#and like. i don't see it. but even if she is. who cares

[peachesofteal]

Through Me (The Flood) - secret baby fic Simon Riley/female reader This is the last part before the epilogue

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise honey, remember?” You nod, but your eyes stay glued to the windshield, tracking the raindrops sliding on and off the glass. “Hey,” he reaches for your hand, pulling it into his grasp, “it’s okay. You’re safe.”

“I’m with you.” You repeat the mantra, the one you repeat in the shower, in bed, in the living room. I’m safe. I’m with you. 

He wants to look away from the road so badly long enough to see your eyes, really see them. It’s how he knows where you are, if you’re there, or here, or somewhere else. Just in case, he reminds you. “The kids are with Gaz and Cami. Soap is sleeping in the guest room. They’re all together, and they’re safe.” You nod again, but answer as a robot.

“They’re safe.” He can’t do it. He pulls the car over and you turn in alarm, watching as he steps around to the passenger side door and pulls it wide, dropping to his knee.

“Look at me-“

“You’re getting wet!” You sputter, grabbing at his jacket, but he stills you.

“Look at me, mama.” Your eyes are full of tears, and he cups your cheek. “Where are you?” Your lip wobbles.

“That room.” He pries your fingers open and places your palm over his chest.

“What’s that?”

“Your heart.”

“Your heart, sweet girl. It’s yours. Count them for me.” You shake your head, clenching your eyes shut, and he squeezes your knee. “Deep breath. Count them.”

“O-one, two, thr-we, four…” he does it with you, quietly, supporting, but not coaching. Not leading. You have to do it, you have to bring yourself back. “F-ive… five, six, seven, eight, nine…” each beat steadies your voice until you’re sitting a little straighter, breathing a little deeper.

“There she is. There’s my girl.” He wipes a tear from your cheek, “that’s it.”

“Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen…” you reach twenty five, and then give him a nod. He is thoroughly soaked now, but who cares. It’s not even close to what matters.

“Where are you?” He presses a slow kiss to your forehead.

“I’m here, with you.” You meet his gaze, clear and focused, and he nods.

“Okay.”

“You could have told me.”

“Not as fun, mama, I wanted it to be a surprise.” You’re standing in the middle of the room, looking around, smiling. It’s the same room he brought you to years ago. The room where he put the ring on your finger, the room you told him you’d spend the rest of your life, his life, together. The curtains are the same, the decor, even the bedspread.

“Si,” your voice wavers, and he pulls you into his arms, holding you against his chest.

“Are you happy?”

“Yes.”

You're surprisingly not nervous at all, though he's not that shocked. You have a few tattoos, medium sized, black and grey like his. No sleeves or anything that extensive, but you picked up a small collection during your travels. 

"Wait... are you serious?" You squeak, eyeing the chair and then the guy sitting beside it, Mark, the same guy that's done almost all of Simon's work. Simon's still not sure how he convinced him to come out here and do this, but he suspects the sentimental piece of this occasion had a lot to do with it. "What... what is it?" Simon glances at him, and then nods, holding his breath as he pulls the stencil out of the binder to lay it flat in front of you. 

It's a ring. Black and grey to match your other tattoos, but the same shape, band, everything, as the one you lost. Except- 

The stone frames three constellations. Orion, Phoenix and... "Lyra." You whisper, tracing the line work. You look up at him with tears in your eyes. "Orpheus and Eurydice." 

"Everyone says it's a tragedy, y'know? That he failed. But those people have never felt the way I feel about you." His throat is unbearably tight, and he swallows to keep it together. "They don't know how I'd go to hell to bring you home, they don't know how desperate I'd be to look back and and make sure you're still there with me," he breathes deep through his nose, chasing away the tidal wave rising in his chest. Mark, thankfully, has decided to pretend to be busy with something else. "They don't know how I'd let myself be ripped apart just to see you again. To spend eternity with you." 

"Simon..." 

"You don't have to do it," he rushes out, squeezing your hand, "just say so, and we'll leave. I won't be mad." You reach for him, tugging him close by his wrist and standing up on your tiptoes, trying to bury your face in his neck, seeking you safe space. 

"I love you. I love... I love you." He brushes your tears away. "I want it. Yes, of course. I want it." 

"You sure?" You cast one last look at the drawing, and nod. 

"Eternity with you." He smiles. 

"Eternity." 

[nemesyaaa]

sweet babyface // toxic!bbydaddy!rafe x reader

summary ; rafe was decided to make your little one, a kook princess. and if it means to spend a million of dollars on a diamond swarovski tiara just to see it on the head of his daughter, you can be sure he's gonna do it.

warnings ; basically fluff but i would add +18 bc of a little bit of suggestive content but not real smut. mention of breeding kink. kind of toxic relationship. a bit of stalking. financial dependence. be aware of the warnings.

author's note ; i just wanted to mention @princessbrunette for the bbydaddy!rafe verse. you can check it on her account <3

even if you tried every time to keep him away, push him away, avoid him or chase him, rafe always came back. you could be cold, distant, suspicious and even cruel, he didn't care. by the way, he was better than you at that game anyway? it wasn’t for nothing that you always lost trying to fight him. he was winning while you were just exhausting yourself out. sometimes you wonder why you let him into your life, why you thought it would be a good idea to have a baby with him when everyone on the island told you he was unstable and uncontrollable. some even laughed at your situation, saying it was like giving something to the devil and hoping he doesn't use it against you.

you couldn't say rafe was a bad father. your daughter had always been outrageously spoiled. he always gave her the biggest and greatest gifts. nothing was ever good enough for his princess. he always thought big when it came to his baby. even if you were a pogue, he wanted to raise her as a fucking kook.

and sometimes you wondered if he did all this out of pure fatherly love or out of narcissism or ego.even if you hated him so much, he absolutely needed to make sure your child was on his side. every time he was there, it was like you no longer existed. the house was full of "dad," "daddy, “ or “ papa, " and babbling and laughing. it was always his name, she never called you. and you always felt a pang in your heart every time he grabbed her in his big veiny arms, making her the happiest little girl before taking her away from you to go on some weekly trips.

even when he was not at home, it was always with the toys he gave her that she played, the dresses he gave her that she wore, the hairstyles that he validated by facetime that she asked you to make, the meals he delivered that she wanted to eat. she was truly daddy’s girl. even in her facial features.

so no matter how much you tried to ignore him, he was still there somehow . through the demands of your daughter, the hundreds of deliveries a day to your door, the objects in this house and even its walls because he was obviously the one who paid for it.

you didn't need to work. you had access to all his cards. at first you spent tons of money on unnecessary expenses hoping it would drive him crazy but the next day you saw that even more money had been added to the bank account.

but rafe cameron didn't give you access to his banking data out of pure kindness and affection alone. he was also looking for a way to control you, and stay in your life. then, with that, he could also stalk you and do inappropriate things like when you bought lingerie and he received the bill. he couldn't stop himself from sending you a message. “don't want to see me, but you dress yourself like you want me to give you a second baby ;) ”

the only rule was that you were forbidden from going to see another man and even less from inviting him to the house. he manipulated you by saying it was for your daughter's mental balance but it was purely out of jealousy. and you knew it very well. you weren't the stupid naive girl he had gaslighted in the past and who he could lie to so easily anymore.

one day, you were giving your kid the extremely expensive cupcakes rafe had bought for her breakfast, trying not to comment on the ridiculousness of the prices but especially the situation, and there was a knock at the door. when you saw through the blinder that it was him, you stepped back discreetly, swallowing hard to not clench. your heart was beating fast in your ribcage as you were trying to silence your stepfoots.

“I know you're here.” you had heard his loud firm raspy voice through the door. “baby, i can hear you breathing and backing up from here. come on, i thought we both get over the time i scared you. ”

he continued to knock on the door until your old neighbor called you claiming that a crazy madman was in front of your house and didn't want to leave.

you had been forced to open up to him which made you even angrier.

but that didn’t stop him from smiling at you, the insatiable white colgate smile. his clean and fresh mullet was long enough that hair brushed the back of his neck. he was wearing one of his perfect black suits with the sleeves rolled up to show a glimpse of his nice shirt. a Rolex was tight around his veiny wrist, and the same rings he always wore were wrapped around his fingers.

he had his ear pierced recently with your daughter. you had been against it, but she still wanted to do like her father so you had no authority over the sweet monster. but you had to admit that the jewelry suited them both so well. especially on rafe, you couldn't help but think about kissing his ear, but especially biting his earlobe while caressing the silver piercing until it's wet and rolling against your tongue. all this perhaps while thinking of having a baby again.

“I should be allowed to come here whenever I want. " he had sworn under his breath, staring at you with his evil blue eyes.

“tell me what you have to say or I’ll call the police.” you replied shortly.

"I want to see my girl. I mean, the one who likes to call me daddy. "

“It’s not funny and she doesn’t want to…”

you hadn't had time to finish speaking before your babyface's little footsteps were running on the floor to come into the hall.

“daddy! " she exclaimed before being carried off the ground to snuggle into her father's strong arms, her little frame being hidden by the size of his biceps.

“that's my little girl.” he welcomed her with a kiss on the cheek, making her chuckle.

"I missed you! please, stay !" your kid had asked with bubbly face and pleading eyes, her childish pout so irresistible to say no.

“of course, I’m staying.”

“raf…” you started but he ignored you, walking in the house without your permission into the living room.

“I have something for you, peaches. ”

he took a present out of his bag and you rolled your eyes. you already knew it was going to be something crazy like the giant dollhouse he built in her bedroom, or the huge dinette in the playroom, or a scary tall comfort teddy bear that she couldn't even carry in her tiny hands. sometimes you wondered what he could offer to her because she already had everything. he had literally built her a heaven.

your daughter's eyes widened in surprise, while a smile floated across her lips in excitement. she opened the gift and took out a silver tiara set with diamonds and stunning crystals signed by Swarovski.

“she’s a baby, rafe…” you commented.

"no, she's a princess. " he corrected you and fixed your little one's hair before putting the tiara on her head, and placing a smack on her forehead. “ don't you see that kook babyface ? ”

she giggled before wrapping her hands around his neck to thank him.

“we need to talk.” you said.

"later. i have a princess to honor for now."

you wanted to fight back and kill him but you couldn't resist your daughter's face. she was happy to be with her father. and you knew it was important for girls to establish a strong bond with their father. and there was this bright spark that shone in her eyes every time she saw him that made you melt.

so you let him stay at home. he stayed with her all day. she managed to make him do whatever she wanted, and that's how he found himself playing with dolls, watching the princess and the frog, doing karaoke to barbie songs, serving as a client for a makeup session, and judging all of her princess dresses while she was making him a haul.

No matter how angry you were that he showed up like that and decided to stay, you couldn't deny the fact that he was damn good, that in the moment, you couldn't find any reason not to like him, even when he caught you spying on them and sent you a smirk to remember that you had no control.

you had decided to do some cleaning, to leave them both for a bit until the end of the day. after a long moment, rafe decided to leave her alone for a bit.

you were downstairs, and you were making food. he raised an eyebrow when he saw you. “don’t forget me.”

“no I’m sorry, I’m cooking for two and you’re not included in it.”

“I was included in this pussy to make you a baby so you can include me in this meal for one night, baby. ‘s nothing. ” he shouted back, chewing some gum arrogantly.

“don’t be trashy.”

"you used to like this..." he carefully said, because he knew he was treading on sensitive ground.

he stood in front of you, picking a taste of the ranch sauce from the bowl before putting it in his mouth. you watched him do it, glaring at the smile on his so fucking evil lickable lips.

“ taste's good. ”

“I want you to leave. “

"We should ask every part of your body if they're okay with this. Maybe it would put you back into your place to feel betrayed by your own self. "

“You’re not good for her.” you confessed.

“I am her father. And from what i know, she's very happy with me. You're the one to have a problem with my presence here. ”

"Please, leave the house. I don't want to call the police."

“exactly, baby.” he moved to stand behind you, rearranging a strand of your hair, his breath hot on the back of your neck. “you don’t want to do it. And you're not forced to do it…” he caressed your hand, slowly putting the knife away from your fingers.

“Step back.”

"I want to stay here tonight. Just this night. She really wants me to stay and would it be cruel to make her sad? You don't want to be the villain, right ? "

“don’t try to manipulate me.”

" mmh, just telling the truth and it makes you mad. you can hate me if you want but she needs me. i'm her dad and you know if I wanted to, I could make her come with me but I love seeing you together. you're a great mom.”

"you will sleep on the couch. and that is non-negotiable. you don't try anything with me, is that okay?"

“Come on, we can sleep together. We are mature and consenting adults.” he replied. "There's nothing I haven't seen before, baby. I know all that lingerie as well as that body hidden behind it."

“about that, stop stalking my bills.”

"Mine , baby. you mean, my bills. these are my cards that you use for your pleasures so I have the right to have an eye on them. even more so when I receive bills for sex toys. you should call me instead of handling it? yourself.”

"After trying them, I'm not sure that you're big enough now. “

jesus, you knew how to provoke him and it worked. he had sniffed the air loudly, trying to contain himself because honestly, he only wanted one thing at the moment, a strong urge that was to fuck you dirty on that counter until he was sure to see your hole tearing to death and dripping to get his cock in. jesus, yeah, he would give anything to see you grimace because it will never fit in but prove you wrong by giving you a second baby.

his jaw was tense and his nostrils were flared. he was forced to clench his fist to avoid touching you. " the day when your babygirl will want a little sister or brother, you better be begging on all fours on my fucking doorstep to convince me to give you another baby. so better to start now and stretch that hole very hard before it's happening because i'm gonna make sure to be breeding you enough to change your whole dna. ”

“ aren't you tired of thr…”

“mom, dad, what are you talking about?” the little girl burst into the kitchen, still with her tiara on her head. a smile appeared when she saw that her dad was still there. because it was rare for him to stay that late.

you warned rafe with your eyes, slashing violently at pieces of vegetables with the knife back in your hand.

“ we were thinking that i could stay tonight. what's your thoughts on this, little one ? want daddy to stay ? ”

“ yes ! i don't want you to leave. stay foreveeeer with me. ”

“ but you know, he can't. he's a businessman. ” you replied.

“ what do you mean, baby ? my only business is right here. ”

” Rafe. ” you said.

“ Baby ? ” he replied with a cocky smile. “ Why don't you tell us what you're cooking ? Seems delicious. Maybe we could get a taste. ”

“ Sweetie, can you go to your room for a second ? I need to talk with your dad. It's not gonna be long. ”

She pouted but agreed after Rafe promised her something if she was listening to her mom.

“you know you can’t stay. "

"All I know is that there is my name in the papers of this house, on your bills, and even on your documents. If I can't stay, you can't escape. So what's better ? ”

[hrnngsoup]

Oh maaan. Oh man this is anti-honey vegan levels of ignorant. Look yeah it's gonna be unpopular opinions, and I am NOT saying there are no abusive-towards-dogs cops out there, but no, k9 forces are not generally abusive.

