the music all the way to the end of the song, you carefully holding the camera in your hand.

At the end of the song, with a scatter round of applause, the two of you stand close to one another, breathing heavily from the erratic dance moves. “So did I get through that ice cold, Christmas hating heart?”

You crinkle your nose, “Maybe just a crack.”

~

The last location was ice skating at Central Park, and as the two of you got there the sun was beginning to get low, casting a warm amber glow on a cool day becoming an even chiller night. 

Peter was a wobbly mess, like a newborn giraffe who was born with ice blades on his hooves. You somehow were a graceful ice princess, spinning circles around him, almost as if all those causal visits to the ice skating rink in high school were actually worth the price of admission. “Oh come on Petey! You’re telling me you can walk on synthetic webs the size of tightropes but can’t handle some ice and blades?”

“I don’t see how that applies to this situation.”

You brake in front of him, before offering him your hands, taking his and leading him forward while you skate backwards. “Balanced babe, it’s all about balance.”

After a few strides, and with your help, Peter was able to finally pick it up. Letting go one of your hands, using the other to spin you in a circle before pulling you back to him.

The two of you skate for a few minutes in silence, people watching , families, friends, couples. You catch yourself smiling at these people, but do nothing to get rid of it. 

Snowflakes start to fall from the sky, you notice them first falling on a middle-aged couple as the two of you pass by, and as children cast their gaze upwards trying to catch the flakes on their tongue, you mimic them as well. Letting your tongue stick out, catching a few cold drops. Was it childish? Yes? Unsanitary? 100%, but it was fun to indulge.

Click, another photo, you turn your head towards Peter who’s smiling, “Good picture?” You ask.

“Always.”

~

And at the end of the day, Peter walks you back to your apartment building, and back to your apartment, through the door, lips crashing into one another, bodies bumping into the Elf on the Shelf, hands getting lost in each other's hair. Before anything else can happen, a flurry of police sirens go by your windows, more than typical in the city, a potential big deal. 

You lay on the couch, half supporting yourself as you watched Peter contemplating his next move. He looks at you, almost asking permission, “Go ahead Spider-Boy.” He smirks back but before he gets changed you pull him to the couch, lips close to his. “But don’t think I don’t remember your promise you made to me for going through all this.”

Peter smiles, “Of course.”

A few moments later you watch as Spider-Man jumps out your window, sitting by for a few seconds longer before getting up from the couch and picking up the Elf on the Shelf. “Count yourself lucky you didn’t get scared tonight.” You say that thing.

Epilogue

The light from the christmas tree was the only thing that illuminated your apartment, Peter and You sat on your couch handing each other presents. You came home after a long Christmas day with your parents (at the suggestion of Peter.), it wasn’t as unbearable as you thought it would be. The old folks kept the arguments to a minimum, Mom made some delicious cookies, and Dad gave you some cash to help pay your bills. It was low-key and not in your face Hallmark movie feeling—just how you like it. Peter and You agreed to meet up at your place after he came back from visiting May, to spend the evening together and give presents to one another. 

“No, you have to admit it!” Peter said quite loudly, holding your present hostage in his arms.

“Ugh, no I will not!” You roll your eyes, falling back on the couch before sitting back up. “It was just a dumb little game–”

“A dumb little game that I won.”

“Won? Wow, that's an overestimate of events.”

“Oh please,” Peter says, he hands you the present. “Open this and maybe you’ll change your mind.”

You glance at Peter before opening the box. Inside, tissue paper, you remove that and see a photobook– To Little Miss I Hate Christmas, Peter, written on top. You flip through the pages, photos from various moments this month, some you remembered and others you forgot about. A picture of you in front of your favorite coffee shop, another of you from behind looking at your Christmas tree, another where you held the peace sign up in front of an unlit tree, and lastly some photos from your super packed day. You look up at Peter, a smile creeping on your face. “Oh Peter, I love it. Wait, quickly open mine.”

You hand Peter your present, bringing a hand to your mouth, biting on your nails. You watch slightly nervous as Peter rips the paper off, opening the package– A camera strap with embroidered spiders hidden throughout. “This is great.” Peter says.

“Are you sure? Not on the nose?”

“Of course not, it’s wonderful” Peter leans over and kisses you on the lips. “What about your present? You are a believer now.”

Your grip on the book is a little tighter now, “Well I won’t say that Christmas is now my all time favorite holiday but…it’s…more bearable with you around.”

Peter just smiles at you, “Now that was corny.”

“Shut up!” you throw the pillow at him. “You liked it, I know you did.”

“And I couldn’t ask for a better ending.”

~

Hey, thanks so much for reading till the end. This wasn't really how I wanted the series to come out but I still had fun. Anyway happy holidays and come back for a new year's gift???

[bluesturngold]

i tried adobe firefly (adobe's image generator), here's my review:

pros: created the dataset using images from adobe stock (which they own the rights to use) instead of web scraping indiscriminately, the website has a straightforward means of reporting outputs to adobe if they're bad, it does a decent job generating images that aren't meant to look like photos (it gives four outputs per prompt, at least one always looked decent)

cons: the dataset being so limited means it doesn't know what some things are, its generation of photorealistic images produces results between mediocre and bad, relative to less ethical competitors it seems way less capable

all in all, pretty uninspiring tbh

[aticklishpercivalwriter]

Almost back

TL;DR: I'm back, somewhat! Inside view into my life and tickle requests are here! It's view-only, so don't worry about clicking something and messing my dashboard up :) Being more transparent with you all, explore it! And I can't say it enough, but thank you for your likes, reblogs, and interacting with my posts/fics! ❤️

I've gotten to sorting my life back together...for the most part. But better than before! I have adopted some changes to my ways/habits, so hopefully I'm able to balance school with you guys! [Disabling the YouTube app from my phone (YouTube shorts is addicting and I love/hate it, but alas, I need to focus on other things. Screentime timer ain't working), playing less Genshin (I'm still in the loop though for content), and among other things I changed]. For the two who requested, sorry you had bad timing when I went on my little hiatus. Practically a month :( Haven't forgotten about them! I'll get them out when I can :)

Hi everyone!

If you ever wanted a little inside view to how I manage my tasks for school or if I have your request in my to do list, you can visit here! I'm going to be more transparent with you all, so I can feel more accountable for myself and to just share how I do things now with you all if you ever find it useful for your own life. (Images on my dashboard are random stock photos, only for aesthetics, no other purposes.) If you want a template for the page, visit here. Thanks to Thomas Frank, the creator of the template! If you have any questions about how I use my dashboard, don't hesitate to ask! The progress bar on the projects is NOT accurate.

As summer gets closer, I'm hoping to have the time to write more. Finals week is still one week away then summer. I do have to take a summer class and my parents really want me to find a summer job to do during the meantime. Hopefully that won't affect my writing too much. I'll let you all know of course of how I am doing :)

Thank you so much for reading not just this, but everything on my blog. I see new likes on my fics and that brings me so much joy, so thank you ❤️.

---

Here's some miscellaneous info that I left for the end:

-Lost my 50/50 to Mona :(

-Farmed for primos and finally got Lyney yesterday :)

-Installed a new browser called Arc and it is awesome for multitasking. Especially when I'm writing tickle fics. Great for searching lore, tickle headcanons, and other stuff on the same window as I'm writing. Picture below so you can see what I mean. Search it up if you want. Both for Windows and Mac.

---

Yes, there is a sneak peak into one of the requests I'm writing :)

-Switched to Notion for writing tickle fics, which is what my dashboard is on too. Better at writing than Google Docs or Microsoft Word in small spaces like shown above.

Thanks for reading to the end :)

Love you all!

-Percival ❤️

[googumpins]

[ This is a bit more of a rant about my current job more than anything, so be aware. ]

At my previous job, there was this older lesbian who I got along really well with. Let's call her Tee.

Tee was very vocal about things, and we bullshitted about stuff all the time. She was the first and one of the very few people who I told that I was trans there, and the only person I told that I went by they/them pronouns. She was one of the few people I felt comfortable talking with there.

Anyway, Tee and some of my other coworkers there taught me some things about work, albeit indirectly.

I've always tried to do my best at work, because as a semi-visible trans person, I've always been afraid of being fired just for being queer. My supervisors at that particular job seemed to take note of how well I'd work, because they'd pull me to different lines constantly just to pick up the pace for them if they were getting behind. When I started, I'd even try and do 2 different jobs at once to keep the lines moving if someone was slacking.

Tee took note of this at some point when she was put on my line, and started telling me to slow down since I was doing 2 people's jobs. I did slow down, but sometimes would lapse and do it again. Eventually, I did just start to stick to the one task, although I still helped occassionally (within reason), but didn't take over a job completely. I was still doing very well in the supervisor's eyes, and I wasn't wearing myself out so much as a result.

This felt like an important turning point for me, because at that point I realized I didn't have to put out 100% of my effort just to secure my job, I just had to do what I was told to their standards and I was safe.

I recently remembered her, and I've started to incorporate that mindset to my current job.

My manager here is a lot less reasonable and, frankly, a lot more lazy. Because I organize our cooler super well however, she's seemed to like me a lot more than my other coworkers who've been here for longer than me.

However, I work night shift, and she always takes off seconds before my shift comes in. She also isn't so strict about day shift doing things because day shift is full of her friends. As a result, day shift doesn't do what they should, if anything, and that includes stocking the shelves of the fridge, which has been taking us 2 hours on average for what should take us 1 hour or less.

That means 2 hours of one single person on the register, not being able to get anything else done sometimes because some nights are so busy that there isn't 5 minutes of there being no customers in the store.

She expects us, as night shift, to do everything and make everything pristine by the time we close. Because day shift doesn't do anything though, we're basically doing 2 people's worth of work. The other people on my shift know this too, and we've been gathering photo evidence every chance we get in hopes of showing either her or the district manager if she doesn't take us seriously.

Before we can do that however, I've started keeping to doing 1 person's job. I haven't been so detailed in my job in stocking the fridge, and because I'm the "Star Employee" (as we've jokingly called me), I've started willingly taking the blame for things that weren't done to their full potential since she's been unreasonably strict on my other coworkers. Despite taking responsibility for the bad work, she hasn't complained to me at all. She still yells at my other coworkers and never says a single bad thing directly to me.

I wish there was some resolution to this, but this is still an ongoing issue for us. We've had a customer call corporate to complain about this situation, but there hasn't been any immediate change. We can't talk to the manager directly because she leaves before our shift, and she's too dismissive over the phone to be reasoned with that way.

I'm just going to keep going and stay in my lane, and do one person's job like how Tee taught me. Whatever's making me still be the star employee, I'm gonna use it to my advantage to help myself and my coworkers.

[taleofatail]

When I started making tails, I didn't want anything too complex or expensive, just something that can fund itself and quick to make alongside university and my job and later on alongside my full time job.

The fur I chose was because there was hardly any choice in 2014 and most was priced out of my budget. Fun fur actually wasn't as bad as most complained it was, sure if you could afford better or even had the option of getting better furs, then always get better. It was thin and wispy and looked rubbish if you shaved it down too much. The short fur option was even worse looking. But once brushed, it actually looked and moved nicely. The wispy fur looked nice, it was a simple cheap tail for those who couldn't or didn't want to afford better.

And for ages, I was content with using it. I did want to use better furs, but there wasn't really a drive, money or confidence in my skills to do so. I made some ears a few times, but never felt satisfied by them. And I really didn't know what alternatives would've matched since I'd just want the same just in better furs. That didn't really exist in the UK at that point or some colours did but others didn't.

Eventually Brexit and lockdown happened, and then I noticed the quality of the furs drop but the price going up. It became a mystery order where the fur I ordered could be the usual or slightly worse quality fur, or it would be the worst quality fur. Really, I should've returned it when I got the worst quality in.

