#bless vacations i can finally do shit

[damianito]

Literally jumping up and down, ecstatic when I got the notif of the new art. I actually LIVE. for ur shin soukoku art, specifically of them and they're baby girl. PLSPLSPLS never stop, I need more to live

I'm planning a lot of things for them *rub hands like a fly* just you wait.

[nijigasakilove]

Letterbox effect just hits so different in episodes like this. Masterful use of direction and cinematography. One of the most gut wrenching episodes I’ve seen recently.

Finally got Kano backstory and the world doesn’t deserve her. The way she idolised her mother and just wanted her acceptance while her mom couldn’t even be bothered to show up to her class on presentation day just broke my heart.. most parents would kill for a kid as pure and obedient as Kano, and her mom only cared about using her to further her career, gross.

Mahiru rep took a major hit in this one for me. She’s gonna have to redeem herself. Came off very snakey. Mfs are upset about me saying it, but planning all this stuff with Yukine when you know she and Kano aren’t on good terms and Kano has had some family issues in the past is very snakey to me! Yes, I get that she wants to advance her own career and grow to love her art and herself, that’s very valid, but I’m not working with my best friend’s mom who I know she has beef with or at least aren’t on good terms. It’s just messy.

And even during Mahiru and Yukine meeting you can already see signs. Like when Mahiru brought up Kano and she’s like “oh you mean Nonoka” she don’t even see her daughter as a person just as a commodity or product. Just like she sees Mahiru’s art the same. Calling Mahiru “sensei” and gassing her shit up.. she’s not slick man 💀 she’ll turn on you just like she did Kano when it’s no longer convenient.

The other thing for me is if you really feel like you doing nothing wrong, you wouldn’t even feel the need to call Kano and get her blessing. The fact Mahiru did that tells me she knew this was something that she probably shouldn’t be doing. Kano was clearly skeptical otp about it too 🤷🏾‍♂️ do I think Mahiru is a horrible person? No, but she did some snake shit. But again, respect to Yaku sensei for creating a situation that could very much happen irl because girlfriends can be messy as hell.

Talked about all that and ain’t even get into Mero running the YouTube expose page. That’s so fucking gross and Kano was very justified for punching her in the face. I’d rather lose the right way than win the wrong way and kano clearly felt the same.

Now Kano did say some nasty shit at the end to Mahiru but you know, Mahiru deserved it 🤷🏾‍♂️ and Kano was just desperate to not lose the only friends she’s had. After seemingly finally escaping her loner past and developing relationships now she sees her closest friend potentially drifting away from her with her MOTHER of all people, the same mother who when told her daughter’s concerns about not having friends or fitting in just brought up her dream of selling out Tōkyō dome. ofc she’d snap.

Could go on and on about it but it was amazing, didn’t even touch on everything I want to but I’m on vacation and need to go to the beach lmao. This episode fucked me up though. 10/10 as usual from my goat Yaku sensei. If there’s ever a Tomozaki s3 and 4 it’ll have stuff like this too.

[queenimmadolla]

i just got off vacation with some of my family, and my nephew finds the most mundane things funny, like when he sneezes and i tell him “bless you” he’s busting his gut laughing

but i found out today when I asked him for a kiss just to see if he knew what it was, he thought it was the funniest thing ever and would bonk his head against my face so i would give him one and he laughed his ass off vivi I kid you not and I think that’s baby Wayne I love both those boys so much 🥹especially since you made that little drabble about how much potato baby loves us

but contrarily. I think Penny is the other way around. She thinks it’s the funniest thing ever to ask Eddie for a kiss and then turn away at the last second and obviously we think it’s hilarious but Eddie just wanted to love his itty bitty pretty one who’s not so itty bitty anymore 😭😭

sometimes kids are nice! not nice enough to make me want to have one, but nice nonetheless!

Wayne would go in for a bonk, especially when he wants a kiss. Hel-lo! You’re holding him and yet you’re not pressing kiss after kiss to his face even though you know he starts shrieking with mirth when you do that, so happy and filled with love for his mommy???? It’s a crime, and the punishment for it is he rams his head against the lower half of your face to get his kisses on his own 😤

Penny’s a little shit when it comes to teasing and playing with you guys, obviously she doesn’t know eddie’s playing pretend when he does it, but she needs to see him curled up in the fetal position on the ground, (fake) sobbing because she’s refused to give him kisses (after yanking on the leg of his pants and puckering her lips to convey what she wanted from her daddy) for her to finally be like ‘ight’.

don’t even mention the topic of penny growing up around Eddie. it legitimately bothers him so much. Slipping Through My Fingers is your official mommy-daughter song with Penny, but when he’s actively aware of how fast Penny is growing up—has those moments of startling clarity, Eddie likes to go on a drive, and he’ll pop in a special mixtape he made (Penny for Your Thoughts written with black sharpie on the box, iykyk) with songs that make him think of her and when he gets to the guitar solo of Slipping Though My Fingers he is full on crying because he’s absolutely devastated that his baby is growing up but so proud at the same time, it’s very bittersweet 😭

And you can always tell when one of his drives was a Penny Drive so you immediately get her so the two of you can offer Eddie some comfort cuddles, and Penny, who just thinks her dad is sad, will tell him over and over how much she loves her daddy. He ends up hiding his face in her hair and crying again.

[bengiyo]

Wedding Plan Ep 7 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Lom finally managed to clear things up with Namnuea with the help of Yiwa and Marine. We learned that Lom also experienced The Knowing along with Yiwa when they were kids and have been loyal to each other for over a decade as a result. Nuea and Lom got it in a second time, and Nuea asked to help carry their secret, much Lom’s awe and surprise. Accepting Nuea’s decision, Nuea’s family declared that Lom is theirs now, should his own family turn on him. Meanwhile, Yiwa’s mom was absolutely cruel to Marine, and so Yiwa has decided to run off right before the wedding.

Where is your grace, Saichom? Why would you scream out the problem instead of solving it? This is why your kids haven’t told you who they are.

Oh, Lom, I wish she had warned you, too.

How quickly these two moms turned on each other after being aligned for over a decade.

Not this guest living for the drama and filming it! They’re throwing the staff around!

I really love the choice to mute other sounds and play music over it instead before cutting to the guests leaving.

Namnuea really is good at his job.

Lom is laughing about all of this! He can read between the lines when it comes to Yiwa.

I love that Lom was correct about Yiwa, and that she didn’t tell him to save him the difficulty of lying. Also relieved that these two have a plan to land on their feet in England.

Lom is having too much fun playing heartbroken.

Don’t worry, Saichom. Nuea and Lom going to do a lot of healing.

Oh, I need to hand out a clown aware for whoever guessed that Nuea was faking sad and drunk from the preview with the flask.

I’m glad these two are thriving.

Namnuea, I love you. Thank you for not letting Lom drunk drive.

I’m glad Lom’s plan involves coming out in a way that doesn’t involve Nuea in Yiwa’s decision to leave.

Very meaningful grabbing behind backs there, boys. Thank you for that.

These two are fun now that they’ve settled.

Yiwa and Marine got married!!

Okay, I love that Namnuea is out of vacation leave from when he ran off earlier. Im said, I got you, boo, but you also gotta get me!

Gays arguing over who gets to propose to whom. We eatin’ good today.

The couple photo of Lom and Nuea is fantastic, holy shit.

Okay, this was a good parent moment. “I might find it difficult to accept, but please don’t disappear,” is honestly so reasonable. I’m into it. Lom hasn’t come out formally yet, but they’re talking about it.

I love the bickering in this company. They’re so funny. Now they’re gossiping. I love it here.

Alright, I have a lot of big thoughts about Lom��s mom coming around and Lom reading between the lines on his mother to know that she gave her blessing as best she could.

Final Verdict: 9.5, Highly Recommended. I never expected to be earnestly recommending a MAME show this year, but here we are. The final resolution of this show reveals an understanding of the fundamental nature of the closet in a way I did not think MAME was capable of. Yiwa understood that the gender politics of their existences meant that she and Marine could not be happy in Thailand and so she decided to leave. I love that with all that Lom and she have given up for each other, I like her taking the opportunity to take on all the hate and derision for him. I love that it’s her choice and not one foisted upon her or expected of her. With this opportunity, Lom and Nuea are allowed to soft-launch their relationship. This is actually so beautiful to me because I like the queers collectively deciding when everyone else is allowed to know. I like that they have to create a narrative that the hets will accept for them to come out peacefully. It’s not fun to live a lie, but we’re not the ones demanding the lies of us. I’m absolutely floored by the earnest way this show faced all of these obstacles and took what felt like such a gross starting line to a fantastic finish. I’m only taking a point here because the kissing with the girls was bad, and their chemistry was a little weak. So, yeah, watch the MAME show about the wedding planner getting the groom.

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Congrats, Star!!! Will you write Rooster with smut prompt 10?? 💕

Hi Em! I think you're going to really love this one! 😜😜😜For @roosterforme You want me to ruin you, don’t you?💕💕💕

Surfer Boy

God bless San Diego, and god bless the US Navy. It’s a thought you’ve had probably a hundred times a day since you moved into your parent’s vacation home on the beach permanently. It’s become something of a morning routine for you. Every morning you brew a carafe of coffee and sit on the wicker furniture on the veranda as you watch this cluster of ridiculously sexy Navy guys gambol in the waves. There are always a few different guys in the group each morning, but one guy is always there. He’s about six feet tall, muscular, with a mop of shiny chestnut curls on his head. On his lip is a mustache that looks straight out of a porno from the 80s. It shouldn’t look as good as it does, but he makes you swoon. So yeah, you’re crushing on the Navy boy with a mustache. You have no idea who he is, what he does, nothing. But each morning, like clockwork, you perch yourself on your veranda furniture, coffee mug in hand, and watch him play in the sand. 

On Tuesday afternoon, when you’ve just gotten home from work, you meet him in person. There’s a persistent knocking on your back door. You open it warily, not sure what to expect. You still remember hiding with your mom in the corner between the sofa and the loveseat when a couple of drunks had been knocking on the back door. You have a high level of surety that it’s not a drunk, though, seeing as how it is about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. It’s not a drunk.

 On the contrary, it’s all the Navy boys you’ve ever seen on the beach in the early morning on the sand in front of your deck steps. In the center stand two, your mustached man and a blonde with the biggest shit-eating grin you’ve ever seen. They both wear wetsuits and look like they’ve swum in the waves. It’s the blond who pushes Mr.Mustache towards you.

“Hey, Darlin’. This here’s Rooster. He’s been ogling you for months. We’re sick of it. He’s your problem now. Fuck him, Kiss him, Feed him, Water him, I don’t care. I’m done being his keeper. Bye, now!”

Your mouth is half open, mid-word when they all turn around and walk away in unison. They don’t stop where they usually play on the beach, either. They just keep walking. That leaves you staring down at one flustered-looking man. His big eyes are glancing pleadingly up at you, and you can feel yourself folding like a cheap lawn chair at that look in his eyes.

“C’mon in, I guess. Shoes off on the mat. Do you want anything to drink?”

He’s oddly silent as he follows behind you. You can feel his presence behind your shoulder as you putter about in your small kitchen reaching for glasses and fetching a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge. You press the glass into his hand and lean against your counter, sipping the cool liquid.

He drains the glass with one smooth movement before finally speaking to you.

“I’m really sorry about this, doll. I should’ve stopped them.”

He’s dragging his hands through his curls, pulling one to rest over his eyes.

“What do you have to apologize for? It sounds like you were as taken aback as I was.” 

You set your glass down and step into his space, carefully pulling the glass out of his hands. 

“And, if what they said was true, baby, I’ve been thinking about doing bad things with you for a very long time.”

He blinks at you for several moments as you hoist yourself onto the kitchen counter next to him. From your new spot, you’re near enough to see the flecks of gold in his whiskey eyes. You tug on his hand until he’s standing between your parted thighs, and that’s when you know he wants you as much as you want him. You wrap an arm around the back of his neck and pull him in until you can feel the puffs of his breath on your lips. 

“D’you want this, honey?” Your voice is deeper and a little rougher.

“Please.”

You crash your mouth to his, gasping at the feeling of his mustache brushing against your sensitive skin. He lets you drive the kiss and move his head and hands until your skin hums with arousal. When you finally pull away, his eyes are blown wide, and his wetsuit has a considerable bulge. 

“Oh, you’re such a pretty boy.” You coo, clambering off the counter and softly pushing him back before tugging your shirt and pants off. You kneel in front of him, nuzzling at his bulge before pressing kisses against it and his thighs. His hands flex against his sides as you stand before him again.

“You want me to ruin you, don’t you?” Your voice is a sinful purr as you trail your fingers across his chest and stomach.

“Y-yes.”

“Yes, what, honey?” You cup his cock with firm fingers as he whimpers and jerks his hips into your grasp.

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

You drag him into another kiss for being such a good boy before letting him go. He whines at the loss of your touch as you walk to his back and drag the wetsuit's zipper down. It falls open at his waist, and it’s only moments before you have the most beautiful man naked in your kitchen. You drop to your knees and finally relieve your sweet boy's misery. The first gentle, wet drag of your tongue over his cock has the most beautiful punched-out moan spilling from his lips. At that, all your resolve fades away. You want this man’s cum in your mouth. It’s filthy and wet as you gag on his cock. 

“Baby, it’s okay, fuck my mouth.”

He takes that as the permission it is, fucking your throat as hard as he can. You look up at him with pleasure-hazed eyes as he chases his pleasure, every muscle in his body working in unison to bring him pleasure. He cums with a bit-off groan when you roll his balls between your fingers. That’s when you end up with a naked six-foot-tall man curled into your lap on your kitchen floor.

“Bradley, darling. How do you feel?” Your voice is soft as you run your fingers through his salty, sweaty curls.

“I feel so good, baby. I love you, Mrs. Bradshaw.”

“I love you, Mr. Bradshaw. Tell me what your squadron says when they realize you were ogling your wife.”

His laugh has your own spring forth, and that’s how the two of you spend the rest of your night. Laughing and still as hopelessly in love with each other as you were the day you got married.

Want to request something for my 100 Follower Celebration? The guidelines are here! Please leave me a request in my inbox with your ask!

- XOXO Star

[lilbittymonster]

holds up a very tired peace sign

Final roundup thoughts are that Dawntrail was a nice expansion. It wasn't amazing. It wasn't awful. I won't be up at night thinking about it. I won't be calling it the worst expansion ever. It was just....nice.

It told the story it wanted to tell very neatly. The writing has really bounced back from the nightmare of pacing issues that Endwalker had. The stakes were raised in a gradual and believable way. All it's loose threads were woven together neatly by the end. Wuk Lamat had a strong positive character arc without sacrificing her core personality. Koana had the necessary growth to realise that innovation and progress are not at odds with tradition. I think they compliment each other's weak points well.

Most of my nitpicking about the expansion lies in how the writers seemed to be trying to make a WoL x Wuk Lamat....thing happen, and I very much did not care for it At All. It's the same problem that I have with how the Exarch is written in ShB where we cannot say 'no' to him at any point. And frankly, being able to say 'no' is not something that would make the story come to a screeching halt. That's just lazy writing. I would have preferred if we were given dialogue options that gave us more agency in how we interacted with Wuk Lamat. Because the whole forced "we're family now :) you can call me Lamaty'i :)" was REALLY rubbing me the wrong way because, again, there was no way out! I could not at any point say "no, Wuk Lamat, I do not see you as family, you are assuming a level of relation here that just doesn't exist." Kitali wouold have flat out told her "no I'm not calling you that, we aren't family" and no amount of sad wet kitty eyes from Wuk Lamat could make her budge.

Kitali did not want to be here in the first place. She didn't sign on to be a participant in yet another political struggle. She was here with her husband on vacation and to keep an eye on the twins. That's it. And that's what she does for most of the early succession arc. She only gets called into the MSQ when the kidnapping happens, and she and Thancred are off doing their rogue shit together. She and Aymeric stick with the group until the end of the Valigarmanda trial, and after that she goes back to ignoring the political machinations.

It was Aymeric who dragged them along to Yak T'el, and Kitali wound up spending more time with the vipers than anything else. I haven't been bothered to actually level the job, but it's yet another dual wielding job to add to her repertoire, she'll be fine at viper day camp while the MSQ happens. And making sure Aymeric doesn't die of spice while they're there. He's gotten better but he is still very Ishgardian. Kitali would have been more interested in exploring the Ja Tiika forest and wallowing in her nostalgia for Rak'tika than anything else. They aren't there for the blessed siblings lore dump, but they tag along for the Skydeep Cenote dungeon as backup.

There is not nearly enough Estinien in this expansion for my tastes but at least I know what he's doing once he leaves Sunperch, so that makes my job easier.

I'm sure I'll waffle back and forth a bit on it by the time I actually get around to replaying it and writing out fic for it, and by the pace I'm going at it'll be several years from now, but it makes the most sense to me for Aymeric to remain behind in Tuliyollal following the attack. He isn't there for a lot of the Solution 9/Heritage Found stuff and they wouldn't see each other again til the final zone. He and Estinien would be sharing guard duty at the gate waiting for Kitali to come back through.