Here's some facts:

K9 units serve much more jobs than just take-downs. Ever had a recently missing kid? A good police force will call on a k9 unit, which you can give them a piece of fabric or toy to sniff, and then that good doggo will track that kid down. Many, MANY children, seniors, and other people who are lost with mental disabilities have been sucessfully found this way.

Another job they do? Drug sniffing. And yes, I know there have been nasty rumours about cops just training a dog to Mark on a person's bag on command, but besides the trash cops that exist, the drug sniffing training is ACTUALLY very specific and fun for the dogs. I've seen a lot of people over at twitter say they are good at fact checking, feel free to fact check what I just said with unbiased sources.

Most K9's are not just murked when they are retired. This was another rumour. A lot of them are retire with their owners, who form deep personal bonds with them, or are adopted out, in the case of the officer not being able to take care of them... like when the officer has died. The only exceptions are when k9's unfortunately develop the common health problems that german shepherds as a breed are privy to, and their quality of life massively decreases.

K9's are not just "stored" at a precinct in crates or something. They go home with their officers most of the time with only a few job-related exceptions.

It's not actually true that every person who gets taken down by a canine are maimed. Most of the time, it's "hold/release", which still needs stitches, but not even near a maim. but I guess these very common events aren't really covered in media much because they are less sensational....

Calling k9 units on anyone who is not actively fleeing a crime and/or armed is not a thing that happens often. That's a huge waste of money, time, and what, do you think they start off arrests with a k9 unit? No! (Exceptions: when someone has felonies on their record, has been known to be aggressive in past arrests/chases, or have commited grand theft auto)

While this one is only anecdotal, I have never with my own two eyes seen a unit abuse their dog. I have seen many of them baby talk the shit out of their doggos or give them probably too many treats, and well, if you want to see that, I recommend police cam vids. One of my relatives which was a k9 unit absolutely adored her k9, Duke, and she had him for many years after they retired- and Duke was happy and healthy until he passed naturally. A lot of people don't realize that if a k9 unit abused or hurt their dogs, and the other cops saw.... they would be considered the shit under their shoe for the whole precinct.

Now let's talk about why they're necessary in a healthy police force

Ever hear of the terms meth heads, crackheads, etc? These groups of people, if they decide to do crime, are INCREDIBLY dangerous. Drugs of a certain hardcore variety LITERALLY change your brain composition. These are the kind of people that can, and will, run out naked with two steak knives and try to stab anyone around them "because they looked at me funny"... if they are even capable of reason and clear speech in a drug-induced rage. Many do not even feel pain at this stage. There are two ways to stop someone in this state. Gunfire. Or a k9 unit. The good thing about using a k9 is that they are fast, much faster than humans- and that helps reduce the amount of injuries and deaths that occur when something goes wrong.

Humans are instinctually wired to be afraid of dogs. A lot of violence from... really, anyone, is severely diminished when even the threat of a k9 unit being called happens, and when you're facing someone who's weilding a machete, that fricking means something.

Look. I can understand being incensed at anyone who does treat their dogs badly. I am too. But you have to inform yourself on what the facts are, and everything I have said is factual unless someone can prove me wrong which, okay, then i will retract what someone proved me wrong about.

Banning a very important, very life-saving part of a healthy police force is a BAD idea. Note i said healthy police force... there are a lot of UNHEALTHY, CORRUPT police forces that needs from the bottom up reform.

All banning k9 units will do is increase crime and the collateral damage from it, make us lose non-take down services they provide which is VERY important to missing persons cases... and probably increase the amount of german shepherds put down in shelters, ultimately doing much more harm than good.

All k9 dogs are abused hands down if you post any pro k9 stuff on my dash you’re unfollowed I don’t care if we’ve been mutuals for years, you can claim to be anti-cop or a leftist or whatever but if you post k9 dogs with like “a good doggo! A good boy!” fuck off, if I lose followers over this then good riddance

[moonstruckme]

Hello there! I was wondering if you would be willing to write a request that I thought up? No pressure of course. I'd love to read your rendition of it but if you don't want to that is absolutely and of course fine.

So I am a pretty emotional person, and especially when I am pmsing or on my period its a very common sight for me to be silently crying over a sad reel or a photo of a puppy or sobbing loudly if I re-read my comfort angsty fic. I really crave physical affection and coddling during my period which sucks cause I live with 2 dormmates who sleep 2 steps away from me and aren't very touchy but are very loving. Like today my friend showed me a photo of her holding a puppy who was nuzzling into her sweatshirt, claws out and hooked in her sleeve and all and ofc I started crying. My other roommate was like don't show it to her she's on her period, she will cry. But then she was like, on second thought do, I enjoy her tears 💀.

On to my actual request now, sorry for rambling 😅

So I was wondering if the reader had a similar tendency with her emotions and hormones around her cycle, how the marauders would deal with it you know? Would they be used to it, asking if its just a leaky faucet to let some emotional pressure out (that happens a lot with me lol) or actual crying. If they would be freaking out no matter how often it happens. Or how they would coddle her.. very curious to see if you pick this up! Thanks for reading nonetheless <3<3

Haha thank you for your request angel <3

cw: reader who menstruates, mention of animals in televion industry, Sirius is not good with tears

poly!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 644 words

You try not to make a spectacle of yourself. You really do. You hide in the corner of the couch, feeling the burn of your sinuses and eventually letting a couple of tears roll down your face without lifting a hand to wipe them. Your throat squeezes. Your temples ache. 

Despite your best efforts, all it takes is one tiny sniffle to get the attention of your boyfriends. 

James’ arm tightens around your shoulders. His cheek squishes into your head, voice heavy with sympathy as you both look at the TV. “I know, angel. It ends alright, though, yeah?” 

“All he does,” you choke out, watching the dog on the screen through blurry vision, “is wait for his owner to come home every day. That’s his whole life.” 

“It’s an advert for dog kibble!” Sirius protests. 

You shrug, weeping, and Sirius gives a short laugh tinged with anxiety. Remus sets a hand on his knee. 

“Sweetheart,” Remus says gently, “I’m sure that in real life, that dog is very well taken care of. He probably gets plenty of attention and time with his owners. He’s famous, right?” 

You nod, though you can’t help a tiny sob as the on-screen dog sits straight up at the sound of a key in the door. “Right.” 

“Right.” Remus gives you a kind look. “You okay? Not upset about anything else?” 

“Yeah.” You sniffle weakly. “M’okay, just. My head hurts.” 

James makes the sort of syrupy pitying sound that has your throat contracting all over again. “Do you think it might be the crying, lovie? It’s not the first time that commercial’s been on today. You could be dehydrated.” 

“I don’t know,” you say, quietly. “I don’t think so.” 

“I’ll fetch you a paracetamol and some water to be sure.” Remus stands, patting Sirius’ thigh consolingly when the other boy shifts off his lap with the movement. He touches the top of your head as he walks behind the couch, and James kisses the spot as though to second it. 

“Baby.” Sirius turns to you with a stern look. “First the Lorax last night, and now this? The ad’s not even on anymore; it’s finished.” 

“It’s just…” You swallow, fighting to keep your voice solid. “Do you think all pets feel like that? When their people leave to go to work?” 

“No, honey,” James consoles you. “I think they’re happy to amuse themselves while we’re gone.” 

“They’re perfectly fine,” says Sirius, not unkindly. “Stop crying.” 

“Don’t be mean.” James gathers you closer. “She’s on her period, she’s entitled to some crying.”

“It’s like the hiccups, James. You’ve got to scare it off.” 

“That’s barbaric.” 

“What’s barbaric is the television industry that keeps making our girlfriend burst into tears at random points in the day!” 

“You guys.” You’re nearly laughing now. With tears still wet on your cheeks, Sirius hardly looks comforted. “Don’t fight.” 

“We’re not fighting.” James is quick to mollify you. 

“Oh, dovey.” Remus returns with your painkillers, bending to wipe your face with a put upon frown. “Are they upsetting you?” 

“God, no.” Sirius reclines back against the cushions, blowing a breath up towards the ceiling. “What chance have we of doing that, when there’s wealthy dog actors to do it for us?” 

You take the water Remus has brought you, downing the painkiller. “Do you really think the dog gets decent money from the advert?” you ask as he pets your hair dotingly. 

James ponders this. “Even if it’s not very much, I’d bet his owners put as much of it back into him as they can. He probably sleeps on a memory foam dog bed.” 

Sirius is watching your face distressedly. “Baby,” he nearly pleads. “It’s okay.” 

“No, that’s good,” you manage, voice a quiet squeak as your eyes fill again. “I just think that’s a really nice life for him. He deserves it.” 

[lanf1an]

SEASONS lando norris x fewtrell sister pt.3 - january 6 2025

pt.1 pt.2 wordcount: 1835

The sun had started to dip behind the mountains, and after a full day of skiing and snowboarding, the group stumbled onto the terrace après-ski bar. Lando and Magui had spent the day skiing together, while the rest of the group tackled the slopes together, most of the parents and Magui had headed back to the lodge, tired from travels.

At the bar, the mood was lively. Skiers and boarders still in their gear gathered around tables, their cheeks flushed from the cold and the day’s exertion. The air was thick with the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and classic après-ski tunes.

Max leaned over the table, a mischievous grin on his face. “Alright, new game. We spot the fans trying to make a move on Norris, and we try to casually block them.”

Cisca rolled her eyes but was already scanning the room. “I saw a girl at the bar earlier with a McLaren beanie. She’s been eyeing him for the last five minutes.”

Flo laughed, nudging you. “Your turn to play defense. You’re standing closest to him.”

You glanced over your shoulder at Lando, who was at the bar. You shook your head, smiling. “I think he’s oblivious.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Max said, clearly enjoying himself. “That’s the fun part. Let’s see who does it best.” - “Alright, up on the shoulders Flo'' Dylan suggested, she clapped her hands excitedly in response.

As they plotted their interference, Norris’s dad leaned in from the next table, his voice low. “Alright, kids, let’s not make a scene. We don’t want to attract too much attention to Lando.”

“Too late for that,” Max muttered under his breath, nodding towards the bar.

The group turned just in time to see Lando coming towards them, two enormous champagne bottles in hand, sparklers shooting from the tops like miniature fireworks. Heads turned instantly, the bar erupting in cheers and applause.

“Subtle,” You said, deadpan, as Lando made his way to their table, grinning like he’d just won a Grand Prix.

“What?” he said, feigning innocence as he placed the bottles on the table with a flourish. “It’s après-ski! Live a little.”

You shook your head, unable to hide a smirk. “Of course. Mr. Center of Attention.” You could say fame didn't change him, he was always like this and fame had stopped him from being himself.

Lando leaned closer, a playful glint in his eye. “You love it.”

''You wish'' You huffed a laugh, still shaking your head. You gave him a warning look but you already knew what was coming.

“Maybe,” he said, shrugging, giving one of the bottles to Max and smashing the other on the floor, foam spraying out, trying to get some in everyone's mouths.

Max shook his head, laughing. “You’re impossible.”

“Impossible or iconic?” Lando retorted to his signature gran prix podium celebration, raising his glass in a toast. The music became louder and everyone started dancing. You stayed dancing close to him anyway, feeling protective even when he didn't seem to care and the game already being over. — Lando leaned against the bar, still holding one of the oversized champagne bottles, as Dylan and you stood beside him. Dylan had taught you some pro tricks today and had been ribbing you all day about your snowboarding skills —or according to him, lack thereof, which wasn't fair, compared to a pro—and you were finally getting him back.

“I don’t know, Dylan,” your said, swirling the remnants of your champagne. “The way you wiped out on that last run? I’m not sure you’re qualified to teach me anything.”

Dylan clutched his chest dramatically. “Excuse me, that wipeout was tactical. I was demonstrating what not to do.”

“Right,” you said, rolling your eyes. ''Bit dissapointing for a pro, don't you think?''

Lando watched them, a grin tugging at his lips. “You two bicker like an old married couple.”

Dylan smirked, putting his arm around your shoulder. “You should’ve joined us, Lando. Could’ve shown her how the pros snowboard.” he continued the bickering.

You laughed. “Please. He’d just show off the whole time, thinking he's actually better than me, than you even” you accidentally complimented Dylan.

“Correct,” Lando admitted with a shrug. “But at least it would’ve been impressive.” He set the champagne bottle down at the bar and crossed his arms, his gaze flicking between them. “Besides, I wouldn’t let her spend all day falling over. Unlike some people.”

“I wasn’t falling all day,” you protested, lightly punching his arm.

“No, just half the day,” Dylan said, earning himself a glare.

Lando grinned, clearly enjoying the banter. “Seriously, though. Tomorrow we'll go all together. I’ll teach you how to actually stay upright.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You’re assuming I’d trust you with that responsibility.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” he asked, feigning offense.

“Because you’d probably push me over for fun.”

“Ah yeah, true” he said, smirking.

Dylan shook his head, laughing. “You two are ridiculous.” He glanced between them. “Actually, kind of makes sense.”

“What does that mean?” you asked, narrowing your eyes.

He shrugged, a sly grin on his face. “Nothing. Just saying, you two act more like an old married couple for way longer than we do.”

Lando barked out a laugh, but you could feel your cheeks flush, even though Dylan didn't seem to care one bit, the chill attitude and easy-going confidence you fell in love with and admired so much. “Please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

“Too late,” Dylan grinned, knowing you weren't as careless and relaxed as him.

You turned back to Lando, hands in the air. “You’re not helping, you know.”

“What?” he asked, all innocence, though his smile said otherwise. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Exactly,” you muttered, though you couldn’t hide a smile as he poured you another glass of champagne as you walked off, back towards the others.

''You know what I'm going to say right?'' Lando turned to Dylan, suddenly serious. Dylan laughed ''I'm surprised you hadn't yet, Max told me she has not one, but two protective brothers, twins nonetheless'' Dylan tried to joke. Lando didn't laugh.

''I'm not going to hurt her''.

— january 3 2017

The night was getting quiet after having drinks, muffled laughter of the others still lingering at the table. She sat slumped on the couch in the corner, her legs stretched out, ski boots still tightly strapped. The wine she’d been nursing had her feeling warm and a little bold, but exhaustion weighed heavy on her limbs.

Lando appeared in the doorway, his cheeks flushed from the cold and a little from all the beer they’d had earlier. His hair was a tousled mess, sticking out in all directions from where he’d rubbed at it with his gloved hands earlier that day.

“You alright there?” he asked, his voice soft, tinged with amusement as he stepped into the room.

She groaned, leaning her head back against the couch. “No. I’m stuck. These stupid boots won’t come off, and I’m too tired to fight with them.”

Lando chuckled and walked over, crouching down in front of her. “Let me help. Lift your leg.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, smirking. “What are you, my knight in shining armor now?”

“Obviously,” he rolled, grabbing her foot before she could protest. His fingers worked at the straps, the tips brushing against her calf as he loosened the bindings. Her breath hitched involuntarily, but she quickly covered it with a laugh.

