#bought some minis and i can paint them...... he will be real...........

[mizzyislost]

boy look at my bird. my ugly awful son

[symphonic-scream]

🧋

Lemme see what I can do for this one

Oh! How about an au I did in December 2022?

It's for P5

So, the gang were all childhood friends. Grew up in the same apartment building, all that. This includes Joker, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, Sumire, and Kasumi But, things change

When the eldest three are 12, Kasumi passes. The group splits up, everyone moving away as tragedy after tragedy occurs. Eventually, they're all gone, off their separate ways.

12 years later, they meet again, under extraordinary circumstances. All of them end up at the same group resort for two weeks, getting snowed in by a blizzard. Some bought the ticket themselves, others won them. All that matters is, they're all back together

They're all in different places in life, all needed a change. Two weeks together, changes a lot.

Okay so here's where everyone is at when they arrive, with ages

Akira/Joker, 23; has been getting a theatre arts degree but can't afford his next semester so he's been working literally everywhere. He won the trip from an event at one of his jobs. He lives in a small apartment, has been on his own for a few years. During the trip he rediscovers his passion for caring for others, through cooking and such

Ryuji, 23; he's been struggling a lot. He's living with his mom, working physical labour, and. He's a recovering addict. When he tried school, the stress and peer pressure led him to drink and, he woke up one day and knew he couldn't become like his dad. He's been sober for 14 months, and has gained an interest in recreational work

Ann, 23; she's engaged to Shiho, both recovering from assaults in their teen years. Ann dropped modeling cold turkey, and hasn't been able to find a new purpose yet. She feels bad for being a mooch, her Shiho and parents aren't pressuring her to find work at all

Yusuke, 23; he's, pretty much doing okay. He did have a mini scandal where someone recorded him going off on someone in a gallery for not understanding his art, but if anything, that's giving him more attention. He's struggling with admitting that he needs money to live, he can't just paint for passion anymore

Makoto, 24; she dropped out of the police academy a few years ago, and returned to uni to study social work to hopefully mix that with her previous criminology degree to, lower crime rates among young people through social assistance. She's been on her own though, after a fight with her sister. She's had some other stuff going on that led to her taking this vacation

Futaba, 22; has been a shut in for ten years, and this trip was a treat for two years of going out into public. She's been spending her time taking down scammers, but she's got an offer to work as a cyber security expert for good pay. She isnt sure if she'll take it

Haru, 24; Haru's had it real rough. She was engaged to a man to help her father's company, only to find out she had the same cancer her mom did. They caught it early, but the procedure to remove it left her infertile. Which isn't a problem for her, but it means her fiance breaks the deal. This has, given her a chance to live for herself, and has spent the last year working at a small business coffee shop, trying to just, live

Sumire, 22; she's running away from her problems again. She quit gymnastics, dance, and hasn't applied to secondary schools. Her parents, concerned after her last therapist caused more damage, believe a week away from it all may help. Two weeks, maybe. Sumire just wants the guilt to go away

So. They meet up again, talk about how they've been doing, and all leave with a better idea of what they're doing, and a promise to meet up every year after

[phychohex]

I met a vampire down in Santa Carla (chapter three)

I am now fully settled in having found my way around to life back in Santa Carla. The past month I have slowly made my room mine once again. The frame is the same only the fairy lights are replaced with new ones that actually work.  Two nightstands both black with neon green skulls all over them. One holding my medication and sleep stuff the other having random junk. I also finally have a desk that also acted as a makeshift vanity. The mirror that hung above has a black frame with some lights hot glued along the edges. The desk was black with the top having a leopard print design and the chair was a rolling one with a leopard print blanket on the back. My dresser was replaced by a big wardrobe which I painted black to match the nightstands. I also have a lamp in the corner of the room which I made myself using a prosthetic leg, an old tall lamp, and a leopard print lampshade. It was over by my makeshift reading nook where a hanging chair stayed along with a large corner shelf. When I switched to a wardrobe I was able to uncover the doors to the patio. I made sure to keep it up to my stepdad's standards. I used black curtains to cover the doors when I didn't want to go out. My bedding was now black with satin sheets and pillows. I'm not done with the room but it has only been a month. Using any tips and the money Steve didn't take to make it all done up. 

With Steve still not believing how much I make was now a blessing. I am rarely around him especially after we got into a fight and my mom tried to stop it from happening ending up with a broken arm. Begging me not to tell the truth to anyone and also feeling guilty I tend to stay in my room when I'm home. If I'm not at home I'm at work which was more bearable. Tyler was an asshole always having some shit to say under his breath. He mostly kept to himself so I do the same. It also doesn't help that no matter where I'm at the group of bikers seem to linger. Every night they were out on the boardwalk doing whatever they wanted as if they owned the place. I try to stay as far as I can they just leaked trouble. Somehow though they are always there. I get off work and they are at a store not too far away leaving as well. Getting gas well guess who just so happens to be getting gas too. I'm sure other people have the same kind of routine as me having recognized other people but they stood out like a sore thumb. The only real peace I seem to get is on Wednesdays when I go to the Shack for DND and band practice. 

We were rocky at the start having to refind our groove and style but once we did we didn't sound half bad. Again it's only for fun so we never take it seriously. If someone misses a note or Josh and I have voice cracking or sing misheard lyrics we just laugh it off. I also have my room at the shop just how I want it. I bought a CD player along with a CD book for people to choose from. Most of it is stuff I like but since not everyone shares my taste I also have other music. I also have a mini fridge where I offer free drinks. I offer soda, sweet tea, and water. I got a snack basket on top of it again free to those who need it. This is handy for people who don't take tattoos very well and have blood sugar problems. I find this tends to get me good tips which I use to buy more snacks. Setting up my area getting ready for my shift soothing through my CD book.

 I hear the bell alerting us we have a client looking to get something done. I didn't have any appointments for another couple of hours so unless Tyler gets to the counter first I am free. Sadly I didn't make it hearing him talking to whoever it was. "RORY" he shouted which was startling. I peek out and instantly get annoyed. Standing at the front talking to Tyler was the biker gang. I shake off whatever thoughts I have and make my way over. "This is David he is specially requesting you for his tattoo" the jealousy seeping out in his voice. 

"shouldn't a tattoo artist have tattoos" he questions getting a kick out of this. I lift my sleeve showing him my bat wrapped around my right wrist. "That's it" 

"no I have a bunch, I just so happen to be a lady who dresses modestly" I lean against the counter "Do you want a tattoo or not" I had to put on a tough face the last time we met I was too nervous. Drumming the counter standing up turning to his friends saying something. The other three leave and he turns back. "good what ya thinkin' on getting" 

"arm wrap, barbed wire?" I turn grabbing a big binder filled with regular tattoos that people tend to get flipping to the right page showing him the different kinds he could get. Looking through them before picking one he liked.

"Okay follow me and I'll get you set up" I take the page out and head to my room him following close behind. "just take a seat while I draw this up" I turn to the desk that was set up getting the stencil ready. "you have any music you prefer or if you want to talk we can. Help yourself to any drinks or snacks as well" 

"I'm good" I felt him right behind leaning over watching me.  With it done I turn around only to see he was still in his trench coat. 

"the jacket" I point. He nods taking it off wearing a black short-sleeved shirt. His arms weren't jacked but they had a nice tone his shoulders were broad and his shirt seemed tight against his chest. He sits down I put the stencil on and make sure it looks okay. "look in the mirror and see if you like it, if not I can change it" he gets up not really looking.

"little lower" I turn redoing the stencil and prepping his arm lowering the placement. Now liking the placement I finish getting him ready. 

"so any music" I offer one last time. 

"that's alright" I start trying to get into my headspace which clearly was going to be a bit hard. "where you from" 

"New Mexico" 

"What brings you to the murder capital" 

"it's complicated" I mutter glancing up his eyes never wondering. I go back to the tattoo hoping this won't be as antiganizing as I think it's going to be. "what about you" I ask trying to flip it to a different topic. I do this a lot letting the client talk about themselves and share their story. It was one of the things I enjoyed about this job. 

"complicated." Well, there goes that plan "We have a while we should swap stories" That was his motive. 

"Why do you want to know" I ask "What do you want to know" 

"I said I'd see you around, didn't I? Tell me whatever" 

"you hassle all your artists?" I joke reinking the needle

"Just the pretty ones" I look at him. 

I gasp "Don't let Tyler hear, it'll hurt his feelings that you think he isn't pretty" I playfully pout.

"so she can snap back here I was thinking you didn't have it in you" I roll my eyes." seriously though what about the murder capital that has attracted you here? One of those true crime junkies" 

"let's just say I grew up here then I left collected up some baggage and now I'm back" The silence was loud but I finally got the peace I wanted. I hyperfocus back on my task. I find myself playing stories in my head when I do. If someone is telling me their own I picture it if not I let the music guide my thoughts but silence. I hate that it gives me little to work with and my mind drifts to its own memories. It would be about the Dnd stuff or what I should've said in an argument when I was younger, but now my mind decided to bring memories of him back. The first time he cheated is now at my forefront. 

I came home late due to night classes. The house was pretty dull but I did hear moaning. Confused I go and see John having another girl in the bed. I lashed out asking what the fuck was going on. Who was this bitch laying in my bed with my guy? It didn't take much for him to throw me against the wall yelling for me to get the fuck out and slamming the door in my face. That was the first time he put his hands on me. I didn't talk to him for days no matter how much he tried. That didn't last long either tho because once he was done with it he yelled at me throwing himself to my feet gaslighting and guilt-tripping. I sit up looking at my work. 

It was good and I have most of the front done. "turn your arm please" I mutter. I didn't notice it but he was looking at me. His once sarcastic demeanor was gone as the tension thickened. I take a deep breath to gather myself.

"mind if we listened to something," he asks I nod agreeing to the break stopping the clock. I hand him the book "You pick" I shrug and put it back pressing play on the stereo. The misfits blasting and getting back to work humming along to the songs. It brought me out of that gutter I was in making my mood better. I put the finishing touches on cleaning up and sterilizing everything again. He looks at it in the mirror before going with me to pay.

"thank you for choosing me to give you a tattoo it was nice" I smile "I hope you enjoy it" he nods paying before leaving. I felt bad I must've made it awkward with my answer. I couldn't let it get to me though I had the appointment coming in any time now. 

A couple of days have gone by. Right now  I'm getting my nails done by Kayla. I promised I'd stop by yesterday so here we are. I'm getting acrylic nails in oval shape. With a clear coat and the tip being white with little cherries all over. "so what you doing after this" she asks

"Nothing, I got tonight off" I shrug "Probably just go home" 

"No shit" she smiles "let's go get drunk then" Now there was something I don't do. The few times I have in never ended well. John used to be a very touchy and angry drunk so I never really got into the whole party hard and drink your liver to death. 

"I don't know" I shake my head "I'm not a big drinker" 

"even better you can be the DD" I guess it wouldn't be too bad. Plus gave me a good reason not to go home. 

"Fine as long as it isn't a bar that's on the boardwalk" 

"what's wrong with the boardwalk" She looks up switching hands putting the one she currently was working on under the little light. 

"cause that biker gang will be hanging around"

"biker gang?  you mean the guys with the mullets so what"

"well yesterday the one with the trench coat ya'know the leader, he specifically requested I do a tattoo for him the other day. While doing it he started playing asking a thousand questions and after I told him why I moved it just got quiet and awkward" 

"damn what did you tell him" 

"not much I just said I left got baggage and now I was back. I wasn't about to trama dump on some random dude, especially not a client. Before this, though they just were always" She gives me a look smiling "What" 

"he might like you" she teases "or at least did before you scared him off" I didn't think of that. The thought of someone liking me was the farthest thing from my mind. After everything with John, the last thing I want is to jump into a different relationship, especially with someone I didn't know.

"I guess but that's kinda creepy no?" 

"yeah it is I mean he doesn't even know you or has talked to you" 

"Well," I draw out the word gaining me a quick lookup.

"go on" also draws out the last word ready for any information I have left out. 

"When I got done with my job interview I went to that little coffee shop. The one with all the books. Well he and his gang all burst in there like a bat out of hell and we made eye contact. I guess he took it as his cue and came over to where I was searching for a book. I was over by the horror section so way back in the corner. He grabbed the book I was looking at and held it above my head asking for my name. It was like I was in high school again I swear." 

"oh he definitely likes you" 

"so" I scuff "I'm not looking for a man anyways" 

"no, but a little fun wouldn't hurt if you know what I mean" 

" hell no" I laugh "Trust me that is the last thing I want" as she finishes up my set getting me checked out. "I'll wait for you at my car I'll take you to come get it tomorrow okay." 

"Okay, but we are going to Drunken Sailor" I give her the bitch really look. 

"that's on the boardwalk" 

"Oh come on Rory it will be okay pretty sure you scared him off anyway" I roll my eyes and get in the car and wait for her. She was right no guy wants to fuck around with some chick with tons of shit clouding her past. I guess that's a good thing because now I can have some girl time. After about an hour she comes out ready to go drinking. We drive up to the bar being very surprised. The atmosphere was almost club-like the music was loud but not so loud to where you couldn't hear the person standing next to you. There were people at the bar all young and ready for a party others were already drunk or tipsy dancing their hearts out. Kayla rushes to the bar pulling me along. "two shots please" the bartender looks at me nodding before making them. She takes both swinging them back. I look at the menu.

 "can I get a virgin strawberry daiquiri please" Going to make the drink Kayla groans. Tugging on my arm as some pop song plays. 

"Let's dance" she ushers I beg for her to wait up but she is already out and partying. once my drink came I joined dancing as well I could covering my drink. "put it down" I shook my head "Fine I need more anyways." after an hour or so sipping on my drink and her doing the same. Going back and forth on the dance floor I end up sitting alone at the bar while she dances her heart out. Keeping a close eye on her when the bartender comes over with a cocktail. 

"oh sorry I didn't order one" I smile 

"on the house" he smiled "sent by that gentleman over there" I looked up to see David looking right back at me. The smile on his face and a little wave let me know I didn't scare him off. I look at the cocktail and stop the bartender. 

"Can I get another virgin daiquiri please" 

"yeah want me to send it back." he offers. I glance over and shake my head. I get up gathering up the balls to go and sit with him. I sit down and stay silent not sure what to do now. 

"thank you" I smile "but I don't drink" I slide it over to him. 

"Cause of the baggage" he questions I look down all courage gone. 

"Look I don't know what you want but maybe next time you should start with hi how are you this evening." I get up ready to get my drink and leave. He stands up following me. 

"wait" he gets in front "I'm sorry let's start over okay?" he offers. I look debating on it I sigh and sit back down. He sits next to me before downing the drink he offered like it was nothing. I was taken aback by this usually those things are filled with alcohol. he notices me staring "What, you said you don't drink and I wasn't bout to let it go to waste" he leans against the bar. "so if you aren't here to drink then what are you here for" I look out and point to Kayla who was currently in a group circle dancing. "why not join" 

"cause I've had enough dancing for tonight" The bartender comes back with my drink I pay with a good tip. "before you start this is a virgin" I take a sip enjoying the slightly sour drink. 

"no that's a slushie" leaning into the whiskey. "so your friend is over there dancing all by herself while you sit at the bar?" 

"I might be a tad uptight, I don't make friends as easy as she does." 

"yeah I noticed" He jokes 

"Sorry bout that." 

"it's fine you have those guards up for a reason" he looks at his drink as if thinking.

"to be honest" I glance at my glass not sure why I wanted to open up. It isn't like I had a buzz, but he was easy to talk to. "they are kinda new. I didn't use to be this way." 

"you want to forget?" he leans in our eyes meet it was like I was falling under some sick spell. "even if it is for one night" I shake my head letting out a laugh. It sounded like one of those you hear in a movie when the character was trying to hold it together. 

"no, thank you. That's the last thing I need" I hold my glass tighter. "I'm kinda over being a toy" It was silent I had said too much. Starting to regret having come over and not just sending my drink back like any normal person.

"fair enough." he leans back taking another long sip of the whiskey from before. "how bout this, me and you go do something fun, no strings attached" I look at him confused. 

"why" 

"why not, got nothing else going on." with the idea not sounding too bad I'm about to answer when Kayla leans on me. 

"what ya doing" she hugs looking over at David. Turning to my ear she attempted to whisper "is this him" I felt my face become heated with embarrassment as a smirk was plastered on his face. 

"Kayla" I look at her "What are you doing" I try giving her a hint to not do whatever her drunk mind was telling her. 

"just checking in" she pouts and touches her forehead on mine. "is that him" I nod hoping the hint finally clicks. She looks at him looking up and down. "get it girl" Now fully embarrassed and ready to go crawl in a hole and die I stand up. 