I still had scraps from ages back, so you can see how the quality slightly drops, then plummets. The darker the back with less white, the thicker the fur with fun fur, especially the dark colours. In image 2 you can see the parting is wider and clearer between the two. The last image has 3 separate scraps. 1 and 2 are very similar and still good enough that I can overlook It's not as silky or as thick. 3 however... it feels wire like, coarse and the hair is thinner, shorter and curls when not brushed.

So once I realised all the places I could buy it from could send me this type of fur, I decided to actually sit down and do research. Check my stock, make them up and sell them. Thankfully, a lot of the furs I couldn't get in the past are more available, so I can pretty much match my best-selling colours. Sadly, it's a LOT more expensive. However, I may expand to more colours than the few 'natural' ones. And I'll have to be more on the ball with stock the shop I've decided to buy from changes their furs often and sometimes have limited edition furs which are very tempting.

One example is; I got some fur to do one tail thinking this was the type I was going forward with... then when looking at the other options realised it was now GONE. The link is dead. All I can hope is more come in and go with a different option which actually might be better as it looks more wispy.

This is much better fur, but this has also dropped in quality, because over 5 years ago I bought some shag blue from the same place, and the difference is night and day. The blue is literally like a thick shag carpet, while the new shag looks and feels nice, it's clearly thinner.

So, once I get some old tails sold, I'll use up the new furs I bought and see how it goes. And some old furs I've kept hold of and now don't exist that I can find. :3

More info and photos once I've done these sets, likely won't make it for Halloween, sadly.

[wherethehellisderrymaine]

September Wrap Up

Books

vinculeando The OutsiderMusic my bod dysmorphic disorder music:  catriel 5so5 jessie reyez silvestre y la naranja enhpyen noah cyrus black pink  two sugars - tai verdes

Events:

01: sleepy and sick with a cold making croissants  long day ahead - 9 hours of classes

bough lcho’s therm. not the color i wanted but it’s never on stock, damn it.  02: no classes bc of cristina’s muderder attempt - went to lucho’s when he left work - he talked to me about what i’ve done, he was so patient and adorable and sensible and sensitive; i know i messed up by reading something that was not meant for me and for not telling him about but I know I won’t do shit likethat againg and I’ll keep on working on letting myself be vulnerable. -- watched jolly’s videos together

03: made coffee, watched the qualy, had sex (god i love him) - had lunch together watching fargo, it’s amazing. - went to parque san martin and to little ofelia with cata and lari. it was tense bc i haven’t been a good friend AT ALL lately, but they love me and i loved them and I WILL get better at it. 

had plans with lucho but i went back late to the baticueva, so we stayed and ordered food from asian ghetto. he was cleanning the banjo, i love watching him do things he loves - i sensed him a little tense or nervous but he said he was fine. after dinner he used the toys on me and he even tied me up to the bed... this man’s gonna be the death of me, i cannot love him more because that it literally impossible.

04: shower together, rushed bike ride to home with lucho to watch the race - 3rd place -. lovely ride back to the baticueva, finished fargo (LOVED IT), blow job (i live for that, i fucking love his moans and that he bites himself, i’m fucked up), made a pascualina together, watch the rings of power and feel asleep in the sofa. 

05: bloated, feel ugly. neck hurts. tired sad day at work, juli cried bc of other kids being mean for no reason. i wanna kill them  anxious, feel ugly, doubt myself,

06: had nightmares of lucho dating another woman and being happier with her than with me, uncertainty is scary sex books - i gotta get better at it feel ugly and anxious -- bad body dysmorphia -- had a lovely dinner with lucho, watched rick and morty, ate ice cream -- FEAR FOOD that triggers my worst thoughts, i’ve been working on it but it’s still something hard for me. lucho was patient and talked to me, which again is hard for me to do because i am ashamed of being like this. 

07: tired -- ugly 

08: really bad body dysmorphia day - anxious and cried - i feel nauseous - i weighted myself and I’ve gained weight. I hate that and I’m terrified of falling back into my old ED patterns

09: still feel bad. a little less anxious but i couldn’t sleep, i feel ugly AF. cancelled valeria’s session bc i can’t stop crying and it would be pointless i’m not breathing properly bc of the anxiety - i feel sad and my head hurts. 

i took photos of myself and i don’t believe what i see. that’s my mental illness.

10: qualy at el grosellar with mum and dad -- rough night bc of anxiety and slight depression, and nightmares. -- woke up feeling a little better 

better body image but tummy aches 

luch with cati and lari at mitre’s park -- it was lovely -- we planned Ori’s birthday. 

went to lucho’s - said hi to angie that was just leaving -- lucho was really affectionte which made me feel much better bc i needed him and his love -- we were about to leave to Pampa’s beer party but we had sex, which i also needed. 

then we went to the party. i had lots of fun and beer but at the end of the night i felt sad bc i missed Foni and I couldn’t stop crying. Lucho and his friends supported me, made me feel comfortable and calmed me down. i adore them

11: tired, slept bad -- went home with lucho to watch monza’s race - leclerc ended up in second place, not bad

lucho made lunch, it was delicious. tender meat and creamy potatoes -- i made cinnamon rolls

went back to the baticueva, gave him his stanley’s therm and i think he liked it - took a nap bc we were both really tired -- hand job, i live to touch him, it’s my favorite thing 

made terrarios - i loved that -- listenes to music -- he made empanadas and we watched how i met your mother, jolly and teloresumo’s videos. -- tried milka oreo’s alfajor

went to bed bc we were both feeling sick and my headache didn’t ease on me. 

12: bloated and tummy aches. feel ugly but not boderline bipolar anymore. i still have that weird headache

tired, had nightmares and slept bad bc of coughing

13: akward, pain, lucho’s house, payday, plazo fijo, clases en la casa de lucho

14: PERIOD...makes sense just fucked up - better body image but still obsesing over it - lucho made me ramen, i loved it and i love him, we finished naruto, had s3x, it was great but i felt like i didn’t do it as good as i could have -- too self concious

15: better body image but really bad headache, ginecologa -everythign was ok- cleaned lcho’s house - lots of classes - tired and headache at night 

16: same as yesterday, feel like crap - had therapy, talked about my mental disorders and how much i am body checking and counting calories... it scares me to admit that i am falling back into that and how good i feel when i think i’m skinnier. i’m the worst and i hate myself. -- lucho went to the nutricionist and i reacted badly, topics like weight gaining and losing trigger me so much, even more when the person talking about is already skinny. i know he is doing that to be healthier and feel more confident and be happier, which i totally support; it’s just i don’t know how to talk about it. i’ll have a talk with him to explain why i’m such a bitch. 

---- i need to stop talking this bad to myself. valeria will kill me. 

---i’m anxious about tonight :( and i’m ashamed of it 

--- it wasn’t that bad but i was too into my own dark thoughts and I couldn’t enjoy the time. my head hurt and the music was super loud. i tried to focus on his cousins and on him bc they are great and funny but i was feeling like shit  when we came back home, we talked about it and i felt a little better but i stil hated myself

17:  my head still hurt - felt kinda tired mum and dad brough ori’s cake had lunch with lucho and watched how i met your mother -- had a long nap of 2 hours, i really needed it  had sex again had sex, felt better. i need that when i feel ugly bc he makes me feel beautiful and wanted. 

before taking a shower together and going to ori’s brithday party at my nonna’s apartment we had fun, lucho bought 2 wines and they were delicious, the girls met by gorgeous, it was important for me bc i love them all and wanted them to meet for a long time -- had pizzas, nachos, talked a lot, listened to music... it was great we went back home, watched how i met your mother and drank some water

18: slept in till late - we needed it  had sex - loved it -- it get better and better and i don’t get it. i adore him went to the park for a walk and to do the groseries for dinner cleaned the frige - made lunch and watched ELVIS -- super sad but i liked it  made eggplants and listened to music Ro and Angi came over for dinner. i really like them, they are fun and easy going. we made pizzas, drank beer, and talked a lot -- i love seeing my gorgeous with people he loves. i just want him to be happy we watched how i met your mother bc rick and morty’s wasn’t available still, and ate cake. 

storm

21: spring day - lovely day at work with the kids and adults.  celebrated 3 years of the baticueva at lucho’s - lovely night, had lots of fun and then talked with lucho. i love our chats

22: student’s day at cem -the kids loved the cake i made for them, and played games with me, i adore them

24: went to sierras’s with lucho. the day was amazing and I met his father. I felt good but nervous bc i didn’t want to make him feel inconfortable. then jime and santi came and we all had dinner together.  collected paltas and moved the glasses for their remodeling project

25: bbq at el grosellar. lucho made it, he worked really hard the entire weekend but i think he had fun and that he liked going there.  IAN hurracain in cuba and miami - strong winds where Foni’s at but they are out of danger.

28: lari’s birthday went to authorize the xray order - got the appointment for it visited lucho at work - i love visiting him bought wines for the party  felt tired and had a headache - losing my voice the kids from first children liked the class went to lari’s house, had dinner, some wine and went back to lucho’s. he was playing videogames. i laid with him and then we went to bed and had s3x - i fucking love EVERYTHING about this man. i cannot stand how much i adore him 

[imboycold]

How to Get Promoted Without Putting in More Work

How to Get Promoted Without Putting in More Work? This isn't a quick-rich scheme. There is no deception or trickery involved. Believe it or not, most promotions and raises are based on perceived competence—the key word being perceived. These pointers are not intended to conceal incompetence (if that's your issue, you'll need a whole different article!). These are here to help you show your boss and coworkers how capable you are while also preventing you from accidentally convincing them that you aren't. Speak Well It makes no difference how brilliant your words are; if you mumble and use slang, your listeners will value what you say far less than if you speak clearly and confidently. Choose any great speech in history and imagine it in mumbled slang to see what I mean: "Umm... you know, I have a dream or something." That, uh... maybe this country will..." Quick tips for speaking more effectively: - Use your diaphragm to speak. Breathe from your belly button and push your speech out from there. - Remove any unnecessary words such as "uh," "er," "like," and "like." - Slang should be avoided. - Don't curse. Dress Professionally You've most likely heard the expression "dress for the job you want, not the job you have." It's cliche, but it works perfectly. This does not imply that you must wear a three-piece suit to do data entry, but it does imply that you should dress professionally. You may be able to get away with wearing a polo shirt to work, but a button-up shirt will command more respect. Wearing what you can "get away with" gives the impression that you only do what you have to at work. Making the extra effort to dress nicer than necessary implies that you're willing to go the extra mile at work. Also read : How to Prepare Yourself for a Job Promotion Be Extremely Punctual People notice and judge you if you are late, so being on time is a no-brainer, but if you want to be noticed, arrive 15 minutes early for work every day. You don't have to start working right away; in fact, you can use that time to have a cup of coffee or surf the internet quietly. Simply being present makes you look good, and your boss will notice. Excellent Posture Good posture and effective communication go hand in hand. You simply look bad if you are constantly slouching or hunched over. You will appear dynamic and confident if you stand straight and confident. There's a reason why slouchy photos of CEOs, great political leaders, or super heroes are never seen. It's because you wouldn't regard them as highly. Try a technique called "The Woodcutter" by my chiropractor to improve your posture. Begin by placing your feet shoulder width apart. Then, as if you were about to chop wood, raise your arms straight above your head. Lower your arms to your sides while keeping your body in the same position. Your shoulders should be relaxed, your chest forward, your head tall as if being pulled from above by a string, and your pelvis rotated slightly forward. Give it a shot. You'll feel and look better as a result. Not problems, but solutions When most people encounter a problem at work, they complain about it. The best way to stand out is to present a solution rather than a problem. Consider the following scenario: your office storeroom is overcrowded, and no one can ever find what they need. This is a problem that everyone in your office is complaining about. Instead of simply complaining, you should take two minutes to consider how it can be fixed. When everyone else is telling your boss that "the stock room is a disaster," you go to him and say, "I noticed that the stock room is pretty disorganized." Perhaps we can persuade the maintenance man to install shallower shelves. This would give us more room to move around and keep things from getting buried behind other items. Once the new shelves are installed, we will be able to label each shelf so that our supplies are consistently placed in the same location, making them easier to find." You look good in the situation above for being a creative thinker and problem solver, and even better: you didn't have to do any extra work. You simply had to approach it from a different perspective. Conclusion That's it: five quick and easy ways to appear smarter, more competent, and ready for a promotion without actually working any harder. There will be no overtime or additional stress. Here's your challenge: try these for a month. If no one compliments you on your excellent work, I'll refund your admission fee to this blog.   Read the full article

[iiraven]

Fool-Proof Plan

Pairing: Erwin x reader

Genre: fluff, comedy, smut, modern AU

Warnings: size kink, masturbation, squirting, fingering in front of a mirror, hair pulling, multiple orgasms, manhandling, degradation, praise, established relationship, slight dumbification, choking/ breath play 

Word count: 4.6K

Synopsis: Erwin’s business trip leads you to realise you’re not as sly as you think you are.