“Ticklish?” Lando teased, glancing up at her with a knowing grin.

“No,” she lied, suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was.

He didn’t push further, focusing instead on freeing her foot from the boot. When he managed to tug it off, she sighed dramatically in relief, wriggling her toes. “Freedom,” she declared.

“One more to go,” Lando said, reaching for her other foot. His hands wrapped firmly around her ankle, steadying it as he worked. This time, the touch lingered—not inappropriately, but enough to send a tingle up her spine. She looked down at him, at the way his brow furrowed in concentration.

When the second boot finally came off, Lando sat back on his heels, letting out an exaggerated sigh of triumph. “And that, my lady, is how you—”

“Shut up,” she interrupted, laughing, and lightly kicking his shoulder with her freed foot. But her laughter faded when their eyes met.

“Lan…” she started, her voice low, but she didn’t know what she wanted to say.

“You’ve got…” he murmured, leaning in slightly and brushing his thumb just below her lip, where a speck of wine had stained her skin. The contact made her pulse race.

Before she could second-guess it, her hand reached for his cheek, and suddenly, his lips were on hers. The kiss was tentative at first, like both of them were testing the waters, but it quickly deepened. His hands cupped her face, fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her closer. She responded in kind, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum.

It was familiar and foreign at the same time. But just as quickly as it had started, it stopped.

Lando pulled back, his breathing uneven, his gaze searching hers. “I… I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay,” she said, though her voice trembled. She wasn’t sure if she meant it.

“No, I mean…” He ran a hand through his hair, looking troubled. “We’re drunk. And we… we can’t.”

She nodded hesitantly. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

They didn’t talk about it again after that night, both silently agreeing to bury it under layers of banter and shared history.

—

Back at the lodge you were tugging fruitlessly at the straps of your ski boots, weak in the hands after the amount of champagne this afternoon. “These things are impossible.” you huffed,

Lando appeared out of nowhere, grinning. “Need a hand, princess?”

You rolled your eyes heavily. “Don’t ever call me that again. And yes, apparently, I do.”

He crouched down in front of you. ''Lift your leg'' his hands worked expertly at the straps, fingers brushing against her leg. You suddenly remembered a moment you had forgotten a few years ago, your breath hitching at the thought, you quickly looked away, focusing on the snow outside the window.

“There,” Lando said, pulling the boot off swiftly. “I’m getting good at this.”

“Not exactly a competitive skill” you said, narrowing you eyes, ''Don't underestimate the importance of dexterity'' he said, showing off his hands, wiggling his fingers.

"Thanks"

“No problem,” he replied, standing up and offering you a hand.

You took his hand, letting him pull you to your feet. “Come on,” he said, nodding toward the others who were already heading inside. “Let’s get warm.

tl: @ash88-yep @lewishamiltonismybf @harrysdimple05

[littlefanficprincess]

Wine Red

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Movie! Shadow x gn! Reader

Word count: 3,5K

Synopsis: You find Shadow after he crashed down to earth (again)

(A/n): ‼️Spoilers for Sonic 3 and the first after credits scene‼️

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"The Wheel Of Fortune...The High Priestess...and The Lovers!" A hand flips around three tarot cards, naming each one. "Follow your intuition and you will meet your fated one!".

A (animal) mobian lets out an amused sigh, leaning on their hand. "Rosy, you've been giving me readings since you discovered it and each time I get the same fortune".

Amy smiles, placing her hands on the table. "That means it is definitely true!" She exclaims, excitedly. She gathers her cards back into the pile and picks three from them. "Alright...The Chariot...The Sun and...The Lovers! Yes!".

"So you have to go out and find the one?" (Y/n) guesses, having a bit of knowledge of it because of their friend. They watch the pink Hedgehog do a victory dance.

"What do you think fits me the best" Amy strolls over to her closet. She places a green hairband on her head, turning to (Y/n). "It matches my eyes, but I'm not sure" She tosses it off when she sees her friend shaking their head.

"Black? Not my style. Pink? Blends too much with my quills. Orange? Clashes too much. Blue?" She places a blue hairband on her head, adjusting it to be comfortable.

(Y/n) gets up and walks up to the Hedgehog. They gently remove the hairband from her. "Baby blue is not your color, maybe a brighter blue. But I think red fits you the best" They suggest.

"You're saying that because you love red" Amy takes the band from their hands and placing it on their head. "I think it suits you more".

"Thanks Rosy" (Y/n) smiles, brushing their hands against the headband.

"No problem!" The girl replies, placing a red head on her own head. "Now let's go find them" She turns to the empty pinboard, tapping her bottom lip. "Now to pin down their location" she tapes a drawing of planets in the board and throws a dart at it. It lands on a round blue and green planet.

(Y/n) walks over and looks at the small text underneath the planet. "Eeth? Uth? Ert...Earth Earth, like dirt?" They read outloud. "It looks pretty big, it's possibly gonna take ages when you finally find him".

"I am also prepared for that" Amy removes the drawing and places a map of earth. She throws another dart, almost hitting (Y/n)'s head. It lands on a big piece of land on the left side, in bold letters it says "UNITED STATES".

Immediately, Amy speeds around the room. She stuffs clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, her harmer into a suitcase. She stood on it, trying to make it fit.

"Amy, Amy, hold on" (Y/n) places their hand on her shoulder. "You can't just rush to a planet you don't even know to find the one and how are you supposed to know it's them. Remember last time you went off, I had to go get you and bandage you up"

Amy seemed to deflate at (Y/n)'s argument, her smiles turns to a pout. She turns to her friend, giving them puppy eyes. Her puppy eyes were quite effective, challenging Cream's ones.

Giving in, (Y/n) sighs. "How about this: I go to Earth and see if it is safe for you to travel there" They offer, just wanting the best for their friend.

"Thank you, thank you!" The pink mobian exclaims, hugging the (animal). She was extremely grateful they would do this for her.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

"Already traveling to other planets, They're growing up so fast" Vector wipes his tears with a hankerchief, blowing his nose with it.

"They aren't that much younger than you" Espio calls him out. He turns to (Y/n) "Be careful".

Amy, along with their other friends stand next to eachother. They bid the (animal) goodbye, the mobians know they will be gone for a while, so they want to give a well made goodbye.

"You beter bring me a souvenir back!" Charmy requests, pulling at (Y/n)'s arm. He was pulled off by Vector, who was still crying.

Vanilla approaches the (f/c) (animal), placing a container in their hands. "I made some cake for the journey, I hope you will enjoy it" The two hug, before letting go.

Out of nowhere, (Y/n) feels something clinging to their leg. Looking down, they were met with Cream. She looked like she was about to cry, making (Y/n)'s heart melt. "You're gonna come back, right?"

The teen mobian smiles, patting the small rabbit's head. "Ofcourse, I promise" They nod. They walk to the spaceship as Cream lets go. (Y/n) gives a final wave, before stepping inside.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

The ship flies down, crashing in the woods. The door was the ship creaks open. Come out crawling was (Y/n), letting out little grunts of pain. They push themself up, grabbing their bag and putting it onto their bag. "So this is earth, quite tall trees they have here".

They travel through the forrest, trying to find a good place to set up camp. Soon, find a small cave, big enough to sleep and leave her stuff. As they put down their back, they hear a tapping sound. They turn to the entrance, finding water fall from the sky. "Water?" Slowly, they walk over to the edge of the cave, holding out their hand. They feel the droplets fall onto their palm "Woah, so beautiful".

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

After countless journeys, the cave resembled more like a home. In the back sat a bed with a pillow and two blankets. At the side stood a wobbly table with a flower pot on it, a framed picture next to it of them and Amy. And finally hanging around were fairy lights they found in a trashcan.

(Y/n) sat ontop, living their legs back and forth. Their (e/c) eyes latch onto something what they assume is a comet flying across the midnight sky. It crashes down not too far away from the (animal)'s hideout.

They jump down, before rushing over where it landed. Pushing aside leaves of the trees, they gaze as the mysterious object from the sky. Light flickers from a crater, before it dims completely. They peek over to see what it was and...

"A hedgehog?"

A hedgehog with black and red quills, a patch of white fur on his chest. He was wearing white black and red gloves and shoes. Laying next to him were two slightly burned golden bracelets and a big green emerald.

Carefully, (Y/n) wraps the gem from the ground. They tense up as their feel a weird ticklish and prickly feeling go through her veins. "Woah" They mutter. They turns back to look at the hedgehog, finding that he was wounded.

They stuff the emerald and rings in their bag. Putting an arm under his knees and his back, struggling to hold him up. "Is he the one Amy is looking for?" They think outloud, walking back to their cave with the hedgehog in their arms.

Once they arrived, they lay the stranger on their bed pulling first aid kit from under the unstable table. They sit down on the mattress next to the hedgehog, taking a roll of bandage. They lift his head with one hand and wrapping his head with their other one. They continue with his other wounds, being as careful as they could be.

Not having much else to do, they lay the pillow and one of the blankets on the floor next to the bed. They lay down, pulling the blanket over their body. With that, they close their eyes and let their consciousness fade away.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Shadow's eye began to open, finding himself staring at rocks above him. He lets out a grunt of pain, feeling his head stinging. He tries to remember what happened, but his mind was left foggy.

"Oh, you're awake, that's good to see. I am surprised you're bot out longer, by the fact you literally crashed to earth"

A voice chirps, a sweet one. He turns his head, seeing a figure standing next to the bed he was one. They were slightly blurry as his red eyes still try to readjust to the bright light behind them. What he was able to make out was a a light blue headband resting on the person's head. "Maria..?" He groans.

"(Y/n), actually" The person corrects, with a soft smile. "(Y/n) the (animal). Nice to meet you. You got a name, stranger?" Their voice echoes through his mind, like a broken record.

"Maria, what happene–" He sits and gets up from the bed. He stumbles, almost falling over. Luckily, (Y/n) catched him before he could. He gazes down, finding part of arms bandaged up.

Carefully, (Y/n) pushes him back on the bed. "You shouldn't go walking off yet. Just because you're up early doesn't mean you get go dancing around like that. Please, just go rest" They suggest to the hedgehog. His behavior reminded them of Amy, how stubborn she always was after getting injured.

Shadow looks over to a barely stable table on the left. A picture frame, a flower pot and a big green emera– "Ah!" Shadow cries, gripping his head. Images flashes across his mind: Gerald Robotnik, a younger looking version of the doctor, blue, red, yellow and finally an explosion.

The (f/c) mobian frowns, pitying the Stranger. He has probably been through a lot, ofcourse be doesn't own them his story. "If you some quiet, I'll let you be" They propose, letting out a little sigh. They turn around, ready to leave the cave. They were stopped by the hedgehog grabbing their hand.

"I want you just stay, my head feels more at ease when you're near" He mumbles, avoiding their eyes. He feels them sitting down next to him, he had to stop himself from leaning into them. He wondered what the loose ties in his mind meant., trying to follow them made him want to scratch his own skin off.

"Can I finally know your name. I know I don't owe it, but I can't just call you 'hedgehog'" (Y/n) mentions, turning to the other.

"But you already know it, M–" Shadow shakes his head, responding with "My name is Shadow". He looks down at his gloves, finding something missing. "Where are my limiters?" He questions with urgency in his voice.(Y/n) reaches into her bag and takes the two golden rings from. "These one?" They ask, holding them for him to grab.

Snatching the slightly burned bracelets from their hands, Shadow snaps them around his wrists. He lets out a huff of relief as his finger trace the rim of it.

"It's nice to put a name to the face. I must say I quite like your eyes, they remind me of jaspers" (Y/n) compliments, glancing at the emerald and then back at the hedgehog's eyes.

Shadow pauses, before speaking up. "Your eyes are nice aswell, I suppose. They look like..." He trails off, realising he didn't know much gems. "They feel comforting" He mutters under his breath, just loud enough for (Y/n) to hear.

They didn't say anything, just kept staring. They noticed he was a bit cold and hesitant, but they didn't mind. It was the best to wait until he was ready to tell them what happened before he crashed into the woods.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Sigh

Tap tap tap

The sound of footsteps makes (Y/n) stir awake. They sit up, looking over to see Shadow standing the entrance of the cave, holding onto rock for stability. They notice he was just staring up at the sky, muttering something to himself.

Getting up, they quietly walk over to him. They hear him let out a hum, acknowledging their presence. "The stars shine so brightly. Usually not a lot of people see them, by the time they appear, everyone is sound asleep" Shadow mummers, not taking his eyes off of a particular star. "You're not Maria, I see that now. My mind was so fragmented, it merged my old memories with my vision"

"So that is why you called me that" (Y/n) concludes, thinking back to all the times he called her that name. "Are you finally going to tell me what happened to you? now that you got your memories back" They ask.

"My name is Shadow, project shadow. I was found in a meteor and was brought by a company called GUN. The lead researcher was Gerald Robotnik, his granddaughter, Maria, resided there aswell. Robotnik tried finding a cure for her illness through me, I began bonding with her" A barely visible smile appeared on his face as he tells the story, but is quickly fell as he continued.

"GUN wanted to take me away, Robotnik couldn't handle it. He tried escaping with me and Maria, Maria got killed in the crossfire. The doctor was arrested and I was frozen for fifty years. After that he got me out of there, bringing his grandson along. They wanted to blow up the Earth, but a blue hedgehog made me realise that that wasn't what Maria would've wanted. With the power of the master emerald, we steered the weapon away from Earth. The hedgehog was saved by his friends, I wasn't so lucky. I crashed down at that was where you found me"

"That is quite the story, Shadow. I was surprised to see another mobian here, but you tell me there is another one or even more. So are you going to leave now that your wounds were healed and your memories are back?" The (animal) inquires, kicking a rock near them. They wonder what the other hedgehog and his friends are like.

Shadow thinks, giving a quick look at the cave and then back to the sky. "I am grateful for everything you've done for me. It is probably too much to ask for shelter. I have nowhere to stay, I am not expecting Sonic to welcome me with open arms".

"Ofcourse you can stay" (Y/n) answer with hesitation, shuffling a bit closer to the hedgehog. "We should get another bed, cause no way one of us is going to sleep on the ground. Feel free to bring your own stuff in here, I won't mind sharing my cozy cave" They turn around to look at their home, with their hand on their hips. They already imagine the cave being filled more stuff, perhaps they could even find a better place to live.

(Y/n) pulls out their Snappie, unlocking it. "Hey, how about we do a shot for our first official day as cavemates" They suggest, holding up their device.

"A shot? Like alcohol?" Shadow repeats with a raised eyebrow. He eyes the object, confusion in his gaze.

The other mobian shakes their head, answering "No, it is short for a snapshot. Me and my best friend always made by special moments or just when were having fun, to make memories. These things can only make photos and send text, but I'm only able send photos to her"

They pull Shadow close as they raise their Snappie into the air. "Smile!" They grin, closing their eyes. As if magic, Shadow does as they say, having a small smile on face. They might not be Maria, but he doesn't mind. (Y/n) snaps the picture, not realising they weren't very visible on it because of how dark it was.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Hours...Days...weeks passed by.