"I think we should go" I help her standing up much to her protest. "excuse her she is very drunk" I apologise "Can we take a rain check" I ask he nods in agreement. I hand him my phone letting him put his number in my phone. As he hands it back looking up and down I rush her out saying bye. Once in the car we just sit there. 

"he was cute" She looked at me I looked back the laughter was too hard to hold back. 

"you are such a bitch" I laugh starting the car. 

"oh shut the fuck up you know you love me" I start the drive to the shack. Getting her in the door was easy. we sit on the couch with a random movie playing only for her to instantly fall asleep. I hear my phone ding looking to see a new number on my phone. 

[pugs-cats-bb-8]

Vanilla-Madarame

*I note anytime I see an unvoiced conversation.

**I can only react to what I've seen. Which means some things will be talked about later or earlier than usual.

If Ann could kick him from across the table, she would.

Nobody's going to be near Morgana tonight. Not with all those beans.

Unvoiced conversation.

The whole buffet getting food is unvoiced.

Fish, dessert, meat and rice 🤨🤨. Fish, meat and rice would be noraml on their own, but add in dessert. Maybe if it's a savoury one.

Unvoiced table conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

If Ren doesn't eat well, what does he eat then?

I really hate that you have to switch from caps. Most keyboards know to switch after the first letter.

My first playthrough, my name was in all caps. So, every time someone said my name, it looked like they were yelling my name.

"Don't you have school tomorrow? I'm tired, so let's go to sleep". 🤣🤣 Morgana is definitely a cat.

Igor sounds real thrilled.

Unvoiced conversation.

Principal potato and her 🙄🙄.

Mishima doesn't know personal space. I may not like him, but at least he doesn't leak your record with ill intent.

No phone call after meet-ups. (Forgot to put that in the first part).

Unvoiced conversation.

The mini cactus used to be bought at the flower shop Shibuya? I think they moved it to the Shinjuku flower shop.

Also, there was a record store instead of a sports store.

"A prize would be great"! So would not dropping dead from a heart attack, Morgana.

Elizabeth as a possible answer 🤣🤣.

The sun on Ryuji's shoes.

How'd Morgana get up there?

I don't know what it says about me, that I prefer Akechi over Makoto.

The thing on the top of the screen is different.

The car sounds are different.

Same with the ending battle noise.

Unvoiced conversation after winning.

I like to play the options in Mementos differently depending on person. For people who didn't do much, I let them go. For others, they get a harsher option. Unless it requires a softer one. Sometimes the harsh option isn't right and your teammates tell you to ease up. There are some people who deserve the harsher option.

Now I remember why I took Morgana out of the lineup.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

Different wording on the question.

Different answer.

Different test questions.

Morgana won't let you get it wrong. Also makes you redo all the questions if you miss one.

I always thought there was a time limit on choosing answers.

That font is weird.

Different questions and no essay one.

Different questions.

Different questions.

They stuck Maruki right in there.

Unvoiced conversation.

How does anybody not hear Yusuke's keys jingling?

I like the cat picture.

The 16th became a Maruki question.

Unvoiced conversation.

Why is the train conversation not voiced?

Unvoiced conversation.

So who put the request up?

That painting is beautiful.

If Sayuri is not Yusuke's mom's name, then where does it come from?

Unvoiced conversation.

If you break the smashy nearest the skylight, the first time, you enter Madarame's palace. It will never grow back.

No smashy on the top thing when you enter.

No, "Hey, that looks stronger than what I have. Mind if I use it"? Line.

No shadows when you walk in.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

I think Yusuke should've said that from the start.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

I like Tokyo Emergency.

They changed it from a Shiisaa to a Ame-No-Uzme with Frei.

I really wish they made those lasers easier to see.

I love that the controller doesn't register Ren's movements sometimes, so you just run into the lasers. Well, on Royal, that is. I don't know if this problem came from Vanilla or is Royal exclusive.

I prefer if Morgana has kitty teeth, instead of human teeth.

Less lasers where the grappling hook would be used.

They added more lasers to implement the grappling hook, so Ren could do dramatic flips. 🤣🤣 I love it.

I don't think I've gotten that smashy behind the statue. Unless I have and don't remember it.

Different wall colours, different layout, more enemies.

Unvoiced conversation.

There's only an enemy on Ann's side.

Morgana's just casually dancing on top of the gold vase.

He backflips instead of reeling back and saying "Damn it".

Ryuji had 8 bullets. Royal has 3.

"They run very fast". With what legs, Morgana? They more float fast, or fly fast.

If you can convince one to join you. My dude, they join you no matter what. You don't have to convince them.

Added a saferoom. Wait, they just moved it up.

Different layout.

Different layout.

One enemy instead of two. Make that 3.

Stairs leading to where you would use the grappling hook.

Damn, enemies are jumpy! Kinda reminds me of Strikers.

Treasure Demons were weak to more than one element?

Also, how can you see the weakness without trying out all the elements?

3 enemies instead of 2 and a red one.

Red shadows spawn 5 enemies? I was expecting Shiki-Ouji.

Treasure chest.

A button behind the painting.

I love how they stop you from tagging the saferoom till after you check out the gold building.

Different sound for the pretty doors opening.

Unvoiced conversation.

I didn't get a Shiisaa till Okinawa in Strikers. I don't think it's in Royal. (It's not).

Unvoiced conversation.

How tired can you be that doing a crossword is too much?

No matter what Ryuji says or does. He is a true friend.

Unvoiced conversation.

Different wording.

Ann's acting🤣🤣.

She just pulls him in. 🤣🤣.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

I love the couches. They look so comfy.

Ann saved Yusuke from being called fried tofu 🤣🤣.

Shadow in front of the statue isn't a red one.

Different layout.

4 enemies instead of 2.

I love how if you turn around in the vents, you can see that there's nobody behind you. 🤣🤣.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

There's Shiki-Ouji.

You get Media instead of a blank skill card.

I wish you could turn off the lasers in Royal. I have trouble seeing them even with Third Eye.

I will forever love when you're being chased. He just kicks open the door. 😍😍😍.

What is that encounter rate for Treasure Demons?

I love how multiple enemies come out of red shadows.

He presses buttons with the side of his fist/wrist.

Paintings did not change.

Different layout.

I'm not sure how you hide behind those cushy couches.

There's more bathrooms? So they took out the other bathrooms.? And a shadow is just waiting for you in the lady's room?

I see where the second will seed was added.

The door's not hidden.

Different layout.

Different layout.

Different layout.

Nice camera view.

How early do you get Harisen Recover? In Royal, it's Rank 6 or 7.

You're running on fumes by the time you end Madarame's palace in a day.

So many fucking shadows at the end.

Unvoiced conversation.

They moved the hook room across the palace.

I thought the calling cards were made of thicker paper.

I think they stand further back in Royal. Or maybe it's a different camera view.

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

What the fuck? He goes from paintings to dude, back to paintings, back to dude. So a 4 phase fight. Fuck me. And I thought the Royal fight was tough.

(NG+ you just bum rush the second phase with 3rd sem weapons and hope he doesn't get a lucky hit or crit in. 4 clones taking pot shots at you is kinda dangerous).

Ren swearing is cute.

My first playthrough Yusuke died and I didn't heal him, so Yusuke didn't get to see Madarame get defeated.

Unvoiced conversation.

"We have too many dudes". "Shall, I dress as a woman"? 🤣🤣.

One whole question instead of a three-part question.

Unvoiced conversation.

Uh, Maid Watch 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️. Why is Sweet playing? That just makes it even creepier. I wonder how this scene goes in Japanese?

Great... Makoto 😠😠😠.

Unvoiced conversation.

That uniform is ugly.

Who thought to put purple and yellow together?

Slight different question. I misread Herlock as Hemlock.

Royal added the "punish me more".

Added a third option in the velvet room.

Morgana won't let you keep seeing the movie. 🤣🤣. Oh, but if Ryuji wants to see it. He'll let you go.

Rainy days, when the Treasure Demons come out to play.

Same theme, different question.

Did they tone down Takemi's sadism a bit?

No R.5 romance flag unless they moved it in Royal.

I've never used the patches Takemi sells. I just use items or spells to heal.

Why does the crossword take up a time slot?

"We'll come out more charming than before". I don't think you're going in the bath with me, Morgana. Maybe he's talking to the player?

"You're even more handsome than before". So, I guess he's going to knock Akechi dead, then.

Unvoiced conversation.

Never tell your friends about Mementos Missions and not do them. They'll never leave you alone.

I mean, Morgana does the same thing. But I can live with him. I don't like constantly getting texts saying "We should go to Mementos".

They added the "I carry Morgana in my bag" thing in Royal.

Ren probably has a beefy left shoulder.

Different question.

"I feel like I can call whenever I want since I'm full of Guts". 🤣🤣

And Sojiro doesn't find it odd that you're using that phone?

"I don't have any friends". Says the man with three friends and a cat.

Yusuke just invites himself.

No extra conversation with Ryuji about changing uniforms.

Either the music randomly cuts out or the video I'm watching got copy righted.

How can he tell if you're a patient or not?

No romance flag for R7.

First, Sojiro tells you, that you don't look half bad. Then, Yusuke's talking about you broad shoulders.🤨 Does everybody want you?

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

Different question, similar topic.

Unvoiced conversation.

How the fuck did we only dream in black and white until colour TV was invented?

Unvoiced conversation.

Unvoiced conversation.

Madarame's palace- Multiple sections are different. Prefer Royal.

[survey--s]

432.

Are you an emotional wreck? No, I wouldn’t describe myself that way anymore. Will tomorrow be better than today? It’ll just be completely different, but the weather forecast is horrendous so I’m going to go with no, lol.  Do you still talk to the person you were dating 4 months ago? We’re still married. Are you nice to everyone? Sure, I’m nice to everyone until they give me a reason not to be. Who did you last hang out with? Mike. But that’s pretty much the default as we live together.

Was the first person you talked to today male or female? Male.

What’s the one thing that always gets you through the day? Coffee, my dog. Does it make you uncomfortable when you receive a compliment? It depends on the situation, really. Mostly I just feel a bit awkward as I never know what to say in return. Is there a night you would like to put on repeat and live it forever? Nope. I can see that getting really boring, really fast. Did you do laundry today? Yeah, I just put my work waterproofs into wash as I totally forgot to wash them until now, hahah. Ooops.  What kind of computer do you have? It’s a Macbook Air.  What size bed do you have? We have a king sized bed. Do you like Harold & Kumar? I’ve never seen those films. Can you say all 50 states in alphabetical order? I actually can. It’s one of those tricks I was taught to help me get to sleep as it gives me something to focus on. Do you subscribe to any magazines? Nope. Do you ever buy the same shirt in different colors? Sure, I have loads a certain FatFace jumper in multiple colours. Do you plan your outfits out the day before? Yeah, just because that means I can stay in bed for longer in the morning, ha. Last time you rode a bicycle? About six years ago. What do you have planned for today? Today is pretty much over. I slept in late, had breakfast in bed, did some housework, took a shower, messed around online and watched TV all day, did an online shop, did laundry and now I’m back to messing about online again.

What did you argue about last? Bills.

What is the last thing you bought? I just did an online food shop but I won’t technically pay for that until Wednesday. Otherwise it was new boots for work.

Can you touch your toes? Not without bending my knees. I have bad hips. What’s your star sign? Saggitarius. Last place you went out to dinner at? A Tapas bar that I can’t remember the name of. The food was pretty amazing though - I’d definitely go back.  Ever made out on a rooftop? Yes. What kind of phone do you have? I have a blue iPhone 13 Mini. Are your nails painted? Nope. Would you date anyone you met online? I have done, several times lol. Have you met a real redneck? No. How is the weather right now? Cold and wet. What was the last movie you watched? Ice Age 2.

Where was the last place you went besides your house? Through the fields to walk the dog on Saturday. Have you ever fired a gun? Nope. Last wedding you attended? I’ve only ever attended my own wedding. What does the newest text in your inbox say? It’s from Mike saying he could see the Blackpool tower from the beach. What are you listening to? Two and a Half Men. Have you ever made your parents cry? Yes. I was a little shit as a teenager, lol. Do you wear glasses? Yeah, I’ve been wearing glasses since I was seven. My eyesight is appalling lol. Have you ever thrown up on one of your friends? Not physically ON them, but I’ve had friends look after me when I’ve been throwing up, sure. Are you tan? No, especially not at this time of year lol. What are you wearing right now? Leggings, a t-shirt and a jumper. Do you know anyone that wants you dead? I mean, I hope not. Do you believe that regrets are lessons learned? I don’t have any regrets. Are you the one that normally makes the first move? I’d say it’s about 50/50. Would you sacrifice yourself for a friend? I have no idea. Nobody can really answer this until they’re in that situation. What’s really annoying you right now? Nothing much really. Do you currently work? Yeah, I run my own business. Who do you know you can depend on? My husband, my parents. When’s your birthday? December 10th. Who was the last person you texted? Mike. What are you gonna do later? Once this wash cycle is done I’m putting the laundry on to dry and getting ready for bed. Do you like where you live? I love the area, but the house needs a fair bit of work doing to it. Are you a jealous person? Not anymore, but I’ve definitely had issues with jealousy in the past. If the last person you kissed invited you to a family dinner, would you go? Yeah. His family don’t really “do” dinners, though. Has anyone ever told one of your secrets they promised they wouldn’t tell? Yes. Have you ever lent the last person you called money? Yeah. Did you have any unread texts when you woke up today? Yeah, an unread message from my mum telling me it was raining lol. Can you sleep easier with the TV on then off? Off. I need silence and darkness to sleep. Have you ever kissed the last person you texted? Yes. Is the last person you kissed black? He is not.

[ryuuka-balaen]

bwah

I know I said I'd post abt this after 10h but uh.been real tiredddd

also I was planning to go and take ~glamour shots~ of all the armies I've got to like show off the models but. uh. tiredd,, girlsleepy,,,

anyway! gonna try my best to talk abt them as much as I can and explain why I've got all of em

so I was introduced to Warhammer by my oldest brother around 10 years ago, when he'd seen his half-brother (who I'm not related to and don't know) playing a game with a friend of his. He's thought it looked cool as hell, and so convinced his friend+roommate to split a starter box (Attack on Black Reach) with him, and my less old older brother and I joined in with each buying an army starter box. I've never liked the "good guys humans" options in games and was an enjoyer of Big Monster, so Tyranids were the obvious faction choice for me. I bought the Tyranid Battleforce Box, my brother bought the T'au Battleforce Box, and my eldest brother took the blueberries Ultramarines from the starter, leaving the Orks to his friend.

I absolutely adored my new bugs, and had a blast building and painting my new collection consisting of 3 Warriors, 5 Genestealers, 10 Termagants, 10 Hormagants, and 3 Ripper Swarms.

My brothers, unfortunately, quickly realized that this whole 'building and painting models' thing wasn't as exciting as they thought that playing toy soldiers would be, and gave up before finishing theirs. So we never actually got to play a game.

My brother gave away his blueberries to his half-brother, the Orks I don't know because I never talked to that guy, and my other brother gave his T'au to me, so I gained a Crisis Battlesuit, 3 Stealth Battlesuits, a Devilfish Transport Tank, a Cadre Fireblade, 10 Firewarriors, and 10 Kroot Carnivores to my funny little model collection. Sadly without anyone to actually use them with I had no motivation to paint the new minis, and aside from a couple I still haven't got around to giving my T'au some colour.

A few years later, in my first year of high school I met a few Guys, just real Dudes Bros even, who played warhammer and was invited to join them one weekend for some Basement Wargaming

I was super excited about the idea, and went and bought a couple new Tyranid models to use then. It was a bit of a rush to get them built and painted within just a couple days, but that added a Carnifex and a Hive Tyrant to my bugs box

Those guys were kinda jerks :(

so I didn't talk to them further, and went back to not having anyone to game with

More years pass with my beloved guys not getting touched, and in 2018?ish. I dug them up and went in to a Friendly Local Game Store with my bugs to ask for a demo game. the store employee agreed but seemed,, Unimpressed. with the request, so I got it over with quickly, bought a couple items (Tyranid Ravener x3 box, T'au Pathfinder x10 box), and left. That was discouraging but I still wanted to try, so I visited another FLGS, just to look this time, and was introduced to the game Hordes which seemed interesting. I bought a starter pack of models for it in hopes of getting to play A Wargame, but still have never gotten to use them.

this is the only photo I can be bothered rn to find of them how they were at this point, before I've started repainting them

For my birthday last year, my dad gifted me a 3d printer, and though I didn't use it for much for a long while I did test printing a squad of Necron Warriors, because my fianceé at the time had said she liked necrons in the context of Warhammer video games such as dawn of war and I guess I was trying to make them as like, an intersection of our interests or something, but she didn't care and it doesn't really matter anymore anyway.

