#backyard makeover before and after

[digitalmarketinglafayettela]

How Spray Foam Changed Everything for the LeBlancs in Abbeville, LA

🏡 From Scorching Metal Box to Year-Round Family Hangout — How Spray Foam Changed Everything for the LeBlancs in Abbeville, LA

You ever walk into a metal building in the middle of a Louisiana summer?

It’s like stepping into an oven.

That was every single day for the LeBlanc family and their outdoor metal shop in Abbeville, LA. The space was supposed to be a cozy hangout spot and storage area. Instead, it turned into a sweatbox in the summer and a freezer in the winter.

And that was a problem. Because this wasn’t just some shed in the backyard—it was where the family gathered, cooked, laughed, stored valuable tools and memories.

But for years, they avoided it.

“It Was Too Hot to Breathe in There.”

The LeBlancs had fans, portable A/Cs, you name it. Nothing helped.

Family cookouts? Canceled.

Storage? Risky. Rust was starting to show up. Moisture was everywhere.

Then they heard about the Heberts—a family down the road who had just insulated their metal shop using spray foam from Acadiana Custom Coatings.

“You have to call Quinton. Game changer.”

That was all the convincing they needed.

👷 Enter: Quinton Romero and the Spray Foam Fix

The LeBlancs made the call. And from the moment Quinton picked up the phone, they felt like they were in good hands.

He didn’t just offer a one-size-fits-all quote. He came out, inspected the shop, and gave them a real plan. One that would seal the space from extreme heat, cold, and moisture using closed-cell spray foam insulation—the good stuff that doesn’t just insulate, but protects and strengthens, too.

The Acadiana Custom Coatings crew:

✅ Prepped the space ✅ Applied an even coat of spray foam to the walls and ceiling ✅ Sealed every crack, gap, and thermal bridge ✅ Finished the job fast—with zero mess

The Result? 🤯 Total Transformation.

Gone are the days of avoiding the metal shop. Now, the LeBlanc family can:

Chill in the shop any day of the year

Store items without worrying about heat or moisture

Actually enjoy family time again

“I still walk in expecting it to feel like an oven,” Mr. LeBlanc said. “But every time, I’m amazed—it’s cool, comfortable, and just feels right.”

And yep—there was a bonus.

Thanks to the spray foam upgrade, the LeBlancs were able to claim a federal tax credit for energy-efficient improvements. That’s money back in their pocket 💸

🌟 Real Comfort. Real Protection. Real People.

Acadiana Custom Coatings isn’t just another contractor. They’re local, they’re professional, and they actually care about making your space work for you.

If your garage, barn, or shop is too hot, too cold, or just not working like it should—you don’t have to live with it.

📲 Want Your Own Spray Foam Success Story?

Call Quinton at 337-224-9982 Or check out more real projects at 👉 acadianacustomcoatings.com

Let’s make your building comfortable, energy-efficient, and ready for whatever Louisiana throws at it.

Acadiana Custom Coatings 📍 Serving Abbeville, Lafayette, New Iberia & beyond 💪 Spray Foam Insulation | Roof Coatings | Residential & Commercial ✨ Built for South Louisiana heat. Backed by results.

https://g.co/kgs/prTMF8B

[gabstriessomethingnew]

I see you all with your immortal Leon’s, old grumpy grandpa Leon or well adjusted Leon. I see the vision and I appreciate you. But I am here to raise you Girl Dad Leon.

Merlin takes in magical wards throughout the years and when the gang (all of the round table not just Arthur pls give it to me) comes back, it just happens to be right after Merlin had taken in 3 little girls.

And Leon, Leon goes full girl dad. Yes he supports all their interests (Adeline is very into bugs, Lena loves comics, and Heather adores space and dinosaurs) but his favorite are the over top girly stuff. We’re talking wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe, glitter somehow always in his beard, tea cups on standby in pockets just in case of impromptu tea parties.

The gang is utterly puzzled by this turn of the first knight.

Arthur standing in the kitchen staring, just staring at this man: soooooo. You’re happy like this?

Leon who just received a full ‘makeover’ purple eyeshadow and pink lipstick smeared across his face, cheeks red with blush, taking a sip of coffee since all this happened before breakfast, knowing he will not be washing a spec of it off until dinner: Yep!

Gwen walking into a dress up party remembering just how much complaining Leon did when she forced him to wear a dress for all of two hours to get him out of Morganas custody: erm?

Leon holding out a wand with a star at the tip and sparkly strands flowing down the sides, wearing a huge tutu: wanna play fairies?

Gwaine walking into the living room only to find all three girls screaming and dancing to who runs the world (girls): ***eyebrow raise***

Leon singing into a ladle: who runs this mother trucker!

(He joins them after a minute of just processing the fact that the first knight used to yell at him for so much as humming during training)

Lancelot just trying to make it to the backyard to practice with his sword cause he’s feeling a bit rusty being handed a Barbie instead: ????

Leon forcing him into their little circle: gives full detailed back story the girls had created about the evil king torturing the poor girls

Lancelot: alright then. ***start playing with them***

Merlin sees nothing wrong with this. The only confusion coming from the others being confused.

I need it!!!

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

Chapter 23: Extreme Makeover Backyard Edition

Pairing: Soldier Boy x f!reader, Reader POV, Soldier Boy POV

Summary: When the reader left Payback 40 years ago after a falling out with her childhood best friend she never looked back, but when two men show up to her apartment and start asking her questions about the past, the reader begins to think those things can’t stay hidden and starts to question what’s real and what’s fantasy.  This is a re-telling of The Boys Season 3, where the reader is a supe who's known Soldier Boy since 1927. The chapters will fluctuate between past and present. This is chapter twenty three of my "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love" series. (I'm so bad at summaries please forgive me!)

Word Count: 9.1K

Warnings: I'm going to label this one 18+ because it handles some heavy subjects!  Angst, Cursing, Nudity, Mentions of Abuse (sort of- it's more the reader being used without knowledge of it and I'm not sure what to call that), Numbness, Depression, Mental Health, Brief mentions of graphic death, Brief mentions of graphic torture, Mention of gore, Mention of death, Mentions of character going through some HEAVY EMOTIONS and INTERNAL TRAUMA, Fluff, Sexual References, Family Problems. Soldier Boy might be, is, really, absolutely, completely a little OOC. Soldier Boy is really all you need as a warning.

Note: This is told from the Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is minimal use of y/n. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. Reader is described as "curvy" occasionally. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!

Internal Monologue is in first person and is in italics

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Reader POV

You fall on your hands and knees in the soft grass of Legend's front yard, falling from the sky like a comet as it's glow fades and burns for the last time before striking the earth. You don't remember how you left Stan's apartment, don't remember flying here, don't feel anything, not the humidity that comes with the rising sun, not the cold kiss of dew against your skin, all you feel is the cold creeping numbness that trickles through your veins.

The memories of what you did come in flashes, but they do nothing. They do not evoke remorse nor pain, they haunt you, but do not bring tears to your eyes.

You open and close your hands, letting the blades of grass crush beneath your fingertips, but you don’t completely comprehend where you are, or how the hell you got here. All you feel is weakness tugging at your every muscle, threatening to drag you under the rising tide. You felt electrified, but so tied at the same time, everything and nothing. What happened seemed centuries ago and also seconds ago.

There was no anger, no remorse, no pain, no horror, no shock, there was nothing, only the chill that clung to your skin on the warm summer morning. You could see Stan’s death in your mind, watch his body collapse in on itself under your power and yet it did nothing to you.

You're not sure of anything anymore. Who you are, who Rosemary is- everything you knew is gone and you're not sure what's left behind, not sure what will come crawling out of the shell you were now. You knew you should be afraid, but another voice in your ear whispered so should they.

Someone grabs you by the shoulders, hauls you up off the ground, raising your gaze from the wet grass.

Ben looks furious, mind you, he always seemed to be angry when it came to you. You wondered if that was because he loved you or if it was because the two of you were fated to kill each other one day.

Or maybe it's a healthy combination of both.

He's wearing his jeans again, his dark hair falling forward into his eyes that burn with the force of his rage, but as soon as he sees the dried blood coating your cheeks, hair, and body, you watch worry begin to spark behind his glowing green eyes.

You register that deep down his anger and worry comes from a place that he'd hidden from you for eighty years, his love for you, the love that he was no longer hiding. But the chill still rose in your chest like the first frost of winter.

"Fuck." Ben mutters, moving his hands along your body, boldly looking for injuries, but he doesn't find any. "What the fuck happened? Why did you leave?"

You don't answer him, instead you take in a shallow breath, filled with the smell of fresh cut grass and Ben's musk. You're trying to find your voice, but it's difficult for you.

"Y/n are you alright?" He asks it, firmly gripping you by the shoulders, trying to shake you back into reality. You can hear the way the anger in his voice has shifted to something else.

"It's not mine Ben." Your voice is no more than a whisper as you stare blankly at him.

"Whose is it?"

You can't answer him, the only thing in your mind is Stan's words to you, the secrets he kept for forty years coming to light, the terrible things that he and Vogelbaum did. You want to tell him, tell him about what you know, but you can't find the words, can't find the thoughts to follow them.

"Sweetheart?" Ben furrows his eyebrows together, tilting your face to look at him. His hand softly strokes against your cheeks not understanding why you’re acting like this. “Are you alright?” 

His voices sound like you’re underwater, a murmur, a buzz, just a shadow of the deep rumble you love so much, the voice you thought you'd never hear every again.

Ben says your name again, with such urgency that it snaps you out of it for only a moment. The smoke clears, but what’s left barely has the strength to cling to him as you collapse into his chest. Your body shakes uncontrollably, tears soaking through his thin t-shirt, unable to do anything else, but clutch him tighter against you.

"He's our son Ben. They stole my-" You can't find the words, can't find your voice, it sounds hollow. "Stan he and Vogel-." But your voice breaks again and you shudder against Ben's chest, the numbness coming back to drag you under.

Ben doesn't hesitate, he picks you up as if you weigh nothing, tucking your head under his chin as he goes and turns back towards the house. You barely register his picking you up, can’t seem to focus on anything, breath coming in shallow gasps, body still shaking. Ben tightens his arms around you as if trying to comfort you as he walks through the front doors.

“Is she alright?” Rosemary’s voice is close, but you don't raise your head from Ben's body.

“Fuck, there’s so much blood.“ Hughie adds and you can imagine him standing beside her, his eyes wide.

Guess that means he survived Mindstorm.

Your only hope was that Lou was already in bed, that she wasn't watching Ben carry you soaked in blood through Legend's house.

“It’s not hers.” Ben replies gruffly, still moving towards the staircase. He wasn't stopping and you were thankful for that, you didn’t want to talk to anyone and didn’t want to have it out with Rosemary. You were so tired, tired of fighting and of trying. You didn’t want to yell at her, didn’t want her to yell at you, all you wanted was to slip deeper into the darkness.

"Shit, she's just as fucking unhinged as Soldier Boy is." Butcher mutters under his breath wherever it is he's standing.

“Wait mom talk to me-“ Rosemary tries again.

“No.” You murmur into Ben’s neck. Stan’s revelation rings in your ears once more, betrayal momentarily clawing its way from the pit before the cold feeling comes back to drag you under.

Because it felt like she had betrayed you. All these years you thought that Vought left the two of you alone, but no, it was a lie. And if she'd done that, what else had she done to ensure your freedom?

“Please-“ She sounds broken, and it strikes something inside, because she's never sounded like that before. Rosemary was strong, stronger than you ever were.

But then the word makes the memory of Stan’s body snapping and twisting beneath your control come roaring back, his pleas for the mercy he didn’t deserve exhaled on his dying breath, as you turned him into nothing more than a lump of flesh.

You gasp, another shudder shaking through your body and you don’t answer and don't raise your head.

"Wait Ben-" She says his name, but Ben doesn't stop.

"She doesn't want to talk right now." Ben's tone is controlled, but you can hear the trickle of his rage just on the edge of his inflection. "And I'm not going to make her." He continues walking down the stairs and Rosemary does not follow.

Ben doesn’t put you down on the bed, instead he takes you to the adjoining bathroom. It’s bigger than your bedroom back at your apartment with a walk in shower big enough for five people to stand in, a giant vanity with two sinks, a jacuzzi, and a bathtub big enough for three. Legend never spared any expense when it came to that sort of thing.

Ben slowly places you on the vanity but when he pulls back you grab the front of his shirt. “No.” You breathe suddenly terrified. The terror of Ben leaving cuts through it all, followed by a wave of horror and fear.

If he leaves they’ll come for me again. They’ll come take me or Lou.

You were afraid to be alone, didn’t want him to go, not after everything that happened.

“Shhh.” Ben soothes you, brushing your hair back, “It’s alright sweetheart I’m just getting a washcloth.”

You relent, hand unfurling from his shirt, and he comes back with it, wetting it with warm water before he begins to drag it over your face as gently as possible. His eyebrows are furrowed with concentration, but you don’t move, you only stare at a point over his left shoulder not really comprehending what’s happening.

What happened to Stan comes back in flashes, black and white photographs followed by the bits of conversation that unmade you, the revelations that would haunt you for the rest of your life.

Ben sighs. “Well. I don’t think this is helping at all.” He throws the washcloth into the sink and gently cups your chin, turning your gaze on him.

You blink a few times to focus your eyes.