The cave grew fuller and resembled more like a home. Shadow mostly stayed in the cave, hesitant to leave it. (Y/n) actually caught him sleeping in their bed, which he denies ever happened. (Y/n) once spotted the fast blue hedgehog when looking for for food, but he sped before they could reach him.

One day, Shadow and (Y/n) were walking in the forrest. (Y/n) held the other's hand tightly, Shadow couldn't help but glance at it from time to time. They stop when they hear laughing and talking, it seemed like it was coming not too far away. The (f/c) (animal) leads their friend along with them as they talk closer, making sure not to make a sound.

(Y/n)'s eyes widen as they see Sonic, along with two humans, two mobians and a weird creature that walks on four legs. A red echidna and a yellow fox with two tails, quite a unique pair. "We should go say hi" (Y/n) says, about to walk through a bush infront of them.

But they were stopped by Shadow pulling them back, shaking his head. "We can't just bardge in there, they dont even know you" He argues. He sees how happy the other hedgehog seemed, making him feel envy. He was just getting close to (Y/n), he didn't want to risk losing her aswell.

They went back and forth, (Y/n) trying to pull away and Shadow pulling them back. But (Y/n) accidentally pulls a little too hard and pulls Shadow with them. Their body hit the ground with a small 'oof', they look up to see Shadow's face. His hands on were each side of their head and his knees were caging their legs, trying to not to fall into them

"Um, am I interuppting something?" A voice chimes, making the two freeze. Looking down at them was none other than Sonic, who came to check out the noise. He should've been surprised about Shadow being alive. But his attention was more towards the mentioned hedgehog was hovering above a (animal) he didn't regonise, not to mention close to where he was camping with his family.

Shadow quickly gets up and turns his head, hiding the blush he gotten from embarasment. It was one thing be get so close to his friend, it's another thing to be caught in that position by Sonic.

"You're Sonic, right?" (Y/n) pushes themselves up, brushing the dirt off of them. "I've heared a lot about you, it's great to finally meet you. I hope you don't mind if I and shadow join you guys"

"Ofcourse I don't mind, always great to meet a fan" Sonic scratches the back of his neck, grinning. He turns to the black and red hedgehog "We have a lot to catch up on". He walks back, motioning for the two to follow after him.

(Y/n) was about to go after him, when they notice Shadow didn't move a muscle. They exhale, approaching their friend. Their hands grasps those belonging to Shadow, tracing the back of his hands with their thumbs. "I know you have trouble connecting, but I want to make more friends to connect with and rely on".

Taking in their words, Shadow hesitantly nods. He lets them drag him through the bush and to where the group was. "Hey there" (Y/n) greets, waving.

Their voice takes the attention of the two humans and mobians. The human and fox's Jaws dropped, the latter dropping his marshmallow into the fire. "I win!" The echidna cheers, raising his marsmellow on a stick in the air. He notices that the others were staring at something, so he follows their gaze. After like a month of thinking Shadow died, he stood there infront of them.

"How did you survive the explosion o-or even the earth atmosphere, me and Sonic only barely got to safety thanks to Knuckles" Tails stutters, remembering Knuckles using a ring last second to teleport them away.

Shadow crosses his arms. "I am the ultimate life form, I won't be killed that easily" He pauses. "After I crashed, (Y/n) took me in and cared for me" He adds, glancing at the mentioned creature next to him.

Feeling the attention drawn to them, (Y/n) perks. "Oh, right, I should probably introduce myself. I am (Y/n) the (animal), nice to meet you all" They mention, smiling. They reach into their bag and pulls out the big emerald. "I found this near Shadow, do you know wha–"

"THE MASTER EMERALD!"

The echidna stands up (after chomping his marshmallow) and walks up to (Y/n) with his hands out. (Y/n) places the green gem in his grasp, looking up at the tall mobian. He nods at them with gratitude, which (Y/n) does aswell.

"Snappie?" The (f/c) (animal) turns to Shadow. Before he could answer, a voice chimes.

"Snappie? Like snapshot?" Tails asks, tilting his head.

"Yeah!"

After some talking, with (Y/n) pushing Shadow to speak to the others. They gather around as (Y/n) raises her device into the air, taking a photo.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

DING

Amy snatches her Snappie from her bedside table, unlocking it. She taps on (Y/n)'s contact, finding they had send a photo. It was them with four other mobians, her eyes widen when she notices a blue hedgehog.

"It's him!"

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Watching Stonik tiktoks while wiping my tears.

[siphonophoresupernumerary]

Very very very good points! I would say that the final point about trans men can very easily, and indeed necessarily, be extended to trans women and nonbinary people. Did they account for trans people at all? There is built in margin for error there with people in the closet or are not comfortable being out for survey purposes.

I grew up as a man in a christian family and I can see how potent the disdain conservatives, especially christians, have for college. It's a setting that christian ideals don't control that affords the students a lot of freedom and diversity. Diversity generally makes people lose faith in the variety of christianity they were raised in, skewing more progressive.

The increase of women in college can very well be seen as an increase of diversity, but because the paper doesn't explore race, doesn't clarify how or if trans people counted, and only barely touches on sexual orientation, we only GET to see her findings on gender.

Looking at it though I'm also inclined to agree that fewer men are going to college, or believe it when it is asserted. Apparently young college age men are more conservative as is evident from the last presidential election, which fits with my earlier point about christian's anti-college/diversity rhetoric. Though if that's true I might posit that certain political beliefs and religions are in flight, more than any given gender. This fits in with Davis' note about the prevalence of gay men in college, as gay men are less likely to be religious for homophobia reasons. Plus christian ideals are generally "men provide, women nurture" so christian women may well be flying too, but their numbers would be significantly smaller than christian men, and thereby it doesn't stick out when looking at gender alone.

I'm not 100% sure how substack works, but the article is on Matriarchal Blessing, a name which has certain Divine Feminine connotations. Looking up the author, Celeste Davis, I find that her substack is entirely about gender. Which leads me to believe that maybe the author cares mostly or only about gender. Explaining the lack of thurough research that explores each or any of the vectors uncle-fruity indicated. I'm inclined to say that Celeste Davis is biased. Additionally, even though I don't see overt christian themes in there, the presentation of and

Oh. She's an exmormon. I guess that explains the quasi-religious qualities to Matriarchal Blessing. Which include a "bless your wanting" ritual for paid subscription members. Mormons believe in a concept of the Divine Feminine; they believe in a Heavenly Mother, innate power in being a woman, and also the "1950s patriarchal dream" (Celeste Davis' words) which include strict gender roles. The value put into both roles are purportedly equal in policy, though by policy the vast majority of leaders are men. A lot of women find the role they are given restrictive and that looks like what drove Davis away from the mormon church.

Another note to flex my Mormon knowledge, Matriarchal Blessing is a twist on the Patriarchal Blessing. A Patriarch for a stake(geographical collection of church attendees) gives a member a blessing which is a mixture of a blessing, a pep talk, a testimony(or tiny church lesson), and a personal prophecy(fortune telling). The stake's Matriarch is his wife and her role is to record and transcribe the blessing.

Mormon gender roles are written in policy, as close to stone as you get in this modern age. The Family Proclamation says that marriage is between a man and a woman, that the only genders are man and woman, that everyone is supposed to get married (1 man, 1 woman. Explicitly no polygamy), and that men are supposed to provide and women are supposed to care for the household, and finally that sex is ok only within a marriage.

I got distracted and lost the thread I was following but yeah, I don't ascribe malicious intent to Celeste Davis or intentional bias, but I do think her bias is having an effect. For someone who blogged about leaving her religion, it's weird to me that she didn't point out any religious demographics in the article.

Actually. I'm shocked that tumblr passed around an article by an exmormon as Article Of The Day, though a piece of reactionary masculine-critical rhetoric doesn't surprise me in the slightest. There's so few sources in this article but who cares so long as it feels good to read. Which, honestly, I am guilty of too.

Why aren't we talking about the real reason male college enrollment is dropping? (Celeste Davis, Oct 6 2024)

"White flight is a term that describes how white people move out of neighborhoods when more people of color move in.

White flight is especially common when minority populations become the majority. That neighborhood then declines in value.

Male flight describes a similar phenomenon when large numbers of females enter a profession, group, hobby or industry—the men leave. That industry is then devalued.

Take veterinary school for example:

In 1969 almost all veterinary students were male at 89%.

By 1987, male enrollment was equal to female at 50%.

By 2009, male enrollment in veterinary schools had plummeted to 22.4%

A sociologist studying gender in veterinary schools, Dr. Anne Lincoln says that in an attempt to describe this drastic drop in male enrollment, many keep pointing to financial reasons like the debt-to-income ratio or the high cost of schooling.

But Lincoln’s research found that “men and women are equally affected by tuition and salaries.”

Her research shows that the reason fewer men are enrolling in veterinary school boils down to one factor: the number of women in the classroom.

For every 1% increase in the proportion of women in the student body, 1.7 fewer men applied.

One more woman applying was a greater deterrent than $1000 in extra tuition! (…)

Since males had dominated these professions for centuries, you would think they would leave slowly, hesitantly or maybe linger at 40%, 35%, 30%, but that’s not what happens.

Once the tipping point reaches majority female- the men flee. And boy do they flee!

It’s a slippery slope. When the number of women hits 60% the men who are there make a swift exit and other men stop joining.

Morty Schapiro, economist and former president of Northwestern University has noticed this trend when studying college enrollment numbers across universities:

“There’s a cliff you fall off once you become 60/40 female/male. It then becomes exponentially more difficult to recruit men.”

Now we’ve reached that 60% point of no return for colleges.

As we’ve seen with teachers, nurses and interior design, once an institution is majority female, the public perception of its value plummets.

Scanning through Reddit and Quora threads, many men seem to be in agreement - college is stupid and unnecessary.

A waste of time and money. You’re much better off going into the trades, a tech boot camp or becoming an entrepreneur. No need for college. (…)

When mostly men went to college? Prestigious. Aspirational. Important.

Now that mostly women go to college? Unnecessary. De-valued. A bad choice. (…)

School is now feminine. College is feminine. And rule #1 if you want to safely navigate this world as a man? Avoid the feminine.

But we don’t seem to want to talk about that."

[divinedelusional]

how rafe would treat his gf on her period

rafe cameron x fem reader

word count: 796

warnings: menstruation, mentions of toxic relationship and period sex

a/n: yeah this is how rafe treats his girl on her period but also how he would be like in a relationship throughout the seasons? i got carried away, sorry not sorry

s1 rafe: sooo i feel like fratboy!rafe genuinely doesn't give a fuck, i don't even know if he would be capable of being in a relationship. i see him being involved with a girl but only for sex and he would only know she's on her period bc she would just text him that they can't meet today bc of it and he'd be like "uh huh cool" and would go jerk off

s2 rafe: here i think situation would be slightly different. i think our psycho bby could acc develop feelings for a girl, it would mostly be just sex but he could start falling for someone. so i think he'd fight a battle in his mind if he should come over to the girl's house and be there for her on her period or to completely neglect her. it's just he doesn't have a clue what to do and tbh he's occupied with other shit, he uses sex with her to forget. i think it's very similar to s1 rafe but with guilt and feelings creeping in (and obvious denial for this emotions)

s3 rafe: so okay we all know the shift from curtain bangs psycho rafey to buzz cut man of the house rafe who looked like he's getting his shit together. of course that means he's different when it comes to relationships. he still deals with a lot, but he finds you. and he kinda sees you as this light. a small light who he has to be very careful with so it won't go out. he is attentive to you. treats you right, but with some sort of distance and you don't blame him. he doesn't spend every day with you, he didn't even ask you to be his girlfriend yet, didn't make it official but he will and somehow you know it. when you're on your period you become quiet. you don't text him, but he finds out as he had a feeling that he should drop by your house. he finds you on your couch with a heating bag and cookies. you told him you weren't feeling well and he ordered you hot soup and made a quick run to pharmacy for some medicine. he still was clueless and thought you caught a cold. "rafe im not sick im just on my period" "oh" it's not like he avoids you, no. he visits you everday for the next four days but doesn't stay for long, always excusing himself with some meeting or business. you know he means the best for you but wish that he's going to be able to let you in soon. you're really patient with him, but start having doubts.

s4 rafe: is now fully committed to you. you talked to him how you really felt about this relationship. that you really cared and wanted to give him as much time as he needed, but also you couldn't waste it anymore waiting for him. and rafe realized that nobody else would have such patience for him. he was thinking about you a lot and he admitted to himself that you were the one. he made your relationship official and two months later you were living together. he was spoiling you, really. taking you on dates, buying you gifts and most importantly giving you his time. getting to know you, observing your daily habits, remembering stuff you said. your likes and dislikes. no wonder he became pussy whipped. and started to feel like he knows you better than yourself.

that's why when it's that time of the month you don't have to say anything. rafe knows. just by the way you whine when you wake up, he knows if you'd be able to get out of bed and get on with your day or you'd want to stay in bed cuddling, because he's your personal heater, makes back pain go away. gives you massages. cuddles with you all morning untill your stomach start to signal that it's time for some food. oh and he doesn't care about his schedule. he could clear it off, cancel the meetings, but he doesn't bother. his girl is the most important, his business associates don't even deserve a phone call on a day his girl is in pain. also he's not opposed to period sex at. all. orgasm is a great way to reduce cramps, so if that works for you and you want him to help you, he is the happiest to do so. if you're not comfortable with having sex these days he totally understands. wouldn't even thought of forcing you to do something, on your period or not. when he discovered that he has so much love in him, his only interest is to give it to you♡

dividers by: @bernardsbendystraws

tagging: @sugaraanddiesel @cherrylipglossss hope they'll enjoy it and @cameronsprincess bc maybe it will put a smile on her face♡

[sgiandubh]

In other news...

S in Andermatt, Switzerland - posh, expensive, overrated ski resort, on par with the more famous Zermatt -, sharing a selfie with Leoni Zopp, aka @lexonii on IG, who hails from Andermatt itself, btw:

Quite an interesting character, this one, with her own accidental downfall (in more ways than one) & redemption/fortitude story:

This is clearly some sort of business (?) stunt/collaboration between S, Stellar Equipment and Zopp, who is actively being promoted as one of their brand ambassadors - see the 'thanks @ stellarequipment' mention in his post above, it is enlightening enough and tells us this is an #ad post, as per UK legislation:

[Source, LOL: https://www.stellarequipment.com/interstellar/people/leoni-zopp]

And before trolls would go to lewd speculation (they already did, LOL), she does have a significant other, so - no dice. They even spent three weeks in South Africa, late 2023/early 2024 and went to a wedding together, there. Nope, not exactly her brother, heh:

This non event aside (God forbid Those Two would be seen in the same place and at the same time!), what is next for S, spare that TCND panel in New York, on January 15th?