Aside from that I gave up on getting to use my models for a time, until following some Unfortunate Events last September-January I decided I should make an effort to stop spending 100% of my free time on virtual games and with online friends, so I invited one of my few meatspace friends to take me to a new (and much closer) game store that hosts bimonthly Warhammer game nights. We brought my T'au for me to use and Tyranids for my friend to use, and hoped for a decent time. The two people that were there did accommodate us with a small scale beginner kind of game each, but one of them was sortof irritable and snappy about the fact that we had invited ourselves (supposedly this was a members-only event of a private discord server? despite being posted publicly and inviting new players on the store's Facebook page.) and about that we had outdated rulebooks, because I suppose they thought we should've spent $80 each just to try the game. The other person present didn't talk without yelling and was a little inconsiderate of personal space, so I think it's understandable that we chose not to go back.

Later, after my hip surgery in February, I spent the time I had loafing around immobile at home to start making some models with that printer I mentioned.

The first that I printed was my Grey Knights!

I had a lot of fun being able to choose proxy models that fit an aesthetic I liked, and printed proxies for a Brother-Captain, a Nemesis DreadKnight, a Paladin Squad, a Strike Squad, and a Razorback Transport Tank.

I didn't print more Tyranids or T'au because I wanted more variety in the models I had - the friend I'd visited the game store with was willing to play more but didn't have any models so I'd need to be able to supply enough options that we weren't just playing eachother with the same two armies every time. The reason I chose to print Grey Knights was purely aesthetic - I hadn't read anything of their Lore, but I've forever been a Known Enjoyer of Knights so it wasn't much of a choice.

After that, and still during my three months of Surgery Loafing Time, my friend who worked at value village acquired a secondhand Recruit Edition warhammer starter box free of charge from their workplace and gave it to me. From that I got my Necrons, and unfortunately some of james workedshoppe's dearly beloved bland boring blueberries (Ultramarines).

over the last few months I've played a few matches with the one friend I have who will, including one today! And convinced my eldest brother to give the game another try and have played one game with him, in which he fielded some Imperial Guard models that he picked up cheap and already assembled/painted secondhand. I also offloaded those blueberries I didn't want on him because he's one of those people that likes playing Generic Human Faction.

Also, in that time, I've made my favourite of the models I have! my gorgeous beloved beautiful babies my Imperial Knights!

(oops those four makes the picture cap for posting from mobile)

sadly I haven't taken a Proper and Well Lit Glamour Shot of all five of them together yet but I'm super proud of them :)

finally, the last and most recent models I've gotten were the Tyranid half of the newest Value Box Set called Leviathan - financially I probably shouldn't've bought them, but they were being offered for $110, when to buy each of the kits included would've cost around $530, and there were new models included that can't be bought separately yet so I think it was a pretty good deal, and I've been having a really fun time painting them! (at least in the very little free time I'm able to find for myself right now around 20hrs/week college work and 35hrs/week dayjob work).

also I've Been Posting about a large bug I've been working on printing (a Hierodule Bio-Titan, which costs $250 individually to buy a kit), but sadly I still haven't finished building that model because I'm trying to magnetize it and that's been... challenging.

All Together, over the last decade I've accumulated 97 Tyranid models, ~30 T'au models (the kroot carnivores went missing at some point while in storage), 28 Necron models, 13 Grey Knights models, and 5 Imperial Knights models. it's been really lovely and makes me super happy that I've been able to indulge in this hobby recently, I love it a lot :)

(@catgirl-niko tag so you see the actual response to your ask)

if I have the energy for it at a later date, it might be fun to try to talk/write as much as I can about all the lore things I know about the guys I've got (especially since I've sorta made custom/ociguess? lore for my Knights), but after a six hour game today(battlereport post to come) of learning a lot of new rules, slamming out an college assignment in an hour (still handed in 15min late 😔 ), and now spending two and a half hours writing all this, my little kitty brain is right fried and I'm needs some sleepies

it's not exactly what was being asked, but I hope this is fun to read :)

I'd love to know your favorite 40k army that you've had.. I see all your cute little 'nids and they're fantastic, but do you have other army's too?

Kay so I'm just got up & headed to work rn so I can't give a Full Answer to that yet but wanted to answer this so u know that u've been Seen and Appreciated

anyway the short answer is that I've got 5 faction armies, and the bugs are my 4th favourite of them! the others, in order of which I like best, are Imperial Knights, Grey Knights, T'au, and Necrons

[sukunas-play-thing]

Before I post my Mini gyutaro ficlet have some Headcanons 💚💚💚💚💚💚

These will have a couple NSFW headcanons as well. the text will be highlighted green !!!!!! Don't worry it's only a couple but I'll post another one with more NSFW SUBMISSIONS

also this will probably be long but if you don't mind that please feel free to read!!

•Modern AU setting where gyutaro and Ume go to school with you.��

I see gyutaros clothes atire outside of his school uniform being either grunge/punk metal styles.

I'm talking baggy comfy coats/hoodies, ripped jeans any color, bamd tees wife beater tanks and some shirts with sleeves ripped open to show his sides wearing a chain necklace and has a chain attached to his wallet. You never see him without his chained wallet or necklace.

His wallet is black leather with a authentic real silver skull.

He paints his nails either black, green or dark blue

Has a couple of tattoos he keeps hidden underneath his school uniform Shirt sleeves. Outside school he shows em off.

One arm is a full sleeve I see it being the band members of slipknot

And the other arm is just a tattoo on his forearm of the Juggalo. (insane clown posse mascot with the signature hatchet)

He wears heavy boots some studded and others plain and Maybe. MAAAAYBE he'll wear cowboy boots. Hafta be black in color or he won't wear them and he always tucks his jeans inside them. If he's on a date with you he'll wear the jeans over the boots.

He also regularly shops hot topic wearing all kinds of band tees

Avenged sevenfold ICP slipknot FFDP to name a few hard rock and metal but cannibal corpse also for when he's in a death metal mood.

He wears very nice smelling cologne. Like the type that when he walks past you it makes your head dizzy and you swoon just wanting to take a bite outta him. (You ever walk past a guy and he just smells.... So freaking good ya wanna ask for his number? Yeah that kinda good smell)

He loves his sister and would do absolutely ANYTHING for her I see him working two jobs so he could buy her (and you) anything you're guys hearts desire wants. You want that entire manga collection. He bought it ☑️ Ume wants a whole new makeup set from Jefferry Starr? He bought it ☑️ you guys wanna go to that really expensive restaurant that recently opened? Wear your best clothes ☑️ he also spent money on designer clothes for you and Ume I'm talking Prada and Versace type a shit. He takes care of his sister and his girlfriend/boyfriend

They currently live with their mother (father(s) unknown he took off after ume was born but he's not Gyus birth father) she's not very nice company so 9/10 you'd see Gyutaro and Ume hanging a little after school hours before leaving to do something before coming back home around 10 or 11 pm. Maybe even later. (They try to wait until their mom is asleep to come back home. And try to be gone before she's even awake or coherent bless them someone take them away)

Gyutaro drives a motorcycle I see him with a Harley Davidson. He paid good money on it and it's his pride and joy second to Ume. If your his neighbor, (either dating or not for this let's say not) you'll catch him in the garage working on it around the clock, fixing tires or any other maintenance it needs and then finishing off with a gorgeous chrome shine. Babes I have sparkles in my eyes.

He always catches you watching him in the corner of his eye and softly smirks to himself cockily. he'll even deliberately stretch to show his tats and muscles. Him covered in grease. (Ooooh I'm sweating like a women fanning herself during Sunday church. Mmmm 🥵🔥)

Please walk up and bring him tea or even lemonade. He'll act annoyed you're there. And try to tell ya to buzz off. But secretly loves it. Takes huge gulps on purpose so you can watch his Adams apple Bob with the motion. Sweat dripping down his neck.

Lord there is a birthmark riiiight there below the Adams too... Please ask him to kiss it. ~ you'll thank me later.

His ears are also pierced has a tongue piercing and... Also has a Jacobs ladder mmmmm 😋 but you won't be able to find that out until you both are getting down and sexy. It's quite a nice surprise indeed 💞

He fucks you to Rob Zombie and In this Moment

When you finally worked the courage to ask him out it took him awhile to accept that someone genuinely liked him enough to have a serious relationship with yeah he's had some flings but they didn't want to date him after and he fkt used to that ya see? . But After being such a dick to you trying to push you away he made up for it by taking you for a nice ride on his bike. So scenic when the sun is setting. Just you, Gyutaro and his bike. Ofc he makes sure Ume is either at home or with friends before making this last minute trip. But the action counts and you fell even deeper in love with him for it. You both have been inseparable ever since.

Talking coffee dates movie dates at his or your place study sessions together. But Please be patient with him, he just worked a double at his second job he's sorry for constantly dozing off. Really!

It's just your voice is so soft and calming it helps him finally relax. He's so far behind on studies and homework he wants to get the shit over and done with but damn he's so exhausted. EYYY I saw you finish his homework for him. Simp 🙄. The audacity (jk I'd do the same).

He likes to listen to Die Antwoord for when he's feeling ina goofy mood. Please he's so cute when he's in a goofy mood after getting his 8 hrs and some coffee (maybe even an energy drink for good measure) when he's not sluggish juggling two jobs and school he's more playful not that he isn't playful before but this particular mood he's more soft and relaxed. Happy. He'll play wrestle you anywhere and tickle you till you almost pee yourself.

He watches shows like Rick and Morty Breaking Bad and the Punisher favorite movies are Jurassic park and any film with Vin Diesel And The Rock Johnson also a huge fan of wrestling/UFC and car shows loves racing ones too.

This is just my personal headcanon but I see him smoking cigs and being a pot head. Come on the shit he deals with with his mom is enough to make a nun swear!;but if you want him to quit those he will though for your sake. You worry over his health constantly babe. Don't worry it'll be okay.

One time when his mom went to a 'friends' house for the weekend he felt comfortable enough to ask you if you'd like to spend the night at his place. You were so excited you showered put on your cutest jammies and packed some clothes and necessities. He walked around your room looking at group photo's you took over your life. Some mirages of when you went to a carnival some pictures you took at school friends doing weird goofy shit. One picture caught his eye. It was a group photo you took of you Ume and Gyutaro going to the movies to see the nee fast and furious film that came out(lawd what # we on now? Fast 50???lol) his eyes were glued to it. It was a little before you asked him out Ume had invited you to come along because you let ger cheat off you in class, you all were huddled together in front of the movies poster had peace signs up Ume in the middle Gyutaro on her left and you on her right. But what he finally noticed was you. Ume was looking straight at thr camera with her tongue out, But Guytaro and you were looking at eachother a soft smile on your face while Gyutaro had a slight smirk. Huh. ' When did We look at one another?'

His fingers grazed the photo hung up on the wall while you were rustling about in the bathroom. When you walked in you saw him looking at the photo and walking to stand next to him. You both were quiet for a long while before Gyutaro Finally spoke up.

"(Name). " your head shifted to look at him. "Yes?." His pinky links with yours. "I think that, when we graduate. I wanna marry ya. And take you and Ume away from this place."

(A/N: that's it for now. If you want more I can definitely post more!!! ^^ love ya kitty meow meows 💋😘💋😘).

[corrodedcoffinkid]

Eddie is the type to collect figures and dice and what he can get his hands on so I imagine on Eddie's birthday Steve goes all out and buys him a set of some figures he's wanted, Nancy gets him a couple DND handbooks and Robin scrounges up enough cash to buy him a signed memorabilia (She refuses to tell him the price because she knows what it's like to want to pay someone back for a gift even when money is tight. Eddie resolves to get her a big gift when her birthday rolls around anyway, and she absolutely totally doesn't sniffle at all. Steve's a liar if he says otherwise).

Steve totally has a secret side mission of both tracking down this obscure figurine set of something Eddie likes and also keeping it expertly hidden from Eddie as to that he's bought it. There's a misunderstanding where Eddie thinks Steve forgot his birthday and gets really sad. Queue hurt-comfort :)

Nancy's Gift was books but her real (secret) birthday present is her reading through said handbooks so she can have conversations with Eddie about it in the future. (She's the acts of service type)

The kids all chip in with their own gifts. Mike and Will get him a really nice hellfire club banner to hang up in his room (Will designed it and Mike got it made. Mike is determined for Will to get more of the credit)

Dustin handcrafts and paints a D&D mini for Eddie, complete with a tiny sword and shield. It's a little rough around the edges but nobody would dare say it. Dustin also shyly mentions he has a matching one at home.

Max gets him a nicer set of headphones and a Kate Bush tape. The headphones are because Steve mentioned Eddies current ones didn't do a great job of drowning out sound when he wanted them too, but when she gifts it she says it's because he needs to expand his music taste.

Lucas gets him a bunch of movie tapes and then bickers with Erica about how bad his selection was. Towards the end of the party he also gives Eddie a really sweet card and embarrassedly tells Eddie not to mention it.

Erica draws him a ponysona and prides herself on her ability (Eddie hangs it up on his wall) and she also gives him a set of comic books that she boasts are expertly selected to fit his tastes

El makes him a badly sewn stuffed animal of a tiefling. She says Mike told her what d&d character she should choose. She also gives him a card with money in it from Hopper

Wayne makes a cake in a flavor he knows Eddie likes, and gifts him some music and a new poster. He waits until the party is sort of over to give Eddie his other gift (It's one of Wayne's old jackets that Wayne would drape over Eddie's shoulders when he felt a meltdown coming on. Eddie cries a lot about it but Wayne resolves to keep that part between them)

Eddie has one of the first birthdays he's had with friends ever, and couldnt be happier :)

- @wheeler-buckley (another massive rant via your askbox, sorry!)

OH THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL THABK YOU SO MUCH ILY

[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader

Warnings: allusions to sex, heavy making out and touching (i think that should cover it), swears

A/N: now back to your regularly scheduled fluff...

Masterlist

Chapter 17

“Alright, bye. Love you,” you laughed, hanging up the phone.

“Jo, Daddy already found a way to make it up to you for missing the museum,” you smiled.

“What?” she asked excitedly.

“Ah that would ruin the surprise. Wouldn’t it?” you grinned, “But we are leaving now.”

Jo slid her snow boots and jacket on as you sneakily packed her hat, mittens, and snow pants. You also grabbed snow stuff for Spencer because converse and a sweater vest would not keep him warm in 29 degree weather with 7 inches of snow on the ground.

-

Jo skipped out of the elevator, not even waiting for you to go to Spencer’s desk.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed like usual.

“Hi, Princess!” he lifted her up into his lap, “Are you excited?”

Jo nodded enthusiastically.

“Good because I got permission to go sledding on the HUGE hill right outside,” he smiled.

“But I don’t have a sled,” Jo frowned.

“I bought you one,” he grinned.

After Spencer had finished suiting Jo up in her snow gear, you slid a purple hat with a big white pom-pom on top over his head, a few of his messy curls still poking out.

“Can’t have you getting cold either, my dear,” you gave him a quick peck on the nose as he scrunched his face up in a smile.

“Oh chocolate thunder, get my coat please. We are going outside to watch this cuteness!” Penelope exclaimed.

“Of course, baby girl,” he replied, standing up from his desk.

You all piled into the elevator and headed outside. Jo stared down at the big hill in front of them. It seemed awfully scary to a little girl.

You grabbed her mitten-covered hand.

“How about I go down with you the first time and Daddy pushes us?” you suggested.

Jo nodded as you both climbed into the sled.

“Okay, ready? 1...2...3!” Spencer gently pushed you both down the hill.

Spencer was relieved when he heard the joyful giggles of Jo followed shortly by your laughter.

Jo ran back up the hill with you towing the sled behind her.

“Daddy! You go with me now!” she said.

You both took turns going down the hill with Jo even Auntie Penelope and Uncle Derek had their turns. Jo was even brave enough to go down by herself if Spencer waited at the bottom for her.

Much to everyone’s chagrin, you had to go home when it started to get dark and Jo’s cheeks were bright red from the cold.

-

You, Spencer, and Jo were driving over an hour out of the city to get a freshly cut Christmas tree from a tree farm.

Spencer packed you all thermoses with hot chocolate and mini marshmallows. His excitement may have actually exceeded Jo’s. He told you he never got to get a real Christmas tree when he was younger because the trees shipped to the middle of the hot Las Vegas desert wilted quickly. And, he had no room for a big tree in his old apartment.

It was cute seeing the both of them all bundled up in their matching purple scarves and big winter coats. Spencer brought the sled so he could pull Jo along since there was about a foot of snow on the ground that would make it very hard for her to walk.

