#but some things there's just no way I'm going to be able to get in contact with the actual artist

[realcleverscience]

@notarobot2

"I do see value in such things. Housework for example is a service like any other. The problem is that often times certian things are over valued."

It seems that you think human life is overvalued. I'm gonna have to disagree with you there and wonder what price tag you put on lives, including your own.

"As far as ethics go I operate by a different ethical philosphy than you. Everyone has slight differences of course, but I believe we have distinct and irreconcileable ones. Asserting that allowing people to suffer is a debasment of our humanity is one such case." I'm not sure what you have is a system of ethics as much as a system of self-interest. e.g. letting people suffer and die to teach them a lesson or motivate them seems barbaric. "I would agree with suffer unjustifiably. Letting people suffer and die isn't just about reducing costs, it's about motivation. It provides the stick to match the carrot of discrecionary income."

jfc, you really ate all that capitalist bullshit whole, didn't you? anyways, I too am not against money as a motivator. However, many people are literally unable to earn any or enough money. The carrot and stick approach doesn't work bc they physically cannot do it. It's like beating up an old lady or a baby for not hauling bricks as economically as a 25 year old. The reward/punishment system just won't work.

But instead of realizing the error in your system, you instead keep the system and assume it's an "error" in others that's best solved by letting the "errors" die. Insane.

Furthermore, let's get to the core issues: what's even the point of wanting people to work at all? What is the basis of this desire on your part? I'm guessing you'll say that if no-one works, we won't be able to afford anything. Which is true, but that means the real issue is sustainability of costs. Put another way, the question is: what can we financially sustainably provide all americans for free? For instance, we may well be able to feed all americans without damaging our economy. We might even be able to house everyone as well. We almost certainly can provide everyone with a normal amount of water and electricity. "But where will money come from if no-one works?" That's the thing that a lot of people somehow miss: People will still work bc people aspire to more than just food and shelter. So, as long as those are not prohibitively expensive, we can provide them without worry because people will still work.

In addition, these things can even strengthen economies. E.g. Every dollar spent on educating people can, at times, return $10 in economic benefit a few years later. Similarly, providing free school lunch to hungry kids may cost a dollar today, but if it improves their grades, it can easily pay for itself. Further, these can all have knock-on effects. E.g. a better educated public is less likely to do stupid things which endanger people. Or a well-fed kid may reduce delinquency and other issues. As some people have put it, you can invest in schools today or invest in jails tomorrow.

"I am not selling my ethics, I simply value different things. And mkre accurately, different time frames. Also, admitidly my nation over others." Yeah, if you've lost your sense of humanity and empathy, then you definitely *have* sold your ethics and replaced it with libertarianism or something, but I hope one day you find jesus, or really any religious or moral system that can heal you.

Also, no, you're not being more accurate or working with different time frames. We're working with the same facts. You just don't care if people die. And you're also not valuing your nation when you are literally endorsing positions to kill your fellow countrymen. That's not patriotism. That's just selfishness.

"In the context of AI, it would be those with ownership, speicalized skills, or means of force. There will ultimatly be death, losses and suffering. There's little way around that without undermining the systems and order that keep people productive, innovative and useful." Again, you are still assuming we need everyone to be "productive, innovative, and useful" when we are literally talking about a situation where there's no need for humans to be any of those, and indeed, it may be literally less useful in most cases than just having machines do it essentially for free.

Further, you again are finding that your system (work = value) doesn't always work (in this case, due to ai replacing labor), and again, instead of considering that your system of thoughts has errors, you instead think, no, it's the entire population itself which has errors and therefore the population must suffer and die. This is terrifyingly and hilariously ass-backwards. As others have said, the economy exists for us; we don't exist for the economy. And perhaps most hilarious of all is what seems to be your position that you yourself should die should you cease to be "useful" to society. Frankly, I doubt you actually have the courage of your convictions; to me, this again indicates that your "ethics" are just self-interest and bear no resemblance to what most call moral or ethical systems. "Scarcity is inherrent." Yes, scarcity in some forms will always exist. However, scarcity for essential goods does not have to exist, esp once AI/Robotics take over. Even if we can't give everyone filet mignon and their own beachside mansions, we *can* give everyone food and a home.

"Either we accept that AI is going go take jobs, and slowly leave the working class with nothing. Or we undermine any real chance of technological and industrial advancement in a free society."

The thing is AI taking jobs doesn't inherently need to lead to "leaving the working class with nothing." That's only true under some capitalist systems. Again, you seem to be utterly unable to think of possibilities outside capitalism, so to you, this is inevitable, but that need not be the case. But again, instead of recognizing this as an error in your worldview, you just accept that it's an error in population wide labor and necessary for "advacement" (though I wonder what use advancement is for people if your plan is for it to kill them).

"We would stagnant with people pursuing entertainment, hedoisim, and special interests rather than more useful things. Meanwhile we would continuallg have to advance production anyway to keep up with a growing population and increasing demands."

You are making some malthusian arguments. They weren't true in the 1800s and they're not true today. Further, I will reiterate that people strive for more than just being alive, and so people are likely to still work - until automation removes all jobs, at which point, your entire philosophy won't even make sense anymore bc labor will no longer exist and we will anyways still need ways to ration scarce goods.

anyways, your whole worldview seems like someone read an econ 101 book and mistook if the bible. your grasp of economics is weak. your grasp of social governance is laughable. your grasp of ethics is non-existent. and you seem motivated by greed and nothing more. sad.

AI under capitalism

[mindless-existence1]

Jjk men headcannons- Sfw and Nsfw

Includes: Geto, Gojo, Toji, and Nanami

Authors note: This is probobly the last thing I'm going to be able to make before my broken arm gets put in a sling so enjoy it chat!

Sfw

Ive said this before but Gojo spoils tf out of his partner. He has money what is he using it for besides you? Really likes sweets so sometimes he buys candy for you just so he has an excuse to by some for himself. Same other snacks, he'll say they're for you but he's the one eating over half the bag.

Geto has some crazy Insomnia and the only way for him to sleep is if he's cuddling you. It makes him fall asleep so fast. Spooning turns off his brain like a lightswitch. Something about physical contact with his loved one makes him feel content.

Nanami is the definition of a gentleman. We know this already, but it's the little things. He pulls out your chairs, he opens your car door (going as far as pushing you back into the car so he can open it for you if you already did). He also will hold your waist so your close to him in crowded places.

Toji, tho he hates electronics, would answer you no matter what. In the middle of a mission? He's answering with a "Hey there doll" (he'd call you doll I've said it once I'll say it again). He'd never text or call you first during a mission but if you contact him he's picking up the phone and you wouldn't even be able to tell he was on call.

Gojo likes seeing yiu wear his glasses. He'll let you have them on when he's wearing his blindfold and he goes crazy. He'll say something like "they look better on me" but in reality he's using six eyes to get a veiw of you from other angels.

Geto is kinda like this but it's with shirts. He's a baggy shirt wearer trust so seeing you in one makes him border line feral. It's like your covered in him and that's qhat he wants. He likes the thought that when you wear them when he's not there it's kinda like he is.

Nanami is a listener so if you're yapper he's the one for you. He'll listen to anything and everything. He has some tough days at his job and hearing you randomly call him after a hard meeting just to tell him about the dog you saw on your walk today brightens his day.

Toji doesn't like seeing you work. And not in like any sort of sexist or "I'm better than you" way. Just a "I'm right her I should do it not my god/goddess of a partner". He just doesn't want to let you lift a finger when he's right there and able. You have pick up the table, he's got it. You spilled some water, pet him wipe it up. Anything.

Nsfw

Gojo is a FREAK he will try basically anything at least once. If you're into it or want to try it almost 100% of the time he's down. Especially if in involves you being dominated because despite what he says he's a switch that likes bottoming more.

Geto likes when you pull at his hair. I'm talking yanking it, his scalp is sensitive and it makes his head go all fuzzy. When he's giving you head/eating you out he gets off on you pulling his hair alone. He'd rut his hips intoanuthung he could when yiu tug a particularly sensitive spot.

Nanami lives to serve. Although most times he's on top he's doing what you tell him to do. Kinda vanilla but not in a bad way. He'd try stuff out if you asked but nothing too freaky. Likes missionary so he can see you perfectly.

Toji is a pain lover. Both giving and receiving. It's the way the pain mixes with pleasure that gets him going. But seeing you wither and shake from the intense mix of pleasure and pain makes him get dizzy with lust. This sight is so pretty and he can't help but tease you more at the veiw.

Gojo would use 6 eyes to see the two of you while you're fucking. Your ontop of him and he can't lift his head from the pleasure to see you so he uses the last of his strength to activate 6 eyes and get all the different angles.( I heard someone say his eyes glow bright blue when he's using his technique so imagine you look up at him and he barley opens his eyes and you just see the bright blue gleaming down at you.)

Geto is a bit of a risk taker. Nothing crazy but he'd be open for some different places to be added on the lists of places to get freaky. Maybe it's am old Jujustu Tech classroom. Maybe he fucks you there while people are still taking classes and he has to put a hand over your mother to keep you quiet.

Nanami would whisper sweet nothings in yiur ear. You can't even hear what he's saying over the intense shocks of pleasure but none the less his voice goes to your cloudy head and all you can do is moan in response to the praise.

Toji would fuck you infront of a mirror. He just loves doggy and want you to see how pretty you look. He'd also want to see you so it'd very self indulgent. He just really enjoys watching in live time how your face reacts to the intense pleasure.

[sreabhadh]

Ope lol

Fortunately I have my older sister, who has a worse case than me and IS diagnosed, so I was able to look at that, look at myself, and well, 2+2=4

But yeah. Oohhff. Imposter syndrome + disabilities... yeah. For lack of better words; "big oohhff."

"But I'm not as disabled as THEY are." Okay but you're still disabled. Counterpoint. *Points to person in wheelchair* "Sure you're not as disabled as they are." *Points to someone else, any random person with a body that functions a normal amount.* "You're also not as abled (/able bodied) as them." Your disability may come in a different flavor and color your life in a different manner. But you are still disabled. And you are still valid.

Not your fault, hopefully you can escape the imposter syndrome and find some ways to take care of your body.

If you go in to get diagnosed, first off always have a list and lots of examples of your symptoms and their severity, and the effects it has and ways it limits your life and functionalities. But also, if you can, arrange it so someone else can drive you, and just, don't do all the things you usually do to try to manage it. You want the doctors to see you in bad shape on a rough day, not in good shape on a smooth day when you seem totally fine. Let them see what it's actually like instead of doing the normal social thing of being as presentable as possible at any given moment.

Also, seek out electrolytes, anything you can get that fits within your budget. My family gets Liquid IV from Sam's club in bulk, it's a little cheaper that way. My sister uses LMNT, and has prescribed salt tablets.

We have a wheelchair, a walker, and I have a cane. I used that cane quite heavily yesterday and today since I was walking around a lot (multiple hours).

Different people have different symptoms and severities, different systems and things they find help

Here's hoping you can find out what helps you 👍

Good luck my friend 🍀🤞✊

Well obviously I can’t have chronic fatigue, that’s a real problem for real disabled people that’s diagnosed by doctors probably. Clearly I just have some sort of perpetual exhaustion issue, that is also almost certainly my fault somehow

[olivialivvy17]

Blind leading the blind - Matt Murdock blurb

pairing: matt murdock x glasses gn!reader

tags: fluff, blurb

warnings: none

wc: 698

a/n: I speak from experience here, cuz I'm very blind myself. also I've never come across a pairing like this so yeah. okay I love you and enjoy <3

Blind leading the blind. That's what your mutual friends call you two. It’s funny to both of you because it’s partially true. You are nearsighted, not completely blind, but without your glasses you’re almost just as blind. Matt, on the other hand is completely blind, even with his heightened senses, he can’t see the way a normal person sees.

You two go together like a charm, a perfect pair. You two met randomly in a caffe while Matt was getting harassed by an impatient prick who couldn’t wait five seconds more for Matt to find his wallet and pay. That’s when you stepped in.

"Hey can you not wait a moment longer? Your morning coffee is not going to run away. Harassing a blind person is a very low blow man” you scolded the guy, eyebrows furrowed in frustration as you stood by the counter waiting for the barista to brew your coffee. Matt responded with a polite smile and a soft ‘thank you’ as he paid and left.

After that, you two crossed paths in that same caffe a couple of more times, which led to him asking to pay for your coffee and asking you out on a real date, that's how you two started dating.

Matt found it endearing how you partially understood him, what's it like not being able to see the world without some kind of assistance. He also loved taking off your glasses before you fall asleep, or when you’re already asleep from reading a book. He’d very gently grasp the frame and slide it off your ears, extending his arm over and putting them on the nightstand. Taking your tired face and placing a kiss to each eye, whispering praises and sweet nothings while gently feeling your face with his large hands.

“Babe, can you clean my glasses? My shirt is not the right material” you ask him, handing your glasses to your blind boyfriend. “Of course love” as he gladly takes them in hand and starts meticulously wiping the lenses with his shirt.

He knows you hate when other people touch your glasses. No one can clean them the way you do, but for some miraculous reason, Matt is an expert at that. Just the fact that you trust him that much with a thing you need in order to live properly, warms his heart and shows him that he means so much to you.

He would also just sit and listen to you grumble about the outlandish prices of getting prescription glasses. “Like I understand that my prescription is high and that my lenses need thinning, but why am I selling my kidney to be able to see!” you huff in annoyance “It’s not even my fault, i was born like this”, only for him to chuckle and shake his head at how cute you sounded to him all pouty and frustrated.

One thing no one prepared you for was the fact that Matt never really needed to turn on the light when entering the room. He was very light and eerily quiet on his feet. So one night he unintentionally, but creepily stood in the doorframe of your shared bedroom, watching (or I guess listening to) you mindlessly scroll on your phone in the dark (without glasses on) for a good moment until you felt someone watching you.

Averting your gaze from the little screen, you noticed a figure standing there in the dark. Matt immediately picked up your frightened heartbeat and softly broke the silence “Hey, hey honey, it's me. It's Matt” as he made his way to your frozen figure, half sat up on the bed. “I'm so sorry for scaring you, I forgot it's dark in here”. You would scold him for doing that, but there's never really any bite in your tone. Afterwards, he would apologize by giving you so many kisses and letting you sleep in his arms.

At the end of the day, and many shared struggles, you both found comfort in each other. Being one another's guiding light.

[3liza]

i want to clarify to everyone reading this blog that when I say stuff like "a lot of food dyes are probably bad for you" I'm not saying they will kill you or give you cancer 100% of the time or that they will even cause noticeable subjective effects for everyone who eats them. I'm saying, and I always try to actually link to the research I'm referencing, that some evidence has been found in some number and some quality of studies (and I try to qualify the number/quality/confidence of those studies) that doing/eating/living around certain substances isn't exactly "harmless".

but the thing you need to keep in mind about all studies about various harmful behaviors and substances is that your ability to control what you're being exposed to is limited, and the mega-exposures of really nasty shit like Superfund sites, burn pits, stressful noise, car exhaust and tire micro plastics, drinking water contamination etc is almost always going to be orders of magnitude more impactful on your day to day lives than something like whether your Swedish Fish is made with Red 3 or Red 40. if you're a person who has never noticed yourself getting A Little Weird after drinking red Gatorade, don't worry about it. that just means you're not one of the unlucky ones.

another pertinent issue is that the vast majority of "does exposing someone to this substance cause a measurable effect" studies are done on healthy subjects that have been pre-screened for everything the study runners can think of. they exclude people with any form of allergy, autism, ADHD, depression, asthma, COPD, head trauma, PTSD, and anything else they can think of as a variable. so you likewise have to keep in mind that many many many of the studies that show "no effect" of a substance on the test subjects is reporting that an 18 year old college student with perfect vital signs who has never had any major medical event was able to shake off exposure to a molecule. this is just an outcome of how studies have to be run to exclude variables, it's not a failure of individual scientists. the thing about it is that as we all know from living real life, stuff affects people different ways. perfectly healthy people with no preexisting conditions are actually a minority population. the normal average person has Problems. and those problems cause individual vulnerabilities to various things.

