#but maybe it'd be nice to be able to pick it up and play again sometime

[sockeyesoren]

rewatching Hibike! Euphonium has made me realise how much I miss playing an instrument

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Beachfront Bliss

Fandom: Top Gun: Maverick

Pairing: Billy "Fritz" Avalone x F!Reader

Summary: You're walking your dog, Delilah, along the beach until she decides to chase after a handsome man playing football with his buddies.

Manny Jacinto Characters Masterlist

The sun is slowly setting on San Diego. You'd just gotten home from work and now you're getting your dog, a border collie named Delilah, ready for her walk. She's excitedly shaking her tail as she stares up at you while you hold her leash.

"Wait," you command and Delilah sits, watching you expectantly.

You clip the leash onto her collar and open the front door, "Good girl!" Delilah promptly races out the door, only stopping when the retractable leash has met the end.

"Come!" you call for her and she rushes back to your side, sticking to it as you walk down your street and towards the beach.

As you grow closer, the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore become louder. Once pavement becomes sand, you slip off your sandals, stuffing them into your tote bag as you continue to walk.

There isn't a lot of people on the beach since it's midweek. However, you do see a group of people playing football.

The commotion alerts Delilah as the two of you near the group. There's boisterous laughing and hollering. The group spreads out as you grow closer, so you walk further away to not potentially be hit.

You avert your attention ahead, moving on from the football group, however, Delilah seems very keen on watching them, trying to stay in place.

"Come on, Lilah!" you lock the retractable leash and give her a warning tug, urging her to continue walking, "Let's finish your walk!"

Your commands fall deaf on her ears as she watches the group continue their game of football. One of the men throws the ball and another tried to catch it. The ball grazes his fingertips and causes the ball to go flying in your direction. It falls a few feet away from you and, before you could even blink, Delilah pounces at it. The sudden movement frees her leash from your hand.

"Delilah!" you shout as your dog starts running around the beach with the football in her mouth.

The group of people all laugh and begin to join you in the chase for your dog. Delilah clearly thinks it's a game as she dodges and weaves through everyone's legs. Men and a few women topple into the sand as they attempt to catch Delilah.

You and the others eventually start to slow down, growing tired of your dog's antics.

You stand there, hands on your hips, looking at your dog like a disappointed mother. She meanders over with a pep in her step and drops the football at your feet.

You sigh, pinching your nose, "Thank you, Lilah." You pick up the football and hand it to the nearest man. His tanned skin and toned chest are on full display. He's wearing classic ray bans and a smile that makes your heart stop for a moment.

"Sorry about her."

He chuckles, "Don't worry about it. Never thought it'd be a dog to take down a group of Navy Pilots."

Your brows shoot up in surprise, looking at the group of people around you, "You're all in the Navy?"

He nods, "Yup and I think you just proved to our Captain that we need to work out more."

You giggle, "Yeah. Again, sorry about her. She's probably a little stir-crazy. Haven't been able to take her out as much due to work. As you can see, she has a lot of energy."

The man kneels and begins to pet her, "She's cute so I'll forgive her. What's her name?"

"Delilah or Lilah or Deli."

"Well hello, Delilah, I'm Billy, but my friends call me Fritz."

"Fritz?" you look at him confused as he rises to a stand again.

"My call-sign."

"Frtiz! C'mon, man!" one of the guys hollers.

"I gotta-"

"You should-"

Both of you speak at the same time and stop with a chuckle.

Fritz holds his hand out, "It was nice meeting you..."

"Y/N. Nice to meet you Fritz," you shake his hand, "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thanks! You too! Maybe I'll see you guys around again!" he gives you a wave and heads back to his Navy friends who were all in position for the next game.

You watch them for a little bit, admiring the very attractive group of people before you. Then you chuckle, ruffling Delilah's fur before tugging her along. She's apprehensive, wanting to go back to "playing" with her new friends.

"C'mon, princess. We gotta go back home and start making dinner." Delilah reluctantly proceeds to follow you through the sand, leaving her new friends behind.

_______________________

It was your friend's, Jackie's, birthday and she wanted to do a bar crawl. You were one of the designated drivers so you've mainly stuck with water throughout the night and keeping a careful eye on your friend.

The next bar on her list was called the Hard Deck, which is apparently home to a lot of Navy officers. When you hear this, a part of you hopes you might run into Fritz, but there's no way, right?

Your group clamber into the bar, which was jam packed considering it was a Friday night.

"It's my birthday so feel free to buy me drinks!" you're already drunk friend hollers. A few men already begin to approach her ready to fulfill her request.

You tell your other friend, Abby, that you're going to find a table for your group. She gives you a salute and turn back to watch the rest of the group.

As you're weaving through bodies, you suddenly bump into someone, spilling their drink.

"Shit! I'm so so-Fritz!"

He looks at you in surprise, "Hey! Y/N!" then looks at you confused, "I'm kind of surprised to see you here."

You snort, "Yeah, um, not a place you'd usually find me at on a Friday night, but it's my friend's birthday," you point over your shoulder to Jackie with her birthday crown on her head and down a shot as your friends and a few Navy men cheer her on, "We're doing a bar crawl, but I'm the DD."

He nods in understanding, "Got it."

"Actually, you don't happen to see any free tables, do you? That's what I was doing before I bumped into you. Also, I will definitely get you a replacement drink for that!"

He chuckles, "It's fine. Really and you and your group can join me and my buddies."

"You sure?" you look at him apprehensively.

"Yeah, besides, I know a few of them will definitely pay for your guys' drinks," he gives you a smirk.

You snicker, "Alright. Let me go grab them."

"I'll follow you," he places his hand on your lower back as he follows you back to the counter where your friends are gathered.

"Hey!" you tap Abby on the shoulder, "This is my friend, Fritz," you point to him over your shoulder and he waves.

Abby gives you a questioning look, "Friend?"

"The guy I met on the beach because Lilah stole their football?"

"Ooooh!" she waves at him, "Hi!"

"Hi! I told Y/N that you guys can share tables with my buddies and I."

"You sure?"

"Oh yeah. Some of them will most likely pay for your drinks too."

Abby snorts, "Well I can't deny free drinks." She proceeds to tell the other women the plan and grabs Jackie's hand, leading her away from the men chatting her up.

She stumbles and you catch her, "Easy there, babe!"

Jackie spots Fritz over your shoulder, "It's my birthday!"

He laughs, "So I heard. Happy birthday!"

"Thanks!" she looks to you and not so secretly says, "He's cute!"

You chuckle, "Yeah, babe. Let's go to the table, 'kay?"

She nods, "Okay," and follows you and Fritz towards the back of the bar. He stops at three tables filled with the same group of people you saw on the beach weeks prior.

"Hey! Beach Girl!" a brunette with a thick mustache calls out.

You wave, "Nice to see you again."

"What're you doing here in our neck of the woods, beautiful?" the tall blonde one asks with a grin that makes you roll your eyes.

Jackie stands beside you and you gesture to her, "It's my friend's birthday. We're doing a bar crawl. This is one of our stops. Jackie, say hi."

Jackie waves, "Hi," she looks at everyone in awe, "Why are all of you guys so hot?!"

You facepalm, "Jackie's filter flies out the window when she's drunk," you explain to Fritz.

"The guys are gonna love it."

The men let the ladies have their seats, standing around them and making conversation.

You continue to stand beside Fritz, fanning yourself. He looks at you in concern, "You okay?"

"Just getting a bit warm."

"Wanna step onto the deck? It's just out there," he points to the double doors behind you. You take a look at your friends and make sure they're okay before you step out.

Once you're outside, you give a sigh of contentment. The cool breeze immediately chills your body in a welcoming way.

You rest your back against the railing so you can still keep an eye on your friends. Abby looks at you through the window giving you a questioning thumbs up. You smile giving her a thumbs up back and she goes back to her conversation.

"When did you guys start the crawl?"

You look at the time on your phone, "About two hours ago, but Jackie and a few others pregamed. So by the time we hit like the second bar, they were far gone already."

"How many more bars are on your list?"

"Jackie wanted to hit ten, but I'm not sure if we'll even get to the fifth one." There's cheers from inside as Jackie downs yet another shot.

"Not much of a drinker?"

You scrunch your nose and shake your head, "Nah. This overall thing isn't really me, but Jackie's one of my best friends, so I'll come out of my cave for her."

Fritz's nose crinkles as he laughs and you think it's the cutest thing ever.

"How's Delilah?"

"Good. She's happier now that work is starting to slow down and I can take her out for longer walks though."

"She hasn't stolen anymore footballs, has she?"

You snort, "Fortunately not, and she hasn't managed to take down another group of Naval officers either."

"Hey, she took us by surprise. We'd already been out there for a while, our energy was already low."

"Suuure. Keep telling yourself that, Fly Boy."

The two of you stay out there for some time, getting lost in conversation and each other's company. You've discovered that not only is Fritz handsome, but he's funny, kind, loyal, and a nerd. He has his parents and two sister back at home. He's a very family-oriented person and you admire him for that.

You two lose track of time and before you know it, Abby is coming out to you two.

"We're calling it a night. Jackie's is so far gone and some of the other girls are getting there."

"Alright. We should start closing tabs then."

"His buddies took care of it," she nods to Fritz.

You and Fritz grin at each other, "Told you," he says.

"Well, thank your friends for me. And thanks for keeping me company out here."

You step to leave, but Fritz stops you, "Wait, actually, is it okay if I get your number? I'd like to take you out some time."

You smile and nod at him, "Yeah. Of course!" you two quickly exchange numbers and promptly head back inside with Abby.

You gather your friends up, Fritz and his buddies helping you and Abby walk Jackie and the others out.

Your group piles into yours and Abby's car, waving at the group of men, "Thanks again, fellas!" you yell out before driving away.

Fritz stands there with his buddies and once you're out of sight, they begin to badger him about getting your number.

He reluctantly says that he did and his pals cheer him on with pride.

