#but this was a refreshing take so thank you op

[niuxita21]

THANK YOU. I've been SAYINGGGGG. It's like all this "we need more complex female characters" energy went out the window the moment Princess Patt stepped out of line, it's really bizarre.

I understand it all. The seeming contradiction between being a lesbian and also opposing her niece's own same-sex romance. Someone somewhere else mentioned that in the book none of her reasons for being against Anin and Pin have to do with homophobia, so I would have liked some of that to be made clearer on the show, but nonetheless, I understand her need to overcompensate with Pin to keep her from making the same "mistakes" she made. Also, this isn't just because it's 1950s Thailand. I have heard stories of gay parents not accepting their gay kids in modern-day Latin America so, y'know, it's not like this is some big convoluted obstacle made up unnecessarily to keep Anin/Pin apart. It happens.

I also completely agree about her actions toward Pin once she agreed to the marriage. I really appreciated her standing up for Pin against Kuea with respect to letting her keep Anin's ring. Many saw this as too little, too late, but given that marrying Pin off was non-negotiable (and not because it was Patt's wish purely for funsies), this literally was the least she could do for the niece she loves like a daughter. And yes, I also really liked how she conducted herself after the wedding was called off. She spent the entire episode being unable to face Pin (only being in the same room as her when she was asleep, which was a nice detail) because of how remorseful she was. I do hope she gets to apologize to her in person and perhaps even tell her about Princess Im. It will be a huge missed opportunity otherwise.

I had a different interpretation of the "I want to see if you will stop breathing, too" line. I read it as typical parent rolling their eyes when their child tells them that they'll literally die if they're not allowed to see their boyfriend/girlfriend whom they have been with for a month. Maybe it's because I'm old, but the melodrama of teenage romances does absolutely nothing for me, especially when they get in "it's us against the world" mode. And yes, I know Anin and Pin are not teenagers, but they're young and sheltered enough that questioning what they could possibly know about love is a valid point. I saw it more as Patt's elegant, royal way of saying "Give me a fucking break, no one dies from a broken heart, you're gonna be fine." Harsh, maybe, but it was a moment of heightened emotion, with Pin literally begging her on her knees, so I can see how at some point Patt just could not anymore (I mean, *I* was rolling my eyes a little at the drama of it all, so I understand having that reaction. Again, maybe it's because I'm old.) (ALSO. Friendly reminder that the big love of Patt's life LITERALLY DIED. Not in her arms but close enough. And she survived the pain. So again, I can see why she'd be like "Oh you think THIS is a tragedy?? Child, you wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" (is that how the song goes?))

Lastly, yes, she is THE most beautiful woman in Savettavarit palace at any given moment, so is it possible that I wouldn't have given her the benefit of the doubt to such a degree otherwise? Maybe. But these are the cards we have been dealt with. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I feel like Pattamika is getting some unfair hate. I understand how some (western) people might be put off by her politically incorrect values: the period-accurate internalized homophobia, the corporal punishment, and just her general strictness that can seem over the top to a modern western audience.

But you have to put this into perspective. This isn't modern America, it's 1950s Thailand. 1950s Thai royalty no less. Family honor and reputation is a big deal for anyone, especially the royal family. She is under a huge amount of pressure to maintain a standard of proper behavior and raise her neice accordingly. Gay marriage simply isn't an option. She sees Pin going down the same path that brought her only pain and does what she thinks she has to.

And even then, as awful as the whole wedding arc is, she tries to find small ways to show compassion to Pin and Anin within the rigid societal framework that restricts them. She goes out of her way to let Pin keep the ring Anin gave her even if it makes insecure douchecanoe Kuea feel threatened. She doesn't personally approve of the ring and what it represents, but she's kind enough to compromise on some things to make the horrifying ordeal of comphet as bearable as possible for Anin.

Even the infamous "I want to see if you will stop breathing" line is not motivated by malice but informed by her own trauma. She had to see the woman she loved die without any of the support Pin and Anin have. She shouldn't have taken her trauma out on Pin in that moment, but it is understandable that she would see her problems as melodramatic in comparison.