[antivanwine14]

I see the posts asking what Rook brings to the squad. What is Rook good at when the rest of the Squad are experts in their fields? Rook isn't necessary to the rest. This isn't true.

A) Rook is probably the most skilled out of all the protagonists we've had. You can head canon things, but the truth is the HOF and Inquisitor were not masters in their fields before they got supremely unlucky and landed with a skill they didn't really want. Hawke really was just a person who developed over time. Rook starts as a hero who is very skilled in their craft. I'm going to speak on this from Crow Rook POV because that is who I know best, but this does apply to the others as well. Crow Rook took down 20 Antaam alone. That is not something the average Crow can do. That is skilled enough to impress Varric and get the role to work with him.

B) Rook knows how to get themselves into and out of trouble. Yes, Rook does know how to get into trouble, but Rook also sees opportunities others miss. In the opening, Harding's plan is to fire on Solas. She doesn't consider other options beside the one she is most comfortable with. Neve tells Harding no, but she also doesn't give a better solution either. Rook is the one who looks around to find other solutions.

Additionally, I wish this was commented on more but other characters acknowledge this skill of finding opportunities. Varric says to an unromanced Inquisitor that Rook is very good at Wicked Grace, a game all about cheating and opportunities. If Rook de Riva abandons Treviso, Viago also comments on this skill, that Rook would have found a way to help their city. Rook sees opportunities others miss. This is a very important skill that the other companions don't really have. There is a phrase, to a hammer, everything looks like a nail and our companions do that. Our companions are very skilled at what they do, but that means they don't usually look outside of the solution that fits their skills best, ie: Harding is always looking for the shot, Lucanis's solutions usually involve daggers, etc.

C) Rook has the soft skills to lead. Soft skills are completely underrated in life. Some people just assume that the person with the best skills at something should be the leader. This is how we get really awful leaders who have no people skills and treat their teams like crap. Leadership takes skills and none of the companions have those skills at the start. Davrin and Neve end the game as leaders, but both start having the same issue of being lone wolves who struggle to trust others. They need to learn how to trust others. Harding would probably be the best of the rest, but she is dealing with her own internal struggles with her new stone powers and the anger the titans are feeling. Rook might have some issues with confidence as being a leader, but Rook has great soft skills that allow the team to open up to them and trust them with the team's issues. Rook's confidence issues goes away with time as they get used to the role and it is the soft skills that make Rook so valuable.

Rook built the team. Remove Rook and the team would never have functioned as well as they did because of the work Rook did. Yes, they were able to accomplish a lot while Rook was in the Fade Prison, but that was because Rook had done their job. Rook had built a great team that knew what they had to do, were able to work together, and were able to do it until they could get Rook back. They trusted what Rook had done because they trusted Rook. I don't see them getting nearly as far without Rook and so Rook is absolutely essential for the squad.

[mysticarcanespellbook]

"You're nodding off again, Azrael," I said, prodding him awake.

The elf awoke with a start, his long golden hair whipping--no, that was too quick for what it did--floating, somehow, back behind his head as he suddenly straightened up and leaned forward, his golden eyes scanning something in the dirt I could not see. Content with whatever it was, he leaned back in his camp chair, and yawned, making a sound not unlike that of a mourning dove.

"I was merely meditating. You disturbed my trance." His voice was mellow, yet commanding. "Besides, even if I did fall asleep, I'd still be able to focus on my task. Magic elf powers, you know." He flashed me a grin, his teeth almost blindingly white against his rosy skin.

I stood up and stretched. "Humans do similar things sometimes. I've gone to bed and dreamed solutions to my problems a time or two. Can't solve them until I wake up, though." I walked over to the wood pile and grabbed a few logs, then winced as their bark scraped against my palms. "Like fueling our fire, for instance. I'm not exactly the sleepwalking type."

"Arcane problems can be solved in any state of mind," replied the elf, "so long as you're thinking about them." He turned his head to face me, then studied me as I brought the logs to the fire. "You should try it sometime. Then maybe you can kick your coffee addiction."

I ignored him. "This should get us enough flame to last another hour or two. Let's hope you can complete your ritual by then." I walked to the folding table we set up by our tent and grabbed my kettle. "Boiling some water won't break it, will it?"

"It shouldn't," said Azrael. "The only things the Lady specified was focus, firelight, and time." He yawned, a sound like the wind gently whistling past a cave. "I have plenty of all three."

He didn't sound convincing. I brought my kettle to the water cooler, a big orange plastic barrel that had seen many a camping trip. I filled the kettle and walked across the crunchy brown grass towards Azrael, who was now tracing invisible symbols in the air with his finger. "Well," I replied, "I'm not quite as alert as you elven folk, so you'll have to forgive my indulgence." I set the kettle down on the ground for a moment and took my fire gloves out of my jacket pockets. Putting them on, I grabbed the kettle and hung it on the spit above the flames.

No quips from Azrael this time. His ritual demanded his attention, apparently. It made sense, though. I had seen the way the other high elves sneered at him, the way they looked at his attempts at magic the way a businessman might look at a toddler singing in his office--with a mixture of amusement and irritation, as if his attempts were cute, but a waste of valuable time.

He told me once, what the point of the thing was. Some sort of coming-of-age ritual. It was supposed to reveal to him what his purpose was, and awaken any latent power that could drive him towards it. I had told him at the time that he was lucky, since humans had to figure out their purpose all on their own, with no magic to help them at all. The look on his face when I said it made me wish I hadn't.

It was the seventh time I had gone out with him to figure this out, and it certainly didn't feel any different: just like every time before, the sky was steel gray, the wind was gentle but bitterly cold, and the grass had long since gone from soft to brittle. It was going to snow soon, and I could feel it. The only comforts I had, standing out in this field with my friend, were the warmth of the flame, the promise of a hot coffee, and the knowledge that whatever happened, at least Azrael wasn't facing this alone.

The kettle began steaming. I left the warmth of the flame once again and went back to the table to get the instant coffee, which I carefully took the lid off of before pouring a measured scoop into my empty thermos.

Azrael spoke up again, breaking our relative silence. "What's so great about coffee, anyway?"

"It depends on what you like. Some people like the caffeine content." He scowled at this, but I continued. "Others like it for the earthy taste. I prefer having a hot drink that ain't just hot water." I went back to the kettle, which was now whistling loudly. "Any of those sound appealing?"

The elf laughed, dropping his hands into his lap. "Come on, Rob, you know that nothing you can say will ever get me to try one of your human drugs. It wouldn't even do a thing to me."

"Which is exactly why I offered," I replied. "You look practically frozen, and as much as you are 'one with the natural world' or whatever, I highly doubt you want to warm up by drinking hot water on its own." I carefully removed the kettle and brought it to the table. "At least give it a taste, and that way you can definitively say that your drink of choice is superior. Surely you wouldn't pass up the chance to lord your superiority over me?" It was my turn to flash a grin his direction before filling my thermos almost to the top. Not that he saw it; he was too busy looking at the ground again. I sighed, set the kettle on the ground next to the table and screwed the lid of my thermos back on.

"Something hot would be nice, actually." Azrael yawned again, then continued, "Perhaps this day might not be a total waste."

I shook the thermos, mixing up its contents, and popped the top open. I was immediately assailed by that strange burnt scent that instant coffee seems to have. Not the best coffee, and far from it. I regretted not bringing any cream or sugar or anything at all that could make it better. Still, I liked black coffee well enough, and instant coffee isn't the worst thing on mornings like this. I grabbed a couple of paper cups and poured some coffee in each before closing the lid and walking back, coffees in hand.

"Sorry in advance, it's not freshly ground and is definitely going to taste strange," I said. "People also usually put something in it to lessen the bitterness, or to make it sweet before they--"

I wasn't able to finish my sentence before Azrael snatched his cup from my hand, nearly spilling some coffee in the process. "Enough warning; I know what I'm getting into," he said before chugging the whole scalding-hot drink in one go. He wiped his mouth and tossed the cup into the flames.

He sighed. "That wasn't half-bad, Rob. Kind of reminds me of the way dirt tastes, and obviously the warmth is really nice. I can see why some people might drink this even without the caffeine."

A gentle gust of wind blew on the flames as I sat down, pushing the smoke towards me, then Azrael, then away from us. I shut my eyes tightly against the smoke until it passed. Azrael, on the other hand, went back to tracing in the air, unfazed by the smoke that surely clouded his vision. I sipped at my coffee, enjoying each hot sip as I finished it off. I tossed the cup in the fire and leaned back in my chair.

We sat in silence around the fire for only a couple more minutes before suddenly Azrael leaped out of his chair with the force of a bullfrog and the grace of a jaguar. He began pacing rapidly, his eyes flitting back and forth between spots on the ground and in the air. "What's wrong, Az? Are you feeling okay?"

"No. No, I am not. I'm certain it's that blasted coffee. I feel shaken up, like--like some sort of cyclone. I can hear my heart in my skull and I can feel my blood flowing through my feet. I feel like I can see the whole world, and like I can sprint across it without breathing. It's a wonderful and terrible feeling all at once. I feel--by Gaia, I see it!"

One second later, green symbols appeared faintly on the ground and in the air where he had been looking, growing slowly stronger until they looked like I could reach right out and grab one. They then floated towards Azrael until they were maybe a foot out before stopping and spinning slowly around him. Eventually they started picking up speed, becoming so fast that they looked like solid green rings. I couldn't make sense of what was happening, but Azrael stood in the center of it all, basking in the power that these symbols must surely be holding. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted back, and he wore the biggest smile I'd ever seen him have. Eventually, the magic rings faded, and he opened his eyes and stared into the sky.

"So, you have it then? You know your purpose?"

He looked back at me. "Yes. And I might know yours, too. Come on, we need to pack up." He ran to the kettle and picked it up with his bare hands before pouring the water over the fire, dousing the logs somewhat. Before I knew it he was grabbing our water cooler and dumping the contents in the pit as well.

I gathered the contents of the table and put them in a box to take to our car before folding the table up and taking it in one hand. Azrael, somehow even faster than ever, swooped in and got the box in one hand, the other hand somehow effortlessly carrying the now-empty water cooler, and both camp chairs and our tent in their bags slung haphazardly across his shoulders. "Geez, dude," I remarked, "that coffee sure gave you a boost."

"You don't know the half of it," Azrael replied, his breath somehow not at all ragged. "The Lady must know of this miracle. I thank you, friend, for giving me the alertness I so desperately needed to get this spell to work."

"S-Sure, anytime," I said before stumbling towards my car. "Just let me know if there's anything else I can help you with."

"Actually, there are two things." Azrael dropped the cooler and snapped his fingers. At this, everything we had brought with us suddenly started floating towards the trunk, carefully arranging themselves inside as if they had minds of their own. "One, please join me this weekend in the house of the Noble Ones."

An invitation to the Elven Land? And not just anywhere, but the Lady's residence? "I couldn't! Surely a human would be out of place in such a high court?"

"Nonsense," he laughed, "you are my guest, and I can have whoever I wish with me to celebrate such an important day! Please come with me, I insist," he cried, his eyes piercing me with a gaze stronger than steel.

Oh, what the heck. It's the weekend anyway, and I didn't have anyone at home to worry about. "Fine. I'll go with you, but I need to stop by home to get some more formal clothing."

"Excellent! They'll be delighted to meet the one who gave me my breakthrough. Oh, I can feel my heart swell with joy at the thought! Or maybe that's the caffeine, but I don't care! This is just marvelous!"

"Okay, okay!" I laughed along with him. "I'm going already!" We got into the car and I turned the key in the ignition. "Anyway, what was that second thing?"

"Oh, right," he replied sheepishly. "The second thing."

"Come on, what is it?" I asked as I shifted into drive.

"Alright, alright. Ah, er, when we get into town again..."

"Spit it out, my coffee hasn't kicked in yet."

"About that. When we get into town again, would you mind taking me to the cafe on main street? I really want to try one of those 'espressos' I've heard so much about."

Elves have never been affected by narcotics, making elves incredibly judgmental of human drug use. However, one special human drug is the exception, affecting elves far more than any other creature: caffeine.

[district4loading]

Twice's Tour Chronicles (WLW)

Twice x Twice : Sana!dom x Dahyun!sub | Jihyo!dom x Tzuyu!sub | Nayeon!dom x Momo!dom x Mina!sub

6K Words

Content Warning: smut, threesome, member x member, toys, face riding, oral

Minors DNI

A/N: The person that asked for the twice members shower situation requested that I continued the scenario so here it is. This is my first time doing member x member stuff but it was fun and I can't wait to do some more of it.

Enjoy!!

-

"Okay, I'll say it since no one else will"

Jeongyeon starts off, looking around the room to make sure that all eyes are on her, including the managers and the staff "If the driver is going to take another hour to get here, we might as well kill the time by showering here"

The statement gets mixed reactions. Sana's the first one to twist herself in Dahyun's lap and say "Yeah, I'm in desperate need of a shower right now." There's a few other girls that nod and hum in agreement while some others are hesitant to give a proper response or even acknowledge it.

The girls are backstage at the MetLife Stadium and they just finished performing a show that will probably go down in history as one of their best. Usually, they'd be on their way back to the hotel by now but unfortunately the van that's supposed to pick them up had some mechanical issues. Meaning that their ride is delayed for another hour as Jeongyeon said.

Manager-unnie crosses her arms and stops to think for a bit as the girls watch her silently. "There should be a communal shower just down the hall. I'll check to see if we'll be able to use it"

Dahyun winces a bit when she hears the word "communal" and Sana's the first to notice it. "It's fine I'll just shower when I get back to the hotel" Dahyun shrugs her shoulders.

Tzuyu and Mina nod along with a hum "Me too" The taller girl insists.

Sana slides out of Dahyun's lap "but you hate being sweaty" She says it in that cute little voice of hers and it sounds innocent but if anyone knows Sana, they'd know it's far from it.

"Yeah but.. communal showers aren't my thing you know. It'll be weird"

"It's going to be fine..." Sana leans into Dahyun's ear and says something that nobody else can hear.

Momo and Nayeon watch the two of them and the older girl just catches the way that Momo rolls her eyes "Those two might as well just kiss" she mutters, causing Nayeon to laugh and playfully tap her arm.

"How do you feel about this communal showers thing?" Nayeon questions her.

Momo only shrugs "I just wanna get clean honestly"

So like the strong leader she is, Jihyo gets everyones attention "We've all seen each other naked before, it's really no big deal if we shower together" She looks at the members who are still unsure, although it's looking like Dahyun is about to change her mind with the way Sana has her smiling now.

"Fine" Tzuyu looks at Mina for a moment "I need a shower too, I don't think I can wait"

Then it doesn't take much convincing for Mina to shrug her shoulders and say "Fuck it"

-

So there they are, naked in the communal showers trying to get clean. Chaeyoung really only minds her business and so does Tzuyu, Jihyo and Dahyun because they're more focused on the way the warm water soothes their skin and their sore muscles.

But Mina, no matter how much she tries can't stop sneaking looks at Momo and Nayeon who are to her left and right. All she has to do is turn her head a little bit and she can't help herself when she allows herself to stare at their breasts or the perfect curve of their ass. She's embarrassed by it and she can feel her cheeks burn red the moment she locks eyes with Nayeon.