I kind of enjoyed not having Kitali be the main character of the expansion the same way she wasn't the main character in Stormblood. I really don't feel like it had to be the Warrior of Light with Wuk Lamat for the trials of succession arc. It just needed to be a strong adventurer. And even once the plot twists kicked up, we still weren't the main character, but being the WoL and our past experiences did end up being important enough to necessitate our presence. Compared to the previous two expansions, it was such a weight off Kitali's shoulders. Still, again with the "the whole world depends on me to save it" exhaustion, but lighter in comparison.

And Wuk Lamat ended up being the one to actually save it with the power of friendship. Love that for her. I'm glad that they kept her characterisation solid throughout the whole expansion.

I don't have any true investment in the expansion. I enjoyed it, but I'm more interested in the little bits and pieces about the future of interdimentional travel that they've been poking at since ShB ended. And if I'm being honest I think I'm starting to burn out on the game entirely. I've been meaning to replay some other games for a while now, and I think I need to take the time to do that and recharge.

I'll end this post with the best screenshot of the game.

He's gonna be a great dad some day.

[softsnzstuff]

Home for the Holidays

Merry (early) Christmas just because!! I’ve had this idea since October and only sat down to write it tonight, hope you enjoy!! ~KB

Fandom: Stranger Things; Streamer AU

Summary: The Fruity Four go to the Buckley household in New York for this famous holiday party that they intend to vlog. The remainder of the plot is quite literally - “everyone gets sick.”

Word count: 3,000

“Ladies and gentleman, we are about to begin our final departure. Please stow away any large electronics and make sure your seat and tray table are in the upright and locked position.”

Eddie took off his headphones and hung them around his neck, turning to look at Steve, who was asleep against the window. His lips were parted slightly as he slept, nose tinged pink.

The older man rubbed his partner’s thigh lovingly before putting the headphones back on for the last 20 minutes of the flight.

Across the aisle, Robin and Nancy were packing up their playing cards. Robin had her phone out, recording quietly. She zoomed in on the boys, Eddie waving and pointing at Steve with his thumb, laughing.

Even though this getaway to Robin’s family home was a personal vacation, their annual Buckley party was well known across the country. All of the streamers had decided to vlog the trip this year, giving viewers an inside look into the famous holiday shindig.

The plane landed at JFK around 7:30pm Eastern. They all grabbed their small suitcases or duffels, wearing their backpacks as they exited the aircraft. Eddie was filming as they walked down the gate into the main part of the airport.

“Alright freaks, we just landed in New Yawk, Birdie’s hometown.” He glanced at Robin and wiggled his eyebrows before she laughed and pushed the camera back towards the boys.

Eddie returned to frame just as Steve turned slightly, steepling into his hands.

“Hih.. iiGSHuhew! snff H’etCHHuh!”

“Bless you!” Eddie exclaimed. “You alright Stevie? You look like shit.”

The younger man groaned quietly, running a hand through his ruffled hair and running a knuckle under his nose.

Eddie addressed the camera again, “Steve’s not feeling too hot guys. Think he caught whatever Nancy has.”

“Sorry Steve.” Nancy shot him an apologetic glance as she walked. She’d started getting sick only a few days ago, but despite being on the tail end of it, still felt kind of crummy.

“It’s all good, N’dance. I’m okay.”

“WELP! We’re gonna snag a taxi to The Buckley Household.” Eddie said in a British accent.

Robins voice rang in from the background, “My family isn’t British Eddie.”

“Yeah yeah alright, we’re going to Birdie’s house! See you later!”

---

Filming picked up again the next morning. Robin was sitting at a small table in the kitchen, Nancy resting on her shoulder.

“Morning, Mama B!” Eddie filmed as he strolled into the kitchen where Victoria Buckley was boiling water on the stove. “What’s cookin?”

“Tea for Nance and Steve.” Robin said.

Mrs.Buckley nodded in agreement, turning to Eddie. The 27 year old turned the camera back on himself.

“Things kind of took a turn for the worst last night. Nancy has a fever and Steve can’t stop coughing… speak of the devil.”

Eddie turned around as Steve walked down the staircase, coughing into the elbow of his hoodie.

“Oh, go back to bed sweetheart, Eddie will bring you this tea when it’s done.” Mrs.Buckley cooed.

“That means she doesn’t want you to get the kitchen all germy before the party tonight.” Robin teased.

“Be nice Robin, he’s sick.” Mrs.Buckley said.

“Yeah Robin,” Steve mimicked, “Be nice. I’m hhh sick- h’AESHhu! Hih-eKSht’iew!”

“Alright you,” Eddie turned Steve around and nudged him back towards the stairs, “Back to bed.”

“Steve and I can stay upstairs during the party, Mrs.B. I’d hate to get any of your guests sick too.” Nancy finally spoke up, lifting her head off of Robin’s shoulder.

Mrs.Buckley rubbed a hand on Nancy’s shoulder as she set down the mug of tea. “After that display from Steve, I think that’s a good idea. But please do help yourself to any of the food and drink!”

Nancy smiled and nodded and Robin kissed the top of her head.

Mrs.Buckley held out the second mug of tea. “Eddie dear, do you mind?”

“Yeah of course!” Eddie turned off the camera and pocketed his phone, taking the mug carefully with both hands.

He carefully jogged up the stairs to the guest bedroom he and Steve were staying in. “Hey Stevie I got your tea!”

A wet cough escaped Steve’s lips before he turned back towards Eddie, reaching for the mug. “Tha’gks Eds.”

Eddie frowned and sat on the edge of the bed next to Steve. “You sound bad. How do you feel?”

Steve sighed, debating how honest he wanted to be. “Hon’destly? Pretty bad.”

“I’m sorry babe. Robin and I are going out to run some party errands for her parents. Do you need anything?”

Steve sipped his tea, “Umb some cough m’bedicine? Maybe…”

“You got it.” Eddie smiled, lifting Steve’s chin with a finger before leaning in and kissing him.

“Eddie what are you doing? You’re going to get sick too.”

Eddie scoffed, “I’ve already been around you and Nancy all week. Plus I’ve got the good old Munson constitution. Don’t worry about me.”

He shrugged on a jacket and started to tie up his Reeboks. Steve watched guiltily, “It’ll be a Christmas miracle if you don’t catch this. I give you till the end of tomorrow.”

“Thank you so much Steve,” Eddie said sarcastically, “For your endless belief in me.”

With a quick smile and a dramatically blown kiss, Eddie disappeared to head out with Robin.

---

“So uh, what errands are we running again?” Eddie asked as he climbed into the passenger seat of Robin’s mom’s Honda. “Actually wait!”

Eddie pulled out his phone and turned it on Robin. “Okay Robs, tell everyone where we’re going!”

“Okay! Hi everyone!” Robin waved frantically, “Today Eddie and I are running errands for my mom before the big partayyy. We need to pick up a small Christmas tree, some alcohol, and snacks!”

“And medicine for Steve!” Eddie added.

“And medicine for Steve.” Robin parroted as she shifted the car into reverse.

Driving in New York was always a hassle, but thankfully the Buckley’s didn’t live deep into the city. It was only a 15 minute drive from Robin’s to the mini tree lot. It was a cute little place tucked away, decked out in Christmas lights and leftover New York slush.

“So my dad is actually the picky one.” Robin mentioned, “He doesn’t want anything bigger than four feet, can’t be too bare but also can’t be too bushy.”

“Good old John…” Eddie joked. He wiped at his nose with the back of his hand, sniffing slightly.

The lot was small, but Robin walked up and down each aisle, Eddie meticulously documenting the process. Finally, they landed on the right tree.

“This one is perfect!” Robin exclaimed, holding up the tree and beaming at Eddie.

“That’s a great one, Birdie!” Eddie scrunched his nose before pulling the collar of his jacket up, “h’EKSHT! T’szzEW!… iiSHiew!”

“Bless you!” Robin said cheerily as she walked over to pay for the tree.

“Thanks, sorry. Not used to New York air I guess.”

After they secured the tree, they made sure it was sitting comfortably in the backseat of the Honda. This time, Robin pulled out her phone.

“Eddayyyyyyyy! We have acquired the tree! Where to now?”

Eddie smirked and then said, “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s go to T-T-T-T-TARGET!!!!”

---

To be honest, it was complete and utter chaos to send Eddie and Robin shopping alone, and if they weren’t literally the only two able, Mrs.Buckley would have sent them with a chaperone…and with good reason.

“Oh my god Eddie look at these little BIRDS!!!!” Robin screeched, picking up some fabric birds and throwing them in the basket Eddie was holding.

“A bird for my Birdie.” Eddie laughed as he kept walking towards the alcohol. “So what do your parents actually need?”

“They’re pretty stocked, just maybe some more champagne…ummm baileys?” Robin grabbed the respective bottles and stuck them in the basket.

“Peppermint Schnapps?” Eddie raised an eyebrow and held up a bottle.

“Edward Munson, do you like schnapps??” Robin laughed.

“Do you not??” He asked before adding that to the basket too.

“Snack time.” Robin smirked before dramatically jogging towards the further aisles.

Eddie followed behind. When he got to the snack aisle, Robin’s arms were full with Pirates Booty, the Christmas color sour patch kids and peppermint Pattie’s for Nancy.

“Anything you want, Eds. Go crazy.”

Eddie’s eyes scanned until he found what he wanted. Reese’s cups. He grabbed a bag of the snack sized ones and added them to the now overflowing basket.

“Good to go?” Robin asked.

“Oh shoot! Steves medicine. One sec!” Eddie put the basket down and jogged off to the cold and flu aisle.

He looked around until he found the non-drowsy cough medicine for Steve. The long haired man sniffled again, unhappy at how the congestion was starting to settle.

He hovered over a bottle of DayQuil, considering getting it for himself, when Robin snuck up behind him practically dragging the basket.

“Ready?”

“Yeah!” Eddie said quickly, snapping back up and adding the cough medicine to the basket and taking it from her. “Let’s roll.”

---

After bringing everything back and helping decorate the little tree, Eddie and Robin headed upstairs to get ready. “I’ll be in my room, Eddie!”

“Okay!” Eddie headed to the guest bedroom.

Steve wasn’t there, so Eddie rummaged through his suitcase for the outfit for tonight. He pulled out a collared shirt and a nice green sweater that Steve got him for his birthday.

He ran into Steve on his way to the bathroom to fix up his hair and clean up a little.

“Hey, you’re back! How were the errands?” Steve asked as he scooted past Eddie so he could use the bathroom next. Steve coughed into a closed fist.

“Good, yeah! Your medicine is on the bed!”

“Thanks Eds.” Steve smiled weakly as he sulked back off to the bedroom.

Eddie closed the door of the bathroom and ran his hands through his hair as he looked in the mirror.

“N’xxTCH! ikTCHiew! H’eKSHt!”

The sneezes crept up in him before he could stop them. He grimaced as he held a tissue over his nose and blew into it. He folded it over and blew again. While he was washing his hands, he felt a wave of regret for not buying the DayQuil back at Target.

He’d tried to convince himself the runny nose and spontaneous sneezing was allergies, but now his throat was starting to hurt and his sinuses were buzzing. He closed his eyes and splashed some cold water on his face, willing away the headache that was forming between his eyes.

He just had to make it through this party and then he could sleep.

---

Nancy knocked on Steve’s door, poking her head in. “Want some company?”

Steve paused the tv. “Yeah I’d like that. Come on in!” He gestured to Eddie’s side of the bed where she could sit and watch with him.

Downstairs, Eddie was chatting up party guests. John Buckley was talking to a group of men and women in their late 50’s.

“Eddie, come tell my colleagues about this streaming stuff you kids are doing!”

Eddie smiled and walked over, Robin helping her mom set out the many appetizers and mini desserts out on the dining room table for guests to grab.

After about an hour of mingling and filming, Robin and Eddie reconvened in the living room, where it was slightly more quiet.

“Mrs.Robinson says you’re ‘an incredible young man’. What’s up with that?” She teased.

Eddie laughed, “She just asked me to tell her how to create a new Google Doc. But if that makes me incredible, I’ll take it.”

He flopped on the couch, sighing heavily. Robin sat next to him and leaned up against him, taking a sip of her champagne.

“Hey would you hate me if I… went upstairs? My head is kind of pounding.” Eddie murmured.

Robin chuckled, “You drunk on peppermint schnapps already, Munson?”

“Actually uh…never opened it.” He said sheepishly.

Robin pulled back and held him at arms length, really looking at him. She’d thought the light flush on his cheeks were from a buzz, but if he wasn’t drinking, it must be something else.

Her smile faded as she reached out to feel his forehead. Eddie leaned into the cool touch before his eyes fluttered shut and he quickly twisted to the side. He brought his elbow up over his face.

“N’gisSHuh! M’mTCHh! snfsnff T’ssiew! … H’eKSHiew! Ugh fuck!”

“Aww Bean,” Robin reached out and rubbed his back, “You’re sick too.”

Eddie gave a soupy sniffle, “Yeah, I thi’gk so.”

“You can definitely go upstairs to rest. I’ll tell mom you aren’t feeling well. I should probably stay and mingle though.”

Eddie nodded, “Sorry Birdie, I was having a fun time.”

“It’s okay Eds, go rest.”

Eddie coughed against his wrist and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his sweater on his way up the stairs. When he opened the door of the guest room, he jumped slightly, not entirely expecting Nancy to be watching tv too.

“Oh hey Eddie, what’s up?” Steve asked.

“The M’bunson co’dstitution failed m’be… iiKTCHiew!”

Nancy and Steve jumped up from the bed and rushed over to Eddie.

“I’m sorry Eddie, I got you guys sick.” Nancy gave him a hug.

“Poor guy. Get changed and come lie down with us.” Steve cupped Eddie’s cheeks. “You feel warm.”

Eddie stripped off his sweater and shirt, switching it out for a clean tee and a sweatshirt. Steve had walked to the bedside table and returned with the Buckley’s thermometer. He pressed the on button and held it out to Eddie.

Eddie looked at it and then back at Steve before he grabbed it and popped it under his tongue, changing into sweatpants and cozier socks while he waited. Nancy had been turned away to give Eddie privacy while he got changed. She fluffed some pillows and made a little section just for him.

When the thermometer beeped, he pulled it out and handed it to Steve, already beelining for the bed. Steve examined the instrument. “101 Eddie…”

“That would explain why I feel like garbage.” He groaned, laying down and pulling the blankets up to his chin. “S’fucking freezing in here.”

Nancy shot Steve a worried glance. Steve rummaged in his own bag for a minute, stopping every now and then to cough. He finally found the travel bottle of Tylenol he was looking for. He tapped out two pills and walked over to Eddie.

“Take these first babe and then you can sleep.” He held out the pills and Nancy brought him his water bottle.

“Thanks.” He mumbled, popping them in his mouth and taking a sip before laying back down.

Steve climbed into bed next to Eddie, rubbing his arm. Nancy crawled in on the opposite side of Steve. They turned down the volume on the tv and watched quietly while Eddie fell asleep.

Nancy pulled out her phone and turned the camera facing her and Steve.

“Hey guys, the plan to film the party for you was a bust. I got Steve sick and we’ve been watching tv upstairs -” Steve waved at the camera. She panned over to the lump next to Steve and whispered, “And now Eddie is sick too. Robin is still downstairs mingling but the rest of us are quarantined I guess.”

After another episode or two, Nancy decided to head to bed in her and Robin’s room. Steve turned off the tv and flicked off the lights. Eddie was passed out, lips parted and snoring congestedly. The younger man rolled over to race Eddie’s back and pulled him into a hug, slowly slipping into sleep as well.

---

~6 Days Later~

By the time New Years Eve arrived, everyone was on the mend. Nancy was completely healthy, Steve too except for the lingering cough.

“Feeling better today Eddie?” Nancy asked.

“Much better. I can finally breathe through my nose today.”

They were all lounging on the couch, editing different video clips for the vlog they were going to eventually post.

“Hey Robs how did you manage to escape that??” Eddie asked.

She shrugged, not looking away from the laptop on her lap. “Must be a Christmas miracle I guess.”

---

It was a well known fact that New Years Eve from Times Square was popular. It was a lesser known fact that if you were smart, you avoid Times Square at New Years Eve at all costs. That is why they found themselves on the sofa with Mr and Mrs Buckley, sipping on champagne and wearing those funny glasses with the years’ numbers on them.

“iixT’iyue! snlff eh’tssiew!” Robin sniffled into the blanket she was wrapped in on the couch. She was using the armrest as a pillow, laying down while everyone else was drinking and dancing to the artists playing on tv.

“Bless you Robs!” Steve said, sipping on his champagne.

The three were already slightly tipsy and it was just barely past 9pm. By 9:30, Robin was fast asleep.

“Oh come on, Buckley’s asleep?! We still got two hours to midnight!” Eddie teased, downing the rest of his champagne flute.

He walked over to her and whispered. “Birdie?”

Her freckles stood out against her pink dusted cheeks. Eddie knelt down and put the backs of his fingers on her cheek.

“Uh oh.”

“Uh oh what?” Nancy asked, stopping dancing.

Still kneeling, Eddie turned around. “Don’t think she escaped it after all.”

“Ah shit.” Steve stopped now too.

They sat back down in the couch, joyfully watching the bands continue performing until it was 11:59pm. The minute countdown popped up on the screen as the ball started to drop in Times Square.

When midnight hit, the boys welcomed in the new year with a kiss. Nancy bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her girlfriends warm forehead.