Masterlist

Erwin Smith is a man capable of absolutely everything. He’s an amazing cook, an amazing masseur, an amazing businessman, and, most of all, an amazing husband.

There’s only one small shortcoming to the person you consider to be perfect. And that’s his inability to use any form of technology. Texting is bad enough with him signing his name after every message, but it’s social media that’s your husband’s true sworn enemy. Erwin might only be a few years your senior, but somehow your grandfather can comprehend the concept of Instagram faster than him.

“So, you just take pictures?”

“Yes.”

“And people respond to it?”

“Yes.”

“Alright but why?”

The conversation is nothing new, but you find it incredibly unfortunate knowing how talented he is at photography. If you two ever go someplace Erwin knows he wants to capture, he slings his camera over his neck, leaves his phone at home (“I won’t be taking any calls today”) and makes his merry way out of the house. You often eye the phone left stray on the desk, half-expecting it to chase you out of the house for abandoning it. Sometimes, for good measure, you slip it into your own bag. Just in case.

It’s for this reason that Erwin’s business trip puts you on immediate edge.

“It’ll only be for ten days,” he had said. “Sina Corporations takes their summits really seriously…”

“Ten days?” You repeated and Erwin gave you a soft smile.

“I’ll call you every day.”

It’s not like you have an obsessive attachment to your husband (well, that’s debatable), but breaking the routine of returning home to his warm hugs, listening to his day and then complaining about your own- it’s uncomfortable. 

Erwin himself wasn’t looking forward to being away from you, away from home. Running Survey Corporations Ltd is no easy task; trying to balance the infuriating board and the long hours with his actual life is something only possible because of you. Time spent together is fine diamonds Erwin clutches onto and although he’d tried to reason with himself that it was only ten days, it wasn’t a trip he was looking forward to. He never said it out loud. But he didn’t need to. You can tell by the way Erwin’s lips linger on yours a little longer at the airport, as if to preserve your taste.

“Oi Erwin- hurry up.” Levi tries hard not to glare. But even the raven-haired man knows that being away from you puts Erwin on somewhat of an edge. You’re his rock, there to ground him when everything is chaotic, and a summit surrounded by the richest people in the world is as chaotic as it gets.

Despite it all, Erwin stays true to his promise. He calls you at least twice a day and although you could stay on the phone with him for hours, he’s often rushing between conferences and can only spare minutes of his time. Even when he does have an hour, talking to a disembodied voice (he still can’t figure out how to switch his camera back around) is not the same as having Erwin right beside you. It’s the way he squeezes your thigh when he’s focussing on what you’re saying or when he pulls you towards him so that you can lie on his hard chest which still makes you blush even after years of being together.

Because, yes, you miss his touch the most.

Not even five days in, you find yourself with your hands down your panties and a tall blond man on your mind. You’re soaked just thinking about him. His groans, the way he calls your name, the way he pounds into you as you lose your train of thought. Your fingers try to imitate his- their curve and how easily they find your soft spot- but it just feels uncomfortable. So, then you try rubbing your clit, and there’s temporary pleasure there, but not even close enough to tip you over the edge. Even your pink vibrator doesn’t cut it. You deny the fact that Erwin Smith has made you an incompetent masturbator, but you can’t keep up the lie for long and soon enough you give up.

It’s the next day that your ingenious idea kindles. It’s a fool-proof plan. A small flame that has you rushing to the bathroom for the best possible lighting. Erwin can still put his tongue to use at a distance- after all, it’s his voice you fell in love with first. To discretely push him in the right direction, you send him a few photos of yourself. Nothing too scandalous safe he’s in a meeting, but enough that he’ll gets the hint. Sure, Erwin has a couple of polaroid pictures hidden in his brown leather wallet, but he had shot those himself. You want to be a bit more spontaneous! And, honestly, at this point you’re desperate. You could swear you’re developing withdrawal symptoms: just the other day, you were actually temped to pick up a newspaper. It was terrifying.

This had to work. You can just imagine Erwin calling you, voice deep and gruff as he guides you through the process to make yourself cum as he showers you with praise. You feel giddy, eyes glued to the glowing screen, awaiting his response. Even your pink vibrator is out of the box.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t exactly go the way you had planned.

One hour after sending the photos you receive a panicked text from Hange. In the long paragraph, you understand that your poor husband couldn’t get the photos to load and decided to consult the vice president of his company who, upon simply clicking on them, saw you groping your soapy tits. Had it been anyone other than vice president Hange Zoe, Erwin may have broken his phone and quit right there. Thankfully, he only said, “I see” and then asked her where to find the smiley face Emoji.

“I’m so, so sorry Y/N!” Hange screams through the phone. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise! I could send you a picture of my boobs! I’ll go do it right now! I’m sorry! No- You don’t need to feel embarrassed! I won’t mind!”

“It’s alright Hange.” You laugh nervously. “You don’t need to send me anything, it’s really not that big of a deal.”

The whack Levi lands on her head is so hard you hear it through the phone. “Shut the fuck up four-eyes.”

So here you are now. Three days until Erwin returns, a vibrator you’ve given up on back in its box, and a husband who responds to your nudes with a smiley face.

But then Hange Zoe sends you something much better than a picture of her boobs.

The hotel that the trio were staying at- as most hotels do- has a spa. And if there’s one thing Erwin Smith adores it’s allowing himself to relax in a warm, steamy sauna. You’re not sure how Hange was allowed to join them, or how she was able to get her camera clear of fog, or how she was even able to take the picture without Erwin noticing. But you ask her no questions.

Followed by a winky-face is a picture of Erwin sat in the sauna, head tilted backwards, and eyes shut in the pure image of serenity. His arms are propped up on either side of him accentuating his biceps whilst still allowing a clear view of his sculpted body, the sweat running down his chest and abs, making him almost glisten. He’s completely naked except for the flimsy white towel across his lap which does absolutely nothing to hide his thick dick print. You shudder.

You feel like a teenager again, speechless at the sight of a quasi- naked man. Even though you’ve seen him like this thousands of times, you can’t help but fantasise about being trapped underneath him, hair falling onto his face as he loses himself inside of you. God, maybe you do have an unhealthy obsession. But it doesn’t matter. You feel even more like a teenager as you imagine scenarios of him returning home to recreate the picture before you. And with that, your mind is sedated for the next few days.

You have a fool-proof plan. Dress up in the shortest and tightest dress you own, cook your husband dinner, and then give him a blow job at the table so that he’ll never leave you again. It’s going to be just like in the movies and nothing will stop that from happening.

Something stops that from happening.

Just as you’re about to put the potatoes in the oven, Erwin calls. His flight is delayed. You whine through the phone and Erwin’s chuckle just about stops you from sulking like a child. You can be mature about this, right? He’s getting home eventually- complaining isn’t going to help at all. Patience is a virtue and yours has been tested many times before. This is, after all, nothing compared to the time Erwin tried to create an excel spreadsheet. So, you don’t press further. You simply tell Erwin that you miss him and then go find a pillow in which you scream for a good five minutes.

Erwin, on the other hand, is a lot less coveted with his annoyance. He wants nothing more than to strangle whatever and whoever is preventing him from returning to his lovely wife. In the hour journey, the entire plane can feel a crushing tension above their heads, so tense that even the child at the back seems to be holding in his tears. 

Usually, Erwin prefers to spend his flights with a book in his hands, but he’s incapable for picking up the paperback and instead stares out of the window somehow hoping it will go faster.

After what feels like hours, the tight dress has gotten too uncomfortable for you to wear and you resolve yourself to eating the potatoes alone. You still don’t take off your lingerie, though. A two-piece black set with lace detailing that makes you look like a present ready to be unwrapped. It had arrived yesterday, and you had taken your sweet time admiring the embroidered flowers and soft ribbon holding the fragile piece together because you had falsely assumed that you wouldn’t have it on for long. You had in fact contemplated stockings but by the time 11PM came by you simply wrapped Erwin’s favourite robe around your body and tried to take your mind off things. Maybe you should have opted for your own robe because as the sleeves hung from your arms and the soft material effused his smell, it managed to make you feel even worse.

Staying up late was not a foreign feeling but anticipation quickly turns into boredom and you find your eyelids getting heavy. You pause the anime you’re watching and are about to shut your eyes when you hear the faint rattle of keys.

You stumble getting out of bed, knocking your shoulder on the wall before skipping four steps at a time and tripping on the robe at least twice as you rush downstairs. Erwin is barely through the door as you call out his name and he drops his bags right there to let your rush into your arms. You feel so small, so safe, so familiar, within them, as if you’ve returned to the space where you belong. He lifts you up to let you wrap your legs around his waist, your ankles barely crossing. He smells divine, even after hours of being stuck in an airport and his hair is still soft between your fingers. You look at him and the smile that spreads across his face wipes out any hints of fatigue that might have been there just moments ago.

Erwin kisses you and it’s long, deep, and he holds you impossibly closer to him as his tongue dips into your mouth. You don’t want it to end, but Erwin pulls back and says softly, “I’m home, my love.”

You can’t help but giggle. “Welcome home.”

You return to the kiss with a hint of desperation. Tugging lightly on Erwin’s shirt, you know he notices how your core is already warm, but still, he takes his time closing the door with his foot before finally noticing your attire. You’re about to make a sarcastic comment about his obliviousness but the way he looks down at you, at the small flower of lace peeping out from under the heavy robe, the way he slowly wets his lips, he leaves you speechless.

“You’re a gift.” He smiles sweetly though his eyes darken.

“Well, you’ve been working really hard,” You mumble. “You deserve a treat.”

The effect this man has on you is unbelievable. All that anger and frustration you had pent up now crumbles at the light caress of his thumb on your hips.

“Let me unwrap you,” Erwin says. And he walks you to your room, climbing up the stairs with ease as you cling onto him. You attempt to rub yourself against his hard stomach, but one look of warning makes you stop. He’s going to be doing things on his watch, tonight.

Setting you on the floor beside your bed, Erwin undoes the ribbon and you let the fabric pool at your feet. He immediately latches onto your neck, and you gasp, tilting your head to give him better access. His hands begin to roam, fingering the delicate lace of your panties and the straps of your bra as his tongue leaves a trail over your chest. It’s only when Erwin suddenly grabs your breast that you moan, body involuntarily pushing towards him.

He looks up through thick eyelashes and his hands moves to cup your face. You’re about to beg him to touch you where you need it most, but he whispers, “you’re so beautiful.” And you’re speechless again.

You suddenly lean in to kiss him, hands wrapping around his neck and it’s messy and your breath is short. “Please, Erwin,” you say to him between kisses. “Touch me.” You can feel him smile against your lips. “Please”. And before you can stop yourself. “I can’t do it myself.”

Erwin stills and only then do you realise your mistake. He pulls back and stands up straight, towering over you and you recognises that look. It’s the one of a lion who has just found a wounded deer. 

“Oh?”