She turns her head away to face forwards when she suddenly feels someones presence next to her. It's Momo and she's snaking her arms around Mina's waist "Momo, what are you-" She gasps, feeling her nails dig into her skin.

"I thought I'd come over here since you wouldn't stop looking my way"

Momo looks over to Nayeon and winks, beckoning her to come over as well. So she does and now poor little Mina is practically cornered by these two vixens. Nayeon puts a hand on Mina's breast while Momo kisses on her neck. The younger girl closes her eyes, not knowing what the hell she's gotten herself into.

She's being fondled by two people at once and no matter how much she whines their names, she knows she wants more.

Meanwhile Sana's sneaking up behind an unsuspecting Dahyun who almost yelps when she feels a pair of small hands grab her ass. "That's not funny" She huffs to Sana who only giggles and wraps her arms around the younger girls body. "Seriously" Dahyun tries not to smile but it's prevalent in her tone and the subtle quiver on her lips.

"Aw c'mon Dahyunnie, you know I can't stay away from you for more than a minute"

Their wet bodies are completely flush together, smooth wet skin against smooth wet skin. "So clingy" Dahyun taps her arm "If you want me to help you shower then just say that"

Jeongyeon holds in a laugh and turns to Jihyo "Hey, leader. Aren't you gonna do something? The members are about to fuck"

The acclaimed leader only snorts "If I get involved, we all might end up unable to look into each others eyes for the rest of the tour" Then she finds herself staring at whatever Momo, Mina and Nayeon have going on across the room.

"I'm sure Mina and Nayeon won't mind if you steal Momo away from them for a moment" Jeongyeon shrugs, her words causing Jihyo's cheeks to burn.

She turns over "I was not staring at Momo"

It's very unconvincing the way she says it because it sounds like she's trying to convince herself of that more that she's trying to convince Jeongyeon. "I didn't say you were I just-"

"Just what?" The leader snaps

"Nothing" Jeongyeon tries to hold in a laugh, figuring that maybe she shouldn't try to open that can of worms again.

Chaeyoung looks over to Tzuyu "See, I could've predicted that this would happen"

"What?"

"Sana and Dahyun.. Mina between Nayeon and Momo... I saw it happening" She shrugs causing Tzuyu to laugh a bit "When we get back to the hotel I wouldn't be surprised if some of them spent the night together"

"I've only been looking, I don't think I could bring myself to actually.." She trails off but the older girl catches the drift and nods.

It's something that the youngest has thought about a few times, although she'd never actually act on anything. She was too shy and too awkward to do so. As opposed to Chaeyoung, who didn't really have any interest in hooking up with the members. But she wasn't one to judge, in fact she says "You should try it out"

Tzuyu only shakes her head and continues to scrub her body, feeling herself turn red at just the thought of...

-

"Jihyo-unnie!" The leader hears the familiar voice of the one and only maknae echoing loud in the hallway of the hotel. She turns around to see none other than Tzuyu walking past the door to her own room and straight to her.

Jihyo's immediately curious, stopping to look at Tzuyu with her arms crossed "What's up?" 

"Can we talk?" Jihyo nods, then waits for the youngest to speak "In private" Tzuyu clarifies.

First Jihyo's a bit hesitant but she reaches for the door knob and she opens it anyways. As Twice's leader she knows every one of her members inside and out. So she'll always keep her door open if a member is in need of any guidance or anything of the sort.

They both sit next to each other on the edge of the bed and Jihyo notices that Tzuyu's not looking her in the eye. So she starts things off "Whats on your mind Tzu?" She tilts her head, placing her hand on the younger girls thigh. It wasn't anything more than a simple act of assurance to get her comfortable and Tzuyu knows that. Still, her ears burn red from the contact.

"I..." She swallows and turns to meet the leaders eyes "Have you ever uh... like.." Jihyo nods along, holding eye contact intensely a bit worried about the girl in fronr of her. Tzuyu takes a deep breath, noticing how pathetic she seems not being able to form a proper sentence "Have you ever been with one of the members. Like sexually?" She blurts the words out, although the question wasn't really necessary.

Everyone knew that Jihyos been with Momo and she's gotten with Sana too. She asked it to get the conversation going so she can make a move.

Jihyo just chuckles, relaxing the tensions in her body once she realizes what this is about "I mean.. yeah. Why?"

"I think I'm... curious about it but I don't know. I've never been with a girl before" Tzuyu admits, breaking eye contact before she can even finish her sentence.

"So who are you interested in? I could maybe help you set something up with her" 

Tzuyu only smiles, her cheeks turning red as she looks at Jihyo, putting her hand over hers that's on her thigh "How about you show me the ropes first. Then we can talk about the others" Somehow she's able to smoothen out her tone when she says it, sounding a little bit more confident.

Jihyo's eyes widen, she wasn't expecting this at all. "Tzu... are you sure?"

"Y..Yeah" Tzuyu nods reluctantly, finding Jihyo's surprise a little discouraging.

Jihyo holds Tzuyu's chin, forcing her to look her in the eye "I want you to be completely 100% sure about it first, show me that confidence again"

"I want to" Tzuyu looks into her eyes when she says it, causing Jihyo to give her a satisfied smile. Her hand moves to caress Tzuyu's soft cheek and she just has to admire the younger girl's face a bit. 

She's beautiful.

"Can I kiss you?" Jihyo asks softly and Tzuyu nods immediately.

So Jihyo leans in, eager to get her lips on Tzuyu's. The maknae doesn't waste any time to reciprocate the kiss. She moves her lips nice and slow against Jihyo's, allowing herself to taste and smudge the lipgloss that's on her lips. 

As things heat up, Tzuyu finds herself moaning softly into Jihyo's mouth. The pretty sounds she makes on her lips causes the leader to feel a familiar heat inside of her body. Jihyo begins to kiss her harder and a bit faster, saliva finding it's way at the corners of the girls' lips and sliding down their chins.

There's nothing like a good make-out session to Jihyo. She could spend a good while doing it. Especially when she feels Tzuyu's hands wandering to where she's always wanted them to be in the first place. Tzuyu cups Jihyo's full breasts in her hands, feeling how soft they are, just like she thought they'd be. 

Jihyo's hands deviate too, slipping underneath Tzuyu's T-shirt to hold and feel the skin on her slim waist. The sounds of the smacking of their lips and their eager moans fill the warm lit room room as they grow hungrier for each other. 

She tugs at the hem of Tzuyu's top and they have to break the kiss for the first time to get it off. Tzuyu bites her lip, already missing the taste of Jihyo's when she begins to take off her own top. She can't help but look at the leaders breasts and how they nearly burst out of her bra, it's got her cheeks hot. Jihyo giggles as she reaches back to unclasp her bra "You can touch them if you'd like" She offers welcomingly with a smirk.

Tzuyu hesitates a bit but then her hands reach out to touch them. She holds them both in her hands and they feel much better, warmer and even softer without clothes over them. "Can... can I suck them?" The curiosity in Tzuyu's tone has Jihyo nearly swooning because she's so unbearably cute and endearing.

"Go ahead" She nods and Tzuyu scoots forwards, ducking her head down to get the nipple in her mouth. Jihyo moans softly, the sensitivity her nipples harbor only enhances the pleasure for her. It's obvious Tzuyu's never done this before, the way she's moving her tongue and sucking feels so amateur in the cutest way possible.

So Jihyo giggles, allowing her to explore and do her own thing until she's ready to stop. Soon she comes up "Now what?" Tzuyu asks and Jihyo has to sit and think a bit before she scoots further onto the bed, then spreads her legs and taps the spot in front of her.

"Come sit here" Jihyo smiles warmly. Tzuyu does as she's told, then and she presses her back against Jihyo. "Let me help you take these off" She offers, tugging and pulling at the waistband of her sweats so she lifts her hips and helps get them all the way off. "Can I touch you here?" 

Tzuyu nods "Yes, please" as Jihyo kisses along her neck, fingers ghosting over her underwear.

"So Tzu... how come all of a sudden you're interested in me"

"Well-" A soft moan stops her mid sentence when Jihyo puts some actual pressure on her panties "Well, I saw that Dahyun and Sana and the others were having a good time. I got curious" She shrugs, causing Jihyo to hum in response.

"But why'd you choose me?"

"I thought you were the most trustworthy, you know me the most"

Jihyo smiles as she slides Tzuyu's panties to the side, running the tip of her finger up her slit. From the feel of it, just a bit of kissing and nipple play has got Tzuyu all dripping and ready for her leader. It boosts her confidence through the roof.

She hears a small little whine come from the younger girl when she begins to circle her clit "How does that feel?" Jihyo mutters against her skin soft skin.

"Good" She hums, then spreads her legs a bit wider to give better access. Without another word, Jihyo slides two whole fingers inside of Tzuyu's aching heat, hearing a loud moan escape her lips full of pleasure and surprise. "Ah- Jihyo" She has to shush the younger a bit as she begins to glide her fingers in and out, curling them perfectly for her.

"You're so wet, just look how easy it's going in and out" Jihyo whispers, looking over Tzuyu's shoulder. Tzuyu looks down also, unable to take her eyes off the sight in front of her. Something tells her that she should be embarrassed because just look at her, a moaning and squirming mess on Jihyo's fingers and she's only just started.

But it feels too good for her to have any sort of shame. Right now there's only pleasure and she's absolutely drunk with it. "Please- Jihyo right there" She sobs, eyes threatening to roll back each time Jihyo buries her fingers to the hilt.

When Tzuyu woke up this morning, this isn't how she envisioned the following night going. Like always she'd keep to herself and stay in her room to recharge after a long concert. Instead she's in Jihyo's room getting fingered and fondled with her head in the clouds. Each squeeze of her petite breasts gets her gushing and when Jihyo kisses her neck so sweetly it's almost too much.

"What was that Tzu?" Jihyo sinks her teeth into the younger girl's neck, then licks over her red teeth marks "Go on, tell me how it feels" Jihyo hums, noticing the stutter in each breath she takes in. Jihyo says the words so slowly, her voice deep and soulful like she means it and God Tzuyu's mind just fucking breaks.

"I- It's so fucking good... fuck- how are you doing that?" She moans, turning her head towards Jihyo the best she can for some answers. Tzuyu can't understand it at all, how Jihyo can get her like this just with two of her fingers. No guy she's been with could ever make her feel pleasure so intense and earth-shattering that she can't even focus on making her moans sound pretty. They're labored and broken but Jihyo likes it that way, she likes her this way.

Then Jihyo's hand slides down from Tzuyu's breast and she brings it to the throbbing bud that's begging for attention. She slaps it, not once, but twice and with each one Tzuyu's entire body jerks "Again" she nods. It's the first time that she's said something with so much conviction so far. "Fuck!" She squeals when Jihyo does it a bit harder this time, then she rubs it to ease the pain.

"I would've never pegged you to be the type to like being slapped down there" Jihyo snickers so arrogantly, like she knows how badly she's fucking this poor girl up tonight. 

Tzuyu doesn't respond, she just can't. Not when both of Jihyo's hands are doing all the right things. She tries to move because the pleasure's got her close but Jihyo's strong arms are constricting her, holding her in place so that the only thing she can do right now is take it. "Jihyo" It comes out as a helpless and breathy whisper "I'm almost there" The warning is pleading, like she needs her to take her to the finish line so badly.

"Yeah?" Jihyo nods 

Tzuyu nods back, moaning a louder "Yeah" back as she turns to face her the best she can. Jihyo can tell what she needs right now, there's no need to ask for it. So she leans and cranes her neck the best she can to get their lips together. She swallows all of the maknae's moans, kissing her nice and slow as she gets her to the point of no return.

She hums a sweet and encouraging "mm-hm" on the other girls lips right when her body begins shaking.

And with a particularly loud and hoarse moan Tzuyu cums all over Jihyo's fingers, her cunt helplessly clenching and pulsing around them. At this point she's stopped kissing back and Jihyo's the one doing all the work, fucking her through her orgasm as she sucks and bites on her lips. 

It's all so worth it to make Tzuyu fall apart on her fingers.

-

So there they are, laying in bed together after Tzuyu timidly requested to stay the night. She lays in Jihyo's arms a little exhausted and weak from their activities. "Next time can I try topping?" Jihyo only laughs for a moment because it's the first words she's said since they decided to ask. When she hears it, her ears go red "I'm sorry, I was just saying what I was thinking"

Jihyo runs her hand through her hair "No Tzu don't be sorry. You're just cute" She breathes in a bit and she smiles warmly "Yeah, I'll let you top me"

"You'll have to teach me" She clears her throat, the embarrassment starts flooding in. Being this inexperienced at her age, feeling all the things Jihyo made her feel for the first time tonight--it all made her feel like she's missing out on the better parts of life and now she's hoping that Jihyo will be patient with her.

"We'll take things slow, I won't rush you into anything" Jihyo assures her, pulling her in closer for comfort. 

It's just peaceful when they fall asleep in each others arms.

-

Sana and Dahyun were all over each other getting to the hotel, they decided to stop by the open bar downstairs to maybe get a few drinks. 

On their way back, Sana's naughty giggles could be heard from all the way down the hall as she fiddled with the lock to the younger members room. Once they make it inside, Sana wastes no time to press the smaller girl up against the nearest wall. She presses their lips together once, then twice "I think I'm obsessed with you" Sana mutters on Dahyun's lips as she reaches for the buttons on her jeans.

"You think?" Dahyun suppresses a moan as Sana dips her head into her neck, kissing and licking on the soft and pale skin "No marks" she winces when the brown haired girl attacks her skin a little too rough with her mouth. 

She doesn't respond, only shoves her hand into Dahyun's panties, getting a feel of the wet warmth she's been harboring the entire ride back to the hotel. "Oh- looks like someones been ready for me a while" Sana smirks, kissing her once more as she circles her cunt.

Like the tease she is, she slips her hand out and places her sticky fingers into her mouth, humming erotically at the sweet taste. Sana leans in, allowing their lips to collide once more with a grip on the younger's waist. She then guides her, walking her all the way to the bedroom where she can push her onto the bed to lay down. "Clothes off" She orders, still standing as she pulls her hoodie over her head.

In a flash, Dahyun's wiggles herself out of her clothes and they end up somewhere on the floor. Sana giggles as she reaches to unclasp her bra, letting her small breasts go free. Now that they're both bare, Sana's ready to allow their bodies to come together again. She crawls on top of the smaller girl, kissing along her jawline, then all the way down to her kneck and chest.

Dahyun's got a great body. It's probably why Sana's so obsessed. She could spend hours just sucking on those perfect nipples of hers without getting bored or tired. Ask Dahyun, she's done it before. "Unnie" Dahyun moans, the pure unadulterated pleasure coursing throughout her body when she feels Sana's warm tongue on her nipple.

She flicks the muscle on the stiff peaks, massaging the other breast gently with her hand, careful not to dig her nails into the skin. Sana was mindful about things like that. It's part of the reason why Dahyun's only trusted Sana with her body thus far. "My perfect girl" Sana mutters as she moves to the next nipple, treating it with the same care and affection.

It was no joke that she could spend and hour doing it. The devilish smirk on her face and the intense eye contact she makes tells Dahyun that much. "Sana Unnie" Dahyun whines, hands weakly trying to push Sana down to where she needed her the most. 

Sana opens her mouth and starts licking around and between the younger girls breasts, coating her body with her saliva. She hums "Well what?" She plants a kiss between her tits "You keep calling me, but you won't tell me what you want"

Something that Sana loves to do? Tease. No matter if she was topping or bottoming, the girl is a tease. She know's how shy and red Dahyun can get once she's got her begging and pleading for her to do the nastiest things to her body. She really gets off on it. The whining, the whimpering, it's all like fuel to her when she hears the way the adorable sounds come out of Dahyun's mouth.