Before he goes to sleep that night, Fritz sends you a text:

It was nice chatting with you. Let me know your schedule so we can plan that date. Hope your friends don't give you too much trouble.

Sweet dreams. - Fritz

[osleeplessflowero]

if it's ok can you do a Dream x reader with fluff and in it Dream and reader are dating and the reader is fem and a smart, kind and chill Tomboy and they have the soul of kindness and they like to sing while playing guitar.

thank you for your request! ooh, i think i can see what you're going for. i'll do my best!

Request Specifics: Fem Reader

Kindness Soul 💚

A gentle breeze blows in the air. You feel your hair gently sway with it, smiling as you close your eyes to take in the fresh air. You lean against a tree, sitting atop an empty hill with a guitar in your lap, currently playing your favorite song. Humming along to the tune, you get a bit carried away, unaware of footsteps approaching you from behind. Someone kneels down, putting their gloved hands over your eyes with a chuckle.

"Guess who?" He asks, his calm voice easily recognizable to you. You smile, reaching your hands up to touch his gloves gently with your hands.

"Hmmm..is it.. Blue?" You joke, knowing the answer already. He rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Try again." "Ink?" "Ink doesn't wear gloves, silly." "He could wear them. You never know." "That's true..but come on, try again." You gently pull down his hands, turning around to look at your partner.

"Hi, Dream." You grin, unable to stop since he's here. He looks a tad bit surprised at first, before a smile forms on his own face as his adoring eyes meet yours. "Hello, Sunlight."

He walks out from behind you and sits down beside you, relaxing with his hands in his lap. "It's such a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yeah..it's really nice." You wipe some dirt off your pants, sliding your jacket down since it'd gotten a bit warmer and tie it around your waist.

"Have you been playing? You have your guitar with you." He gestures to it with the hand that's closest to you with a browbone raised. "Yeah, mostly just playing whatever comes to my head. Got any requests?" "Play me your favorite song. Something you really love to play." He raises his arms so his elbows are over his legs, resting his chin between his hands.

You snicker, grabbing your guitar pick. "Yeah, okay. It might not suit your tastes, though."

"I'm not worried about that, if you enjoy it it doesn't matter what I think."

Your face flushes a bit. You avert your eyes from the skeleton, able to see his warm smile out of the corner of your eye. How did you manage to pull this guy? He's so sweet..

Taking a light breath, you begin playing one of your favorite songs, closing your eyes as you sing along to it.

His eyes light up with adoration and wonder as he listens to you, your voice being one he could listen to for hours on end.. Such a beautiful sound, he thinks. Perhaps even his favorite sound..

Positivity practically radiates off of the skeleton, helping you feel a little more confident in your singing with his support. Eventually you finish the song, opening your eyes when you hear his polite applause and seeing that his eyelights have shifted into little hearts.

"You did wonderfully, Sunlight." "..Thanks, Dream." You smile, reaching your hand over to hold his. "I've..been practicing a lot more lately. I'm glad you could hear me..I think I'm doing good." "You certainly are, my dear." He trails his thumb over the back of your hand.

"I'll keep..doing my best. For you, and..maybe a little for me." "That's my girl."

Your face heats up way more at his reply, and Dream can't help but smile..he thinks your reactions are just.. so adorable! His adoration knows no bounds.

Turning to him, you move your guitar aside and shift so you're properly facing him, sitting on your knees and reaching forwards to hold his face in your hands. His cheekbones flush a bright shade of yellow at your touch, the skeleton looking a little surprised. ..He's still smiling, though.

"Hey..um..thanks for..sticking with me all this time. It really means a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me. I'll always be here for you, Sunlight..no matter what. I promise."

"I love you, you dork." "I love you too, my dear." He leans into your hand, unable to break eye contact with you.

You avert your eyes a moment. Now would be the perfect time to try something different, but..would..he want to? Is it the right time yet? Too soon? God, why is this so difficult to ask?

Dream seems to notice your frustration, his browbones knitting together in worry. "What's wrong?"

"Can I kiss you?" You blurt, not meaning to say such a thing so suddenly. He practically jolts, his face flushing much brighter.

"I-I mean we just- we never have before and I feel like this is the perfect time and-"

"Sunlight."

"And I really care about you and I wouldn't wanna make you uncomfortable just because I want to-"

"Sunlight."

"And I really just-"

He slowly leans forwards, placing his hand onto your cheek before pressing a kiss to your lips. It's sweet.. just like him. You feel yourself relax in his hold, losing the tension in your shoulders as you put your trust in him.

A gentle breeze blows through once more, causing your hair to blow in the wind lightly as the two of you savor the moment. You wish this moment could last forever..just you, him, and the scenery..but you really need to breathe-

You break the kiss, taking light breaths as he presses his forehead against yours with a fond look in his eyes.

"That..that was wonderful, Dream.. I liked that very much." "Would you like me to do it again?" He smiles, earning a flustered reaction from you.

"T-..Too soon-"

You hear a chuckle, feeling him wrap his arms around you in a hug.

"As you wish. Sorry, I'm a little starstruck.." He smiles, holding you close and resting his head on your shoulder. "..Me too." You smile a bit yourself, pleased with the evening's events.

Leaning back a bit, you put your hands on his shoulders.

"You wanna go back to my place? We could just..I dunno, hang out somehow. You could make that tea you really like that you're always talking about."

"I'd love to!" He perks up, watching as you stand to grab your guitar and hold out your other hand, helping him up. He doesn't let go as you both walk back to your house, which is pretty close by thankfully.

[hn-undercover-9503]

Originally put this on AO3 and decided to post it to Tumblr as well to spread my manifesto to the world :) please give me rat Ren please please please pow...pow I'm begging so much rn please

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵

Martyn didn't understand. This shouldn't have been possible. And yet…here he was.

“Damn it, Doc.” He mumbled under his breath as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head with an unfortunately familiar paw-like hand. He could already feel his tail. It'd been a while, but he remembered the feeling of it. He also remembered using it to help him clamber his way up walls and through tiny holes in order to run away from giant humans living in a big mansion. He remembered all too well the feeling of being a rat.

He didn't think he'd ever be back here. Although, to be fair, he didn't recognize where in the world he was, at least not right off the bat. It definitely wasn't the same house, though. He seemed to have woken up in some kind of large contraption, considering all the gears and levers he was surrounded by. They made soft ticking noises as he tried to gather his thoughts, leading him to believe it was some kind of clock. He wondered if Owen was still here.

Whatever the case, it shouldn't have been possible for him to come back. He specifically remembered leaving this world through the portal, so why was it that he was back here again in the same tiny little rat body all over again? Unless…

No, that was stupid. There was no way they would put him in this body for one of those. That'd be ridiculous.

A loud chiming noise startled him, making his tiny heart race in his chest. He'd forgotten how it felt, being this small and vulnerable. Looks like he'd have to get used to it again, though. Well at least this world had been fun the last time, apart from the ordeal with pushing Krow through a random portal. Hopefully that wouldn't happen again.

He stood slowly, scanning his surroundings for where he could exit the clock. He could see what must have been its face, and was shocked when he saw the sheer size of it. It was easily ten times his own size and towered over his head, the second hand tick tick ticking away. He was just about to start looking around the mess of gears for a way down when he spotted something sitting at the clock face.

He frowned, squinting to try and get a better look. It was small, but not so small that he couldn't see it at all. Curious, he grabbed hold of one of the various levers around and hoisted himself up a few more inches to get a better look. From this distance, he could make out the shape of ears and a tail, and his heartrate picked up again. Was it another rat? Maybe a player! Maybe it was Oli again, that'd be nice. He was always a great companion in these worlds, and one of the few regulars he saw that he could say he was pretty sure they were a player and not an NPC–or worse, an agent.

He climbed up higher, trying not to let himself get too excited. The last world had been chaotic and he'd ended up having to abandon all of them in it, players and NPCs alike. And after all that, he still hadn’t been able to make contact with Doc. And, well, maybe he sort of just missed having somebody to talk to, alright? Sue him.

As he got closer to the clock face, he stopped as he heard soft mumbling. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but also didn't at the same time? It definitely wasn't Oli, unless he was playing a different character this time who didn't have the same accent. But no, this voice didn't sound like any of the rats he remembered, so why did it sound so bloody familiar?

“Hello?” He cupped his hands over his mouth and called up. “You up there! You alright?”

The mumbling stopped, followed by a shuffling sound. A moment later, the face of a rat poked over the edge of the wall where the clock face sat, slightly obscured by shadows. As he'd thought, this wasn't one of the rats he'd met in the last world. They must've been new. He watched as this rat broke out in a smile and leaped down from the wall to land on a gear close to where Martyn was balanced. Immediately, once he was level with this new rat, however, his breath caught in his throat.

No way.

“Hi there, dude!” The rat greeted with a wide grin, the pointed brown ears twitching. Of course he still had his stupid dog ears, even in this form. They were smaller, obviously, and slightly less pointy, but Martyn still really wanted to touch them. “My name's Ren! What's yours?”

“I'm–Martyn,” Martyn nearly choked on his own words as he looked over Ren's new form. He couldn't believe his eyes. Ren was really in front of him, in a world that wasn't one of those damn death games, in a world that was generally pretty peaceful and death didn't mean the end. Against his will, his eyes began to well up.

“Nice to meet ya, Martyn!” Ren reached up and pointed to the face of the clock. “Didn't know there was someone else in here with me. I was just trying to figure out how to get down. I really need to go find some food. I might starve if I stay here much longer.”

“Uh, yeah–yeah, same here. We should–” He sucked in a deep breath, forcing the stupid, traitorous burning feeling in his eyes to dissipate. “Let's try looking down. Can probably slip through the gears and find a way out through there.”

“Sounds good to me, dude!” Ren hopped down from his gear and moved to stand next to him, leaning over to look at the array of mechanical things below them. “You escaped from clocks before?”

Martyn laughed despite himself, joining the other on his search. “I guess you could say that. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where exactly we are, would you?”