“Happy New Years, Robin.”

[nopointic]

it hurts my heart reading all the spoilers from the new BTS book not because they're spoilers, but because of how much sadness the guys went through. i met them in 2020. they could have ended in 2018 or 2019.

if it wasn't for BTS i would be in such a bad place right now.

because of them, specially Namjoon saying "your anger is valid", i left a job i thought i wanted my whole life. i went to this short school to be a medical assistant to work my way up the medical field because i've always wanted to be a doctor as a kid. well i got the cma job and it was awful. my first job at a hospital was bad, so i thought being at a doctor's office would be better. my boss was a raging racist who treated he staff of black workers like shit.

i was listening to Love by Namjoon everyday just letting the vibes heal me. i was so happy getting off work to listen to that particular song. i started to learn korean. i actually googled it and came across this huge youtuber who learned korean on her own and now lives in south korea. she talked about language school and a light bulb went off in my head. i was like, that's an option? this can be more than a hobby of mine to destress? because i love learning and i love learning how to communicate with others.

i quit my medical assistant job and gave up on being a doctor. after nearly over 2 decades of wanting it so bad. i kept getting blocked from it. and today i realized why. because it wasn't meant for me.

i finally understand the phrase "god (higher power of any sort) closes a door to protect you"

i could be tens of thousands of dollars in debt right now if i went to school to be a doctor. hundreds of thousands of dollars in fact. i'm not. i'm debt free at 31. not a lot of 90s babies can say that. and that makes me feel so lucky and grateful.

i suffer severe depression. i thought not getting to go to college was the worst thing that ever happened to me. turns out it was a blessing in disguise.

i now have new goals that make my heart actually happier. all thanks to BTS. to Namjoon's wordplay in Love. his vlog to ARMY about how our feelings and anger matter.

i'm so incredibly grateful for BTS being in my life. they helped me come to terms with the military trauma i suffered being in the usa air force as a teenager. i was just burying it and seeing them have to enlist gave me the courage to process my grief of being 19 and starting my hellish process of getting enlisted.

on good days or reflective days i do think everything happens for a reason. i mean, during my gratitude journaling i smile to myself thinking, all this pain in my life, all that grief, led me to 7 men in BTS and they make me so happy.

i took my first solo vacation to see Yoongi in concert at 31! the most ghetto stadium i s2g on the whole tour list, but i got to go! and i saw Jimin too! like i'm so incredibly proud of myself for traveling from georgia to new jersey by myself. i didn't think i could do it and i did!

i just wish them all the happiness and comfort in the world. they have given me so much! so much! i am forever thankful they stayed together and stayed in this music industry because i got to meet them.

and it's so wild because a lot of our last 10 years crossed at so many points and i'm like, wow, is this fate? was all this meant to be? it's weird sometimes looking back on this last decade. like i have minor ocd, and i avoided purple like the plague. and now? i have purple everything! purple and pink! i'm like, this is huge for me ok. they have just helped me so much.

i love them and i wish them all the love in the world. thank you BTS for making my life so much more filling. y'all gave me a new reason to live. i'm forever thankful.

borahae!

[achtung-attitude]

CHAPTER 85: Throw Your Arms Around the World

A chilly wind blows through the muggy, smog-choked sky over Los Angeles, painted gray by thick silver clouds rolling in. Fall is coming.

Shizuka leans against a tree in Calvary Cemetery, a few yards away from a headstone that reads: ‘KILO STAPLES. Beloved Friend. A good man.’ A few rows down, stands the stone reading ‘MOYA PEZZENTE. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’

Six days have passed since the fight on Mulholland Drive. T’onga awaits her trial in a small penitentiary. Shizuka has not gone to visit her, due to the contents of the letter smuggled into her blazer when she was being ‘held hostage’. While under medical care, she read the letter countless times. Now, against the tree in Calvary Cemetery, she reads it again.

This is the way it must be. The police could not know they were related. For all they knew, T’onga was no more than knife-wielding maniac, and Shizuka the innocent hostage she had threatened. This is what T’onga herself wanted. Shziuka knows this, but still hates it. For the hundredth time, she reads her mother’s small writing.

A̶e̶-̶j̶e̶o̶n̶g̶

M̶y̶ ̶d̶e̶a̶r̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶A̶e̶-̶j̶e̶o̶n̶    

D̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶A̶e̶

Shizuka

First off, sorry for springing this on you. I already know. ae-jeong is just the name i gave you. doesn’t mean it's the one you want. If you don’t want it, discard it. live how you want.

While I'm at it, sore REALLY SORRY about what i’m about to do. holding you hostage, I mean. it has to look real for the cops, so can’t tell you (should have apologized for that first. sorry)

As for why, i already told you i don't want you to live the same way i did. thats why All-kill had to die. That's why i have to do what I'm gonna do. without this show, the two of us will be nothing but a pair of creeps looting the ruins. But with this, you’re just an innocent bystander. This way, you can still have a future. I wont take that away from you.

But again, I already know what this will seem like. Another abandonment. for real this time. no excuses.

This’ll sound like a bad joke, but I have faith in the justice system. They can’t prove I killed anyone, but can pin me with threatening with a deadly weapon. That’s a life sentence. But with a decent lawyer and some money I have saved up, I can bump that down to at least 14 years.

I'll serve that time quietly. Eventually they’ll let me out. early, if I'm very well behaved. Then if you’ll have me, I will come back to you.

I want to see Upstate. the Finger Lakes. 

This is NOT goodbye.

Your loving mother,

Kim T’onga

PS. i almost forgot. Kim is spelled 김, but if you prefer, you can go with Yeoh: 영. Your choice.

At the final line, Shizuka softly smiles. She folds the paper until it's small enough to once again be stowed away in her blazer, alongside the silver disc. The disc of LONELY BOY and SATURN BARZ, and whatever else came before. Sensing someone approach, she looks to see Jerome approaching her.

“You OK, girl?” he asks.

“I’m fine,” is her answer as she stands. “What about you?”

“Me? Ay, don’t worry ‘bout me…” The rapper looks sombrely towards the graves. “It’s good. He woulda liked it this way. Buried next to Moya… He never woulda let on, but I think they was best friends…”

With a frown, Shizuka exclaims, “Eh?”

Jerome responds in kind. “Eh?”

“...What do you mean?”

“...What you mean ‘what do I mean?’”

The girl cocks her head, fixing the rapper with her gaze. “You were Kilo’s best friend. Duh.”

“Me…?” Jerome exclaims. “Me, huh…? Nah… I don’t think so. But fuck it… I was close enough. That’s good enough for me.” He smiles at her, and she smiles back at him. “You got your ticket?”

Producing a plane ticket from her blazer pocket, Shizuka answers, “All booked. It’s time I went home. Vacations are lots of fun, but… they have to end sometime.”

Nodding, the rapper offers, “Sure you don’t want a ride or nothin’? I can hook you up. Shit, I’d take you myself.”

“Jerome, you’ve already done so much for me. I feel so lucky to have met you. You don’t need to do anything more, the Speedwagon Foundation is sending someone to pick me up.”

“Pleasure was all mine! Oh… Uh, speaking of the Speedwagon Foundation… Would you mind keepin’ a secret for me? Thing is, I… I been keepin’ a record of’ all this. Like, in journals and stuff…”

Shizuka is surprised. “Oh, wow. Really?”

“Yeah… But, like, not for anything bad! I ain’t tryin’ get no one in trouble, I just… Just, can you imagine the type o’ music I can with this kind of material?! It’ll be off the chain! A secret supernatural war in the heart of LA! Shiet, it’ll be my best ever! Like, fuck Platinum, I bet I could reach Diamond! 10 million units! It… It’d be a bummer to have it seized, you know…”

Shizuka laughs, wearing a mischievous grin. “Hahaha~! I’ll consider it… but you gotta make me a promise: the MOMENT the album’s finished, I want a copy. I wanna be the first girl in America to hear it.”

C-King’s gold teeth flash. “Was gonna do that anyway. Anything for my number one fan.”

A shiny black car pulls up on the nearby path as the pair embrace. “Don’t forget about me when you get back home,” whispers Jerome.

Shizuka answers, “I’ll never forget you. I’ll never forget any of this.”

Two men in suits emerge from the car and approach them. They present cards bearing the stamp of the Speedwagon Foundation, at which Shizuka nods and follows them to their car. Leaning out of the door frame, she beams a gleaming smile at Jerome and waves eagerly. He waves right back, with as much vigor. They continue waving even as the car pulls away, Shizuka leaning out of the backseat window until she finally loses sight of him. 

Slipping back inside the vehicle, she places her hand over heart, feeling the outline of T’onga’s letter in her inner pocket with a small smile. Grinning deeper, she then touches the spot where the Stand disc is not.

In the cemetery, Jerome Adetokunbo, known to the world as C-King, abruptly notices the feeling of something round and flat in his front hoodie pouch. Reaching inside, he grins to discover the silver Stand disc in his hand. “When’d she do it?” he wonders. “When we was huggin’...? Damn…” 

Glancing around, he stows the disc back away and strolls toward the cemetery exit. Back to LA. His city. He hums under his breath, and there’s a spring in his step. Autumn wind brings blessed relief to the sun-baked town.

The Speedwagon agents’ car bypasses the constant traffic on the main highway, instead rolling smoothly down the streets of East LA. On its way, they pass by a dilapidated old building, graffiti covering the sign over the double doors that reads “Juarez Boxing and Fitness.”

Leaving East LA, they pass into Lynwood, whereupon they’re stopped by a collision on the freeway, and the delays it causes. Typical Los Angeles. From Lynwood, if you were to look south down Long Beach Blvd. and squint, you can see as far as East Compton.

In the end, it takes them 57 minutes to reach LAX, thanks to further delays at the toll road, up there on the tall suspended freeway writhing over the city streets like giant snakes. From up there, Venice Beach can be seen in the northwest, and Santa Monica beyond that. Head east, you soon find yourself in Beverly Hills. Continue east, and the Hollywood sign shows its face.

In these hills, a general blissful ignorance lives among the people, attempting to fill their days with as much excitement and purpose as possible. Every so often, they look downward to see the sweepings of the street, and every so often, they leave behind a token of charity. A single dollar for an old man. If only for the sake of soothing a guilty conscience. Yet a dollar is a dollar.

It takes another thirty minutes before Shizuka is finally on a plane. The captain mumbles some incoherent message, and the aircraft rumbles up the runway. Soon, it soars into the air and banks left. Shizuka gazes out of the window and sees the metropolis laid out before her. Her gaze lingers on the great, dirty city, until she smiles and settles into her seat.

[crinkled-emotions]

Would you do 47 and 57 with Rooster please? Thank youuu

You got it! Let's gooooooo!

In other news, I love Bob so much but I wrote over 10k of whump and angst for Rhett and I was like hEY wrong character! Then I was like fuck it you can stay.

47. "Hiding sneezes" and 57. "Stop telling me you're okay"

Notes: shaking it up a little! Daderick is on holidays 👀 what are the Daggers gonna do?

Out of the Daggers who flew the mission it was safe to say Phoenix, Hangman and Rooster had known each other the longest. While Natasha and Jake joined the Navy at 18, Bradley had been nearly 23 and while he wasn't the eldest in their class he was older than a lot of the applicants. This meant he had an air of maturity to him, independence already established. Natasha and Jake, before they became Phoenix and Hangman, had taken one look at him and decided he needed someone to confide in.

That was before Jake and Bradley started punching each other in the ready room after a training hop, then it was suddenly Natasha and Bradley versus Jake. She reached out to Jake but he pushed her away without a solid reason.

This meant, however, that she knew those two like the back of her hand. They'd managed to patch their shit up after the Dagger hop between the three of them and it felt like Natasha, Bradley and Jake were back.

When the team found their seats in class on Monday morning and Maverick didn't come running in, their attention immediately flicked between Rooster and Hondo who would know exactly where their leader was. Rooster looked a little spooked but Hondo waved them off.

"Mandatory vacation time. Pretty sure he's going away with Penny and Amelia."

"And he didn't tell you, Rooster?" Bob frowned.

"No, he probably mentioned it. I dunno."

Phoenix caught Hangman's gaze across the room. Jake nodded, and she shook her head. He raised an eyebrow and she squinted at him. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"Okay, then who's taking us?" He said. Hondo winced.

"Maybe you guys should go and prep for your hops."

There was a strangled noise from the front of the room and Phoenix glanced over her shoulder.

"I think I should say bless you?" She said to Rooster who waved her off.

"I'm okay, but thanks."

"Sure thing."

This time when she looked at Jake he got up, heading for the exit.

"C'mon guys, you heard Hondo. Let's get goin'."

When no one moved Phoenix cleared her throat.

"Okay team, let's roll."

Everyone stood at her direction and Hondo stifled a laugh when Hangman's face pinched in irritation. Rooster got up last and made that strangled noise again and Hangman caught him by the shoulder.

"You're gonna make your brain explode, man. We need your brain cells."

"Because you've got none?" Rooster deadpanned dryly. He followed the others out the door without anything further.

Between the team getting to the tarmac, getting into their flight suits and completing preflight checks, Rooster had stifled every damn sneeze threatening to break out. Satisfied with her jet's condition Phoenix made her way to Hondo, frowning.

"You know Rooster's not well, right?"

"I'll keep an eye on him. Go on, Cyclone and Bob are waiting for you."

Rooster was going up in the air last, with Hangman and Coyote to do some specialised single seater training. At that moment he was leaning against his jet, aviators covering his eyes and the dark bags from a lack of sleep. He attempted to stifle another sneeze and Bob frowned as he clambered down Phoenix's jet.

"Dude, let 'em out. It's gonna only make it worse."

"I'm okay," Rooster said softly.

"Stop telling me you're okay!" Jake finally snapped from the other side of Rooster's jet. Everyone held their breath, expecting another punch up, but to their surprise Rooster's eyes fell to the ground.

"Fine. Actually, I don't feel good at all, but Cyclone is waiting for me to fuck up and I can't just-"

"-what? Take a sick day? Roo, Cyclone would be okay if you took a sick day. And if not, well, he's got us to answer to. Insubordination is kind of my strong suit," Hangman said as he rounded the corner. Bob crossed his arms.

"He's right, B," Phoenix said softly. Rooster's shoulders shook.

"I don't want to be a burden," he muttered. Fanboy, Payback and Coyote, who had been preoccupied until now, made their way over and the team exchanged looks.

"Hey, Jake, take Roo back to the ready room and get him sorted. We got Cyclone and Hondo," Coyote said confidently. Jake agreed, hooking an arm over Bradley's shoulders.

"C'mon, don't fight me on this."

[coralsgrimes]

I find it amusing that no one has called BB on obviously trying and failing to rewrite the last few years in interviews recently. He knows everything that’s been said since the Jules mess started and now he’s quietly trying to make excuses. Everyone assumed JH and her besties talked him into the album, but all of a sudden he’s open about it being his mother pushing him to do it— which I figured, anytime he gets pensive and serious it’s about his parents. Talking about watching a “vibrant friend” go through a low period after a breakup. The best one was him talking about a family vacation, and casually dropping that he “hadn’t been on a mountain or ski trip in at least a decade.”

August and Christmas blew up in his face, and he needs to look like nothing was ever going on, so this Peyton girl pops back up practically out of of nowhere. Why doesn’t he just get a PR manager and save himself the trouble

NO ONE POINTS OUT HIS BULLSHITE??? HAVE YE BEEN DOWN ME BLOG?

So first, all his career all he says are excuses and pre-rehearsed stories. It's not new but it became very fucking obvious lately is all

Next, who is the everyone who 'assumes' that fairy queen and her crowd (also kind of Benny's crowd xd) talked him into the music? Like this is first time imma hearing this? Thought the story is that his overblown ego, fangirls, unemployment blues and finally the yes people he surrounds himself with were the factors? and obvi the blessing from momma too lol not like them pushing him. He was pushing, everyone was looking at the trainwreck....

Thiiiiiiiird, ye like he was kinda off hand dropping what the inspiration was for the EP, then everyone sniffed sum shite so he started to change the story in real time. Like we all know, everyone and their neighbor dog aunt knows lol cuz we witnessed in live like?

Can't remember anything about him saying he wasn't on a lil trip but ima not interested in listening to him sooooooo also montana never happened like ye seen pictures? yer problem cuz Benny said it never happened ye gotta live laugh love with that x.x

And miss P is around FOR YEARS, she just got a pass outta basement lately and honestly still can't figure out why?

And he not getting PR team cuz he is a renaissance man with a useless degree and also an empath so he can manage on his own lol also why does he needs them for? he has no job? no one cares about him in the big world? theres only his established fans, half of which will protect him with their lives and the other part that would shit on him but forget about his misstepies in two to four weeks if he pops them two top buttons or gets cutesy with Jessie lol

[rebelbrat]

Yo I am SO SORRY I didn’t get to this (or your other 2 asks) earlier--life since the beginning of this year has just been an endless series of misfortunes and it decided to give me one last fuck you on its way out in the form of a stomach illness and a head injury at the same time…But now that I’m officially on vacation, I can finally sit down and give you the answer that I’ve been thinking of giving this whole time! Here we go.