“Look sweetheart I know you don’t want me to leave, but you gotta get in the shower. I can’t get it all with this washcloth and the last thing I want is to put you in bed covered in blood.” He searches your gaze trying to make you understand what he was asking but you don’t respond.

He leans his forehead against yours. “Honey please you gotta say something. You’re scaring me.” Ben’s eyes meet yours, wide and for the first time in years you see genuine fear.

You let out a shallow breath, but don’t say anything. You can’t find your voice. Instead you gently touch his chest just over his heart. It’s a small gesture, but it’s enough for Ben.

Ben closes his eyes for a minute as if trying to make sense of it all. “Okay.” He breathes, opening his eyes again to look at you, care and concern charging the air between the two of you. “Can I take off your clothes?”

You nod once, eyes still focused on the white tiled wall behind him.

“Okay.” Ben gently pushes the leather jacket back from your body. It falls back on the counter in a bloody heap, staining the white countertops with flecks of dried reddish-black blood. “I need you to stand up for me sweetheart.” Ben says, holding you firmly by the waist and pulling you off the counter.

You stand there for a moment, unsteady on your feet, staring blankly ahead of you.

“Arms up.” Ben whispers.

You raise them above you head and Ben removes your shirt and bra before moving to your pants. “Hold on to me.” He places your arms around his shoulders as you step out of your shoes, pants, and panties.

If you’d been in your right mind maybe you would have worried about this moment, worried about Ben seeing you naked again after all these years. He’d only ever seen you the one time, but somewhere deep down registered that this was different. It wasn’t sexual. There weren't any expectations and there was nothing to be embarrassed about. This was Ben keeping his promise and taking care of you the way that he always had.

He steps over to the bathtub, running his hand under the stream of water to check the temperature.

"Come on.” Ben gently leads you over, your small hand in his and helps you step over the side of the tub and into the warm water.

Steam rises around your body, but the water feels lukewarm. Your gaze levels at the water that streams from the spout on the edge of the tub, not looking up at Ben as he switches the water to the handheld shower head.

"Tilt your head back for me honey." Ben murmurs, touching your chin with your free hand to tilt it back. "Eyes closed."

You do as he says and feel the water trickle through your hair and down your back, followed by the gentle scrub of Ben beginning to work shampoo through the strands. He works quietly, catching the suds that threaten to fall into your eyes. Your hands are folded in your lap, eyes still closed, feeling the steady way he cleans your hair and then your face.

As you sit there the memory of everything that happened with Stan begins to trickle in, causing an uncontrollable shudder to shake through your body. Ben's ministrations were doing little to make the cold feeling dissipate, if anything you could feel it sinking into your bones.

"It's alright sweetheart, I'm almost done." Ben says, and you feel his thumb stroke against your cheek for a moment before he continues to wash your hair.

"Sit here for a second. I'm going to go get you some clean clothes."

You open your eyes and watch him go. The water in the tub is red now, the last remnants of Stan's blood scrubbed clean from your body.

The fire would destroy any evidence that you'd been there and washing the clothes that you killed him in should take care of any other problems.

When you're dried off and in your own clothes, you stand in the bathroom and catch a glance of yourself in the mirror. You look hollow, broken, eyes miles away, skin a little paler than normal. You don't look like yourself, but you also don't feel like yourself.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Ben says and you feel him pick you up again, carrying you to the bed as if you weigh nothing.

You mechanically go through the motions of getting under the covers, pulling them up almost over your head as you curl in on yourself, making yourself as small as possible. You shut your eyes to try and make the images of what happened go away, but you can't fight the ebbing darkness that comes to welcome you home. It's familiar. The same one that you fell into when Ben broke your heart and you thought he died. The pit was opening beneath your feet once again, and you wondered if you'd be able to pull yourself out this time.

Ben changes into a pair of faded sweatpants, before he crawls into the bed behind you under the covers, putting his arm up over your waist to pull you into him. You turn in his arms so that you're chest to chest and can bury your face into his shirt, inhaling the familiar scent, trying to rid yourself of the images and of the things you learned a few hours ago.

"It's alright Sweetheart, I'm right here." You can feel the rumble of Ben's voice in the palms of your hands where they curl against his soft shirt. The weight of his arm over your waist is familiar as is the heat of his body, the warmth you expected to wipe away the cold feeling that crept along your spine drowning everything else out of your head.

It's quiet for a few moments. Ben's hand is gently trailing up and down your spine, but sleep is miles away for you.

"I'm trying real hard not to be mad at you Sweetheart, especially when you're like this but-" Ben sighs, rubbing his hand up and down your back. "You lied to me. What were you thinking going off alone and-" His tone has shifted into more of a growl, the one he gets when he's about to yell at you.

If he had yelled at you, you wouldn't have reacted, you were just so tired of everything, couldn't focus on anything.

Ben's body tenses. It was as If he was physically trying to hold himself back from being upset, but you couldn't answer him. It had seemed like a good idea when you went, seemed right, but now you weren't sure.

What you had learned changed you, and you weren't sure if you'd ever be able to go back to the way you were.

He's quiet for a minute, before finally he presses a kiss to your forehead, and you bury yourself further into his chest. "I love you." He murmurs. "I promise I'm not going to go anywhere."

But you barely hear him, the only thing you hear is the low buzz of fluorescent lights and Vogelbaum's voice telling his staff to keep you quiet.

Soldier Boy POV

He didn’t know what to do. In all the years he’d known you, Ben had never seen you like this. He’d seen you upset, angry, sad, but never this.

It had been three days since you came back covered in blood, three days of you laying in bed refusing to speak, curled up into his chest.

Ben had tried to get you to eat something, but when you wouldn’t do it by yourself he had to spoon feed it to you, as if you couldn’t remember how to eat.

It scared him.

Ben hadn’t ever felt fear like this before in his entire life, but now, seeing you so distant and cold, he was terrified. He worried that you’d never come back.

Mindstorm had told him the truth about Homelander and as angry as Ben was about that, he couldn’t understand how Homelander was also your son. He’d never heard you say anything about them taking something from you for genetic testing, never spoken about willingly giving up your genetic material.

So then how the fuck did they get it?

There was something sinister that danced on the edge of his mind, something that seemed too horrible to consider, something that meant that Ben had failed to protect you, had failed to keep the promise he made eighty years ago.

But deep down Ben wondered if it was true, because as much as he knew you hated killing people, this seemed different than you usual reaction.

He held you closer to him, curving his body around your back as you slept soundlessly. You were holding on to his hand while you did, fingers entwined with his, holding it against your chest while you found some peace.

Ben was honestly waiting for another nightmare. Each time you’d fallen asleep over the past three days you’d woken up gasping for air, shaking uncontrollably, with tears rolling down your cheeks. Ben did what he could, brought you into his lap and held you tight, reassuring you that it was okay, that it was only a dream.

He was trying not to be angry, but he was. He was furious when he got back to Legend’s two days ago and discovered that you were gone, that you’d left to go off and do God knows what with Homelander flying around. Rosemary refused to tell him where you were only told him that you left but that you’d be back. Ben hated that you made him wait around like a fucking woman waiting for her husband to come home.

He had intended on yelling at you, at making sure you knew how pissed off he was that you did the one thing he told you not to do, but then he saw you land in Legend’s front yard looking like you had taken a shower in someone’s blood and he couldn’t. Not when he feared that the blood was yours and not when he saw how broken you were.

Ben had loved you for a long time, understood you, saw how strong you were, saw that you always spoke your mind no matter what, and to see you like this was… petrifying. He didn’t know what had happened, didn’t understand how something you learned could effect you this much.

He too was still reeling from the revelation that Homelander was his son, felt an even greater sense of betrayal because Vought should have let him give the team to his son, pass it off like a king giving up his throne. And after the night that he had spent with you all those years ago, Ben was ready to give it up, to walk away and give you the life that you always wanted away from the spotlight.

Ben figured that Stan had told you Homelander was your son, and maybe that’s what this was. Ben had been dreading the conversation with you when he got back to Legends, the conversation in which he was going to have to tell you that Homelander was your son too. He didn’t want to hurt you all over again with news like that.

I guess I don’t have to.

Ben thinks to himself listening to the soft beat of your heart, pushing his face further into your hair where it hangs over your shoulders. But he's not sure that this is better.

When he wakes the bed is empty.

“Sweetheart?” Ben says looking around the bedroom. He strains his hearing to see if you’re in the bathroom or upstairs but he doesn’t hear you. Fear grips his heart.

Fuck. Where did she go?

Thunder shakes the house, rattling the windows as Ben looks around the room, brief flashes of lightning illuminates the vintage furniture, but you aren't sitting on anything. The sliding glass doors on the back wall of the bedroom are open, allowing rain to sweep through onto the carpets, water flooding towards your now cold side of the bed.

Shit.

Ben all but jumps out of the bed and rushes to the sliding glass doors, looking beyond into the darkness of Legend’s backyard. Lightning skates across the night flashing bright white, and catching where you stand in the grass. You’re looking up at the sky, soaked to the bone, but seemingly unnerved by the weather.

“Sweetheart?” Ben shouts over the sound of the thunder, but you don’t move. “Are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?”

“It’s not a nightmare.” You murmur into the storm, your eyes still focused on the sky, looking up at something that he can't see.

“What do you mean?” Ben gets closer to you, his feet sinking into the wet grass, rain saturating his clothes every second he stands out there with you. Ben was trying to understand, was trying his best to do what you needed, but he was worried that he was failing, that maybe he needed to take you to a hospital. He wasn't sure how to explain that to anyone if he did take you to one.

If anything he thought that you'd want to talk things out with Rosemary, but you hadn't wanted anything to do with her at all. That was the most surprising, that you didn't want to speak to her, didn't want her around. She had tried to come down to the bedroom, but you hadn't looked at her, you'd only clung tighter to Ben and said no. He wanted to know why, what Stan had told you to make you not want anything to do with her.

He was happy that Lou hadn't come down with her, he didn't want Lou to see you like this, didn't want it to haunt her the same way it was haunting him. He had heard Lou ask about you when he was laying in the basement beside you, and she had found him in the kitchen getting you something to eat and had hugged him tight and asked where you were. There were tears in her eyes when she did so and Ben told her that you weren't feeling well, but that he was taking care of you. There was a hand-drawn card on your bedside table from her filled with a picture of Lou holding out a bouquet of lavender to you that she asked him to give you.

“It really happened.” You close your eyes, head tilted up at the sky.

Lightning crackles across it, striking close to where you're standing, but you don't move an inch.

Ben stops mid-step. Your words sink into his soul, burn against his ribcage, anger surging up to replace the chill of the rain that clings to his skin. Because it meant he failed. It meant that the promise Ben made to you all those years ago was worthless, that he'd failed to protect you.

He thinks about all the time he wasted with other women, chasing after them, ignoring you. He thinks about all the moments he should have spent with you instead.

Maybe I would have figured it out if I wasn't so damn selfish. If I hadn't fucking cared about those stupid movies, or commercials, or the shitty interviews. I failed because I didn't put her first and I allowed this to happen.

“Stan told me.” You continue. "I wasn’t supposed to remember, but my mind knew. It was trying to tell me all these years but I just ignored it. Fucking pushed it away because I thought my mind was messed up from living this long. But it really happened."

“When?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that he said they did it when you were on location shooting a film. That they were too afraid to take me when you were still there.”  You're still not quite looking at him.

Ben felt the words like a punch to the gut. Why did I ever shoot any of those stupid films? Why didn't I take her with me? Why didn't I make up some stupid reason why I needed her there with me? Why didn't I tell her sooner how much she meant to me?

Ben remembered the first time you had the nightmare in front of him, he had just gotten back from shooting a film overseas, one that he could barely remember only that he literally had sand in every crevice of his body after each day of shooting. He remembered how happy he was to see you when you answered the door of your small apartment, how you smiled at him, but you seemed more tired than usual. Ben had missed you more than he knew, he had tried to call while he was away, but you hadn't picked up. He remember thinking that was odd. You always picked up the phone or at least always called him back, but you hadn't.

“They knew I’d say no. Knew that I wouldn’t want to raise a child under Vought’s watchful eye and instead of respecting that, they-" You stop mid sentence, your body has begun to glow bright purple, not just your eyes, there's a thin film of purple radiating out from your body, tracing your outline with a heavy hand, glowing brighter than the lightning that flashes across the sky. "Stan wasn't even ashamed. He was proud of what they made. Proud of what they did to our son."

As soon as you utter the word 'son', the ground begins to shake under Ben's feet, grass shreds in the air all around him, and the storm grows worse by the second. There's a terrible cracking sound and the trees on the edge of Legend's property snap, loosing their limbs to flashes of purple energy that wash away into the darkness with the force of your power.

Ben could feel the same power trying to push him back from you, push him inside the house, but he fought it, continuing to take more steps towards you.

“After all these years he wasn’t afraid of me. He was afraid that you would show up and make him pay.” Ben can see your body shake. “Everyone was always just afraid of you. All those years I worked so hard to make sure you didn’t kill anyone and for what? So they could take advantage of me?”

Your body begins to rise off the ground, glowing brighter and brighter. Until Ben almost has to look away, his body still being forced backwards. In all his years of watching you use your powers, he's never seen you do anything remotely like this. This didn't seem like just telekinesis and Ben wondered who else had killed you over the years, if it had happened before and you just hadn't cared to tell him, or if it had happened in the years he'd been away.

"Sweetheart please." Ben tries to say again, but it's swallowed up in the howling of the wind.