Fuck. He leans back and raises a brow expectantly and you try to look everywhere but at him. Maybe if you avoid eye contact, he’ll take it as a slip of the tongue. But your husband is not one to let things go. He’s intelligent, he knows exactly what you mean- you don’t need to speak for him to gather what happened, the image of you lying pathetically on the bed, hopeless and desperate. He smirks but stays quiet. Erwin likes it when you use your words.

“No-that’s not what I meant. I mean- you feel best and it’s just-“

You’re cut off by a hand on your scalp, pulling your hair back in one swift motion so that you have no choice but to look up at your husband dead in the eye.

“You were touching yourself whilst I was away, Y/N?”

“I-I mean...yeah…”

“I see.” His gaze is enough to make you gush. “And you weren’t able to make yourself cum.”

Your cheeks burn. It’s not a question, but you affirm it anyways. “No, no I couldn’t make myself cum.”

He’s silent for a moment and you’re not sure if it’s because he’s watching your worried face or because he’s wondering how he’s going to make that face look even more worried.

“I would feel sorry for you, but I suppose that’s what you deserve for touching my cunt without my permission.”

You gasp as he uses his grip on your hair to throw you on the bed. It’s effortless, the way his strength could so easily destroy you and yet he uses it to ruin destroy you in another way- just who you like it. Erwin undoes his tie and all you can do is gawk as he strips down to his boxers. He’s as hard as a rock and you tentatively reach out to touch him, but Erwin grabs your wrist. Without warning, you’re dragged to the other side of the bed where you’re placed to face your large floor length mirror. There’s only a moment of confusion before you understand why Erwin had been so keen on the somewhat awkward placement. He positions himself behind you and you withhold the urge to press your back against his throbbing cock.

“Don’t you take your eyes off the mirror,” Erwin commands, and you nod your head. “Use your words. Or do you need me to show you how to do that too?”

“Yes, sir,” You say quickly.

“Good girl.”

Erwin opens your legs, his hands gripping your thighs hard. You silently wish bruises bloom in their wake- it’s been too long since you’ve had your husband’s mark on you. A reminder of who you belong to. One hand stays on your thigh and the other moves to nudge your panties out of the way of your glistening cunt. 

“I’m going to show you how to touch yourself,” He says in a low, rumbling voice. “And you’re going to watch closely and learn. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir.”

His fingers don’t tease your folds for long. Erwin is feeling merciful, because he simply gathers the slick coating your cut before immediately rubbing your clit. The moan that leaves your mouth is pornographic. You buck your hips but the hand on your thigh moves to pin you down, your body flush against his so that you can almost feel his bearing heart. You’re engulfed by him so small as he easily manipulates your body.

Erwin is overwhelmed by the options. Look at his wife unravel below him or stare at the mirror, where you have no place to hide.

“I should be punishing you, you know.” He presses his fingers down hard on a particularly tenter spot and you moan loudly. “But I need to show my dumb little girl how to take care of herself.”

“I-I’m not- ahhh.” Your back arches and Erwin captures your neck again, sucking viciously.

As his thumb continues its assault on your clit, two fingers find your tight hole, dripping and clenching around nothing. He can see in the mirror how your body is practically begging to be filled up. And fill you up he will. But first Erwin inserts a finger and groans at the warmth that greets him. He begins moving it and although you try to understand how he is able to stroke your cunt so perfectly, your mind is fogged and all that’s on your mind is your impending release. This should be a learning experience, but it serves only as a reminder of Erwin’s miraculous hands. He slips his second finger in and your moans only get lounder.

“Erwin, Erwin- they feel so good. Your fingers feel so good!”

You can see his smirk in his reflection, just before he speeds up and you have to grab his wrist to steady yourself. His fingers slam back and forth into your velvety walls. They suck them in, and he is able to find your sweet spot every time. Every single time. Your eyes roll back, you press against Erwin’s chest and your legs shake as you cum. The mess you make, leaking all over Erwin’s hands, your bed, your thighs- you try to look away, but he grabs your face to prevent you from doing so.

“Don’t you dare look away.” His voice is low, threatening. “Look how good I make you feel. Look.”

Your cheeks are flushed and the set that had made you look like a femme fatale, just hours before, is now yet another set that has has you pliant and submissive. “It seems that I’m the only one who can take care of you,” Erwin says. And you know he’s right.

Erwin lifts his soaked fingers to his mouth and his eyes flutter shut as he tastes you. When he opens them, you swear they’ve gone a shade darker. Wordlessly, Erwin slips from behind you to kneel in front of the bed. He removes your panties and holds them up to his nose, giving them a slight inhale before tossing them to the side and lowering his mouth.

“Erwin wai-“

And before you can warn him that your too sensitive- you orgasm was too strong, it’s too soon- his mouth has latched onto your cunt and Erwin is eating you out like a starved man.

“Ah-fuck, fuck, fuck,” You practically scream.

He sucks on your clit, his tongue doing what it does best. You look down, his eyes bore into yours and you know he’s remembering every expression you make as he pushes you over the edge. Despite your trembling arms struggling to keep you upright, your hand goes to grip Erwin’s hair and all you can think about is how soft it is before you cum again. Your husband doesn’t stop this time. His fingers dig into your soft hips to make sure you don’t move, to make sure that he catches everything on his tongue. And he can feel it before you do. The steady build-up of a feeling slightly familiar, but foreign enough that you warn Erwin too late. Your back arches and you squirt in his mouth and before your eyes roll back, you catch a glimpse of what you know to be a smirk in your husband’s eyes.

You can feel the sheets soak below you so try to press your legs together in somewhat of an attempt to hide the mess, but Erwin doesn’t let you. “Don’t be ashamed now, darling.” His voice is solid, domineering. “This is just you perfect body, doing exactly what I tell it to,” He says.

He could be talking about fruits and you would still nod your head dumbly.

The power Erwin has over you is addictive, and your body seems to know it too. As he kisses your thighs, licking off whatever didn’t find its way into his mouth, you can still feel a distant ache at your core. This time, you don’t need to use your words. As you lie weak on the bed, Erwin crawls over, engulfing your form. The lion is ready for his meal. He leans down to capture your lips in a gentle kiss. “I missed you,” He says. It’s the hundredth time, but you don’t tire of hearing it.

“I missed you too.”

Erwin shifts your legs, and you can feel the head of his large cock teasing your entrance.

“I missed all of you,” he repeats. “Your smile. Your voice. Your moans.” He pauses to place a kiss on your collarbone. “Your taste.”

He’s trying to be romantic, but you know why he stalls, and it makes you unable to graciously except the compliments. Erwin loves to hear you pine for him. And who are you to refuse your husband’s desires? So, you reach your hands out towards his shoulders, attempting to make him move if only a little bit. “Erwin!” You whine, and despite your weakness, you manage to push your hips forward, finding friction against his hard cock. “Please!”

Again, that smirk. He rubs against your clit. “My, my- you’ve come twice already and want more?”

Well, he missed your voice so you suppose you should let him hear it. “Let me be selfish, please sir?” You moan. “I need you inside of me.”

His cock twitches against you. And before you know it his hand is around your neck. “Such a good girl, using your words like that.”

He pushes inside you with a groan of relief, a low sound from his throat that causes his eyes to close momentarily. 

It seems you’ve forgotten how big he is because as he stretches you out like it’s your first time, your mouth drops open and a string of curses emerges. Erwin would usually reprimand you for the foul language, but he’s too lost in the feeling of your tight cunt pulling him in. Using your neck as leverage, he squeezes tight so that he can push forward and when your eyes blur, overwhelmed with the pleasure and pain and the lack of oxygen intensifying it all, Erwin loosens his grip only slightly, and your eyes find his again. You don’t notice your mouth hanging open, too focussed on the way your body is accommodating Erwin’s cock again.

“Really big, ‘s really big, sir,” You mumble and Erwin grunts in response, his teeth clenching because he too is reminded yet again of how tight- how perfect- your body is for him.

When Erwin bottoms out, he stills for a moment, basking in your warmth and taking a moment to kiss your cheek, a gentle gesture compared to the hand still grasping your neck. Your cunt gushes despite you wincing about the pain, about his size, and soon he can’t help but move his hips. Erwin pulls back and thrusts deep. You scream him name, as you feel his cock dragging against your walls. Any idea of taking you gently has evaporated from Erwin’s brain and instead his hips snap back and forth violently, his tip kissing your cervix as he buries himself inside of you again and again.

His grunts are laboured as Erwin’s free hand pushes your leg up to your chest to allow him to thrust deeps and deeper. “Just like that- just like that, good girl. My good girl.”

The new angle has him brushing against your g-spot and you won’t last long. You know you can’t- not with him quite literally rearranging your insides. You have one hand clawing at his forearm and the other grips the sheets and you repeat a mantra of “Thank you, sir, thank you” in between your desperate moans. The honorific coming from your lips is too sweet to his ears and he’s reminded of why phone calls bother him so much- nothing compares to hearing your voice like this.  

Erwin’s hand leaves your neck only to tug your bra down, letting your boobs bounce freely as he fucks you hard. You almost complain about the loss of contact but his tongue latches onto to your nipple and before you know it, you are coming all over your husband, screaming his name. Your nails dig into his arm as he nears his own release. Erwin’s hips stutter and he moans your name before throwing his head back in pure bliss as he cums inside of you. You wish you can capture that sight forever, but you don’t think any photo does your husband justice. It’s true- this is better than anything Hange could send.

Your breaths slowly find a slower rhythm in the post-orgasm silence. Erwin watches the way your fluids pool out of you as he pulls out, admiring the own mess on his lower stomach. You wince at the sore feeling and pull him towards you. This time, he follows your command. Breathless bodies mould into each other, finding their place after too long being apart. At the back of your mind, you know you should be making your way to the bathroom, but Erwin’s heavy body lying on your chest is enough to remind you to focus on the moment. For this is where you belong.

“You know, you should be flattered, Erwin.” You nudge his arm weakly as you lay together, bodies entangled in a random set of pyjamas you begrudgingly forced yourself to change into. “No one has better hands than you.”

He laughs. “I am flattered,” he says. “I just like teasing you.”

“No- you have a degradation kink.”

“Yes, that too.”

Even as you were taking a shower together, Erwin’s subtle attempts at having you admit you couldn’t make yourself cum did not go unnoticed. You suppose it’s an ego-thing, but then you realise it’s more. The power of being the only person able to bring you that much bliss is power Erwin thrives on. And despite the money wasted on your pink vibrator, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Still,” Erwin muses and a small smile plays across his lips. “I did expect the photo Hange took to at least help a little.”

Every muscle in your body stills and your eyes suddenly widen. Oh come on. You try to tell yourself that there’s simply nothing wrong with having a photo of your naked husband, but it’s more than that. You know it. Erwin knows it. And by the way he’s smiling, you also know that plastered on your face is the guiltiest of looks. In your poor attempt to escape his gaze by turning your back to him, Erwin chuckles and shakes his head, hugging you closer.

“That’s not fair!” You exclaim.

“It’s not?”

“No!”

You try to wiggle out of his grasp, but Erwin is made of steel. Why do you expect to get away with anything anymore? Erwin Smith is beyond two moves ahead- he’s finished the game before you’ve even started.

“Did you really think I didn’t notice?” 

“Shut up!” You whine. “Why do you have to be such a smartass about it? Let me think I win.”

“Alright, alright.” Erwin chuckles and places a kiss on your forehead. “You’re my winner. Always.”

[alcinadimitrescuwu]

The Night Before (An Alcina x Reader Fanfic)

Warnings: NSFW

You are trying to go about your daily tasks in Castle Dimitrescu but are finding it very hard to focus. It could be the fact that spring has finally arrived in Romania, the birds chirping, the sun beaming down from the heavens, the snow finally melting away to make way for new life teeming from the earth.

It could also be the fact that your wedding to Alcina Dimitrescu, the love of your life and the Lady of the Castle is tomorrow.

The housekeeper turns in your direction and gives you a pointed look. “Are you going to stand there all day away with the fairies, dearie, or are you going to polish those candelabras like I asked?”