What I especially love about her is how she responds when operation comphet falls apart. She doesn't double down or blame anyone else. She takes full responsibility for her mistakes and expresses admiration for Anin's bravery in openly declaring her love for another woman, something she never did in her time. She only holds off on apologizing to Pin because she is ashamed to face her after failing her.

She's a wonderful complex character, and she deserves to be appreciated, flaws and all. This is exactly the kind of complex female character we want.

She's also just really hot, guys. I'm sorry if you can't see the apeal of a dommy milf spanking a younger woman but there is beauty everywhere for those with eyes to see it.

[penkura]

Late Night Talks

Note: Decided to write this after this week's OP episode, hope all my Law fans are doing okay. :') It'll be fine, I'm sure. This is just some cute late night talking for Law and Reader, not connected to where you belong but is connected to the OP Men as Dads series, I suppose.

“You should sleep.”

Law is only a little bit startled when you speak, laying your arm across his chest while he lays back in your bed with a book in his hand, lamp and reading glasses still on despite the time. He hadn’t even realized it was almost 2am already, only checking the clock now and feeling slightly guilty.

“Did the light wake you?”

“No,” eyes still closed you shake your head, giving a small sigh when Law brings you closer with his free hand, “A few small kicks to my ribs did it. What are you reading tonight?”

“The fourteenth volume of Sora.”

“Gotta keep ahead of Rosi?”

“Hmm,” Law hums a bit and flips a page, not fully paying attention to the book, he’ll have to start this chapter again tomorrow, “Not really, but he likes to talk about it when I pick him up from school. I’m just refreshing myself on it.”

“Oh, please, like you don’t already know what happens.”

“Hey its been a while since I’ve read it. I need to make sure it’s still age appropriate too.”

“Well, thank you for that,” Laughing softly, you pat his chest which makes Law chuckle a bit in return, “He’s so smart though, especially for an eight year old. I’m sure he understands it all anyway.”

“He gets it from you.”

“Nope. Gets his looks and smarts from his father.”

“[Y/N]—”

“At least Cora has my eyes. Speaking of, your daughter would like a trip to the park later today.”

“Oh would she now?” Law raises an eyebrow at the ‘your daughter’ part, wondering what she did this time.

“Mm-hm, specifically asked for her daddy to take her too.”

“Asked?”

“Asked, had a tantrum, whatever you want to call it.”

Law just sighs and shakes his head, not that surprised hearing your nearly three year old had a tantrum earlier that day. Of course it’s common for toddlers, but normally you have nothing to report with Cora when Law gets home and she’s happy to be held and tucked into bed later in the evening. Her tantrums and fits are rate, but seem to happen more lately, he wonders if it’s due to his being at work until late or your pregnancy, but tonight is the first time it’s been mentioned in a while. Maybe he needs to try and talk to her alone.

“We should all go then. Take a walk as a family.”

“Mm…”

“[Y/N]-ya?”

It doesn’t surprise Law to see you’ve fallen back asleep just as quickly as you’d woken up, but he gets it, you’re more tired lately being so close to the end of your third pregnancy, to finally meeting your baby again. He’s as quiet as possible while he closes his book, setting it and his glasses to the side before he adjusts to having you in his arms as he lays down fully beside you. Law whispers a goodnight to you, placing a soft kiss to your forehead with one hand on your stomach to feel the little kicks that had woken you up in the first place before he soon falls asleep himself.

Even though morning is going to come soon, he’s grateful for the late night talks you two still have, even after all these years and now about to be three children. He’ll never get tired of them.

[shmaptainwrites]

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓 [𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐎𝐍]

PAIRINGS — Violet Bridgerton x fem!Reader

SUMMARY — Violet has a secret, but it will only stay that way if she can be quiet enough to keep it

WORD COUNT — 2.2K

WARNINGS — 18+ MDNI, oral sex (Violet recieving), pw/op (I mean there is kind of a plot, but it's so minimal)

NOTE — Okay this is just like a fully indulgent little snippet because let's be real who wouldn't want to be in a secret relationship with Violet. Special thanks to @sleepyfireball and @lifesizehysteria for both giving me the confidence to post this and helping me with the ending <3

Violet had never considered herself a woman of many secrets. Yes, there were some things in her life that remained private, but even then, they wouldn’t cause much of a fuss if they were brought to light. 

Recently, though, Violet had been keeping a secret. A big one. 