“Oh, that's easy, dude!” Ren reached down and poked at a lever, which made a loud squealing noise as he did. “We're in Paris! The city of love, dude!”

Martyn chuckled to himself. “Yeah, alright. I can buy that.”

He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know why he was a rat again, or why it was in Paris, and he really had no goddamn idea why Ren of all people was here, but…

Well, you certainly wouldn't hear him complaining about it.

[monpalace]

hi! really hope i'm not bothering you but i absolutely adore your writing and i was wondering if you could maybe write something for ororo (storm) again? if not, that's completely okay! hope you're having a nice day, love you 💗

gn reader (you/your pronouns), ororo isn't actually present, reader is heavily implied to be a mutant, 600+ words.

It was a last-minute decision and yet you were glad to have made your class a free period when the first raindrop fell.

Your students looked half-dead (some more especially than others) whereas the ones who had managed to stay awake were only managing to keep themselves conscious by murmuring to one another.

There was a movie playing on the television mounted in the front of the room. Supposedly it was to act as an introduction to the lesson that was going to be taught today— but all it really stood to do was entertain the teens who weren't able to find a way to pass the time.

You're halfway to dozing off yourself to be entirely truthful. Reading through thirty-seven students' papers on varying different subjects (your favorite was the differences of the kinetic abilities and where each stems from) had begun to make your eyes droop and eyes fill with tears from each yawn.

It's a necessary step to take a moment to yourself to wake up.

You're not sure how long you're out, but time is all like a blur. The zombie-esque walk you take to the teachers’ break room is much needed to get your blood pumping when you go cross-eyed enough to nearly knock into a wall.

You thank the Gods that there was no one to witness it— and that whoever had last made a pot of coffee.

It was piping hot and fresh. The taste of the room had yet to penetrate the taste, your favorite mug, and everything you usually put in your cup was set out beside it.

Your head tilts.

Could it have been Xavier holding sympathy for his employees, or Jean repaying you for when you substituted in her class when she had to leave unexpectedly for her X-Men duties? Was Kurt doing his weekly acts of kindness for his co-workers, or was Logan evening it out with you for when you saved his ass at a bar a few weeks ago?

All are very likely if it weren't for the smell of dew, honeysuckle, and grapefruit.

There's a bounce in your step as you make your way back to the classroom. Pulling your nose from your mug reveals the students who hadn't been able to sleep before were starting to dwindle on energy.

"Doc," one of the students struggles to say through their own yawns. Their head is still pressed against the desk with its full weight, but that doesn't stop them from sluggishly lifting a finger to point at the large window fit only for an overly expensive apartment— and your classroom.

If it were a painting, it'd be straight out of the Rococo era. The natural greenery that covered your wall all curled around the now-opened window to highlight the bouquet that sat pretty on the table pushed against it.

While beautiful, the gift and placement were subtle. You wouldn't have noticed it if the student hadn't pointed it out.

Passing by your desk to set your cup down and pick up your phone. It's difficult to not take more than a few pictures of the sight, but you manage to turn away to look at the few remaining students still conscious.

When you ask for the name of who managed to set everything up in such a short amount of time, they only turn away.

You know who it is you need to thank when the window is gently lowered by a gust of wind and the rain resumes.

[taradiddled]

@inubaki isn't feeling well. and I think @lilacwriter07 could use a pep-up, so I'm putting here another sneak-peek at the chapter I'm working on.

--

"Only a neglectful shepherd would leave their sheep's hooves unattended." She picked up her scrub brush again and began layering the hoof in soapy foam. "They need routine cleaning, because who the fuck knows what shit they pick up on a regular basis. I had one sheep that must have been not right in the head, because it used to stand in its own shit, totally oblivious to how filthy it'd get. Needed a cleaning twice a week, or else its wool would stink. I thought I'd have to put up with it for maybe eight or nine years, since it was so dumb, but the bastard managed to live to eighteen years before it croaked."

Lucifer snickered, amused at the mental image given. "I can't imagine you putting up with that for more than eight years."

"Well, I did," Adam stated proudly, her chest puffing up just a bit with pride. "It was under my care, and my protection. Just because it wasn't too damn bright didn't mean I was going to mark it for meat. Not when its wool was some of the softest I'd felt, and it was especially patient with the grandkids when they wanted to play." It'd almost been like having another nanny available, when the children's parents were busy with their own business of foraging and hunting to support their families. Though Adam had bemoaned caring for the sheep, she'd actually cared for it in her own way, and mourned the creature when it eventually passed away.

"What was its name," Lucifer asked, genuinely curious.

"Birn," Adam replied. "Birn the Burr." She finally finished cleaning Lucifer's hoof to her satisfaction. "Because of all the damn times I had to comb so much crap out of its wool." The first comb ever had been invented purely because of Birn. It'd been the size of Adam's hand, with four thick teeth, able to sort through Birn's thick-thick wool to pull out all the foliage Birn managed to pick up in a week's time. It'd been one of Eve's best inventions, and had saved Adam's fingers further abuse from the sharp twigs and tree needles that would get stuck in Birn's wool. How the beast had managed to collect so much debris in the pastures, Adam and Eve had never uncovered.

"You're good now," Adam proclaimed, setting Lucifer's hoof back into the water. "Your hooves could use a little trimming, but it's nothing urgent. Maybe in a week's time you'll need to give it some actual attention." With the task of cleaning Lucifer's hooves done, Adam turned to cleaning herself, tossing out the washrag she'd been using for a clean one.

While Adam started lathering up with some soap, Lucifer examined his hooves, blonde brows arching as he looked in awe at the difference made. "This looks better than when I use magic," he said, rotating one hoof so he could admire its underside. "Feels better, too. Yowza. You've got magic hands there, my Pretty Prickly Mistress!"

Adam scoffed at the syrupy sweet praise, rolling her eyes. "You said the same thing about me handling your balls a couple nights ago, Your Majesty." Still, it was nice to be appreciated. She brushed her foot against Lucifer's thigh beneath the water, lips curling with a naughty smile as she observed Lucifer's cheeks color that tangerine hue Adam knew so well.

Lucifer gulped, eyes going down to where Adam's foot was sliding up and down the inside of Lucifer's thigh beneath the water. "Wellllllllllll," he stretched out, voice taking on a higher pitch when Adam's toes found Lucifer's cock. "It's good manners to give credit where credit is due--oh!" He gasped when Adam's big toe rubbed against the tip of his dick. A pant rose from the king's throat. "Ada, as much as I would love to fuck around some more, we still have breakfast to get to, and that call we promised to make to Charlie."

Adam hummed, cocking her head to the side, making a face of consideration, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, weighing her options, before she retracted her foot from its fondling between Lucifer's legs. As much as her ramped libido desired another go around, there were things that needed doing, and Adam remembered that the new Soul Counter was long overdue. She needed to check in with Charlie about her progress with her research, and start pulling together information so that they could start something substantial.

It's been over a month since we started, Adam reminded herself. If I keep lazing around, this shit won't get done until after Oz is born. And she'd be too occupied with her newborn baby and Lucifer to put any extra energy into starting up the Soul Counter.

With a sigh of reluctance, Adam resumed her scrubbing, washing away any sticky residue from her and Lucifer's earlier activities. "Sucks to suck," she grumbled, "Buuuuuuuuuuut you're right." She then threw the washrag at Lucifer's chest, the King of Hell just catching it. "We have work to do," Adam agreed, turning around so her back was to Lucifer. "So wash up my back quick, will you, goony? You're the one who wanted to finish on my back, anyways..."

"Orrrrrrrr," Lucifer started, wading his way over to Adam, seating him right at her back, "You could just ask nicely, like a normal person." Nonetheless, he began to tend to Adam's back, wiping away at the skin in careful, gentle circles. It was a relaxing experience, and Adam found herself leaning back into Lucifer's care, releasing an audible sigh of contentment, as well as a chuckle at Lucifer's suggestion.

"And why should the great Dick-Master of Humanity have to ask to get her back washed?" She looked back at Lucifer over her shoulder, grinning with ego she felt was rightly earned. "Especially from the devil whose dick the Dick-Master conquered."

Lucifer paused in his ministrations. With great amusement, he chuckled. "Is that what we're going to call me knocking you up from now on?" He resumed washing Adam's back. "Would make a far more interesting story: the naughty devil who met his comeuppance, ahem, literally, when his dastardly dick was valiantly, valiantly, conquered by the heroic Dick-Master?" He and Adam both laughed at how ridiculous the tale sounded aloud.

Adam's smile was rueful, and she shrugged her shoulders. "Hey," she humored. "You fucked it."

"And I will gladly do so, again aaaaaand again," Lucifer hummed with a melodic note.

[good-beanswrites]

HI 🎬 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THESE AHHH It did get eaten so I'm really glad you sent it again!!

It's interesting, because this movie night could take place right before T2 begins, and act as a little celebration/preparation night. But also, I like the thought of doing it after T2 closes, since they'd have their verdicts in mind while they watched the videos...

No matter when it takes place, this round of videos would definitely be more tense, but at least some of that would be lessened by the fact everyone was involved in filming. While the first movie night was a way to break the ice and have a little fun, this event feels more solemn. It's definitely used as a pick-me-up after such an ordeal -- a way to offer tons of praise and support and understanding to their fellow prisoner before/after a time where they had to pretend to hate one another.

Haruka, Mahiru, and Amane's require some serious time afterwards to talk and recover. LMAO I love the thought of Yuno's video resulting in some cheers as well as some "yes ma'am"s 😂 But I think despite her honesty, actually seeing her in those situations would cause the prisoners to understand her much deeply that before. (And I like to think she tries to bond with Amane over having multiples of themselves in the video :D) Mmm, and having a little moment between Muu and Fuuta would be so nice here. As bad as he felt seeing her be a victim in the T1 video, now he feels bad for her for a different way -- he can relate to her situation more and knows her pain.