You immediately snap back to reality. “Of course! Sorry, Mrs. Fischer.”

Mrs. Fischer shakes her head, clucking to herself. “Tomorrow you may be the Lady Consort, but today you are still a maid and you have your duties to perform.” She inspects you over the half-moon spectacles perched over her nose. “Now I expect you to polish those candelabras until they sparkle!”

“Right away, Mrs. Fischer.” You turn and set to work on your polishing.

“Oh, and Y/N?” Mrs. Fischer calls over her shoulder.

“Yes, Mrs. Fischer?”

She gives you a conspiratorial wink. “Congratulations, dearie.”

You can’t help but be shocked. Mrs. Fischer never gave out compliments or congratulations freely. You only knew you were doing a job correctly if she wasn't constantly checking up on you to make sure you didn’t mess anything up. You start to get emotional in spite of yourself. You may have started out working at Castle Dimitrescu as extra income for your aging parents, but there had always been something satisfying about taking care of a large house. You didn’t even mind the extra hours that you put in saving up for your engagement ring to Alcina, which had turned even more beautiful than you could have imagined.

Alcina had put her foot down about you staying on in your job once the two of you got married, however. “Darling, after our vows, you’ll be a part of this house. Your place will be with our family, not working for it,” she had said, taking your chin in her hand and stroking your cheek.

You finally agreed and she smiled indulgently at you as you asked to work just one last day, for old time’s sake. “Of course, draga mea,” she said, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand. “If that is what you wish.”

A sudden crash breaks you from your reverie and you smile as you see one of the parlor maids, Constanza, making her way over to you with a sheepish grin on her face after picking up the tray she had dropped on the floor. Constanza was a lovely young woman with auburn hair and blue eyes, perfect for a parlor maid. Unfortunately, she was also very accident-prone. She finally comes to a stop in front of you with a silver tray. On the tray is a single envelope sealed in wax with the Dimitrescu family crest.

“Good morning Y/N!” Constanza says brightly. Then thinking better of it she tries, “Er, good morning Miss -no, Lady Consort- wait you’re not Lady Consort yet-”

You stop her before she can continue her babbling and put a placating hand on her arm. “Constanza, you’ve been working here as long as I have. You can still be familiar with me if you want to.”

Constanza breathes a sigh of relief and breaks out into a grin. “So the big day’s tomorrow! Are you excited?”

Yes, you were excited. And nervous. And terrified as all hell. But you give her a smile as you say, “Yes, Connie I am. Alcina and I have been waiting for this day a long time.” It still felt weird to say Alcina’s given name out loud and not in private like when you were first courting.

Then your attention turns to the sealed envelope on the tray Constanza is holding. “Is that for me?” you prompt.

Constanza’s face suddenly turns a lovely shade of puce and her blue eyes grow wide behind their spectacles. “Er- yes, the Lady herself gave it to me with, er, very specific instructions to tell you to not look at it until you’re alone in your room. At night. She said she would give you a call when she wants you to open it.”

You feel your own cheeks start to burn as you take the envelope off the tray. “Thank you, Constanza, I’ll just take this back to my room for now.”

Constanza gives you a nod and turns to leave. Suddenly she turns around and gives you a brief curtsy. You suddenly notice all the other servants of the house staring at you and you feel a pang of sadness as you realize you won’t be able to interact with them as freely as you normally could. You’ll be in your own separate worlds.

Without a word you head back to your room, the envelope clutched in your hand. Night cannot come soon enough.

***

After what seems like eons, night has finally fallen on House Dimitrescu. You’re alone in your bedroom pacing back and forth like a caged animal. You’re not used to sleeping alone as for the past couple of months you had been sharing your bed with Alcina in her bedchambers. However, Alcina’s daughters- no, your daughters too, soon- had insisted that it would be bad luck for the two of you to see each other before the wedding. It had taken you aback as you hadn’t considered the girls to be traditional, but they were insistent and after some protesting, Alcina had finally relented.

Still it wasn’t easy. You hadn’t seen Alcina all day since you had left her side this morning. You had heard her talking with the Duke outside earlier discussing last minute wedding arrangements, her elegant velvety voice carrying through the entrance hall. You had longed to run over and put your arms around her, burying your face in the curve of her hip, but you held yourself back out of respect for your future daughters’ wishes.

The phone begins to ring loudly in your bedroom and with your heart already pounding, you pick it up off the hook and hold the receiver to your ear. “Yes?”

“Draga mea?” Your heart skips a beat as you hear your fiancee's voice on the other line. “Is that you?”

“Yes,” you say, holding the receiver closer to your ear.

“Did you receive the envelope I addressed to you this morning?”

“Yes,” you say. The envelope is on a nearby table with your name on it in Alcina’s beautiful cursive handwriting with a letter opener nearby, ready for opening. “Can I open it now?”

“Not so fast, pet,” Alcina’s voice takes on a teasing quality. “You didn’t look at the contents inside did you?”

“No.” But you were certainly tempted throughout the day to sneak a peek. You held firm, though, knowing that even after all the waiting it would be worth it.

“Good girl,” Alcina purrs on the other line. “You’ve been so very patient and that ought to be rewarded. But first, tell me, what are you wearing right now?”

Immediately you wished you had put on sexier clothes than just your nightgown. Oh well. You have to deal with what you got. “Just my nightgown. Nothing fancy, I’m afraid.”

“Oh? Is it the one with the ribbon in the front?”

“Yes,” you say looking down at your nightgown. There is indeed a ribbon in the front. You remember when it’s unfastened that it reveals more of your cleavage. Your outfit choice might not have been so bad after all.

You can tell that Alcina is recalling the exact same thing as she says, “Loosen up the ribbon for me, dear, would you?”

You loosen up the ribbon and the nightgown slips off your shoulders slightly. You’re finding breathing normally difficult. You feel a slight pinch as you feel your nipples grow hard at the sound of Alcina’s husky voice.

Alcina chuckles. “All right, dear, I’ll stop torturing you. You may open the envelope now.”

You practically lunge over to the table to slice open the envelope. Inside are a bunch of photographs taken with a vintage style camera. As you take out the first one you see that Alcina is featured on it and you suspect that the rest all show her as well.

“Now, pet,” Alcina purrs. “Tell me exactly what you see in the first picture.”

You hold the picture in your hand to the light to get a better look. “You’re sitting in front of your mirror. Your hair is down and your hat is off. You’re, um, wearing a black peignoir and brushing your hair. It’s all, uh, very tasteful.”

Alcina lets out a laugh like tinkling bells. “Oh, rest assured, darling, the rest of the pictures will become progressively less tasteful.”

Your mouth runs dry and you feel your palms have grown sweaty. You wipe them on your nightgown before continuing.

You take out the second picture. “Just like before, pet. Describe it to me and leave no detail out.”

You clear your throat. “You’re standing before the window and smoking. You’ve cast off your peignoir and are wearing a red and black lingerie set. The bustier is black and your garter is clipped to red stockings, the exact shade of your lipstick.” You swallow before continuing. “You look stunning.”

She lets out a girlish giggle at that. “Thank you, darling. Speaking of garters, how about you unhook yours?”

With shaking hands you unhook your garter belt and peel down your stockings. You push the skirt of your nightgown up a little bit, but you know to wait until Alcina gives you further instructions.

Onto the next one then. You take it out and you suddenly find your mouth moving but no words coming out.

“Dearest?” Alcina prompts. “The next photo?”

“Um,” you stammer. “Your back is turned to the camera now and er, the back is very um, sheer.” The back indeed is very sheer with only a thin layer of lace covering the curve of her hips. You feel your core growing hot with desire. You feel your arousal drip down your bare leg.

“You sound a tad overwhelmed, darling,” Alcina purrs. “If you need to take some time for yourself you may do so now.”

Now that she had given you express permission you glide your hand up your skirt and slip it into your already dripping cunt. You let out a soft gasp as you feel your fingers move inside you. It’s not the same feeling as when Alcina’s fingers are inside you, but at this point anything will do. You can hardly wait for your wedding night. You try to maintain the pace she usually uses.

“There, pet,” Alcina is panting now too on the other line. “Just like that. Now the next picture, please.”

Alcina’s moans from the other line are driving you to distraction but you hold the phone against your shoulder while you use the other hand that is not in your core to pick up the next photo.

“You know what to do, now, draga mea,” Alcina gasps out.

The last photo nearly takes you out. You feel your climax building as you describe it to Alcina. She is sitting at the foot of the bed, her lingerie set on the floor, her legs open. You take in her full breasts and the soft black down that covers her nethers. One of her arms is extended and you see her muscles rippling in her shoulders as she beckons you teasingly to the bed.

You cry out her name as you orgasm and you lean your head against the table, spent. “Good girl,” Alcina purrs, still riding out her own climax. “That was but a foretaste of what our wedding night will be. I do hope you’re prepared, dear.”

“Yes,” you practically squeak.

“Good to hear,” Alcina chortles. “Well, I suppose we ought to get our rest before tomorrow. I’ll see you in the morning, my bride.”

You blush scarlet at Alcina calling you her bride. You could definitely get used to that. You have something prepared too. “Alcina?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“Te iubesc, draga mea.”

You can almost see Alcina’s beautiful face break out into a grin, her eyes crinkling in the corners, cheeks dimpling. “Your pronunciation has much improved, dearest. Very well done. And I love you too, darling. Noapte bună.”

You fasten back up your nightgown and head over to the bed. You are not the least bit surprised when you find you can’t sleep. There is simply so much to be excited about.

[simkhira]

I Have 300+ Gameplay Mods?! & Yes, They All Work Together...

Yes, you read that correctly. I have over 300 gameplay mods / overrides in my game. 340 to be exact. & Yes, they all work just fine together. By that I mean hardly any last exceptions / errors. So if you are looking for ways to spice up your game - here you go, sis:

⭐ = my ultimate faves

PLEASE SEE ALL 300+ LINKS ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE! desktop tumblr won’t let us be great.

BIG DISCLAIMER: Use these mods at your own risk! Just because all 300+ of these mods work for me, does not mean they will work for you. ALSO - when patch day comes, do not refer to this list for the most up-to-date versions of mods… I will only be updating this list when I feel like I need to.

O K A Y

let’s start with... the basics:

MC Command Center ⭐

UI Cheats Extension ⭐

More Columns in CAS ⭐

No Mosaic ⭐

CAS Background

CAS Blob Remover

CAS Immersive Lighting

CAS Tidy Accessories + Details

New Loading Screens

Cube Map Remover ⭐

Into the Light (Lighting Mod)

Out of the Dark (Lighting Mod)

Twinkle Toes (Lighting Mod)

No Fade on Sims and Objects

Build/Buy Camera (Tab Mode) ⭐

Lot Trait Effects Hider

Smaller Plumbob ⭐

& then you need... realistic socialization:

Chat Pack ⭐

Whim Overhaul ⭐

Meaningful Stories ⭐

Personality Please

Better Elders

More Face to Face Conversation

Call Over Sims (Higher Distance)

Call Anytime + Chat Longer on the Phone

Unlisted Phone Numbers ⭐

Low Fun is Boring

Family Matters (Share Big News with Family Members)

Share More News ⭐

Congratulate More

Ask What Happened More

Conversation Tweaks

Chat Standing Still

No Stand Up to Greet

No Rude Intro Animation

No Flirty Animation

Apology Fix (Don’t Apologize if Your’re the Victim)

Angry Walk-style Only When VERY Angry

Less Intrusive Conversations

NPC’s Get Out of My Convo

Autonomous Parenthood Social Interactions

Autonomous Social Interactions

Reduced Idle Chatting

Know Your Coworkers / Classmates ⭐

More Away Actions

More Social Activities

Spend Weekend With

Teach Me the Rumbaism

now let’s talk about... realistic romance:

Chemistry System ⭐

Pillow Talk After Woohoo ⭐

No Shy First Kiss

No Woohoo Dance

Shower Woohoo Tweaks

No Romance for Family

Restricted Romance Interactions

Less Jealousy

Simda Dating App

Can I Come Over?