Spencer had taken the exact measurements of the corner of the living room so the tree would fit perfectly.

“What about that one?” you asked, pointing to a tree farther back in the field.

“Let’s go check it out,” Spencer pulled a measuring tape from his pocket.

“Always prepared, Dr. Reid,” you laughed.

“They didn't give me a PhD in engineering for nothing,” he grinned.

“This is about the right size. What do you think, Princess? Is this a good tree for Santa to put presents under?” he asked.

Jo gave an approving nod after inspecting the tree.

“Alright, then it’s settled. Hand me the saw, love,” Spencer said.

“Please be careful,” you reminded him, slowly handing him the saw that the farm employees gave to you.

After multiple breaks and some encouragement from you and Jo, Spencer was finally able to saw through the tree’s stump completely.

He dragged it to the car as you pulled Jo in the sled. You both tied it to the top of the car using bungee cords.

Once you were home, you set the tree in its stand and gave it plenty of water. Spencer got the box of ornaments down from the attic.

You put Christmas music on and the three of you spent the rest of the day decorating the tree, baking cookies, and watching Home Alone.

-

Spencer had insisted on putting on a Santa suit in case Jo came down when you were putting the presents out.

Knowing this information, you decided to tease him by purchasing a tight elf dress that stopped right under your butt.

You smirked, looking at yourself one more time in the mirror before heading downstairs where Spencer was waiting.

Spencer ceased his movements as he saw you slowly descend down the stairs. He was practically drooling.

“What’s wrong? Have I been a naughty girl?” you asked, feigning innocence.

“Yes, baby, you have,” he whispered in your ear, roughly planting kisses along your jawline and down your neck.

Spencer cupped your ass with his hands.

You tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck and he let out a moan that vibrated against your skin.

“Shhhh, we can’t wake Jo up,” you reminded him.

He started to guide you over to the couch but you put your hand on his chest to stop him.

“We’ve got to put the presents under the tree first, babe.”

You broke from his grasp and Spencer let out a soft whine.

Deciding you weren’t done having your fun just yet, you picked up a present from the box where you had hidden them and slowly bent over to place it under the tree.

You felt a light smack against your ass that made you stand up quickly because you certainly hadn’t been expecting that.

You turned around to see Spencer with the biggest grin on his face and a devilish glint in his eyes.

“Don’t tease me, sweetheart,” he whispered in your ear, “Cause I have no problem with doing that again and again and again.”

-

Jo woke you both up by jumping on the bed.

“Santa came! Santa came! Santa came!”

“He sure did, baby,” you giggled, looking at Spencer.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go open some presents!” Spencer got out from underneath the covers, dressed in his flannel PJs.

Jo ran down the stairs with you and Spencer right behind.

“No opening any gifts until Mommy gets her camera!” you shouted out from the kitchen as Jo took her seat on the floor right in front of the tree.

You grabbed your camera, the box of donuts you got yesterday, and coffee for you and Spencer.

“Thanks, love,” Spencer gave you a quick kiss, accepting the mug and picking up a chocolate frosted donut with sprinkles as you joined him on the couch.

Jo opened up all of her presents from you and Spencer that consisted of a model plane that she could build herself with instructions, a set of washable watercolor paints, and of course more dinosaur memorabilia.

“Daddy’s turn!” you jumped up from the couch and grabbed a manila folder that had a huge bow on it under the tree.

Spencer looked at you curiously, opening the envelope and revealing a packet of forms that were half filled out.

“It’s the forms needed to update Jo’s birth certificate. Once you fill out your section, I can take it to city hall and your name will officially be added as the father on Jo’s birth certificate,” you smiled.

Spencer nodded softly, staring down at the document in awe.

“I love you so much,” he finally said, pulling you in for a hug.

“And I love you so much too,” he grabbed Jo to join the hug.

“We love you too,” you replied.

Spencer wiped the happy tears from his eyes.

“Okay,” he chuckled, “First, I have a gift for Jo and Mommy and then Mommy gets her gift.”

Spencer pulled out a bag from the back of the tree and handed it to Jo who was sitting in your lap.

Two sets of headbands with a pair of black round circles and a red bow were inside the bag. You both looked at Spencer for further explanation.

“We are going to Disneyworld,” he smiled.

Jo screamed in excitement, running over to hug Spencer’s legs. You laughed, putting the Minnie ears on you and Jo’s heads.

“Spence, that is so generous and thoughtful of you but how much did that cost,” you asked.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with, my dear. I had to make up for all the past Christmases and birthdays,” he kissed you before picking up the last item under the tree and handing it to you.

You opened the box to see two identical silver bands inside, one slightly bigger than the other. You looked up at Spencer skeptically.

“Not the ring yet. Just a ring…for each of us,” he picked up the smaller ring and slipped it onto your index finger, kissing your hand.

“I love it and I love you,” you smiled, looking at your hand and then taking the other ring and slipping it onto his index finger.

[peachsayshi]

Chapter 6 - Festival

Gojo Satoru x Female Reader

Tags: Friends with Benefits, Smut, Teasing and a little bit of Fluff.

Summary: Your best friend Rina is curious about what's been keeping you so busy, and the two of you run into Gojo and his student at a food festival.

A/N: I have been working on my jjk fics but this chapter was a little bit difficult for me to write. A little bit of backstory and plot building here. Gojo and personal space? Non-existent. You can't tell me that the man wouldn't abuse his flirting rights.

- - - 

“Aren’t you a little warm in that top?”

Rina glanced at the high collared t-shirt you were wearing under your mini dress. The top covered the marks that Gojo left on your neck but the material was a little too thick for the summer heat. Thankfully, there was a breeze cooling you off otherwise you would be dripping with sweat.

“I’m fine,” you replied, directing your attention onto the vendors instead of your best friend’s narrowed eyes.

Rina asked you to come along to check out a food festival set up in the city. The entire district was lined with painted stalls which made for a picture perfect scene. The rich aroma of cooked food danced around you, enticing the bustling crowd that was growing in numbers. From golden battered fried takoyaki balls to mouthwatering barbecued yakitori, rainbow cotton candy that sent strings of sugar into the air and sweet kakigori to cleanse the palette…

Everything was making your stomach grumble.

“Oh, let’s get okonomiyaki!” Rina suggested.

After picking up your orders, you both sat at an empty table where you could enjoy your meal. You were ignoring the way Rina continued looking at you suspiciously, clearly not letting go of her obsession with the top you were wearing.

“Okay, that’s it. Let me see it.”

“See what?” you questioned, covering your mouth as you tried to chew on your food.

“The hickey you are hiding.”

You nearly choked as you swallowed but Rina didn’t flinch at your reaction. You patted your chest lightly, clearing your throat as you gathered your thoughts.

“I’m not hiding anything!” you replied defensively.

Rina rolled her eyes at you, “then at least tell me who the guy is…”

You waved your arm nonchalantly in her direction, desperately trying to avoid getting into a losing battle with your best friend. If there was one person in the world who didn’t need superhuman abilities to tell what you were thinking - it was Rina. She read you like an open book, making it near impossible for you to keep a secret from her. How you managed to go this long without her figuring out you were hooking up with Gojo was a miracle.

“I just want to know exactly what has been keeping you so busy recently,” she continued, “I’m having a hard time believing it’s work because you would be in a miserable mood if you were spending all your free time at the office.”

“ Or we can talk about how absolutely delicious this is...” you blurted, letting her words travel in your ear and out the other as you pointed at the meal in front of you.

Rina lifted her brow, shaking her head in disapproval. She calmly placed her chopsticks on her plate, leaning forward a little closer to you before hooking her finger in the collar of your shirt and tugging it down to check your neck.

“LIAR!”

You clasped your hand over the mark, your eyes widening as you prodded your best friend with your other finger.

“Oh, you are in trouble!” a sly smile spread across her pretty face, “when did you start dating again? I thought you swore off men after what happened with the fitness instructor..”

“Please don’t remind me of him…”

“Then who is this mystery man that you are hiding?”

You pressed your lips together, hesitant to reveal the truth about the deal you and Gojo had made. Yes, you were having fun together and none of it was supposed to be as serious as you were making it out in your head. In fact, Rina would probably applaud you for initiating this to begin with.

But…

Rina also liked to ask hard questions: why were you using him instead of confronting your heartbreak? Why were you chasing after something false instead of trying for real love again? Do you really want to risk ruining the friendship you both have?

Those were questions that you didn’t have the answers to.

“It’s...It’s some guy at work, you don’t know him…” you stated, finally settling on a good enough excuse to satisfy her curiosity

“How long have you been seeing him?”

“Just a few weeks…” you fibbed.

“Tell me what he’s like?”

“Uhh…he’s fun, I guess …handsome, kind of charming…but it’s only been a few dates, I still don’t really know him well yet.”

You swallowed hard, hating yourself for not having the courage to tell Rina the truth. Your best friend continued throwing questions at you while your brain spat out the answers before you could even think things through, your guilt twisting your insides with all the lies you were spewing.

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner…”

Rina smiled, placing a hand on your shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I just want you to be happy. If you like this guy, you should give him a chance. Who knows, maybe this could turn into something serious…”

“I am not really looking for anything serious,” you admitted, allowing yourself to be vulnerable. “At least not right now…”

How could you want something serious after what happened?

You and your ex-boyfriend were together for five years. You met him when you were both at university and he swept you off your feet. His handsomeness showed through his kind personality and he always managed to make you smile. He was your first of many things, including this painful heartbreak.

You hated yourself for getting comfortable with him, for allowing your mind to plan a future that you both could share. You were disappointed that he made you fall in love with him but more so, that he abandoned you to piece together what was left.

You always felt like you never had your closure. When you asked him why he cheated, he never gave you a solid answer. He was ashamed for keeping his infidelity a secret for so long that his only response was a pathetic apology.

Who was this woman that he was willing to jeopardize your relationship for?

Why did he stop loving you?

You blamed yourself because you couldn’t understand.

One minute you were happy and the next you found yourself betrayed in the worst way possible.

You had enough respect for yourself to know that you couldn’t stay with a man who would treat you this way. When you broke up, you expected him to beg for your forgiveness. He was your prince charming, of course he would come crawling back.

You only knew that he had moved on with his lover when you caught the two of them at the supermarket together. They were buying peas, completely entranced with one another and the adoration that your former boyfriend used to look at you with was now passed on to the woman with golden hair.

He was your weakness and you…

You still loved him.  

Rina’s eyes shifted to the crowd, pausing when she recognised a face among the sea of strangers.

“Oh! Look who is over there!”

You glanced over your shoulder, following her line of sight until you saw your dirty little secret wave at you from a distance.

Gojo was eating ice cream, mindlessly swerving around the crowd and looking exceptionally fine in his summer fit. Adorned on the top of his head were cat ears, a little souvenir trinket that some of the vendors were selling at their stalls. His free arm was draped across a teen boy’s shoulder, whose unamused face indicated that he was not keen on being here.

“Rina-chan!” Gojo sang as he approached your table, “it’s nice to see you!”

“You too! How are things?”

“Great! Busy with the usual but today I decided to stop by with my student. This is Megumi…”

The boy awkwardly bowed to greet you and Rina.

“It’s nice to meet you both…”

Gojo’s shades slid down his nose slightly, and you caught a glimpse of those blue eyes. When he winked in your direction, you couldn’t help but blush.

“What are you two up to?” he casually asked.

“Well, I finally got Miss “Busy All The Time” to myself today and we just had some okonomiyaki, that guy over there is selling it…”

Gojo hummed and swirled his tongue around his vanilla ice cream before calmly replying, “I know, she’s been so preoccupied lately! Oi, when are we going to have our catch up session?”

Your face grew warmer, Gojo was good at keeping secrets and him playing off like he hasn’t been the one taking up all of your spare time only resulted in you staring at him with furrowed brows.

Thankfully, Megumi interrupted the conversation.

“I’m going to walk around for a bit,” he stated, turning his heel to walk away from your little group.

“I’ll meet up with you in a minute,” Gojo replied with a nod.

“I’m also going to use this opportunity to find the restroom. Gojo can keep you company until I get back,” Rina added, as she stood up from her seat.

Gojo gave her a thumbs up, “happily!”

The sorcerer took Rina’s place, sitting down across from you while his long legs bumped into yours as he adjusted his position. He paused for a moment, watching your friend and his student disperse into the crowd before finally returning his attention back to you.

“Nice outfit by the way but a little warm for today’s weather in my opinion.”

“I wonder whose fault that is…” you mused, pressing your lips together to stop yourself from smiling at his teasing comment, “I bet you think you’re so cute assuming you’re completely innocent in all this.”

Gojo smiled, “Actually, I know I’m cute.”

You couldn’t deny it, even right now as you watched him with those ridiculous cat ears that pulled back his white locks. He definitely was catching the eye of every girl and guy who passed by.

You flicked one of the black ears on his head,  “this is a new look for you…”

“I bought it for Megumi but he wasn’t too pleased wearing it around, kept saying that I was embarrassing him...” Gojo explained with a frown.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on your thighs and bringing the ice cream in his hand to your face.

“Want a taste?” he asked innocently.

Your heart skipped a beat, unaware that Gojo would get this close to you in public. He knew that you hadn't told anybody about what you both have been doing and you wondered if he was deliberately trying to put you in an awkward position. You subconsciously scanned the crowd to see if Rina or Megumi were around.

You tilted your head back slightly before asking, “do you understand the concept of personal space?”

“Relax,” Gojo said in a low voice, “no one is paying attention to us.”

“What if they come back…”

“I’ll see them before they see us,” he replied with confidence, grazing his free hand over your thigh. “Besides, you look like you could use something to cool you off…”

You arched your brow, deciding to give in and play this little flirtation game. You bit your bottom lip, gently wrapping your hand around his slender fingers and slowly leaning forward to lick the ice cream off his cone. You kept your gaze on Gojo, focusing on the devilish smirk that spread across his lips as he watched with approval.

“Mmm, that is good…” you moaned, before looking at him with glittering eyes, “wait, I didn’t get any ice cream on my face, did I?”

Gojo chuckled under his breath, “you’ve got a little something right here…”

His hand moved up to your face, his fingers holding your chin as he brought your lips to his. You inhaled, holding your breath as you were caught off guard by him stealing a kiss. The moment was fleeting and before you knew it, he parted his lips from yours but trailed his hand down your neck to take a peek at the hickey he left on your skin.

“I usually don’t care about where I mark you but if it’s a big concern I’ll make sure to do it in places where only I can see…”

Even though he spoke in a low whisper, you felt like it was loud enough for the whole crowd to hear how flustered you just got by his words.

You cleared your throat, turning your face away from him to regain your composure. “Behave, Satoru…”

“Mmm,” he hummed, “I could keep going but Rina will be back in any minute…”

You sensed a hint of annoyance in his voice when he said that.

The sorcerer leaned back, inviting the space that separated you both as he ate his ice cream with indifference. Sometimes you wish you could flip the switch as easily as he did but you found it impossible.

Rina arrived before you could even respond to his statement.

“What did I miss?” she asked, patting Gojo lightly on the shoulder to request returning to her seat.

“Nothing special,” Gojo answered with a shrug as he stood up , “I think I’m going to head back and find this kid before he leaves without me knowing.”

“Enjoy the rest of your evening! Also, you should stop by the candy shop sometime. I’ve been working on some new treats I think you might like…”

“I will,” he promised, stretching the lying game even further. He proceeded to remove the headband he was wearing, his white hair flopping over his shades as he handed you the cat ears. “Hold on to these for me won’t you…”

You took it, puzzled by the sudden gesture.

“What for?”

“Just an excuse to pick it up from you later,” he remarked innocently, “otherwise I’ll never see you!”

Rina laughed, clearly not catching on to his hidden invitation. Gojo waved goodbye and walked away, leaving you both to return to your date.

For a moment you thought your lie was about to catch up to you but realised that it was easy keeping this secret because nobody would expect you to hook up with Gojo.

You guys have been playing this song and dance for a while, saving your flirtatious banter and curiosities for when you two were alone together. Maybe you’ll come clean eventually, but for now you wanted to enjoy the bubble you were in.

You played with the cat ears in your hand, completely unaware that you were smiling to yourself.

- CHAPTER 7: GAMES - 

[angelmavmurdock]

Our Little Secret: Part One - A.R.

Word count: 1541  Summary: y/n moves from New York to New Coal Creek and meets a girl that would change her life forever.

-

Reader POV

The drive to New Coal Creek, West Virginia was a long ride. I had no idea what house my parents had bought and had no idea what this little town was like. My family and I were coming from New York. My daddy was in real estate and he owned a lot of places in the city. But after having a really bad illness for a while, he had to stop taking on too much stress. So, they decided to move - 'they' being my parents. I had to go with them whether I liked it or not. I left my friends, my boyfriend and my school behind.