A secret, her only one that would surely scandalize the whole ton, but Violet, unlike her children, was a little more well versed in dealing with subtleties, with…avoiding scandal. 

“Mother?” 

She blinked away from her thoughts, seeing Benedict holding out his arm for her so she could exit the carriage. 

She gave him a small smile by way of apology and took his arm in hers, climbing out of the carriage and letting her second eldest son lead her into the home that this evening’s ball was being hosted in. 

As soon as they entered the large space, she didn’t even register going to find the host or taking in the decorations. Instead, she scanned the crowd until her eyes landed on a familiar pair. She bit back a smile noticing your discreet wave to her which she returned with a nod of her head. 

She saw you motion your head towards the refreshments table and she quickly let Benedict know she was going to get herself a lemonade and gracefully made her way around the room to the table where she could pour herself a glass. 

“Lady Bridgerton, interesting evening for a ball isn’t it?” 

Violet chewed the inside of her cheek.

“Yes, there is quite a storm outside,” she nodded as you came and stood next to her, pretending to be perusing the desserts. You leaned in to grab a macaron, but your mouth coming awfully close to her ear, her senses overwhelmed by your warm breath against her as your voice dropped to a whisper. 

“I haven’t seen you in weeks. I miss you.” 

She could feel a certain familiar warmth grow in her chest at your admission, still pretending to focus on the lemonade and not how much she wanted to pull you into her arms. 

“Did your carriage have much trouble in the rain?” she pulled back, continuing the cover conversation. 

“Thankfully no, but who knows what the night will bring,” you responded. 

Violet took a moment to appreciate your appearance. The way the jewels that dangled from your ears complimented your dress and shone against your skin. How odd it was that you chose not to wear a necklace, leaving the upper part of your chest bare. Violet supposed for most, attention would not be drawn to it due to the lack of jewels, but for her, your skin was much more precious. 

“We shall speak more later, yes?” you asked and Violet nodded her head. 

“Of course,” there was no question about it, but Violet wanted to do much more than speak and she gathered that you did too. 

You offered Violet a smile, your hand moving to touch her arm in a friendly manner, your touch lingering as you walked away leaving her to yearn for it as soon as it was gone. 

She tried to make friendly conversation with those around her, but her mind kept drifting off to your whispered words, your breath on her face. 

It didn’t help that whenever you walked by you’d find some excuse to touch her. A hand on her back to move her aside, a touch to her arm as you laughed at something she said while in conversation with others, the brush of your hands together as you passed her by. 

Eventually she could not take it any longer, or more, she didn’t want to. 

She sought you out where you stood alone in a quiet corner enjoying a glass of wine. 

“Took you long enough,” you murmured into your glass. 

“I don’t know what you expect me to do when you keep…touching me,” she whispered. “We are supposed to be discreet are we not?” 

“Forgive me, I was trying to get your attention,” you tried to bite back a chuckle, even though you knew Violet was not amused, but she wasn’t angry, no that wasn’t the right word. She had a fire in her eyes. Passion, desire…lust. 

“Well you have it,” she said. 

You pulled the wine glass away from your face, moving to walk past Violet as if you were leaving her, but going slow enough that you could whisper, 

“Hallway. Five minutes.” 

Violet felt a lump grow in her throat, but she continued to take her turn around the room, her eyes constantly drifting back to the clock until the long hand had moved enough to signal five minutes had passed. 

Discreetly she weaved her way through the crowd until she could slip out into the hallway. 

When she arrived, it was dark and she saw no sign of you. She thought perhaps you might have gone further so she walked down, scanning the doors on either side, going deeper and deeper into the home without much regard for politeness of where she should have been. 

Just as she was about to turn around and go back, she felt someone grab her wrist and pull her to the side and into a room. She almost let out a shriek of surprise, but before the sound could leave her mouth a hand covered it and she realized who it was that had pulled her away. 

“Discreet, Violet, remember?” you teased. 

“Oh hush, you scared me,” she removed your hand from her mouth, trying to get her beating heart to slow down. 

“Yes, well,” you leaned in closer, closing the door behind Violet. “Like I said…I missed you.” 

Your lips now ghosted the shell of her ear and Violet could feel her walls beginning to crumble. 