"All those years I gave Vought everything. I let them dress me, tell me what to say, inject me with that shit. I was everything they wanted me to be, and they used me just like I was a fucking doll for them to play with!" Ben can hear your teeth clenching together in rage, your powers spiking again so that now there is shredded earth, grass, and trees, whirling around the two of you swirling together in a vortex that flashes with purple energy. "But no more. They're all going to pay."

"Y/n-"

You were still rising off the ground getting further and further from Ben's reach and he was scared. He'd never seen you like this before, never seen you lose control or seen you this angry. Sure he pissed you off and you'd occasionally throw a couch around the room, but this was almost insane.

Fuck I should stop pissing her off.

Ben could feel his own rage surging in his chest when he understood exactly what Vought took away from you, when he understood exactly what Vogelbaum had done. But at the same time he was ashamed that he hadn't been there for you, that he hadn't been able to protect you from them, and that he hadn't known the first time you had that fucking nightmare and woke up screaming when he was in bed beside you.

"Sweetheart!" Ben finally shouts, grabbing your hand. As soon as his skin touches yours he feels like he's stuck his finger in an electrical socket,  as if the energy from your body jumping into his is almost painful, but he doesn't let go. He couldn't lose you to this, whatever the hell this was, wouldn't allow himself to lose you again.

Your glowing purple eyes flick to his. "Are you going to tell me that I shouldn't do that?" Your voice is cold. "That my revenge isn't as important as yours?"

"No." Ben shakes his head. "It's important. It's justified. I hate that they did that to you, that I wasn't there to stop them. That I didn't understand until now."

"It's not your fault what happened to me." You shout back, eyes flashing bright purple. "This isn't about you. This isn't your fight!" The vortex swirls faster around the two of you now, blurring everything beyond. "This is about what I need to do!"

"Yes it is!" His hand tightens in yours. "It is my fight if it involves you. I love you and that's what it means. It means us working together-"

"I don't need you to protect me! I am strong enough to do this on my own. I am so sick of people underestimating me and what I can do."

"Y/n please, listen to me!" Ben pleads. He could feel you slipping away and it scared him more than anything he'd been through in his entire life. He wasn't afraid to admit that. The look on your face and the display of power was so different than the person he knew.

You watch him silently, body glowing brightly in the night, floating off the ground as you stare down at him.

"I don't want you to do this alone." Ben says. The storm was still raging, thunder shaking the ground, lightning surging all around him. "I'm asking you to let me help you. Please."

"What?"

"You say that I hide what I'm really feeling, but you do too. You still hide things away from me. You think that you have to be perfect, controlled, some version of yourself that has everything together all the time, but you don't." Ben gently tries to pull you down an inch from the sky. "You've done that since we were kids, always done what you think is expected of you. That's why you almost married that asshole, because you were afraid to just let it go. So I'm asking you to do that now, to let go of all of it, because I promise that I will be right here for through every step of it."

"But-"

"I know I made promises when you chose me, and I'm sorry I let you down, I'm sorry that I let this happen, that I wasn't able to protect you from them." Ben's voice breaks and for a moment he sees a flash of the two of you in your bedroom the night that he asked you to come with him, how young and innocent you were, how much you cared for him reflected in your eyes. "So I'm promising you this now. That I will protect you, that I won't let anything happen to you and that you never have to be alone ever again. Because I love you. So please, just let go and let me in.

The whirlwind slows around the two of you, still ripping up the ground and the grass in the backyard.

"I have to be in control." You say in almost whisper.

"Why?" Ben asks.

"Because if I'm not I don't know what will happen!" You snap. "Someone dies, or you leave again, or they come to take Rosie or Lou away and I can't-" You shake your head, the glow on your body fading for a moment. "I'm not strong enough-"

"Sweetheart, you don't have to be." Ben says, and this time he pulls you from the air so that your bare feet swish in the grass again. His hand falls under your chin to raise your face to his. "That's why I'm here. You don't have to do this alone anymore, you don't have to carry this all on your shoulders. I am here and I am not going anywhere."

"But-"

"Please. I'm asking you to give me your pain, your anger, your burdens, your sorrows. Give me all of you. It's not going to scare me away." Ben whispers, taking your face between his hands. "I know that in the past I haven't been as dependable, but nothing is going to scare me away. I love all of you, even the pieces of yourself you keep from me, that you think you have to, to keep me here with you."

Fuck I sound like a pussy, but it's true. She's all I have and all I've ever wanted. And why shouldn't I say this to her? It's what she says to me. It's what she tells me and I believe her. I believe her when she says that I can rely on her, that I don't have to be strong all the time, that I can break.

He searches your face, brushes his thumbs across your rain soaked cheeks. I just want her to know that she can too and trust that I'll be here for her.

The vortex stops, the pieces of earth, trees, and grass falling to earth, the purple fading from your eyes as they do. You're no longer glowing, no longer a beacon in the night, you're just you, the woman that Ben loves more than life itself, and the woman that he thought he would never have ever again.

"I love you too." You whisper leaning into him, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck to lean your forehead against his.

He can feel the curves of your body against him, your wet clothes sticking like a second skin, hair stuck to your head, but you're just as beautiful as you always have been. And Ben understands that this time, he's not going anywhere, that he's going to stay with you for the rest of his life, and nothing can keep him away.

Reader POV

"Mindstorm told me." Ben says dragging his hand up your arm. You were laying on his chest in the bedroom, hair still wet, but now wearing dry clothes.

The residual thrum from your use of power was still charging through your cells, but lessened. Honestly you didn't remember going outside, didn’t remember standing in the storm, didn't know how long you were out there before Ben came out.

You were glad he did. You weren't in your right mind when you were out there, and if he hadn't come out you were sure that you were going to charge Vought yourself, tear it down and send it to hell where it belonged. You still wanted to, but you wanted Ben to do it with you. He was right, you didn't have to do it alone, and you didn't want to.

You nestled further into him, remembering what he shouted outside, remember how he held your face with the storm raging around him. He looked so afraid. You had only seen him look scared a handful of times in your life, but out there in the storm was different. It shocked you back into reality, brought you back from the pit, made you feel like you again for the first time in days.

And what he said hauled you further out of the darkness. You had said it to him countless times since he came back, that he didn't have to hide away what he was feeling from you, but for him to say it to you meant that he was listening. To you, Ben saying that made all of this more real, that he really wanted every part of you, that he loved you as much as he said.

The storm still raged outside, thunder occasionally shaking the windows, and lightning flashing behind the closed curtains, but you stayed curled up against Ben. Your head was tucked under his chin, arm wrapped over his bare chest. He hadn't put a shirt back on after the two of you changed, but you weren't complaining about that, there wasn't anything to complain about when it came to that. He was just so wonderfully warm, that you didn’t think you would get used to it. You also hoped that you didn't turn radioactive because of him, but you being here with him, laying on his warm chest made it worth it.

"Did he know about what Vogelbaum did?" You whisper.

Ben's muscles tense beneath your body when you ask that question. You knew that it hurt him, that it made him feel like he'd failed to protect you, but you didn't blame him for that. Even if he had been around, you knew that Vogelbaum would have figured out a way to do it, to get around him. And you didn't like it when Ben felt like he failed, it made you think about all the terrible things that his father used to yell at him when he was a kid. Ben had told you bits and pieces, over the years, and it was enough to make you want to travel back in time and kill his father yourself.

Honestly, you thought about killing him all the time when you weren't a supe as well.

"No. He didn't know that. All he knew was that Homelander was our son." When Ben says the word son he hesitates as if it's difficult for him.

It was also difficult for you, understanding that you had another kid and one that you didn't have anything to do with for forty years was hard. You suddenly understood how Ben felt about Rosemary.

"I should have known." You mutter into his chest.

"What do you mean?"

You sigh loudly. "At the premiere, Vogelbaum was pushing for me to come to the lab, said he was working on raising the "next generation of heroes" or whatever. And then Stan tried to come by and get me to do the same thing after you died, but I broke his nose."

"I remember." Ben mutters.

"What do you mean you remember?" You sit up to stare at him.

Ben raises an eyebrow. "I might have been there with Countess, but do you really think I wasn't listening to everything that was happening around you? He was dancing with you, I was making sure that everything was okay." Ben clears his throat awkwardly. "I mean I know that there was a lot happening that night, but I still wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"I wasn't."

"Yeah I-um- I know." His eyes flick away in shame.

"Ben?"

"Yeah?" He murmurs.

You gently turn his face back to look at you, fingertips under his chin. His green eyes are downcast, brows furrowed, lips pulled down into a frown. You knew how much he was still beating himself up for everything that happened in the past, and it was difficult for you to pretend that you didn't still feel the sting. But you knew he wasn't going to do it again, you believed that.

"It's okay. We're starting over. Just you and me." You brush your thumb over his bearded cheek. "No one else. This time what we're doing, it's different, it all feels different. Don't you think so? I mean I still love you just as much as I always have, but I-" You could feel yourself blush just a little, you weren't sure if Ben could feel that too.

"I know. It does." Ben whispers gazing at you. His fingers push back the strands of your hair that have fallen forward into your face. The way he's looking at you is the same way he did the morning you woke up on his chest after you slept together for the firs time. "I love you too Sweetheart." His lips find yours, gently pulling you up further on his chest so he can kiss you deeply, show you how much you mean to him, and you can’t help but smile into his mouth, feeling warm and happy for the first time in ages. His love dragging you out of the darkness that loomed over you and consumed your heart when Stan told you the truth about Homelander's heritage. 

You sit up, folding your legs beneath you, pulling Ben's right hand into your lap, gently tracing the lines with a finger tip, noting the rough callouses that he'd developed over the years. You weren't really sure what to say next.

Ben sits up so that he's leaning towards you. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little." You continue to trace the lines. His hands were so much bigger than yours, everything about Ben was big, but you liked his hands, mostly because how small yours were when you held his. "I think destroying Legend's backyard was just the right amount of therapy."

"That was a little much, but I'm glad you're feeling better. I was-" Ben swallows. "I was really worried about you."

"I know." You whisper. "It's never been that bad before. The last time I got close was-" You stop mid-sentence.

"Forty years ago?" Ben asks quietly.

You nod.

"I figured." Ben scoots closer towards you so that his thigh is brushing against yours. "I'm-"

"No." You squeeze his cheeks, eyes narrowing. "No more saying sorry. Not again."

"Okay." Ben's gaze is still apologetic. He waits for a minute, watching you in the silence. "What are we going to do about Homelander?"

"I don't know."

It was the truth, you had no idea what to do with your supposed son. You had seen the coldness in his eyes, heard about the horrible things that he was doing to other people, the horrible things he had threatened to do, and you'd seen the way he didn’t seem to care about human life.

Then again maybe I can't judge him, not after what I did to Stan. You think, your frown deepening. Stan deserved what I did to him and my only wish is that Vogelbaum somehow survived getting his head fucking blown off so I can make him pay.

"Do you think we should try to talk to him?" Ben asks.

"I don't think that's possible."

"Why not? He's our son, somewhere deep down he's got to be willing to do that." Ben's voice rumbles up through his chest. "Maybe they brainwashed him into the person we saw at Herogasm, maybe he's just being controlled and told what to do just like we were."

"I don't think that’s possible."

"Why not?" There's an urgency in his eyes that is unfamiliar to you, almost as if he's pleading for you to understand.

But why? Yes he's our son by blood but we don't know anything about him. We haven’t been in his life for forty years, we don't have any connections to him.

"You saw how he was at Herogasm. How he was almost happy to kill Butcher, how he was happy when he tried to kill you and me. I don't know what kind of person is okay with that. I mean you and I have killed people and we feel remorse after, or there's some kind of justification, but there was something in his eyes, it's almost not human. It's predatory, it's-" You shake your head trying to comprehend it. "I don't know what the fuck Vogelbaum did to him, but there's something inside Homelander that's not able to be saved."

"You don't know that."

"Ben, do you think that I want to believe that? To believe that our son is not a good person?" You drop his hand from your lap. "It's taking everything I am not to go to him, not to try and work this out. I keep trying to tell myself that maybe all he needs is family, but I don't know."

"My old man said that blood mattered. That it was the only thing that defined family-"

"Now you want to listen to your dad?" You sigh looking at Ben who is frowning at you. "We both know that he's not exactly the best role model."

"Well neither am I okay?" Ben snaps, his eyes flashing. "Maybe he just needed someone and there was no one there. I mean I wasn't there for Rosemary, but she had you and she turned out fine!"

"That's not your fault Ben. It's not your fault that you weren't there. You can't forget that they sent you to Russia to replace you with him."

"I'm not forgetting I'm just saying that they did the same fucking thing to me!"

Your next thought fizzes to a stop in your brain. What is he talking about?

"What are you talking about?" You try to reach for him, but he pulls back from your touch.

"They force fed him all that shit about what it was to be an American, they made him a supe, they brainwashed him with all my old fucking films." He spits. "But in the lab when we got the serum the first time, they did the same thing to me. They told me that I was going to be a god, that I was going to be the symbol that America needed to get through the war, that I was everything that would save America from destruction."

"Ben." You say again, this time taking his hands and he doesn't pull away. "Ben listen to me. You were older when you became a supe, we both were. You knew what reality was, you knew what the world was like when the scientists started spouting all their crap. You were old enough to understand. Homelander was raised in a lab, he didn't have a family, he didn't have friends. He was told that he was a god every day and he's not. He was raised to believe that he was something more than human, something unbeatable."