I was popular in New York; the captain of the cheerleading team with a boyfriend who was captain of the football team. Him and I had sworn we were going to get married. But he broke up with me as soon as I announced I was leaving, which I couldn't blame him for. So maybe leaving the city was good for me.

Ma reached behind from the passenger seat in the car and rubbed my knee to awaken me.

"y/n, we're nearly there." She spoke softly.

Ma was from Ohio, brought up with 3 brothers and two rich parents but she moved when she was in her twenties to New York. Daddy was also from New York and he was much the same: 2 brothers, 1 sister and two rich parents. They hadn't faced many troubles in their life and now I was just the same: an only child with two rich parents. I loved my life, but sometimes I wish you wasn't in the toxic popular group...but now, in this town, things could be different.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes as you readjusted in the leather seat of the car.

"Coal Creek, West Virginia." I read out loud on the old, rusted sign by the road.

"Are you excited?" Ma asked with a beaming smile.

She didn't live in Coal Creek when she was younger but she was happy to be back in a Southern state. Mostly because she wouldn't feel out of place by her soft Southern accent which I had inherited instead of the harsh New York dialect daddy and my peers had.

"Yeah...hopefully they have a cheerleading team I could join." I smiled weakly, looking out the window.

It was an odd place, the cars on the road weren't top end and the roads weren't either. Buildings and houses looked more like barns and cottages than huge brick fancy buildings.

"We're not livin' in one of those are we?" I asked, raising a brow as we passed through a neighbourhood which was clearly poor.

"No, we're living up state." Daddy said with a smile.

"Is the house nice?" I asked, leaning forward to rest my chin on daddy's seat.

"It's gorgeous. You'll love it." He smiled.

We continued driving through the village and we soon came to an up-winding road that was wide and smooth. You could already tell the difference between this tarmac and the pot-holed sheet on the regular streets. The car wound up the road, it felt like we were in the middle of a forest as tall trees lined the sides of the road lusciously. Soon we slowed down and we drove through two pillars which once had a gate. Then we turned a corner and the house was revealed.

It was a beautifully painted white mansion. There were four pillars at the front of the house, supporting the balcony that wrapped around the outside of the upper level. The door was painted deep blue along with the shutters covering the windows.

I gasped as the car came to a stop. We all got out and stood in front of the car, just admiring it.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

Ma smiled next to me, rubbing my back.

"Right, take your bags upstairs and start unpacking, I need to lie down after that." Daddy sighed, stretching.

I felt a pang of sadness course through me as he grabbed some bags from the trunk and began taking them inside.

Ma and I shared a look of guilt before taking our stuff inside.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The week quickly went by and we were adjusting nicely to the new town. It was very different from New York but it was quaint and the people were nice. I felt at home, strangely. I think it was because I had the same accent as everyone and Ma felt more at ease. She didn't like New York much, but she loved Ohio.

It hit Monday and it was the first day of school for me. It was the middle of March but I had to continue school until July if I wanted to graduate this year. And I really wanted to. I had the grades; I was a straight A student. But I didn't know what Ohio schooling was like or what the people were like.

I contemplated wearing a cheer outfit but I decided against it. Instead, I wore a baby pink dress that ended just above my knee. It was an A-line dress so it complimented my figure nicely. The neckline ended just at my neck and it had short sleeves. I wore patent black shoes with little heels and my hair was in a low-ponytail, wrapped in a pink silk ribbon.

I had packed my bag with pencils and pens and notebooks and I came down the stairs, excited to start school.

"Look at you! You look gorgeous, darlin'." Ma kissed my cheek and Daddy did after.

"Remember to ask about cheerleadin'!" Ma called after me as I headed for the front door.

"I will! Bye!" I waved with a smile and left the house.

The walk from our house to anywhere in town was relatively long but I liked walking, it calmed me.

I had been to town in the car so I knew where to go, but I realised very quickly as I walked through, I was different.

Everyone stared at me like some kind of movie. I just kept a smile on my face and walked to school. School was even weirder.

As I walked nervously around the school grounds, heading for the door, I noticed boys in denim staring hungrily with toothpicks in their mouths and girls looking on in judgement.

"I wonder where she came from dressed like that." One girl sniggered.

"Daddy bought her a new dress, I think." A guy commented.

I swallowed and entered the school, ignoring everyone around me.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

People got to know me quickly in school. I was the talk of the town. Everyone knew I lived up-state, everyone knew I was from New York, everyone knew how my parents were rich and everyone knew I was powerful. Well, they thought I was. I didn't feel powerful. I felt out of place. I was thrown into the popular group once again but they got me into the cheer team without any audition which was good.

By my third week of school, I was lunching in the dining hall with the popular group. It was established that I was the 'innocent' one of the lot. I was the only one with straight A's and I was the only one who knew how to play piano and speak French...everyone was taught these things in New York, especially in the private schools. But everyone in that group had lost their virginity...I was still to have that experience. The boys made fun of me which was expected but it was all fun and games, none of them tried anything.

It was Thursday and I was studying in the library during my free time. There was no one else here apart from the old librarian who slept at her desk. But the doors to the library swung open, awakening Mrs Peters and startling me.

"I am so sorry." The girl whispered, mortified at the level of noise she just made in a library.

I smiled at her, I felt bad. She smiled back. She was pretty and she looked smart, holding multiple books in her arms as she walked towards me. She sat the books down opposite me on the table.

"Can I sit here?" She asked in a whisper.

"Of course." I smiled, moving some of my books out the way.

"Thank you so much...hey,"

I looked up at her.

"You're that new girl aren't cha'?" She asked quietly, accent panging through.

"Yes I am." I smiled.

She grinned, "Shouldn't you be hanging out with your friends?"

I sighed, "I'd rather graduate than party."

Her smile grew even wider. She seemed so kind.

She presented her hand in front of me, "I'm Lenora."

I shook it, "I'm y/n."

"Nice to meet you, y/n." She smiled.

Lenora and I ended up ditching studying all together and hung out in town until we both had to go home. We were so alike and we clicked just like that. We exchanged addresses so if we ever came over we would know where to go to. She was already my best friend and I immediately felt at ease.

A/N: This is the start of a new mini series! i hope you guys enjoy it <3

[nalgenewhore]

little hands

rowan x aelin + stella luna, modern au, fluff/domestic/babysitting, word count: 2049

Aelin checked the fridge again. She knew that she had bought Stella Luna’s favourite applesauce squeeze packets yesterday when she’d gone grocery shopping with Rowan, but she couldn’t be too sure. “Rowan?”

“Yes, my darling?” he called back from the living room.

“Did you get the painting book out? The one with the dragons and stuff, it’s Stella’s favourite,” she said, pulling open the bag of mini carrots and popping a couple into her mouth. Aelin bumped the door shut and wandered into the living room, fixing the fold of the throw over the back of their couch.

Her fiancé looked at her with an adoringly exasperated expression. “Yes, I did.” Rowan stretched his arm out to point at the corner where there was a children’s table. On it, he had organised various crafts and art supplies to keep their niece occupied during the day. “Right there, darling.”

Aelin flashed him a simpering grin and Rowan huffed a quiet laugh. He got up and crossed over to her, wrapping his arm around her back. She smiled wider, her eyes flicking over his face as he tangled his hand in her golden hair and dipped her, kissing her deeply.

She hummed into his mouth and strung her arms around his neck, bending her left arm to hook her hand around her elbow. Rowan held her a little bit closer, his lips fitting against hers. Aelin let out a little noise and he groaned, moving his hands to the backs of her thighs so that he could pick her up.

Just as he did, the buzzer sounded and a wee voice crackled through, “Hello-o-o, Ash! Hello-o-o Wo!”

They broke apart and laughed, Rowan’s forehead against Aelin’s. He let her down and she rushed over to the buzzer, one hand smoothing down the back of her hair. Aelin clicked the ‘talk’ button. “Hi, kiddo!”

“Me and Daddy are here and Mr. Ribbit,” Stella Luna chirped. “Let me in, let me in!”

Aelin laughed again and pressed the button again, “Alright, Stellie, go ahead.”

They heard the door opening and then Lorcan’s deep voice, “Thanks, G.”

Faintly, Stella cheered excitedly, “El-vator, Daddy!”

“Yeah, yeah, Tiny, I know,” he grumbled. “We’ll be up soon.”

The intercom fell silent and Aelin darted into the bathroom to sweep her hair up in a ponytail, checking to make sure that Rowan hadn’t ruined her nudey-pink lipstick. She walked back out to wait, excited to spend the day with Stella.

Elide was weeks away from giving birth to her second baby and their house was a bit… busy right now. As she got deep into her nesting period, it was easier if there wasn’t a wild toddler running amok. Aelin and Rowan were more than happy to watch Stella Luna for Elide and Lorcan.

Someone knocked on the door and Aelin opened it, smiling down at Stella. “Well, hello,” she said.

Stella giggled, dressed in her favourite black jeans, red knit sweater, and the leopard print coat Aelin had bought for her. “Hi, Ash,” she said, rushing forward to fling her arms around Aelin’s knees, her frog stuffie held tightly beneath her armpit. Aelin smiled and rested her hand on the top of the little girl’s head.

She looked at Lorcan, who was passing Stella’s bag to Rowan over Aelin’s head. “Hello, Salvaterre.”

“G,” he nodded at her, his eyes glittering with joy as they dropped down to his daughter. “How are ya?”

“Not bad, better now that my favourite little gremlin is here.”

Stella Luna squealed at the nickname, always delighted when she was called such. She pushed Aelin’s legs aside and ran to Rowan, always in constant motion. Aelin shook her head and laughed, smiling softly. “So,” she turned back to Lorcan, “how is our darling Elide?”

“As she so lovingly puts it, ‘too fucking pregnant’.”

Aelin laughed, leaning against the doorframe. “What are you two doing today?”

He tilted his head to the side and lifted his hand to ease some muscle in his neck. “I am restaining the crib and getting new bottles. Elide is picking out paint samples and crying over how cute baby pyjamas are.” A loving grin tugged across his face. “They are pretty cute.” Lorcan stretched his shoulders and cleared his throat, “So, uh, you’re all set, then?”

“Yes, sir,” Aelin said. She turned to see Stella, “Honey, you want to say bye to your pops? He’s leaving soon.”

Stella gasped and bade Rowan to pull her boots off faster. In a flash, she was up, running back to Lorcan, who lowered himself into a practiced crouch. The three-year old crashed into him, her voice muffled against his shoulder, “Bye-bye, Daddy. Have good day!”

He chuckled and hugged her back, kissing the side of her head, “You too, yeah? I love you, my darling moon.”

Aelin swallowed past the lump in her throat – it was a bit much, seeing how gentle Lorcan was with Stella Luna, how much he adored her.

“Love-a you too, Daddy,” Stella said as Lorcan stood up and she hopped back to Aelin’s side.

He winked at the child, “See ya. Be good.”

“But not too good!”

Lorcan laughed and walked backwards down the hall, “That’s right, Tiny.”

Stella Luna was grinning maniacally as she pushed the door shut and spun, looking around their apartment. Aelin reached down and helped her slip her coat off, hanging it on the coat rack. “What should we do now, kiddo? We can paint or draw, or read a book and play with Mr. Ribbit.”

The toddler frowned in concentration, shifting back and forth on her feet as she decided, “Hmm… painting time! But I, I wanna real paint, no book.” She reached up to Aelin, who took her wee hand. “Time to painting time.”

Aelin laughed merrily and followed Stella as she marched towards the craft corner. They passed Rowan and Stella Luna flung her other hand out, “Come-come, Wo! I’m gon’ paint a dragon, the big dragon.”

Rowan dutifully went with his very bossy niece and sat down cross-legged. Aelin took her seat on Stella’s other side and the little girl handed them both paper and paint. She passed Mr. Ribbit to Rowan to hold him and kept standing as Aelin squeezed out paint into the plastic child’s palette.

“So, lass,” Rowan said as he picked up a paintbrush and began dotting a wildflower landscape, “are you excited for your new sibling?”

“Um, I am et-cited,” Stella answered, looking down at her paper as she squiggled purple paint across it. “I get to be big sister, Wo.”

“Well, that’s cool,” he said, smiling at her. His green eyes flicked up to Aelin and softened. She smiled back at him, her heart fluttering slightly.

For the next hour or so, they painted with Stella. The toddler was very concentrated, using every colour that she could. For one piece of art, she used blue and yellow and Rowan helped her put glitter on the paper, so it would look like Aelin’s eyes.

“For you, Ash,” Stella insisted, shoving the painting into her aunt’s face. She crawled into Aelin’s lap and gently patted her cheek, near her eye. “See, like you.”

Aelin beamed and hugged Stella tightly, kissing her round cheeks. “I adore it, kiddo. How ‘bout we let Ro hang it up to dry and he can get lunch for us?”

“Yeah!” Stella cheered, thrusting the painting over to her uncle and shaking it for him to take it.

Rowan chuckled, shaking his head, “Very nice of you to offer my services, darling.” He stood and then bent, kissing Aelin’s cheek. As he straightened, he addressed Stella, “What would her highness like for lunch?”

“A squeezie, an’... grill-cheese,” Stella told him, picking Mr. Ribbit up, “p’ease.”

“Certainly, milady.”

Stella giggled and put her frog back down, reaching for the green paint. “I am gon’ do it with my hands,” she declared with glee. As she started to turn the paint tube upside down, Stella froze and gasped, hurriedly putting the tube down again.

Aelin watched in bewilderment as Stella picked Mr. Ribbit up and walked over to the couch, putting him down and patting his soft green head. She returned and explained, “Can’t get him dirty, Mama says Mr. Rib-bit no paint.”

“Ah,” Aelin said, nodding her head. “Very smart, little one.”

She helped Stella set up the paints she would need for finger-painting and moved some things off the table so that there wouldn’t be anything crowding the young artist.

Soon enough, Stella’s hands were covered in green paint and she started on a crude imitation of a frog. Aelin fetched a wet washcloth so that she could clean Stella Luna’s hands between colours. A fierce frown furrowed the child’s cute cute face as she painstakingly applied different shades of green to the body. “Is Mr. Ribbit,” she said, patting with her fingertip.

From the kitchen, Rowan called, “Lunch is ready.”

“Ooh!” Stella Luna gasped, quickly forgetting her masterpiece and trying to charge into the kitchen.

Quicker still, Aelin caught her and lifted her up, “Oh, I think we should wash our hands first, yes? Paint doesn’t taste good.”

Stella Luna shook her head, “No, it don’t.” Her words were wise and grave, like she spoke from experience. She wiggled and her aunt set her down, herding her towards the bathroom. Stella pattered off, her feet hitting the hardwood floor in an adorable pattern. “Come-come, Ash! Wash hands!”

Aelin laughed as she trailed after Stella into the washroom, missing the green handprints Stella had accidentally left on the white walls.

In the bathroom, Stella was reaching up on her toes to get the tap. Aelin did it for her and they washed their hands until the water ran clear.

“Lunch time!” Stella Luna shouted, charging back out to Rowan. She clambered up onto a barstool and tucked her legs beneath her.

Rowan passed her a plate of grilled cheese sandwich, cut into triangles, baby carrots, cucumbers, and a squeeze packet of applesauce on the side, “Here you go, lassie.”

Stella Luna giggled at the name and her uncle’s deep brogue. She ate a carrot first and swallowed before picking up a piece of grilled cheese with both hands.

Aelin and Rowan sat down too, eating the other grilled cheese that he had made for them.

The child chattered all through lunch, talking about how she would put her frog painting up in the baby’s room and that sometimes, if she was really quiet, when she touched Elide’s belly, the baby would kick.

Rowan stood up after he was done and put his plate in the dishwasher. He went to the bathroom and Aelin waited for the bathroom door to close with its regular click. When it didn’t, she got up and wandered to the hallway, leaning to the side to peek at her fiancé. “Ro? Are you alright?”

He was standing still, looking down at the wall. “Why are there little handprints on the wall?”

Aelin looked down and saw the green prints Stella had left. She laughed softly, smiling at the preciousness of it, and turned. “Stella?”

“Uh-huh?” She looked up and climbed down, padding over in curiosity.

“Why are there little handprints on the wall?”

Stella Luna shrugged, a cucumber slice half eaten in her hand. “Because my hands are lit-tle.”

Aelin snorted and laughed again, turning back to Rowan. “Because her hands are little.”

He looked at his niece and cracked a wide grin, “I guess that explains it, doesn’t it?”

She giggled once more and twirled, “Yup!”

Rowan chuckled and walked down the hall, scooping Stella up and kissing her cheek, “That’s a pretty good explanation, little one.”