Ahhhhh I want everyone to meet and hang out with Shidou's family so bad ;---; Although they're still not allowed to leave the facility until the experiment is over, everyone immediately starts making plans to hang out. Mahiru asks their favorite foods so she can have him over for dinner. Haruka asks if they have any similar hobbies/games so he can play with them. Amane doesn't say anything, but listens really closely to all the conversations. And yeah, by this time Jackalope would have received too much pressure to ignore the paperwork surrounding Amane any longer. While he's at it, they make him look into Haruka and his sister as well.

I wanted to make a John joke so bad you don't even know 😭😭😭I'm definitely going to sneak some teasing in post-neoplasm because I just think that's so funny and the others would never let him live it down OMG (I saw another post about it, but maybe secretly Red thinks it's fun -- despite hating the actual name John, he's excited to actually receive a nickname after Mikoto has given so many out to others)

But no matter how serious it gets, they'd be able to dance and sing along with some of the upbeat videos! The singer themselves may encourage the others to join in, since it would take some of the heaviness off of watching themself like that. It's such a bizarre situation, but they embrace it and find a little fun where they can.

I also just realized they'd get to watch Undercover!! It's the first time they get to hear Es sing and they're very impressed, and also enjoy seeing everyone together after separate filming. The visuals are pretty basic, and I think it'd be mostly teasing one another about the uniforms or looking like a sad wet cat behind bars...

Once again thank you 🎬!! These were so amazing and big brained 👏 I really appreciate you taking the time to write them out and send (twice ;-;), and I know a lot of others have enjoyed reading them as well!

[geese-ball]

I still don't know who you are, I only know that I'm still lonely chap 3

ch.2

Donnie and April have a chat

It had been a few days since Donnie's 'bad night' as they called it and Missie was almost ready to be picked up. Maybe she would make them feel less lonely. Unlikely considering they already lived with three very supportive and loving siblings, and that didn't seem to help.

Maybe they'd talk to April about it.

There was less pressure opening up to her since they didnt live together (even though they spent most of their free time together anyways) so it didn't feel like they'd have to confront it again of they didn't want to.

They were snapped out of their thoughts by a reminder sounding on their wrist brace. They were supposed to pick April up from an after school event tonight. Convenient.

They checked the time, unsurprised to find that it was almost time to leave. Time had been wrong since The Technodrome. Or more likely, she had changed something in them to perceive the flow of time differently. But thinking about that made them want to scream and throw up and cry. So they much preferred the first option.

Streching and shaking that thought out, they left their lab to get changed, making sure anything that needed to be turned off was turned off.

They decided on their comfort hoodie and comfy jogging bottoms over their galaxy compression leggings. Before they leftt, they switched rheir contacts out for their glasses. They were just picking April up and maybw grabbing a drink, so unlikely to be doing any sort of acrobatics where they could lose them.

They exited the lair through the garage and sent a quick text to the groupchat so everyone knew where they were. They turned on their favourite playlist as they bagan the journey there.

~~~

"April!!", they exclaimed, removing one hand from their walker and turning to the side to hug their sister.

Donnie loved being with April. She never acted as if they were fragile or broken. She wss never afraid to play fight or shove them (she was more gentle with it now but that was understandible considering that they would 100% fall over), and she never tried to stop them from doing things under the guise of protection. So they, in turn, felt comfortable being around her, because the mood isnt going to change on a whim when she decides they cant do something anymore. They can decide their own limits.

So they listened while she told them all aboit all the drama and funny anecdotes from her day, and in turn shared their own (like how Leo manages to fall down the stairs and make the most cartoon 'bonk' noise they'd ever heard).

And before they knew it, they were back at April's flat.

They agreed to sit in the living room with Mayhem whilst April got changed.

"Hello little man." they said, cupping Mayhem's little face in their hands and rubbjng the top of his head with their thumbs. In response, Mayhem slow blinked and rested his head more into their palms. "What a sweetie pie, I hope you get along with Missy, it'd be nice for you to have another animal friend, wouldn't it?".

They planted a kiss onto the top of his head just as April walked in and Mayhem wriggled free of their grasp to jump into her arms.

"He HATE me. sad face emoji." They pouted.

"He doesnt, hate you, Dee," she moved Mayhem to press his 'lips' against the side of Donnke's head, "See? he loves you!" Donnie snorted in response, reaching up to scratch behind Mayhem's ear as April sat next to them.

"So, when does Drax reckon you'll be able to pick up Missy?"

"Some time this week, he said." they paused, "I'm not really sure about it T.B.H., like obviously she's gonna be a massive help and it'll make me feel better but also. Change. Y'know?"

"yeah, but we're all here for you and we'll help you adjust, yeah?"

"yeah." They gently knocked their heads together.

They argued over what film to watch for a while after that (as kf they weren't just going to watch the Atomic Lass one for the 4734736th time).

~~~~

When Donnie got back to the lair, they were surprised to see one Barron Draxum standing in the living room.

"Ah. Donatello."

"... Yes?"

"I must inform you that your, uh, service dog, will be ready for pick up tomorrow afternoon."

[anonymousmothman]

I had another weird dream surrounding star trek (this time with jackie chan and thundercat???)

So basically I won this thing (idk if it was a giveaway or something) to hang out with thundercat. We were walking around chicago and he kept talking about being a werewolf and that was weird cuz . You know... cat is in his name. But then he turned into a werewolf and tried to hunt me.

Then I went to this star trek convention but for some reason star trek was real? And I got to talk to worf and ezri they were really nice. Some other stuff happened but I legitimately remember none of it. I then was watching a jackie chan movie with the ferengi (basically all the guys from the magnificent ferengi episode) and suddenly got transported back in time to when rush hour got released. I was sitting in the audience just minding my buisness then Quark started to film the movie cuz yay piracy! But he was horrible at hiding his camera and everybody kept staring at him because they knew. His camera didn't have a zoom feature so Brunt gave him this can you were supposed to put in place of the lens and it'd act as a zoom for you. But then, of course, everyone was like 'wtf are they doing with a can' so Quark gave the empty one to me and I had to pretend like it was Tuna I was eating. I was really bad at it. Then, at the end of the movie, a cardassian was playing with his baby (throwing her up in the air and stuff) and a founder took it from him while he was doing that then dangled it over the side of the railing (idk the seats in the theatre were high) and said "a sacrifice to the founders..." but then everyone started booing them and throwing popcorn at them so they gave the baby back.

After that, I went to this weird renaissance fair mixed with comic con thing (still in the past atp). A dude dressed up as an ensign knocked down this stand of books and I helped him to pick it up. Then, I wanted to buy one, so I was looking through them and eliminating options and was gonna buy something on dinosaurs? Idk it was weird it looked like a dork diaries book though. But another one caught my eye and it had medieval paintings on the front despite the fact it was a book about mesopotamian chemistry. So I went to buy it, but I got tied up in (honestly I forgot what happened) so had to leave it for the time being. When I came back though, a lot of people were bidding and arguing over who should get it. The only way you could buy it was by messaging the shop owner on discord so I tried to text them but I kept misspelling 'shop' as 'Schofield' so none of the messages would go through (there was a bot that prevented you from sending a message unless it had the word shop). I don't think I was ever able to get it, or maybe I was, also sort of forgot this part....

Then it cut to my backyard where Picard was stuck in my garage. He kept asking to be let out but when I let him out there were two animals on leashes in there. One was Porthos so I let him off, but another was those klingon dogs.. I forgot what they're called. Picard kept telling me to let that one off it's leash and I said "but its your pet :(" and he said hed pay me 30 coins so I did it. Then I finally let Picard out of my garage and it cut yet again to another scene.

I was on ds9 laying down to go to bed when Damar and Keevan entered and Damar was like "you weren't at Quarks" and I said "I had a really long day today man..." so they layed down with me and we cuddled YAYYYY but then I woke up BOOOOO

[crest-of-gautier]

briefly picked up pq again after not having played it in a month, i got through the cutscenes that happen when you start the second labryinth, but didn't progress past that! thoughts™ below

i basically spent my time in Many Cutscenes (all strolls available to me, the abilities 1/2/3, what do we call each other, navigational differences, and why a group date cafe) + also did the fuse xiezhai request as well as help with the trading showdown.

i think the only downside from this play session is seeing how... how badly they exacerbate teddie's "comedic" relief traits. this isn't a problem exclusive to pq (i've watched arena all the way through and am maybe halfway through ultimax, and teddie also suffers there). but MAN. it's so hard to remember that teddie has a good arc in golden sometimes 😭

bitching about teddie aside, i do appreciate him being there because teddie's origin story of being from the TV world and then leaving it to be with the investigation team acts as such a nice metric of comparison for whatever zen and rei is supposed to be. i've been over this a billion times but the way the game explicitly has made note of this in cutscenes is just so!! juicy to me!!! it does feel like a low hanging fruit for me to latch onto in terms of "clues regarding zen and rei's identity," but it's definitely the easiest to understand.

naoto prompting an attempt to investigate of the clock tower and the lore surrounding it's real-world counterpart was very interesting! i have faith in the writers for this cutscene to make sense later down the line with more context, but it does feel like a clue. i just. need some more time with the game (and possibly more details) to put things together.

i can't help but feel that rei expressing the want/hope to "go back" (in lieu of what teddie did with going to inaba) isn't going to end well... i mean, maybe it will! but to be able to "go back" (whatever that contains) is hardly guaranteed in the first place and i feel like hoping for something like this is bound for heartbreak (i would be interested in that given that rei's entire personality is based around food and zen LOL)

the velvet room scene too!! super juicy, i really enjoy all of the angles that theo, liz, and margaret all presented in regards to the distortion of the p3 + p4 casts from different times being gathered into this one place. given how the wild card power has been neutralized and changed it really makes me wonder about the power of the end-game entity... perhaps so powerful that zen and rei could be considered "shards" of that entity who forgot about that? very interesting for margaret to refer to the world as "finite," me thinks.

the game did give a brief glimpse to a silhouette sitting on a crystal(?) and was obscured by broken glass/spider web of sorts... i wonder whatever it could need from bringing TWO wildcards, i mean, yeah that's powerful but. i wanna know the motive!!! not that. divine entities and the like always have motivations in this series but. y'know. LOL.

anyway that's all for now! short progress today bc wahoo cutscenes and i got things to do but. really intriguing, i'm super interested in seeing how this gets followed up on. also i love yosuke whenever i see yosuke's animations in this game it makes me so happy!! he's so expressive and fun i love him a lot. and it'd be very interesting to play this game again on the p4 side to see minato speak but also see what has changed between versions, as well as catching any details i've missed.