"But-"

"They told me that too." You push his hair back out of his eyes, trailing your fingers against his forehead. "That I was a god, that everyone would want me, would look at me and understand that I was beyond human. And at the beginning maybe I believed it for a few years, but that doesn't make him anything like you or like me. He's twisted, his mind is gone, any semblance of humanity he had has been warped away into something dark. He never had any light to begin with."

"You don't know that."

"I do. I can see it in his eyes. I saw it when I fought him at the Herogasm. There's nothing left to save. He's done terrible things."

"I have too." Ben mutters.

"No. You lost control, we all do. It's unrealistic to think that it won't happen, especially not for people like us who have lived this long, but him? He did those things of his own volition, because he believed that he should or maybe it was because he believed that no one could stop him." You cup his cheek, pulling his face forward into the space between the two of you. "The things you've done you feel remorse for. I was there for you every time you messed up. I saw what it did to you, saw how broken you were when you hurt someone."

"Because I'm a hero." Ben sighs. 

"Messing up once or twice does not make you less of a hero Ben, it makes you human." You lean your forehead against his, cupping his cheeks with your palms, feeling the way his beard tickles against your skin. "But Homelander, I don't think that there's anything human left."

Ben's hand comes up to hold on to your left wrist. "Then what do we do?"

"I don't know." You sigh. "I wish I did. If you really want to try to talk to him, we can, but I don't think that it's a good idea."

"He's still our son."

"He's our blood, but I don't think that makes him our son." You murmur.

You really didn't know how to deal with any of this. You wanted to believe that there was some semblance of humanity left in Homelander, but you didn't think that there was. You hated that Ben believed that he was like his son. Maybe that was some weird misogynist thing and Ben kept thinking like father like son in his head, but there wasn't any way that Homelander could be anything like Ben. Ben wasn't around for him, wasn't in his life, but maybe.

Ben pulls you back down on his chest once more, and you nestle into him once more, your head directly over his heart, the warmth of his skin comforting against your cheek.

"I think Noir knew." You breathe, tracing your hand over Ben's right pec.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Stan kinda hinted that he did, said that Noir was obsessed with me after I saved his life-"

"When did you save his- oh." Ben sighs.

"I think I should have seen that coming, given how much he kept showing up to my sparring sessions, the interviews, even some of the commercial shoots I had he seemed to always be around." You frown with a sigh. "I can't believe that I didn't know he was stalking me."

"What?"

"Stan said he kept breaking in to my apartment when I wasn't there, that he stole my necklace, you know? The one my dad got me for my birthday-"

Ben sits back so he can look you in the eye. "You're shitting me right?"

"No. That's what Stan said." You shrug. "Might have been just Stan trying to take some of the heat off, but that's what he said."

"That piece of shit." Ben almost growls. You can see the flash of jealousy and possession in his eyes that makes your heart thud a little faster in your chest. He clears his throat. "You-um- you never liked him right?"

"What?"

"The two of you were never that close?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Well you did save his life."

"Ben I've saved plenty of people from your temper. But no, I never liked him that way. Irving was sweet, but he was always so eager to prove himself to Stan it was just sad."

"Good."

"Why?" You sit up further, smirking at him. "Does that make you jealous? For you to think that Noir and I were together?"

Ben's eyes darken. "Watch it Sweetheart."

"Watch what?" You bat your eyes innocently. "I'm just asking a simple question."

"You keep poking the bear and you're not gonna like what happens."

"Poking the bear?" You snort sitting up and poke him in the ribs. "Are you the bear in that scenario?" You poke him again with a wicked smirk.

"Yes."

"Hmm. Well I think you're all talk. Because I have definitely poked you several-"

You're on your back in a second with Ben hovering over you, his green eyes shining as he flashes a roughish grin at you. One of his hands is pressed into the pillow next to your head, the other is at your waist, slipping beneath your t-shirt to rub circles over your hip bone with his thumb. "You were saying?" His voice is the low rumble that makes it hard for you to think.

You clear your throat. "I was saying that," You thread your hands behind the back of his head, working your fingers into his hair. "You have nothing to be jealous about."

"Really?"

"Mhhmm." You smile sheepishly. "Because it's always been you. No one else. Not Howard, Not Noir, just you." His hair is soft between your fingertips, his gaze unbreakable.

Ben returns your smile and collapses on top of you. You gasp out a breath, in a loud 'oof' sound as he does. His arms go around your waist and he buries his head in your chest breathing deeply. "I like it when you say that." He murmurs, turning his head so he can look up at you from your chest, with a smile that catches you in your heart.

"I know." You continue to scratch your fingertips through his hair.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yeah?" You breathe as you close your eyes, comforted by the weight of his body on top of yours. It was familiar, almost like he was a weighted blanket that took all your anxiety away. You felt safe with his arms wrapped around your waist, as if no one could touch you. You needed that now, needed that after you learned that without Ben someone had taken you from your home.

"I know that I can't say that there hasn't been anyone else." He whispers. "But you're the only one who mattered. You're the only woman that I've ever loved, and I swear that as long as I live I'll never love anyone else. You are all I've ever wanted and everything I thought I'd never have."

"You have me Ben." You whisper, beginning to fall asleep. "You always have, you always will."

And with those words you drift into the first fulfilling sleep you'd had in days, wrapped in the warm cocoon of Ben's love, allowing it to send you under into oblivion.

A/N: I know this one was mostly fluff and talking, but I thought that the reader deserved that after everything with Stan, and also after she well -you know- made a tornado in Legend's backyard. We're going to pretend that no one else heard it. 😂

As always thank you so much for reading! If you'd like to be added to my taglist please let me know :)

And if you'd like to read something a little more bantery then try my series: Take A Chance On Me

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[fullsandwichmiracle]

 "Oxford: A Year Abroad”

Paring: Felix Catton x reader 

Warning: 18+, nsfw, alcohol MDNI

Word count: 1622 

01|02|03|04|05|?

Y/N was enrolled at Oxford as an exchange student, specializing in economics. Securing a solo dorm since her roommate was a no-show, the room radiated old-money featuring two beds on either side, accompanied by a desk and a drawer. Opting for a rearrangement, she transformed the space by fashioning a king-size bed on one side and situating the desk and drawer on the opposite side, creating an illusion of more space. Following the successful room makeover, Y/N took a swift shower to freshen herself up to make a favorable first impression.

Y/N proceeded to the hall where all the international students were set to gather for campus information. The tour guide, Venetia, with bleached blonde hair in braids, began by extending a warm welcome to the international students and then led the group towards the library. The library exuded a cozy atmosphere, and Y/N noticed a guy sitting on a couch with some mates, engrossed in studies. He quickly glanced Y/N up and down before Venetia remarked, 

"Hi Felix, nice to see you studying for once."

Felix chuckled in response, saying,

"Nice to see you sober for once."

With that, Venetia briskly continued the tour, urging everyone to follow, casually dismissing the encounter. The reminding part of the tour was rather uneventful, and Y/N returned to her room after its conclusion. On her way back, she encountered Felix again, this time standing in a door frame engaged in conversation with a girl. It was evident that he towered over Y/N by at least a head, if not more. He appeared unfazed and his hair was roughed up but looking perfect. Realizing she was accidentally staring, she looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed, and continued walking back to her dorm.

Upon entering her dorm, Y/N glimpsed into the mirror and noticed a flush on her cheeks from the encounter. Felix, tall and quite attractive, struck her as unlike anyone she'd ever encountered. The remainder of the evening was dedicated to packing up the remaining items and dressing the bed in light pink covers. Y/N then changed into her pajamas, gearing up for the upcoming first week of lectures.

At the end of a full week of classes, Friday arrived, and all Y/N desired was to join her new classmates for a night of drinks. Rumors circulated about a party hosted by someone named Farleigh, to which one of her friends had secured an invite. Seeking some excitement for the night, Y/N opted for a more daring outfit, wearing a linen blouse with a plunging neckline, a lace bra, a short denim skirt barely concealing her ass, and a stylish yet steady pair of pink heels. Before heading to the party with her friends, she took two shots of vodka to calm her nerves.

As the cab arrived at the party, Y/N's friend, who got the invite, led the way to the gate and buzzed for entry. The gates opened without any verbal exchange. Upon entering the house, they discovered a bustling scene with people scattered all around and a makeshift bar. The group then separated, each exploring the lively gathering. Y/N approached the bar, scanning the surroundings to determine if it operated on a self-service basis or if there was a bartender. A guy emerged from what appeared to be a cupboard, holding a bottle of champagne in one hand and wine in the other. Y/N approached the guy, asking him where she could get a drink. He smiled and replied,"Hello, I'm Farleigh. Feel free to help yourself to anything, sexy.”

Glancing at Y/N from head to toe, he suggested, "How about kicking off the night with a glass of white?”

Pouring a wine glass nearly to the brim, she gazed at the filled glass, smiled, and remarked, "That would be lovely Farleigh. My name is Y/N.”

Farleigh smirked and headed off to attend to his other guests.

After wandering around the house for a bit and finishing her wine, Y/N spotted the pool in the backyard where people were engaged in drinking games. A group playing beer pong caught her eye, and after observing a round, she went back inside to grab a fresh drink to join in. Upon her return, they were organizing players, and Y/N approached the table. On the opposing side stood Felix with Farleigh, and a seemingly random girl joined Y/N's side. Yet, it wasn't just any girl; it was Venetia, the one who led the tour. As the game kicked off, a crowd gathered to watch. The guys scored on their first throw, and Venetia took the initial drink. The game was evenly matched, with the guys having two cups left and Y/N and Venetia with one. Felix kissed the ball and scored directly into the cup. Y/N smirked at Felix before downing the cup filled with warm beer. Not a fan of the taste, she quickly sipped the cider she had obtained earlier. Venetia took Y/N by the hand, leading her to the poolside where a fireplace was situated. Felix and Farleigh had just arrived, and others were playing truth or dare. Venetia asked, "Mind if we join your little game?" as she sat down, pulling Y/N with her.

The game started off quite mild, but with each question, it escalated into more risqué territory. When Venetia declined to answer a question, Farleigh revealed a hidden bottle of tequila from a bag behind him, declaring, "Every time someone doesn't answer, they have to take a swig from this tequila.”

Venetia took the bottle, downed two swigs, grinned, and handed it to Y/N, saying, "Y/N, I dare you to knock back two shots or spill the beans on who on this lot you fancy for a cheeky quickie.”

Y/N glanced at Felix, then gulped down the tequila, going beyond the two shots and placing the bottle back. Felix stared at Y/N with a grin, seemingly formulating a plan, which he whispered to Farleigh.

When it was Farleigh's turn, he gazed at Felix, nodded, and remarked, " Y/N I dare you to take a lounge into the pool or tell us what position you want Felix fuck you in.”.

Felix glared at Farleigh and remarked, "You didn't have to be that aggressive.”

Y/N started to blush as all eyes were on her, awaiting her response. Having already consumed a bit too much tequila, taking a leap into the pool didn't seem like a terrible idea. Y/N rose from her seat and walked towards the pool's edge. Before taking the plunge, she removed her denim skirt to prevent it from getting soaked, revealing her pink string and someone whistled as she was bending down to take off her heels. Pinching her nose, Y/N leapt into the pool, tossing her shirt aside. As she hit the water, the chill had a sobering effect, and she realized the extent of what she had just done. She had exposed herself in only underwear to everyone around the pool. Feeling a tad embarrassed, Y/N climbed out of the pool and hastily dressed herself again, still soaked in water the blouse quickly became transparent and skirt denim darkened in color as if she had jumped into the pool with them on. She returned to the fire to warm up, taking a shot of tequila to help erase the recent events from her mind. This time, she chose to sit beside Felix who was staring at her chest that was now fully exposed with only her transparent blouse and the lace bra she was wearing under it. Y/N looked at Felix and realized that there was a big bulge in his pants, for the bulge to be that big he had to have a big package Y/N thought and then looked up and met Felix face that was covered in a big grin because he noticed how long she looking at his bulge. He put his hand on Y/N's inner thigh asking "Feeling a bit chilly? Wanna head inside?”

He looked down at Y/N breasts again and her nipples which nearly pierced through her shirt. Y/N nodded, and Felix fetched a blanket, draping it around her. He extended his hand, gesturing for her to take it. Leading Y/N into the house, Felix guided her up the stairs and into a room. It appeared to be someone's bedroom—quite lavish, with a bed that looked incredibly inviting. He whispered, "May I assist you in taking off your blouse? I reckon it won't be of much help in keeping you warm.”

Y/N nodded again to flustered to speak, Felix began taking off the wet blouse and kissing the neck once the shirt was off. “ Take your skirt off” he whispered whilst kissing her ear. She began taking off her skirt that was now very tight due to it being wet. Felix noticed how much she was struggling and ripped them off. As he did Y/N let out a small moan and he chuckled. “ As much as I would love to fuck you sweetie, you're to drunk and need to sleep but I can join you if you want”.

Felix tucked Y/N into bed, and she promptly drifted off to sleep. He planted a kiss on her forehead, undressed, and hopped into the bed beside her.

[lamemaster]

The Evermoor

Request: Sinister love for Maedhros, especially if it's after his fiery death ~how very SPOOKY~ he'd be scary enough as a ghost, but more terrifying would be if he survived or was resurrected, with his burns.Gosh I love Halloween

Pairing: Maedhros x Reader/ Reader x OC

Genre: Horror

Summary: He was better than ever—but not the same. It was as though the fever had washed away more than just his illness. The man you loved had been replaced by someone—or something—else.