Stella Luna nodded vehemently and kicked her legs out so he would let her down. She went back to her lunch and Aelin slid her arm around Rowan’s waist, squeezing his side. “It’s water-based, you know? It’ll come off with a cloth.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The event was forgotten until a few days later, Aelin was rushing out of the bathroom, late for work, and froze, seeing the picture frame that Rowan had hung over Stella’s trail of handprints.

Beneath it, he had printed out on a little slip of paper, Stella Luna Salvaterre Lochan, 2021.

<3<3<3

an: i saw this chat post somewhere and i thought it was the cutest thing

@mythicaitt @eyllweambassador @schmlip-scribble @the-regal-warrior @ladyverena @shyvioletcat @alifletcher2012 @tswaney17 @ourbooksuniverse @flora-and-fae @thesirenwashere @queenofxhearts @maastrash @mynewdreamwasyou @cursebreaker29 @empress-ofbloodshed @b00kworm @hizqueen4life @silversprings98 @amren-courtofdreams @jadeaffliction @superspiritfestival @sanakapoor @ireallyshouldsleeprn @spyofthenightcourt @thegoddessofyou @more-espresso-less-depresso-xx @claralady @neonhellas @darlinminds @readingismyonlyhobby @gracie-rosee @myshadowsingeraz @firestarsandseneschals @elriel4life @always-in-a-daydream @jlinez @hellasblessed @mariamuses @darklesmylove @adelzd-bookblr @rowaelinismyotp @sassyhobbits @swankii-art-teacher @januarystears @flamingveritas

[gaemkyuu]

Mommy will you marry Charlie? (Charlie Gillespie x Fictional Character)

Warnings: mention of teenage pregnancy A/N: I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of love “Mommy can we keep him” received. I was originally going to upload the proposal AND the wedding, but I’ve been struggling a bit with the wedding portion. I hope you enjoy the proposal! Disclaimer: This is a FICITONAL writing piece! In no way do I claim characters in this piece act this way in real life.

Masterlist *now taking requests ;)

Mommy will you marry Charlie?

“Hey! Are you ready to go?” Charlie knocked and popped his head into Riley’s ensuite, pausing to take in her beauty. She was dressed in a pretty summer dress and placed a few more bobby pins into her hair, smiling at him in the mirror.

“Just about. Are Owen and Savannah here?” Riley’s answer came at that moment when the doorbell rang. Charlie left the ensuite and headed for the door just as Emerson got to it.

“Emmy, what did we say about answering the door?” Charlie chastised, moving quicker to the door. Emerson slightly pouted knowing he was right and sat on the entryway bench, waiting for Charlie to open the door. “You guys are just in time!” “No thanks to Owen” Savannah scoffed, motioning to the giant behind her.

“I hadn’t eaten yet, I needed My Chick-fil-A, but then I forgot to order some for Emmy, so we had to go back through the drive through” he sighed, showing him the two bags of take out in his hands. “Where is the little stinker?”

“I’m not stinky! I took a bath!” she hopped on the entryway bench and into Savannah’s arms first, Owen dramatically displayed his offense to the toddler.

“How come she gets a hug first?! I brought you Chicken Strips!” Savannah picked her up and balanced her on her hip. “I even convinced the lady to give you two books!”

“Aunty Savannah didn’t call me stinky and knows that I ate supper before you came.” she giggled and shook her head. “Plus, I like the chicken nuggets and not the strips” Owen rolled his eyes and muttered a ‘oh come on’ under his breath, but as soon as Savannah put her down, Emerson gave Owen’s leg a hug.

Riley came to the front door and greeted her friends, thanking them again for being so willing to babysit while they went out for the evening. After Charlie and Emerson’s date, the couple decided that they would go on more family dates as a request from the little girl and Charlie. Riley didn’t think anything of it, but she certainly didn’t want to come between the relationship they were both developing. This was the first time Emerson ever really accepted another man into their lives.

At the young age of 18 and saving enough money, Riley moved out of her mother’s home in Chino Hills to a one bedroom, one bath in downtown LA that was closer to her office. Riley was grateful that her mom agreed to come over to their apartment to babysit Emerson while she was at work as it helped her to save up more money to eventually move into a chic modern home on the outskirts of downtown. She was always so focused on providing for Emerson that she rarely let anyone into her life and when she did, she always had to make sure that they got the seal of approval from Emerson.

There was Nick from the marketing department at Netflix who she thought was cute, but he wasn’t very open to the idea of potentially becoming a dad so early on. Emerson really didn’t like him as she would cry every time he looked at her or moved towards her. That didn’t last more than three weeks.

Then there was Jaime from the grocery store who loved children and really liked Riley, but Emerson didn’t like the fact that Riley made more money than Jaime and warned her mom several times about him, despite her young age. Riley learned her lesson that sometimes four year olds are very perceptive because Jaime asked to borrow money for his rent a month later.

Lastly, there was Greg, a single dad who had twins the same age as Emerson. That didn’t last because the kids would often fight. Emerson thought the children were dumb and immature, while the twins thought Emerson was acting like a weird grown up.

Riley always prioritized Emerson in any decision making process she had, but at her core she felt lonely. She couldn’t tell her daughter this despite her intelligence. She was still a child. What kind of a mother would she be if she vented to her child? But Emerson knew her mom was lonely. She often heard her crying in the pantry and quietly talking on the phone late at night. That’s why when Charlie walked in their lives, she knew she had to play nice for a little while for the sake of her mother. Neither girls expected that Charlie would become such an important piece of their lives.

“Emerson we will be back past your bedtime, so give me kisses now” Riley requested as she hugged her little girl and peppered her with kisses. She giggled and kissed her mother back until she let go. Instinctively, Charlie knelt down too and opened his arms, giving her a quick peck on the head. Emerson gave him a hug back and kissed him on the cheek, the gesture garnering a loud “aw” from Owen, as the girls silently admired the interaction. Charlie rolled his eyes and whispered to Emerson quickly, making her giggle as his breath tickled her ear and neck. 

“You guys should get going so we can start painting Uncle Owen’s nails!” Savannah interrupted, glancing at the time on her phone. “We also get to facetime Uncle Jeremy, Aunty Carolyn and Aunty Madison too!” Emerson got super excited and skipped to her bedroom to grab her “nail kit”, a toy Savannah had bought her last Christmas. With a laugh, the couple headed out the door and off to supper. 

As soon as the door closed, the two friends and Emerson got to work. They were in on the plan and set about decorating their house. Emerson and Charlie had gone to PartyCity a few days ago while Riley was at an executive meeting and picked out a bunch of decorations for his proposal. At first, Charlie was hesitant, but Emerson was absolutely sure her mother said yes. Knowing his past of always being proven wrong by Emerson, he decided to listen to the little girl and follow her lead.

“Remember, mommy had me when she was a kid so she missed out on kid things. Do a bunch of kid things with mommy!” 

That’s what prompted Charlie to take her to Santa Monica. Charlie had made a reservation at a restaurant on the Santa Monica beachfront and the two enjoyed a lovely casual dinner. They talked about projects they were excited about and started ‘people watching’ from their seats, laughing and making silly jokes about the people who passed them by. After dinner, they set out to do “Kid Things” and played games on the pier, settling for mini donuts as dessert and eventually watching the sunset. Charlie tensed for a moment, but quickly relaxed as he felt the small box in his pocket.

“Mommy won’t say yes unless I’m there. She would be too busy thinking about me before she says yes, so ask her at home”

“But what about bedtime?”

“I mean if you say I can stay up, then that should be okay right?”

“You okay? You looked tense for a second” Riley snapped him out of his thoughts, but he was grateful that she shivered because it gave him a chance to change the topic. 

“Yeah, I was just thinking about the sunset in Dieppe. Can’t wait to take you one day. Cold?” he draped his denim jacket over her shoulders, and hugged her from behind. As soon as the glow from the sunset disappeared and the glow of the carnival lights replaced them, Charlie decided that instead of walking on the beach, they would go home and watch a movie on the couch. They spent the drive back to Riley’s place in a comfortable silence with the radio gently playing music. Charlie started to feel more excited and antsy the closer they got to her place. Before exiting the car, he held her hand in his and kissed the back of it. “I love you, you know that?” Riley smiled, nodded and kissed him on the lips. Charlie raced her to the door, knowing full well that he would beat her to it, but that didn’t stop Riley from trying. They stumbled through the entry a fit of giggles and laughter, but Riley stumbled on a pair of shoes. 

“Charlie! I told you to... put your shoes...away?” she became more confused as she stared at the pair. They weren’t Owen’s, Charlie’s, Savannah’s or Emmerson’s. Who could be in their house? She looked up to see Charlie nowhere in sight and began to worry. “Char, this isn’t funny. This is like the scene from a horror movie” she quickly shed her shoes and walked down the corridor to the living room. She didn’t expect to see her mother, Charlie’s mom and their closest friends standing behind Charlie and Emerson with excited looks on their faces. To add to her confusion, they held party poppers and noise makers, while a giant Congratulations banner decorated her living room. She heard Emerson clear her throat and Charlie stood proudly beside her.

“Dear mommy, I stayed up past my bedtime because Charlie said I had to” everyone in the room laughed at this, as Emerson continued to read from the piece of paper in her hands. 

“Mommy, you work so hard to give me the best life and the best toys. Sometimes I wonder how I can give you the best life and the best toys, but adults don’t play with toys. I asked aunty Carolyn why she was so happy with uncle Jeremy, and she said it was because she gets to be with uncle Jeremy forever” Carolyn wiped the tear that had formed in her eyes. 

“I asked uncle Owen why aunty Carolyn and uncle Jeremy got to be together forever, and that’s when uncle Owen said it was because they were married.” She took a deep breath and lost her place on her paper. Charlie peaked over and pointed to where she needed to keep reading from. 

“Oh, right. When I asked you were getting married, you told me never and that it was a rude question, but I think that was because you had a bad day at work” despite the teary eyes, her comment made everyone laugh. 

“So I asked Charlie to go on a date with me and ask him when he would marry you” Riley gasped as Charlie pulled out the box with the ring, getting down on one knee. “I know Charlie makes you happy and I think you should be together forever. Charlie has a question for you and the answer is yes.”

“Riley King, I love you and I love Emerson. I can’t think of anyone I want to spend the rest of my life with. You and Emerson are my family now, so let’s make it official” Charlie winked at Emerson who put her paper down and also got onto one knee beside Charlie.

“Mommy, will you marry Charlie?” Riley was crying full tears at this point listening to her daughter’s words, but she nodded and whispered a yes. Everyone erupted in a cheer and the party poppers went off as he put the ring on her finger, kissing her and picking up Emerson. “You did so good, Emmy!”

“You’re gonna be my daddy!!!” Emerson exclaimed, full of excitement and squeezing Charlie. 

Riley wiped her tears and kissed her daughter on the cheek, truly speechless. Everyone came around to congratulate them, Savannah, Madison, and Carolyn all wanting to see the ring first and then hugs. She was on cloud nine, still not able to understand how this was all being planned behind her back. “Is that why you volunteered to babysit?” Savannah nodded her head sheepishly and hugged her friend. Charlie’s mother gave her a big hug congratulating her on their engagement expressing her excitement to have another daughter in law, while Riley’s mother hugged Charlie, crying happy tears. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying everyone’s company that the couple lost track of time. By the time they said goodbye to Owen, the last to leave, Emerson had fallen asleep on the couch. 

“You mean to tell me, you planned this entire thing with my daughter behind my back?” Charlie smiled and nodded, picking the little girl up from the couch, careful not to wake her up. “I mean, I am touched, but I’m also afraid of what else you two are capable of doing”

“Just wait til you hear her ideas for the wedding.” Charlie chuckled as they headed to her room to tuck her in for the night. He put the little girl into bed and Riley watched the whole scene from the doorway, tears coming to her eyes as it finally sank in that this was her family. Emerson stirred and shifted around, uncomfortable all of a sudden. Charlie cooed at her and assured that she was fine, humming softly to her, something that he often used since the first night he helped her through a nightmare.

“G’night daddy” she mumbled in her sleepy daze, settling back to sleep. Charlie was taken off guard as the new title fell from her mouth. He felt his heart explode and wiped a tear that fell from his eyes.

“Sleep tight Princess” he sniffled, clearing his throat and kissing the top of her head. He pulled another blanket over her frame as she often got cold in the middle of the night. It amazed Riley how much Charlie knew of her daughter despite the amount of time he had been present in their lives. They softly shut the door behind them and walked hand in hand to their room. “Planning the wedding is going to be fun”

“I was thinking we do it in Dieppe or Moncton” Riley suggested, something to which Charlie lit up at. He looked at her with wide eyes in disbelief.

“If you’re pulling an Emerson on me right now, I’m going to be so mad” they had come up with the term ‘pulling an Emerson’ to describe the sarcasm they often received from the little girl. But Charlie became overjoyed as Riley bit her lip and shook her head, confirming that she did in fact want to get married in his hometown.

“We start planning tomorrow”

A/N: if you really want a wedding scene or a glimpse of life after the wedding let me know!

[fishmongeringstudies]

ten things my mother doesn't know

one: why i bought the fila's. she knows i bought them and she knows i bought another pair last week but i never told her why i was up at one in the morning to begin with, why my finger slipped on the button and i hit buy instead of 'do you want to block this number? yes'. i never told her about the boy who laughed and said 'i love your new shoes'. how his own shoes were old and stained with paint. how his eyes were the kind of blue you want to eat. how i lost my appetite days later.

two: i wore the same shirt for three days in a row. to be fair, we were in the negatives all week and it's not like you can really feel your skin when it's that cold out and your room has a mini-fridge for a heater, but she would've wrinkled her nose at me anyway. how can you live like this, she'd ask, holding the shirt out at arm's length like one would a child. are you okay?

three: my hair was gross on my first night at college. i had a bottle of body soap but i'd forgotten to buy shampoo and conditioner at my friend's place over the weekend and it had been too heavy to pack into my suitcase. it only dawned on me long after i'd left everything familiar behind, rummaging around in my belongings like a man possessed with a bitter dream. standing under the running water while a stranger hummed to themselves in the stall farthest from mine, three weeks' worth of anxiety itching to be dragged out of my ugly airplane-matted hair, i wanted to stick my face in the snow until all my skin froze off. i felt like a failure and wanted desperately to cry. but i didn't. i didn't do anything.

four: asparagus makes your pee smell weird. for three months i thought i was going to die constantly and then one day someone was like you know how asparagus fucks with your pee and i was like asparagus fucks with your pee? and they were like yeah. it's the acid in that shit. like real acid. like, you're normal, dude. you're not going to die.

five: why i bought the second pair of fila's.

six: why it took me thirty minutes to find the sim card she'd 'packed in the carry-on suitcase, probably in the blue bag, it's not that hard to find, you know'. it was, though. it was real fucking hard to make myself go back in there.

seven: because i wasn't okay. not even close. because i took a nap this afternoon and in my dream i left the door to my room open and he invited himself in, looming over me in that big empty space and asking in that horrible paper-plate voice: why didn't you tell me you left?

eight: because i never left. because not enough of me left. because it took me three months to realize that when you fly across the ocean for college it'll take you forever and five days to re-assemble the mirror-shards of your existence and that's okay, and you're going to do some really stupid shit before you remember who you are and that's okay, you're going to fuck up so bad. but that's okay. even if you aren't. even if you have all this hurt and no idea what to do with it, who to give it to, how to make the art on the wall look nice again so you can invite people to sit on the sofa.

nine: hey, mom, did you know? i kissed someone. i kissed someone and i hated it. hated them, too. hated everything that led up to that moment and everything i pretended to be for the weeks after that, hated the fact that i let myself get so lonely, hated how the hair on my arms stood on end whenever the battered old thought crossed my mind and i wanted to grab my toothbrush and rake it down my tongue until every cell had been scraped clean off. sometimes you think a city is the answer and then you get there and everything's on fire. sometimes you're the fire. sometimes you make shit burn. all i ever wanted was for someone to love me as much as i loved myself, but it turns out i'm full of love. it takes a lot to match up to that. so far no one's tried very hard.

ten: here's what i want out of summer. first of all i want to learn how to make egg rolls. to do this i'm going to buy a square frying pan and to buy a square frying pan i'm going to go to target tomorrow with a friend. if there aren't any square frying pans then i will order one from amazon. if jeff bezos sends me another pair of fucking bathroom slippers i will beat up one of the metal railings outside this building and make one myself. after that i want to read a lot of books and learn about a thousand ways to turn the universe into a string of text then i'll tell a lot of good stories. it doesn't matter what format they're in, if i'm writing a poem or caterwauling into someone's face from six feet away. maybe i'll even start a podcast that i'll forget about after three episodes and return to, years later, when i'm older and wiser and better at cupping light between my palms. maybe i won't. maybe i'll learn to skateboard. i tried to learn how to skateboard in december before the world fell apart, but then the world fell apart, so i never did get very far. even now, i'm still standing in my old bedroom, you know? you can't see me but i'm searching for old ticket stubs on the dresser table; i'm rearranging the books on my shelf. i'm writing you a letter.

ten: i wasn't okay for a long time, mom. but i'm trying to be, and this podcast i've started listening to is really funny and keeps making me cry at unexpected moments in the story, and this room is so bright it hurts my eyes to look up, and summer looks like the kind of girl you want to fall in love with and who'll grind one pretty kitten-heel into your heart, so you'll have to forgive me for the mess.

i'll clean it up later. i promise. just let me put these shoes away first.