"Need your tongue... need your fingers" She squirms under Sana's weight, trying to achieve just the tiny bit of friction that'll be enough to at least ease the ache in between her legs. She can feel that her inner thighs are already all slippery with her arousal and it makes it all the more embarrassing. "Please, inside unnie" Her hips grind up into nothing.

Sana smirks "Whatever you want." Then she's going lower, still keeping that eye-contact as she kisses her way down Dahyun's sleek body. Down to her belly, all the way to her wanting cunt. Sana blows on it first, giggling at the sudden twitch her leg gives to the contact. Then Sana makes duck lips to plant soft kisses on her outer lips, coating them with her wetness "You would make a great lipgloss" Sana jokes.

Dahyun can't laugh, nor can she even acknowledge the joke that Sana made. Just her lips, Sana's soft fucking lips has Dahyun a whining mess. She needs more but she's so sensitive that each small kiss is almost too pleasureful. Thankfully, Sana stops teasing, she gets a good grip on Dahyun's plump thighs before flattening her tongue on her clit. "Oh- Yes Sana!" Dahyun says her name like she's the only girl in the world.

That's certainly what it felt like

She keeps going, licking, flicking and swirling her tongue on the sweet bundle of nerves between Dahyun's legs. She's going crazy, moaning and squirming with her fingers tangled in Sana's hair. She has to stop herself from pulling, but it feels so good she almost needs to. "S-Sana!" She whimpers, voice shaking as she moans the older girls name. It's like music to her ears.

"Mhm" Sana can only really hum to let Dahyun know that she's there and she hears her because her mouth is currently occupied. It doesn't take long for the younger girl to break eye contact, she throws her head back, hand covering her flushed face as she lay flat on the mattress.

She can swear up and down right now that nobody can eat her out like Sana. She knows her body inside and out, it's almost unfair.

Sana brings up her hand, prodding Dahyun's tight entrance with the long digit. As soon as she feels it she moans "Please!" Needing to feel Sana's fingers pounding and stretching her just the way she likes.

The older pulls her head back and spits on the sloppy cunt in front of her, spreading it around until she inevitably slides a finger inside. Dahyun grips the sheets so tight, it's probably done damage "So tight Dahyunnie" Sana murmurs before getting her mouth back on Dahyuns clit, making the girl choke out a moan.

Sana pumps her finger in and out, nice and slow so she's careful not to hurt her. She makes sure to curl it just the way Dahyun likes before she begins to swirl her tongue around. Figure eight motions will always get her going as Sana remembers, so thats exactly what she does, not at all caring if her tongue gets tired or sore. Dahyun tastes too good for her to stop and she sounds too good for her to stop.

The noises that fill the room are just obscene. Loud and aggressive slimy sounds at each flick of Sana's tongue and fingers. Then there's dahyun's pretty moans that she's given up on hiding at this point. It's hot, she's hot.

"Can I add another?" Sana detatches her lips for a moment to ask

"Yes please" Dahyun nods frantically and the look on her face is pure wreckage. Eyes squinted like she's about to cry when she throws her head back at the stretch of Sana's second finger. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank- ah!" That's the moment Sana hits her g-spot. 

Sana lowers her head again, wrapping her moist lips around Dahyun's clit to suck on the bud as hard as she can. It'll send her over the edge, she knows it. "Sanaaaa Fu-ah!" Dahyun grabs a pillow and puts it over her face, squeezing the soft object with all her strengh. 

Now Sana has to try a bit harder to hold Dahyun down with her free hand because she's moving around more. She holds strong though, working her fingers into the girl like her sole purpose in life is to make Dahyun cum as hard as she can.

By the looks of it, she was on the way there. With her moans going up an octave and the pillow not doing a very good job at quieting her down, her body begins to tremble. Sana hums and the vibrations immediately stimulate Dahyun's nerves in a way that sends her off of the edge almost immediately. "Sana... I'm cumming!" She moans out loud and proud through the pillow, hips stuttering and bucking in Sana's mouth as she tries to ride out her orgasm. It's so good it has her words getting stuck in her throat.

She begins to breath as if she's hyperventilating as her orgasm knocks the wind out of her. "God" She groans long and low. When she finally comes down from her high and Sana slips her fingers out and withdraws her mouth from the tired girl. 

Sana gets level with her, then puts her lips on hers "Thank you" Dahyun murmurs tiredly. 

Then Sana giggles a bit "No problem" her hand begins to slide down her body again but Dahyun weakly pushes her hand away because she's sensitive "Aw you don't want to have any more fun with me?"

Dahyun shakes her head "Mm-mm Unnie I'm tired" 

Sana only kisses her cheek and allows her to fall asleep in her arms, she deserves it.

-

In Nayeon's room, there's something a bit more sinister going on.

"What do you think Nayeon unnie? Should we give this pervert a break, or do you think she needs to cum one more time?" Momo giggles, allowing the purple vibrator in her hands graze Mina's clit ever so slightly. The younger girl can only whine and pull weakly at the handcuffs around her wrists.

Nayeon rubs her hand along Mina's sweaty body, tweaking her stiff nipples in between her fingers "I think our little Minari can handle a little more" The eldest leans in, putting her lips on Mina's to kiss her softly. While their lips move together in unison and their tongues begin to invade each others mouths, Momo slips the toy inside of Mina's tight hole. The way she moans into Nayeon's mouth makes the two giggle as the vibrator goes in and out of Mina's sopping cunt.

The poor girl can barely even keep up with the kiss. With Momo's punishing pace and Nayeon's wandering hands that knead her small breasts--it's all too much. Mina's hips buck and shake. In that moment her legs nearly shut. Momo glares, then slaps her thigh "remember what happens if you close your legs, slut" She says before angling the toy differently to fuck it into her just a bit deeper.

"I-I know, I didn't - fuck - I didn't close them" Mina moans, holding onto Nayeon's arm as she moves down to kiss against the quiet girls neck. 

"So greedy Mina" Nayeon makes a tsk noise "You've got both your little holes filled and it still doesn't seem like you're satisfied" She's referring to the butt plug that's been stretching Mina out since they started "How about we fill that loud mouth?" 

Momo laughs when she realizes where Nayeon's going with this but she doesn't say anything as she shifts to her knees to straddle Mina's face. If her face wasn't already red, it is now because the view she has of Nayeon's body right now is insane. Not to mention the taste when she actually gets herself seated. 

Like a good girl, Mina begins licking and sucking the best she can and it's already got Nayeon biting her lip. She turns to Momo "She doesn't get to cum until i'm finished, alright?" 

"And you call me mean" Momo stops to lower the vibrations, then she slows down the pace. She allows the dildo to slowly drag in and out of Mina, making sloppy sticky noises each time she buries it in her. 

The way Mina's moaning on Nayeon's cunt has her squeezing her eyes shut, rocking her hips back and forth on the younger girls perfect mouth. "I swear to fucking god... Mina you're amazing" Nayeon breathes, allowing one of her hands to come up to knead her own breasts. 

Momo can't just watch all of this unfold in front of her. It's just too fucking hot, the way Nayeon's groping her sweaty body, abs making an appearance from the absolute workout it is to ride face. Her body's perfect, Momo can mostly see the back, her perfectly round ass jiggling with each rut she makes against Mina's face.

The muffled noises that Mina's making isn't anything to ignore either, she sounds to eager to do well, all so she can cum on this toy for the fourth time tonight. So soon enough, Momo's fingers find her own cunt and she begins to rub her clit, moaning softly at the contact. It's not like she's been untouched either. Nayeon quite literally just finished eating her out, but still she wants to cum again.

So Momo figures she'll multi-task

"Fuck-k-king hell, Mina" Nayeon throws her head back, brown damp locks following in the air as silent moans escape her lips. Momo notices that familiar shake of Mina's legs so she pulls the dildo out and slaps it against Mina's cunt.

"You have to make your unnie cum first, darling" Momo teases as she slips her own fingers inside of herself. She glances at Nayeon "It seems like she's almost there" She gasps hotly as she curls her fingers, pressing on her g-spot and almost immediately losing her train of thought. 

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" Nayeon freezes for a moment, then she keeps going, chanting the same words over and over. She's so hot when she gets like this, when she holds her orgasm for as long as possible to ride that edge. She likes to keep herself in that state for reasons that Momo can never figure out, all she knows is that it's hot.

She slips the toy back into Mina's wet heat, turning the vibrator up to the highest setting, she thinks it'll be poetic if the pair can cum together. She's not too far behind either, with the way her fingers are smashing into her needy cunt. 

Surprisingly, with a loud squeal, Nayeon's already cumming, shaking and stuttering on Mina's mouth. It seems she just couldn't hold back tonight. "Oh G-God! Oh fuck! Oh God!" She gapes as her orgasm hits her. She falls forwards, hands planted on the mattress as she grinds her cunt on Mina's lips. It's long and thorough, something that has Momo watching with pure adoration in her big eyes as she absentmindedly fucks Mina with the dildo, still using her free hand to play with herself.

When Nayeon finishes, she gets off of Mina and drapes her arm over her body "Good girl, Mina" She kisses her cheek, tasting remnants of her cum on the soft flesh. Mina only moans as Momo drives the fake cock deep into her cunt, filling her all the way. "Your turn, go ahead and cum for us darling. You've earned it" Nayeon reaches her hand down to circle Mina's clit.

Her eyes roll to the back of her skull and her back arches "I c-can't" She keens, legs shaking. 

When Nayeon notices it she gasps in excitement. "Oh look at our baby, Momo. Doesn't she fall apart so beautifully?" 

"She absolutely does" Momo bites her lip and that's when Mina's chest begins to rise and fall erratically, breaths audible as she takes them through her nose. 

"I'm cumming" Mina warns and right as she does, her entire body shakes with pleasure as it hits her. Nayeon only encourages her, smiling proudly as the girl cums right before her eyes. Soon, Momo crashes too, letting go of the dildo to instead grip the sheets as her legs slam shut against her wrists. As all the lust withers away, the pungent--but addicting--smell of sex becomes more noticeable.

"We need another shower I think" Momo swallows, taking hard and deep breaths as she stares into the ceiling.

[a-lurking-fae]

◇ SYNOPSIS ¡ — in which a girl is born, only to live in conplete and utter tragedy.

◇ WORD COUNT ¡ — 1.4K

◇ SERIES ¡ — BATFAM X FONTAINE! NEGLECTED READER

Dragons were usually recluse, so the fact that these fierce creatures decide to meet each other is a surprise. It was more of a surprise they didn't meet to fight—

“You know, hatchling. She's someone that could be by your side for eternity. You have both raised a child right?”

Neuvillette nods at the man before him, as he clenches his cup. “Although you may have done things in the wrong order— I'm sure that you have the chance to get onto the right track.”

The white haired dragon huffs, “I do not believe her heart hold feelings for me, after all, we were simply in a co-parent situation for our daughter—”

“Who's to say that she has not earned your affections, and you, hers— during that time?” Zhongli took a sip at the osmanthus wine, a bit frustrated at the man— who seems like he is going through puberty.

“I— I am unsure on how to approach her with this topic…” Neuvillettes’ mind was plagued with the thoughts of her, how could he repent for the broken promise of protecting their child?

“Well, if I must say, it wasn't your fault.” Zhongli sighs, he needs to drink more honestly— Neuvillettes' eyes trail onto the sight nearby, Furina is adorned with flowers, as you create more crowns for her.

Neuvillette heads toward you both, a feeling tells him that a storm is coming up. This is simply the calm before it.

You wanted to head to Liyue next, so Mr. Zhongli-totally-not-rex-lapis-or-morax volunteered to guide you. After all, is there really anyone who knows Liyue better than him?

He watches you closely— as you bid farewell to your grandparents, continuing onto your adventures. The journey to Liyue was surprisingly calm, not that you'd have it anyway— but it felt as if… multitudes of eyes were staring at you, that couldn't be, right?

“The City of Liyue is just right up ahead.” Zhongli looks on, there are a few monsters up ahead, but Xiao will most likely take care of them before you will be able to sense them.

After a few hours of hiking, you both finally end up in Liyue, the sight mesmerising you. It was as great as your mother's journal told you. There were many unfamiliar people, their attire looked pretty, and there was lots of street food around too!

First-things-first, food!— “I know some places nearby in Liyue that will provide you some rest. There are two prominent places here, the Wangshu Inn and the Baiju Guesthouse.” You forgot about your sleeping place for a bit—

“...Although, we may have a few problems in booking a room in the Baiju Guesthouse. They say a Prince rented a room there.” There were many people trying to break in too, it was quite the scene.

“Wangshu Inn it is!” You really didn't have those great memories with prince's after all. Zhongli nods at your answer, “It'll be around an hour from here to the Inn, we could eat something here, then rest there.”

He leads you to Wanmin Restaurant, a place quite favoured by his people. “This is one of the places I frequent. Childe, a… friend of mine, dined together here with me. The food is good, and has high quality ingredients.” He recalls the dragon-and-phoenix chopsticks he bought the ginger-haired man, He could certainly purchase one for you if you wished.

Zhongli ordered a few dishes such as slow-cooked bamboo shoot, crab roe tofu, boiled fish, and plenty of other dishes. He wanted to pay for the whole thing, but he seemed like he lost his wallet, so you decided to rush to pay.

After eating, you both finally started to head to the Inn. You were sure Zhongli was the most knowledgeable about Liyue, after all, he certainly stood his ground against the multiple historians against him.

He took you around the city, introducing you to Hu Tao, who seemed quite… unique! There were other people you met on the way, Xinqiu, he definitely had some great recommendations in literature. He reminded you of Jason.

The walk was really only about an hour, and the full stomach you had earlier was finally digested. You paid for both your lodgings. The owner's name was Verr Goldet apparently? She seemed very nice.

Zhongli helped you unpack your stuff, and you both finished placing your items in their respective rooms. It just turned to night, yet you couldn't shake off the feeling that something— someone was watching you.

"She's quite the sharp one." A mysterious figure looks at you. "Of course, she's my daughter, after all." She smiles.

────୨ৎ────

“Batman, you do realise what you ask of us?” Diana is befuddled at the request. Travelling between planets and worlds weren't unheard of— but to somewhere they don't even know the coordinates about?

“There's a slim chance that we'll be able to find her!—” Red Robin slams a book on the table. The Justice League knew that they were close with the Waynes, but creating a mission this dire— with many risks Diana might say.

“This was our— her mother's diary, might hold some clues on where they might be.” Nightwing clenches his fist, it a precious relic from —---. Showing this meant revealing the secrets of not only their mother, but their sister too.

“It needs to be deciphered first, but not a single thing adds up.” Not even Red Robin could solve the mystery of these messages. How do they expect them to solve it?!

“I'll take this to Themyscira, my mother may know something about this.” Bruce could only nod. Heading out with the other bats, as the Justice League look at each other with confused faces.

If the world's greatest detective— nor the second, how were they supposed to even start? All eyes fall upon Diana, as she sighs, the silhouettes of the Bats fading right before their very eyes.

When the rest of the Family arrived, Alfred could only sigh at the sight. Damian wasn't this beaten up, Tim drank more energy juice than coffee compared to last week, Bruce became more violent with each passing day— his morals barely intact.

They head to their respective rooms, simply throwing their costumes together, and letting Alfred take care of the rest. He certainly saw better days than these.