[sdyuteiaok]

Well, here we are. I just dread it's going to start getting warmer, and of course, Joe and company are heading out...I find myself sad and angry as time goes on thinking about that. But I did get a nice 5-3 in the draft earlier, including picking up a Joe Biden, actually--that's Jace the VP, as we used to call him. It was a splash for that and the 4/4 bounce/discard guy, off of pretty ok lands--woulda like one more dual. But we did pretty well, including racing an imposing RW deck that went all in on his double striker finishing me, or maybe he, like me, just had to hope his opponent didn't have it, but I had initiated that calculus by attacking with my Bat and Gurmag, he didn't chump with his sole creature, a souped up double-strike Eidolon. I had to swing in under the notion that he couldn't get me for 9 in a big, single attack. This brought him to 7 (which I hadn't calculated, but intuited that it'd bring him low enough to put him in the Abyss). So then he attacked back--with no pump. I was down to lethal next turn. But I cracked back with my guys, and sure enough played my Reassembling Skeleton with Extort for the final point. So even if it didn't work out, I could have the Skeleton chump to buy me one more attack--and he'd have to get rid of my Bat since it was evasive and represented more drains, which means Gurmag could probably get the Abyss going since he'd be at one or two life. So it was definitely sweet, we both had to play to win and both took somewhat risky plays that could have easily gone poorly, but fortunately we got it done. I had a similar game, where I chose not to block and took a ton of damage one turn, setting myself up for a lethal finishing blow his next attack, but on my turn, I was able to cast a creature, Extort off my two Bats, and then sac two creatures--again, one sac being my trusty Skeleton (deck had two!)--to give my Aristocrat pro his two blockers, and then an alpha attack for exactly lethal. It was delicious. I had three bats, and even a Bile Blight, which would have single-handedly won my final out cuz my opponent played four or five of the 3/1 Hannes UW detain flyers. I woulda Plague Winded him down to a 1/1 Pilgrim, and my guys surely woulda closed the gap, especially with three Bats to find. but I couldn't draw my Bile Blight and was too behind by then. But I had an active Mentor of the Meek (speaking of Hannes--though they got some neat Ixalan art for his card) drawing me toward my BB instant, but never quite got there, nor another flyer. The loss didn't sting too much, even though it was our third, cuz the games were so good and cuz it was already an infinitivo, so no big deal, just want to be able to draft for free again, and that's what we achieved, on top of a couple of dual lands and Jace, though lamentably, I understand Jace is no longer good. This was like a whole man yen back in the day. I opened three over the course of our constant drafting of Origins cuz they played for raredrafts after hours, so it was the easiest way to mass open packs and since they were mostly pros--we even had a GP winner in the group(!--they always called him "GP Champ"), so I was definitely low on the totem pole, so I'm sure they were thrilled whenever I'd open a Jace, cuz it was free money for them when they inevitably trounced the draft. One highlight was I got the Jace-Beguiler of Wills combo, where you just steal creatures every turn by targeting them, despite the rarity, I believe I got the combo twice. Pretty cool. Anyway, good draft, eager to hop in the queues again and forget everything else.

[paintedbutton]

Writer Interview Tag

The dear @writernopal tagged me in this. Thank you!

When did you start writing?

I can't give an exact age, but probably somewhere around 10 years old? I still have the old "epic" stories I would write on the family pc on word 2003 (including word art for title pages and everything) on an external harddrive somewhere. They were epic tales that involved a lot of pirates because I was obsessed with Kai Meyer's Wellenläufer trilogy, and also a lot of horses. I should see if I can find them again ...

I switched from original stuff to mainly fanfic somewhere in my teens and only seriously picked up original writing again somewhere during my Masters degree. And I'm really happy that I did.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I'll admit I'm mainly a fantasy enjoyer, but I try to read stuff that's outside my preferred genres at least some of the time. The last book I really enjoyed in that vein was Murakami's Afterdark. I also like the occasional nonfiction. And I read a lot of children's books for work.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I recently made a post where I said if I wanted to emulate anyone it'd be KJ Charles, and I stand by that. But really, I just want to write my own stuff. It's more about the way she writes than the themes she writes, I guess.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I'm a PC girlie, so I do have a pretty good rig (mainly for gaming although ironically I mostly play a 20-year-old game rn). I'm bad at working away from my desk, so I've tried to make that as good as possible.

My desk is currently fitted into a niche in my living room because my apartment is pretty small. It has coloured LED strings on the wall behind it as well as a pinboard just for aesthetic purposes. On the wall beside it is one of my great treasures, which is a woodcut piece of a windswept tree by an artist from the baltic sea. He's lovely and I own several of his pieces.

I have a Keychron K8 mechanical keyboard with some dupe botanical keycaps, which I wouldn't miss for the world. It is so nice to type on.

Colourwise, the setup is very dark green.

I'd love to have a standing desk, and I am currently looking into it, but it's a bit of a problem with how my desk is located, so we'll see. Maybe I'll wait until I'm finally able to move into the house, but that might be years yet.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Music mostly. There's just something about a good song that gets the creative juices flowing.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Home. Just home. Finding it and making it and the meaning of it as a place or the people surrounding you.

I'm not overly surprised by this, but it was a bit of an "Oh" moment, when I figured it out. I'm a very rooted person. I need to feel not just familiar but at home with the place I am in, and that very much colours my writing I think.

What is your reason for writing?

I've been telling myself stories my whole life. Sometimes getting them out into the "real" world feels like a necessity.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Honestly, any. But I like when I feel like people actually engage with my writing. Like they mention a particular moment that happens or something.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I'm just some guy. I would preferably always like to be just some guy to others. I personally don't think much about the authors when reading. I don't know if others do.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I honestly don't know. Tell me?

How do you feel about your own writing?

Warm and fuzzy. Writing is a hobby to me, and one I enjoy greatly. I like reading what I've written.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Nope. Again, this is my hobby. I write for myself. If others like it, that makes me so happy. But it's not a necessary component for this, the same way it isn't with cooking or gardening.

Tagging: @anyablackwood , @malimaywrite , @charlesjosephwrites and leaving an open tag for anyone else. :)

[trying2cope]

It was wonderful to see Master again.

It was my daughter's birthday weekend, though her actual birthday was coming up midweek. My son's birthday had been the previous month and he was sad Master was coming to his sister's party but not his.

"He wanted to come," I told him truthfully, "but he was sick that weekend." Which was true. Actually Master's health had been bad the entire time we were together. Though even if he'd been healthy he wouldn't have been able to come that weekend because he had his daughter and we weren't ready for her to come visit yet. But my son didn't need to know that. The first weekend we met, he had an ear infection. It was really bothering him by the day he left, so he went to a doctor that week and they put him on antibiotics. Then when he finished that round of antibiotics, he got some bad virus. That was the weekend of my son's birthday. . Then he got a sinus infection and went on antibiotics again.

Then he started to get a skin infection on his leg. And it got bad. He sent a photo of it to his primary care physician and she referred him to a wound clinic specialist.

It started clearing up in the time it took to get to the appointment... But a new one popped up. And then another one on the *other" leg.

The wound clinic appointment was the morning of the Friday he was coming to see me. They lanced, drained and dressed his wounds, sending a sample to the lab for testing.

It looks like MRSR, they told him. And they put him on a very strong antibiotic.

That first day we had a good time. Hung out with the kids until bed. Had couple time. Talked. Watched a movie.

The next day was the birthday party, which was a success. Lots of kids came. But Master was acting strange. I wondered if I'd done something to upset him, he seemed grim and standoffish. I was busy playing hostess to the other moms, but towards the end of the party I took him aside and whispered, "Is something wrong?"

"I feel sick," he told me. "Maybe a reaction to the antibiotic?" I told him to go back to my house to lie down, but he insisted on staying until the party was actually over.

When we got back to the house, he laid down and I googled his antibiotic to see what common side effects were. Fever, nausea, fatigue, etc. He had every single symptom. He was miserable.

He spent the night in bed. He was so weak and I felt so bad. In the morning we'd planned to go to church, which we'd done our first weekend, but I didn't bother to wake him. He needed the sleep.

He got up around the time church started anyway though. He rested and around noon he said he was feeling better and he wanted to accomplish something. What had I wanted us to do this weekend?

Long story short, we did some DIY and we took the plastic bags to the recycling bin in front of a local grocery store. Then we piled the cardboard boxes into the back of his pick-up truck because he decided he'd just take them to his recycling center since I'd never actually been to mine so we didn't knowwhere it was or if it'd be open. And he said goodbye and left.

He stopped at his ex's to say hi to his daughter on the way home (they'd been with a cousin or something.)

He didn't have a high opinion of his ex, but I was trying to keep an open mind. No one gets along with their exes, that's why they are exes. Just because mine was a jerk didn't mean his was, right?

They didn't have a formal custody agreement, but she'd tried to get a formal child support thing and failed. That is, he only worked outside the home M-Th (ten hour shifts) and she primarily worked weekends. So it worked out nicely that he'd have the daughter three days of the week and she'd have her four. And he put her on his insurance. So when the lawyers had looked at their finances and their schedule they determined that they were about even in providing for her, so no child support was owed.

He was sure though, knowing his ex, she was unhappy with this, and thus he was noticing her coming up with more and more ways to cut into his time. Asking for pick-up to be delayed for some reason or another. Ordering him to drop her off earlier than necessary on Mondays. And then there were weekends like that one where she'd requested to take her for the whole thing.