AN: Your prompt is so awesome 😩 I loved writing it too much. Got carried away so now there's another part. I'm sorry if this does not exactly follow your prompt but this was awesome.

Chapter 1| Chapter 2

Next up- Sinister love with Maedhros chapter dos 🤭

You cower, eyes squeezed shut, muscles tense as if trying to melt into the mattress. The darkness feels oppressive, alive, crawling across the room toward you, its presence tangible in the suffocating silence.

Buried under your quilt, your mind drifts toward the closet opposite the bed. Its door, barely cracked open, looms in your vision. A door you distinctly remember forcing shut before slipping beneath the covers. A door that seems to have a will of its own, refusing to remain closed.

The house whispers around you—the creak of brittle wood rising from the old floorboards as if the very bones of the mansion are shifting in the night.

The Evermoor, ancient and untouched, resists the modern makeover your fiancé envisions, its colonial elegance holding tight against time’s slow decay.

For now, the Evermoor stands as it always has—unmoved, unchanged, steeped in shadow.

Most days, Evermoor feels like a distant memory, as if it exists in a realm between the living and the forgotten. Its old stone walls, hidden by evergreens and draped in mist, seem to breathe with the weight of centuries. It sleeps peacefully, exhausted by the passage of its long history.

That was how you first saw it—the slumbering, serene majesty of the Evermoor, drawing both you and Zaid into its mysterious hold. Your fiancé.

The decision to leave Prague had been wild, impulsive, even. Trading the city’s buzzing streets for the quiet of Viscri, nestled in a valley so still it felt like stepping back in time.

Zaid had been enchanted by the sprawling backyard, imagining your two dogs bounding across it, while you found comfort in the damp, earthy scent of the village—like fresh rain mingling with ancient stone.

This was how life unfolded for most people: years spent amid the crowded anonymity of cities, until you find the one person who makes the world slow down. Love follows, fierce and fragile, weathering the storms, if you’re lucky. Then comes the dream of escape, leaving the fast lane for something slower, more peaceful.

Work promotions had helped make that dream possible. The suburban fantasy, a far-off dream for many, had crept into reality with the right person by your side.

Zaid was that person—the flirtatious frat boy you never imagined sticking around. But beneath his charm lay a deep kindness, and that kindness made it impossible not to love him.

Loving Zaid was effortless. He made it so. Flowers left in unexpected places, candlelit dinners, soft words, and grand gestures that melted your heart. He cradled your love with a care that drew you in, little by little, until you couldn’t imagine life without him.

The once-ridiculous international student who convinced you to leave everything behind now sat beside you in Evermoor, slurping ramen as you both debated which floorboards would suit the study best.

A glittering diamond caught the light on your finger. He had proposed three months ago, under the soft light of candlelit shadows. Did you see it coming? Yes. But did you put on an elaborate act of surprise? Absolutely.

Zaid was predictable, but in ways that made you feel safe. He was a man of habit, of routines you had come to cherish. You hadn’t meant to stumble upon the hidden ring. Its hiding place in the unused suitcase had been clever—until one of your friends asked to borrow it.

The ring was magnificent, the kind that sparkled so brightly it drew gasps, making people look twice to make sure it was real.

Had you known what was to come, you would’ve never accepted it. You would’ve sent that suitcase—along with the cursed ring—to the farthest corner of the world.

The ring that stole Zaid away from you. Or was it the Evermoor?

The early days in the mansion had been enchanting. Bright, warm spring afternoons spent poring over floor plans, your future laid out before you. The wedding was to take place at Evermoor, the perfect venue. The house itself felt magical, like it had been waiting for you and Zaid to bring it back to life.

The mansion was a spell you couldn’t resist. It drew you into its labyrinthine halls, its ancient bones whispering secrets as you wandered through its forgotten rooms.

Your freelance work went on hold, and soon you found yourself documenting your journey on YouTube—a simple series on renovating your dream house. While your editing left much to be desired, the vlogs gathered a modest following of 56 subscribers, five of which were Zaid’s accounts.

You couldn’t have imagined then that those mindless videos would become relics, haunting the internet for years to come. Fame would find you, but not in the way you expected.

It all began with a cold. Zaid wasn’t unfamiliar with seasonal colds, and at first, you didn’t think much of it. You joked about him being a "frail Victorian child" wasting away in the manor’s drafty halls.

You expected it to pass, like it always did, with a steady diet of soups, tea, and Vicks humidifiers. Even your doctor friends laughed it off, teasing Zaid as they handed him a lolly for his melodramatic whining.

But as the days dragged on, your laughter grew strained. The cold didn’t break. Zaid grew weaker by the hour, his skin losing color, his energy fading. Nights were filled with his fevered ramblings, his body slick with sweat, twisting beneath the covers.

You stopped the renovations, packed your bags, ready to drag him to the hospital. But Zaid refused. His grip on the Evermoor tightened, as if the house held him captive. His sunken eyes stared at you, forbidding the thought of leaving.

You stayed by his side, your hands clasped in his, pleading with him, crying through sleepless nights as his fever raged on. His brothers flew in from the States, ready to move him to the infirmary. Your aunt stepped in to oversee the Evermoor while you prepared to leave.

And then, overnight, Zaid recovered. His pallid face transformed, flushed with sudden vitality. Every plan to leave vanished in an instant.

He was better than ever—but not the same. It was as though the fever had washed away more than just his illness. The man you loved had been replaced by someone—or something—else.

Zaid’s obsession with restoring Evermoor to its former glory took precedence over everything. The modern renovations you had so carefully planned were tossed aside, replaced by an eerie fixation on the mansion’s past.

His eyes gleamed with an intensity that unsettled you—a brightness that seemed to glow, unnatural, when he caught you staring.

And it wasn’t just you. Hermes and Zeus, once Zaid’s loyal companions, now cowered in his presence. The dogs, who once leapt into his arms, growled or fled when he entered the room. But Zaid remained indifferent, unbothered by their fear.

What disturbed you most was his fixation on the ring. His eyes followed your hand, tracking the diamond wherever it went, but he rarely touched you like he once had. When he did, he avoided the ring, as though afraid of it.

He was like Tantalus—forever reaching for something just out of his grasp.

It was during a quiet afternoon, while absentmindedly scrolling through comments on your YouTube channel, that you stumbled upon it.

A simple comment that stopped you cold.

Tevildoisapookie 5:08 Did anyone notice the elven script on that newspaper? Didn’t expect a Silmarillion crossover with cottagecore, lol.

Confused, you paused the video, your brows knitting together. The paper you had used to cover the windows during the painting of the guest bedroom doors was visible in the frame, covered in scrawled text.

Your fingers hovered over the reply button, hesitation filling you.

LadyofEvermore Can you read what it says?

Chuckling nervously at your own paranoia, you tossed your phone aside and resumed petting Hermes. The dog gave you an annoyed glance, irritated at being woken from his nap.

“I’m sorry, old man,” you muttered, running your fingers through his fur. Slowly, you drifted off, the warm sun lulling you into a shallow sleep.

You woke to the low growls of your dogs. Blinking groggily, you found Hermes and Zeus standing over you, tense and alert, their eyes locked on something across the room.

Your gaze followed theirs and froze. Zaid stood in the doorway, unnervingly still, his eyes gleaming with that strange, unsettling light as he stared back at the dogs.

You quickly gathered the dogs, leading them outside where their tension evaporated as they chased fireflies into the dusk. But as you turned to head back inside, you felt two arms wrap around your waist.

Zaid.

You forced yourself to relax, leaning back into him.

“Pizza okay with you?” you asked, your voice wavering slightly. Zaid nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on your hand, on the ring that sparkled in the fading light.

Later, when you took out your phone to order the pizza, a notification awaited you.

Tevildoisapookie www.reddit.com/r/Quenya/comments/4x2d9k/the_language_Quenya_script_more]

A Reddit user had commented, translating the strange symbols from your video-

SobbingMaia It seems to be a Quenya reiteration of the Oath of Fëanor(a pretty good one) :

Death we will deal him ere Day’s ending, Woe unto world’s end! Our word hear thou, Eru Allfather! To the everlasting Darkness doom us if our deed faileth. On the holy mountain hear in witness and our vow remember, Manwë and Varda!

[callme-dickmaster]

Basket Case

Ch. Five - The Body

summary: a search for a missing friend makes you believe in monsters and a body is found cw: this may be v long, afab! reader, minimal use of y/n, bullying, language, fear of slut shaming, cutesy makeover, will died lol author's note: hullo

Wednesday, November 9th, 1983

You followed Nancy into Steve's backyard, feeling completely out of place. Nancy had you slamming on your brakes when she gasped and saw Barb's car still parked a couple houses away from Steve's. Nancy looked in the windows and you picked the lock on the trunk before popping it open. Nothing. Just a blanket and some shoes.

"Barb!" Nancy called, turning every which direction as she yelled her friend's name. She sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Come on. Steve's house is down the hill," Nancy said, leading you to the house.

"Nancy!" you hissed, jogging to catch up to her. "Steve would kick my ass if he knew I was here!" you whispered. Nancy nodded, mumbling something about how they'd be quick. "Barb?" Nancy called, stepping into the trees. "Barbara?" You tried, turning in circles.

You turned to tell Nancy you would go back to wait in the car when a large creature snarled, skittering across the path and disappearing behind a bush. "Shit!" you yelped. Nancy tripped trying to run away, and both of you booked it back to your car in the street. "Did you see that?!" you screeched, starting the car but too shaken to drive. "Yeah!" Nancy cried, dropping her head into her hands.

"C-can you take me home? I-I need to tell my mom..." she stuttered, tears starting to fall. You nodded, speeding away to Nancy's house. "I hope Barb is okay," you tried, glancing at the very upset girl in your passenger seat. Nancy nodded, looking out the window. "Me too..." you pulled up outside the Wheeler home and followed Nancy inside.

"Hey! You're home early! How was the game?" Mrs. Wheeler asked, stirring something up for dinner. She looked up at the silence and dropped the spoon seeing Nancy's tear-stained cheeks and Y/n Henderson in her front entryway. "Nancy? Girls, what's the matter?" the woman asked.

"It's Barb...I think something happened. Something terrible," Nancy cried. Mrs. Wheeler came up and hugged her daughter, putting a hand on your arm and inviting you to stay for dinner. You reluctantly agreed, running out to the car to grab your bag.

When you came inside, Nancy was in full blown tears and Mrs. Wheeler was on the phone. "You alright?" you asked, sitting next to her.

Nancy shook her head, "I'm so scared to tell her what happened...I feel like she's going to be so mad," she cried. You took her hand, glancing at Mrs. Wheeler in the other room, and wrapped an arm around Nancy's shoulders.

"She'll have to get over it. It was just one night. I mean, if that's the one thing she takes away from whatever you tell her, then that's on her. Right now, we just need to focus on trying to help your friend," you said. Nancy sniffed and nodded. She was so nervous about what her mom would say. She really didn't want to be slut shamed by her own mother. You ran your hand up and down Nancy's back, screwing your mouth to the side. You really didn't have much to say, and you felt bad about it.

Mrs. Wheeler thankfully interrupted when she walked back into the room. "Okay, the Hollands are coming over after dinner. Nancy, please talk to me...what's going on?" Mrs. Wheeler asked. Nancy's eyes automatically when to the floor. "C-can we wait? Until Barb's parents get here?" Nancy stuttered. Mrs. Wheeler nodded, patting her daughter's knee before she started dinner.

Nancy led you upstairs to her room and sighed, falling back on her bed. "I'm so scared. I...I feel like I could've done something to stop this from happening," she said, dragging her hands down her face. You nodded, sitting behind her on the bed.

"Yeah...I think we should just wait until her parents come over to worry too much about it. Just be honest with them and they'll have to appreciate that at least," you said, messing with your sleeve. Nancy nodded, taking a deep breath. "Let's do something fun! Keep my mind off it," she said, sitting up and rifling around in her vanity drawers. You cocked your head to the side when she popped back up with a makeup bag in hand.

"You ever had a makeover?" Nancy smiled.

Your eyes widened and you shook your head frantically, scooting back on the bed while Nancy jumped to sit in front of you. "It'll be fun! Come on..." Nancy took out various brightly colored palettes and brushes and started playing with her makeup on your face.

"See? You look pretty. It's easier to see your eyes when you don't have all that black shit on them," Nancy giggled.

"Hey, I like that black shit," you smiled.

"Girls! Dinner!" Mrs. Wheeler called. You and Nancy both sighed, trudging downstairs for whatever home cooked American dinner Nancy's mom came up with. "Oh! Y/n! You did your makeup!" Mrs. Wheeler grinned.

You shrugged, biting into your potatoes, "Nancy did it," you smiled shyly. Mrs. Wheeler complimented you, saying you "looked beautiful" which earned another shy smile and a shrug.

Barb's parents came right as Mrs. Wheeler was finishing the dishes and Mr. Wheeler was about to doze off in his chair. Nancy took your hand, silently begging you to sit with her while they talked. You sighed and sat next to Nancy and Mrs. Holland. You held the girl's hand as she cried and told the whole story. Even when Mike came in and gave them the news that Will was dead. That he was there, and he saw them pull his body out of the quarry.

"Where's Dustin?" You asked, standing from the couch.

"I-I think h-he went home," Mike sniffled. You stuttered out something about having to leave and ran out the door to your car. You sped home and barely slammed the car door shut before you were inside.