For Alfred, the death of Mrs. Wayne was one of Bruce's hardest losses. He may have gained a diamond, but he lost his home. Alfred could faintly recall their steps around the manor.

The Lady would tease the master, before running off and going on a thrilling chase. Remembering her jumping to the chandelier, Lady Martha was certainly surprised at the sight. Richard certainly reminded him of her.

Alfred submerges the bloodied clothing with water, letting the washing machine do their work. He is well aware that there may not be a chance that you'd forgive them. He, after all, took a role in your neglect.

Alfred acknowledges his mistake, but for the masters to be this dense? He could only hope that you were safe— Alfred grips his head, massaging to possibly get rid of his headache.

He wonders when spring will come.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

NOTE : Feel like this was pretty rushed hehe— sorry about that-

@euphoria-looney , @kittzu , @welpthisisboring , @maybeethan69 , @randomperson0ntheinternet

[sulumuns-dootah]

Can you write a little something about the kings + Amy/Glasylabolas and an MC who likes the feeling of someone laying on them? Like idk the feeling of someone's full or most of their body weight is relaxing especially if they're bigger

WHB demons w/ reader who likes when someone lays on them

⟡ Masterlist ⟡

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

First when you ask Satan, he'll be at first like 'huh? but I'm not that heavy, no?'

You'll have to explain to him that you don't want to be fully flattened, but it's just about the feeling of weigh on top of you

Will give it a go, but wouldn't outright love it either

Something about laying on top of you makes him feel like the bottom bitch and he doesn't exactly love that

But for you, he'll brave it every now and then as long as you promise to not tell anyone

       ༺☆༻

As scary as Amy tries to look, he never passes up the opportunity to curl up on top of you

Especially loves to nuzzle his head between your tits(masc or fem -he doesn't care)

But be warned: Once he's wrapped around you, Amy's not letting go so easily

I HC him being super touch starved so when it comes to touching and holding each other, he can get really clingy real fast

(The only other times he gets to touch someone with emotion is punching Sitri)

       ༺☆༻

"Uhhh... But treasure, I will crush you"

Will refuse to lay on you in any significant amount

But instead will offer to buy you as much weighted blankets as your heart desires

That way he doesn't need to fear hurting you

To be fair, your sleeping position with him is usually being hugged tightly to his chest so he does kinda apply some pressure on your body that way

       ༺☆༻

Nope, nu-uh

Leviathan hates most kinds of body contact and this one takes it too far for him

What is he? Some servant of yours?

If anything, you should be laying on him

It's rare for you to even be allowed to hold hands with him, nevermind having his head on your chest listening to your breathing and heartbeat and falling for you more

       ༺☆༻

"Ahah... You really sure you want that? How about I make all the feeling in your body disappear instead, hm? Would you like that more?"

I can't really imagine Glasya laying on top of you either

Outside the bedroom that is

While he's rearranging your insides, he loves to take you in missionary and fully give up on supporting himself

The only thing he focuses on is thrusting into you with force and speed while his groans are muffled with his head in the crook of your neck

       ༺☆༻

Oh? And how about two Beelzebubs laying on top of you?

No no no wait!

Two Beelzebubs smushing you down as you're laying on top of the original one!

The possibilities are near to endless

Especially since Beel is knows to deny any laws of physics

There is a downside however:

All of those laying on top of you want a turn being the one underneath you

So the more of them is there, the longer you are unable to leave

       ༺☆༻

You don't even need to ask Belphie or anything

He just one night happened to turn over and land right on top of you while you two shared a bed

After he woke up, he didn't find himself flilpped back over or with you asking him to

You were just chilling, watching someting on your phone, as if a heavy demon didn't make you his second mattress

From that night on it kinda became a regular occurence

       ༺☆༻

I think with Asmo it is a similar instance as with Glasya

And even if you happen to start out with Asmo just laying on top of you, it'll soon enough devolve into something more

The only time you'd be able to fully relax without anything more is if you'd manage to get Asmo to pass out before you

Though, I wonder if that is even humanly possible

       ༺☆༻

Lucifer is going to be concerned at first when you ask him

But then he asks Gamigin about it

The dragon then starts describing all excitedly how he and his brother used to curl up on top of their parents and elders as a sign of intimacy

With that in mind, Lucifer feels endeared that you'd allow him this clcose to you

Still, he's scared to fully unleash his weight on you, so he's only going to lay on top of you partially after carefully communicating a non-verbal signal in case you're unable voice your discomfort

[littlxpxtal]

The Beach

TYRANTS || STORY MASTERLIST

PAIRING: rafe cameron x fem!reader

WARNINGS: MDNI 18+ Content, swearing, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, violence

WORD COUNT: 3k

If I told you that I loved you

Tell me, what would you say?

If I told you that I hated you

Would you go away?

Now I need your help with everything that I do

I don't want to lie, I've been relying on you

Fallin' again

I need a pick-me-up

I've been callin' you "friend,"

I might need to give it up

April

Fuck you

I hover my thumb over the send button for a long breath. When I exhale, I press send, click my phone off and toss it onto my bed. It lands face down.

I walk over to my bathroom, shutting the door behind me and striping down.

The pogues went back to the cut, sending JJ off into the swamp lands with a backpack full of food and camping gear. We are hoping in the next few days we can figure something out to make sure he can come back home safely.

While I shower, I think of all the new information I learned about the mission, and how getting the rest of the gold out was the next goal, but they would have to do it very strategically.

My mind wanders to rafe for a second, and I wonder if he’s back from his trip. Then I remember I hate him, and don’t want to hear back from him. I think about how after my shower, i'm going to block him. I should’ve done that after sending the message anyways.

I’m not entirely sure why it took me so long to send it. I drafted that text the same night JJ and I talked about rafe. I think it just took me a bit of time to finally be able to let go, and let him know I refuse to be treated like this.

There was a small part of me that hoped he already blocked me, so he wouldn’t even see the message from me.

Tomorrow is the last day of spring break, and my family will be back on the outbreaks by nightfall. I think about how I’ll try my best to be asleep by the time they get back tomorrow so I can avoid any questions.

The pogues helped me clean everything, washed bed sheets and dishes, took out the trash and wiped everything down. There was no trace of life in the house, not even from me.

I make mental to do lists of what I still need to do before graduation, what i should wear to school this week, and what color to polish my nails. My mind wanders and runs a million miles a minute as I step out of the shower, ringing my hair into the towel, and plopping it on top of my head. I lotion my body and face up, then wrap myself in a robe.

When I walk out of my bathroom, a shriek spaces my lips.

Rafe is sitting on the edge of my bed, and he’s playing with one of the trinkets from my book shelf.

“What’re you-“ I hold on tightly to the doorknob, ready to run back into the bathroom if needed. I couldn’t read his expression at all.

“You shouldn’t leave the door that leads from the outside, directly into your bedroom, unlocked. Especially when you’re home alone.” He says coyly.

“I think we are privileged enough to know that we don’t really have to worry about those kinds of things here on figure 8, now do we?” I tilt my head, and take in his presence. He’s wearing a hoodie with the hood up. His eyes are on my body, wrapped up in a silk sobe.

“Why are you texting me all crazy like that for, hm?” His eyes finally flicker up to meet mine. They are cold and hard. I glance over to scan my room, find anything to pique my interest enough to not give into the urge to look back at him. My heartbeat raced and I felt my mouth get drier by the second.

“I had been wanting to say it for days, but I figured it would be best if I waited until you were done with your trip so I didnt bother you.’ he scoffs and stands up, taking a step towards me. I responded with a small step backwards, my breath hitching in my throat.

“You think some text behind a screen would’ve ruined my trip? You think saying “fuck you” to me, is something I would get worked up about?”

my lips trembles, my body is reacting in a way as if im getting scolded, or reprimanded for speaking back to an adult.

I don’t speak, my body freezes and he takes another step towards me, his head dipping down.

“You think I care about the fact that you helped hide maybank here at your house?” I hyelped, and my hands trembled. I looked down at the ground, and he’s finally close enough where I can smell his cologne.

He hooks his finger under my chin, and I flinch. My back is pressed against the doorframe, and he leans forward, pushing my chin up, and y eyes meet his,

“Cat got your tongue?” He coos, his eyes look manic, and there’s a slight tremor in his hand.

“I think you do care. And it would’ve ruined your trip.” I finally croak out, letting out the breath I had been holding.

“And I mean it. Fuck you rafe. Fuck you and the mind games you play with me. Your not even my boyfriend and you like to control everything, and if i'm not doing something you Like, you use move onto another one of your girls. Like im disposable, like i dont matter. And I know i Fucking matter to you.”

I dont really mean to say the last part, but it came out anyways. I was just being honest.

He doesn’t respond for a while so we stand in silence, and he stares down at me, his finger still holding under my chin.

He leans down and presses a soft kiss to my lips. I dont object, but I dont open my mouth for more.

“You dont mean it” his whispers, his lips brushing against mine.

“Yes i do” I mumble, my brain getting light from the feeling he brought in my mind.

his other hands reach up and trailing down the valley of my chest against the robe. His fingers make it down to where the rob is tied, and he glances up with a smirk.

“Tell me, y/n, did you finally sleep with him? Did you get back at me?” He hot breath fans against my chest, and he lowers on his knees, slowly pulling open the tied pieces of my robe.

”What Don't you get about the fact that JJ and I don't do that. Never have and never will.” I try my best to pretend I am unaffected by the way his fingers trail up my inner thigh, right to the line of my robe, barely hanging open. His lips press right below my naval, and a whimper escapes my lips.

“It would’ve ruined my trip” he whispers, using his hands to open my legs, I press harder against the wall, the towel on my head finally dropping to the ground, I pull my wet hair to one side, looking down at rafe. His pupils are blown, his bottom lip between his teeth, waiting for my response.

“I know it would’ve” I say with a smirk.

”you give me a constant headache” he grumbles, pressing another kiss to the inside of my thigh.

”You Make this whole thing so hard. Would be easier if you just stopped overreacting” I retaliate, bending my knees slightly, opening up my thighs more. He grips my hips and Iicks a strip up my slit.

“Wheres the fun in that?” He says with a chuckle before diving in, suckling on my clit, his fingers burned deep into my hips. I moaned out in pleasure, my hands entangling themselves in his hair.

He hums with pleasure against my heat, and I find myself panting, my head hung low, bottom lip between my teeth.

“So did you fuck her again?” I ask, hissing as he sucks hard on my clit in response.

“Nah” he responds quickly, before his mouth attaches back to my folds, his tongue lapping up and down rhythmically.

I whimper a few times, and he looks up to my eye contact with me.

“You’re easy to piss off” he says against my pussy.

”sounds like you do it on purpose” I groan and bcuck my hips against his face. He releases his mouth, its covered in my slick, and his eyes are still blown out. His right hand trails down, and he runs two fingers between my folds, pushing into my hole, just teasing it slightly. I breath out heavily and he smirks.

“You’re fun to play with” he drawls out, his eyes focuses on the way his fingers are sliding into and out, deeper with each pump. My legs start to shake as he curls his fingers inside. Once they are fully inside , he quickens his pace, the silence in the room filled with the wet sounds of his fingers pumping in and out of me.

“‘M not a fucking toy” I grit out, pulling his hard harder, squeezing my eyes shut as I feel myself reaching my peak. He doesn’t respond, and instead brings his mouth back up to my clit, flicking it with his tongue, swirling around in circles, clockwise then counterclockwise.

“Fuckkkkk” I groan out, seeing white behind my closed lids. I cum all over rafes face. I dont get to ride it very long, before he’s dragging me over to the bed, and pushing my face down, ass up. He pulls the robe full off my body, and presses my face down into the pillows, I feel himself line his cock up with my entrance, and he pushes in.

”Rafe” I groan, holding out the sheets with all my might. I finish riding out my high as he pounds into me from behind, his hands gripped on both sides of my hips.

Profanities slip from his mouth, accompanied with a few whimpers of my name.

I gain enough strength to push my self up, so im in tabletop position, while he still pumps in and out of me. I turn my head and look back to see the hoods of his eyes are hanging low, his jaw is slack, his tongue peaking out the side, and drips of sweat are beading on his forehead. A whimper erupts from his mouth, and he grunts after, his eyes snapping open to meet mine, as if he sensed me looking at him.

“This what you wanted? Huh?” I bat my lashes innocently and bit my bottom lip.

”Wanted to piss me off so much I just had to come over and fuck you just to get you to shut the fuck up? Huh pretty girl?” My eyes roll back and my head hangs down. He’s tsks his tongue, leaning forward, one hand gripped tightly on my hips, the other gathers my hair in his fist, and he yanks me back, my shoulders pressing up against his chest. He cocks his fist down to the right, angling my head up and back to look up at him. His pace hasn’t faltered once, and the continuing sound of my pussy squelching against his throbbing cock is only getting louder, I can no longer contain my moans, and I squeeze my eyes shut as they spill out of my mouth. He takes this opportunity of my open my mouth to spit in it. My eyes shoot open, and we hold eye contact for a second before I swallow and he smiles.

“All you have to do is ask nicely you know?” His grip on my hair still tight, and his dick is ramming into my harder than before.

“That doesn’t sound like something I’d do.” I whisper, looking deep into his eyes. His smile never faulters, and he leans down and kisses me.

“Don’t ever say that shit to me again” he says, breathing into my mouth, his eyes shut, still pounding relentless into me.

“What? Oh, Fuck you” I whimper out. Everything happens so quickly.

His eyes snap open and they darken, he lets go of my hair, pushing me down by my shoulder too the bed.

”Don’t.” He gives my ass a hard slap, making me yelp out.

”Ever” he pulls his dick out, and grabs my hips, flipping me onto my back.

”fucking” he pushing my legs open, and wraps them around his hips.

”say that” his right hand reaches up and wraps around my throat, putting just enough pressure.

”again” he growls the last word before ramming himself into me.

I lift my head up and attach my mouth on his shoulder, sucking harshly to cover the moans I wanted to scream out. His head rests against mine, and he grunts.

“You gonna be a good girl for me now?” He breathes out heavily, and looks down at me. We make eye contact and I pout, refusing to give in. His hand is still on my throat, and he gives it a squeeze. I groan in response, shutting my eyes.

“Look at me” he commands. My eyes flutter open and he has a smirk on his face.

“I’ll only be a good girl if you promise to stop fucking other girls”

His hips stutter a second before he completely stops. The grip on my throat is released,and he pushes himself up on both hands, hovering over me, my legs still tightly wrapped around his hips.

“Is that what you really want?” He asks sincerely.

I wiggle my hips to try and get him to keep going, but he doesn’t budge.

“I dunno. Can we just keep fucking?” I please, grabbing onto his bicep and reaching up to kiss his neck.

“Sure” he whispers before thrusting again.

We dont say anything the rest of the time, until Rafe is about to cum.

”’m close”

”Not inside me” I protest.

”Fucking duh” he grumbles into my neck before pulling out and finishing on my stomach. He immediately stands up, grabs a tissue and starts cleaning me off.

Once he’s done, he passes me my robe, and he puts his clothes back on.

“Well, are we like good now?” He asks, checking his pockets for his wallet and keys.

”Yea, we always were”

”Right” he says, scratching the back of his head. “Im just gonna” he points towards the door he snuck through. I nod my head in understanding, and watch him leave. I turned off my bedside lamp, and laid in silence.

My moment of self loathing was interrupting by my phone ringing.

Sabrina

I answer immediately

“Sab?” I say into the phone, sitting up.

”Y/N, you need to get down to the beach right now. Like NOW”

I furrow my brow, take my phone from my ear to check the time. I was 9:27pm

”I dont know Sab I was about to go to bed honestly.”