OK SO. Now that you’ve mentioned representation, I just have to lay out my entire story with how this dude came to be Jewish. I was planning to talk about this for a while, but I figured responding to your ask with it would be a great jumping off point. Way back when I first started writing human!Lotor, I made him Jewish for admittedly kind of a racist reason. Basically, I wanted him to have European-like features like he did in canon but didn't want to make him mixed with European. In hindsight this was racist to POC (not to mention highly emblematic of the biases I’m sure I have against white Europeans and which I still try to work on because I don’t want to hate anybody like that but it’s hard). Racist because the solution should have been to just give him POC features unlike in canon then, since Voltron and other cartoons aren't always so great at depicting POC features…But I digress.

So there I was. With the blessing of my one (1) close Jewish friend at the time, I had made what was probably the dumbest choice for representation I’ve ever made and most likely ever will make. Because Lotor is the sneaky, manipulative character, right? And Jews are stereotyped as sneaky and manipulative, right? But I literally just made him Jewish because I fucking hated Europeans but I still wanted him to look a certain way. And so like the past 4 years I've also been dreading someone telling me that making my human interpretation of Lotor Jewish is antisemitic. 

Surprisingly, that has never happened to me even once. Someone actually tried to put me on blast for the unintentional antisemitism in my writing, but even then they never once brought up the fact that I picked literally the worst character to make Jewish. I think the main reason why I’ve been able to write him like this for so long is because Tobias is different enough from Lotor that they don’t entirely feel like the same person--which is only par for the course because with my premise being “this is character X except with at least one decent parent and also an entirely different species,” there’s bound to be a massive change. Tobias can be incredibly toxic based on my own interpretation of Lotor's toxicity and he does have the capacity to be manipulative but he's someone whose first priority is fighting for justice and being loyal to anti-imperialism and other social justice causes, and he's a lot more relatable & personable than Lotor too due to the fact that he can talk and act like a normal person and you’re not constantly questioning whether that’s the real him or just a face he put on to get you to like him better. Granted, my canon divergent Lotor is also very anti-imperialist, but Tobias has the advantage in relatability because his left-leaning stance isn’t authoritarian. I guess in that way the representation turned out a lot better than it could have been--

Now here comes the plot twist.

When I first started writing Tobias as Jewish, I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I made a bunch of mistakes and was like this for about two years and, as I said before, someone actually tried to put me on blast over it. Which I absolutely deserved because past me was an idiot who should have learned a book before writing even a single iota of the shit that I dove headfirst into. I managed to escape from it relatively unscathed in my Internet life because within five minutes of the callout coming up it came down because the person behind it got exposed for only calling me out out of spite--but my real life is another story. I am spiritual and I suspect the amount of antisemitic shit I noticed since committing to a conversion has increased about 5000000000x as some sort of test, midah k’neged midah for my past behavior now coming back to me so I can see how shit like what I did affects Jewish people. But you know how I started wanting to convert in the first place? I actually started doing research on Judaism so I could portray Tobias properly and I was like "oh fuck this is super cool.” It was literally my character research for Tobias that inspired me to convert.

And now I'm here, studying Judaism as my hyperfixation, getting involved in the Jewish community (well as much as I could with my mom being here like 3 of the 4 months I’ve been in law school)…And thinking that when I choose my Hebrew name I want it to be Toviyah because he was what brought me here.

So sometimes I looked back at …wow I can't believe this happened, I made a really bad choice for a really bad reason but it ended up changing my life in an incredibly positive direction. 

As to how other people perceive (or would perceive) Tobias’ representation…Well, I don’t reach out to a lot of people because I’m scared to find out. LOL. My Jewish friends adore Tobias and I love having him to express my learning about Judaism with so I’d like to think he’s good representation (in spite of his canon self being the worst possible choice to write this with), but I’m afraid of having a bigger audience because I’m worried that people will automatically jump to conclusions about me and my work. Maybe there are serious flaws in my portrayal that need fixing, but I’m still scared of people telling me that because usually on the Internet feedback is never given as constructive criticism, it’s usually given in the form of telling people to kill themselves. But I would hope that my representation is good enough (or will become good enough) that, just like you say, the only substantial complainers about it would be dumb people imposing their opinions on others and non-Jewish voices speaking over Jewish people being the loudest.

Thank you so much for this ask <3 Being able to write this all up means a lot.

[aneenasevla]

Red Velvet - Chapter 7

MasterList / Akane’s profile / Last chapter here

Chapter 7 - First Snow

Himuro has never felt so at peace as he did in these last  two months.

To begin with, he had won a match within the Kengan Association, securing yet another new property for his boss to further expand Ginokuniya Bookstore's business and, as a bonus, he had received a large commission to put him at ease regarding financial matters for the next few months.

Afterwards, he got a little closer to one of Tomori's friends who had become interested in him and asked for his contact information. Her name was Mariko, and she had a very refined taste for drinks and cocktails, so they were getting along quite well. A friendship with benefits to keep him warm in those cold days.

And finally: it had been two months since Rihito had stopped bothering him with his constant whining and requests for alms in the form of girls' phone numbers. The truth was that Rihito no longer complained about his lack of luck with women, because through some miraculous intervention from some merciful god, he had become able to attract them on his own.

May God, the devil or whatever bless Agata Akane, because she deserved it. 

His phone buzzes, and a text appeared in his friend's group chat:

Dickhead_Tokita:

Kanami invited you guys for a hotpot here at our house on christmas eve 

we’ll have karaoke and dancing games, according to her

come if you want

EggHead:

If it has karaoke and just dance, tomori is already in for sure, and so am I LOL

Himuro smiles at this, setting the dishes aside and drying his hands on the tea towel so he can type.

Gigolo_Master:

I’m in!

is it okay if I bring a friend?

miss kanami knows her as far as I know

it’s one of the girls tomori introduced me to 

GiantKiller:

I’m going to spend Christmas with my family this year, guys, sorry 😔

But even if I went to this hotpot, I would be just third wheeling

EggHead:

c’mon, man, hiro and mr. paikon are single too, they’ll probably also go

and koga and ryuki, and kazzy… 

GiantKiller:

True, but I still can’t go. My bad

Dickhead_Tokita:

no, the two kids and yamashitakazuo also have plans

kaede went on vacation

it’s just us

Gigolo_Master:

lets fill that house up then

I’ll bring my friend

we need more women for that party lol

and don’t worry kaneda

will you also spend new years with them?

GiantKiller:

I can spend it with you guys if they don’t force me to stay with them 😆

Gigolo_Master:

try to show up, we’ll spend new years eve getting shitfaced lmao

I finally got a day off on the 31st guys

the first in two years, holy shit

we can’t miss this opportunity

EggHead:

well, if we do that on a safe place, I’m in

Dickhead_Tokita:

the message is given anyway 

we can inform ichiro later 

Gigolo_Master:

I haven't heard a peep from him since afternoon

he must be out on the razzle somewhere

or getting busy with miss agata 😏

EggHead:

Oh damn xD

ATTA BOY 

Chu-cha-cha-chu-chu-cha 🎶

GiantKiller:

You really liked this brazilian funk thing, uh 

Gigolo_Master:

LMAO

I swear to you guys

you have no idea how PEACEFUL my life has been in the last two months

first okubo got a girlfriend and stopped being a pain in my ass

and now rihito finally got a fuckin grip and learned the bennefits of kissing and not telling

or fucking and not telling in this case LOL

and consequently he stopped bothering me too

I’m living the fuckin dream

Dickhead_Tokita:

that’s what I call a christmas miracle

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

nope, you learning how to get outta the convo without kicking yourself outta the chat is what I call a miracle

dumbass

and good evening guys

Gigolo_Master:

speaking of the devil

there he is

good evening loverboy

Dickhead_Tokita:

hey there is an invitation up there in the chat

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

I saw it and I’m also im!

especially since we'll be eating auntie's food

hell yeah 😎

hey can I bring someone too?

EggHead:

I already know who it is

Dickhead_Tokita:

Kanami said she knows the organ thief, and she does not steal organs 😎

so its fine

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

my guy, she steals other things

not organs, but sometimes what comes out of them LMAO

but yeah, its her

she's already an old friend of the bakery staff, so I think it'll be alright

Dickhead_Tokita:

so she steals blood then?

I do that too, but with my fists 😎

GiantKiller:

Seriously, guys, quit with these jokes Ohma never gets 🙄🙄🙄

Dickhead_Tokita:

I actually got it, kaneda

you are the ones who did not get mine 😎

Gigolo_Master:

and seriously kaneda

you're asking rihito to stop being an idiot, basically

its like asking water to stop being wet 

just give up

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

🖕

EggHead:

man I don't know if ohma is dumb or if he just pretends to be

Dickhead_Tokita:

you will never know 😎

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

anyway

I'm too busy to try to understand what's going on inside tokita's head

but I'll go to the hotpot, it'll be dope

Dickhead_Tokita:

alright, I will tell kana

she told you guys to bring drinks, minus okubo, who will come with tomori

he can bring some soda

EggHead:

fine be me 

but the party is in two weeks, isn’t it?

miss kanami really likes to give invitations in advance, doesn't she?

GiantKiller:

Well, she’s a business owner 

She needs to be organized 

And early invitations help us to prepare accordingly 

It helps you guys, in that case

Dickhead_Tokita:

well, now the message is definitely given

Gigolo_Master:

drinks are kinda my thing, so we're covered

I'll tell my friend to bring some too

speaking of which, mr. ohya gave me a nice gift

do you remember that pricey sake called Kotozakura?

he gave me a full bottle!

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

damn himuro

that’s what we’re talking about!

this is getting better and better!

EggHead:

HELL YEAH!

Dickhead_Tokita:

if you start to drink too much and do some stupid shit, I will kick you guys out

kanami said that

Gigolo_Master:

relax, we’ll behave

you heard that, rihito?

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

for fuck’s sake

I didn’t do anything!

I’m just chilling! 

Dickhead_Tokita:

said the guy who got arrested about 4 times for doing dumb shit after drinking

And you say I’m the dumb one

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

shut up, I’m not the only one!

okubo also got arrested with me

but you fuckers always forget about that

you guys are obsessed with me, I swear

do want me to fuck you too or something?

Dickhead_Tokita:

what, are you mimicking your friend now?

are you also a cannibal? 😎

EggHead:

damn, I went to drink some water and came back only to be accused of past shit

CANNIBAL LMAO

first an organ trafficker and now a cannibal, this shit only gets better LOL

Dickhead_Tokita:

If you bring her, you will be the dish, not us 😎

EggHead:

fuck, and that makes so much sense

he called her a "sword swallower"

that's why he's so quiet now LMAOOOOO

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

you guys can go suck a bag of dicks

fucking assholes

anyway, I’m kinda busy here

I’ll take to y’all later 

Gigolo_Master:

too busy fucking and not telling?

Dickhead_Tokita:

(answering to @Mr_Iron_Fingers) Nah, I like mangoes better 😎

Gigolo_Master:

DAMN OHMA

what’s happening to you

you’re scaring the hell outta me

Dickhead_Tokita:

???????

Why?

EggHead:

since when do you make this kind of joke? o.O

Dickhead_Tokita:

I learned from you guys 🤨

I’m not deaf, and I’m a quick learner 

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

Hell yeah bro!

you’re finally learning from the master, eh, seaweed head

I’m so proud!

you’re going places!

Gigolo_Master:

weren’t you busy?

Christmas came early?

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

Fuck you!

it’s ‘cause you guys won’t shut up!

Dickhead_Tokita:

what a short attention span 😎 

GiantKiller:

I think I finally got it, Himuro

Ohma uses the smiling face with sunglasses emoji to make it clear that he’s joking

Dickhead_Tokita:

yes, and I’m doing it right now

koga says it helps making things clear

if I don’t use it, everyone thinks that I believe all the shit you guys say

kaneda almost started crying last time

and koga thought we were going to spar in the middle of the night 

he waited about 30 minutes for me and almost froze from the cold

GiantKiller:

Oh, poor kid 🤣🤣

He’s okay, right?

And thanks for your concern, Ohma

I can tell when these three are joking, but you almost never change your tone when in or out of the chat

I really thought you went to call the Kure that time 😭

Dickhead_Tokita:

he survived 😎

and just remember that I would have to pay an arm and a leg

the kure would never work for me for free, and I don't want it either

raian is my friend, but I don't want anymore favors from the Devil 

he's more of a cannibal than ichiro's girl 😎

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

RIHITO

GODDAMMIT DUDE

how many times do I have to tell ya???

and she isn’t my girl

she’s just a friend that I fuck occasionally 

Dickhead_Tokita:

change my nickname and I will think about using yours

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

for fuck’s sake

(@Mr_Iron_Fingers changed @Dickhead_Tokita’s nickname to @Kelpthullu)

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

there

happy now?

Kelpthullu:

my name isn’t Kelpthullu, dumbass

fuck it, now you’re Ichiro forevermore 😎

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

DUDE FUCK YOU

Kelpthullu:

go cry about it on Cannibal’s shoulders 😎

Gigolo_Master:

holy shit rihito

even ohma is making fun of you

you’re out of your game lol

Kelpthullu:

I'm also inspired today so don't get used to it 😆

this must be the afterglow you guys talk about so much

Gigolo_Master:

LMAOOO

seriously, guys, I’ll be off now

my shift is almost over and I have to catch the train home

I’ll talk to you later

Kelpthullu:

I’ll be off too, I was going to just send the invitations but got carried away

later

And the chat went silent after that.

Himuro puts his phone in his pants pocket, still laughing to himself. Adding Ohma to that group chat had been the most genius idea they had come up with. Now only quality jokes came out of there.

He finishes stacking the glasses and heads out to clock out; he couldn't wait to get home and take a hot bath. It was freezing cold now. Soon the first snow would fall. It would be the perfect time to stay under the blankets with someone...

…

And at another establishment, on the other side of town, another member of that group chat was enjoying the evening in the exact same way.

"Rihito, are you okay? You're looking at your phone like you want to punch it..."

Rihito starts a little, turning his head to look over his shoulder. He was sitting on the edge of the huge bed, in one of the several rooms in the luxurious Gold Pleasure Club building, in the company of two beautiful employees who were willing to warm him up on that cold night, the three of them resting from the night's activities. He smiles awkwardly, trying to contain his anger.

"Oh, it’s okay, girls, relax. It's just my friends talking shit in our chat group, as always. I'm turning off notifications."

"Anything interesting there?," One of the girls, a curvy blonde, bites her lip. The other one, who talked first, had dark skin and curly hair.

"Nothing as interesting as you!," He lies down again, and they both laugh when he hugs them, bringing them close to his huge chest. And he does it without grabing them too enthusiastically, which was a very welcome development "I was feeling so lonely today... you guys just made my night better."

"Yes, you've been coming here alone these last few months. So Okubo really got a girlfriend?," the dark-skinned one asks.

"Yep! And now he's out there, too busy being all cute and disgusting with her," He pretends to sniff, his tone playfull "He's too good for his brothel bro now..."

"That's so mean," the blonde pouts, "Leaving his friend behind like that..."

"Well, at least we still have this hottie here to keep us company," the dark-skinned one puts a leg over his hips, smiling "But man... is it just me or you got sexier?"

"Yeah, you made me shiver all over," the blonde laughs "Even more so when you asked me to sit on you."

"C'mon, I pale in comparison to you," He laughs slyly "And I really developed a taste for that, I won't deny it. What can I say? I see these smooth, soft skins and I already want to kiss them all over...," He pretends to try to bite the dark-skinned one, who makes a sound that was half a scream, half a high-pitched laugh, playfully pushing him away.

"Oh, okay, that's enough," she gets up "Let us clean up, you animal. Come on, Naoko," she calls for the other one.

"We'll be right back," she kisses his neck before getting up.

"Alright. I'm just going to stay here and laze away...," He smiles as he stretches, dropping back onto the bed with a satisfied sigh. Wow, what a great way to end that night! Good booze, some snacks, two beautiful girls on each arm... was there a better way to live life?

"It's just a shame Akane is so busy with that evil lair she calls a hair salon..."

The thought makes him open his eyes. Akane and he had gone out together a few more times in the last two months, to eat or to dance, and they always ended the night at some small love hotel or at her apartment, if they were close enough to it. He honestly preferred the apartment; he had developed a taste for colorful walls and tacky decor, especially the hot pink monster that was the couch. Just as he had enjoyed Akane's company too. So much so that he even missed it. She was busy during the end of the year, with women appearing one after the other in the salon, wanting to get all dolled-up for the holidays in an attempt to impress uninterested husbands. So he had to seek company at the Gold Pleasure Group, which always ended up emptying his wallet. He couldn't wait for the year-end bonuses... 

He hears a very low buzz and some giggling in the bathroom of the suite, but what caught his attention the most was hearing his name.

He raises his head immediately. Oh, were they talking about him? A mixture of strong curiosity and fear took hold of him. Were they arguing about his performance? Those giggles were worrying... unable to resist, he got up from the bed and went to the bathroom door, as silently as he could, putting his ear close to the door to hear better. 

"... when he got closer I thought he was going to grab me, but then he brought me closer slowly, and gave me a sniff on the neck… wow, I got goosebumps…," he heard the blonde say.

"I saw it... but I was too busy feeling him inside me... where did he learn to do that?"

"Girl, I wouldn’t mind if he comes after me again, I swear to you…"

"I know! He’s much better than before. What happened to him?"

"I don’t know, but it was good… a winter miracle, I’m actually cumming for the first time in months…"

They begin to laugh coquettishly.