"What about going to court and getting a formal agreement?" I'd asked. "She keeps pushing the boundaries and it sounds like she orders you around like you're a babysitter, not a parent."

"Yeah, but that might not go my way," he hedged. "What if I get her less?" Because for him, it wasn't about the money, it was about the time. He loved his daughter and hated he didn't have her every day.

Then one time he picked her up and when he was driving down the road, his phone pinged him saying that a GPS tracker was in the vicinity.

He found an air tag in the diaper bag. He texted me, outraged as he turned around.

He drove back to his ex's and confronted her. She apologized profusely. Said she'd put it in there when she gave the daughter to the babysitter yesterday and had forgotten to take the air tag out. She hadn't meant to track him.

He believed her and relaxed.

I wasn't so sure. I bit my tongue, but I filed that away under suspicious.

By the time he got home from our weekend, he felt like crap again. Fever came back. He'd delayed taking his evening antibiotic dosage by a few hours so he'd feel well enough to drive home. But he was miserable for the entire 10 days he was on that drug. Even though he still had to go to work and everything.

And that week, on my daughter's actual birthday no less, was the first time I got a scheduled visit from my caseworker.

[rejaytionships]

for Kanan and Hera! does it ever get a little cramped on the Ghost? do you guys share a bunk with Jay? and what do you do to get a little space from the others? @rexscanonwife

[ ⚔️ kanan | ✈️ hera ]

✈️ Thanks for the question, @rexscanonwife! We hope you're doing well out there.

⚔️ Cramped? Talk about it! It already started getting a little claustrophobic back when we picked up Ezra, but when we picked up our second stray from Lothal (I'm referring to Kel here) the size of the Ghost started feeling even smaller than it used to.

✈️ When Kel first joined the crew, we had her room with Sabine because Sabine's room was the only one with a spare bed, and the two seemed to be fine around each other. This lasted for a while even after Kel and I got together, but it wasn't until Kanan completed the trio that we considered having Kel move into our room.

⚔️ In my defense, three people to a room at the time seemed like a lot, you know? It'd get pretty crowded pretty quickly in there.

✈️ You know there were other aspects at play, love...

⚔️ Alright, sure, I'll admit there was a bit of jealousy of those two sharing the same bed on a bunk before we all ended up together.

✈️ See? That wasn't so hard.

⚔️ I know, I know... It got better once we agreed to switch it up every so often, taking turns on who paired up on one bunk and who got to sleep solo on the other bunk. Once we tried all three on a single bunk... all I'll say is that we are never doing that again.

✈️ It was a worth a shot, wasn't it? Haha. Back on topic, though, we were asked what we do to get some space from the kids? I guess it's pretty similar to what Kanan and I did even before Kel showed up. Our tried and true method is having them all run errands on our behalf. It's true we need them done, and it isn't like we need a whole team for a shopping trip, but we have our ulterior motives as well.

⚔️ Frankly, it's nice having the room to relax. As much as I care about the others, specially with how much some of them roughhouse with each other, we need the time to clear our heads.

✈️ It's nice, like a private vacation for just us three.

⚔️ Yeah, except it's a vacation to the same place we always are: our ship.

✈️ Hey, sometimes we get to walk around a bit outside of the ship too. Mainly though, I will admit we bundle up in the main area of the Ghost and chat with each other, maybe while we're playing a game. Just when you think everyone's out of life stories to tell, there's always another!

⚔️ Tell me about it... we've all kept pretty busy over the course of our lives, haven't we? And I bet we'll have even more to talk about, especially once the war is over.

✈️ You said it, dear... That'll be the day, seeing everything we've worked for finally pay off.

⚔️ Maybe then we can go on an actual date, right? Without worrying about the Empire looming around every corner. It'd be nice to be able to go out and do that more without having to worry so much.

✈️ Maybe some day... Well, I hope this answered everything! Thank you again!

[newwwwusername]

Chicago (Stage Version) - Amos & Mary Sunshine - Tourette's Syndrome Awareness Month Prompt 2 : Motor Tics

Prompt : Write a fic about a character with motor tics Headcanon : Amos has motor tics, Autistic!Amos Author's note : Mary Sunshine's character was based on the real-life reporter who wrote the original play it was based on partially out of guilt for platforming people like Roxie, so I'm just running with the idea that Mary knew Roxie wasn't as innocent as she presented herself to be

Mary and Amos had met immediately after Roxie's trial, once the chaos from the outside murder had died down. Mary, now off the clock, saw the man sulking outside the courthouse and felt a bit of sympathy. Deep down, she knew that Roxie wasn't being 100% truthful in her trial. All of the signs were there.

Amos never seemed like the horrible slob Roxie had framed him as in the court. Of course, Mary also understood that people could be two-faced. It'd be hypocritical to question the legitimacy of Roxie's story but take Amos at face value. Maybe he was a really shitty person behind closed doors and Roxie was right to present him as such.

But he just didn't strike Mary as that good of an actor.

So, she approached him and asked if he wanted to go get dinner with her. Having nothing better to do now that he was alone, he agreed and they promptly made their way to the closest bar, ordered the cheapest appetizers they had, and got to talking.

It took Mary Sunshine a moment to turn off the journalist part of her brain and just listen to his ramblings but, once she did, she found herself fascinated by the way his brain worked, drifting regularly from the trial to his job as a mechanic to what he had for dinner the previous day to the trial again.

He seemed relieved to talk so openly, and that just made Mary more suspicious of the picture that Roxie had painted for the jury. If Amos was really so heartless and sloppy, why was he being so polite and why did it seem like he hadn't been able to talk so freely in years?

Eventually, Mary began to pick up on these little motions he was doing. She didn't notice it at first but sometimes he would blink rapidly and then his eyes would dart to the side or his neck would jerk or his hand would shoot up. She'd been so enraptured in hearing the man speak that she didn't even notice these at first.

When she did notice, though, she couldn't help but ask. "What's with all the little movements?"

"And then he... What?"

"Like the..." Mary trailed off awkwardly, unsure of how to word it. She poorly mimicked the motions and Amos went rigid. "It's not a bad thing, dearie" she backtracked. "I'm just curious"

"I'm sorry" Amos swallowed thickly, his gaze fixed on the table rather than on the woman across from him. The motions ceased, though the sudden tenseness in his jaw made it seem like ceasing them was uncomfortable, even painful, for him. Mary raised her hand off the table to reach for his and assure him that it was okay, but the flinch and the brief increase of the rate of breathing made her falter.

This was definitely not the douchebag that Roxie described.

"I'm not gonna hurt you" she assured him, and he cautiously opened an eye, expecting to get that same, disgusted look Roxie would always give him whenever he twitched too much, but he was met with only a kind smile and concerned eyes. "I didn't mean to freak you out like that... I'm sorry"

"Why are you being so nice?"

Mary smiled. "Because you're a nice person" she told him simply. "I'm simply returning the favor"

"Oh"

"You don't have to hide the movements, by the way" she told him, noticing him closing his eyes tensely for a moment as he seemed to suppress a twitch. "And you don't have to explain them if you don't want to. I was just curious"

"I can't really control them" he admitted, hesitantly letting out a neck jerk and sighing in relief when Mary's kind expression stayed the same. "I mean, I can suppress them for a bit but it hurts" he elaborated. "They just... Happen"

"Fascinating"

"I guess"

...

"Now, about this coworker you were telling me about" Mary said, clapping her hands definitively. Amos' eyes lit up and that light didn't leave even when his hand involuntarily shot up again.

"Right!" he said a bit loudly with a big smile. "So, anyways, you would not believe what he did next..."

Do not repost on other sites! If you want to participate in this month's challenge, there are 15 Tourette's-centered prompts that you can find here

[dashofmonsters]

Roommates & Renovations Pt. 8

Merman x F!Reader

It's clothes shopping day. You decided that there will be no if, ands, or buts about it. Yen is getting new clothes.

You woke up on the couch in the middle of the night after a long and much needed nap and decided first thing in the morning after breakfast that you'd take Yen shopping. You had a light dinner while you browsed online for shops that will cater to his height and size. You found a good few shops and some that will do custom clothes for an affordable price.

The area you're in seems like it's playing catch up on being able to cater to those from the fae realm but they're doing a good job so far. Suddenly you think that maybe you should talk to the shops around here about renovating their places in order to accommodate other peoples. Maybe talk to Yen and see if it'd be possible to have an area of the lake sectioned off for freshwater merfolk. Maybe they'd like to vacation here but there's just not enough places in the mortal realm for them.

Yen wakes up rather late, practically dragging himself to the bathroom. He looks a million times better though there's still signs of scratches and possible scarring on him. He plops down onto one of the kitchen chairs and stretches his lanky legs out with a yawn.

"Morning my light," he gives you a lazy grin.

"Good morning, get enough sleep?" you ask as you start fixing him a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, I passed out pretty quick," he stretches again and you hear a pop and groan.

"Good, hopefully you'll have enough energy for today," you grin at him.

He glares at you for a second and sighs, "Clothes shopping, right."

You laugh, "I'll be nice and let you wake up and eat."

"How sweet of you, now come here," he holds out his hand and you take it. He pulls you into his lap as you set his coffee on the table. He nuzzles against your cheek before peppering it with enough kisses that has you giggling. "You're too cute."

You grumble.

"You can disagree with me all you want but the fact remains, you are cute," he kisses you again before grabbing his mug.

"Another fact, you will get more than just t-shirts today," you turn in his lap and he stiffens a little.

You tease him a little and he rolls his eyes, "Ok so we shop today and tomorrow I take you on a real proper date. Neither of us worrying about our exes, no baggage, no talk of work, nothing like that. A real date."

A tinge of excitement has you smiling. You're not used to feeling this way and you're not quite sure how to handle it.

"It's a date then," you kiss Yen and move off his lap. "I'll get started on breakfast."

The morning goes on uneventfully and with a goodbye text from Varen via Lin's phone. A strange mix of unease and giddiness mixes in your stomach but you do your best to focus on the latter. Yen has a hard time picking between his surviving clothes and what would look good with his only pair of shoes.