A new book, it would seem:

It will be published in the UK on September 18th 2025, by Quadrille Publishing Ltd (formerly Hardie Grant Books, before being acquired by Penguin Random House UK in May 2024, see here: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/95140-hardie-grant-rebrands-as-quadrille-following-prh-uk-acquisition.html ), which is more than decent:

... and on September 23, 2025, in the US:

Finally, as per Norouzi's latest story, the Sassenach gin finally made it to the Whole Foods' supermarket shelves, which is not bad at all, either. The price tag is still reasonable-ish: 46 $.

All this added up, my question is: how long before yet another Sassenach Spirits' North American Tour?

I am ready to bet hard cash for it and you probably read it here first.

Cue in vicious Anons, I don't care. I won't answer them anymore - it gives undue space to idiots and I think you didn't like or follow this page for that reason only. #NewYearResolution

[creatur3featur3]

Street Rat p2

word count: 3.6k (WOO ON A ROLL LOVES!!)

A/N: DEFINITELY out of my writers block! only took about, 3 hours? usually takes me like a full day when i'm unmotivated but here we are!

----Enjoy Loves----

Okay so maybe you were following Sevika around for weeks on end now, but it wasn't exactly your fault- it was hers.

All that being nice and giving you food, or just being human and providing for someone who obviously couldn't take care of herself properly. She had been dying to get you off her tail with you following her like a stray dog constantly, you were ruining her reputation with your weird attachment to her. 

The regulars she played cards with gave you weird glances but she always seemed to scare them off from bothering you when you were digging around in people's dumped junk with a stern gaze. You definitely seemed to live up to your name of a street rat with your constant wandering off to find someone that shined under the dim lights of the Undercity’s lamp posts, she had even gotten you a small bag as well which had honestly surprised you.

You scoffed when she threw it to you, “Are you serious? I don't need this shit.” you spat sharply, god she wished she could rip that  sharp tongue out of yours out of your mouth. She set down her cup, whatever liquid she was drinking sloushing out.

“You think I don't see you storing your little trinkets out in dumped boxes? You're pathetic, the amount of times I've seen people swipe from your little stashes is ridiculous.” Your brow furrows at her words, you're not pathetic, you're smart, hell- brilliant even! “WELL, Miss.im so smart, i'll have you know I have many stashes around the city,”

“and how many of them stay full?”

you pause.

“...like.. three maybe…” you admit with a pout, “Then take the bag” she says sternly.

You grumble as you snatch the bag off the table, examining it with cold eyes but muttering a quiet “thank you” under your breath- then you're gone.

You choose not to stick around her during the day, too many eyes, you stay on the outskirts of the city- just like today. 

you squirm up the broken fire escape, trying your best to host yourself up with- little success. You hate to admit that Sevika’s ‘gift’ was actually pretty helpful, much more storage for cogs and other useful stuff- only downside is that you put way too much stuff in it.

“come on!-" You hiss under your breath as you hang onto the railing, trying to throw the bag up onto the floor of the fire escape so you can get yourself up. Such you were fit, your worked out a good amount, but.. your weren't exactly sure what to really work out.

The bag thudded onto the rusty fire escape with a loud clang, the sound echoing down the alleyway below. You winced, glancing over your shoulder to make sure no one had heard. The last thing you needed was some nosy thug poking around while you were mid-scramble.  

"Stupid bag," you muttered, wiping sweat off your brow. The thing had been helpful, sure, but damn if it wasn’t heavier than you thought it would be with all the “essentials” you’d crammed into it.  

With a deep breath, you grabbed the edge of the fire escape again, gritting your teeth as you hoisted yourself up. Your muscles strained against the weight of your own body, your arms trembling as you kicked your legs to get some momentum. “Okay... almost there...”  

Finally, with a groan, you managed to drag yourself up, collapsing onto the cold metal floor with a loud huff. You rolled onto your back, staring up at the dim, flickering lights of the Undercity’s skyline, panting like you’d just run a marathon.  

“Maybe I should’ve worked out more…” you mumbled, glaring at the bag now sitting innocently beside you.  

The memory of Sevika tossing it to you came to mind, her cold, stern gaze practically daring you to argue with her. She hadn’t been wrong about your stashes getting raided—half of them were basically public property at this point—but still, you’d never admit she had a point. That’d be giving her too much satisfaction.  

As much as you hated to admit it, the bag was starting to feel like a lifeline. Not just because it kept your things safe, but because... well, it was from her.  

You sighed, sitting up and brushing your hands off on your pants. “Whatever,” you muttered to yourself, swinging the bag over your shoulder again. “It’s just a stupid bag. Doesn’t mean anything.”  

As you climb further up the ladders you find yourself at what you call, home. The climb had left your muscles burning, but as you finally pulled yourself up to the top platform, a sense of relief washed over you. This was your little corner of the world, tucked high above the chaos of the Undercity, where few dared to tread.

"Home sweet home," you muttered, glancing at the haphazard setup before you.

The patchwork of old carpets and threadbare blankets was hardly luxurious, and the wooden crates stacked into a leaning structure could barely be called stable. Still, it had its charm—if only because it was yours. 

You ducked under the slanted “roof” of your makeshift tent, the faint smell of oil and dust filling your nose as you tossed the bag onto the ground with a loud thud. Sliding down onto the pile of blankets you called a bed, you let out a long, drawn-out exhale, the tension in your shoulders finally releasing.  

After a few moments, you sat up, rolling your sleeves as you reached for the bag. “Alright, let’s see what we’ve got this time,” you murmured to yourself, the habit of talking aloud in your solitude one you never quite managed to break.  

One by one, you started pulling items from the bag: cogs, rusted bolts, wires tangled like a bird’s nest, a couple of scraps of metal that might be useful if you ever found a decent buyer. You laid them out in neat rows, sorting them with a critical eye.  

“Junk, maybe useful, definitely junk, hmm… potential,” you muttered, setting aside a few pieces you deemed worth keeping.  

Every so often, you paused to examine an item more closely, holding it up to the dim light filtering through the cracks of your tent. A faint smile tugged at your lips as you found a small, intact gear with its teeth still sharp. “Hah, not bad,” you said to no one, setting it aside with a sense of triumph.  

This was your ritual, your little piece of order in an otherwise chaotic world. Sorting through the refuse of the Undercity, finding bits and pieces that others had discarded without a second thought—it wasn’t glamorous, but it was yours. 

Your contented sorting came to an abrupt halt as the distant noise filtered up through the layers of steel and grime below. First, it was the sharp crack of something breaking—glass, maybe, or a chair being hurled against a wall. Then came the muffled yelling, too distorted by the distance to make out the words.  

You froze, your fingers hovering over a twisted wire. It wasn’t unusual to hear fights in the Undercity; hell, it was practically the soundtrack of the place. But this time was different.  

This time, you recognized the low, gravelly tone of one of the voices. Sevika.  

Your stomach twisted as you strained to listen, hoping you’d misheard. But there it was again—her voice, cutting through the chaos with a sharp bark of anger.  

“Shit,” you muttered under your breath, scrambling to your feet. For a moment, you hesitated, torn between staying put in the safety of your little hideout and the nagging pull of curiosity—and maybe worry—that pushed you toward the ladder.  

Another crash, louder this time, made the decision for you. You grabbed the strap of your bag, slinging it over your shoulder as you moved toward the edge of the platform. Your heart pounded as you carefully climbed down, your usual annoyance at the shaky fire escape forgotten in your rush.  

By the time you reached the lower levels, the noise had grown louder, more distinct. You crept closer, ducking behind a stack of crates as you peered around the corner.  

There she was, Sevika, in the middle of a small brawl. Three guys, maybe more, circled her like vultures, but she looked as unfazed as ever, her mechanical arm gleaming under the dim light as she sent one of them flying with a single swing.  

Your first instinct was to turn back, let her handle it. She was Sevika, after all; she didn’t need help. But as another thug lunged at her with a broken pipe, something in you snapped.  

“Damn it,” you hissed, gripping the edge of the crate as you tried to come up with a plan. Or maybe you’d just jump in and wing it. Either way, you weren’t about to leave her hanging.

Though your- stupidity gets the best of you as you reach for a broken glass of whatever and throw it at one of the men, hitting his head

The moment the glass shattered against the man’s head, you felt a rush of pride. Bullseye. But that fleeting sense of accomplishment was quickly replaced with a cold, sinking feeling as the three men turned toward you, their expressions darkening like storm clouds.  

He wiped a hand over his face, now dripping with blood from a jagged cut the glass had left, his glare locking onto you like a predator sizing up its prey. “You’ve got a death wish, kid,” he growled, taking a menacing step forward.  

“Oh, crap,” you muttered, your bravado evaporating in an instant.  

Without another thought, you turned on your heel and bolted, your heart pounding in your ears as your boots slapped against the slick pavement. Behind you, the sound of shouts and heavy footsteps echoed as the men gave chase.  

“Stupid stupid stupid!!” you hissed to yourself, dodging around a stack of broken crates. This wasn’t exactly the first time your mouth—or in this case, your impulse to throw things—had gotten you into trouble, but this? This was a new level of stupid.  

You ducked into a narrow alley, squeezing through the gap between two rusted pipes as the men shouted behind you. Your pulse was racing, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you scanned the area for an escape route.  

Up ahead, you spotted a ladder leading to one of the upper platforms, the kind you’d climbed a hundred times before. “Come on, come on,” you whispered, practically leaping toward it.  

As you grabbed the rungs and started to climb, one of the men reached the base of the ladder, cursing loudly. He jumped, his fingers grazing your ankle, but you kicked out with a frantic yell, forcing him to let go.  

“Keep running, street rat!” one of them yelled.  

“Oh, I plan to!” you shouted back, your voice dripping with sarcasm despite the panic clawing at your chest.  

You scrambled onto the platform above, your legs burning and your breath coming in ragged gasps. From this vantage point, you could see Sevika below, taking advantage of your little distraction you created. For a split second, you thought about doubling back to help her, but another shout from below reminded you of your own predicament.  

"She better appreciate this," you muttered bitterly as you darted off into the shadows, praying you could lose your pursuers before they decided to make good on their threats. 

–

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Sevika snarled as you sat next to her at the little market you had come to know for your routine feeding, “those guys could've and would've killed you!” She hissed.

“I was helping!” you grumble, “Helping doesn't mean almost getting yourself killed!” Sevika shot right back.

“You should've been able to take those guys easily, they were so much smaller than you!”

“I had it.”

“Didn't seem like it Toolbox.”

“Stop calling me that,”

“Toolbox.”

“Street Rat.”

“Mines cooler anyways.” you hum, Sevika scoffs with a shake of her head, “You fucking wish.”

“Well,” you start, shoving the fruit you had stuffed in your bag into your mouth, biting into it sharply, the juices running down your chin- “I deserve a thank you.”

“You are not getting a thank you for making me worry,” Sevika spat, “awww, so you do care!” you hum sarcastically, “oh, my heart might just explode with joy!”

Sevika rolled her eyes so hard you were surprised they didn’t pop out of her skull. “Don’t flatter yourself Rat. I care because you’re a liability. If you go and get yourself killed, that’s just one more mess I have to deal with.”  

You snorted, chewing noisily on your fruit. “Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that, Sevvy.”  

Her glare could have melted steel. “Call me that again and see what happens.”  

“Sevvy.” You said it sweetly, almost a purr, batting your lashes for extra effect.  

The mechanical fingers of her arm clenched with a faint hiss, and you couldn’t help but grin, even as she loomed closer, her presence casting a shadow over you. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that,” she growled, voice low and dangerous.  

“And brains,” you added smugly, leaning back as if her looming didn’t faze you. “I mean, I did save your ass, remember?”  

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “If by ‘save’ you mean ‘made my life infinitely harder,’ then yeah. Thanks for that.”  

You bit into your fruit again, savoring its sweetness as you shrugged. “Same difference. You’d miss me if I wasn’t around.”  

“I’d sleep better, that’s for sure.”  

“Awww, Sev, you’re so sweet,” you teased, wiping juice off your chin with your sleeve. “No wonder people love you so much.”  

Her lips twitched, like she was fighting back a smirk. “You’re lucky you’re useful sometimes, Street Rat. Otherwise, I’d have tossed you into the gutter by now.”  

“Yeah, yeah,” you said, grinning despite her insult. “Admit it, Sevika. You like having me around.”  

She shook her head, muttering something under her breath as she turned her attention back to her drink. You took that as a win, leaning back against the table with a satisfied smirk.

“So,” You hum as you throw the finished fruit onto the street, “Where we going now?”

Sevika stood up, pushing in her chair and throwing her cloak over her mechanical arm “I'm, going home.”

You frowned, tilting your head like a confused pup. “Home? What about me?”  

Sevika glanced over her shoulder, her expression flat. “What about you?”  

You scoffed, standing up and brushing the crumbs off your clothes. “I thought we were a team now.”  

She barked a laugh, the kind that was more mocking than amused. “Team? Don’t flatter yourself, Toolbox. You’re just a stray I can’t seem to shake off.”  

You put your hands on your hips, leaning forward as you shot her a challenging glare. “Stray or not, you’d be bored without me, and you know it.”  

“Bored?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow as she adjusted her cloak. “More like finally at peace.”  

“Sure, Sev, keep telling yourself that,” you quipped, falling into step beside her despite her best efforts to stride ahead.  

She stopped abruptly, turning to face you with a sharp glare. “What do you want, huh? A place to crash? A warm meal? Or do you just like annoying me?”  

You grinned, not missing a beat. “Little bit of all three, honestly.”  

She exhaled sharply, clearly trying to rein in her irritation. “You’re impossible.”  

“And yet, here we are,” you said with a cheeky shrug.  

For a moment, Sevika just stared at you, her jaw tightening as if she were debating whether to knock you out or just walk away. Finally, she shook her head, muttering something about bad decisions as she turned back toward the street.  

“Fine,” she said gruffly, not bothering to look back at you. “Follow me. But don’t think for a second this means I like you.”  

Your grin widened as you fell into step behind her. “Of course not, Sevvy. This is purely professional.”  

“Call me that again, and you’re sleeping in the gutter.”  

“Love you too,” you teased, earning a sharp growl from her as the two of you disappeared into the crowded streets of the Undercity.

God she hated you.

As you follow her not too far behind she doesn't look back- until she hears a loud CLUNK.

She looked back to see you diving into a dumpster, your legs propelling yourself further into it.

Sevika stopped dead in her tracks, her mechanical arm twitching slightly as she turned to stare at you, her expression an unreadable mix of irritation and disbelief.  

“What the hell are you doing now?” she called out, her voice carrying that sharp edge of exasperation she reserved just for you.  

Your legs flailed for a moment, kicking at the air as you wormed your way further into the dumpster. “I saw something shiny!” you shouted back, your voice muffled by the metal container.  

Sevika pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering under her breath. “Shiny? Are you a crow now?”  