"Stop, that sounds so wrong…"

"Am I lying?"

"I was luckier than you then… but it’s true, he’s really getting better."

Rihito had to make an absurd effort not to run to the window, throw his fists in the air and scream in triumph for the entire fucking district to hear.

Damn, he had done it! Two girls loved his performance, and not out of pure pretense so as not to hurt his ego! He had truly learned how to be a good lover!

“And it was all thanks to her!”

And again, thinking about Akane brings that warm joy deep in his chest. Damn, he was going to make that woman moan and scream so much the next time they met! She deserved all that and more.

"Oh... damn," he heard the dark-skinned one say.

"What is it?"

"Our time is running out... shit, I wanted him to give me head too."

"We can ask him later, outside…"

"For free? No, he'll get used to it."

"Yeah…," she sighs "It’s a shame… but we’ll offer our services if he comes later, okay?"

"Hell no, I want him for myself."

They both laugh louder.

"Okay, let's go, we have to tell him anyway...," he hears footsteps.

He starts for a second, running away from the door and lying back down on the bed, trying to strike a relaxed pose on the sheets, with his arms behind his head and one leg casually bent up. That's it, a badass pose, he had to keep good impressions with the girls...

They look at him, picking up their dresses from the floor while smiling at him.

"Sorry, Rihito, we have to go."

"Yeah, time's up…," the dark-skinned one says in a sad tone, which he learned was genuine.

"So… are you going to come visit us again?," the blonde smiles.

"Oh, it’s a shame, I was loving the company," He smiles at them, "And I intend to, when my wallet is a little fuller again, hahaha! But it was really worth it. You two are wonderful," He coos, in a deliberately sugary tone to make them laugh.

And they really laugh, one of them waving her hand shyly. They quickly put on their clothes and leave.

"Oh, you still have another half hour, so just relax," the dark-skinned one says "You already know how it works."

"I know! I'm going to stretch here a bit. Good night," He blows kisses to them, and they laugh again as they close the door. He takes another deep breath, stretching and hugging a pillow.

That bed was really huge, warm and comfortable. But strangely, he missed something. Preferably something a lot more... fuzzy.

He opens his eyes again. And here come those strange thoughts... it was probably because she had been mentioned in the group chat, when he had received carte blanche to take her to Kanami's house, at the upcoming Christmas party that their friends would throw.

He frowns. Would inviting her be too weird? They weren't dating or anything, just having fun together every now and then... but damn, they were friends now, weren't they? What harm would it do to want to have some fun with a friend, especially among so many others? He finally makes up his mind, grabbing his phone from the dresser next to the bed and searching for a specific chat.

Himbo_King🦍:

hey miss lumberjack

are you busy? lol

She takes a few minutes to respond.

Boss_Bitch🍑:

hey he-man ❤️

I’m home now

Himbo_King🦍:

I have an invitation for u

do you have any plans for christmas eve?

Boss_Bitch🍑:

I’ll be busy during the day

those hags love to show up at the salon on short notice

but I’ll be free after 5 o’clock

we’ll have the next day all for ourselves ❤️

why?

Himbo_King🦍:

great, it's a nighttime event anyway

our friends are planning a hotpot for christmas eve

at miss kanami’s house

you’re invited

we’ll bring booze and ours empty stomachs lmao

Boss_Bitch🍑:

wow, really?!

Butch’s gonna throw a party?? And she’ll cook???

she never baked me a loaf of bread without charging me for it!

damn what a Golden boy doesn’t do to a bitch’s humor LMAO

A fuckin christmas miracle indeed 

I’m in! Christmas Eve, right? 

Himbo_King🦍:

yeah, but quit with the Golden boy shit lmao

that sounds so fucking gay

I’m a Fuck-Buddy with a capital F 😎

and anyway, her boyfriend eats like he’s about to starve

he must have convinced her lol

Boss_Bitch🍑:

I’m talking about HER Golden boy, dumbass LMAO

and yeah, that must’ve been it

Butch’s the kind of girl who grabs men by their stomachs 

and you’re a Golden Retriever, yea, but far from a Golden boy, get a fuckin grip LOL

Himbo_King🦍:

ooh, got it

but he isn’t golden either

he’s a cosmic horror creature coming straight from the depths 🐙

then he found his own Amazon

you’ll met him at the party

Boss_Bitch🍑:

well fuck

I’m curious now, he doesn’t seem bad…

is he such a pain in the ass?

anyway, forget about it

I got worried that Butch was with some good-for-nothing pos, but I remembered that she would’ve kicked him to the curb if he was that bad

that woman is terrifying 

Himbo_King🦍:

believe me, I know that lol

and don’t worry, he’s nice

he’s one of my bros

he’s just dumb as a roch

*robs

*ROCK

DAMMIT

Boss_Bitch🍑:

LMAO I got it

anyway… are you coming or will you stay there, scratching your balls?

or did you already have fun and just wanna chat?

I guess it’s the third option, you usually show up earlier than that

Himbo_King🦍:

hey, is this an invitation?

I can crash at your place, no problem at all

I prefer your nails to scratch my balls anyway LMAO

and sorry, you were busy at the salon today

I thought I would be a bother if I showed up

Boss_Bitch🍑:

well, if you went straight to the salon you wouldn’t come out alive LOL

but you’re welcome at my place

speaking of which, I still haven’t crashed at yours

do you have a roommate? 

since you do not bring any girls there lol

Himbo_King🦍:

I was talking about waiting for you at your doorstep, dummy

I won’t steep a foot in that chicken house you call a salon ever again LOL

I thought you were too tired to do anything, but if not, I’m coming

and yeah, you still haven’t see my place

I also live alone

Boss_Bitch🍑: 

A massage from your fingers would be really nice, not gonna lie

and well, I’d like to come to your place, but you can come to mine today

and since you must’ve already fucked some bitch today, I'm going to prepare a bath 

I won't kiss a mouth that tastes like other chick's pussy LOL

Himbo_King🦍:

dude fuck you LMAO

alright I'll tidy up before I go

gotta rinse my mouth to meet Her Highness' demands lol

I’ll be there in 20m

man its so fucking cold!

a hot bath would be really nice, specially with good company 👅 

Boss_Bitch🍑:

exactly

you really think that I’ll waste water just to wash your stinky ass?

you must want some glitter-filled bath bombs too, oh my

maybe for me cause this bitch here likes to smell good, but you?

only if its like when we're on my couch

you on top of it and me on top of you 🍑🍆

Himbo_King🦍:

have some shame, you demon LMAO

I’ll give you some real bombs after the bath, not before

right on top of your pink-pornstar monster 

no, seriously, I’m coming

want me to bring something?

chocolate, some beers idk

Boss_Bitch🍑:

dunno, bring some noodles or anything we can microwave

and yeah, beer and chocolate sounds good too

oh yeah I almost forgot

bring your sausage and two eggs causa I’m starving LMAO

I mean, if there’s anything left for me 😗😗

if not, we can do netflix without chill LOL

Himbo_King🦍:

fucking hell woman LMAO

you wanna make me run like the fuckin wind or something??

I need to be careful, I don’t wanna get run over lol

but alright then, beer, chocolate, instant noodles, my sausage and two eggs

that’s my grocery list

be there soon 

Boss_Bitch🍑: 

man take your mind outta the gutter 

I just want a sandwich 😇😇 

Himbo_King🦍:

yeah, sure you do

a sausage and eggs sandwich

whatever, I’ll bring everything

kiss on ya tits 🍒

He then leaves his phone aside, going to the bathroom to take a quick shower, just so he doesn't show up in her apartment smelling like perfume from two different women. They weren't dating, but it was all about respect and consideration.

About ten minutes later, he had already paid for his stay, gone to a convenience store nearby and bought everything she asked for. He had even bought more than one chocolate bar, because in that cold weather, a sweet treat sounded really good. He walks through the busy streets of the outskirts, the extremities of his body slowly becoming numb from the cold. Holy shit, it seemed like winter was getting more intense with each passing year, and it wasn’t even snowing yet! He lets out a shaky breath, the air leaving his mouth and condensing into smoke, hanging in the air. He then makes up his mind, taking out his phone and sending a private text to Okubo.

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

seriously, man

let’s bring some quality booze for the hotpot

if it’s cold af now, just imagine how much worse it’ll get til christmas

Okubo answers pretty quickly; he must’ve already been on his phone.

EggHead:

I’m counting on that bro

I’m shivering all over and I’m not even outside wtf

I’m on my car, with the heater turned on and everything

wyd man?

your space heater broke or something? lol

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

I’m leaving the golden pleasure club  now

all alone in a cold winter night, all because my brothel bro found a bedmate to keep him warm

I’m going to akane’s house

EggHead:

lol you’re one to talk

you have a bedmate too, she’s just not your gf

anyway, I have to go now, I’m kinda in a hurry

I have to get there in time before the First Snow falls 🥰

Rihito frowns, the sight of that emoji sending shivers down his spine.

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

First Snow?

and what the hell is up with that emoji??

dude, are you gay? 🤨

EggHead:

I should ask you the same lmao

you never heard about the First Snow thing? I read about it recently 

it’s a thing about couples watching the first snowfall of the year

it’s said that, if a couple watch it together, their relationship will last forever

it’s the kind of cute, cheesy thing tomori likes 

will I get something good in return? For sure

so I’m in 😁

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

… Okubo Naoya

my man

my guy 

my chummy chum

that was the gayest shit you've ever said on this chat

fuck that first snow crap

why are you making excuses to get laid? Just get under your sheets with her and that’s it

you can watch that first snow from the window while you’re pounding her

EggHead:

says the guy who twerks like a bitch LMAO

and my girl like this stuff, man

if that makes her all wet for me, so be it LOL

and besides, it’s fun!

getting under the sheets with a hot cocoa mug and my chick to keep me warm sounds fuckin awesome, 10/10

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

LMAO you fucker

I knew it, you’re a pervert just like me afterall

but whatever, do what you want

I don’t need all that to get laid, I’m a very simple man

and I only twerk if I know that’ll get someone twerking for me in return

EggHead:

see?

it’s the same principle, dumbass

my girl only asks for a bit of snow

yours asks for you fucking dignity LOL

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

what dignity LMAO

I have way more dignity than a mf who’s gonna watch some stupid snowflakes fall

drinking hot cocoa and eating some sissy cookies

while he waits for his missus to get in the mood

but again, do what you must to get a good fuck, that’s not my problem

have fun

and tell tomori that akane will be at the hotpot

EggHead:

hell yeah!

alright, go twerk and have some fun yourself

send my regards to your Cannibal LOL

And his icon goes offline. He must already be on the road.

Rihito thinks about calling Okubo every name under the sun, but it wouldn't be funny since he wouldn't see those messages until the next day, after spending the night fucking his girlfriend to the sound of crackling fireplaces and snow piling up on the windowsill. And like the helpless romantic that he was, he would be too happy to care about some dumb insults. It wasn't even worth wasting time.

He huffs and puts away his phone, picking up the bags with his purchases and walking faster, eager to get away from the cold. He didn't need all that cheesy bullshit. He had found a friend who disliked them as much as he did. And they were both going to enjoy that cold as it deserved to be enjoyed, yes sir.

The relief is great when he finally sees the dirty block where Akane lived. The good thing about that freezing cold was that the smell of garbage and cat piss was much less pronounced.

He goes up the stairs; the place was strangely quiet for such a neighborhood. Normally he would hear some ear-splitting music from some apartment, or some crazy couple in the middle of a screaming match or even cats fighting or mating on the roof. But the night was completely silent. Which was actually good, at least the walls were thick.

He knocked on the door and a moment later she opened it. She smiled and opened it completely when she saw who it was. She was in her homely clothes, with her glasses and a loose shirt, and barefoot.

"Hi," she lets him in and closes the door, giving him space and grabbing the bags he was giving her "Get in the bathroom, I'll put the groceries away and I'll be right there." 

"'Night!," He greets her with a smile, his face red from the cold, but it didn't seem to have affected his mood at all "Sorry for coming this late. If I had known that you'd be free after work, I would've come straight from work," And after taking off his shoes, he heads towards the bathroom, without thinking to much. He had been visiting that apartment for two months now. They were already past the formalities.

"Sorry, I also thought you were busy. I remember once you were working late on a last minute delivery, and the next day you had a match scheduled," She says while putting things away.

"See? It’s not just you who’s racing against the clock because of a job," He comments, raising his voice as he opens the door to the bathroom, already taking off his clothes and folding them over the basket next to the sink "Year's end has been pretty busy, but after the holidays we'll be able to make the most of it..."

Rihito had seen that bathroom before: it was tiny, but organized and very clean, and of course, a bit cluttered, with colorful things on the shelves, some motivational pictures (his favorite was the one were it was written “one shit a day make your problems flush away”) and some little decorative plants. It still was way less eye-catching than the rest of the house (no piece of furniture had surpassed the vintage-porn couch yet), but still, he doubted he would ever meet a more extravagant, wild and exigent woman when it comes to home decorations and her own appearance, but that still had a no nonsense attitude and was as foul-mouthed as a truck driver. 

This stark contrast, to this day, made his head spin so much that he simply went with the flow while trying not to laugh to himself as he undressed.

As she had said, the bathtub was already filled with hot water, which was good for the cold night; it was a little shallow because otherwise, given its size, the water would overflow. He was a big man, afterall.

A thought comes into his head, “She thinks about everything, doesn't she?”

The sudden thought ended up eliciting a mischievous half-smile from him. Yes, that woman thought of everything, including the best ways to take advantage of a poor motherfucker who until recently was a lost cause in terms of interactions with the opposite sex. But he would never complain about that, because he was learning a lot from her. Not only to be a better lover, but to be a better friend and person as well.

He enters the bathtub after having undressed completely, closing his eyes and letting out a low sound of pleasure as the hot water enveloped him, up to his chest. He rested his arms on the edges of the bathtub, throwing his head back a little "Damn, this is one of the best things you could do at the end of a long day... you can almost nap in here..."

"I do it often," Akane appears at the door, coming closer to him "Even more so after I had a really busy day," she sits on the closed toilet seat, on the edge of the bathtub, enjoying the view "Feel free to relax."

"I already am…," He jokes, smiling at her "But what about you? A bathroom isn't the best place in a house to keep your clothes on, you know…?"

"I know... I'm just enjoying the view for now...," 

"Oh, feel free to enjoy it, but you can also enjoy it while your sausage is warm from the water," He laughs, while she gets up and opens a side cabinet, where there were some hygiene products "So... are we going to have a party at Butch's house?"

"Yes, we will! A Christmas party with everything we could ask for, a courtesy from Aunty! But we still need to bring booze."

"Aunty? You're hopeless, man, if she hears you...," She laughs softly, taking a weird little ball from the cabinet "Anyway... I'll go for a casual look, since the girls will be there, and Kanami's house usually has a more cozy atmosphere."

She takes off the loose shirt she was wearing, and... oh, what a surprise, she wasn't wearing anything underneath. She takes off her glasses too, throwing her curls around to loosen them. She sighs, approaching the bathtub and throwing the ball she had in her hand inside of it. The ball hits the water and immediately starts to sizzle, releasing good-smelling bubbles.

"Yeah, it's some sissy shit but I love it. Shut up," she says as she was getting into the tub, and the water overflows when she sits on his lap.

"Hnn…," He shivers slightly, the middle of his legs being duly graced by her ass, which for him was very welcome "I deal well with other people's sissy shits if I'm well rewarded for it, you know," And he hugs her to his chest, bringing her closer, one hand already going to lazily play with one of her tits.

"The view is enough for you, don't lie," she uses a little bowl to catch some water and pours it on his head, wetting his hair "Did you come to spend the night here? "

He closes his eyes so the water doesn't get into them, blowing some, the droplets spreading around "Yeah, the view is pretty awesome... and I'd like too, if that's okay. It's freezing cold outside... returning home in the early hours of the morning would be torture... it could start snowing today."

"The forecast said it was likely," he feels, still with his eyes closed, her nails massaging his scalp, applying some kind of shampoo with a subtle scent there "In that case, you’re more than welcome. I think I have something in my room that might help you. If I remember correctly I have a pair of sweatpants, so you don't tease me early in the morning," and she laughs softly.

He laughs along with her... and then wonders how a single woman, who lived alone and was so thin could have sweatpants that fit him. Was it someone else's? The thought wasn't the most pleasant, but damn, it was either that or his dick would shrink two inches from the cold, and that was the last thing he needed that night.

"Fine by me. And I hope it's not yours, because if it is I'll finally find out how guys who have a fetish for wearing panties feel, hahaha!"

"Hahaha, no, dumbass, I bought it for you," she presses her nails into his scalp, laughing "I knew that one time or another you'd end up spending the night here, so I took precautions," She throws some water in head head, rinsing his hair.

He chokes on the water, such is his amazement. He wipes his eyes quickly, blinking awkwardly at her.

"What… did you buy me sweatpants? Really?!"

"And why not? Or do you prefer to sleep in jeans?," She raises an eyebrow "I don't think so," She continues to wash his hair, her expression unchanged, but still seeming a little embarrassed by his surprise; her already small mouth had turned into a pout due to her full lips.