"Dustin?! Hey! Dustin!" you yelled, running around the house trying to find him. "Y/n?" you heard your little brother say in the smallest voice you'd ever heard. You sighed in relief, running over to wrap him in a tight hug.

"Mike told me...I'm so sorry, Dustin," you whispered. Dustin gripped onto your shirt, burying his face in your neck. "C-can I sleep with you tonight?" he mumbled. You nodded, pushing back his curls, "Of course you can. Have you eaten? Do you want me to make something?" you asked.

Dustin smiled half-heartedly and nodded, going to get ready for bed while you made something quick. You slid his plate across the counter and set yours aside so you could get ready yourself.

"Ready?" you asked.

Dustin nodded, finishing the last of his late dinner. You pat his back, setting the dishes in the sink before leading him to your room. You smoothed his curls away from his face, lying next to him with a soft smile. "It sucks. I know. But he'll be okay wherever he is, okay?" you said softly.

Dustin nodded sadly, curling in close to you before eventually falling asleep. You squeezed your eyes shut and held him tightly in your arms, thankful selfishly in the back of your mind it wasn't your brother they pulled out of the water.

<3

[euphoriabled]

@goldblumstandard & I love this film too much not to have a thread for it.

⸻ It'd been mere hours since the ship had crash-landed in her backyard. And she had counted herself as lucky for it, for she had been known for her otherworldly beauty. As the world did not believe in other realms and planets, she had made this into her aesthetic; she'd been scouted for a modeling company shortly after her arrival to Terra Earth, and since then had worked with rather avant garde fashion houses.

Her love of the arts had allowed her a bit of grace in staying under the radar; hidden in plain sights. After all, she looked human . . . enough. However, the three Jhazallans who were now residing within her home in The Hills were currently ill-suited for the eyes of Earthlings; they still needed a bit of a makeover, and she'd been able to stop by a few shops after a shoot to prepare them for the public eye.

To blend in as they worked towards being able to return to their home planet.

She only hoped they'd be able to find a better way to communicate. Showing she meant no harm, that they were safe in her home, and that they looked ... quite different from the civilians here had been a piece of cake. It was only that, well, that was all she'd been certain she had been able to get across so far.

She hoped they knew she was well-meaning. She'd left them with her music and film collection, along with a few books she had on Terra Earth's many cultures; after all, she was off-world as well. A few magazines were also left around the apartment, some featuring her work. Perhaps they'd understand that she knew exactly how they felt . . . for the most part. She wouldn't have to shave as much as they would, but she had been able to adapt to the planet quite quickly.

Arriving home with a few bags of clothes, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes, razors, exfoliant, and lotion, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. She was hyper-aware a few people had photographed what she was purchasing, but at least nothing was too out of the ordinary. It just looked like there was a new man in her life. In a way, that wouldn't be incorrect. There were three. ❝ Wiploc-? Zeebo-? ❞ She calls out, locking the door behind her. She spots Mac before she can call his name as well.

Struggling slightly with the sheer amount of bags, she smiles at him politely.

❝ Mac. I'm home. ❞

[princess-oakenshield]

Let Me Love You - Chapter 28 Backyard Distance

FilixOC, with side KilixOC and ThorinxOC. SPOILERS FOR BOTFA! After the three die, they wake up and find themselves in modern day NYC. They are taken in by three sisters.

The sun was dipping toward late afternoon as the group pulled back into the driveway. The old SUV gave its familiar cough and rattle as Mattea shifted it into park. The three dwarves climbed out, now clad in secondhand jeans and flannel shirts, boots scuffed with the dust of their first trial day. They looked less out of place than they had that morning—almost like they belonged.

Almost.

As they walked around to the backyard, Fili was the first to see her.

Jasmine was sitting on the creaky wooden swing that hung from the old oak tree, laptop open on her thighs, fingers flying over the keyboard. Her black-rimmed glasses were perched low on her nose, her dark hair tied back in a loose braid. There was a line between her brows, the kind she wore when she was focused—when the world could end around her and she wouldn’t look up.

But she did look up now.

She saw them—three broad-shouldered strangers in her father’s old flannels, worn boots, and rolled-up sleeves, carrying traces of sweat and sawdust.

Her eyes flicked from one to the other, landing briefly on Fili. A blink of something unreadable passed through her expression before she smirked and said dryly, “Wow. Wearing Dad’s clothes and everything. Full makeover.”

Fili blinked, caught off guard. Kili shifted awkwardly. Thorin’s jaw tightened.

“Jasmine,” Erika warned softly, “don’t be rude.”

“I’m not,” Jasmine replied with a shrug, returning her gaze to the screen. “Just…observing.”

Mattea stepped in, her tone bright as ever. “Well, you’re observing three newly-employed men. We got them jobs.”

Jasmine’s head snapped up. “Really?” For a moment, her voice cracked with something close to disbelief—maybe even hope.

“Really,” Mattea said, her grin gentle.

Jasmine stared at her, then at the men again. Fili’s eyes met hers, steady and unreadable.

The moment passed.

Jasmine looked back down at her screen. “Right. As if they’d stick around now,” she muttered under her breath, fingers moving again.

Fili didn’t look away.

He just stood there, silent, a thousand thoughts in his chest and not one of them with a clear answer.

[msweebyness]

Akuma/Theater Kids Mother’s Day Plans

Howdy y’all! This is what I imagine the Akuma Class and the Theater Kids did for Mother’s Day! For background, you can look at my Akuma and Theater Class families! @imsparky2002 @artzychic27

Marinette sewed a beautiful new Hanfu for Sabine and they got dinner at her favorite restaurant. She also went on a motorcycle ride around Paris with Gina.

Alya, Nora and the twins spent all day in the kitchen cooking an entire Martiniquan banquet for Marlena. Alya also made a montage of photos and videos with her mom for her personal blog.

Nino made a mix of all of Margie’s favorite songs and he and Chris made her favorite dessert. Well, they tried to…

Chloe stole Audrey’s credit card and went on a shopping spree with Zoe.

Sabrina and Tanya went on a mother-daughter shopping trip and got dinner together.

Juleka and Luka treated Anarka (with help from the rest of Kitty Section) to a performance of a bombastic heavy metal version of Drunken Sailor, and they all slept on the deck under the stars.

Rose cleaned the entire house for Lily and arranged a beautifully decorated tea party for the two of them in the backyard.

Kim and his sisters took Mai to an indoor extreme sports facility…and she proceeded to completely kick her children’s asses.

With Markov’s help, Max made his mother an incredibly detailed digital holographic map of the known universe.

Alix and Salma went bungee-jumping before going to dinner and a pro-wrestling match.

Ivan (with help from his dad (Iosif)) made Galina a new bench for her garden, where she likes to sit and read. (it had the family’s names carved in Russian.)

Nathaniel painted a mural for Aya’s cafe of their whole family, and took his mother out for lunch.

Missy visited her mother’s grave and left flowers, sitting to talk to her for a while.

Jesse took Imelda to a local flower show, and they made dinner together. (Mylene also made a flower wreath and card for Imelda, because that woman is more of a mother to her than her own ever was.)

Ayesha made a hand-drawn animation for Megan as a card outlining the reasons why she loved her.

Dot and Dolores spent the day helping Enid reorganize the house.

Petra and her godmother went to a pottery studio together, making gifts for each other and for Petra’s dads.

Roxie took Rydel to a concert for a band she loved, who happened to be performing in Paris.

Anthony bought Sylvie a basket of all her favorite teas and they had a horror movie marathon.

Candace and Sandra had a mother-daughter spa day.

Eri and Ryuji took Sasami to a showing of one of her childhood favorite plays, and after that they all gave each other makeovers.

Staci and Yumei just went out on a walk around Paris, doing whatever they felt like.

Margo and Dagny spent the entire day baking and doing crafts together.

Brecken and his sisters made a quilt with treasured family pictures for Rachel and spent the day helping Annie at the shelter.

Soo-Yeon, like Alya, spent all day making Mi Cha’s favorite foods, and after that, they played one-on-one basketball in the backyard.

Parker and Cissy did a mother-daughter obstacle course and went to the gym together.

Mona and Bindi had a movie night and bought all the junk food they could possibly eat.

Evie wrote and performed a song for Carolina, with parts for each of her siblings.

Eloise and Chet had a gaming session with Roerva, who’s actually better than both of them.

Anais took Olive out for dinner and got her a card. Their mother isn’t one for big gestures of affection.

Ondine and her brothers made the mistake of trying to make cranachan like Elsie’s mother would, but…they ended up just ordering a pizza and watching a movie.

Happy Mother’s Day, ya’ll! Shout out to my mom, who is the best! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs!

[magnoliaroad]

Luxe Living Kitchen + Family Room

Hello friends! At long last, I am ready to publish two playscenes from my Petz 5 makeover project. The Luxe Kitchen and Luxe Living playscenes are now available for download. Be sure to check out my blog post below for a behind-the-scenes look at my creation process.

OVERALL AESTHETIC

In making these overhauls, I was going for a luxury living aesthetic featuring gold accents, neutral beiges, and a touch of rococo. Understandably, this may not be everyone's aesthetic! I have ideas for future themes such as cottage core/witch core, dark academia, Barbie, etc. Now that I have done the ground work of making a reusable PSD template of this playscene, making future variations will be much easier because I can quickly swap out the wallpaper, flooring, rug, etc.

KITCHEN

I don't have a lot of notes on the kitchen remodel as it was a relatively straight forward recolor. The window backyard backdrop was replaced with my remodeled version. I added a tile backsplash for a touch of realism. Various components like the sink and its handles were recolored to gold to go with the luxury living theme. The ugly curtains, orange floor, wallpaper, and yellow fridge are all replaced with a more toned-down, neutral look.

I spent the most amount of time cleaning up the curtain and the window sprites as these were poorly done in the original. If you look closely, you can see several pixel defects that never got cleaned up.

BEFORE / AFTER

FAMILY ROOM

Making over the family room was quite the project as it involved editing several animation sprites. Here are my notes on the different parts of the room.

RUG

I know that the rug's perspective is not 100% correct but when I tried to adjust it to better match the perspective of the room, the results were actually worse. Somehow, the "correct" perspective ruined the "cozy, intimate" ambience of the room. It's a little hard to explain but I hope this design choice isn't too immersion-breaking for most people.

FIREPLACE

The boring old red brick was replaced with something a bit more contemporary. Where the brick texture meets the golden grate, I had to edit the edge so that there is a mortar gap. I also edited the fireplace sprites to remove some ugly pixel halos that the original assets had.

MOUSE HOLES

I replaced the default mousehole covers with golden doors to match the Luxury Living theme because I thought our little mice friends deserved an upgrade too! Tremendous thanks to Reflet from the Petz Hacking and Modding discord for helping me figure out how to do this. If you're making a non-overwrite hexed family room, then changing the mouse holes requires an extra step in a hex editor - it isn't enough to just swap out the sprites in Tinker. If you would like to learn how to do this yourself for your own playscene creations, Reflet's solution is posted in the Petz Hacking and Modding discord.

WINDOW + WEATHER EFFECTS

Oh my glob this was a whole project in itself. I swapped out the outdated backyard backdrop with my remodeled versions. But this presented a problem. Replacing the window backdrop meant that I couldn't use the animated rain and snow sprites that came with the original family room. These weather effects were pre-rendered against the old backdrop, making them incompatible with my replacement backdrop. So this meant that I had to craft my own rain and snow effects from scratch, frame by frame. *eye twitch* But if we're being honest, the original weather effects weren't that great looking anyway. The rain is so faint and barely visible and the snow animation left much to be desired.

Moreover, it always bugged me to no end that the original weather animations do not extend to the bottom of the window. Whenever the window is open, there is a noticeable gap where the rain or snow animation abruptly ends. I'm baffled on how this passed quality control testing (or if was there any).

I corrected this in my version of the weather animation by adjusting the size of the animation to extend to the bottom of the window and then fixing the X and Y positioning coordinates of all the frames in Tinker so that the animation was seated in the right spot. (I used the selection tool in photoshop to measure that the window sprite needed to be seated 858 pixels along the X axis from the left, and 56 pixels down the y axis from the top). Additionally, the original window has this odd 2-3 pixel gap at the top of the window which I fixed in my version so that the window properly extends up to the curtain rod.

Unfortunately, I had to remove the window shine from my window frame recolors. For some reason when you import the images into Tinker, Tinker recolors partial transparency to black and ruins it. If anyone discovers a solution to this problem, please do let me know!

I managed to create the rain animation by using an old video effects software called Particle Illusion. I tweaked a pre-existing rain preset and then recorded my screen using Screen-to-Gif to capture the animation, making sure that the screen capture matched the exact pixel dimensions of the window.

I extracted the exact number of frames I needed, made it transparent, and created a layer mask on the left side of the canvas to account for curtain, which clips into the window slightly.

Then I exported these frames as individual pngs and then imported them into Tinker. Thank goodness for photoshop actions and batch editing for performing repeated actions, or else I would have lost my mind.

The snow animation was much more challenging because I couldn't find a good video effect animation I liked - and even if I did, making the animation loop flawlessly would have been nearly impossible. So I hand-made my own using an old school 2D animation technique known as "parallax scrolling". Basically how it works is that I created 3 "conveyor belt" layers of snowflakes, each with a seamless repeating pattern. These three conveyor belt layers would each move independently of each other at a different pace. Conveyor belt 1 would move down slowly at a pace of 1 pixel per frame. Conveyor belt 2 would move down a little faster at a pace of 2 pixels per frame, and conveyor belt 3 would move down the fastest at a rate of 5 pixels per frame. The multiple layers of snowflakes give off the illusion of depth, making it look like some snowflakes are farther away.