Date Night Event

Movie Night Event

Set Family Relationships ⭐

Set Extended Family Relationships ⭐

Bathroom Privacy Tweak

Bridal Shower Event

Bachelor(ette) Party Event

Auto Engagement / Wedding Ring ⭐

Vacation Weddings

Sit at Weddings

Better Wedding Presents ⭐

Honeymoon Event

Buy More Gifts from Phone

Ask for Romantic Massage

Realistic Divorce ⭐

Traumatic Divorce for Children

Improved Relationships

No Restaurant Bill When Invited ⭐

Faster Cooking at Restaurants ⭐

Better Food Quality at Restaurants

Finish Eating in Restaurants

Restaurant Guests Overhaul

Restaurant Sit Tweak

(can y’all tell that restaurants annoy me? lmao)

first comes love, then comes... pregnancy / toddler / kids / fur babies:

Ages Behavior Tweaks

Toddlers Spawn at Parks (with Parents)

More Children at Beaches

Pregnancy Overhaul

Rub Your Baby Bump (Small Pregnancy Overhaul)

Determine Baby’s Gender for All ⭐

Ultrasound Scans ⭐

Baby Shower Event

Amazing Birth (Rave About Your Delivery)

Advanced Birth Certificate ⭐

Sibling Care Tweaks

Make Less / Clean Less Mess

Auto Brush Teeth After Puking

Auto Put Activity Crafts into Inventory

Allow Toddlers to go to Services

No Call Out of High Chair

Toddler Power Nap

Better Toddler Milk

Better + Younger Nanny

Call a Babysitter ⭐

Call a Dog Walker

Shorter Dog Walks

Dog Walkers in Other Worlds

Scold All Pets

Sell Grown Up Pets

Pet Food Serving Overhaul

More Efficient Pet Brushing

Kids Can Walk Dogs

Kids Can Order Espresso

Kids Can Ride Bikes

Kids Have More Phone Interactions

Kids Can Cook

Kids Can Do Retail

Kids Can Garden

Kids Can Make Flower Arrangements

Kids Can Make Robots

Kids Can Workout

Kids Can Do Spa Activities

Kids Can Play Guitars

Kids Can Play Ping Pong

Birthday Anytime

Let Friends Age Up ⭐

No Auto Put Away Toys

No Auto Put Away Pet Toys

No Puddles Under Tubs (Toddler Bath)

Has to Pee Walk-style for Kids Only

Better Homework ⭐

Better Grade School ⭐

Better High School ⭐

Preschool for Toddlers ⭐

School Projects are Fun

More School Holidays

25 School Vacation Days

Prom Night Event ⭐

Sleepover Event

Pizza Party Event

Field Trip Event

Family Reunion Event

Pool Party Event

speaking of school... university:

Less Credits for Degree ⭐

University Costs More ⭐

University Holidays Fixed

Higher Scholarships ⭐

Rejection Letter

Harder Distinguished Degree Acceptance ⭐

Degree Required for Promotions

Faster Run to University Class

Teens Jump to University

Choose Your Helmet

Choose Your Roommates ⭐

Roommate Age-Checks

Roommate Significant Other Fix

Roommates No Random Outfit Changing

Roommates No Random Item Spawning in Dorms

Roommates No Spawning Meals

Roommates No Trash

Roommates Sleep All Night

Roommates Less Music

College Org Members Are Uni Students

Faster University Homework ⭐

Faster Tutoring Class

Copy Graduation Photos and Diploma

No Bad Microwave Buffs

No Ghosts on Campus

Sports Fixes

Game Day Event

Graduation Party Event

once you graduate... careers & aspirations:

Plan Career Outfit

Better Work Actions

Enlist in War ⭐

Live in Business

Faster Retail Actions

Faster Record / Edit Videos on Video Station⭐

Higher Acting Gig Payouts & Royalties ⭐

More Realistic Overmax Pay ⭐

Higher Payments for Paintings ⭐

Higher Royalties for Apps/Games ⭐

Higher Royalties for DJ Mixing ⭐

Higher Royalties for Lifestyle Brands ⭐

Higher Royalties for Song Lyrics ⭐

Higher Royalties for Music ⭐

Freelancer Edits are More Successful

Sketchpad No Fees

Campaign Rally Event

Visible Political Position

Watch Political Speeches at Podium

Retirement Party Event

The University Aspiration Pack ⭐

Accomplished Lady Aspiration

Family Aspiration

Grow Up Aspiration

Teacher’s Pet Aspiration

Knowledge Aspiration

Retirement Aspiration

Romance Aspiration

Famous Pastry Chef Aspiration

Twilight Years Aspiration

All-Rounder Aspiration

Programming Genius Aspiration

Travel and Culture Aspiration

Wellness Aspiration

9 to 5 Career Pack ⭐

Night Shift Career Pack ⭐

Part Time Career Pack ⭐

Fitness Career

Health and Beauty Career

Modeling Career

Journalism Career (Adult + Teen)

Trust Fund Career (Adult + Teen)

Welfare Recipient (Adult + Teen)

Saturday Jobs (Teens)

Oceanography Career (Teens)

Private Tutoring Career (Teens)

All Freelancer Careers (Teens)

Tutor (Odd Job)

Woohoo (Odd Job) - lmao

Art Show Event

hahaha... adulting sucks:

Basemental Alcohol ⭐

Happy Hour Event

SNB Realistic Bills ⭐

SNB Banking

Invest in Stocks

Lowered Thermostat Bills

Instant Thermostat ⭐

Auto Wrinkles for Adults

Life Decider 

House Warming Party (No More Fruitcake)

Door Knock Notification ⭐

Island Events Notifications ⭐

No Strangers Knocking at Your Door

Quick Showers / Baths ⭐

Shower + Bladder Reliever (don’t judge me)

Power Nap ⭐

Sleep All Night

Smarter Robot Vacuum

Functional Tide Pods

Clean Your Bedsheets

Auto Put Away Clothes

Auto Start/Dry Clothes

Laundry on Community Lots Costs

No Idle Laundry Animations / Sparkles

Don’t Prep Food Where You Angry Poop ⭐

Don’t Wash Dishes Where You Angry Poop ⭐

Eco Dishwasher

Faster Cooking ⭐

No Auto Set the Table

Ask to Cook, Bake, Grill

BBQ Event

Custom Food + Recipe’s ⭐

Custom Drinks + Recipe’s ⭐

Grannie’s Old Cookbook + Recipe’s ⭐

Bake Cupcakes in Oven

Coolers are Cooling

Advanced Fishing ⭐

Fishing Trip Event

Fish for Crabs, Lobster, & Shrimp

More Seafood Servings

More Snacks in Fridge

More Food at the Bar

More Food in the Cafe

Flea Market Every Sunday

Get to Church

just in case you... get famous:

No Fame Decay ⭐

Celebrities Never Reject Fans

Celebrities are Quarantined in Del Sol Valley ⭐

Get Famous Award Overhaul

Less Celebrity Reactions

Famous Sims Gain Followers Automatically

More Follower’s Resolution for Everyone

Free Staff (Chef, Barista, Bartender, etc.) ⭐

Gardeners and Maids on Weekends

Red Carpet Event

whatever you are... just be happy and healthy:

Fitness Controls ⭐

Balanced Calories ⭐

Go for a Walk

Hiking Increases Herbalism Skill

Power Workouts

Athletic Outfit in Winter ⭐

Healthy Drinks

Improved Meditation Stool

Improved Spa Day Tablet

Improved Yoga Mat ⭐

Craftable Pottery

Less Elder Exhaustion

Less Sickness

Longer Basketball Games

More Fun Stuff

Online Gaming with Headsets

and I can’t forget these... more gameplay mods:

NPC Controller ⭐

Improved Autonomy

Simulation Lag Fix

Simulation Timeline Unclogger

Improved Autonomy During Loading Screens ⭐

No Empty Venues When Arriving ⭐

No Temperature Deaths ⭐

No Death from Murphy Bed

No React to Stranger’s Death

Realistic Death (Mortem) ⭐

Memorial Event

Freezing Sims Don’t Turn Blue ⭐

More Club / Holiday Icons

Make Hidden Holiday Traditions Selectable

Random Holiday Traditions

Wellness Traditions

More Holiday Icons

Less Rain More Sun

Less Snow More Sun

Summer Blow-Out Event

Christmas Eve Event

New Year’s Eve Bash Event

No Ugly Rain Outfits

More Umbrella Variations in World

Open Umbrella on Rainy Days Only

No More Broken Umbrellas

Destroy Leaf Piles ⭐

Dress Code Lot Trait

Gender and More Lot Trait

Preferences Lot Trait

Add Sims to Groups During Events

No Auto Club Gathering ⭐

Flower Arrangements Slower Decay

Take Photo Overhaul (Moschino Stuff) ⭐

Snorkel Everywhere

Don’t Turn NPC’s into Spellcasters

No Role Outfits for Sages

ROM Portal Only for Spellcasters

& you also need these... much-needed overrides:

More Sponge Colors

More Sippy Cup Colors

More Dog Leash Colors

White Ice Skates

Better Food Textures (All of Them) ⭐

Hidden Bassinet ⭐

iPhone X Phone Replacement

Playing Cards Replacement

Military Salute Overhaul

Small Saucer Light ⭐

Working Medicine Cabinet ⭐

Working Alarm Clocks ⭐

Realistic Fighting Animation 

Oasis Springs + Island Living Palm Trees ⭐

special thank you to all of the wonderful mod creators! seriously, I could not play this game without you guys... (no, really.) There are way too many of you guys to name without missing someone... so if you reblog this, all I ask is that you please tag your favorite modders! (& maybe even add your favorite mods?)

[marktuansvevo]

got7 reacts to something theyve never experienced before in a relationship

warning(s); slight cursing, sexual content in bam’s part

mark; being jealous

mark understood why his past partners could be jealous of him in his line of work. as long as it didn’t get out of hand, he thought it was cute. he was never the jealous one in the relationship. he didn’t even know what jealousy felt like....

....until tonight.

you were mark’s entire world. you excited him, you built him up like no other. never before could he see himself spending his life with someone before you came along. you made the world brighter to him.

but now he was only seeing red. 

you had been a trainee and never debuted, which you weren’t too upset about, you had a boyfriend you loved and a career with less physical and time demands than being in the entertainment industry. this meant that you knew a lot of other bands, stray kids being one of them. chan was, quite frankly, your best friend during your trainee days, so when you saw him at this afterparty you were attending with mark, you threw yourself into his arms.

mark just watched you from afar.

and his blood boiled.

chan spun you around in his arms, the biggest smile on his stupid, handsome face. “yah!! y/n! mark didn’t say you’d be here.”

you giggled, trying to keep your tears at bay. you put your hands on his face, poking his dimples. mark scoffed at the blush that was forming on his friend’s face. “god, chan i missed you so much.”

“bro, you look constipated,” bam snuck up behind him. “dude, your face is so red right now.”

mark rolled his eyes. “these parties are so annoying.” he didn’t take his eyes off of you as you caught up with chan, who still had his hand around your waist.

bam followed his line of vision. “shit, you’re not constipated, you’re jealous. yugyeom, come look at him!”

mark walked away from his intoxicated friends and up to you. you smiled at him before returning to your conversation with chan. 

“y/n, we have to go,” mark said lowly, smiling a sickly fake smile at chan, who immediately dropped his hand from your waist. 

“why, baby, we just got here? are you not feeling good?” you asked. he wanted to feel bad, your voice was laced with concern.

“something like that. see you, chan.”

as you got in the car, you smiled at him, poking his cheek. “somebody’s jealous, huh?”

“huh? of chan? i don’t know what you’re talking about,” he clenched his jaw, not making eye contact with you as he steered his car out of the parking lot. you were giggling now.