 "No, that's not it! It's just...," He doesn't know what else to say, even more disconcerted when he sees her embarrassment. He tries to get back on track by hugging her again, his hands around her hips, her breasts pressed against his chest. And for the first time in two months, the proximity didn't turn him on. It only increased that strange heat in his chest "It's just that no one had done something like that for me before. Damn, woman... you're making me feel like a fag here, making me all emotional like that, hahaha..."

"Then shut up and just accept it," she laughs a little "And that's not fag shit, you're just happy, and even though it's for a silly reason. It's just like you," she shakes her head "An extroverted through and through," and she continues playing with his hair "And you're my friend, so... it's just consideration, no big deal. "

He laughs through his nose, thanking the heavens from the bottom of his heart for the water she poured over his head, since he could use it to disguise any sign of emotion. Because for a tiny second, he felt his eyes burn. And crying in front of her would mean exposing a fragile side of him that he flatly refused to expose, even more so to that woman, who he wanted to continue seeing him as a friend, protector and a respectable sexual partner, and not as a crybaby who needed to be comforted all the time. He tries to interrupt that flow of disconcerting thoughts by closing his eyes, enjoying the caresses on his scalp while hiding his face on her chest, between her breasts.

"Fuck, you're such a… no, seriously, thank you. Now I’m going to think of something nice to give you in return…"

"Nah, you don't have too," she rinses his hair again, putting the bowl aside and grabbing a soap bar "I did it for myself too. Now seriously, let me finish washing your hair. It's a mess and I can't stand seeing it like that."

"I didn't have time to take care of it these days, my bad. And it wouldn't cost me anything to give you something too, come on. I usually only bring you food when I visit, not counting my sausage," He jokes in an attempt to push those strange emotions deep down in his gut again "What would you like to get? An appointment at a nail salon? Some extensions for your hair? A pair of stilettos that can be used as weapons if necessary?"

She laughs at the last one, shaking her head.

"I don't need any of that," she looks at him, and her expression is strange "Okay, you'll accompany me on a thrift store hunt. Don't make that face, you'll have fun, I guarantee it."

"... Alright then," He nods, sighing "I want to return the favor, afterall. Let’s go hunting for cheesy things to buy at a bargain price. Maybe some heart pillows to match your monster in the living room, so I have somewhere to rest my head while you ride me," And he slowly squeezed her buttocks while he lightly nibbled between her breasts. She laughs at the answer.

"You really liked my couch, huh," she jokes, shivering with his touches "Wait until you try my bed…"

He looks up at her "Good idea. Now that I'm thinking about it, I've never been in your room before," He says, surprised. Akane had never invited him into her room, and he had never suggested for them to go have sex there, both because he respected her need for privacy and because he really liked that fuzzy monstrosity in the living room. And now he wondered why she had that preference "You never invited me and I never asked..."

"Oh, it's because it's messy," She blushes a little "It's where I keep my stuff... and I have a lot of stuff," she concentrates on scrubbing his skin so she doesn't have to look at his eyes "And it's also where my sewing supplies are, so expect to see patchwork everywhere."

"Oh... believe me, I have no room to judge. My place is messy too," He shrugs calmly "Mess has never bothered me. And honestly, all things considered, I might like it as much as I like the rest of your place. All this cozy cheesiness and such," And he relax underneath her hands, enjoying the feel of the soap sliding across his skin, the hot water undoing all the tension in his muscles accumulated throughout the day.

She smiles. "I'm glad you don't mind. And it's also not fair for me to make you sleep on the couch when there's so much space on my bed... and it's a cold night too, so your presence is more than welcome," she runs her hands over his face and then stops "Oh, I didn't notice... you didn't shave before coming?"

"I'll gladly accept the offer, ma’am. And I ended up leaving it like that, I jumped outta bed in a hurry and didn't had time to shave," He pouts at the way she pressed his cheeks, smiling like the cute idiot he was "Do you like it? If so, I can leave it like this more often."

"Look, I don't mind shaving, I like it both ways, but this looks great on you too," she smiles, and then lets him go, becoming more serious "Okay, you're all clean. Now get out and let me wash myself up too. You take too much space," she bites his neck "Use that big whit towel on the basket. Now scram."

He shivers at the bite, laughing afterwards.

"Hey, I let you wash me, didn't I? It's only fair that I return the favor," He raises an eyebrow, smiling as he picks up the soap and the sponge "You know how good I am with my fingers. Don't you want to try 'em out in other areas?"

She smiles "You'll end up just groping me and making me horny. We won't be able to leave the bathtub even after the water gets cold...," she squinted at him "If you want to do it so badly then be chaste about it, you pervert."

"Are you doubting my ability to behave and do things like that without ulterior motives? ... Yeah, you wouldn't be the first or the last," He snorts, pouting when she laughs "Seriously, I want to try! I'm feeling quite generous today, so you should take the opportunity. And besides, I prefer to do our funny business on your bed, because this water will soon cool down."

"Stop messing around," she turns her back, sitting on his lap and moving her hair away "And don't make me wait," she looks at him mischievously.

"So fucking bossy...," He grumbles, but promptly obeys, rubbing the soap on the sponge and then sliding it across her skin, slowly, cleaning and adding some light pressure from his fingers on her muscles. He takes the opportunity to kiss her on the back of the head in the meantime, as innocently as he can, while bringing her closer so he can wash her chest too.

She smiles and lets him do it. She seriously thought about provoking him with moans, but when she felt his effort, she held back. But that didn't mean she couldn't relax with the massage he was giving her, even if involuntarily. He had said he had strong hands and she knew he did. But there was something about it, even though he knew how to control that strength well, he still had a somewhat rough touch, one that she liked, because, all things considered, he was extremely gentle with her.

Some intrusive thoughts came to ruin the mood, stupid memories of painful touches long ago, coming from people she thought she could trust, which made her tense.

She feels his fingers pause momentarily, seeming to hesitate. And then she hears him ask, "Hey... am I making you uncomfortable? I'll stop if you want to, okay?"

"No… it's not you. Just some annoying stuff that came to my mind. Don't worry. It's just old ladies gossiping and things like that," she diverges the subject.

"Hnn... okay," He says simply, realizing that she didn’t want to extend the subject. He felt a certain relief in parts, because he was terrible with traumatic or sentimental issues. But on the other hand, he also felt a certain guilt. He remembered all the things his friends had already told him, about how inconvenient and clueless he could be about things like personal space, especially when it came to women. After a few good blows to his ego, he had become much more aware of those flaws. And he felt distressed at the thought that he might be inflicting them on her.

He tries not to think about it too much, finishing with her chest, managing not to play with her breasts too much, and then imitates what she did with her hair, putting shampoo in his hand and rubbing it slowly, taking the opportunity to appreciate the various colors that appeared beneath those golden locks. He smiled with himself.

"That seems like a lot of work. Do you do things like that in the salon?"

"Not often, and not in colors like these. I use more of the normal ones, black and shades of brown... sometimes a redhead when someone gets divorced, ahahahaha," She says, being happy to have a new subject to focus on "I do more haircuts and hairstyles that use hairspray, and to not lose practice, I test it on myself. There are times when I wanna die of boredom, but old ladies at the salon are pretty good friends. There are times when they treat me like I'm still sixteen, but oh well, what can I do...," She leans back against his chest "It's not like I've changed much since then," She smiles, relaxing.

Okay, she seemed relaxed enough, so he wasn't the problem. He sighs in relief.

"I can relate to that, hahaha," He bends down a little to touch the curve of her neck with his nose, still massaging her scalp "And most of the clientele must be old ladies, right? It must be boring as hell. I'd schedule an appointment with you there if it wasn’t for the anti-male brigade that threatened to fry my eggs, hahaha.”

She laughs again, "Exactly... but they're right. That salon is a woman-only temple, and there are things that men cannot hear under any circumstances. And… you can still book an appointment with me, right here at home. I’ll give you a discount. I love doing freelance jobs," She turns her head, looking at him "Because they're always the most fun".

"I'm in! I'll just wait for the end of year bonuses to come in, I kind of emptied my wallet...," He makes a face while picking up water with his hands "Close your eyes...," He instructs before pouring water over her head "Thank fuck the guys came up with this hotpot, because otherwise I would spend Christmas eating noodles in my apartment or in a bar, drinking my ass off, hahaha..."

"Hey, what about me? You have me too, dummy," She whimpers "I would probably be watching movies or getting drunk at home or making things to wear or give as gifts next year," she helps him rinse her head, and then she gets out of the bathtub "Shall we?"

"Uh... would you stay with me for Christmas, if we didn’t have another party to attend?," He blinks, and then he smiles, getting up from the bathtub to go with her "I would be in! It's just that I thought you would have arranged something else if I hadn't invited you, like a night-out with your friends, or a party with your family..."

"I don't have any family," she dries herself, handing him a towel meanwhile "Well, not anymore. I don't want to spend the holidays with the salon ladies either. My Gyaru friends, or ex-Gyarus, already had their own plans too. I remember one invited our group to an Izakaya but everyone else declined, so if it was just me and her there it would feel like a date, according to her. I told her to stop being dumb and she told me to fuck off. We ended up not going out, afterall," she shrugs.

"Well, I made that invitation at the right time then, haha ," He laughs a little, trying to hide a sudden outburst of sympathy by hiding his face in the towel as he dries himself. So she didn't have a family? He understood the situation perfectly. Biological family had always been a sensitive topic for him, so he understood her need to not talk about it more tha necessary. He didn't need any fucking biological family anyway. He had a stepfamily with all the friends he had made in recent years. And maybe she had something like that too "And ex-Gyarus, huh? Traitors to the lifestyle? 

"More or less. They just changed their views, it's normal. Some of them still keep some remnants of it, but it's like something from a punk phase or a rebellious phase, you know. At some point there are people who find those studded coats a pain to wear, and there are girls who, when they leave their teens, realize that that lifestyle doesn't suit them. I… well, not only does it suit me, but I embrace it…" 

"Hunf," He sniffs with a certain haughtiness, one hand on his hip while the index finger of the other scratches his nose "So it's just you and me, the pillars of fidelity to a lifestyle, while the rest conforms over time. I won't stop bleaching my hair, and you won't stop being a Gyaru, and that's what makes us badass, hehe," And he playfully pats her on the hip, making her smile. 

"Yes, in my case I was never anything else. I've always had this tanned skin, y'know. My friends were jealous because I didn't need artificial tanning to achieve this tone," she covered herself with the towel until she remembered who was next to her "C'mon, I'll show you my room. Your pants are there anyway."

And she leaves the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, putting her glasses back on her face.

He follows her quickly, drying his hair and shoulders too, not bothering to tie the towel around his waist, either "I'm right behind you. And you can tan so easily... the beach would be another nice place for us to go, just so I can see it with my own eyes," He smiles, enjoying the sway of her hips without any shame.

"I'd love to. It's been a while since I've been to the beach, I'd been a little... eh... uninterested. But I intend to in the near future, I love summer," they quickly arrive at the bedroom door "And... eh... sorry about the mess in advance."

She opens the sliding door, and Rihito smells the pile of clothes (clean but put away) before he even enters. Yes, as he suspected, the bedroom was the largest room in the house, but it seemed small with the amount of things piled up there, and none of them, interestingly, were decorative. There were at least three closets, one with a huge mirror on the door, the other two made of wood, and they all had clothes inside, organized on hangers. On the other side, there was a shelf full of drawers with labels, saying “silk”, “chiffon”, “polyester”, “beads” and others. In another corner, barely visible, there was a very vintage, old-fashioned sewing machine, black and with a foot crank. The environment looked like the dressing room of a famous artist or the home of a costume designer who shared the apartment with the tacky owner who owned the couch. In the center, beyond the window on the wall, he wasn't surprised to found a double bed with a heavy, plush duvet, with a Frankenstein-like amalgam of hundreds of different, furry animal fur prints. Saying it was tacky would be an understatement, but he already knew it was all her: so tacky that it was actually beautiful.

"Yeah... this is my... eh... my bedroom-studio," She looks at him, blushing "I told you I sew most of my clothes".

He smiles a lot as he enjoys the immensely colorful and extravagant mess "Wow, would you look at that. The pink monster in the living room swallowed the 70s and threw everything up right here, eh," He laughs at her "I loved it, like the rest of the house, hahaha! And yes, you said you sew your own clothes. Did you find that sewing machine at a thrift store too? I think one of these costs a fortune on the internet."

"No. It's a family heirloom," She smiles a little tenderly "It was from my mother's side. But it was the only thing besides me that she left, and this beauty still works today, so it's still with me," She nods "It must already have a soul within itself, with how old it must be."

"Ooh…," He nods, trying to hide his embarrassment, wondering if he should say something. Damn, he was starting to get frustrated with his own insensitivity. Well, the others had always told him... "Maybe it has, who knows? If you took such good care of it all these years... it must've become the protector of the apartment or something. She and that pink monster, beating the shit outta intruders to keep them from disturbing the Force, haha."

"Ahahaha… very likely. If you were surprised by my pink monster, then it must definitely have a sense for disturbances in the Force. It's aura is very unique, as Butch said," she covers the machine and the table with a heavy cloth. She was probably working on something before he arrived "And again, you reacted much better than I expected...," she opens an embarrassed smile, blushing a little, as she sits on the bed.

"I didn’t react badly to your vintage porn couch, why would I react badly to your room?," He shrugs, unconcerned "I already told you, I like the atmosphere in your apartment. All the cheesiness is fun. And I find it cozy. It's not like those houses of stuck-up rich people that look more like a dentist's office, where everything is white, cold and there's not even a fucking plant in a corner. It's a house that really looks like a house, where there are people actually living, not just existing. Do you understand me? Or am I talking nonsense? I don't know, I just know that I like it and that's it."

She smiles "Yeah, I understand, and I think the same. I like colors," she lies down on the bed "And interesting things to look at. And you can get a sense of the personality of the person living there. I think you look at a jaguar print on a dress in a store and think 'Akane', right? Or cheesy and furry things in general."

He... he had been a little amazed to find that she was right. How many times in the last two months had he passed by a thrift store on his way to the fridge or the gym, seen things like leopard print rugs or pink plush dice and immediately thought that Akane would to have one of those? Four? Five? It was kind of impressive that he was able to remeber her tastes that well and had learned to make associations automatically, without anything needing to remind him of that. Was this what happened when you became intimate with someone? Did things that reminded you of that person start to appear frequently? Or have they always been there and you simply become more interested in them?

He didn't know, and that complex monologue was already overheating the simple machine that was his brain, leaving him frustrated. He dispels those conjectures by doing what he does best: smiling and being a hopeless pervert.

"Sometimes. And what reminds you of me every day? The sausage you buy at the butcher's?"

She laughs loudly and turns her back to him on the bed, still laughing, even letting out a light snore before composing herself "No... not exactly...," she doesn't turn around, letting him look at her back "But now that you mentioned it, I'll put it on the list."

Her back, exposed like that, naked and sporting those almost imperceptible bikini lines, was too tempting for him to resist. He approaches, climbing onto the bed, supporting himself on his elbows and knees above her, and she feels his lips touching the base of her neck, descending with a slowness that makes her shiver.

"I want to hear about the other items on that list later…"

Akane shivers at his touch, smiling a little, turning her head so he has better access to her neck "Oh... I have some... like... I was watching a movie where one of the guys was splitting wood and he picked up the wood and ripped it in two with his fingers. For some reason it reminded me of you and that coin. I see… hnmm… a fit guy leaving the gym, then I… you're going to think it's crazy, but I keep thinking that you could easily beat his ass. And also... cats. Big cats...," she turns around, pulling him into a hug, while sighing "And for some reason a very big and fluffy golden retriever from a neighbor reminded me of you, but I apologize for that, because I laughed," she laughs softly.

He had to hold back for a while not to grab her right there, exultant with the comparisons as he returned the hug "Splitting logs in half, huh? Yes, I can do that, I'll even show you later if you want... and I certainly have the capacity to beat some gym rat's ass, but it won't happen because I don't want to be arrested, hahaha! And I'm a leopard, lady, just like you... but a golden retriever?," He blinks. And then he smiles scathingly "I'm a leopard, but I can also be a dog. Raawn!," And he nibbles her neck, then licks it.

She gasps, laughing, and hugs him more "Ahaha, hnmmm... I know, but part of it is because you're both blonde and cute," she then blinks, a little surprised by what she said, making a pout.

He looks up at her, equally surprised. Boy... had she called him there to have sex or to make him all disarmed and dumbfounded every five minutes? He manages to recover relatively quickly, however, smiling mischievously "Oooh, I think I understand... today you want me to be cute, then? I can do that. I'm going to be adorable," And he kisses her, his tongue asking for passage, his cock slowly brushing between her legs.

"Ooh," she lets him kiss her, and thanks the heavens that he is stupid, or at least ignores these things. She didn't really want to think about it. She hugged him with her legs, passing her thighs along his sides "Yes... but not too adorable, I'm not made of porcelain," she jokes, and her nails passed over his torso, tickling him in a good way "I'm not much in the mood for foreplay, anyway," she looks at him, biting her lip; her eyes were light brown, but like when she was using blue contacts, they were very intense.

He shivers with the feeling of her nails running across his skin, with the heat between her legs, and especially with the words spoken. He was already getting hard as a rock "Hnnn... not even a little tongue? We're being very straightfoward today...," He jokes, his hands massaging her breasts, his thumbs playing with the nipples until they become hard.