“Shut up, it might be important!” you countered, your voice ringing with mock indignation.  

The dumpster rattled as you rummaged around, the sound grating on Sevika’s nerves. She glanced around, noting the amused—or horrified—looks from a few passersby. She sighed deeply, her patience wearing thin.  

“You know,” she said, her tone flat as she leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed, “there’s a fine line between being resourceful and being a complete idiot. Guess which side you’re on.”  

You didn’t respond immediately, too engrossed in whatever treasure you were hunting. A moment later, you popped your head out of the dumpster, holding up a slightly dented but intact pocket watch. “See? Totally worth it!” you declared, grinning triumphantly.  

Sevika raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “A broken watch?”  

“It’s vintage!” you argued, shaking the watch for emphasis.  

“Yeah, sure. Vintage trash,” she shot back, turning on her heel. “Let’s go, before someone mistakes you for actual garbage.”  

You hopped out of the dumpster, brushing off your clothes as you jogged to catch up with her. “You’re just mad you didn’t see it first,” you teased, tucking the watch into your bag.  

She didn’t respond, but you swore you saw her roll her eyes as she picked up her pace, trying her best to ignore you.

But your voice was grating, the way you chatted away about god knows what, trying to take apart the watch as you walked, proving to Sevika by the brand name on the inside of the watch that it was definitely worth something.

“See? I told you, I know what's useless or, worthy!” You hum happily.

you were definitely a lot different from when Sevika first saw you, when you were a lot more sharp and,I guess hateful. Now here you are, talking her ear off about some history behind the watch.

Cute.

Sevika shook her head firmly, no, absolutely not, you were not cute or anything like that, you were a dingy kid from the streets, probably not even 26, you had your whole life ahead of you.

Sevika’s gaze flickered over to you as you babbled on about the intricate history behind the watch, your hands working quickly to twist and turn its parts, barely looking up as you walked beside her.  

“Mm-hmm, sure, sure,” she muttered, her focus on the path ahead, though her mind was starting to wander despite herself. You were relentless, a flurry of words and energy that kept bouncing from one topic to the next, your excitement practically buzzing through the air. It was almost impossible not to listen to you, even if she didn’t want to.  

But cute? No.  

You were just some kid, a street rat, sure, but not in a pathetic sense anymore. She couldn’t quite pinpoint it. Maybe it was how you had this endless drive to find the value in everything, even when it was so easy for someone like her to overlook. Or how your once sharp edges seemed to have softened over time, the constant biting sarcasm now replaced with, well, an actual willingness to communicate, to engage.  

God, what the hell was wrong with her?

She tried shaking it off, focusing on the weight of her boots as they hit the cracked pavement. She was not about to get all sentimental or soft. That would be a mistake.  

“I’m serious, Sevika,” you continued, eyes sparkling as you looked up at her, “I could sell this for a few cogs. It’s pretty rare, maybe even more than that if I find the right buyer!”  

She made a noncommittal sound in her throat, but inside, something shifted just a bit. You really are something else, she thought.  

Her mind screamed at her to pull away, to put some distance between herself and you before she made a mistake, but here she was, still walking beside you, letting you prattle on and on.  

“Yeah, whatever, just don’t go blowing it on something stupid,” she muttered, though there was a flicker of something in her voice that she quickly smothered.  

You gave her a sidelong glance, not missing the subtle change. “You really do care, huh?”  

She didn’t answer, instead pushing her shoulders back and picking up the pace, determined to ignore the way her heart seemed to tighten. She could still feel the eyes of the people around you—at least, that’s what she told herself.  

But maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t just about saving you from getting yourself killed anymore. Maybe... she was just stuck with you, whether she liked it or not.  

“Keep dreaming, kid,” she said gruffly, her voice betraying none of the warmth creeping up her spine.  

“Aw, you're soft, Sev," you teased, and she felt her chest tighten even more.  

"Shut up, Streetie," she snapped, the words coming out far too fondly for her liking.  

“Streetie? that's a new one,” you giggle slightly, seeming to notice before you cleared your throat.

(what do we think about making this a series Loves?)

[ineffectualdemon]

Ok but some people can't trust their own judgement on how people feel. And assuming that they do have correct judgement creates a self fulfilling prophecy

I have CPTSD from a shitty childhood

I know I'm an unreliable narrator about how people perceive me in their lives a lot of the time. I don't like myself because of trauma and because I don't see myself as likable it's hard for me to believe that other people actually like me

But I have to accept the care they give and acknowledge it and accept that it's real even if I don't understand it. And I have to accept that if something hurts my feelings I can talk to them about it because I try very hard not to assume the worst from people. It's a huge struggle for me but has allowed me to maintain relationships and friendships

And yeah when I was young I had "friends" who were pretty shitty to me. I was also pretty shitty as a friend at that time. We were all still learning how to be people and that means recognising sometimes that our thoughts about other people's feelings are irrational.

Someone I know IRL who also has CPTSD assumes everyone is going to leave her and places unreasonable demands of "if you loved me you would do x" variety and takes any attempt from the other person to set boundaries as a personal attack. She asks for advice then gets mad at people for "telling her what to do". She calls people liars when they aren't lying, forgets the kindness they when sent, and ascribes the worst possible motivations for everything. And people get fed up being treated this way and do distance themselves and then she gets even more firmly convinced she's right and that all of her former friends were out to get her

She's a tar pit and so are you

[rqsie63]

SHE'S THE MOMENT - Alex Albon.

pairing: alex albon x actress girlfriend! reader.

face claim: mikey madison (and lily too sometimes).

summary: alex and his girlfriend being on each others social media. (ig comments)

warnings: none?, my first "smau" attempt so don't expect something so great. english is not my first language.

a/n: first formula 1 fic / smau, exciting for my contribution to the Alexander Albon love club.

ynupdates just posted.

liked by ynalexchild, ynfan1, albonation and 3459 others.

ynupdates: her latest looks for final days of press tour! 😍🔥

View all the 285 comments...

ynalexchild: can't believe press tour is ending, but at the same time im happy she's having the vacation she needs ❤️

albonfan1: just in time for f1 summer break, ynalex content is coming

ynalexchild: iktr!!

user1: fourth pic is the reason im a lesbian

ynfan1: i need this movie to be big, her talent is unmatched

ynfan2: she's amazing in this movie, just saw it yesterday

ynhq: CAN YOU FIGHT @.alex_albon

alex_albon: yes 🔪

ynalexchild: alex kskfkgdd

alexftyn: he is so unserious 😭

user23: give her new makeup artist a rise asap

alex_albon just posted.

liked by yourusername, albonfan1, ynalexchild, alexftyn and 276845 others.

alex_albon: summer break!!!!

View all the 24184 comments...

ynalexchild: he is so boyfriend 💙

alexftyn: he is such a hot cutie

❤️ liked by yourusername

yourusername: before anyone asks, YES i can AND WILL FIGHT 🗣️👊

alex_albon: what's the colour of my shirts?

yourusername: nobody is looking at those damn shirts alexander🙄

albonfan23: i need to see fast cars on my screen again asap

georgerussell63: looking good mate

yourusername: stop flirting with my boyfriend

georgerussell63: i wasn't?????

user44: why is your gf not in your holiday post? very narcissistic behaviour

ynhq: you guys are pathetic, she just finished a WORLD press tour, maybe JUST MAYBE she went home a couple of days and then joined Alex in Thailand.

❤️ liked by yourusername

yourusername just posted.

liked by alex_albon, williamsracing, georgerussell63, ynalexchild, ynftalex, albonfan23 and 58063 others.

yourusername: since my boyfriend only posts about himself this is ME in thailand if you even care ✨🥂 (he's also there i guess🙄)

view all the 38584 comments...

iamrebeccad: stunning!!

ynalexchild: insane picture choice

ynftalex: damn girl can you fight (or share him)

yourusername: guess I'll have to fight you

ynftalex: smkfkkddk omg hii

alexandrasaintmleux: you are so pretty🔥❤️

alex_albon: "if you even care", I DO CARE

yourusername: prove it then 🤭

ynfan1: thailand looks great on you 💙

ynfan2: love you mother enjoy your vacation

alex_albon just posted.

liked by yourusername, georgerussell63, williamsracing, alexandrasaintmleux and 29574 others.

alex_albon: MY GIRLFRIEND and i in Thailand💙😍.

view all the 29475 comments...

georgerussell63: looking good mate (not in a flirtatious way)

carmenmmundt: lindos!!

ynalexchil: the last picture... knowing her someone is sleeping on the couch

albonation: 💙

yourusername: that one picture.... sleep with an eye open 🔪 (i love you so much)

alex_albon: i love you more 💙

carlossainz55: enjoy vacation mate 🥂

albonfan1: amazing photos

albonfan23: is that a SNAKE

yourusername: i was very brave

williamsracing just posted.

liked by yourusername, albonfan1, alex_albon, francolapinto, ynalexchil, ynfan1, ynftalex and 294786 others.

williamsracing: and... we're back! let's push harder the rest of the season 👊💙

view all the 19473 comments...

francofiles: its always alex with the girl and franco with his mate 🧉

yourusername: that's franco's gf put some respect on it's name

alex_albon: love to be back and with the best company 💙

yourusername: such a sweetheart, who would've thought??

alex_albon: im always a sweetheart with u 🙄

francolapinto: get a room

alex_albon: get a girlfriend

yourusername: CASE CLOSED

alex_albon just posted.

liked by yourusername, francolapinto, williamsracing and 29348 others.

alex_albon: second half of the season with the sweetest thing that ever happened to me 💙

view all the 28488 comments...

francolapinto: it's nauseous atp

yourusername: at this point I think you're jealous. sorry he's not SOLTERO (single) for you. francolapinto: where did you learn that word? yourusername: I have my secret contact

francolapinto: who? google translator?

yourusername: rude😔

yourusername: love you my sweet potato 💙

❤ liked by alex_albon

ynalexchild: parents

chloealbon: miss you two💙

yourusername: we miss too sweet angel❤

albonfan1: good luck alex!

yourusername just posted.

liked by alex_albon, jennaortega, ynupdates and 56987 others.

yourusername: having fun working while my boyfriend goes to war (racing fast cars). #anora

view all the 21483 comments...

ynupdates: oh...

ynalexchild: ANOTHER PRESS TOUR, booked and busy 💅

alex_albon: I like your necklace 😍

yourusername: im not wearing any necklace....

yourusername: wait...

yourusername: ALEXANDER ALBON!?

alex_albon: 🙈😻

ynalexchild: these two are crazy

carmenmmundt: im gonna steal you from him

yourusername: let's runaway together

williamsracing just posted.

liked by alex_albon, yourusername, francolapinto, georgerussell63 and 234596 others.

williamsracing: what a rough season it was. time to rest a bit, see you soon 💙

view all the 35876 comments...

yourusername: rest well admin💙

williamsracing: thank you queen!!

alex_albon: let's go team💙

williamsracing: see u soon albono

francolapinto: thank you team for all these races, my dream come true. vamos williams carajo! 💙

williamsracing: gracias franco, vamos!💪

alex_albon just posted.

liked by charlesleclerc, yourusername, georgerussell63, francolapinto and 89347 others.

alex_albon: ups and downs, definitely not the season we wanted, but I'm more than proud of this team, every single person on the williams family; thank you. see you soon!

special thanks you to my lovely sunshine @.yourusername, to the moon and back baby💙🌙

view all the 12597 comments...

yourusername: forever and always proud of you💙🌙

❤ liked by alex_albon

francolapinto: thank you for this good time mate 💪

alex_albon: hope to see you very soon mate, I'll be right here 💪❤

albonfan1: proud of my team and my drivers

williamsracing: we 💙 you alex!

❤ liked by alex_albon

yourusername just posted.

liked by alex_albon, ynalexchild, williamsracing and 134597 others.

yourusername: you might know alex and I because of how much we joke around and how we're always happy or bubbling.

this season was tough, lots of ups and downs, more than you saw or think. and every time we came back stronger than ever.

that's why im so proud of you, @.alex_albon you inspire me every single day, to be stronger, confident and a better person. I love you so much.

view all the 29473 comments...

alex_albon: chat should I marry this woman?

yourusername: you're asking the people? get on your knee and ask the question coward!!

alex_albon: don't need to tell me twice 👀

ynalexchild: engagement announcement incoming lfg!!!

ynupdates: ready to update on whatever it's happening 😨

carmenmmundt: can I be the maid of honor?

yourusername: texting you the details as soon as it happens hahaha

ynhq: best actress, best girlfriend and best girl ever

williamsracing: we love youuuuu

yourusername: love you too admin💙

[feedback it's appreciated ❤] - 7/01/25.

[sucodelaranja86]

hey!! can i req hcs of hyun-ju with an s/o that’s a singer?? not even like an actual singer but just someone who loves to sing 😋😋

- hyun-ju with a singer partner hc's: ★

featuring: hyun-ju cho x reader

summary: one of your special talents is singing, and that pleases your girlfriend a lot.

warnings: none

genre: fluff

A/N: this is such an interesting request! I honestly had no idea on what to do first, but i managed. :33

★ . ★ . ★ . ★

➤ First off, i have a feeling that Hyun-ju is not really the type that listens to too much music. Don't get me wrong, it isn't like she doesn't enjoy it, she just doesn't have the time or that much interest.

So i think that her musical taste consists on what's trending or what you listen and show her. Meaning that if she ever hear you singing or humming to a random song, she will not get the reference. Unless you listened or showed her the song before, she will not manage to guess which song you are singing.

She cares a lot about your interests and hobbies, meaning she will want to mingle in what you are into (even if she doesn't get it). So these specific situations are not unexpected and unusual:

"Are you singing that one song you showed me last week that had a butterfly in the album's cover?" she asked excitedly after hearing you hum a melody while helping her wash the dishes.

"Hyun-ju, it's the soundtrack from the movie we watched yesterday."

At least she tries.

But seeing it from another point of view, she really enjoys hearing your voice. As i mentioned before, she doesn't have time to stop and listen to music. So hearing your tuneful voice always soothes her greatly.

Your number one fan. Asks you to sing "that one song you hummed when you two were getting back home on thursday" and gets sad if you don't recognize it.

LIKES WHEN YOU SING FOR HER TO SLEEP‼️ Her days are really stressful due to many factors, so when you sing with what she calls a "perfect lyrical voice", it puts her to sleep in a minute.

Overall: your biggest fan. Don't spend more than a week without singing or she will be feeling like her favorite bad just disbanded.

★ . ★ . ★ . ★

[kurogane2512]

Cabernet Birthday 2025

18+ CONTENT

Game: Path to Nowhere

Characters: Cabernet x fem!reader (Chief)

Type: Fluff and smut (Cabernet being thirsty for you, some food play, little bit of soul sucking)

A/n: Cabernet is wearing the outfit from the Lawson collab (see pic below)

You walked through the lobby of the lavish Franc mansion, feeling amazed by its decorations and splendour. Your destination was none other than the room of the esteemed princess of the Francs, who also happened to be your Sinner. However, today you weren't here to arrest her.