”Bitch, it’s the last night of spring break. And mostly everyone is back, and we’re partying on the beach. Get here NOW” she yells the last part into the phone before hanging up. I hurriedly pack a bag with miscellaneous illegal items, slip on a hoodie and shorts then run out the door. I check Sabrina’s location to see where on the beach she was, and it was decently close for me to make it on foot.

When I arrive, I see a mix of faces, those I get along with, and those who I simply pretend dont exist on a regular basis. Before Sabrina sees me, I catch a glimpse of rafe. He’s taking a drag of a cig while Kelce talks to him and Topper. Topper looks semi interested, while rafe looks like he couldn’t care less. His face looks angry and hard. And hot. Like. Really fucking hot.

Before I could analyze his face more, Sabrina yells out my name, and his head whips in my direction. I look away before our eyes meet, and smile when they land on Sabrina.

“Hi baby, I missed you” she cried out, standing up to greet me with a hug. She’s sitting on a towel that topper brought. I smile down at them and look around to see where I can set up. Conveniently, there’s a spot next to rafe in between him and some random kook.

“Why dont you go sit by rafe and cheer him up a bit. He’s in one of his moods.” Topper jokes, nudging his head over. I give a fake smile and trudge over, laying my towel down without acknowledging him.

When I sit down, he gives me a Look.

“What? We’re you saving this for someone?” I say with a smirk. He gives me a fake smile, and laugh then rolls his eyes.

I pul out the bottle of wine I stole from my parents bar and take a big gulp. I hand it out to him, and he takes it, drinking a small mouthful before passing it back.

We get along cordially, mainly because we dot actually talk to each other. We just silently pass the bottle back and forth between each other, while people chatter among us.

When the night gets late, and everyone starts slowly leaving the beach, it ends up just me and rafe, my head laying on his lap, staring at the stars as he stroked my hair and looked out into the ocean.

”This is nice” he mumbles. I nod my head in agreement and he looks down.

His face is sad, and his eyes are brimmed with tears.

“Y/N, I dont think I can be the person you need.” He whispers, and a tear slips down from his face and lands on my cheek. He wipes it away then looks back out into the ocean.

“Could you try?” I as. My face is hot and flushed from the alcohol, and I was probably going to say something I would later regret. But i don't care. I wanted him to want to try for me.

“You might have to teach me”

“Okay” I whisper. “Rafe?”

”Yes, Y/N?”

”Can you take me home? And will you stay with me?” He smiles.

“Of course”

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tags: @ltristessedureratoujours @davinashifts333 @tomholland792

[pokemonshelterstories]

i have game night at my sisters every weekend, and her skitty is kind of a troublemaker, so we have to constantly move her from the table or distract her with a laser, or else she'll sit on our cards or take game pieces or something. do you have any advice on how to get her to play on her own? she has SO many toys that she could be playing with, and its not like shes not getting enough attention, i just wish she knew how to make her own fun :T

well, think of it this way...you're an adorable little skitty, and normally people give you a lot of praise and attention for being very cute, and suddenly your trainer invites over a BUNCH of people and there's a lot of moving bodies and little objects and they're all having a lot of fun but for some reason you're not allowed to join in even though it's your territory. that would be hard for any pokemon, but especially a skitty, a pokemon that primarily fixates on movement! why would you ever play with a boring stationary toy when the humans have all these cool toys that they're tossing and moving around? even if you think she should be able to entertain herself, the fact of the matter is that you guys are doing the skitty equivalent of leaving out a big juicy steak on the floor and telling your pet arcanine it can't have any.

there's a couple things you can try. the first is to have your sister give her skitty a really good play session right before you guys come over. i'm talking 20-30 minutes of active play with a lot of running around and chasing toys! this will wear her out and satisfy her play needs for a while, and she might just go take a nap instead of trying to play more. your sister can also get some motion-based toys that can be turned on when you guys are having your game night. there are plenty of toys marketed specifically for skitty that will jump around or move in circles. you should always supervise while these toys are in use, but this way she can be playing in the same room as you without being as much of a distraction. if she tries to play with your gaming stuff, remove her and redirect her attention back to her toys.

alternatively, your sister can ball her skitty during your game night, but she needs to be properly ball-trained and given occasional breaks (ideally with a play session). this is the simplest solution if she's already used to spending time in her ball, but if not, it's going to require time and effort to get her to that point.

[russellsppttemplates]

We learn to hold its hand (Charles Leclerc)

Two hearts that lost themselves in pain.

Two hearts that found eachother in love.

Note: english is not my first language. It's been some time since I posted one of these, hopefully I still know how to do it 🥲 A lot of changes have been going on at my job and I've been trying to adjust to all of it without loosing my sanity and writinb has been a good escape! I know this is a heavy topic, so proceed carefully, but I was feeling like writing this so here it goes... For those who are here and have stayed, thank you for being so patient and for staying - I hope this is good enough ✨️

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm not taking requests right now, so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to send them in but know that I don't know when I'll be able to get to them!

my masterlist

Cw: cancer, death of close relatives (reader's and Charles' father), grief, hospital procedures

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog @hiireadstuff @c-losur3 @sltwins

"Bonjour papa", Charles greeted, running his hand over the photograph that was on the grave, "I just got back from the track where we did the testing for Sauber, the last one before the season starts. It's hard, but I'm not afraid", he gulped, "Because you taught me that, even if I'm afraid, I have to go with fear. To move forward, because that's the only way. In racing, I can do that, but I won't be able to continue my life without you because I won't be able to. I try. Every day, I try. For maman, especially, since she tries to be strong for me, Lorenzo and Arthur, and somewhere along the way, we gathered the strength we didn’t know we had, but when we realize it, there it is, supporting us. I'm sure it's you. Every day, I remember that afternoon when you taught me how to ride a bike. Your insistence on removing the training wheels from the big wheel that ended up with a wound on my knee and that made me scream a few times. I remember you telling me that there were worse things than that simple scratch. I never thought that one day we would have to face them and that they would be the main reason why you are no longer by my side", Charles wiped away the tears, while he couldn't help but smile at the beautiful memories that came back to him, "But more than that, I remember the day you put a kart in front of me for the first time. There, I knew it was love for life. Yes, like Francis Cabrel's song. Or that afternoon when I stepped onto the concrete of the best race circuit in the world. There, I knew that I would begin a story in which, even though I was the main character, I would never have been able to write all the chapters that have been completed so far without the help of your pen. That support, that dedication, that encouragement, that love, father. Without them, I would never be the Charles that I am today. There was so much left to say and so much to do. But I am grateful for everything we said and for everything we did. I remember you telling me that you could no longer be strong and you asked me to be. I miss you so much. I miss you so much that I cannot express in words. I just want to thank you for continuing to light my path and for being the best father in the world. You are not by my side, but you are on my side. I feel that, every day. Thank you for continuing to support me in every race and in every challenge that life throws at me. Thank you for being so present, even though you're so far away. I miss you every day. And I feel you with me every day. Je t'aime, papa", he says goodbye, standing up and shaking off the little dirt on his jeans.

He picks up his backpack and starts walking towards the cemetery exit, but a sweet, melodious voice makes him stop walking. Charles looks in its direction, observing a female figure who, sitting next to someone's grave, was quickly but skillfully strumming the acoustic guitar and, at the same time, singing the song he had included in today's conversation with his father. Je l'aime à mourir by Francis Cabrel. Charles smiles at such coincidence and turned his back, picking up his pace, but soon stopping again, feeling a great need to go and meet that girl whose voice conveyed the pain he knew so well - loss.

Charles swallowed hard and instead of walking away, he found himself getting closer and closer to the young woman who, judging by your physical features, was probably around his age.

He waited for you to finish the song to make myself present, since you hadn’t noticed him yet.

“I miss you every day, Lucas. I wish you were here. It would make everything so much easier", he heard you say, through tears, and he felt the impact of all her words. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t feel the same way.

Charles looks at the person you were visiting and his eyes almost popped out of his head when he notices the photo of a boy who couldn’t have been more than eight years old in that portrait. The date of death was twelve years ago.

"Who are you?", you ask.

Charles quickly woke up from his thoughts, focusing his gaze on you, now curiously appreciating him. The colour of your eyes, the way your hair fell down your back and your bare skin faacinaged him.

"Forgive me", he requested, a little embarrassed, "I heard you sing and I couldn't help but come here and tell you that you sing very well and that the person you dedicated the song to probably agrees with me", he replied and your shy laugh made him laugh too.

"Thank you", you offered, quite embarrassed, which was still funny, "He's my twin brother. He was eight years old when he left", you pointed to the portrait you had looked at moments before.

"My father. He passed away a couple of months ago", Charles decided to share the reason why he was also there.

"My brother had a rare blood disease, a cancer doctors were never able to identify. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were not enough to cure him. In fact, the body of an eight-year-old boy could only handle so much at that time. I was the same age, but I will never forget my brother’s suffering and the strength he had until the end. My childhood innocence was taken from me that day. I am not an example to anyone. The true example of life left more than a decade ago, on a journey that still had a long way to go had it not ended the way it did", you said as you packed your things, letting your anger speak.

Charles noticed the crack in your voice and a few seconds later, he heard your sniffle.

The first instict he had was that he wanted to hug you in that moment and reassure you with just his arms, since words would never be enough comfort at a time like that. And at the same time, he felt that you needed to talk to someone who, being unknown and impartial, would never judge you for the anger you were experiencing.

"My father battled cancer for a few years but, unfortunately, he ended up losing the fight in July. However, the real winner is him. For so many reasons: for the way he faced the reality that was knocking on his door, for how he forced us to face it in the most positive way possible, so that it would become a little easier, and for the way he prepared us for his departure. He is a true hero. If, one day, I can be half the man and father that he was and is, you can be sure that I will leave this life happy", Charles spoke.

"They truly are the heroes who left early to prove that angels really exist", you said, looking at Charles intently in a way made him feel like an open book in front of the most beautiful reader he had ever seen in his life.

"I couldn’t agree more", Charles murmured, too caught up in the gaze of that twenty-year-old girl who was so much more like him than he had thought.

"Y/N", you held out your hand and he smiled at your introduction.

"Charles", he reciprocated, fitting his hand in yours, which you immediately shook.

And there, he knew that you were marked by the wound that would never heal and by the feeling that would never disappear: pain.

There, those two hearts that were lost in pain would be the same ones that would find each other in love.

.

Charles got up from the floor, after the usual daily conversation he shared with his father after training. He noticed you in the same position you had been in before, but this time, you were reciting poems from a small book you had in your hand, completely distracted from your surroundings.

It was the first time in almost three weeks that he had seen you again. You had stopped showing up at the same time as he did and for a moment he thought you were avoiding him. But he soon put those thoughts aside. After all, if you didn’t even know each other that well, what was the need?

“Y/N", Charles said as he approached you, alerting you of his presence.

You looked at him with a shy smile and immediately stood up as well, "I haven’t seen you around here since", he added and you laughed softly.

"In the last three weeks, I came in the morning, because of the internship I'm doing. I had to change schedules with a colleague and I couldn't come in the afternoon. Now everything is back to normal, so here I am", you explained and he nodded in understanding, "You never miss your schedule", you pointed out it was his turn to laugh.

"This is the best time for me to come because this way, I can spend more time with my father before the cemetery closes", Charles explains and you nod, "Hmm, I really like talking to you but, is it just me who thinks we're not in the best place?".

Your beautiful laugh makes him laugh too, "Without shadow of a doubt", you agreed, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"I bet you're hungry", Charles assuredly and you laughed again.

"Very", you dmitted, blushing, which made him smile at your embarrassment, "the line at the bakery in front of where I work was too long and, I'm sorry, but patience has never been my strong point", you defended yourself and he giggled.

"So it's better to go without food...?", Charles quirked an eyebrow as he asked, surprised and you laughed, rolling your eyes.

"I wouldn't go without food, obviously. I was just going to have to snack something later", you shrugged.

Once you stood outside the cemetery, you looked at each other intensely, not knowing what to say, "Would you accept an invitation for a snack?", Charles gathered the courage to ask and it was your turn to laugh at his shyness.

"Yes", your positive answer made him smile.

"Do you have a car?", he asked and you said no.

"Not yet. It’s at the mechanic’s", you made a face of disgust and Charles laughed, "the good news is that my father can pick it up at the end of this week. You have no idea how much I need it for my internship", you complained and Charles smiled at you relaxed way.

"Then you’re coming with me", he invited and you thanked him.

Charles lead you to his car and you smiled in gratitude when he opened the door for you so you could get in.

"And, if you’ll allow me, can I know what you study, Y/N?", Charles asked curiously, when you were already in line at the caffè, the place being chosen by the young woman during your journey, which had been made in a silence that Charles wouldn’t consider awkward but also not very comfortable. The awkwardness was still there.

"Radiology and radiotherapy", you replied, letting out a smile, "Twelve years ago, for a few months, I followed my brother's fight and was inspired by the humanity of those doctors and the team responsible for his case. The way he was treated, the constant encouragement in his recovery, the words and friendly shoulder they gave my parents, and even me, the way they prepared us for the worst and the way they accompanied us in our mourning, was truly human and truly inspiring. And there, I decided that this was something I would like to do in the future. I want to help others like they helped me more than a decade ago", you said proudly, earning a big smile from Charles.

You were interrupted when it was your turn to make the requests and respective payment. Charles insisted on paying the entire bill and you gave in, after much insistence from his behalf.

"Next time, you'll pay", Charles promised, as you walked aimlessly through the streets of Monaco.

"Will there be a next one?", you asked, laughing and Charles couldn’t help but look away from your shy eyes, "It’s a promise, then", you added and Charles looked at you again, already looking at him with a smile.

You ended up sitting on the lawn of a garden, finally digging into your food.

"And you? Can I know what you study?", you asked, equally curious and Charles laughed, still feeling a little satisfied that you didn’t know him as a Formula One rookie.

"I’m a race driver", he told you and you looked at him in surprise.

"What category? And which team?", you asked with interest and he smiled.

"The best in the world and the biggest one in racing", he replied, not wanting to say the team's name directly, because that way he would be able to know which one she supported.

"Do you race for Ferrari?", you asked and Charles smiled broadly, happy with what he had heard.

"I was in their academy last year", Charles confirmed and you smiled.

"How come I've never seen you there?", your curiosity and interest were something that satisfied him. After all, he wasn't the only one who wanted to know more.

"I was in Formula Two with Prema", he explained and her "makes sense", spoken in English, made him laugh.

"But tell me something. Are you regular at races?", Charles asked and you nodded.

"You could say that", you both laughed, "My father and grandfather were always

big racing fans. In fact, they are. And they passed that love on to Lucas", you smiled and looked down at the ground, "The few times he wasn't in the hospital, he was at the track. What he felt for racing was something I had never seen before. It was contagious. Everyone infected Lucas and he infected me. After his death, I promised myself to accompany my father and grandfather, and even go there alone, to every race that was done there. It was, and is, a way of feeling Lucas with me. That’s why I love racing so much", you looked at him with teary eyes, letting the tears fall when Charles brought his thumb to your face, caressing it.

"I’m sorry", you murmured and he quickly denied it, so that you would know that everything was okay.

"You’re inspiring, Y/N. I hope you know that", Charles offered.

You shook your head, smiling, "No, I don't think so. I’m just an eight-year-old child, in the body of a twenty-year-old girl who cries every night, wishing her brother was by her side", you spoke, with some difficulty, and Charles swallowed hard, trying to find the right words to comfort you.

"No, Y/N. You are a young 20-year-old woman who lost her brother at the age of eight and who, even today, is learning to deal with his absence", Charles said and you quickly wiped away the tears that were falling from your eyes, unable to help but sigh heavily.