"Oonh… I like it, but when I'm a bed with you like this I get wild," she runs her nails through his hair, letting him play with her, panting softly "Hnmm…. so much so that...," she pushes him away a little and turns onto her stomach "I want you like this...," she pushes her buttocks against the middle of his legs, her torso on the mattress, looking at him "Choose your entrance...," she says in a malicious moan "As long as you come in slowly."

He kneels on the mattress, and she sees, over her shoulder, the exact moment his brain turned off and everything else turned on, his green eyes becoming a little unfocused, delight written in every line of his expression.

"Damn, that's the best invitation I’ve been given today…," He leans over to kiss the tattoos on her thigh, moving down to her buttocks afterwards "I accept it… but doing it dry like that won’t be good for you, right? Don't lie to me, you want some of this...," And she feels when his fingers slide from bottom to top along the line of her sex, massaging it, searching for her clit and gracing it as soon as they find it. 

And he is surprised when his finger practically sinks into her heat when he presses a little, before reaching the clit. She gasps more when he moves, shivering all over.

"Ahnn.. I told you… ooh…," she looks at him "But don’t stop, please…"

He would be a complete idiot if he didn't comply with that request. He goes back to kissing and licking her buttocks, positioning his arm more comfortably and then moving his fingers back and forth, moving his phalanges to massage her insides, especially that little elevation he felt when he went up to where her clit was. And all the while he was admiring how wet she was, running on his fingers, his mouth watering at the sight.

"Damn, you got like that without me barely touching you... all this just by imagining me fucking you? Hnn?," He asks in a hoarse growl "Naughty girl... "

"You already know who I am…," she says between moans, looking at him "And I know you were already getting a hard-on just with me invited you in, you big dog. Just me calling you-aaah!," She trembles all over, arching her back, when he touches a sensitive spot beyond her clit.

"Dog... you know what happens when you provoke a dog, right?," He takes a bite there, on the juicy flesh of her buttocks, sucking a little to leave a reddish mark and smiling mischievously at her reaction to the capricious work of his fingers "You get eaten... both ways. Only one thing at a time...," And he presses his face against her ass, giving a nice lick from bottom to top, from her sex to that tight hole between the buttocks, and her stays there, his tongue caressing it while his fingers work vigorously. 

"Aaaah...," She trembles all over "Oh, fuck yeah... Rihito, this is torture," she doesn't make any move to stop him, however "I love that tongue, and those fingers, ooh... they make me melt, aahn...," she was so wet that her juices ran down his fingers.

Her praise made him even more hallucinated, hard as a rock, and even more desperate to devour her and extract more of those sounds. He makes her lift her buttocks so he can move his arm more freely, loving the sight of his fingers moving in and out of her, the pink flesh hugging them in a way that makes him ache for his dick's turn. He licks her butthole in the meantime, kissing it afterwards, saying in a low growl, "Ask for it. And don't play coy with me. I want to hear it, Akane..." 

"Ahnn… eat me, c'mon… fuck my pussy and fill my ass up...," She asks, and in such a sultry way… she even wiggles her buttocks in his face "I know you want it too…," she leaves her glasses on the bedside table and when she comes back, she hands him a package. He knew exactly what it was.

"Fucking hell, woman...!," He takes his soaked fingers out of her, almost panting with excitement, bending down to give that juicy flesh a long lick before picking up the condom, wraping himself up as quickly as he can before positioning himself, his huge hands firm on her hips "Yeah, lift that ass for me... hnnnn...!," And he shivers as he enters her all at once, being immediately pressed into that delicious, warm grip that made him a little dizzy "Fuck, there's- there's nothing better to do in this cold...!"

"Aahnn!," She moans loudly "That's it, c'mon, fuck me! hmmm!!," she lifts her torso a little, to arch her back more "Say you love this, say you'll always want to fuck me!"

She was a vocal girl, she knew that, but she always had this fear of being foul-mouthed with her partners, so much so that she had heard complaints or even hands over her mouth several times... but with Rihito... no, with Ichiro, she knew that he loved every note and every sound she made, and he even asked for more. This euphoria was everything to her.

And holy fuck, how much he loved it. He holds her even tighter, grunting like the dog she accused him of being as he thrusts into her, slamming his hips into hers with loud, wet sounds, rotating his hips to make sure he hits her in all the right spots "Damn, I want...! I want to fuck you every day, all the time, I can't stop thinking... hnnnn...! Thinking about those beautiful tits, that ass, that pussy...! And your face..."

She raises her torso even more, placing her back against his chest "I want it too, I'll never get tired of such a hot motherfucker, aaaahn!," She grabs his neck, bringing his head to touch her shoulder "Oohhh yes, I love it... more... hold me tight, don't let me get away... Ichirooo...!"

And the sound of his real name was like a magic word. He grabs her willingly while biting her on the shoulder, growling, keeping her in place like a male cat biting a female's neck, the pounding of his hips against hers becoming even more merciless.

"Gruunf...! I'm not going to... you're gonna stay here with me, you're gonna let me fuck you and make you come all night, you're not gonna leave my side...!," And one of his hands moves between your legs, his fingers firmly on her clit, his strong, hoarse breathing in her ear, an extremely welcome sound as an accompaniment to those wet pops.

"Aaanh! Yessss...!," she moans loudly, and when she is touched she practically whines, facing him, her breasts bouncing with his thrusts "K-Keep going, Ichiro, I love when you fuck me like that, uughnn... I love it...!," The view of her mouth open, her sexy face, with her eyes closed facing a window showing the dark night sky, the snow falling outside... it was something that would remain engraved in his memory.

He stares at the window with snow piling up on the eaves, the dark sky seeming to be dotted with white spots that fell in a slow dance, the ecstasy of the climax arriving seeming to make the scene more surreal, intimate, cozy... and then he lets out a deep sound of pleasure, the back and forth getting rougher, as well as his fingers "Fuck, Akane...! I'm almost there, come with me, squeeze me tighter...!"

"Aaannn, me too, Ichiro… don’t stop-aaahh! Ahhhnn!," She squeezes him hard, with her arms and with her insides, while shaking hard, bouncing on top of his dick while riding her climax "Ohhh... Ichiroooo... I love... oohhh..."

"A-Akane...! hhnNNG...!," He locks his hips, holding her tight against him, and damn, cumming hard while he was inside that wonderful woman while snow was falling outside in the silent night was an almost magical experience, fuck how cheesy that is sounded! He then goes limp, resting his forehead on her shoulder, breathing heavily. She feels his lips sliding there, on her skin, in a small kiss. "Holy shit... I love it too... shit, I've really missed you..."

He ends up sitting on top of his own legs while she sat on top of him, still panting her, leaning against him.

"Oh... me too," she turns her head and kisses him. "Hmmmm," she lets him go slowly, looking into his eyes. In that light, her eyes were even more bright, and she looked at him with a face full of want that gave him goosebumps.

He looks back at her, his eyelids heavy, his face sweaty and his breathing still labored. Her eyes looked like a cat's in the dim light, bright and penetrating... yes, there was no better nom de guerre than 'Panther' for her. He smirks, a shiver running down his spine. "Good to know... because I didn't forget that request of yours... about filling your ass up. Just let me recover first...," He gets rid of the condom (good thing there was a little trash bin next to the bed. She'd certainly thought of everything, huh), and then makes her turn over onto her back, slowly laying on top of her. A hand goes up to her face, giving her another kiss, and then he rests his head between her breasts, an idiotic smile of satisfaction taking over his face. "You're so fucking hot that I can barely stand it, haha…"

"Hnmm... with someone as hot fucking me, is hard not to be," She hugs his neck, keeping his face between her breasts, caressing his head. "Hmm... I love this feeling... the aftergloow ... hmm," She hugs him more "It makes me melt..."

"Me too... I don't even want to get out of bed to eat...," He murmurs, almost moaning with her caressing his hair. "Even more so in weather like this, hnnn... damn, this bed is almost as good as the pink monster in the living room, yes sir..."

"Haha, I told you… good thing there's enough space for both of us and very warm blankets…," She pulls out a pillow and adjusts herself on it… then she lifs her eyes and sees it. "Oh, just as the forecast predicted. It's snowing outside… it's a very nice sight when you're inside a cozy room, right?"

"Hell yeah!," He turns over in bed too, looking at the window. "I kinda saw it two minutes ago, but I ended up forgetting. You are a sucker of memories, as well as souls, hehehe!," And he puts a hand on her back, watching the snow fall with a happy smile "The first snowfall of the year…"

"Hnmm… yeah…," she says nothing more than that, caressing his head with her nails, as if combing his hair, a smile on her lips.

He reciprocates by caressing her back more, his fingers very gentle, almost affectionate, seeming perfectly happy to just stay there, enjoying the moment with her. He covers them both with the blanket (colorful, fuzzy and patterned, because if it weren't, it wouldn't be Akane, after all), murmuring against their skin, "Thank you for inviting me to come here. On a night like this, it's better to sleep with someone than alone."

"I agree... and I wouldn't leave you in the cold like that, honey," She kisses him on the top of his head. "Thank you too."

In the silence of the room, with his body still not very tired, his thoughts did some pirouettes until they reached what his friend had said. The First Snow… He chuckles. 

"Hey, lemme tell you something funny. I exchanged a few texts with Okubo before arriving here. Guess what he was gonna do with Tomori," And he indicates the window, which had already accumulated a certain amount of snowflakes on the sill, with a gesture of his head.

"Let me see… Tomori and I are birds of a feather, but she loves cheesy shit… so some really good sex, with hot cocoa and fluffy blankets on the side?"

"The Egghead loves that shit too, even though he doesn't admit it, that's why they're perfect for each other," He laughs more "And that's exactly it, but that would be the consequence of their original plans. They went to see the First Snow," He rolls his eyes with a smile that she saw was more affectionate than mocking "Some kind of winter magic and whatnot…"

"Really? What kind of magic?," She blinks "Never heard of it...," She blinks,  and then she seems to remember. "Oooh, it's a Korean superstition about the first snowfall of the winter," She smiles at him. "It's just that they believe that if a couple confess to eachother as soon as the First Snow falls, the love between them become pure as snow, so it will last forever...," She laughs softly "Tomori kept telling me that, and she and I watched some Korean soap operas that had that trope in them. Kinda cute, but… that's… eh…," She sighs, looking disbelieved.

"Oh, so it's Korean? I didn’t know that. But yeah, that's exactly it! The gayest shit to end all the other gay shit," He has a small coughing fit while laughing. "My bro was never into that stuff, but he found a girlfriend and immediately let the hopeless romantic that always existed inside him come out," He pouts , making kissing sounds, and then he looks out the window at the snowy night. "Eh, he's as happy as a clam, and that's what matters..."

He turns to her. Then he notices her thoughtful expression. The smile fades from his face.

"Uh… I'm just joking, okay? I don't think less of those who believe in that stuff, I just think it's funny..."

"It's okay. It's not like you can actually kiss someone under a snowfall and shazam! True love...," She snorts, shrugging a bit. "But I'm happy for my friend. Good for them..."

"... Yeah," He looks at the covers, before looking up once again, admiring the dark winter night outside. "I don't have any experience in the department, so I can't say much. But I know that, with those two specifically, it wasn't a Disney movie or all the shit we see in soap operas. I saw everything unfold from the beginning. I know they built something nice and solid together. So this First Snow shit seems a bit unnecessary in their case. But yeah... I'm happy too." 

"Huhum…," she strokes his head once again. "Tomori told me some things while it was all happening, but I couldn't do much for her, unfortunately. I was in a tight situation myself, but when I managed to settle everything, I went to talk to her, and she told me that they had sorted things out. I was happy for her, she'd been waiting for her special someone for years, and she was lucky enough to bump into her idol at Butch's bakery. But seriously, was that pure coincidence? You guys saw the bakery, got in to have a quick snack and boom! Instant meet cute?"

"Actually, we found out about the bakery through Tokita and his employer, Mr. Yamashita," He tells her, smiling again. "Some crazy things happened that made Miss Kanami need help, and our friend group ended up offering themselves. Because of this, Okubo, Himuro and I decided to go visit the place. We were curious to meet the buff baker," He laughs softly. "And what a surprise we had when the cute  subchef had a burst of happiness when she saw Okubo and ran over to ask for his autograph. You should've seen his face, the happiest dumbass in the whole world, hahaha…"

"Ooh… so it was thanks to the buff couple? How interesting...," She smiles too. "And cute... she got the romance she wanted so much. Now my chest feels all warm, "She looks at him. "And your face looks pretty warm too," She laughs.

He laughs too, all happy, pushing his face between her breasts even more.

"Girl, it'll be warm for the whole night if you let me stay here. But anyway! The Seaweed Head was the pure definition of a clueless virgin, and then, out of nowhere, he and Aunty fell in love. Three months later it was Okubo Tomori's turn. Mr. Yamashita says that Tokita finding someone was the event needed for  some cosmic lock to open, and them things snowballed from there. What do they call this stuff again...," He frowns a little, making a face of hilarious concentration before continuing. "Oh yeah! Butterfly Effect."

"Interesting. And a clueless virgin? Really? A handsome guy like that? He must've been traumatized to his core. Maybe someone fucked him and he ended up not liking it," She wonders. "I've seen people like that."

He shudders, making a slightly scared face.

"Don't joke about these things, Phanter. And anyway, he's not even that handsome! He just has that sulky face that a lot of girls like, I don't know why...," He makes a jealous pout. "But anyway, I don't really know what happened to him, but I know he had a fucked up childhood. And meeting Mr. Yamashita, us and, later, Miss Kanami, gave him the chance to live like a normal person. That's it. He's even making double entendres in our group chat nowadays, the clown..."

"That's good to know," she nods, and the she looks at him, raising an eyebrow "And I wouldn't call it a 'sulky face'... it's pure presence, the aura of someone who doesn't playt around. You know, that person who enters a saloon in cowboy movies, and everyone inside stops whatever they're to look at his face. They're all tense, already thinking that he's going to shoot everyone if someone messes with him... that's what I'm saying. This type of person has this kind of presence for two reasons," She raises two fingers, pointing at eachone. "Either someone fucked him up and he's trying to get revenge, or he ruined a lot of people's lives and enjoyed doing so. In general, women like this kind of guy because it's the aura of someone who doesn't need to prove anything to anyone and has a lot of self-confidence. A lot of girls are deceived by that and fall into his web." 

Her tone, he noticed, was not that of someone who admired this kind of man. She sounded like someone who had seen a lot, to the point of being able to analyze these things from afar and not fall for the trick.

"... Alright, fair enough. Can we stop talking about the Seaweed Head now, please?," He asks, almost whimpering, hugging her tighter. Damn, it was quite a sight, a man that size acting all jealous. It seemed that he didn't get even more mad only because he realized that she was speaking as an analyst and not as an admirer.

"You can have all this confidence too, you know?," She smiles at him, when she notices the pout he made.

He looks up at her. And then he smiles happily.

"I already have it. All thanks to you."

Her eyes widen as she blushes. She was going to tease him about also being fucked too boost his confidence, but he caught her completely off guard. Shit, why did he had to attack her with a cuteness combo? The entire sentence she was formulating went down the drain in her conscience and her chest began to complain about the blow, so she looked away so as not to stare at that human golden retriever with leopard claws.

"T-That's good to know... I was good for something," She opens an embarrassed smile, still mortified. "I'm happy to have helped you, yeah..".

"Don't talk as if your help wasn't a big deal, or I'll be forced to fuck you even harder just to reinforce the message," He stretches a little to reach her lips in a quick kiss. And then he lifts himself up a little, sitting up and taking the covers with him. He calls her as he pats his own lap, smiling more, "Now, since we've succumbed to all that cheesy shit, how about we just go with the flow? I can wear the sweatpants you bought me and then we can stay here, watching the snow fall until we feel hungry," He looks out the window, his eyelids getting heavy, his expression serene. "I have to admit, it's really pretty…"

She looks at him again, her eyes glistening. It was the third time he's seen her with that slightly surprised, even helpless look, as if he had break down a wall that was surrounding her. But it always lasted half a second, with her smiling a little mischievously and shrugging. "Heh. Alright then. If you're going through Hell, walk as if you own the place...," She hugs him, resting her head on his arm "... which I do, since I'm a she-devil."

He laughs loudly, hugging her eagerly and throwing the fluffy covers over the two of them. "Well said. And you can sit on my lap whenever you want while we're doing so, hahaha!"

"Careful what you wish for, big guy," She jokes more, tickling his ribs a little. "Because I’ll do it."

"As if I were going to stop you in any way...," He smiles in the same way after laughing with the tickles, reciprocating with a firm grip on her tattooed thigh. They ended up getting into a playful fight, while she furiously tried to tickle him and he calmly parried her blows, barely using any strength. As expected, Rihito ended up winning, pinning Akane by her arms to the bed. Their movements caused something to fall from the bedside table with a thud, and when they realized with alarm that it had only been a plastic lamp, neither of them could hold it, laughing loudly. 

Deciding the game was over, but still laughing, they arranged the pillows so that they made a soft backrest where they could relax, slouching on them under the covers.

And then they stayed there, hugging each other, watching the first snow of the year fall.

[doctorstarinken]

Def Jam, Red Carpets, General Mills, and Studio Keys

My days usually belong to me. Even while on a project, my schedule for the most part is mine. I've freelanced long enough to know that I am very useless for any professional setting before 10am.