05.30.21

[refinedbuffoonery]

Flawless (7)

Con Artist AU. masterlist. 

Content Warning: swearing, PTSD, violence, sex

Before we get started here, you all need to know that Flawless will be going on a mini-hiatus. This chapter is the end of my original outline, and I need to spend some time planning out the next plot arc before I write the next chapter. 

(Also, shoutout to the lovely humans who translated the line in French. Y’all are the real MVPs.)

Anyway, this is it. The chapter you’ve all been waiting for. The heist. It feels so surreal to finally write it. As always, thank you for coming on this wild ride with me. ❤

*****

In the shadow of its brightly illuminated landmarks, Paris hummed to the tune of debauchery. 

Paparazzi gathered around the Louvre’s glass pyramid, waiting to capture a clear picture of a celebrity guest entering the afterparty. Riley shielded her face with her clutch as she walked in, careful to remain unidentifiable in the barrage of photos. The gold buttons on her emerald jacket-dress caught the warm light emanating from the pyramid and the bright camera flashes. She was well dressed, but not enough to stand out. Tonight, Riley needed to blend in. 

She ran a hand through her hair, making sure the loose curls covered her earpiece. For the sake of stealth, the team’s comms were skin color, but they were Nikki and Cage’s skin color, not Riley’s. 

Riley was half-tempted to throw her comms into one of the fountains out of spite. 

She was the last of the Five Eyes to arrive. They staggered their arrivals to avoid being associated with one another, as a precaution. Pulse thrumming in anticipation, Riley bounced on her toes slightly as she waited in line to check in. The Louvre security team meticulously checked each guest’s ID against the guest list; there would be no party crashers tonight. 

It had been all too easy for Riley to add the Five Eyes’ cover identities to the guest list a week ago. Now, she handed the stone-faced security guard a drivers’ license bearing her face and the name “Danika Jackson.” Returning her ID with a nod, the security guard stepped aside, allowing Riley to enter the party. 

Everyone is responsible for their own entrance and exit. That was her new rule. She got everyone’s names added to the guest list, but her assistance ended there. If someone ran into trouble, it was on them to bail themselves out. 

Riley had learned that rule from her mentor when she first dipped her toes into the world of two-faced schemes and nimble-fingered cons, but she never truly understood it—or saw the need to enforce it—until she felt the bite of handcuffs digging into her wrists. 

It was a mistake she’d never make again. 

Riley strolled through the hallway bearing massive Italian paintings, slowly making her way to the room containing the most overrated painting of all time—and the rendezvous point. 

The Mona Lisa room was empty aside from a blonde woman in a beaded, blood-red cocktail dress standing much too close to the glass-encased painting. Riley stood to the woman’s right and studied the painting as well. It was underwhelming. 

“You’d think the most beautiful woman in art would be wearing a prettier dress,” Nikki remarked.

Riley snorted, crossing her arms. “Says the woman who just bought a four-thousand-dollar cheetah print pantsuit.”

Nikki feigned offence. “You’re just jealous because you couldn’t pull it off. Anyway, quiz time. What year did da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa?” 

“1503,” Riley answered easily. “And the woman’s name is Lisa del Giocondo.” Nikki’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What’s that look for?” 

“I didn’t think you actually listen when I talk about art.” 

Riley offered her friend a small smile. “I’m always listening to you.” The sound of heels clicking down the hall made them pause. When the coast was clear, Riley murmured, “Is everyone in position?”

“Yeah. Desi and Sam should be inside already, and Jill checked in a few guests in front of me.”

“How did that go?”

“Easy peasy.” Nikki glanced at Riley and softened her tone. “Are we sure Jill is ready for this?”

“We’ll find out, won’t we? Don’t forget, it was your idea to recruit her.”

Nikki turned back to the Mona Lisa. “You know, you really do suck at pep talks.” 

“Oh shut up.” Riley rolled her eyes. “Are you sure you want control room duty?” 

Nikki spared her a sideways glance. “I’ll do it. You did it last time.” Her second sentence hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the job gone horribly wrong. And a reminder of all the things they still hadn’t talked about. 

Riley brushed it aside. They could talk after they were each forty million dollars richer. 

Pulling a flash drive hidden inside an old lipstick tube out of her clutch, Riley instructed, “Plug this in, and it’ll do half the work for you.” 

“Thanks.” Nikki put the tube in her own purse. “See you on the other side.” 

“Don’t get caught.” 

“Don’t get caught,” Nikki parroted, and Riley strode down the hall toward the party.

She followed the pulsing music and the stream of guests to a room in the far corner of the museum, passing the employee door Nikki would sneak into along the way. Crossing the threshold, she couldn’t conceal her gasp. Riley had seen plenty of opulent rooms over the years, but the Galerie d’Apollon was something else entirely. Gold moulding framed the dozens of paintings covering the walls and the arched ceiling. Display cases containing the French Crown Jewels formed a line down the middle of the rectangular room. Despite the party’s couture dress code, the bedazzled guests looked entirely underdressed compared to the grandeur of the gallery.

She only let herself be awestruck for a few seconds before getting to work, marking the exits and security cameras. Riley didn’t like how deep the gallery was in the museum—and how far she would have to walk to make a clean escape with the jewels. 

She would be the one walking out with them. No one else. Riley had made that crystal clear during the team planning meeting a few days ago. 

Draped in black fabric, the case containing the designer jewelry sat in the middle of the gallery. A security guard stood by it, no doubt to ward off nosey guests wanting a sneak peek. 

A wave of nausea passed through her, reminding Riley that the closest thing to a substantial meal she’d eaten all day was the two pastries she ate a few hours ago. She slipped through the crowd with practiced ease, heading for the snack table. Jill was already there, gorging herself on bread and cheese. Eyes wide, the blonde froze as Riley sidled next to her, evidently thinking she was in trouble. 

But Riley simply reached for a piece of bread and asked, “Which cheese is the best?” 

Exhaling audibly, Jill pointed a manicured, light blue nail. “That one.” Riley tried it. Jill was right; it was delicious. 

“You ready, Blondie?” Riley asked, lowering her voice. “There’s no job unless you get this right.” 

Jill rolled her shoulders back, snarking, “No pressure or anything.” There was a bite to her words, one Riley noticed only came out when someone, namely her, pushed the blonde a little too far. 

“Sorry,” Riley said, and she meant it. “You can do this. Don’t second-guess yourself. Commit.” 

Jill merely nodded, swallowing another piece of cheese. 

Riley wandered off, not wanting to stay with Jill too long. With her back to a wall, she scanned the room in search of Desi and Cage. When she didn’t see them on her first sweep, Riley furrowed her brow. Where the hell were they? 

A bright laugh carried across the room—Cage. There you are, Riley thought. She spied her teammate enjoying the spotlight in the center of a group of models all cooing over Cage’s pale pink dress. It suited Cage, with its billowy sleeves and flowy skirt that hit just below her knees. Cage giggled again, putting her hand on a woman’s shoulder a little too boldly for the gesture to be casual. 

Predictably, Desi wasn’t far away, staring daggers at her shameless flirt of a girlfriend. 

Riley unmuted her comms. “Easy there, Des. It’s just an act.” 

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” she snapped. Even from a distance, Riley could see Desi’s tight grip on her champagne flute. 

Riley cooed, “So jealous.” 

The woman wrapped a proprietary arm around Cage, clearly welcome to the blonde’s advances, and Cage beamed at her. 

It was enough to push Desi over the edge. “Don’t forget whose bed you’re sleeping in tonight, Samantha,” she snarled. “And I don’t remember agreeing to share.” 

Cage excused herself from the group. “My love, did it ever occur to you that I’m making you jealous on purpose? Because we both know—”

Nikki cut her off, rescuing the team from whatever filthy thing was about to come out of Cage’s mouth. “Don’t be gross, you two.” Riley stifled a laugh. She and Nikki had been subjected to many things they didn’t want to hear over the years. This would hardly faze her now.

Focus. They needed to focus. 

Riley finally spotted the sharp-eyed assistant she noticed at the runway show. Always two steps behind the designer, the young woman obediently trailed him as he floated from group to group. The assistant finished her drink, setting it on the tray of a passing waiter, and strode toward the main hallway in this wing of the museum. 

“I think she’s going to the bathroom,” Jill said. “Do I follow her?” 

Snagging a drink of her own, Riley answered, “No. Bump into her when she comes back.” She watched Jill make her way toward the far side of the gallery, ready to intercept the assistant and steal her keys. 

Everything was going to plan. Jill just had to steal the keys, and then all they had to do was hurry up and wait for the big reveal. Eight o’clock, Riley was told upon arrival. The designer would commence his speech at eight, then reveal his masterpiece to the world. 

Riley checked her watch. Thirty more minutes. 

She knew she’d been standing in this spot for too long already, but Riley was loath to give up the relative safety of having a wall at her back. The twinge of fear she’d felt earlier at the runway show came raging to the surface, rooting her stiletto-clad feet in place. Leaving the wall meant having people in her blind spot. No one’s going to hurt me, Riley promised herself. This is a party, not a prison. 

Her legs felt like lead weights, but Riley forced herself to re-enter the crowd, one agonizing stride at a time. She made it as far as the nearest display case before she had to stop, and her eyes landed on a tiara resting in the center of the display. Countless tiny diamonds formed flowery swoops and swirls, with a handful of emeralds scattered between them, filling what would otherwise be empty spaces. In the center, the diamonds framed a large, round emerald, mimicking the shape of a flower. 

It was exactly what Riley would have stolen had the Five Eyes agreed to rob the Louvre itself, rather than this party. Maybe she’d come back for it, one day. 

Using the case as a pseudo-wall, Riley took a deep breath and re-scanned the room in search of Jill. Unsurprisingly, Jill was exactly where Riley had last seen her.

She kept an eye on the recruit, knowing Desi and Cage were doing the same. Riley was impressed; Jill had quickly figured out how to linger without being obvious she was waiting for something. Jill mindlessly pushed up her glasses—the only visible sign of her nerves—and the movement drew Riley’s attention. 

But not to Jill. 

To another blond head, far behind her. One Riley desperately hoped to never see again. 

“We have a problem,” Desi said. 

“I saw.” 

Nikki’s ex-boyfriend stalked into the gallery, a taller, older man at his heels like a shadow—the same men who chased Riley, Nikki, and Jill through the taco shop a few weeks ago. 

Fuck.

Ducking her head to avoid being spotted, Riley hissed, “Nik, get your ass to the control room and lock the door behind you. We’ve got company.” 

“Already here. Accessing system controls as we speak. Whoever designed the security system in this place should be fired, because this is ridiculously simple. I should’ve left it in French just to keep it interesting.” A pause. "Who's here? Wait. No. Let me guess. Interpol? The mob? That bitchy designer I once robbed point-blank?" 

"Your ex." 

"Oh."

"You didn't tell him about our dream job, did you?" The words came out a little too accusatory, but Riley didn't care. She needed to know. 

"No! Of course I didn't. He— Look, I don't know why he's here, and we can figure that out later. Right now, you need to keep him busy. He's smart, Riles. Maybe even smarter than you. Be careful." 

Riley scoffed. "Smarter than me? We'll see about that." 

"I'm serious, Riley." 

But Riley ignored her, instead giving instructions of her own. "Cage, you watch Jill. Des—" 

"I've got the big one." Classic Desi, never letting her finish a sentence and yet always knowing what she was going to say. The habit was obnoxious at first, but over time Riley learned to appreciate it. "See the bulge on his left side? He keeps touching it." Desi said. "He's armed." 

“He’s what?” Jill exclaimed. 

Chuckling, Desi said, “Now look at my left side. We match.” A small, terrified squeak was the only response. “Well, what did you think I meant when I told you I’m the team’s exfil specialist?” 

“Not that!” 

“And Nik’s ex?” Riley asked, redirecting the conversation. 

“Seems clean.” 

“He is,” Nikki confirmed. “Mac hates guns.” 

“You know,” Riley said, studying the larger of the two men, “The other one kind of looks like a guy who dated my mom once.” 

“Really?” Desi asked. “Think he’s the same guy?” 

Riley took a closer look. He was tall, with broad, muscled shoulders and a buzzed haircut, and considering how often he fidgeted with his tie, he didn’t get dressed up often. He smiled at a passing waitress. He had an open, friendly smile, which totally contrasted with the systematic way he scanned the room. “Nah.”

Jill squawked, “Wait! Are we really still going through with this? Didn’t it just get a whole lot harder?” 

“You say harder, I say more fun,” Cage said. “Just stick to the plan. You’ll be fine.” 

Jill, it seemed, wasn’t so easily reassured. “Am I the only one who sees this is a trap?” 

“It’s only a trap when you don’t know about it. When you do, it’s a challenge,” Riley said. 

“But what if the plan goes wrong? Then what?” 

At the same time, all four women answered, “Improvise.” 

Riley muted her comms as she approached Nikki’s ex; Jill didn’t need the added distraction. Help her, Riley pleaded with the universe. You owe me. 

Pushing her concerns about Jill to the back of her mind, Riley studied her target. There was a champagne flute in the spy’s hand, but he didn’t drink it—not even a sip—and his methodical gaze swept the room, no doubt making note of each guest and who they interacted with. 

He was cute, she had to admit. Definitely Nikki’s type. 

Purposefully not watching where she was going, Riley collided with him, narrowly avoiding sloshing his drink onto her shoes. She pretended to stumble, and his free hand caught her waist, ensuring Riley stayed upright. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Pardon me.” 

His hand left her side. Frowning, he asked, “Do I know you?” 

Don’t lie. Evade. Her former mentor taught her that. 

Riley smirked. “I bet you use that line on every beautiful woman you stumble into.” 

“Only when I’m too blown away to say something original.” He winked. 

Maybe this would be easier than Riley anticipated. “Care to wander the museum with me while you practice your next line?” 

“Normally I would, but I just got out of a relationship, and I’m not looking to start anything new.” 

So much for that plan. 

His honesty, however, was surprising. 

“Not even a little fun?” she goaded, but Nikki’s ex declined once more before excusing himself and vanishing into the crowd. 

At least Desi had better luck keeping the other spy occupied. She had him cornered, her body carefully angled to prevent him from seeing the slight bulge from the gun hidden in her dress. The plunging neckline had two purposes—easy access to the gun holstered at her side while providing a distracting view of her chest and intricate tattoos. It was just enough to snag wandering eyes and keep them focused on the front of her body, rather than the side. To the spy’s credit, his eyes remained pointedly fixed on Desi’s face. 

“Got the keys,” Jill announced. Perfect timing. 

Riley breathed a sigh of relief. “Good work, Blondie.” 

Now, all they had to do was wait.

*****

While the designer yammered some pretentious bullshit about fine jewelry as the centerpiece of fashion and art, Riley slowly pushed her way to the front of the crowd gathering for the reveal. A few feet away, Cage did the same. Across from them—closest to the still-covered jewelry display case—Desi and Jill took their places. None of them were particularly interested by the designer’s speech, but Nikki would be hanging on every word if she were here. 

The designer rambled on, explaining how particular pieces among the French Crown Jewels influenced the designs of his own work. It was awfully arrogant, Riley thought, comparing his own work to such timeless pieces. The longer he spoke, the more Riley disliked him and didn’t feel even an ounce of guilt for robbing him. 

Lingering on the edge of the crowd, Nikki’s ex and his partner seemed content to remain out of the way. For all Riley cared, they could stay there all night. 

The gallery lights flickered once. A few guests glanced up nervously, but the majority remained transfixed on the designer. 

Nikki’s voice crackled through the comms. “Everyone ready? Nod once if you are.” Riley nodded. One by one, so did everyone else. “Alrighty then. Lights out in five…”

Riley counted the number of paces between her and Cage—six. 

“Four…”

Paces from Cage to the jewelry case—eight. 

“Three…”

Paces from the case back to her original position—ten. 