You on the other hand know exactly what you want to wear and decide that wearing the other set of lingerie that Yen didn't see would be a fantastic idea. After all, he's not going to be the only one getting new clothes today.

As soon as Yen's done getting ready the both of you fill up a few gallons of water and pack a huge case on water bottles in the backseat. To take extra precautions though Yen lathers himself in a special lotion meant to keep his skin hydrated for a good portion of the day.

"Did you grab your citizenship pass?" you ask him, slinging your purse over your shoulder.

"It should be in my wallet, wherever that went..." Yen rifles through his pockets and something falls out with a thwump. "Found it!"

"Then I think we're all set," you grab your keys and just as you're about to open the door Yen curses and runs back to his room saying he forgot his phone.

"Sorry sorry, ok now I'm ready," he laughs while pocketing his cell.

The drive to the next city over is longer than you anticipated thanks to a stalled vehicle. Yen fumbles with the radio some and the both of you talk about what sort of music you and he likes. He likes songs from musicals and is sort of nit picky when it comes to rock but he prefers some of the older songs.

When the traffic finally dies down it's a smooth drive. Yen passes out a little bit right before you arrive to the first shop and you figure he deserves it, especially since the both of you will be out nearly all day.

You gently wake him up and grab a couple water bottles and stuff them in your purse. Yen has to run his hands through his hair a few times to combat the fluff that is his curls.

"You ready to get going or do you need a minute?" you ask, handing him a bottle of water so he can hydrate.

He stretches a bit and yawns, "I probably need a few minutes, I'm not used to car rides... Is it normal to pass out like that?"

"Only if you're a passenger. Oh and I decided to be a little nice today so we're getting your t-shirts first," you give him a playful smile.

"How thoughtful of you my light. But you're never just a little nice, you're always nice... at least to me," he grins then leans over and kisses your cheek.

It takes a little longer than intended for Yen to wake up and get out of the car. The both of you wince at how sunny it is and quickly rush to get into the store before he gets baked.

The store is nice and large and has a larger selection of shirts than the website mentioned. There are several different sections catering to different heights and builds so the both of you try to scope out for tall and slim. Yen is instantly taken by all the graphic tees with quotes on them and grabs quite a few. He takes pictures of a few with some offensive words and has a good laugh about them but leaves them on the racks. At the end of it all he finds twelve new shirts.

"Remind me again why I was dreading this?" he turns to you in the line with a smile.

"Maybe because this is just the first stop and we've got a several others to go to," you laugh.

"Ah yes that's right, you had planned to drag me across the city to fill my closet and drawers with more than just t-shirts and jeans. Not that I'm complaining since I get to spend all day with you but why is this important?" he asks, scooching up in the line.

"For the rare occasions when we're not working and have the time off. You can't go to a wedding wearing jeans... I mean unless that's the theme," you shrug.

Yen raises a brow, "I didn't know weddings could have themes... Do you think we could have a t-shirt and jean themed wedding if we ever get married?"

Your eyes widen and you stutter before Yen realizes what he just said.

"Oh my gods, I uh hmm that was um not what I meant to ask... no no I did mean to but just as-"

"Next," the shop's clerk interrupts and Yen quickly places the shirts on the counter.

Once he's done paying and has everything bagged the both of you make and awkward and quiet run to the car. Unfortunately it's made more awkward by you're fumbling with the keys and Yen accidentally setting off the car alarm.

There's a bit of a long drawn out silence when both of you are seated, neither of you looking at one another until Yen clears his throat.

"I uh, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable back there. I just, I really love you and yes sometimes I think about these things and I can't help myself but I don't want it to affect our relationship or ruin anything that we've built," Yen admits, his voice clearly distressed.

You lean over and take his hand, "I honestly had no idea how to react to what you said. No one has ever brought up marriage with me before, well no one that's not my godmother. So I was a little uh thrown off."

Yen's face relaxes and he closes his eyes, "So you're not mad?"

"No? Why would I be?" you ask.

"Because you're not comfortable with cheesy corny talk in public," he pokes you and you roll your eyes.

"The nicknames Yen, the cheesy corny nicknames. That and public display of affection. I'm really not used to either," you sigh.

Yen opens his mouth and quickly shuts it. He mulls over something for a moment before groaning, "Onto the first location of sheer and utter torture I guess?"

"Oh come now suits aren't that bad," you laugh. "In fact if we're not careful of what you select we might end up having to go home early."

"And what do you mean by that?" he looks at you curiously.

"I may or may not have a thing for suits," you say and quickly add, "On everyone but Varen. He makes it his personality."

He starts laughing at that and leans against you, "My light he's a lawyer, his entire personality could be packed into a briefcase and stored under a desk. Now then, didn't we agree not to bring up our exes?"

"Yes, but that was for our date tomorrow. And I only brought that up so you wouldn't feel inclined to compare yourself to him.

"And why would I do that when we're together? I needn't compare a flower to a rock," he grins and kisses you cheek before buckling in.

"So who's the flower and who's the rock?" you laugh.

"Depends on the context, but I'll leave it to your imagination."

The drive to the next shop is short but enjoyable. You have Yen think of a couple colors he'd like to get for suits, vests and ties while you secretly plot on the other stores you'd like to hit up.

The shop you hit up caters to mostly orcs, werefolk, and other tall peoples so Yen will be their first mer client. You had emailed the owner ahead of time and he's very excited to get to work with Yen. A tall elderly orc greets the both of you and introduces himself Kirill which has you raising a brow.

"You wouldn't happen to have a son who works in law enforcement or is that just a common name?" Yen asks.

Kirill tosses his head back and gives a hardy laugh, "Oh aye, yes I do. I suppose I just need to accept it and add senior to my name. And I suppose you're the heavy fellow my son nearly dropped in the pond?"

Yen laughs and both him and Kirill talk about that day while the elderly orc escorts him to a nice room to get his measurements.

"Oh dear, your boyfriend's got him talking!" an elderly woman sighs.

You turn and see a small orcish woman with her arms crossed over the counter, "Good luck getting him out of here anytime soon. The names Rita dear, care for a cup of tea?"

"That sounds lovely," you smile.

Rita beckons you to come around the counter and sets out an adorable tea set and scones. She starts off by begrudgingly adding that she's Kirill's older sister and admits to being half-orc but she just winks when she asks you to guess which of her parents was the human.

"My brother will talk that poor lads' ears off if given the chance," she sniffs.

"Then it'll be a competition then because I'm certain Yen will attempt to do the same," you smile. Rita chuckles as she pours the tea, a wonderful fruity and warm aromatic drink.

"Now then, you two wouldn't happen to be the same couple who are working to rebuild that old lake town? We have a young man who comes in ever so often talking about a merman and a very attractive young woman working to renovate the buildings and clean the lake," Rita inquires.

You're a little taken back by the 'attractive' comment but you clear your throat and reply," Yes, Yen and I are the ones working out at the lake town. With everything that's been going on though we've opted to take the next few days off but I'm honestly itching to get back to work."

Rita smiles and nods, "It'll be nice to see the lake cleaned. Many good memories. Why did you know that it used to be a hotspot for weddings? My brother got married there, my neighbors did as well, and if memory serves me correct I think two of the owners of the boat rental shop got married there. Lots of history at that lake."

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask and I don't know why I keep putting it off... What is the name of the lake?" you ask then take a sip of the delightful tea.

"It has no name so most call it The Nameless Lake. A novelty the town likes to keep up with I suppose. Also adds an interesting air of mystery to it," she waves her hands and giggles.

You and Rita go back and forth about the lake and the town's history stopping conversation when you hear Yen and her brother barking in laughter. After nearly an hour does Yen finally emerge from the measuring room with a couple chalk marks here and there on his shirt and his arms.

"Well, seems like you're enjoying yourself," you grin up at him..

"Ok, suit shopping isn't bad as long as we come here. Did you know that the lake doesn't have a name?" Yen grins.

You smile and roll your eyes, "It looks like we might have been given the same history lesson then."

Rita playfully slaps your arm and groans, "That old little bastard stealing my conversation ideas."

"They're siblings," you shrug.

Yen snickers, "I'll be sure to warn my sister to not to use any cheesy corny nicknames that I come up with then. She can make up her own."

"Isn't your sister single and well you know... about to have a very important job coming up?" you poke at him.

"She never remains single for long and with her new job opportunity our mother and aunt will pressure her to settle down... with one man only," Yen says very matter of factly which makes Rita choke on her tea at that last part. The elderly orc places a hand over her chest as if she's been scandalized.

"Apologies ma'am, I didn't mean to uh-"

"Oh no no no, go on~" Rita drawls. "I do so enjoy hearing the gossip between or about other siblings. It's refreshing to know Kirill and I aren't the only ones at arms with one another."

"Refreshing though it may be, it's a bit too much prying into another's personal business for me," Kirill adds as he waltzes into the front, carrying a large clipboard and several folds of different colored fabrics.

"I've got a quite a few different options for colors and patterns that are pretty close to what we've discussed. And as for something that can be ready before the end of the day, well you're in luck. A fae fellow came in several months ago for a fitting, a little taller than you but adjustments can be easily made. The color he wanted is the same as...." Kirill pauses and flips through the fabrics and grabs a pale greenish blue and holds it up.

"Here we go, this one. His is a tad bit lighter in color and will go well with that white vest and blue tie. I will also suggest that you wear white shoes with it, in fact give me a moment," he starts rummaging through his pockets and fishes out a card. "My cousin owns a shoe shop downtown. He'll give you a decent deal if you mention I referred you."

Yen grins and takes the card as Kirill shows him to another room. You're glad that you picked this place now and even more so since Yen is branching out and meeting people.

Rita nudges you, "You were staring after him pretty hard, still a fresh love?"

There's that word again.

"I um well I like him a lot but I wouldn't call it that just yet maybe," your face feels hot as you look away.