The last eight months have been a constant roll from project to project and I finally had some downtime during the last two weeks. Worst two weeks of 2024 so far. There is a deep restlessness in my system that cannot be tamed. No amount of therapy, religion, love, philosophy, ladder climbing, weed, alcohol, shrooms, sex, vacations, cortados, FIFA, i.a. has been able to quell it.

Perhaps god can? But my younger self's relationship with god featured exclusively around my ability to "bring the presence of god down during service." A fucked up thing to tell a young kid who already runs with an already over-inflated sense of worth.

Surely I can music for music's sake. Maybe when I'm old and very grey. Music has unfortunately never been for music's sake for me and I've always tied some sort tangible external outcome at the end of it whether it is "calling the holy spirit during service," a recital, jury, audition, performance, recording session, et al.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy it, I do. My mentor once mentioned that I probably feel for my craft deeper than how I feel for my wife. I think she would probably agree as she says that I'm obsessed. But how does one turn off an over active imagination that is now super-charged and optimized?

I've even started working out and honestly... I'm kinda feeling myself. I haven't felt and looked this toned since high school and my first two years in NYC. I'm not turning into a gym bro or anything and honestly the smell of multiple sweating humans around rubber, plastic, and metal is fucking nauseating. I've mainly started getting active as a means to sort of quell my mind.

Ya... that shit doesn't work. It maybe works for like the first 20 minutes post workout. I've tried high intensity things and cardio as well... it doesn't work and truth be told, I'm much to scared to play any sport in fear of risking a hand injury. Never mind pain. Imagine I can't actually play anything bc of broken hands/wrists. That doesn't bode well for anyone involved.

There's nothing wrong with feeling my best when I'm on a project that I care about. That is a blessing. Whether it is a film score or something as tedious as recording and editing an audiobook, there is something about my relationship with sound and my ability to manipulate it to be optimized that makes every part of my being locked in. That sort of hyperfocus in flow mode is addicting. The praise and admiration received after a project is finished is also addicting despite my best efforts to feign.

But mainly it is looking at a blank session, over populating it with any and every idea, dialing it back, finessing it, export, email, repeat. It is this rhythm where this restlessness is quelled.

All of this to say... someone please give me a large project to work on please.

[martintmedina]

2022 A Year in Review

Another lap around the sun and a great year officially in the books.

Every year I try and summarize my thoughts on the last year and it seems like every year I get more shit done as I evolve and grow as a person. It’s crazy to see the progression from getting to college til now in my career, I’ve been steadily putting this work in for years and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Before breaking down the year need to say a major THANK YOU! I appreciate all the support over the years and every single person in my life is a blessing. This year was a really big comeback year for me, the pandemic in 2020 and that post pandemic 2021 was really weird, I feel like the isolation got to everyone and then getting back to normal was a strange transition but this year we’re all the way back.

Started the year off solid and kept it going all year working hard and running up the bag. Really glad this year was a solid year of uninterupted work and I worked harder than ever to make more money than ever. Really needed it after I lost my job and learned so many lessons from going back to being broke but as an adult. We’re all the way back and stronger after that time though. It made me a beast and really proved I can step up and work my ass off. I worked nonstop through SOBEWFF, MMW, etc all going hard week after week with no vacations I really was locked in and focused on that bag. Focused on leveling up and getting better as I keep continuously improving and growing as a person and a professional. Personally and professionally this year was great and an amazing opportunity to grow.

Even while spending time working I was able to enjoy my time at work seeing homies working, enjoying some good music, and creating some images to capture incredible moments.

Work was great did some good work for SOBEWFF, then Music Week was fantastic and the first year of F1 MIA was also a huge success. Really pushed myself to be the most professional I can be and always deliver above and beyond for clients.

Rolling Loud once again was amazing to work with the whole team over at The Flowery again. We cooked up some great content and I’m excited to work on some new stuff for the new year. We did some cool little projects throughout the year and I’m really blessed to continue to learn and grow as a creative and a professional and grateful for everyone who helps me push myself as a professional to get better every day.

Shortly after I finally got my own spot. Those that have known me for a while know I’ve been working to get my own crib to be closer to work for a long time. It’s still a work in progress but I’m really liking how everything is coming out so far. Huge shoutout to my brother Andrew for hooking it up with the jersey and Allison for the art. Still got some more decorating to do but those pieces are at the centerpiece of the office. I’m very happy with how everything is looking, even though I’ve got a few upgrades to make but it’s getting more homey by the day. It’s definitely been an adjustment moving there but by now I’m really settled into the new space and it’s really coming together nicely. It’s a new crib in a new neighborhood but really getting used to living here and enjoying the space. Close to fam and close to work it’s really a blessing to have my own space. Been saying it’s essentially my live in office which is totally true it’s like basically my office with a kitchen and my bedroom which is just for sleeping. I’m excited for my office to grow up to take more space in the apartment too I’ve still got a bunch more equipment to get and want to get some storage for gear and some more stuff to make my work better and easier.

Back on the work front, Basel was a smash. Wasn’t super wild but was very smooth and still ran it up and tons of the pics went viral. Really locked in on the grind and dialed in on my workflow. Professionally feel like the year has been a big level up for me, my work and confidence in my work has gone up tremendously. I truly believe nobody can do what I do how I do it and I showed that during Basel. Then I enjoyed some much needed family time and closed the year out great with the fam and working up until the end on NYE.

Gotta give a huge shoutout to the whole team really on go all year my brothers stepped up. Appreciate all the clients we work with trusting us. Appreciate all my peers who constantly show me respect and spread love even while we all dealing with some bs.

Speaking of teams…

ARGENTINA CAMPEON DEL MUNDO! Finally! The World Cup was wonderful and I enjoyed watching the games, getting up early, catching games after work and watching some great games with the homies. The Cup was absolutely nuts but glad the home team came out on top.

IF YOU WANT TO READ MORE OF MY THOUGHTS ON THAT READ HERE

On the personal front, really crushed it in the gym shoutout to my brother Derek we went hard but next year we’re going even harder believe that! Still getting warmed up and dialed in so as I keep figuring it out I’m continuing to keep leveling up the gains are going to keep coming. Really happy with the measurable progress I’ve made too especially as a vegan have managed to gain muscle mass, increase strength, and lose a bit of fat. Continuing to dial in especially on my diet but every day I’m making progress and really seeing the changes in front of my eyes.

This year I was very mindful to stay fully focused and present in everything I do. I have tried to improve my focus and it’s still an ongoing battle but I’m getting better every day at really locking in on the task at hand and giving it my best with my undivided attention. It’s easy to get caught up in a million things especially with how connected all our devices are these days.

I want to continue to work on improving my focus and reducing distractions which in turn helps me waste time on my phone less and frees up time for productive activities. Need to get back to my roots and connect with new people and spend time in the streets all over the world.

Very happy overall life is good in the hood and the progress is trending in the right direction. I’m ready for more!

The one thing I didn’t do much of, cause I was locked in working, was I didn’t do as much travel as I wanted. Despite the lack of travel in 2022, I’ve been working on planning some cool trips for 2023 with a couple lined up in the first few months. Also hoping that new opportunities to travel for work also manifest themselves in the future. Would love to string some gigs together for an extended trip and take this tour on the road. I love challenging myself and pushing my comfort zone and I hope to do more of that in the future both personally and professionally.

As always here’s a playlist of songs I really enjoyed:

Locked in and focused! Let’s love more! Spread good energy!

See you in 2023

marty

check out the other editions of my yearly recap:

https://martintmedina.com/yearinreview

[casspurrjoybell-27]

Claimed by the Beast - Chapter 45

*Warning Adult Content*

Long Distance - Knox

Knox stirs awake to find the other side of the bed cool and empty. 

He's tangled in brightly colored blankets that don't match those he's used to sleeping with back at the clubhouse.

He frowns at the absence of Everett's familiar warmth.

Panic sets in for a split second, a reflex born from months of shared space and whispered promises but then he remembers where he is... Everett's house.

There isn't any danger, not yet at least.

Knox figures Everett is likely up and about doing something with his father.

The thought replaces Knox's frown with a soft smile knowing that he successfully obtained Gary's blessing to be with his son. 

One parent down, one more to go.

Pushing off the comforter, Knox swings his legs over the edge of the bed and shuffles towards the bathroom.

He chuckles to himself while admiring the meticulous organization of Everett's toiletries, each item neatly arranged on the sink's spotless countertop.

A quick shower and mint toothpaste clear the final remnants of sleep, which brings Knox back around to the fact that he has no idea the kind of chaos... if any... today will bring.

But what he hopes is to be able to spend more time alone with Everett.

Knowing their luck, the mini vacation they're on is bound to end at any minute.

Wrapped in a towel that barely fits around his waist, Knox wipes away the fog on the mirror, pausing at the sight of the now healed stab wound near his belly button.

A grim trophy from his nearly fatal scuffle with Ghost.

Nothing like a kitchen knife to the gut to help remind you just how short life truly is.

Not many have come close to being able to end Knox's life like that.

He's still pissed at himself for not being at the top of his game that night.

Another wrong move and Everett would be in The Jackal's possession right now instead of The Fallen Angels.

'Snap out of it. That bastard is dead and you're still alive. Everett is still alive. That's all that matters.'

Reaching for the hairbrush, he stops midway and is snapped back to the present by the ringing of his cell phone.

He curses under his breath while exiting the bathroom, water droplets trailing down his tanned skin.

He picks up the phone on the third ring, the caller ID flashing Gavin's name.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry to interrupt but I need to keep you in the loop of what's been going down over here."

"Like what?"

"The Jackals hit us back for burning down their brothel and construction business," Gavin says grimly.

"Fuckers shot up our funeral home and motel."

Knox's grip tightens around the phone.

"Shit. Any casualties?"

"Not this time, brother."

Exhaling a heavy breath, Knox processes the news with a tight nod even though Gavin can't see it.

Relief is a fleeting emotion as he moves to sit at the foot of the bed, the cell-phone pressed hard against his ear.

His free hand digs into the mattress on reflex, his voice low and coated in anger that this day with Everett must end before it can even begin.

"I'm guessing you held church already."

"Yeah."

"So what are we doing about this? What's the plan?"

"I sent a few men out to check on Russell's cabin again. I think he's added more guards to his roster."

"What makes you think that?"

"The security footage from the motel. They weren't all Jackal's. Some moved like trained soldiers, real military type."

"Fuck. Now what?" Knox questions, his patience slipping.

"Please tell me you have a plan forming or already made, Gav. Because that fucker Ghost clearly didn't lie about that place being packed with security. I hate to say it but The Jackal's outnumber us. We just don't have enough men to..."

"You're telling me shit that I already know, Knox," Gavin snaps, then sighs.

Knox can almost see him running a hand down his face.

"Our only way forward is for me to reach out and make a few phone calls to The Jackals clientele that we pulled off that USB. Might have to start blackmailing folks in exchange for more manpower and weapons sooner than I wanted to."

"This is so fucked," Knox grumbles.

The thought of going against an army with their numbers leaves a bitter taste in Knox's mouth.

"I hate that it's come to this."

"Me too, brother. Trust me."

"Look, I just got out of the shower. Everett and I will be back at the clubhouse soon. We can discuss this further in person."

"Sounds good. How are things going over there with the kid anyway? No issues?"

"Everything's quiet," Knox reported.

"Our guys that I put on to watch the area haven't seen any rivals around Everett's parent's and friend's houses for weeks."

"Well, that's good to hear."

"Yeah but it's starting to make me wonder if Russell still has Everett on his radar."

"Hmm. Right. I can see how that looks suspicious."

"I'm trying not to overthink shit. Bad things happen when I overthink."

Gavin chuckles.

"I know. But you and the kid are good, though? Josie has been itching for the latest tea... her words, not mine."

"We're good," Knox laughs, a sheepish grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I met his dad last night and he approves. His stepmom's out of town, though, so I'll have to win her over another time."

"Good luck with that," Gavin chuckles before adding...

"Hey, can you grab some strawberries and peanut butter from the grocery store on your way back? Josie's pregnancy cravings are acting up again."

"Thanks, brother. See you soon."

The muted click of the call ending is barely audible as Knox tosses his phone aside, rising to his feet in a smooth motion.

The aroma of freshly cooked eggs and bacon wafted into the room, announcing Everett's arrival before he fully crossed the threshold.

"Hey, you."

Cradling two steaming plates, Everett approaches Knox with a soft smile and a questionable look in his eyes.

"I hope you're hungry because I kinda made too much..."

"Morning, kitten."

Knox's heart makes a small leap at the gesture, a loud notice of the domesticity they've slipped into so easily.

He accepts one of the plates with a kiss and a thank you whispered against Everett's lips.

They settle at the foot of the bed to eat and in between bites, Everett mentions the conversation he just had with his stepmother, Sarah.

"She was really looking forward to meeting you," Everett says.

"She told me to tell you that you'll have to come around for dinner again when she gets back."

"I don't mind," Knox says.

"I'm actually looking forward to it."

"You sure you're ready for another interrogation so soon? My dad's wasn't enough for you?" Everett teases.

Knox chuckles, shaking his head as he spears another forkful of eggs.

"I'm happy to do whatever it takes to keep you by my side, kitten."

As quickly as it arrived, the light and humor faded fast from Everett's expression, his gaze shifting away.

"Hey, what happened just now?"

"It's nothing."

"Don't lie to me. We're in too deep with each other to fuck around like that."

Everett's nervousness is almost palpable.

Knox sets their plates aside, his concern growing.

"Talk to me, kitten."

"I just have a lot on my mind today," Everett murmurs, still avoiding eye contact while his fingers pick at a loose thread on his jeans.

"We haven't... my dad and I talked about school and it reminded me that... well, I don't really know how we'll handle the long distance when I'm back at school. And I'm afraid you'll get bored with me once I stop being the shiny new thing in your life."

"You so fucking wrong it's almost laughable."

Knox captures Everett's hands in his own, his voice solid.

"What else do you need from me, Everett? What else do you need me to do or say to make you believe that I'm fucking serious about you? About us?"

"Knox, I..." Everett's lips part but before another word can form, Knox rushes on.

"Do you need me to get your name tattooed on me? I'll fucking do it. I'll do whatever it takes to get you to believe that I believe in us for the long run. I knew this shit wasn't going to be easy once I realized I was falling for you but it is what it is. We're here now. I'm here."

"I know."

"Do you really?"

"I do, Knox. I do."

"Then stop wasting your time worrying about shit that doesn't matter. I'm going to be here when you leave and I'm going to be here when you get back. Distance doesn't mean a thing to me, kitten. I know how to drive."

A choked laugh escapes Everett, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Shut up."

"I'm serious."

Knox grins, squeezing his hands.

"Whenever you want me to come see you, I'll come see you. I don't care how long the drive takes."

Everett nods but Knox can see the gears turning in his head.

Before he can delve any deeper, Gary's call from upstairs pulls Everett away once more, leaving Knox alone in the room with his thoughts.

He takes the opportunity to get dressed, unable to deny that he isn't majorly concerned about Everett's emotional reaction.

Knox has never been one to back down from a challenge, especially not when it comes to Everett.

Despite having never felt this way about anyone else before, he's willing to give what they have a proper chance to grow into something beautiful.

Something that, maybe with a little more time, can mature into a forever kind of love.

When Everett returns minutes later, he's sporting a poker face of indifference.

"Dad went to help the neighbor out with his lawnmower. He said to tell you that you're welcome to stop by for a drink any time."

"Okay, great. Now back to you. What else is on your mind?"

Knox walks over to him, one hand cupping his face and tilting it so their eyes meet.

"You're not making this easy for me, kitten. I'm trying my fucking best here."

"I know you are."

"I'm not a mind reader."

"I know that too, Knox."

"Then fucking talk to me," Knox pleads.

"Tell me what else is bothering you besides the long distance shit. I know you're holding more back."

"I-I don't want to do this here."

Everett grabs Knox's hand and kisses it before lowering it from his face.

"Can we just go? I'm sure Gavin needs you for something club related. I can't keep you away forever."

"Does it look or sound like I'm in a fucking rush to get back there?"

"Knox, please."

"Everett..."

"I'll be outside in the truck. Turn out the light when you leave."

Everett dashes up the stairs like the house is on fire, not allowing Knox to get another word out.

Frustration hits the man like a wrecking ball.

It almost sends one of Knox's fists through the drywall until he once again remembers that this bedroom isn't his to destroy.

Gary certainly wouldn't appreciate that.

"Fuck it. Can't say I didn't God-damn try," Knox mutters to himself while gathering his cell phone and other belongings.

He then marches out of the room without looking back or turning off the light, his attitude worsening with every step that he takes.

His manners remain, though, and he returns Gary's wave from across the street.

But Knox's faux smile is gone by the time he climbs into his truck and takes off down the road.

He hits multiple buttons on the stereo until eventually stopping on a song with loud bass and drums.

"We're not going straight home," he says.

"I need to make a run by the grocery store to grab something for Josie. Anywhere you need to stop on the way back?"

With his head resting against the passenger side window, Everett quietly replies...

"I'm good."

'Liar.'

Jaw clenched with one hand gripping the steering wheel a bit too tightly, Knox turns the music up louder and ends the conversation there.