"You look good, Chief~" Cabernet's voice beamed in your ears the moment she stepped out of her room.

"A-Ah, thank you. You look very beautiful too...." you said with a small blush.

Cabernet smiled then walked closer to wrap her arms around your neck, "You look even more delicious than usual.... I wonder if you would let me have a taste today on the occasion of my birthday?~"

She teased while licking her lips, the blush on your face growing darker.

"A-Ahem, we can talk about that later. We should get going for the banquet, everyone must be waiting for you...."

She chuckled then released you and held out something in her hand.

"Here, wear this brooch." she came forward to pin it on your pocket, her warm breath brushing past your cheek and her intoxicating perfume filling your nose.

"Now you look even more suitable for tonight's banquet and..." she came closer to your ear and whispered, "....to be my partner~"

"I-It looks expensive...." you averted your gaze from her out of embarrassment, feeling shy at her remark.

"Hehe~ It is made of the purest jade one can find in DisCity."

She dragged her hand across the lapel of your coat and along your shoulder before standing beside you and hooking her arm with yours.

"Well, shall we go now, my partner?~"

You hesitated to immediately reply then spoke, "Are you sure about this? Having me as your partner....? I think it'll be better if I act as your bodyguard or something...."

Cabernet was slightly surprised by your doubt and let out an amused hum.

"Why do you doubt yourself, Chief? I picked you personally, nobody can dare to doubt my choice~"

"It's not that.... Uh, I'm not really used to being in the limelight...."

Cabernet chuckled and suddenly drew close to you, bending down near your neck.

"Wouldn't it be a good practice then? You are steadily gaining more fame in Eastside, having the favour of the Francs will do you wonders~"

"....Wouldn't people find it strange that you are with the Chief of MBCC? You have no reason to ally with me."

"I don't need superficial reasons to justify my partner. As I said, they won't dare to question my choice. Not to mention, I couldn't care less about the opinions of mere passersby~"

Cabernet seemed set on having you as her partner for tonight, and all your reasons to protest were promptly countered by her. You had no choice but to agree and decided to do your best to not disappoint her. You walked to the banquet hall with your arm locked with hers and were instantly greeted with a flood of camera flashes along with cheers. Cabernet posed naturally; of course, she was used to this, while you appeared stiff and out of place but did your best to compliment her.

You walked down the stairs with her and glanced around at the onlookers. To no surprise, all eyes were on Cabernet. She drew a crowd unlike any other, instantly mesmerizing everyone with just her presence. You still remembered the very first time you met her and the way she was swarmed by her 'fans' all around.

"Welcome, Ms Cabernet! A very happy birthday to you!"

"You look dazzling, Ms Cabernet!"

"This party is amazing, Ms Cabernet!"

Just like that time, a crowd was immediately gathered around her, chanting her praises. You maintained a simple smile throughout and were rather glad nobody paid attention to you. Cabernet calmly replied to everyone's greetings and engaged in formal conversation, it still amazed how naturally she could do such things. You tried to release your arm from her grip in order to give her privacy but she didn't seem keen on letting you go.

"Oh, this bracelet? It's a gift from my partner here tonight~" Cabernet suddenly leaned near your shoulder, and all eyes were on you but you sensed a rather sinister vibe in their gazes.

"And who might your partner be? I don't think I have seen her around before." a man with a judgemental stare spoke while looking at you from head to toe.

"She looks familiar.... where have I seen her before?" another man spoke while pondering, but couldn't remember your identity.

"I'm Y/n, Chief of the Minos Bureau of Crisis Control. A pleasure to meet everyone."

"Minos Bureau.... Ah! That agency that handles Sinners?" the man who was pondering finally pieced it together. Though, saying that you only handled Sinners was quite disrespectful to all the other work you had put in to solve Mania cases.

You nodded at his question and everyone became silent for a while. You could tell what they were thinking. Why was Cabernet with someone like you? How did you get to know the Francs so well? Why would Cabernet choose you as her partner? But none of them spoke anything and went back to conversing with Cabernet, practically ignoring your existence.

As time passed, you had eventually been released from Cabernet's grip and simply followed her closely behind. The crowd around her never reduced, everyone was eager to have a moment with her. You couldn't imagine how exhausting it was, you had become tired enough of the minimal fame you got some time ago and Cabernet was on another level.

Some moments later, you saw her clear her throat and realized she was possibly thirsty from talking so much. You looked around and spotted a waiter carrying drinks then went up to him and grabbed a glass for Cabernet. You tried to make your way through the endless crowd but it was proving difficult.

"Cabern—" you tried to call out to her.

"Oh, are you thirsty, Ms Cabernet? Waiter! Get some drinks here!" a man who was close to Cabernet shouted and everyone made way for a waiter to come up to her and she politely picked up a drink then thanked the man. You slowly retracted yourself from the crowd watching the scene unfold, unknown feelings surging through you. It wasn't really a big deal, you couldn't understand why you had this strange feeling bubbling inside.

Soon after, dinner was announced. Cabernet was obviously the first to be seated, an entire table reserved for her. She sat alone on the edge as dishes were served in front of her and everyone gathered around to watch her display her speciality. The crowd waited in anticipation for her to take the first bite but she suddenly stood up and walked towards them. A way was automatically parted for her until she stopped at what— or who— she was looking for.

"There you are. Come, eat with me~"

Cabernet grabbed your wrist and pulled you towards the table, snatching you from the dense crowd. Everyone stared in shock and whispered envy amongst themselves while Cabernet was unfazed. You took a seat beside her and felt a little awkward feeling the uneasy gazes on you. She placed her hand atop yours as if to reassure you, and it indeed worked as you relaxed a little.

The first dish was served on your plates and you waited for her to take a bite out of courtesy. Cabernet elegantly cut the meat with a fork and knife then picked up a small piece. Anticipation grew as the piece drew closer to her lips and was then swallowed, followed by a pleasant smile from her.

"Delicious, the meat is tender and perfectly seasoned."

Her praise assured everyone, especially the chefs who had sweat dripping down their foreheads. You also started eating after her and enjoyed the meal, it was far more exquisite than anything you'd ever had at the MBCC. While eating, Cabernet suddenly brought her fork near your mouth and offered you a bite. You blushed at her but accepted the gesture, then offered her a bite from your own as well.

"My, I feel it's more delicious when you feed it to me~" she teased.

You smiled back at her and continued eating, relishing the feast. All of a sudden, she placed her hand on your thigh and slowly dragged it up and down before drawing circles with her finger. You tensed up from her action, aware of what this gesture meant. She then leaned near your ear to whisper something, her breath immediately sending shivers down your body.

"Mmm, I wonder when I can have the real treat I have been waiting for~"

She sneakily licked your lobe then pulled away, acting as if nothing happened while you were feeling flustered. You barely ate anything for the rest of the time, still feeling shy of Cabernet's previous action. Once the feast ended, everyone was back to standing around her to converse. You couldn't believe they still had more things to talk about with her, and even the energy to continue such pleasantries. Despite standing beside her, you were slowly pushed out of the way and were once again back to just observing her from afar. Your suggestion to act as her bodyguard would have been fruitful, you thought.

Slow and pleasant opera music played through the hall and you noticed some people started dancing casually, simply holding onto their partners and swaying to the rhythm. You concluded most were drunk by now and indulging themselves, it was quite a good day to hold a banquet as the next day was a weekend and everyone could enjoy to the fullest. More people eventually joined in the dancing, even those who came alone found partners and filled the hall.

You naturally looked at Cabernet and thought to ask her as well, but you knew plenty of people must have already offered her. Still, you decided to try your luck and walked up to her. Just when you could invite her, another man blocked your path and asked her instead. You recognized it was the same man who brought her the drink, you realized he had been glued to her the whole time and kept flattering her. His intentions weren't hard to guess, Cabernet had dealt with enough people like him.

He placed his hand in front of her, thinking she would easily accept. But to his dismay, she didn't even bother saying her refusal and stepped out of his way to hold you instead. You were surprised she saw you standing behind him, perhaps she had seen you come close long ago and was in fact waiting for this. You escorted her to the centre of the hall and took a dancing position, casually draping one hand around her waist while she wrapped around your neck.

"Uh, just to inform you, I don't know how to dance so forgive me if I mess up...." you whispered, earning a chuckle from her.

"Just follow my lead, Chief~"

You started slow and steady, following Cabernet's rhythm and getting used to the movements. As expected, everyone was focused on you both. You could again sense some envious gazes, but you didn't want to be sidetracked anymore. She was in your arms and she chose you herself, you wanted to show you were worthy of her. You were thankful you learned some basic steps from Hamel, and Cabernet was making it easy enough for you to follow along.

"Finally, we are up close.... Ah, how I missed your touch, Chief~" Cabernet sighed and leaned closer to you, her breasts pressing against yours and her silky voice flowing past your ear.

"C-Cabernet, we shouldn't...."

You felt her lean even closer as she almost embraced you, breathing in your scent.

"You followed me step by step like a puppy.... it was adorable but I wished to have you beside me~"

"I-It couldn't be helped.... everyone was eager to talk to you...."

"Always so humble.... Oh, how are you going to survive in the world of the rich and powerful, my sweet Chief?~"

"I'll figure it out as n-needed.... You tell me, did you enjoy?"

"Mmm, this is the best part so far— aside from the food~"

She leaned even closer, "But, I wish to have my sweetest delicacy now~"

Her voice came in a hum, her body pressed closely to you. You didn't dare look around, lest be caught up in wolf-like gazes of envy. As the dance floor filled up, Cabernet found a chance to slip away with you and dragged you to a secluded corner away from the hall. You barely had time to process her actions when she pinned you to a wall and hungrily pressed her lips to yours, instantly devouring you. Her lips moved with fervour, not giving you a chance to breathe.

"Ah... C-Cabernet— Mhm.... we shouldn't....mm.... shouldn't leave the party u-unannounced....mhm~"

You tried to speak between her kisses, but every time she would press harder than before. Her tongue soon found its way past your lips and slipped in to roll with yours, dancing sensually and tasting every part of you. It was hard to breathe now. She had a tight grip around you and pressed you into the wall further, even holding out your arms to the sides. Her fingers traced up your skin and joined with yours, clenching tightly.

"Mmm.... Chief.... more..... give me more....!~"

She moaned into the kiss and pressed herself closer, as close as possible and giving you no space to escape. You were breathless from the passionate kiss by now, unsure of how much longer you could hold on.

"Aaahn~ Chief.... my sweet Chief~" Cabernet finally released the kiss with a moan, gazing at you with hooded eyes as you both breathed in and out. Her hand cupped your face as her thumb traced your lower lip, her tongue swiping past her own lips at the taste of you. You knew she was insatiable now, desperately holding back from taking you right then and there.

"T-The party.... everyone must be looking for you...."

"I don't care about them. I only want you, my Chief~"

She then grabbed your wrist and started dragging you somewhere. You were too aroused to refuse her now, the guests be damned. She brought you to her room; of course, there was no better place than this right now. What you didn't expect were the preparations inside the room. A trolley stood beside the bed, filled with a strange assortment of foods. There were no full dishes and only toppings— mostly sweet ones at that— and some exotic fruits. Cabernet was quick to pull you in and remove your coat before shoving you on the bed and climbing up to straddle you.

"Finally.... I can have you, my Chief~"

She leaned down, her luscious hair cascading over your face. Her lips were on yours before you knew it, once again devouring you. She was even needier now, biting your lip and kissing deeply as she put all of her weight on you. You slowly dragged your hands over her body, caressing and feeling up her curves over her dress. She swiftly unbuttoned your shirt as her lips travelled down to kiss your jaw and neck. She lapped up your neck like a kitten, tasting every bit she could find.

"Say, Chief.... You always try to satisfy me with other delicacies, but you know well what I truly want. Since it's a special occasion today, how about.... letting me have a little taste? Just enough to satiate this fussy tongue of mine~"

Your eyes widened in shock. You knew what she meant. She didn't mean to simply touch you this way, she was talking about having a part of your soul— her deepest desire in the world. She had promised to wait until your soul had cultivated to the best taste, but you knew she was always desperate for it. The rationale part of you would swiftly deny her, but currently you were being controlled by another part of you.

"....Fine, only a little bit."

Cabernet's eyes sparkled, not expecting you to agree but she was absolutely pleased.

"I promise, I just want a tiny part...." she whispered as she leaned down.

"Since you are being so kind, I'll let you choose from where I should take it. Your lips.... your pulse point.... or perhaps the place closest to your heart? I'll be satisfied with any~"

You didn't know what to say. The only difference for you was the sensation of being touched and drained of life.

"I.... Whichever is the most effective for you?"

"Hmm...." she hummed and traced her finger down your lips, "Your lips are a good direct source, and tasty..." Her other hand traced up your wrist, "I took a bite from here when we met.... Mm, the taste still lingers on my tongue~" Her finger now traced down to your chest, "The closest to your heart.... life is most potent around here and easy to suck~"

"....T-Then, take it from my chest...."

Cabernet smirked and made no arguments. She unbuttoned your shirt more and exposed your chest completely, awaiting to mark it. She leaned down and felt your heart beating through then licked up a spot before biting down. You gasped softly from the feeling of her teeth, followed by her sucking on your skin by wrapping her lips around the spot. You suddenly felt drained of energy, of life, even when she only took a small amount as promised.

She pulled away before you knew it, holding a crystal-clear grape in her mouth. The sight was familiar, but the feeling strangely different from last time. She bit the grape gently and rich juice flowed down the corner of her mouth, trickling past her beauty mark and falling upon your lower lip. Normally, you'd have the urge to lick it, but you were currently feeling dizzy due to having your life sucked even if just a little.

You knew this was a dangerous thing, yet the tantalizing sight of Cabernet above you couldn't make you deny it. Cabernet swallowed the grape in her mouth, sighing at the delicious sweet taste. You gazed at her motionless, watching her throat bob as it went down followed by noticing the way her tongue licked up the juice from her mouth. She smirked before bending down near you again, and you simply laid motionless.

You felt her tongue lick up the drop of juice on your lower lip, savouring the sweet taste of you even more. Your delicious taste aroused her, filling her with more lust and hunger for you. She looked down at you with a flushed face, her tongue lolling out and you knew what was in store for you. Thankfully, you had gotten stronger since your previous encounter and were able to recover quickly from her soul sucking.

"Aaah, Chief.... haah.... You are so cruel for making me wait, you are even more delicious than before. Oh, how I wish to devour you right away.... but I want to savour you as long as possible. I know your soul can become more delicious.... I will wait.... till then, please satisfy me in other ways as you always have~"

The night continued. You both were completely naked now and Cabernet still straddled you. You soon found out the use of the sweets tray beside her.... how could you not understand it sooner. Cabernet held up a full bunch of big and juicy grapes over your lips, she pushed them down and you bit off one grape then held it in your mouth halfway. She smirked and leaned down to bite the other half, her lips merely brushing yours as she took the piece. The lingering taste of her lips was somehow evident as you ate your end of the grape.