Two…

Closing her eyes, Riley waited. 

“One.” 

Several women shrieked when the lights went out. 

Riley opened her eyes, and before they’d even adjusted to the dark, she strode toward Cage. Six steps. She collided with Cage, dropping her purse on the ground and taking Cage’s identical one, containing replicas of the necklace and earrings. 

Cage shouted that someone stole her purse, causing a scene. She’d chatted and flirted with enough people throughout the night for her voice to be easily recognized, and a murmur broke out among the agitated crowd, creating just enough background noise to cover the sound of Riley’s heels clicking on the floor. 

Eight steps to the back side of the jewelry display. Riley could just make out Jill and Desi unlocking the case with the assistant’s keys. She braced for an alarm to sound, but there was nothing. Atta girl, Nikki. 

Riley opened the purse. Carefully, Desi replaced the real jewels with the fakes, depositing the real ones inside Cage’s purse. 

Jill locked the case and replaced the cover, and Riley returned to her original position among the crowd. The designer and his assistant remained oblivious to what transpired behind them, even as Jill slipped the keys back into the assistant’s dress pocket.

“Lights on in three,” Nikki warned. 

Emergency lights flickered on, casting a harsh white light over the murmuring crowd. A man angrily questioned what happened, followed by a chorus of “Yeah, what he said!”s in a variety of languages. The assistant urged the crowd to remain calm, promising everything would be sorted out shortly. 

Riley looked over her shoulder, searching for Nikki’s ex. He was nowhere to be found. She narrowed her eyes, but with two hundred million dollars worth of jewelry in her hand, Riley decided she didn’t particularly care. 

The woman Cage flirted with the longest stepped forward, picking up the purse Riley had tossed near Cage’s feet. “Isn’t this your purse?” she asked Cage. 

Riley’s teammate feigned embarrassment, gracefully reclaiming the purse. “Yes, that’s it. Thank you.” 

Just as an outraged Cage exclaimed the purse was empty, Riley melted into the dispersing crowd, slowly making her way toward the museum’s exit. That was the plan. She’d leave first, and once she escaped with the jewels, everyone else would exit as well. 

Riley retraced her steps, heels clicking on the hardwood flooring of the museum’s endless long hallways. She didn’t look at any of the art as she passed, not even a single glance. Art had always been more Nikki’s thing than hers. 

Weaving her way back to the exit, Riley prayed Nikki hadn’t missed any of the cameras. She was supposed to loop them all, allowing Riley to leave the museum unseen. But with each additional camera—some obvious, some not—Riley’s anxiety rose. 

Nikki knows what she’s doing, Riley reminded herself. She won’t let anything happen to me. 

Two years ago, that reassurance would’ve been enough. 

Now, her distrusting brain shot back, Are you sure? 

Riley didn’t dignify it with a response. 

Passing the museum’s security checkpoint, Riley smiled at a bored-looking security guard. “Vous partez déjà?” he asked. 

Riley hoped the security guard asked why she was leaving so soon. She never did get around to brushing up on her French. “Oui, I have a flight to catch.” Not a lie, although the flight wouldn’t take off until early tomorrow morning. 

The crisp night breeze prickled Riley’s bare skin. She took a deep breath, letting the cold air fill her lungs. For the first time that night, Riley finally felt her body start to relax. The vast, empty plaza felt so much safer than the packed gallery. Still not safe enough to let her guard down, but safer. Riley slipped her hand into the purse, fingers closing around an earring. It was surprisingly heavy in her palm. 

Another flawless job. The Five Eyes were back in business. 

She was halfway across the plaza when Nikki started cursing, but Riley didn’t slow. Everyone is responsible for their own exit. The job was done. No turning back now. 

There was a distinct male voice in the background, but Riley couldn’t make out what he said. 

“What do you mean, ‘I had a feeling you’d be here’?” Nikki demanded. “We haven’t spoken in months, Mac, and I know you didn’t track me here on your own.” 

Her ex’s voice was nothing more than a low, indiscernible rumble. 

“What?” Nikki whispered, her voice breaking mid-word. 

As much as Riley wanted to know what he said, she kept walking. But that didn’t stop the others from hissing Nikki’s name, demanding to know what was going on. 

Nikki yelped, and then the male voice purred, loud and clear, “I know you’re listening, Riley. Why don’t we go on that little walk now?” 

With a cold laugh, Riley said, “In your fucking dreams.” How did he know her name? As far as she knew, Nikki never mentioned her. 

Still, she kept walking. Everyone is responsible for their own exit. No matter what. 

Riley muted her comms, and Nikki’s piercing shriek filled her ear. A muffled grunt followed.

Then nothing. 

Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. 

“Riley, you need to come back,” Jill pleaded. “Nikki needs help.” 

She didn’t answer, clenching her jaw with the effort to keep silent. An airplane flew overhead, and Riley tracked its path across the sky. Every step brought Riley closer to her own flight home—and the freedom that entailed. Turning around now would only put that in jeopardy. 

But every step also took her away from her best friend. The woman she once believed she’d do anything for. 

Jill was overreacting, Riley reasoned. Nikki was more than capable of getting herself out of a bind. Riley lost track of the number of impossible situations she and Nikki had found themselves in over the years, and they always found a way to escape. 

“Sam is getting Jill out,” Desi said, slightly out of breath. “Riles, I don’t think I can get Nikki out on my own. Jill is right. You need to come back.” 

Riley faltered. If Desi thought there was a problem, then something must’ve gone really, really wrong. 

Maybe Jill wasn’t overreacting after all. 

“Des—” Cage started. “They opened the case.” 

“So?” 

“They know the jewels are fake. If Riley comes back, it won’t just be Nikki going to prison.” 

Prison. 

Riley didn’t think she was breathing. Heart thudding wildly, her stomach tied itself into knots, and her clothes became damp with sweat. The sense of safety she’d felt earlier was gone, and Riley fought the urge to run. Every little noise—traffic, pedestrian chatter, a siren in the distance—was coming for her, ready to drag her into some dark hole she’d never emerge from. 

Nothing was logical anymore, like the part of her brain capable of rational thought had gone to sleep. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to wake up, but it was no use. 

Run, while you still have the chance, her body screamed. 

Everyone is responsible for their own exit, her brain repeated. 

She needed to turn around. Nikki couldn’t go to prison. 

Two years ago, Riley had gone to prison in Nikki’s stead. She let herself be arrested to protect her friends. Her family. 

If Nikki went to prison now, then Riley’s sacrifice would be in vain. 

But Riley’s body refused to turn around. Her worst memories from prison flashed before her eyes—ones Riley desperately wanted to forget—like a cougar crouching in the shadows, waiting for the exact moment she was at her weakest to pounce. 

She couldn’t go back there. She couldn’t go through that again. 

She wouldn’t survive it twice. 

“Riles,” Nikki pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Where are you?” 

Run, that voice in her head said. Don’t look back. 

Her steps were slower now, less sure. But Riley didn’t stop. She couldn’t. 

“I need you.” 

Save yourself, girl. 

“I’m sorry,” Riley whispered, but her comms were still muted. With a shaking hand, Riley unmuted them one last time. 

It’s better this way, the voice promised. You’ll see. 

It was all too easy to slip into the brutal, emotionless persona she’d built while in prison, the process having become instinct. It was necessary then, to keep her safe and alive. Now, it did the same, preventing Riley from making a mistake every cell in her body knew she wouldn’t come back from. 

In a cold, unflinching voice, Riley said, “Everyone is responsible for their own exit.” 

She threw her earpiece into a nearby fountain, and the click of her stilettos echoed in the night. 

~ Tag List ~ Want to be added? Send me an ask.

@macrileyedits / @hellishrose / @losingitovermacriley​ / @mylifequotesshowallofthem / @thecarrieonokay / @holbytlanna​ /

[jtsfavslut]

Winter Wonderland [GD]

Dolanmas Day Two

Winter Wonderland - Michael Buble

Description: Grayson takes Y/N skating in New York,  everything is perfect, even if things don't go according to plan. 

Warnings: nothing but nice, sweet things!!!

Word Count: 2.3K+

Christmas in the city was one of Y/N's top priorities on her mental bucket list. One that Grayson had memorized like it was his ABC's. This Christmas he wanted to make sure that instead of a fantasy, it became her reality. When she found out what they would be doing for Christmas, she couldn't help but let a few happy tears out, feeling so excited and loved by Grayson. She thought of how he went out of his way to make one of her fantasies come true, even if it was for a silly holiday.

"Are you ready babe?" he asked and she nodded her head. Grayson decided to visit his mom on the way, staying at her house for a few days, spending some time in New York, then going back to his mom's house for Christmas.

Y/N, couldn't help but feel ecstatic, spending time with the people she valued so much while having her wish come true, all because of him.

The train ride to New York was only an hour, but it felt like hours to her, "I'm so excited," she gushed and he smiled, seeing her happy made him happy. She watched as people walked in and out of the train station, holding back a squeal as they made their way out of the station and into the city.

The large buildings covered in snow made her heart content. The way the snow slowly fell from the sky making her body feel warm, even if it was below 30 degrees.

"Baby, so I found three things to do," he began speaking and she nodded her head, "We're gonna have to wait until it's dark out for two of them, but we can start going to the first one now, it's a 20 minute walk, or do you wanna take the train?"

"We can walk if you want, I kinda want to look around if that's cool with you," she replied and he nodded his head.

Y/N has obviously been to New York before, plenty of times actually. But never during the Holiday season, as they walked around she admired everything. Taking everything in, stopping at a few places to grab a drink and take pictures of each other, until they finally reached their destination, making her jaw drop and her heart to fill with nothing but love and happiness,

"Grayson, no you didn't," she spoke before pulling him into a hug, causing a chuckle to fall past his lips.

"Sure did babe," he smiled. He took her to a Winter Village he found while doing his 'research', and knowing she was going to love it, he added it to the things he wanted to do that weekend.

When Y/N found herself in the famous Winter Village in Bryant Park, she didn't know where to exactly look, finding something more interesting with every step they took.

"Gray, oh my God look, it's a little nutcracker," she gushed pointing to one of the little kiosks that were selling hand-carved and painted nutcrackers, the ones that Grayson loves so much.

"Which one babe?" he chuckled and followed her to the table, the old man that was selling them, telling them a story about how he started making them and whatnot.

"Gray, this one looks like you," she pointed to one and he shook his head with a smile.

"And this one looks like you," he replied, picking up a ballerina one that had similar facial features to hers.

"Oh God, if only I was a ballerina," she chuckled as the man watched the pair in adoration.

"You really love each other don't you?" he asked with a smile, causing the couple to blush.

"Yeah," they spoke in unison, smiling at each other before looking back at the man.

"We'll take these two," Y/N smiled and he nodded his head, bending down to get a paper bag and some stuffing paper from a bucket underneath the table, before taking the medium-sized figures from their hands and carefully placing them in the back, exchanging it with the $20 bill Y/N handed him before Grayson could.

"Have a great Christmas you guys, take care," he waved them off before they walked away.

"What do you say and we come back in a few years and get mini ones," he smiled, making her stop on her tracks.

"Like babies?"

"Yeah like babies, we already have us, now we just need the kids we're having," he said and she smiled nodding her head.

"I'd like that," she smiled, grabbing his hand and walking away to the other little shops.

"Babe, I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick," she spoke and he nodded his head, she walked away into the woman's bathroom, while Grayson looked around, trying to find something to surprise her with.

His attention was immediately caught by a table filled with all kinds of snow globes, and little souvenirs, he walked towards it, noticing a middle aged couple putting out some more.

"Hi, sweetie! What can I help you with?" the woman asked with a smile and the man continued to organize the stuff.

"Hi, I'm looking for something to surprise my girlfriend with," he smiled and she nodded her head.

"And what kind of stuff is she into?"

"Well, she always wanted to spend the holidays here, so maybe something with all the buildings and stuff,' he replied and her face filled with excitement.

"John, give me the one," she spoke, emphasizing the 'one' making Grayson question what she meant by the one.

His question was answered when John handed the woman a snow globe, a small version of the city covered in snow was captured in the globe, frozen in time. Just how he wanted these moments with her to be. Frozen and untouched.

He purchased the globe, quickly sliding it in his pocket and making his way towards Y/N who walked out of the restrooms just as he put it away, "Find anything?"

"Nah, I just waited for you," he replied, and she nodded her head before looking around.

They spent about two hours having fun, spending, and eating.

Everyone felt content, and Grayson's plan was working on his end, everything happening just like he planned it.

"Where to next?" she asked taking a sip of the hot chocolate she bought at one of the stands, the heat warning her body so perfectly.

"You'll see," he replied, not giving her the answer she wanted, making her playfully roll her eyes as he grabbed her hand and walked towards their next place.

"Gray, Gray, I'm gonna fall," she slightly shouted as nervous giggles fell past her lips.

Y/N's dream was to go skating, and Grayson took her skating…..there was just one tiny little problem. Neither she nor Grayson knew how to skate.

Leaving them stumbling in the middle of Rockefeller Center as others zoomed past them.

"Why does my dream include something that we have no idea how to do," she laughed as her arms tightly clutched onto Grayson's, who was a little more stable than her.

"I'm not sure, but here we are," he smiled at the way she was doing everything. The way she nervously held on to him, the way she turned her head to look behind her, or the way she would shake up every time someone passed them.

"Thank you for bringing me here Gray," she spoke after she had finally gotten the catch, she wasn't perfect at it, but more stable and they hadn't fallen yet which was enough for her to consider it an achievement.

"I'd do anything for you," Grayson whispered, making a rush of blood reach up to her cheeks, the red tint mixing with the cold.

"I'd do anything for you too, and more," she replied as they went around the rink.

"Not possible,"

"Yes, it is," she laughed, shaking her head as they accidentally bumped on the edge.

"How bout' we stop here before we fall?" Grayson asked and she nodded her head. They quickly left the rink and changed back into their shoes before walking around the place.

"This tree is so big, my God," she whispered, tilting her head up to look at the entire Christmas tree.

"Honestly, I don't even know where they get it from," Grayson replied, making her laugh.

"Well obviously from a tree farm dummy, they grow it and donate it," she said, still looking at it, the reflection of the lights in her eyes making them sparkle.

"Not that! I mean like how do they get it to be so big," he spoke making her shrug.

"That my love, I have absolutely no idea," she sighed, turning around to face him, "why are you so perfect?"

"Y/N, babe, I am far from perfect, you, however? You are everything I always wanted and wished for," he spoke so truthfully, no doubt could be found within his voice.

After Grayson's big failure at his desperate, and rushed attempt to find his soulmate, he gave up and lost all hope.

That was until Y/N came along, He fell fast, ignoring all of Ethan's warnings. He then took some time to himself, remembering that he told himself he wasn't going to rush into things, but he couldn't get away from her, so he just let it happen.

Now they were here, a normal relationship, everything Grayson always wanted, and something it took time to get used to.

He was used to the typically rushed hookups, his fucks, and dumps, but with Y/N around, he didn't feel the need for any of that, he was happy and content.

"Babe, that's all you. You're everything to me," she spoke as her cheeks blushed, a calm and happy smile on her lips as her heart raced with nothing but love and adoration.

Everything was going perfectly, they walked for a couple of minutes until Grayson tripped, earning them a trip to the ER.

According to him, the ice moved when it saw him, "Gray, please it's okay. I had all the fun I needed," Y/N reassured an upset and pouting Grayson, who felt bad for ruining her little getaway.

"But still, we should've been-," he began to apologize before she cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth.

"Grayson no. Your ankle is more important to me than some Christmas lights," she replied, handing him a bottle of water, and holding his hands, "I love you,"  

"I love you more," he replied, bringing her hand up to his lips, placing a quick kiss on it. 

“Plus, this is fun! We get to have a little sleepover, sounds fun right?” She asked, trying to make the best of the tragic situation. 

“Everything’s fun when I’m with you,” he replied with a smile as she shook her head blushing. 

“We could watch some movies, I can go buy some food and come back. I think I saw a pastry shop on the way here,” she spoke with a smile, letting go of Grayson’s hand to grab her purse, “I’m gonna look around and see what I find, okay? Don’t do anything stupid,” 

“I won't. Be careful, yeah? And call me when you get there, please,” he spoke before she leaned down, giving him a quick kiss before walking away. 

“I promise, see you later,”

It took Y/N, five minutes to find the pastry shop, and around 30 minutes to find what she needed for her spontaneous sleepover with Grayson. Y/N being Y/N obviously got carried away and spent more than an hour as an anxious Grayson laid hopelessly on a hospital bed, his nerves suddenly waving off as his precious angel walked through the door with her arms full with a couple of bags. 

“I’m back! Now, scoot over and I’ll show you what I bought,”