"It's alright to be scared of it," she takes your hands and sighs. "Love is a powerful thing and it can make people strong and weak, wise and stupid, happy and miserable. It builds and breaks and hurts and heals. It can be too much and not enough at all. What I saw when you looked at him and he looked at you was beyond what petty poets could describe and maybe that's why the word isn't quite right for you."

Your mouth hangs open and your chest feels tight and you're unable to breathe for a moment. You've never had a more accurate way for love to be painted out for you but it's everything you've ever felt.

"Excuse me dear, I'm just being nosy. Feel free to disregard what I just said," Rita waves her hand.

"Oh no, it's just that you um.. you might be on to something and I just don't know how to handle it," you admittedly groan.

The elderly orc raises her brows with a triumphant smile and straightens up, "I ought to know enough about love and such things at my age. Why I think the first time I had to deal with any couple would be with Kirill and Hana, disgusting and mushy. If I ever have to see two people flirt like that ever again-" Rita pauses and dramatically shivers for effect. "But it could also be because I'm related to Kirill that I found it gross."

"Gross and annoying and hardly tolerable," another woman's voice chimed in.

"Gah! Speak of the she-devil and she'll appear," Rita opens her arms and hugs the other orcish woman.

Rita introduces Hana to you and the three of you end up talking about a dress shop you want to visit. Rita and Hana then get into an argument over which type of dress would suit you and what colors and patterns would be flattering and so on. After sometime Kirill emerges from the other room with a grin.

"Well, he'll be able to walk away with one suit today and I should have at least five more ready for him by the first week of next month. Some of the fabric I'd like to use has to be ordered and the three ties he wants will also have to be ordered. I will say this, for someone who's never owned a suit before he does have remarkable taste," Kirill notes.

Yen pulls up behind him and the two exchange a few quick words and some nods and Kirill disappears to the back.

"So I get a suit," Yen grins.

"So it would seem," you smile back to him as you stand. "Still think getting clothes is torture?"

"Ok, stop one and two are winners. How many more stops do we have?" he asks as he leans over the counter.

"Hmm, well we still have to get you some pants and shoes so two more stops for you," you tell him.

"For me?" he presses a hand to his chest and looks ridiculously aghast.

You round the counter and get real close to him and tug on his shirt a little, "What, did you think that you're the only one who's getting clothes today?"

Yen pinches your cheek and you laugh when you hear Rita snort in disgust.

"If you plan on getting all lovey dovey please spare my eyes and take it outside, I already have to deal with my brother and Hana making goo goo eyes at each other from across the store," she whines.

Kirill comes back out with what you can only imagine is Yen's suit under the black plastic and hanger. "My sister's just being bitter again, don't mind her."

"You two are too sweet, my bitterness is the balance of this store," she huffs.

Both you and Yen have a good laugh as you watch the siblings banter. Hana eventually saves the days by taking her husband's clipboard and running up the bill. It takes several minutes to say goodbye and a promise to have dinner one day before you're able to leave.

Yen guzzles several bottles of water and has to splotch his skin with a wet towel.

The next two shops Yen isn't too enthused for. Finding pants for him is a bit of a struggle but he ends up getting three new pairs. The shoes are a much worse situation and you end up having to go downtown to Kirill's cousin's shop for shoes. He's only able to get one pair and has to order the others.

"No more... no more shopping please," he begs you as he slinks in the car seat. You had learned today that Yen has a bit of a dramatic side to him when he's comfortable and has a tendency to tease you when no one's looking.

"No more shopping for you at least. There's two shops I still want to hit up," you remind him.

"Alright alright, let's get this over with," he sighs as he grabs a water from the back.

You think to yourself that he wouldn't be acting this way if he knew what the last stop was.

After a little more driving you end up at the little dress shop you were talking about with Rita and Hana. The shop is stocked wall to wall with all sorts of dresses. Yen looks around nervously until he eyes something and plucks it off a rack.

It's a cute summer dress that is the same pale blue color that his tail is. He twirls it a bit on the hanger before handing it to you and asking you to try it on.

"I will once I find a few more dresses," you agree and Yen starts his hunt.

Kirill was right about one thing, Yen has amazing taste in clothes which you find odd since he considers t-shirts and jeans the height of fashion. He picks out a couple more summer dresses, a maxi dress, and a few cocktail dresses.

He hands his finds to you with enthusiasm and follows you to the entrance of the changing rooms. The woman working the counter points to one of three large rooms right behind her so Yen can see you once you've tried on a winner. You decide to try his first pick on last, just to build up the anticipation.

The first dress is a red cocktail dress with rose print and it fits just a little too big. The second is the maxi dress that fits just right but you wouldn't get much use out of it but you still step out and let Yen get a look.

He grins and has you turn for him which makes the woman at the counter roll her eyes.

You go back in and try another cocktail dress, this time it's black with a scale like pattern and it snugs your hips just right. You walk out and Yen's eyes go wide and he purses his lips. He holds up a double thumbs up and nods his head.

"I think he likes it," the woman at the counter giggles.

"Looks like it, give him a turn," a woman exiting one of the changing rooms teases.

You start to turn but Yen gets up and gently pushes you back into the dressing room while you start laughing.

The last cocktail dress is too small and you're not entirely in love with the feel of the fabric. Now onto the summer dress. It's a soft and light fabric that feels fantastic. You slip it on and twirl a little, enjoying the way it flutters against your skin.

You step out of the changing room and Yen looks star struck. He starts dimly glowing a rosy pink and you slap a hand over your mouth to stop yourself from gasping.

"Yen, you're uh," you point to him and he panics and glows a bit brighter.

"Oh my goodness that is adorable," you hear the counter woman murmur.

Yen looks around and runs towards the bathroom and doesn't come out for a few good minutes.

"Ok so are we adding dress shopping onto the list of ok shopping?" you tease him.

"I was not expecting to be this affected but yes, we can add dress shopping to it," he moans as he leans on you in the line.

Once you're done checking out you both decide to grab a bite to eat and go to Betzabeth's cafe. She has more meals that Yen can eat and enjoy than just salad. You both eat slowly, enjoying the fact that there's no rush and nothing hanging over your heads.

You think back on the person you were before you met Yen. Too engrossed in your job, too prideful in any project you had to take over from a partner, and too ready to impress everyone at work. You were still hurting from past relationships and thinking Varen had cheated on you.

Yen came in out of nowhere with his uncertainty and his baggage and above all, his friendliness. He's nice and respectful and although there's some cultural and personal differences, he does his best to understand you.

"I hate to be cheesy corny in public but I gotta say it, I think it was love at first sight for me," he rests his chin on his palms as his elbows rest on the table.

"Oh um wow," you feel the heat in your cheeks.

"I know you're not fond of the word, but it's the only word I know that's close to describing how I feel," he admits, a light pink glow emits from under his shirt.

You think of what Rita said and you smile a little, "I think I kinda know what you mean. Maybe that's why I don't want to say it..."

Yen inhales sharply and taps his fingers on the table, "Do you uh want to talk about this later? Maybe at home or tomorrow during or before or after our date?"

"Yeah, yeah no that sounds like a good idea," you sputter.

After lunch you drive to the last stop, the one that you've kept secret up till now. You had placed a last minute request to get the shop to yourself and even paid the surcharge for same day booking. Yen will definitely appreciate the privacy.

You pull up to the building and nothing about the store front gives it away. Yen looks curiously at the shop but shrugs. Once inside you're greeted by an elf and some quick paperwork.

"What's this all about?" he asks with a whisper.

"Oh you'll find out soon," you grin.

The elf leads the both of you to a large room that has a luxurious red sofa in the middle and facing the sofa is a door. The elf has you both sit on the sofa while she quickly explains the rules of the room.

"You break it you buy it."

"You get it messy you buy it"

"You fuck in it you buy it"

You raise a brow at that.

"It happens more often than you think, that's why we had to start closing the shop for everyone else if someone reserved it," the elf shrugs completely unbothered.

Yen starts to look a little nervous as the elf grabs a couple boxes from the corner of the room and starts bringing them into the small room across from the sofa.

"Alright well I'll leave you to it. If you need any help or have any questions please use that phone over there to ring for the front," she points to an old looking phone on the wall and makes a quick exit.

Yen adjusts himself on the couch, "So my light, mind telling me what this is all about?"

"How about I show you?" you start slipping out of your clothes and Yen's mouth flies open.

"Wha- wait- what are you-"

"This is a lingerie shop Yen, and I plan on trying on all the bras and panties I bought this morning and then some," you step away from your clothes and walk right up to Yen.

His hands run up your legs and rest at your hips, thumbs hooking under your panties, "You do realize that we're either going to be subjected to each of those three rules or..."

"Or what?" you lean down and give him a quick kiss.

"Or I'll be fucking you in the driveway when we get home," he yanks you down by your bra and grazes his teeth against your neck.

"Now are you going to give me a show my light or are we just going to use this room to fuck in?" he sits back and gives you a devious grin, the whites of his eyes turning black.

You slowly walk to the dressing room, unhooking your bra and dropping it as you shimmy out of your panties. You can practically feel the heat of his gaze on you as you enter the little room. You decide to go through the box of lingerie you bought this morning.

The first set is a thin lacy thing with a garter belt. You start to step out and take a deep breath when you see that Yen's eyes have gone all black. He watches with heavy eyes and you feel like a deer approaching its hunter. You feel his magic suddenly beckoning you closer and closer. The sweet scent of summer calls you to his lap.

You crawl onto him, his fingers tracing the outlines of your little piece.

"And how many more of these do I have to watch you try on?" he asks.

"I bought about six, how many do you think you can get though?" you kiss his neck and he shivers then laughs.

"Oh my light, I hardly have the strength to get through this one," he grinds out and pulls you against him.

"Stay strong then my light," you tease then kiss the tip of his nose.

"I am weak before you my light, my fate. But if you ask me to stay strong in the midst of sheer beauty, that then is giving me a nigh impossible task," he rolls his head back and lets his arms fall to his side.

"Well this will be the ultimate test then, which is stronger, your will or my panties."

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