“you’re cute when you’re jealous. maybe i should make more time for chan.”

“y/n!!!”

jaebeom; wearing disguises in public

jaebeom never thought he would have to dress up in a disguise to go out in public. and jae would never want to put you in such a position. it was draining, and you, as his girlfriend knew that he despised it.

but you wanted to go to a concert with him.

and you wanted to stand in the pit with him and be part of it. don’t get you wrong, you loved when he bought you suite seats or could watch his shows from backstage, but you wanted to sway to ariana grande in th pit with your boyfriend.

“cmon, jae, i think everyone is going to be paying attention to ari. we can skip the opening act?” you suggested.

“y/n, i don’t want to take a chance...im sorry,” he pouted at you. you sighed, trying to figure out what to do.

“what about disguises?” he said. “like, we could wear our halloween costumes?” you were giggling to yourself, but your boyfriend seemed like the idea.

“i could wear my jesus wig and you could paint a beard on me?” he said with serious eyes.

“jae, you hate going out in disguises.”

“true...but, babe, this will be fun. you could wear your sailor mars wig, it’d be cute,”

okay, this was a really cute idea and you were warming up to it...if it made your boyfriend more comfortable to be out in a crowd of so many people, you were down to try it out.

“this really feels like halloween in july,” you giggled as you used mascara to draw a beard on his chin.

“do I look like jesus??” he asked childishly.

“well, you don’t look like im jaebeom of got7, that’s for sure,”

“you look like an egirl,” he laughed at himself. “don’t hate, you know you love it,” you said. “we look so cute, let’s take a mirror selfie and post in later,”

“no, then people will be on to us,” your boyfriend sent a pout in your direction as he looked at his makeshift beard in the mirror. “I look sexy as fuck in a beard,”

“super sexy aegyo please?”

the two of you arrived at the arena, not be noticed by anyone, but jae was still on edge, so you held his hand tight as you made your way into the pit.

“im so excited!!” you shouted over the noise. he shook his head before leaning in to kiss you. the two of you danced the whole night away to arianas crooning, his arms around you as you swayed to her pretty, soothing voice. the two of you let the world fade away while ariana sang honeymoon ave in the background.

jackson; his significant other saying ily first.

it was no secret that jackson was stock full of love and kindness. he had had other partners before you, all with him ending up getting too attached, or scaring them away when he said “I love you” too early.

he did not want to scare you away, and honestly, he had known he loved you two months into dating, but he didn’t want to scare you away, so he never outwardly said those three little words to you.

he wasn’t expecting you to say it, first though.

you had invited him over for dinner and a movie, just wanting a chill night in with your boyfriend. he brought the wine and promised to give you a back massage, so really, what more could you want on this chilly thursday night?

“what’s been going on, honey? you know you can tell me anything,” jackson whispered into your ear as he helped you out of your clothes.

“I feel like I deserve to oversee my department at work. i have the most education of all of them, more experience than them, and generally, I am more optimistic than my superiors….,” you sighed, letting him rub just under your shoulder blades, which had been itching all week.

“mmm?”

“i think they might be scared of powerful women who like to wear hot pink fendi suits to work,” you smiled, knowing he would be offended at your joke. you could almost feel him pouting.

“so the reason you can’t get the job is because your superiors don’t like the suits your boyfriend buys you? wow, what a way to hurt a guy’s pride…,” he followed your lead on the joke, trying to make you laugh because he knew this was really getting to you. “baby, I think you should go to their boss and see if you can get a promotion…tell them everything you told me, okay? i know you’re not only the best woman for the job, but the best person for the job…period,” he said, making you feel so overwhelmed with emotion. none of your previous partners had ever revered you the way jackson had. you felt so incredibly blessed and in love, you couldn’t help yourself.

“god, jackson, I love you so much,” you whispered.

the movement of his soft hands on your back stopped abruptly at your words. ‘oh god, was it too early to say that?’

“j-jackson…im sorry-“

“ive been waiting to say that to you,” he breathed against your lips, closing the distance that was between them.

“jackson wang….you love me?” you could feel the tears building. the man of your dreams was in love with you, too.

“i love you,” he whispered reverently.

“say it again,” you begged. he said it like a mantra.

“i love you, i love you….i love you..”

jinyoung; moving in together

jinyoung thought you were so cute. you were ecstatic to move with jinyoung. you had been living in your shared apartment with your mom your whole life and we’re excited to start a new chapter of your life. jinyoung didn’t think you were taking in the fact that moving is one of the most stressful things a person can go through.

he didn’t want to rain on your parade, though.

the two of you got settled into your new apartment after a long day of unpacking. jinyoung kissed you as you laid onto your new king sized bed. “im gonna grab takeout, you want your usual?” he asked sweetly, squeezing your hand. you just nodded, squeezing his hand back.

you watched as jinyoung walked out of your shared bedroom. that’s when the dam broke. you were so overwhelmed. you didn’t know how to make warm water happen in your shower, you didn’t have your wifi set up, and you forgot your favorite teddy bear at your moms. you missed teddy and your wifi and your mom.

“hey, i ordered you two egg rolls and they gave us three - hey, baby, are you crying?”

“no,” you replied lamely. “I miss teddy,” you wailed miserably.

“teddy...the...stuffed bear?” he asked.

“i slept with him every night for the past 20 something years.”

“baby...we can get your bear in the morning...,”

“we don’t have netflix set up so how am i supposed to sleep tonight?”

“y/n...,” he chuckled. you frowned harder now that he was laughing at you. “moving isn’t as exciting as it looks. tomorrow, we will fix the wifi, okay? and we can visit your mom and rescue teddy.”

“okay...okay. im sorry, im just a bit overwhelmed,” you confessed.

“its gonna be okay, honey. it’s a lot to take in, i know. but you can hold me instead of teddy, and ill sing you to sleep,” he whispered, the takeout now long forgotten. before you could fall asleep, he pulled his iphone out of his back pocket and pulled you into his chest to take a selfie. “there. now we have a picture of us in our bed for the first time.”

“i love you, you sap.”

even though you called him the sap, the next day you went to the pharmacy to get the photo printed and frame it. when jinyoung came home from the market that day, he eyed the frame on your bed stand, smirking at you.

“oh, so im the sap, hmm?”

youngjae; picking up the tab

it was the first date the two of you had been on since youngjae had been on tour. he told you to get dressed up and that the two of you would go out for a fancy dinner and catch up on everything. this is why you loved him, because while you wanted to hear all about his stories of life and tour abroad, he always wanted to hear about everything that was going at home, to see if you were alright.

youngjae looked dazzling in a black checked suit, while you matched him with a little black dress that made him groan when you stepped out of the bathroom. “can we skip dinner?” he’d ask cheekily. you rolled your eyes at him before kissing him on the cheek. “we aren’t skipping dinner, and we definitely won’t be skipping dessert,” you winked before leading him to the car.

the two of you ate dinner together, him holding your hand and looking at you with stars in his eyes as you told him stories that had happened while he was away. you ordered appetizers, drinks, shared an entrée, and youngjae even ordered you a slice of apple pie for the two of you to share.

“baby, I’m going to go use the restroom,” youngjae said before kissing your hand. “’kay, don’t get mugged, please,” you teased him. he shook his head at your playfulness. you watched as he left before frantically waving your arms at your waitress. she ran over to you, checking if you were alright.

“I just wanted to wonder if I can pick up the cheque really quick? I wanted to pick it up for my boyfriend as a surprise,” you spoke in a hushed tone, making the waitress giggle. she nodded her head before handing it to her. you handed her your credit card, thanking her before your boyfriend had any suspicions of what you were up to.

youngjae came out of the bathroom as soon as the waitress set the cheque down. you were applying your lipstick so you couldn’t snatch it in time. you watched as his pretty brown eyes scanned the receipt, looking confused as ever. “is this a joke? what kind of waitress lets the girlfriend pay?”

“jae,” you giggled. “you don’t always have to pay for dinner. I wanted to treat you…I missed you so much,” you confided, watching his expression from anger into warmth.

“oh, thank you honey, you are so sweet and thoughtful, I love you so much,” you let him wrap his suit jacket around your arms before planting a kiss to your forehead. “but that will be the last time you ever do that.”

“shut up, i like doing nice things for you,” you pouted.

“since you paid for dinner tonight, i have to put out, right?”

he ran to the car before you could slap him in the chest.

bam; his s/o borrowing his clothes

remember how joey never shared his food? well that’s how bam was with his wardrobe. he was very particular about his clothing, not letting people borrow them at all. yugyeom used to steal his clothes just to be petty and piss his best friend off. he had never let past partners borrow his clothes, and nothing was going to change, it wasn’t his fault, it was an obsession. if you were sure of one thing, it was to not steal your boyfriends clothes.

but one day, while he was gone from work, you thought you would take pictures of yourself in only one of his blazers to tease him.

you weren’t expecting him to walk through the door while you were trying to take self timer pictures of yourself.

“baby? what are you doing?” bam asked, laughing as you let out a squeal of surprise.

“i..i wanted to surprise you...,” he tsked, pulling away to look at his blazer. “i know you don’t like me wearing your things..,” you stammered as he circled you.

“you have such pretty things, though, bam,”

“you look so sexy in this,” he purred. “you were trying to get me worked up while im trying to work?”

“u...uhhh,” you couldn’t think coherently with you boyfriend acting so domineering. you gasped as he slid his hand up to your cunt, rubbing your clit in little circles. “bam...please...,” you groaned. 

“keep the blazer on,” he said as you writhed in his grip.

“its gonna get all sweaty though and then you’ll yell at me,” you teased him as you followed him to the bed. 

bam just groaned. “baby, im sorry I haven’t let you borrow my clothes before but you look better in them than me. now, let me fuck you and i promise you can have anything you want in that closet.”

he knew exactly how to shut you up.

yugyeom; his s/o buying him flowers

yugyeom was always so stressed during comeback season. you always scolded him when he forgot to eat, or wasn’t staying hydrated enough, but you were so proud of him. seeing the smile on his face and the way he walked a little taller was so worth it.

he was still busy during comeback season, coming home late after all the videos he had to shoot for publicity.

one night, yugyeom had gotten home around midnight to a bouquet of pink roses and a handwritten note from you. it read; “I am so proud of you, my love. congrats on breath… I can always feel your love,” he blushed and giggled to himself, thinking, “isn’t the guy supposed to buy the girlfriend the flowers?” he wandered into your shared bedroom to see you sprawled into his side, with your book in your hands, a soft snore leaving your lips. he nudged you, not intending to wake you up, he could thank you in the morning. but he did accidentally. “yeom?” you whispered. 

“shh, baby go back to sleep,” he shushed, changing into his pjs. 

“did you like the flowers?” you asked, suddenly awake now. 

“theyre really pretty, baby, but aren’t I supposed to buy you the flowers?” 

you narrowed your eyes at him. “not my boyfriend being a sexist,” 

“yah! y/n stop it, I didn’t mean it that way!! I love them, you remembered I said I love roses,” he was pouting now, pulling you into his chest to spoon you. his voice got quieter now. “no one’s ever remembered my favorite flowers…much less bought them for me,” he paused, kissing the back of your neck before closing his eyes and falling fast asleep.

he was whipped.

[kaiparker-avengerssmut]

Their Doll 13

Thump

B.Barnes x Stark!Reader, S.Rogers x Stark!Reader

series synopsis:  y/n Stark, all records of her non existent, and yet Hydra still find her. When she is kidnapped by a certain super-soldier and no one believes her, she finds herself searching for unexpected familiarity in her not-so-distant past.