"So, tell me, how does it feel to wear red? I clearly have been focusing in specific catehorues", you asked with a smile and Charles smiles at your change of subject.

"Incredible. It is a dream come true. I have no words to thank the trust that my team put in me, and how stepping into F1, even if it's not Ferrari, is a huge sense of responsibility, after all, you’re representing one of the best teams in the sport, the best in the world for me", Charles proudly answered your question, not avoiding remembering the day he signed his first professional contract with the unspoken promise and hope of a place in the Scuderia.

"How many years has it been?", you asked.

"I've been with the best the world for a few years", you both smiled.

“We could go watch the historic race this Saturday on the track just outside the city", you invited Charles and he smiled at you initiative, not hesitating to nod.

“I was already thinking of going, but now I’m really going to", Charles answered and you blushed.

"Can you give me your phone number so we can arrange things better?", Charles asked, feeling brave enough to do so, and you nodded.

You exchanged contact details and chatted a little longer until you were interrupted by the ringing of your phone. Charles waited for the call to end and returned the smile you gave him.

"Typical motherly concern", you explained, and Charles laughed, nodding along

"I know how it feels", he commented and it was your turn to smile

"Since my brother passed away, my mother, who was already overprotective, has become even more so. I don’t blame her for that, quite the opposite. I have learned to deal with it and I don’t make her life harder, I have a very open relationship with my mother. My first academic choice was not Monaco, but in Montpellier", you said as Charles made such curiosity known and looked at you, "But the truth is that I couldn’t even finish the first semester in the city because I couldn’t stand being alone. It was as if the pain multiplied by mixing with the loneliness that I felt. We were so close that I couldn’t separate the pain of having to leave for one of my dreams. I wasn’t prepared for the nights when nightmares haunted me and the absence of my brother was felt more than ever. So, I asked my parents to come and get me and I moved back to Monaco, where it didn't get easier but it wasn’t as difficult as being alone. Since my brother left, we’ve gotten even closer. But the first few days were the hardest. My mother became depressed, my father closed himself off a bit more and, at the age of twelve, I let myself be suffocated by the feelings I had no one to talk to, until my father learned to deal with the pain and helped us do the same. Someone needed to get back on their feet and help others get back on their feet too, and my father was my hero. We sought out the best psychologists for my mother and her progress was very positive, but in truth, what she was doing, and rightly so, was mourning the loss of the most real, pure and true love in the world. She was mourning the death of her son. And she did it in the only way she knew how. Today, we continue to do it, but we do it differently. And if people now talk and watch us go about our day to day lives, it's not because it no longer hurts - because it hurts a lot - it's because we've learned to embrace pain and deal with it. We hold its hand. I think the learning process is lifelong. And I'm going to die, still learning how to deal with it", you said, and the impact of your words prompt Charles to shed a tear, which was joined by all the others, for all the memories that hit him.

"I miss him so much", Charles whispered, avoiding your gaze.

Just out of the corner of his eye, Charles could see you get closer to him, smiling faintly when you pulled him into a hug he didn't hesitate in joining.

You fit perfectly on his chest, head nestled there as he hugged you by your waist, enveloping you and kissing the top of your head without a hitch.

And in that first touch of many, you got to know eachother through the way you both knew so well - pain. And right there, without knowing, you started another one - love.

.

Charles was coming home after another training session, the last one before the charity race he was participating in which would take place the next day at ten in the morning. Today was also the historic race day, the race he would watch with you, after meeting up every day that week at your usual spot - although it wasn’t the happiest, you always ended up going to different places in the capital city, where you took the opportunity to get to know each other better.

"Charles", he heard his mother call out and smiled, going to meet the woman who was preparing dinner.

"Hi, maman”, he kissed her hair and bent down a little so she could kiss his cheek, “I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you", he looked at her with a guilty expression, "I'm not going to have dinner at home", he continued, enjoying the meat she was cooking that smelled very good.

"It's all right", Pascale smiled, "you're going to watch the historic race with Joris and Riccardo, aren't you?", she asked, as they were usually his company.

"Well, about that..", Charles mumbled, scratching the back of his neck in a gesture of confusion that didn't go unnoticed by the oldest in the room.

"Charles Marc Hervé Perceval! What aren't you telling me?", his mother asked, genuinely curious, and he laughed out loud when she turned off the stove and crossed her arms, waiting for him to start talking.

"I'm going with a girl", he started and saw her smile grow at the information he had given her, "her name is Y/N. She is twenty years old and is a final-year student in the radiology and radiotherapy course. Unfortunately, we did not meet under happy circumstances, but the time we have spent together has allowed us to create and experience moments that go beyond that", he explained, avoiding his mother’s gaze to hide his slight embarrassment.

"Where did you meet?", Pascale wanted to know.

"At the cemetery. It was during one of the visits I paid to papa, three weeks ago. She lost her twin brother to a rare blood disease that doctors were never able to identify. Y/N was eight years old when he passed away. I have never related with anyone as much as I did with her. She understands me. In fact, we understand each other. She is simply beautiful in every way", Charles shrugged, not avoiding a smile as he remembered you.

"Charles, is it just me or are you in love?", his mother asked with a smile as she hugged him, fitting into his arms.

"It’s not possible, maman. Only this week that we’ve gotten closer", he replied, not avoiding a nervous laugh.

Pascale laughed, "and since when did that stop you from feeling something for that young woman? Charles, amour, it’s not the time of things but the intensity with which we experience them", she wisely advised and Charles nodded, smiling weakly.

"Thank you for everything, maman. Je t'aime", he whispered against her hair, leaving a kiss there.

"Never forget that you, as well as your brothers, are my pride and the light of my eyes. Je t'aime, Charles", Pascale spoke.

Charles held his mothee on his arms, wanting her to be aware of the infinite gratitude he felt for her.

Pascale pulled away, wiping her tears, and smiled at Charles, "Come on, I don’t want you like this!", Charles asked and she laughed, waving.

"I’m fine", his mother assured, "Now go take a shower and get ready so you don’t keep the girl waiting. I’ll make you a bowl of cereal, so you can eat something before you go", she warned and smiled, getting a kiss on her forehead.

"You’re the best!!", Charles exclaimed, leaving the room, and she laughed.

"I know!", she said, laughing, and Charles laughed at her expression.

Once he got to his bedroom, Charles chose a presentable outfit, wanting to dress appropriately and blend in with all of the fans and enjoy the race that was probably one of the last moments before everything flooded in. The PR team had already warned him that once he was in Formula One, everything changed and he hoped he could have this evening.

He ran to the bathroom, took a quick and relaxing shower, and got dressed without rushing, making sure he looked his best. After that, he went back to the kitchen, where his mother was still, finishing the preparations for dinner.

“Since I didn’t have any company for the meal, I invited your cousins”, she said.

Charles gave her a guilty smile, "I'm really sorry, maman", he spoke sincerely, and it was her turn to laugh, shaking her head.

“It’s okay, Charles, I was just kidding. I want you to go and enjoy Y/N's company. I haven't even met her yet and I already like her", she commented.

"Oh really? Why is that?", Charles wondered, really interested.

"Why? Because every time you talk about her, it's impossible for you not to smile. And I like that", she admitted and he blushed, hearing his mother giggle at his shyness.

"Maman!", he mumbled and the older woman laughed.

"What's wrong?", she asked, pretending not to notice as her son rolled his eyes, laughing.

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything, I should've stayed quiet", Charles complained and she laughed out loud.

"As if I wouldn't eventually find out, Charles", she winked, convinced, and Charles laughed at the joviality that characterized his mother, even after everything that life had put her through.

They were closer than ever and he felt very comfortable sharing any kind of subject with her, she was his best friend and the best thing in his world.

"I really have to go", Charles announced, looking at his watch, making sure he wouldn’t be late.

"Do you have everything with you, amour?”, she asked and he looked at her confused.

“Yes, why?”, Charles answered with another question, while he set the bowl of cereal in the sink.

"Are you sure?", she insisted and he snorted, patting his pockets and checking that nothing was missing.

"I have everything", he replied, kissing her forehead as a way of saying goodbye, "I'll see you later. Je t'aime!", he shouted from the living room and heard her laugh.

"Do you have the condoms with you?", Pascale asked, giggling, and Charles almost choked on his own saliva.

He couldn't believe it.

"Seriously, maman?", he made himself heard out loud.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Charles? I too was a young woman your age once. And I'm too young to be a grandmother!", she said, coming to meet him at the door, and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw his embarrassment.

"I'm leaving!", Charles exclaimed, leaving a last kiss on her cheek and walking all the way to the car while laughing, knowing his mother never missed the opportunity and had a great ability to embarrass her own son.

Charles got in the car and drove off towards your house which, even after a week, continued to leave him astonished by the external beauty that set it apart from the others in the same neighborhood. He sent you a quick text letting you know that he was already waiting for you and, about three minutes later, he heard a door slam, looking in the direction of the noise and not helping but smile when he saw how you were dressed appropriately for the race.

"Wow, yes, we have a racing fan", he complimented and the brunette giggle.

You were dressed in a vintage jacket, an allusive cap with the peak turned backwards and the rest of the outfit complimented it.

The rest of the journey to the track was transformed into a karaoke session, "tell me if we don't make an unbeatable singing duo", you joked as you walked towards the interior of the building where you would be sitting.

"Like society hasn't seen in many years", Charles joined in your joke and you laughed

Charles put his right hand on your shoulder, hugging you and guided you through the crowd so that you wouldn’t lose each other. He heard his name being called and two kids running towards him, making you stop walking. He greetd them with a smile and they ask for a photo that would be the responsibility of the woman who was waiting for them to position themselves, "your girlfriend can also join the portrait", the oldest women pointed to you, and you couldn't help but blush, making Charles smile sideways when he noticed such a thing.

"We're not-", Charles didn't let you finish.

"Come here, Y/N", he asked and the lady waved, heading towards you.

After the photos were taken, the kids thanked Charles, immediately disappearing from our sight, "Do you want to see something around here or would you rather go inside now?", Charles chatted up while you tried to show yourself less embarrassed.

He couldn't help but admit that he was enjoying seeing you like that and, more than that, knowing that he was the one that made you feel that way.

"We can go inside, since race time is very close", you preferred and Charles nodded, placing his hand on the small of your back, leading you to the entrance.

You greeted the various security guards who were there and headed to the place that your tickets indicated. Because Charles belonged in a professional driving championship, he was entitled to the VIP stands.

"Wow", you exclaimed, truly enchanted by the view you had of the track, which was undergoing the final touches before opening its doors to the public.

"Have you never been here before?", Charles asked and saw you deny it, while remaining astonished, appreciating the atmosphere around you.

"Only for a visit when Lucas was with us, never when there was an actual race happening. This is going to be great", you finally looked at him, offering him a smile, "thank you, Charles", you spoke and he acknowledged the sincerity of your words, smiling at you broadly.

“You’re welcome", he downplayed the situation, just hoping you would feel good, "I don’t know if you drink, but would you like a beer? Or perhaps some wine?", he asked and you laughed.

“I don’t usually drink, but today I can make an exception", you accepted and Charles smiled.

“Are you sure? You have every right to say no" he made it clear and you laughed, denying it.

“Seriously, Charles, we can go", you insisted and he waved, giving you space so you could go ahead of him.

The crowd there was huge, but that didn't stop you from drinking and snacking before the race started.

"The teams are getting ready", Charles said as you finished our drinks and you waved, standing up and opening your wallet to take out the money.

"Hey you! What are you doing?", Charles quickly intervened, placing his hand on yours to stop your movements.

"Charles, what did you promise? 'You'll pay next time', that's what you said", you imitated his tone of voice and you burst out laughing.

"Can't you wait until next time?", he insisted and you gave him a death glare, making Charles realise there wasn't much he could do.

"Okay then", he gave in and you giggled smugly.

You went back to your seats after you paid, watching everyone get ready for the race.

"Do you have a favourite driver?", Charles wondered.

"I don't think so. Each one has something to offer to the races, and it's not like many of them are here", you spoke before seeing Lewis Hamilton approach one of the cars.

A song came on and you pulled Charles to dance with you, singing in his ear as he smiled, tightening his grip on your waist. "Now comes the part that no one knows how to sing", you added, moving away from Charles a little and he could notice your shyness, most likely because of the action you had done before.

You danced awkwardly, which earned you a couple of looks, and stopped when the announcer of the track, already full, made himself heard, announcing the race was about to start.

"I love this part", you smiled, getting a kiss from Charles on the hair that was not covered by your cap.

The race started out well and everything seemed to be going as they hoped, the announcer mentioning some facts they had about the historic race.

"THAT'S AN OVERTAKE!", you shouted and the entire section stood up, celebrating yet another great move from Lewis.

You screamed euphorically, pulling Charles into a quick hug, before joining in the celebrations with the rest of the fans.

This girl was out of this world, Charles thought.

"I've never seen a girl like you", he said, automatically enchanted by you.

"That's because I'm an exclusive edition", you joked and you both laughed, "Is that good?", you asked seriously.

Charles returned your gaze, nodding, "Very. You're different from everyone I've ever met", he admitted and you smiled, looking away from him.

"Good. That way, I don't have to worry about them", you shrugged.

Charles smiled, satisfied with the answer you had given him, "Come here" he asked in an act of courage, hugging you while you rested your head on his chest and focusing your attention on the race.

When the race ended for a break until the next one, you took the opportunity to go to the bathroom, while Charles chose to do the same.

Since he was quicker than you, given that the line was shorter, he waited for you outside, where there was a line of young people who were looking at him curiously.

"Finally", Charles muttered to himself as he watched you leave the compartment.

"What happened? Were you feeling watched over?", you made fun and he stuck his tongue out at you, pulling you closer to him. "Watched over?! It seemed like the girls were undressing me with their eyes", he accused.

"That was most likely exactly what was happening", you confirmed and he looked at you in shock, which made you laugh again, "What?! You can't judge them!", you argued.

Charles laughed, honestly pleased with what he had heard, "Oh really? Have you also undressed me with your eyes?", he whispered in youe ear.

"No, I prefer to do it with my hands", you murmured against his mouth and walked ahead of him, leaving him perplexed.

Well, take that, Charles, his subconscious spoke and he chuckled - the ability you had to leave him speechless was unbelievable. Noticing the faces you were making, he decided to return to your seats, where you were already dividing your attention between your cell phone and the track.

"What are you watching?", Charles asked, moving closer to you to observe what you were watching, spending some time watching the silliness and fun on her screen.

"The game is going to start again", Charles said as you quickly turned off the electronic device and hugged his waist, while you paid attention.

"What is he doing to Lewis?", Charles complained.

"Do not play around with him!", you joined.

"Maybe there's a favourite after all?", Charles teased you.

"Maybe, he is very skilled and handsome", you shrugged.

"Oh, good", Charles murmured, feeling a pang of jealousy at the way you had spoken about the driver.

Your laugh made him realize that you had noticed, "Charles, are you jealous?", you mocked and he rolled his eyes, avoiding looking at you.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know that word", he shrugged, trying to make you forget the subject but you didn’t give in.

Instead, you brought your hand to his face, making him look at you, "I’m here with you, aren’t I?", you asked seriously and he smiled weakly, nodding along, "So it’s not Lewis that interests me", you concluded, paying attention to the track again.

Charles sighed, pulling you closer to him, a gesture that made you smile.

Once the race ended, you headed towards the outside, trying to avoid the confusion as much as possible.

"Shall we eat something?", Charles asked you, intertwining your fingers, and you smiled shyly at him, which made him chuckle.