In order for this animation to loop seamlessly, I had to calculate (yes, super serious complex petz math) the dimensions of these conveyor belt layers to correspond with the pace at which they would be falling. If conveyor belt 1 was falling at a rate of 1 pixel per frame, my repeating snowflake pattern needed to be about 30 pixels tall because there were 30 frames. The fastest conveyor belt, conveyor belt 3, had to be a pattern that was 150 pixels tall because it would be moving at a pace of 5 pixels per frame over the course of 30 frames so 30 x 5 = 150 pixels.

Once I made these three separate patterns I copied and pasted them downward to make the "conveyor belts" that would move down the window over the lifespan of the animation.

To animate this, I would make a new frame and then I would move layer 1 down 1 pixels, layer 2 down 2 pixels and layer 3 down 5 pixels. Then I created another frame and repeated this again and again until I hit 30 frames. If I messed up anywhere (which I did), I would have to redo the entire animation. It took some experimenting to finally get it all looking correct and looping properly.

I decided to enhance the snow animation further by addressing a longstanding issue with Petz 5's weather effects. It always bothered me that it could be snowing in the game, yet the scenery remained unchanged to reflect the seasons. To improve this, I overlaid my completed snow animation onto the winter version of my backyard backdrop. Now, whenever it snows in the window, the scenery actually shifts to a wintery backdrop. I mean that would just make sense right? It speaks to the sloppy/rushed development for Petz 5 that they didn't make it this way from the get go. If a solo amateur like myself could do it in one weekend, I don't know why a team of developers couldn't. (If I am allowed to humbly toot my own horn for a moment and say so.)

BEFORE / AFTER

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading this! I hope this journal proves to be useful and inspiring for future petz content creators who may want to get into custom content creation and retro game modding. It's been such a therapeutic pet project and I'm looking forward to making more playscenes in the future. The next playscenes on the release radar will hopefully be my 4 seasons backyards. I am still finalizing those and hope to release those as soon as life allows. Thank you for patiently waiting, real life is hectic!

To download the Luxe Kitchen and Luxe Living playscenes, jump over to my main page at Magnolia Road - the download link is under Resources > Playscenes.

[dana-chan-the-control-brain]

You know, I don’t see nearly enough love for bob. Any fun facts about him? Thanks!

BOBERT!

And ye.

I've talked about him a bit before

But a few additional facts.

Bob was on the wrestling team in his highschool.

He met Ted when he first started working at Fazbear Entertainment. Before he was possessed.

Bob actually got a raise by the time of Twins. Being the only mechanic that survived the "great employee purge" So he actually has a pretty sizable house with a big backyard in the more rural area. He lives alone, but there is a reason he has all that space that will either be revealed in Twins or Lives.

Bob in the time of Lives and Twins is 39. He is 34 in Lofi. While Ted was 29 in Lofi.

Also at the time of Twins, he's in therapy and anger management. He even got his chip. :D (also a handmade chip that Chica made for him)

Bob despite his hostility and shaky relationship with the Twin animatronics, for understandable reasons he gets along fairly well with the other animatronics. Treating them first as more or less like you would expect a grumpy mechanic would treat robots. Fixing them is still his job after all.

Even though Chica is scared of Parts and Service, he doesn't try to make it painful for her. (Sometimes he just gets frustrated with her running and fighting. He's human after all and does use force but that's rarer with her.)

Roxy likes Bob just cause he does take care of her hair. She more or less views parts and service like getting a makeover.

Bob and Monty have bonded and grew a camaraderie over the years. Monty reminds Bob of how he was so rage-filled as a kid. And he's usually on the Monty defensive squad more often then naught. And gives the Gator legitimate advice at times cause he understands what it's like to be that angry. Monty likes Bob compared to mechanics of the past, cause he doesn't bullshit him and is the only human who can actually suplex him.

Sun and Moon are on far better terms with Bob by Lives and even call him Uncle Bob at times.

[designzones-blog]

Before & After: Las Vegas Remodeling Projects That Will Blow Your Mind 

Las Vegas is known for its glitz, glamour, and larger-than-life transformations—and not just on the Strip. All around the city, homeowners are investing in stunning makeovers that completely change the look, feel, and function of their homes. From sleek kitchens to luxurious bathrooms, these before-and-after remodeling projects prove just how powerful a creative vision—and the right general contractor in Las Vegas—can be. 

Let’s dive into some jaw-dropping transformations that show the magic of expert interior design and remodeling. 

The Outdated Kitchen Turned Modern Marvel 

Before:  This older Las Vegas kitchen was stuck in the past, with worn-out laminate countertops, basic oak cabinets, and dated tile flooring. The space felt small, dark, and cluttered. 

After:  A bold remodeling plan completely changed the story. The walls were knocked down to create an open-concept space, flooding the room with natural light. Shiny quartz countertops, matte black hardware, and sleek white cabinets brought the kitchen into the modern age. A large island with bar seating added both functionality and style. 

Why It Works:  This transformation shows how opening up a space and using a bright, neutral color palette can make even a smaller kitchen feel spacious and elegant. 

The Boring Bathroom Now Feels Like a Spa 

Before:  Think beige tiles, plastic shower doors, and fluorescent lighting. This bathroom didn’t offer any sense of relaxation or luxury. 

After:  Step into spa-like serenity. Floor-to-ceiling marble tiles, a walk-in glass shower with rainfall head, and a floating double vanity created a modern oasis. Soft LED lighting and a large mirror added depth and glow. 

Why It Works:  Bathrooms are some of the most impactful spaces to remodel. With thoughtful interior design and remodeling, even the most basic bathroom can become a relaxing retreat. 

Living Room Makeover: From Dull to Designer 

Before:  The living room was cluttered and lacked personality. It had mismatched furniture, outdated carpet, and little natural light. 

After:  A general contractor in Las Vegas helped transform the room with wide-plank hardwood floors, recessed lighting, and a feature wall with built-in shelving. The new layout centered around a modern fireplace and allowed for easy flow from the dining area to the outdoor patio. 

Why It Works:  By using textures, lighting, and smart layout design, this living room turned into a cozy yet elegant space perfect for both relaxation and entertaining. 

Garage Turned Home Office Dream 

Before:  The garage was dusty, full of storage boxes, and not being used for much beyond parking. 

After:  Now it’s a stunning, fully functional home office. Insulation, drywall, and built-in storage were added, along with large windows to bring in natural light. With clean design, modern furniture, and soundproofing, it’s a dream workspace. 

Why It Works:  With more people working from home, repurposing unused spaces like garages or basements is a smart investment in both comfort and home value. 

Backyard Transformation: From Bare to Beautiful 

Before:  The backyard had patchy grass, a few plastic chairs, and no structure or shade—just empty space with potential. 

After:  Now it’s an outdoor living paradise. A covered patio with a built-in BBQ area, pavers, a fire pit, and even a plunge pool turned this space into the ultimate gathering spot. 

Why It Works:  Las Vegas homeowners are embracing outdoor living more than ever. The desert climate makes the backyard a prime place for interior design and remodeling that extends beyond the walls of your home. 

Conclusion: The Power of a Vision—and the Right Team 

Seeing these “before and after” remodeling projects is a powerful reminder that no space is too outdated or underused to transform. Whether you're refreshing a single room or reimagining your whole home, the key lies in creative planning, thoughtful design, and hiring a skilled general contractor in Las Vegas. 

These stunning makeovers show how strategic updates can turn an ordinary house into an extraordinary home. From cozy retreats to sleek, modern hubs, Las Vegas homeowners are proving that when it comes to remodeling, the sky’s the limit. 

[gardenexpertsnz]

Fresh Ideas to Refresh Your Garden This Season in Auckland

A tired or messy garden can take away from the look of your home. Whether you're planning to sell, host guests, or simply want a peaceful spot to relax, a garden refresh can make a big difference. In Auckland, where the weather shifts quickly, gardens often need more than just a tidy-up — they need smart changes that last.

That’s where our garden makeover services come in. At Garden Experts, we help Aucklanders turn their outdoor spaces into green, clean, and inviting areas. From a full clean-up to new planting or even small redesigns, our team knows how to make the most of your space — no matter the size or shape.

What a Garden Makeover Can Include

Not all gardens need the same kind of work. Some might just need trimming and new mulch. Others may require digging, planting, and shaping.

Here’s what’s often included in a garden makeover:

Weed and rubbish removal

Soil turning and mulch laying

Planting fresh flowers or shrubs

Pruning trees and trimming hedges

New garden beds or borders

Tidy lawn edges and mowing

Every makeover is different, and we work with you to match the style you want — whether it’s modern, simple, or full of colour.

Why Garden Makeovers Are Popular in Auckland

With Auckland’s mix of sun, rain, and sea air, garden areas can quickly become overgrown or patchy. People across the city choose makeover services to:

Get ready for spring or summer

Prepare the yard before selling or renting out a home

Fix damage after heavy rain or wind

Improve street appeal

Make gardens easier to maintain

A well-done garden not only lifts the look of your property but can also make outdoor time more enjoyable.

How Long Does a Garden Makeover Take?

The time depends on how much work your garden needs. A small front yard tidy might take half a day, while a full backyard clean-up or replanting job can take longer.

We always give a free quote first so you know what to expect — no surprises.

Want More Than Just a Tidy-Up?

If your yard needs more than a clean, we can add fresh plants, improve the layout, or give it a completely new feel. Whether you're after a low-care garden, more privacy with hedges, or a softer look with flowers, we can help plan and build it with you.

Working With QuickCuts — Our Trusted Partner

For larger or more detailed makeover jobs, we proudly work with our trusted partner QuickCuts. Their team is well-known across Auckland for turning garden spaces into fresh, clean, and welcoming areas. When you hire us, you also get the support of Garden Expert, their specialised garden makeover team — all with one simple booking.

Together, we manage everything from the first visit to the final clean-up, giving you a garden that suits your space and your style.

Areas We Cover Across Auckland

We provide garden makeover services all over Auckland, including:

Central suburbs (e.g. Mount Eden, Epsom)

North Shore (e.g. Takapuna, Glenfield)

West Auckland (e.g. Henderson, Te Atatū)

East Auckland (e.g. Botany, Pakuranga)

South Auckland (e.g. Papatoetoe, Manurewa)

No matter where you are, we can reach you with friendly and reliable service.

Why Locals Choose Garden Experts

 Free quotes with no pressure

 Experienced team who care about detail

 Flexible bookings that suit your time

 Clean work — we leave no mess behind

 Local knowledge of Auckland gardens

We don’t just mow lawns and trim hedges — we help bring back the best version of your outdoor space.

FAQs 

What is included in a garden makeover? Weed removal, pruning, planting, trimming, and general clean-up based on your needs.

How often should I get a garden makeover? Most clients do one at the start of spring or before events like selling a home.

Do you bring your own tools? Yes, we bring all the tools and gear needed for the job.

Can you help choose plants? Yes, we can suggest and plant garden-friendly options for Auckland’s climate.

Is green waste removed after the job? Yes, we take all garden waste with us so your yard is clean when we leave.

Ready to Refresh Your Garden?

A garden makeover is one of the quickest ways to boost your home’s look. Whether you want a full change or just a neat and tidy space, we’re here to help.

 Book your garden makeover with Garden Experts today

Let us take care of the digging, trimming, and planning — so you can enjoy the results.

[zanvelkahe123]

What Residents Need to Know Before Choosing Skip Hire in Burwood

Skip hire in Burwood provides a practical solution for managing waste during home renovations, landscaping, and construction projects. Located in Western Sydney, Burwood sees a high volume of residential and commercial developments, making skip bins a common sight on driveways and job sites. Whether you're clearing out after a major move, removing garden debris, or handling demolition rubble, selecting the right skip bin ensures effective waste disposal and site organisation.

What Makes Skip Hire in Burwood Unique?

Burwood’s mix of housing styles and development activity influences skip hire demand:

Dense Residential Areas : Narrow streets and compact properties mean smaller bin sizes may be required for easier access.

Apartment and Strata Living : Multi-unit complexes often coordinate shared bin use for communal clean-ups or renovations.

Commercial and Retail Zones : Businesses in Burwood Road and nearby industrial areas frequently use skips for office relocations and store refits.

Council Placement Rules : Like many Sydney suburbs, Burwood requires permits for bins placed on footpaths or roads.

High Demand During Renovation Seasons : Spring and summer bring increased home improvement activity, making early booking advisable.

These considerations shape how residents and businesses approach waste removal.

What Are the Most Common Uses for Skip Bins in Burwood?

Residents commonly use skip hire in Burwood for:

Home Renovations : Kitchen, bathroom, and flooring replacements generate considerable waste requiring professional disposal.

Garden and Landscaping Projects : Removing turf, tree stumps, and soil is made easier with a dedicated bin.

Estate and Garage Clearances : Perfect for downsizing, moving, or preparing homes for sale.

Post-Move or Post-Tenant Clean-Ups : Helps landlords remove leftover debris and prepare properties for new tenants.

Event and Community Clean-Ups : Local schools, churches, and community centres occasionally rent skips for large-scale tidying efforts.

Each application benefits from the flexibility and efficiency of a well-placed skip bin.