Series Warnings: smut, violence, torture, swearing

Chapter Summary: y/n goes on her first and only mission at HYDRA with Bucky

Warnings: swearing, violence, blood, death

A/n: The timeline in this has been altered, as there I things I wanted to include but I also wanted this fic to follow the storyline/timeline of Winter Soldier and Civil war.So for purposes of this fanfic, Peter Parker was discovered by Tony at a much younger age - when he was bitten - and has been an intern with him since, almost like a protégée.(For the purposes of this story Peter was bitten much younger too - more like when he was 9 or ten rather than 14/15)

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

This was the first mission I was assigned to with the Soldier. And I had a strong feeling it'd be the last. The Soldier's mind seemed less distant, clearer recently. I never complained, of course, as it meant two things: one, I actually had someone to talk to here that didn't want to either murder me or rape me and two, he was really fucking good with his dick when his mind was sharper.

We were currently holed up in a train carriage, which was stacked ceiling-high with wooden crates all marked 'stock'. Stock of what, neither of us knew. We had sneaked on, jumping onto the top of the train as it passed a hill we'd been waiting for. Once on top of the train, the soldier helped me into the back - which is where we currently are. It appeared like he'd done this a hundred times before - and one thing I did pick up on was his hesitance while scaling the side of the train. I didn't think much of it - I for one was nervous as shit when we were simply clinging to the small ladder down the end of the back carriage.

We were huddled close, the coldness seeping in from the mountains surrounding the track, the chill in my flesh making me shiver slightly and lean further into the Soldier. His arm was thrown over my shoulders, his own teeth chattered slightly but I could tell he was trying to appear unaffected by the surging weather.

I took the time to replay the briefing for the mission in my mind. Sneak in, stay discreet, use the vents to find the room with the politicians in, take them all but one out, frame the one who remained alive. God I'm happy I'm not doing this alone.

We had a plan. We would sneak in through the back entrance after sniping the two guards that were meant to be stationed there. From inside the door, just a meter to our left was easy access to the vents that we could crawl through for 50 minutes and we'd be directly above the room they were all set to gather in at 18:00. Once there, I'd use my voice to bring them into a state of unawares, from which The Soldier would shoot them all except one. I'd then use my powers to convince the left over that he was the one who did it and the Soldier would give him the gun that was used.

From there, I'd sneak down and take photos of the files they were discussing - HYDRA hadn't told us what they were but I was sure it was something that would deeply concern them - and then we'd leave the way we came.

Simple enough, really.

"You seem on edge." I commented, observing the way his eyes never remained in one place. "Something bad happen here?" I prompted when he only looked at me.

"I- I don't know." He came back with, eyes boring into mine. "You know the plan, right?" He asked, eyes still locked on mine like magnets. I nodded, humming in affirmation. "Good, I don't know if they'll fight back or not, so be ready." The soldier said, head tilting towards my waist in gesture of my belt that wrapped around the black tactical suit, holding various knives I could throw and a small, but powerful, gun.

I never liked using the gun, I always found the loud noise distracting. I preferred knives, and as my aim was particularly good whilst throwing them, I had little need for a gun unless I ran out of blades. But that seldom happened.

The temperature seemed to change, warming only slightly. A subtle thing that very few would pickup on, but as trained assassins you learn to notice the subtle things. I today, I knew this temperature change meant we'd entered the city. The pollution and bustling of people always increased the temperature, and only by a few degrees but when you were freezing your ass off, you tend to notice the discrete change.

"Time to get our asses moving." The soldier muttered before rising to his feet, offering me a hand as he did so.

"Let's get this show on the road." I murmured once on my feet, standing back as the soldier wrenched the door at the side of the carriage open.

"Roll once you land, it'll make the impact less brutal." He commented before he was diving from the train, landing with a smooth roll over the gravel, which crunched beneath him. I took a deep inhale, leaping from the carriage with nothing but hope that I'd land it rather than end up dead in the process.

My eyes sprang open as I landed, shock rolling through me as I realised that I was alright. A wide smile beckoned my lips, curling them upwards into a grin and I pushed myself from the floor and up onto my feet.

"That was the easy part." The soldier assured me as he walked towards me, my smile instantly dropping and his face falling into a hard expression. I new that face - it was his mission face. One that meant no more messing around, because shit was about to get real serious and real dangerous.

"Let's go." I said, beginning to walk towards the mass of buildings. The soldier followed quickly, directing us to slip behind the first block of apartments we came across so no one in the city would see us.

As we snuck our way to the centre, we flattened ourselves against the wall - melting into the plentiful shadows. As we approached our target, I felt the soldier's hand wrap around my bicep, pulling me back.

"Stay here. I'm going to get higher ground. When you see them drop, continue on and get into that door." He ordered gruffly, and before I could agree he was gone.

I crouched down slowly, now aware with how close we were to the two security guards that any sudden movement had the possibility of catching their attention. I leant into the side of the building, observing the two men as they blatantly ignored their surroundings. We're they trying to make this easy for us?

I felt a sneeze rise in my throat, that tangy feeling settling over my nose as I covered the lower half of my face with my hand. Try as I might, I couldn't prevent the unwanted noise, the small sound catching one of the guard's attention.

"Over there!" He hissed, tapping the other on the shoulder furiously in order to get their attention.

"What is it? I can't see anything." They dismissed, clearly trying to turn back around before the first guard yanked his attention back. I stayed as still as a statue, for once extremely glad that I was completely clad in black.

"I heard someone. Over there." The guard exclaimed, pointing almost directly at me. I held in my breath, eyes widened as I sat petrified. That's when my weight shifted, a small twig I didn't know was beneath my shoe snapping under the pressure. I stopped myself from wincing, the snapping noise echoing and completely giving away my position.

"There they are! Quickly, shoot them!" The second guard shouted, pointing at me as the first fumbled with his belt. I took the opportunity, pulling a blade from my belt as quick as I could and preparing to throw. But two pained shouted caught my attention, my gaze raving to see the two men sprawled on the floor, foreheads pierced with bullets.

My gaze drifted upwards, the soldier crouched over the top of a clearly abandoned bridge, gun in hands and still pointed towards them. A scowl was etched on his features, the lower banks of his face now covered by an ominous black mask.

I snapped from my trance, darting along the back of the building until I reached the door. Once I reached it, I cursed under my breath, realising it was locked as I tried to tug it open. I sighed in frustration, reaching into a pocket on the side of my leg and pulling out a pin.

I crouched by the door again, trying to not be caught a second time as the piece of metal wiggled around in the key hole until I heard the  soft, tell-tale click that signalled the door had unlocked. I stood up, tucking the pin back into my suit and moving to open the door. As I slowly tuned the handle, edging the door open enough to check inside, the Soldier appeared beside me.

"Great job." He deadpanned, eyes cold as he glared at me.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault, blame the gardener that decided daisies were a good idea!" I retaliated in a whispered-shout.

"Just shut up and go." He demanded, brushing past me and into the building once he realised it was clear. Once I'd collected my thoughts as called him a wanker under my breath, I pushed through the door after him to be met with the sight of the soldier's muscles bulging as he tried to pry the vent door from the wall as quietly as he could.

The metal clanked gingerly as he removed the door, placing the vented slab to the side of the now-clear entrance before turning to me and gesturing for me to follow. I got to my knees, crawling through the hole in the wall and placing the vent back in place behind me to lower suspicions.

We crawled through the vents stealthily, the concentration on us apparent as we both counted the meters. I almost crashed straight into the soldier's behind when he abruptly stopped, so I assumed the vent we needed to take out the plan was in front of him. He climbed over it quickly, so we were either side of the slats in the floor.

The soldier looked at me, bringing a finger to his lips as one of the politicians went in a rant.

"It's ridiculous! They expect us to vote on this and we don't even have all the information!"

"Well maybe if you'd read the file, you'd know the answer to all these bloody questions you keep asking!"

The soldier pointed a finder towards the men below us, before moving the same fingers so it was pointed at my mouth. I gave him a curt nod.

The tune flowed from my lips freely, easily, as I began humming. I almost stopped when I saw one of the men tense through the vent, knowing we'd been caught and probably executed or something. But when his shoulders relaxed my fear dissipated, the song falling from my continuously.

I noticed the metal plugs now in the soldier's ears as he leant over the vent, which he'd now pried open and had slid toward me slightly. His gun was pointed down the space he'd created, eyes cantered in on presumably one of the targets. Then he fired, and I flinched as I heard a hollow thump as the body slipped limply to the ground.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

The man who had tended remained alive, still relaxed and eyes glazed over. The soldier motioned for me to move, pushing the vent conger completely out of his way before jumping down into the room, the expected thud as he landed never coming. Wow, this man really is light on his feet.

Maybe he should've been a ballerina, that little voice in my head sung, a smug smile drawing over my lips at the thought of the Winter Soldier in a tutu.

I snapped out of it, following him down and landing crouched, almost disappointed at the tiny thud when I landed.

I barely noticed I'd stopped singing until the burning pain in my shoulder pierced through my thoughts.

"Get down!" The soldier shouted, shoving my down my my good shoulder and taking a lethal shot to the remaining politician's throat. He fell the the floor with a garbled cough, the splatter of blood across my cheek making my wince. The soldier chucked the gun to the table, scooping up the files and pushing them desperately into one of his big pockets on the leather he wore before yanking my up via my arm. "We have to hurry." He gritted through clenched teeth, using two clasped hands under my foot before hoisting me back into the vent.

He all but jumped up after me, replacing the grate before placing two hands on my cheeks to centre me. Hot tears ran down my cheeks, my breathing fast and uneven and my eyes refusing to meet him.

"Hey, look at me," my eyes found his, "I know you're in pain, trust me." He said, a tiny smirk pulling at his lips as the words tumbled from his lips, "but right now, you're running on adrenaline and we need to take advantage of that. So you're going to turn around, and you're going to crawl to the end of this vent and get out of the building. Quietly." He instructed, and I began nodded. I went to turn around, but he used two gloved, metal fingers I redirect my head to him. "It's nothing personal." He said with a  pitiful smile before whipping a few hanker chiefs from his pocket and stuffing them into my mouth. "Bite down on them if it hurts." The soldier clarified when I gave him a confused expression.

...

The sound of the alarm seemed to follow us and we ran, my hand clutching my shoulder as my big down aggressively at the cloth in my mouth. The soldier was behind me, making sure I didn't fall behind with my injury.

The blaring noise of the alarm stressed me out, knowing that they were probably looking for us making my pick up the pace despite the burning in my shoulder.

"There!" The soldier exclaimed, my eyes low finding the black car that we knew would be to pick us up. As we approached the end of the alley we walked down, the soldier over took me, sprinting forward to hold the door open for me.

I stumbled into the back of the car, being ushered farther in as the soldier climbed in behind me and slammed the car door shut.

The vehicle began moving, the chauffeur barely paying kind to us as my chest heaved and a scream broke through the cloth in a muffled shout.

The panicked look on the soldier's eyes is all that I could focus on, his mask off now and his lips moving but I couldn't seem to hear him. Black crept up on me, clouding the edge of my vision as it invaded my senses.

...

"Someone's finally awake then." The displeased    chide of the General filling my ears as my eyes fluttered open.

"You have to leave her alone! It wasn't her fault!" The soldier's voice said desperately, I could hear the worried tone edging his words.

"Quiet. She's the reason you failed your mission, Soldat. I won't have it happen again." The general snapped, my vision fully in focus now.

The general was stood before me, my hands strapped to the ceiling and my toes barely touching the floor. The pain in my shoulder screamed at me, but I could no longer feel the sickening wetness of my blood dripping down my back. They must've taken me to the medic on the flight home.

"Please, don't you think she's endured enough? She was shot for god's sake!" The soldiers reasoned, and I could see him fighting against his restraints. But the general ignored him.

"I think you're memory is getting too sharp. I'll be sure to get you reset once I'm done." He dismissed, a wince finding me as three guards filed into the cell. "Make her pay." He barked, standing back.

The guards grinned sickeningly, my eyes widening as a scream of protest trying to escape the silencer as I caught sight of the bats in their hands. It felt like the air had been punched from my lungs when one of the bats made contact with y stomach, and I already knew the area would be bloody and bruised when they were done.

"And don't stop until she passes out."