"Please!", you agreed and laughed out loud. "Suggestions?", he asked and you looked thoughtful.

"The center might not be a good idea because it must be full after this", you ruled out, "that new panini shop?", you suggested and he agreed.

You got in the car and headed towards the shop, ordering it to go and Charles ended up choosing a nice spot that overviewed the city.

"Tomorrow I'm going to race", he began, "I know it's not your tradition, but I'd like for you to come watch", he invited and you smiled.

"I'll be there", you agreed and it was his turn to smile, "At what time is it?", you wondered.

"At 10:00 in the morning. I know it's Sunday but...", Charles trailed off.

"Tomorrow, at that time, I'll be there to support you", you promised and he thanked you.

Charles parked the car and you got out of the vehicle, enjoying the fresh night air, which was quite pleasant. He cleaned his shirt and pants again and heard you laugh as you came closer to help him with the crumbs.

"Clumsy", you criticized jokingly, and he stuck his tongue out at you.

You sat down on one of the benches that were there and you sighed, making Charles look in your direction.

"How peaceful", you whispered, while keeping your eyes closed and a small smile on your lips.

"Monaco is really beautiful", Charles said, hearing you agree with a small murmur.

You took off your cap and tried to fix you hair, making Charles laugh.

"Let me help you", he gently asked and you turned to him, letting him fix the rebelliousness that characterized you.

As soon as he finished, he continued to caress them, which made you close you eyes to enjoy the affection.

"Kiss me", you murmured and he looked at you in surprise.

"What?", Charles asked, trying to understand if he had heard correctly.

"Kiss me, Charles", you repeated.

"Can I?", still astonished, he wanted to make sure.

"You should", you replied as Charles smiled at your answer and pulled you towards him, appreciating the serenity of your face.

"Finally", Charles whispered against your mouth before finally placing your lips together for the first time - of many, he hoped.

You allowed his tongue to enter your mouth when he silently asked for permisson and he intensified your kiss, truly surrendering to you.

And in eachother's lips, you discovered the path to peace, the one you both had lost years before with the pain that had overwhelmed you.

.

You woke up to the sound of the alarm clock, quickly getting up, not wanting to be late for Charles' race,

"Y/N, dear?", you heard the surprise in you mother's voice and couldn't help but laugh. "Hi, mama", you said, giving her permission to come in, and she did so.

"Are you going to tell me why you're up at this hour? Of all people, you who hibernates all weekend!", she joked and you stuck out your tongue, which made her laugh.

"I just felt like getting up, that's all", you said briefly, as you looked through your closet, looking for the most presentable, yet comfortable, clothes possible.

"And why are you going to dress so nicely if you're going to spend the whole day at home?", she mused, suspiciously, and you laughed at her curiosity.

"Okay, mama, you win", you eventually gave in and she celebrated, which made you laugh out loud.

"I'm going to watch the charity race", you said and her curious look made you realize that her questions were only at the beggining.

"Who's your boyfriend from there?", she didn't hesitate to ask and you looked at her, shocked etched on your face.

"Why do I have to have a boyfriend to watch the race?", you asked, astonished and she looked at you with an expression that said to not mess with her.

"Your mother is old but she's not stupid, Y/N", she scolded, laughing and you followed.

"Mama, you are forty-eight years old. You are a young woman", you complimented her, trying to make her drop about the subject and the older woman laughed.

"Yes, yes, sweetheart. Now the question I asked you", she insisted and you laughed, shaking your head.

"I don't have a boyfriend, mama. But I have a friend who would like me to go and I'm going", you told her and the smile she gave you made you blush.

"Name?", she wanted to know and you snorted, making her laugh.

"How annoying", you rumbled and she laughed again, "Charles".

"Then I hope this Charles takes care of you or the wooden spoon will fly", she threatened and you couldn't help but laugh with her.

"You're amazing, mama", you replied and she laughed, coming towards you and kissing your forehead.

"I just want you to be happy", she muttered, while caressing your face and smiling.

"I am", you assured her and she smiled, before walking away, leaving you alone again. You ran to the private bathroom and took a quick shower, leaving it shortly after so you could get ready in time. You applied some light makeup and dried your hair, leaving it in its natural waves.

You went down the stairs, passing through the living room, patting Simba on the head, the old Labrador who had always been with you, and whose name was based on Lucas' favorite movie.

"Good morning", you greeted your parents, although you had already spoken to your mother.

"Up so early, my dear?", your father was surprised and you looked at my mother, who was already looking at you with a suggestive smile that made you roll you

[magpiemirroring]

So, there's a "business rule" called "Fast, Good, Cheap" where it is taken as a given that you can only get 2 out of 3 of these for a product or service. (if you want something done quickly and well, it usually won't come cheap, for example) And when I was in art school awhile ago, we had our own variation on it about the traits of successful artists: "Fast, Good, Nice" and were told that you only needed to be 2 of these things to have a chance.

I am so curious now if this variation originated with Gaiman or if he was repeating what was being passed around as a common "truism" among creatives awhile back.

(I think rather than "good advice" it kinda highlights more the way various creative industries tend to work. After all, excusing or covering up the bad behavior of talented people has been going on a long, long time and we definitely had other examples of "Fast, Good, but A Total Creep" in comics years ago to point to. Even when I first heard it, it was nice to think that being Nice counted for something at all, but I thought it was a Problem that we were excusing some really terrible behavior just because someone was talented...)

That said! As an autistic creative, like, I struggle socially and can be blunt in ways that sometimes do make working on a team extra challenging! I'm sure some people do think I'm an asshole for that. But a lot of people know me as someone who is kind and thoughtful even if I don't express that the same as they do. And because I am trying not to BE an asshole, I do put in a fair amount of effort to learn how to phrase things or do things in a way that folks I am working with find to be more considerate!* (So, accordingly, while I am talented, I am not so talented that folks would overlook me being an asshole, so I would probably actually perceived as Nice and Fast! Even with the autism issues!)

BUT! There would be a world of difference between some people just not liking me because I struggle socially and, like, actually being a dick to people or abusive. Most autistic people are not socially-misunderstanding their way into sexually abusing people. Most autistic people are not using their social power (well-respected and wealthy author) to pressure people into sexual contact they don't want. Most autistic people mask their less socially acceptable traits in order to survive or feel safe, not to hide behind a veneer of being "one of the good ones."

One can be autistic and a sexual predator, but autism is not an excuse for or cause of predatory behavior. Those are just two categories of behavior that can exist in the same person and overlap in uncomfortable ways. But it's 100% an Asshole thing for an adult to hear "You hurt someone badly" and respond "It was my autism" rather than take responsibility for the harm that they did. Yeah, sometimes I hurt people's feelings because I am blunt or stated something weirdly or misunderstood something because I'm autistic, and that sucks! But I am a grown up who has learned that when you hurt someone, even unintentionally, you don't try to excuse your way out of it. You take responsibility for your actions. You try to find out what you can do to make up for what you did and/or seek to never make that mistake again.

Anyway. My point is that Gaimain's quote really has no bearing on autism. When I first heard a variation of the quote above, we did not know Gaiman was autistic. It was long enough ago that Gaiman probably did not know he was autistic. No one was thinking about social skills deficits when I first heard this "advice". This line of thought was passed around by NTs to NTs about talented and quick creators being able to get away with being major creeps. They all understood and talked openly about how this wasn't really about folks who were awkward, weird, or offputting. This was understood by everyone I knew to be about absolute assholes getting away with it because we always let “genius” get away with shit. And even if Gaiman is the one who originated this variation of "advice" then it is telling, but not like a unique signal of his badness leaking through so much as an indicator of a systemic problem that was already present in the industry and helped him get away with being awful for so long.

Broke: Neil Gaiman hinted at his secret nature by including dark things in his work

Woke: Neil Gaiman hinted at his secret nature when he gave advice on being a writer that highlighted "it's actually okay to be as awful as you want if your work is good and on time"

[the-heliophile]

SAVE YOUR TEARS - VI

FROM FOURMI 🐜💌 This is my first time ever writing fanfiction and English isn't my first language so please don't go too hard on me! OMG THANK YOU FOR THE 24 NOTES 🫶🏻

song. save your tears, the weeknd

pairing. emo!Vi x reader (post Caitlyn)

content. angst, pining?, longing, Vi fumbled you

word count. around 1K

“I saw you dancing in a crowded room,

You look so happy when I'm not with you”

Vi was in the club, celebrating another victory in the pit by getting shitfaced with Loris, using whatever earnings she had gotten to buy them both drink after drink. The swirling colors of the lights were all blurry by now, her vision impaired by the several glasses of alcohol in her system, the burning in her throat a small distraction from her thoughts of you. She looks around the bar, barely able to make out people's faces when her chalcedony eyes land on a familiar figure dancing with a woman. Vi squints a bit, trying her hardest to make out the expressions of the woman making her heart beat faster and she manages to make out a smile, your smile, your face contorted in an expression of pure mirth while your company flirts with you. 

“But then you saw me, caught you by surprise,

A single teardrop falling from your eye”

You were enjoying the attention your date was giving you, not hesitating for a second before flirting back until the gnawing feeling of eyes on you pushed you to look around the crowded club, your gaze landing right on Vi. The sight of her is enough to bring back the painful feeling of your heart clenching to the surface, your throat suddenly closing while your eyes get watery and you quickly look away. You pretend not to have noticed her, wiping a fallen tear from your face as fast as you can, the sight not lost on your ex, if you could call her that. 

“I made you think that I would always stay,

I said some things that I should never say”

The truth was, you had been foolish to believe she would ever reciprocate your feelings. It seemed as if everything you did for her did not matter, as if her heart would forever belong to Caitlyn. By the time you had met Vi they had already parted ways, you picked her up after she passed out from celebrating, lying unceremoniously on the stairs leading to her rundown studio. You had offered her a hand, lent her your ear to vent in and your shoulder to cry on and yet she had never looked at you as more than a friend. Until one day, during one of her drunk ramblings she uttered the forbidden words, slurred but unmistakable. “I really love you, you know ? You mean a lot to me..” You had been foolish to believe her, to take this confession as more than drunk words she would forget the next morning.

“Yeah, I broke your heart like someone did to mine,

And now you won't love me for a second time”

You ended up making the mistake that cost you your friendship with Vi, you confessed. A month ago, at her studio after helping her lay down, you brought her a glass of water and cooked her a warm meal to comfort her before asking her to have a heartfelt conversation. You poured your whole heart to her, explained the depth of your feelings and how you would even be willing to wait for her, however long was needed for her to make her choice. You handed her your heart on a silver platter just to be met with a scoff and a scowl, her words piercing right through the organ “Don't try to make it more than it is, we're friends and that's all we'll ever be.” That night you left her apartment without ever looking back, that night you had realized that no matter what you did you could never compare to Caitlyn, she'll always be there in the back of Vi’s mind.

“I don't know why I run away,

I make you cry when I run away”

Seeing you again, looking so beautiful and happy made her clench, a familiar feeling setting in, longing. She had missed you, spent countless nights making up apologies in her head, kept looking for you every time she woke up hungover. She regretted her words more than anything, wishing she could take them back and welcome you into her heart. It did not take her long after your departure for the realization to hit her, that night despite how drunk she had been, she had never felt so sober. She had lost you, she was blind to your affection because she was too busy pursuing memories of someone who looked down on her and kicked her out of her life like she was nothing more than a dirty rag. She misses the high of being with Caitlyn yes, but you provided her with a sense of serenity, gave her a sense of safety and sanity in her otherwise trouble filled life. She did not mean to be that harsh, never wanted to outright reject you like that, with a shaky voice she ordered another drink, downing it in one go before standing up from the stool she had been sitting in to stare at you. 

“Girl, take me back 'cause I wanna stay”

Vi stumbles slightly on her way to you, grabbing your arm before pulling you away from your date without even asking and bringing you to a more secluded place. “Sweetheart, I..I missed you so much..” She searches your eyes, looking for any hint of affection, a glimmer of love or even just a sparkle of happiness at seeing her but her search is met with nothing if not for your unimpressed gaze. “Do you ? Or do you just miss everything I did for you ?” Vi stared at you, incredulous for a second before uttering that she missed you, as a person, as a friend and a companion. She felt stuck, like she was facing a wall, her words seemingly doing nothing to affect you but the memory of you wiping your tears away a few minutes earlier is still etched in her mind. She waits for a few moments, watching you take a deep breath before you chide with a frown “Get yourself in check Vi, I was foolish to think we would even work, I could not be with someone who comes home drunk every time and spends her time fighting for a few coins a night just to spend them all on booze. I want something real Vi, and you'll never be able to provide me with that, I've made peace with it and so should you.” She feels her heart breaking at your words, and she holds her tongue, fighting the urge to argue with you as she reluctantly lets go of your arms. With a shaky breath, she nods, admitting to the truthfulness of your words “You're right, I'd just pull you down with me eh ?” She gives you a half-assed smirk, her tone a lot sadder than she had expected before she resigns herself to her fate and walks away from you, thankful for the dark lighting of the club concealing the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. 

“I realize that I'm much too late

And you deserve someone better”

[fibromyalgicaf]

It's easy to forget what it's like to have a properly functioning body when you've lived with an illness/disability for a while, and then it's very easy to beat yourself up or gaslight yourself.

I was diagnosed about 6 years ago so I've kinda gotten used to my lowered capacity. So now, what I think is a big day is really skewed. I often lose sight of what I used to be capable of and what the average person my age is capable of.

And because I'm a hot mess of self-criticising anxiety, this means I often second-guess if I'm ill "enough" and beat myself up for not working or achieving. I tell myself "I've done several things today so I can't be sick, I should go back to work!" but I forget that most people do a lot more than that and they don't collapse into bed for 14 hours afterwards.

So I did a little exercise which some of y'all might find interesting or helpful... I started listing what a healthy/able-bodied person would likely do in a day* and then counted how many I achieve...

Shower/bathe (and probably shave?)

Brush teeth

Get dressed (which may include accessorising, ironing, shoe-polishing)

Do hair

And maybe make-up

Make bed (even if it's just straightening the duvet and pillows)

Prepare/cook and eat three meals (and maybe prepare food for others or for the next day)

Travel to work

Work a full day (and this really should be more than one item because it takes so much energy and can contribute significantly to pain or exacerbate other symptoms)

Travel home (maybe stopping on the way for gas, groceries, or other little errands)

Help others (even little things like helping someone carry groceries to their car)

Probably at least one housework task - dishes are probably an every day thing for most people, but there's also laundry, cleaning, vacuuming, tidying, grocery shopping, paying bills, lawns, gardening, etc.

Catch up on personal emails and texts (maybe even spend a while messaging someone or chatting on the phone)

Catch up on social media and/or news

Care for pets (feeding, grooming, walking, playing)

Check the mail (and deal with it; pay bills, respond, recycle the junk)

Watch TV and/or do hobbies

Exercise or health management tasks like taking medications.

Bedtime self-care like brushing teeth again, removing makeup, skincare routine

Organising, planning, or life admin

Plus a whole bunch of socialising throughout the day - with family, friends, coworkers, and maybe clients/customers

And people with kids can add a whole bunch more tasks - helping with homework, deescalating tantrums, mediating sibling fights, keeping child(ren) on task, story time, etc...

How many did you get? Because even on a good day, I'm only doing 5 or 6 things on this list, and that doesn't even include high-energy tasks like working or housework.

And that score makes me sad (and a bunch of other emotions) but I think it's also validating - I am actually disabled by this chronic illness - and a good reminder that I have limits.

* Based on what I was doing before my illness and what I see my friends and family doing. A lot of these tasks are small and don't require a heap of energy but every little bit adds up and it's amazing how many little things there are!