How Do You Choose the Right Size?

Selecting the correct skip bin in Burwood depends on project scale:

Small Jobs (2–3 Cubic Metres) : Ideal for single rooms, garages, or minor furniture removals.

Medium Jobs (4–7 Cubic Metres) : Often used for full room renovations, backyard makeovers, or small-scale demolitions.

Large Jobs (10–15 Cubic Metres) : Suited for whole-house renovations, roof replacements, or major construction work.

Heavy-Duty Bins for Dense Waste : Concrete, bricks, and metal scrap fill up space quickly, influencing bin selection.

Consultation with the Supplier : Many companies guide customers toward the best size based on expected waste volume.

Proper planning prevents underestimating bin capacity and additional delivery costs.

Where Can You Place Your Skip Bin?

Location plays a key role in skip bin hire in Burwood :

Driveways and Private Property : The preferred option, avoiding the need for council permits or approvals.

Front Yards and Carports : Alternative spots if driveway space is limited but still within private boundaries.

Street and Footpath Placement : Requires a council permit and must not obstruct pedestrian pathways or drainage systems.

Multi-Unit Complexes : Coordination with strata managers ensures bins are placed safely and securely.

Business Premises : Commercial zones often have designated loading areas where bins can be placed with minimal disruption.

Strategic positioning improves accessibility and safety for all involved.

How to Save Money on Skip Hire in Burwood

To get the best deal on skip hire in Burwood , consider the following tips:

Accurate Waste Estimation : Overfilling or underestimating can lead to costly adjustments or multiple hires.

Combine with Neighbours or Friends : Shared bin use for estate clearances or community events lowers individual costs.

Use Eco-Friendly Bins : Some companies offer sorting and recycling, which can reduce landfill levies and overall cost.

Book in Advance for Better Rates : Last-minute bookings sometimes incur premium fees, especially during peak seasons.

Ask About Discounts and Referral Programs : Some providers reward repeat customers or referrals with reduced hire rates.

Smart planning and communication with suppliers lead to better value.

Final Thoughts

Skip hire in Burwood offers a streamlined way to manage waste during home improvements, landscaping, and commercial clean-ups. With a variety of sizes, flexible hire periods, and increasing emphasis on sustainable disposal, finding the right bin makes a big difference in project efficiency. As urban renewal continues to reshape parts of Burwood, having access to reliable and affordable skip bin services supports both residents and tradespeople in keeping their spaces clean and well-maintained.

[jeffefficiencyboss]

Backyard Goals: Ohio Custom Pool and Patio Is Redefining Outdoor Living in Northeast Ohio

📍 Hinckley, OH 🎨 Mood: Dreaming of summer nights under the stars

Ever look out at your backyard and think… “This could be so much more”? Same. And if you’re anywhere near Hinckley or greater Cleveland, you have to see what Ohio Custom Pool and Patio is doing right now. They're not just building pools—they’re crafting entire outdoor lifestyles. Think private resort vibes, but at home. 💦🌿🔥

🌊 Custom Pools That Actually Feel Custom

Not all pools are created equal—and honestly, most look the same. But Ohio Custom Pool and Patio is flipping the script. Their projects are designed around you—your taste, your space, your vision.

We’re talking:

✨ Sleek custom inground pools ✨ Infinity edges + waterfall features ✨ Tanning ledges you’ll never want to leave ✨ Fire + water combos (!!) ✨ Spa spillovers for max relaxation

“We don’t just install pools. We create spaces where memories are made.” – Brian Kennedy, Owner of Ohio Custom Pool and Patio

Yes. Just… yes. 🫶

🌿 Outdoor Spaces That Feel Like Escapes

They don’t stop at water. Ohio Custom Pool and Patio is doing full outdoor transformations:

🔥 Stone fireplaces for cool evenings 🍽️ Outdoor kitchens perfect for weekend cookouts 🪴 Stamped concrete and custom patios 🌺 LED lighting setups for that ambient glow

Imagine a space that flows from pool to patio to cozy night lounge—every inch thoughtfully built. You’re not just upgrading your yard, you’re building a vibe. A luxury one.

💪 Built for Ohio. Built to Last.

Here’s what makes them really stand out: they actually know Ohio. They’ve mastered the region’s drainage issues, freeze-thaw cycles, weird weather swings—all of it.

They’re based right in Hinckley and serve across Cuyahoga, Medina, and Summit Counties. And nope—they don’t outsource the important stuff. Their team handles everything start to finish: design, renderings, permits, construction.

No miscommunications, no project delays, no “uh-oh, who’s in charge of this part?”

✨ Want Inspiration? Their Feeds Are FIRE.

Seriously, if you love before-and-afters or just want some outdoor design eye candy, check out their socials. It’s like flipping through your dream home Pinterest board.

📸 Instagram | 💬 Facebook | 💼 LinkedIn 🔗 ohiopoolandpatio.com

Ready to Make It Happen?

If you’re planning your dream pool or finally saying yes to that backyard makeover, Ohio Custom Pool and Patio is it. They’re local. They’re experienced. They’re so good at what they do.

This isn’t just construction—it’s creating the life you want to live. ☀️🏊‍♂️🍹

Contact them today 📍 Hinckley, OH 44233 📞 (440) 636-1094 🌐 ohiopoolandpatio.com

#backyardgoals #poolaesthetic #custompool #outdoorliving #ohiohomes #patioinspo #summervibes #hgtvworthy #designinspo

[colourvalley]

Prepping Your Walls for a Summer Makeover: The Step You Can’t Skip

Summary 

Nobody wants to scrub walls in the middle of a heatwave, but skipping the prep is basically asking for disaster. People always get hyped picking out the perfect shade (looking at you, “Whispering Cloud” and “Sunset Blush” fans), but if you slap paint on dirty, cracked walls, it’s gonna look like a mess in no time.

Here’s the deal: dust off the walls (yes, actually get in there with a cleaner), scrape off those ancient paint flakes, patch up every crack and weird hole (because trust me, they’ll show), sand it all smooth, and hit it with a decent primer. If you skip any of that, get ready for peeling paint and streaks that’ll bug you every time you walk by. Honestly, whether you’re channeling your inner DIY hero or just paying someone to do it, don’t cheap out on prep. Your future self will thank you—promise.

At Their Own Risk, Prudent Skippers Never Skip Wall Preparation

Let’s not fool ourselves though — when the typical shopper embarks on a home paint adventure, they begin to dream a little dreamy the moment they select their paint colours. Pinterest boards, paint chip swatches, soap operas over whether “Mist Grey” is better than “Cloud Whisper” — it’s a vibe. Here’s the thing, not even the highest quality paint for home will bail you out if you mess up one crucial aspect — surface preparation.

Yes—you heard it here—your walls require some major TLC before you can even begin daydreaming of opening up a paint can. Especially in the humid summer peak load months, when high HVAC load conditions turn drywall surfaces into literal hotstoves, to get them tightened up it can be essential to get them conditioned. Play hard to get, and you’ll be left with chalking, blistering, milky-white paint that is having an existential crisis a week after cure.

Here’s What Makes Preparing in These Summer Months So Critical

Summer’s extreme heat and humidity can ruin more than your backyard barbecue plans — they can seriously endanger your health. It comes as no surprise that the ignorance about the Moon runs deep when it comes to its potential. Summer’s blistering temperatures and humid weather conditions don’t simply destroy your road rage and weekend enjoyment—they tally up a lot of harm to your home’s exterior along the way. Dust settling is one instant foe, layers of paint deep start to solidify under harmful effects of constant UV light and exposure, water trapped underneath several old coats of paint will seep through and make unsightly blisters or splotches. A good cleaning, scraping, sanding, filling and patching of defects leaves extremely smooth even surfaces that are better for the maximum adhesion of paint and greatly increase the wear life of the finish.

Even more subtly, excessive heat doesn’t only impact the initial surface preparation prior to a paint application, it impacts what occurs after paint is applied—in a unique manner. Painting on a crumbly or otherwise unprepared or unwashed surface that dries instantly will result in failure long before it’s time, such as attempting to paint sandpaper, resulting in chips and cracks. That’s why this is the one thing your paint contractor cannot afford to forget — and the one you can’t afford to forget either, if you’re going to do the job yourself.

Connect Like a Local and Prep Like a Pro

2 Fire or Mild Steel Scouring Pad 3 Clean the Walls Gently and ThoroughlyDust, cobwebs and stains are paint’s public enemy number one. Clean your wall first before you get to painting with a mild soap and water or wall-washing detergent solution. Pay special attention to wall surfaces in high-need areas such as kitchens (cue the grease stains!) bathrooms where moisture can linger. On the outside, a good pressure wash and scrub should take care of most of the heavy lifting.

Loose PaintDon’t cover loose, old paint with new paint. It must be scraped, chiseled, or power-washed first. That nasty, dangerous, lead-filled, peely, cracked paint—that’s gotta be removed. If your paint is already peeling, grab a paint scraper or putty knife and scrape off every last loose, peeling bit. Don’t be fooled by those yucky ceiling returns and window sills, etc. Loose paint beneath a fresh topcoat is damage in the making. It’s like putting funky, holey socks under nice dress shoes. Totally avoidable, and totally frustrating.

Seal Cracks and PoresSmooth out cracks, dings, and even small nail holes with wall compound. Let’s assume that for the purposes of argument, a perfect surface does matter to the extent of guaranteeing that the paint job goes wonderfully. If the cracks are large, then it’s time to call in an experienced painting contractor to see whether there is a problem underlying at work.

Color it Up on Coarse Texture for High Gloss ProtectionAfter your wall has dried and been repaired, you can buff it down smooth using a little fine-grit sandpaper. It makes it easier to hide small imperfections, giving interior wall coatings or exterior paints a smoother surface to bond to.

Healthy, Healthy, HealthyTrust us, you’re not going to want to miss the primer. It produces an even gloss or sheen, hides or fills the imperfections or irregularities of the substrate, and improves paint adhesion properties. Especially crucial if you’re making a one or two color jump from black to white or vice versa, or painting over previous patches and bodywork touch ups. Picture this primer wall clothers base coat your walls are really worthy of.

National Parks Pro Tips for Studio Views Summer Painting Success

As temperatures drop, it becomes essential to know when the best moments are to paint. With excessive summer heat, morning and evening are the best times to paint. It ain’t sexy, and you’ll never ever get another blushing midday sunbeam to admit that painting a house is the better use of its time because of one crucial distinction. At high noon sun, for instance, the paint actually dries too fast and results in paint runs and lap marks.

Choose Weather-Appropriate PaintsThe temperature and humidity levels have a big role in the way the paint gets absorbed and cures quickly. Home paint is high temp and moisture resistant. Heat-reflective wall paint, electric insulation for painting walls, and anti-fungal weatherproof exterior paint by other companies, such as C Valley, are best applied during the Indian summers.

Test FirstDon’t apply a brush to the wall before testing your paint first on a small section. Credit Curran White Lighting in summer can completely change the look of a color.

Don’t let paint dry between allowing you to attempt to paint the entire mural entirely by trying one massive, impossible part all at the same time. Try setting and completing just one section a day.

Advantages of Employing a Professional House Painter

Summer painting is now a costly and risky venture. Experienced painters show up with specialized skills, their own equipment, and top-notch material you won’t be able to purchase at the local hardware store. They possess the know-how and experience to navigate through the most difficult snow and ice situations, allowing the preparation work to be completed in a timely manner and keeping you from losing valuable time and accumulating frustration in the future.

Apart from this, if your house hasn’t been constructed after the previous cricket World Cup, then a professional’s eye might not only save you money and time but also give you the ability to recognize areas of defect like damp, hidden cracks or structural faults that are very easy to overlook. Going for the best method to cover your home’s exterior with durable materials and a top-notch house painter finish now will keep you from more extensive repairs and touch-ups in the future.

Start While the Weather’s Right, Enjoy the Rewards Later

Adorning your house with a fresh coat of paint this summer seems like an idyllic prospect — extra daylight hours, faster drying times, and the summery ambiance that will have your house looking great for the entire season. It’s only worth it if you’re willing to take shortcuts and/or possess the skills to do so. Whether you’re getting ready to roll the walls of your new home, or reapplying or maintaining an existing coat of a high-performance architectural coating on your school or office building, proper surface preparation is the magic ingredient for the perfect paint job.

So, before you plunge into a universe of hand-painted shiplap and off-white-ish greys with a hint of something-something, give voice to your inner skittish color-cruncher. Plan ahead with careful consideration, elbow grease, and maybe more than a few jig tunes of the high-artful strings of a full-service-mural artist to do the heavy lifting for you. Preserve your walls—and your future self—from wall stains when your paint job will last longer than the last ice cream cone of summer.

Conclusion 

So you wanna give your walls a little makeover this summer, huh? Honestly, the secret sauce isn’t just splashing on a fancy color and calling it a day. Nah—you gotta get your hands dirty first. Patch up those weird cracks, scrub off the mystery stains (we’ve all got ’em), and yank off any flaky paint just hangin’ on for dear life. Oh, and don’t even get me started on primer—don’t just grab any old can; pick one that actually matches your wall type or you’ll regret it later. Seriously, whether you’re going full DIY mode or just paying someone else to do the grunt work, don’t skip these steps. They’re the difference between “Wow, this looks amazing!” and “Why is it peeling already?” Pick your dreamy shade—“Whispering Cloud” or whatever Pinterest is pushing this week—but trust me, none of that matters if you don’t prep.