She then picked up the bottle of honey. You subconsciously licked your lips in anticipation at the sight. Cabernet only smirked more and started pouring the honey over your body, oozing some on your lips then down your neck. You licked some of the honey on your lips and saved the rest for her, but she started licking from your neck first. Her tongue hungrily dragged up and down, not wasting a single drop of the honey with your taste. It was addicting to her; she could feel herself getting more intoxicated by you.

She licked clean all the honey from your neck and was impatiently licking up your lips now before parting them to kiss you, your honeyed tongue rolled with hers and exchanged moans, hot breaths, and each other's tastes. Cabernet loved savouring you this way, just the feeling of your sweet taste through your lips could satisfy her. But tonight, she wanted to be greedy, for she knew you wouldn't let her go this far otherwise. It was the best birthday gift for her.

She pulled away to gaze at your messy state, a trail of your saliva sticking to her lips before she licked it away. You laid absolutely bare for her, giving yourself to her to do anything. She planted kisses all over your face, giggling to herself watching you be smothered by her lipstick. She continued by picking up the chocolate spread next and dipped in her finger to dollop a mouthful.

She extended her finger near your lips and you tried to lick it, but she playfully kept pulling away just as you'd get up. She loved watching you struggle so adorably, but she was kind enough to relieve you. She leaned down as she finally let you lick the spread, and at the same time licked it herself. Your tongues touched each other's as you fought to lick up most of the spread before sloppily kissing.

"Hehe.... Oh, Chief.... you are always so fun to play with. But, I can see you are getting impatient for the main course~"

She didn't even have to look to tell you were practically dripping from your core.

"Aren't you the same?~" you quipped with a smirk, making her chuckle in return.

"How could I not be when you are in such a state? You have given me the best birthday gift I could ask for~"

She shifted back on your body while kissing down, dragging her tongue and lips from your chest to your abdomen and was now between your legs, gazing at your throbbing core. The sight was insatiable, how badly she wanted to just eat you out right away. She picked up the whipped cream this time and sprayed some over your clit, the cold sensation made you gasp and buck your hips and she chuckled at your amusing reaction.

"Time to feast~" she moaned and immediately placed her mouth on your clit, licking it with the whipped cream. You thought she'd be fast but she was licking you unbearably slow, so much so that you could barely even feel her touch your skin and only lick up the cream. Of course, she was doing this intentionally. You felt her tongue drag up from your vulva, licking up the cream along the way then sucking your clit. Your body arched up as she finally touched you more, intensely sucking on your bundle of nerves.

"Aaah.... C-Cabernet...."

She lapped up your folds faster now, dragging the remaining cream with your essence and inserting her tongue inside you. Your head shot back from the surprising sensation, eyes dropping down to watch her diligently eat you out as if you were her last meal.

"Mmm.... so delicious, Chief.... Oh, I'll never get tired of your taste~"

Cabernet moaned, her hot breath making you shiver. She raised up your thighs and dove deeper, probing her tongue at your most sensitive spots.

"C-Cabernet.... I'm close.... ngh— f-fuck!~"

She attached her mouth to you completely, thumbing at your clit one last time to make you release. The orgasm was electrifying, she drank up every single drop of you, licking it from everywhere and relishing the taste. Drool dripped down her chin as she kept lapping you up, the cream messily spreading over her lips but she was focused on having everything you had to offer. Once finished, she sat up to gaze at your panting state and licked her own lips clean, eating any residual she could find. The feeling was outright euphoric to her, she felt up her neck as it went down her throat and moaned in ecstasy.

“Aaah.... this is it. My favourite..... my favourite dish from Chief~”

You breathed in and out as you came down from your orgasm then sat up to hold her, straddled your lap by wrapping her arms around your neck and coming forward to embrace you. Her fingers gently laced through your hair in soothing motions as you buried your face in the crook of her neck, just breathing in her scent and feeling her up close. Cabernet giggled when she suddenly felt you lick her neck, the tickling sensation making her chuckle.

“Thirsty, aren’t you, Chief?~”

“So much.... thirsty for you....” you whispered against her skin.

Cabernet bit her lower lip then extended her hand towards the trolley to grab a glass filled with wine.

“Let’s quench your thirst then~”

You watched as she tilted the glass above her chest, letting the wine slowly trickle down her body. You impatiently licked up as it dripped, dragging your tongue across the valley of her breasts down to her abs and naval. You didn’t let a single trickle go to waste and intently licked up as it kept pouring, eventually finishing the entire glass this way. Cabernet gazed at you with lust, staring at your wine-stained lips and couldn’t help diving forward to kiss you passionately. Messily rolling her tongue with yours, she exchanged the wine from you and moaned into your mouth. You suddenly pushed her back to lay her on the bed, her legs still locked around your waist. She arched her body with a smirk as you kissed down her belly then were right in front of her clit.

“You are wetter than me, Cabernet. Shouldn’t you care for your own relief first?~”

“Hehe.... I know you won’t leave me unsatisfied, I can wait as long as it takes~”

You smiled to yourself then pulled her legs up to rest them on your shoulders before leaning in to attach your mouth to her folds. She gasped when she felt your tongue slide up and down her vulva, subconsciously biting her lip to conceal her voice. But you were intent on making her scream, you wanted to see her come undone too. You parted her folds and dived your tongue inside to probe at her warm, spongy walls while thumbing her clit. A startled moan came from her, and her body arched up further. She was merely hanging from your grip as you raised her lower body completely, pushing your tongue even deeper inside her.

“Aaah.... Chief.... yes... r-right there- ngh! Aaahn.... more.... give me more....!~”

She clenched the bed sheets when you sucked on her walls, her body turning to the side as pleasure increased. You watched as she writhed, moving around uncontrollably. As if to satisfy her wishes, you turned her from your side as well and completely flipped her over. Her stomach arched off the bed, face flushed in the sheets and her teeth biting down on the fabric as you ate her out deeper and faster.

“Nghhh.... C-Chief.... yes.... aaaah..... oh dear! I’m cumming.... yes Chief.... more!~”

Bringing the princess of the Francs to this state was no less than an accomplishment, but for you it was simply a way to satisfy her and make her happy. You loved the way her voice cried out moans of pleasure, the way she writhed in your hold and rutted against your mouth seeking more friction. The final straw for her was when you touched her clit again, rubbing it in circular motions while pressing your tongue at her most sensitive spots. Her eyes rolled to the back as an intense orgasm hit her, releasing as if a dam was broken. She cried out the loudest ever tonight, essentially squealing as you sucked out her delicious essence.

You lapped up all of her release diligently, cleaning up from every spot. You finally dropped her legs down, gently turning her over again and placing them on your thighs while she panted and took deep breaths. Her hair was scattered in a mess with drool dripping down her lips, yet she still looked as beautiful as always, akin to a Goddess. She soon raised up and gazed at you with the same lust filled eyes, still not having had enough. If anything, she seemed even more drunk in lust now. She practically pounced on you and pushed you down again while hungrily claiming your lips, her hips rutting across your abs.

“I haven’t had enough yet, Chief. Aaaah.... you drive me crazy.... I need you more. You’ll stay with me tonight, won’t you? I have yet to devour you whole~”

[tuttle-did-it]

If you see the tags, I've seen Father Brown and it's... fine. It's fine. I don't think it's a very good show. And whilst I have nothing against Mark Williams or anyone else in the rest of the cast, no one on that show makes me want to watch any more. I don't care about any of the characters or the world they live in. Father Dowling was a more entertaining show in comparison for me. And generally speaking, cosy mystery shows are not the best tv in the world. It's an engaging lead that you need to pull it off. The rest is window-dressing. If the lead is delightful to watch, and the show even half-way written and directed, you'll have a fun murder mystery show. I have yet to find that here in UK. And forgive me, I just don't think Mark Williams is engaging and fun to watch. So it makes the whole show not enjoyable for me.

I don' felt the same way about Sister Boniface. It's fine. I just done care of I ever e another episode. I stopped enjoying Death In Paradise when Ben Miller left, honestly. I have seen eps every time they do a cast change to see if i enjoy it again. I do not. And the cast is far too young on DiP for what I'm looking for. I want an older detective who potters around the way Fletcher, older Perry or Ben Matlock did. With older guest stars. DiP had a few great older guest stars-- Peter Davison comes to mind as one. But I don't enjoy DiP as a show because I don't enjoy the main characters. I did when Ben was there. He it's not there, now. I try every time they soft-boot with new characters. I haven't found any others I like.

Harry Wild is probably the closest show in UK/IRE that I've seen that fits the bill. Jane Seymour is older, she is engaging, she is fun to watch. I wish her surrounding cast were a bit older as well, but she's fine. It's the closest I've found, here.

Also, as much as I love a lot of UK/IRE tv, my favourite character actors have, by and large, been American. Maybe it's because I primarily watched movies from 20s-50s-- especially in my formative years-- and US-based tv from 1950-1980. So the majority of my favourite character actors were getting older and appearing in these 80s/90s US cosy mystery movies/shows because they had worked with the main lead of the cosy mystery show (who was older).

Hell-- Dame Diana Rigg had her own cosy mystery show for a couple of years. It was fun. It was UK-based. So it can happen. I just haven't seen it happen in many years.

Also, I know ACD and Agatha Christie established the cosy mystery style, but the cast majority of tv shows I have enjoyed of this genre are American. Although I have a LOT to criticise America for (trust me, neither of is have the time or energy for how much I can criticise America for) they took the cosy mystery genre and perfected it-- those of the 80s/90s in particular were a lot of fun. There are a lot majority of UK-based things I prefer far more over US imports. But I have yet to see a UK-based murder mystery show that is as fun to watch as Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, Perry Mason and Columbo. All of our (UK/IRE) best actors had moved to the US in the 70s/ish, anyway. So I still got to see Patty McGoohan on cosy mysteries-- but it was Columbo. Patty Macnee was guest starring on Murder she Wrote several times. He wasn't working here in the UK. By and large, I think the US has done better with this genre -- especially when it comes to dotty older people-- than Britain. Which is hilarious to me on many levels.

(No, I am not talking about all the dozens of MSW/Columbo rip offs such as the Hallmark murder mysteries like Murder, She Baked. Are they cosy murder mysteries with aging guest stars? Sure. Are they remotely watchable? No. Not At all. Unless you are very drunk and making fun of the show instead of watching it to enjoy it.)

I have seen Father Brown. It's not enjoyable to me compared to Father Dowling-- and certainly not in comparison to the giant shoes left by Columbo, Ben Matlock and Jessica Fletcher to fill.

I know Matlock is being rebooted with Kathy Bates. I love Bates. She is delightful. But I'm tired of reboots. Give her any other fucking name. Kathy Bates deserves her own show without being forced to compete with Andy Griffith's shadow.

Same goes for Jamie Lee Curtis. She is rumoured to be doing a reboot if MSW. JLC deserves her own cosy murder show. Forcing her to compete with one of the biggest legends of all time in cosy mystery genre is entirely unfair to JLC and to Angela Lansbury.

Anyway. What I'm asking for is a cosy mystery with an engaging older lead that I want to watch every week. More Cannes Anne wheelchair's and false teeth. Ideally, with a decent writing team. DiP is no longer that for me. Father Brown has never been that for me. Am I glad it fits the bill for other people? Sure. Does it fit what I need? No. Harry Wild is the closest and even that has not entirely satisfied my itch.

You know, it's genuinely sad to me that aging favourite character actors no longer have any fun murder-mystery tv shows to guest-star as murders on.

[keepmycandleburning]

It's always frustrating to me when I see people's misunderstandings about the degree to which a writer's words and writing choices are intentional. There are many types of writing and some people may be writing for fun or whatever, but in a story that is complex and carefully put together, the writer's choices are not coincidences or things that just so happen to be that way, they are carefully and precisely made choices that are designed that way to communicate something to the reader.

Surprisingly often I will see people write these complex and meaningful HP analyses, and then end their post with 'but I'm sure Rowling didn't mean any of that, or even think about it, she just wrote it this way because she's stupid.' All of that was somehow magically in the text for you to find and analyze, and she didn't even mean to write it? EVERY word of these books was typed by a human hand and reread with human eyes.

Think of how for example people will say foolish things like 'Did JKR just forget that Bellatrix was married?' Bellatrix being married is a HUGE part of who she is, who Voldemort is, how the DEs function, how the traditional pureblood families and marriages and culture function... You're missing SO MUCH of the meaning in the text by denying the writer's intentionality.

Same with things like mistaking her world-building for being statements of her real-world beliefs. 'Here's an in-depth analysis of what the text implies about gender and sexism in pureblood culture... but JKR probably just wrote all this because she's sexist, and I magically put meaning into it that makes perfect sense' ??? The idea that a writer will only write sexism into their fictional world because they're communicating that they think sexism is good is insanity. Characters don't do things solely because their writer thinks that is proper behavior. Characters' behaviors or words, or elements of the fictional world the story exists in, are not straight-forward statements of what the writer thinks is good or ideal, and in fact are often the opposite. If you can't analyze things with such complexity, that's a problem with your reading comprehension, not with the text.

Or, when people will treat the text too much like it's a real life event that happened, rather than something that was carefully put together by hand to mean something. I love analyzing characters and the HP world like they're real, but when you find yourself denying meaning by using logic like 'well it probably just happened that way for no deeper reason' you're just misunderstanding what fiction is.

For example attempting to disprove the numerous hints at the Bellatrix/Voldemort relationship by saying things like 'but other people call her Bella so it could have meant anything' or 'there are other types of pleasure than sexual so it could have meant anything.' But why would Rowling choose that word? And put it right next to Bellatrix longing for his physical closeness? And why would she set up this exchange at all? Why 'lover'? Why 'lover' placed so directly with physical closeness and care? Why 'lover' and 'pleasure' and 'longing' and 'closeness' in the same book? Why have Harry point out that she's acting in an intimate way that invokes being lovers? Why do other characters later use 'Bella,' if not to communicate that it's used by people she considers/ed family?

When everything that 'could mean anything' all lead to the same answer, why is that? Why are you assuming Rowling's implications are for some reason unintentional? Unintentional over and over and over again? If many readers are catching it, why are you assuming she's not smart enough to catch it herself? The only person not catching it here is you. Word choices or words with clear connotations are not random or accidents or coincidences, particularly when several of them occur in quick succession or when it's associated repeatedly with the same two characters. Nor are characterizations or patterns in the text. If you read that way, that's a misunderstanding on your end (not with the author, not with other readers) so don't complain when you can't understand the text. 'I'm going to act like the person who wrote this is stupid, and therefore ignore everything that the text is saying, and then say the text sucks' is YOU being an idiot. Notice how other people don't have this issue when they analyze actual meaning and intentionality in the text