“Darling,” she warned. 

“Mmm I love it when you call me that,” your hands now rested against Violet’s hips, your lips lightly pressing against her jaw. 

“This doesn’t feel very discreet,” she managed to get out in a strangled breath. 

“We’re alone,” you kissed her jaw. “And there’s a ball, no one will notice we have slipped out. In fact, your children might even be thankful for a break from your hovering.” 

“Oh, now you’re just trying to get on my nerves,” Violet could feel herself roll her eyes, but was quickly diverted from her annoyance by the feeling of your teeth grazing along her pulse point. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her head and it became dizzying. “Goodness, would you stop teasing me?” 

“I thought you wanted to be discreet?” you pulled your head away, looking her into her eyes, a mischievous smile on your lips. “What you’re suggesting is hardly so.” 

Violet clenched her jaw, looking around the room and behind her at the door. 

“We’d have to be quick,” she said. “And quiet.” 

“How about I worry about the quick and you worry about the quiet?” you asked, leaning in so your mouths were centimeters apart. “You can repay the favour next time.” 

“Assuming there is a next time,” Violet mumbled. 

“We’re not going to get caught,” you assured her. “Now do you want this? Or should I just continue teasing you?” you asked as your hands trailed up her sides, coming to rest right underneath her breasts. 

“No,” Violet breathed. “I want this. I want you,” her head bobbed up and down in a nod. 

“Good,” you smiled, finally closing the minimal gap between you, pushing Violet into the door, her body hitting against it with a small thud. She could taste the faint remnants of lemonade and wine on your tongue and it only served to make you more addictive, encouraging her to hold both sides of your face, pulling you closer. 

The smell of your perfume was intoxicating, how it lingered in the air around her and with each breath how it felt like she was drinking you in, over and over again. 

The back of Violet’s head pressed against the door, her chin tilting upwards, an invitation perhaps for your lips to meet the skin of her neck, dragging along every freckle, connecting dots until you reached her collarbone, your grip becoming more firm around her hips. 

Her chest heaved with each touch, every kiss, the tightness of her corset creating the most deliciously dizzying experience as your kisses lined the top of her breasts, your nose trailing along in tandem. 

It made Violet whine when she felt the cold loss of contact of both your lips and your hands, but it quickly turned into a gasp as fingers lightly traced the length of her legs, the skirt of her dress and any other layers underneath being pushed up higher and higher. 

Once her skirt was bunched around her hips, she took the fabric from your hands, freeing them up for much more important things. 

Her eyes were shut, taking in the feeling of your hot fiery breath against her thigh, your kisses wet as they traced a path up to the cotton fabric that covered her. 

Your fingers were light in their touch while they tugged the fabric lower, down Violet’s legs and she could feel herself practically dripping with need. After you helped her step out of her underwear, you chuckled seeing her foot brush it off to the side, clearly anxious for your touch to return. 

Violet’s grip on the fabric of her dress tightened as she felt you hook one of her legs over your shoulder and she let herself look down for only a moment watching as you pressed kisses to her inner thigh. Despite warnings to be quick, you relished in those moments where you could build up her desire, making her tremble with even just the feeling of your breath against her skin. 

For a few moments, Violet felt nothing aside from your hand on her leg and hip supporting her, and she was about to ask if something was wrong, but just as she opened her mouth to speak she felt your tongue glide over her and words turned into needy moans. 

You squeezed her hip and her thigh, your voice low as you spoke against her making her knees go weak. 

“Remember, quiet, my dear.” 

Violet bit her tongue and nodded her head, pushing herself back so firmly into the door to steady herself as your touch continued, only growing more insistent with each passing moment. 

Just as she was about to lose herself in a haze, Violet thought she heard something. 

“Darling,” she whispered harshly. “Darling, wait.” 

You paused, the only sound in the room being that of your heavy breathing, but outside in the hallway, soft steps could be heard and you both became deathly still. 

The footsteps were accompanied by small quiet chatter, and just as quickly as they came, they left and the hall was silent once more. 

“Now where were we?” you murmured against her thigh and despite Violet’s heart threatening to burst out of her chest and the swirling nausea of anxiety in the pit of her stomach, she let you continue because what you did was so very addictive. 

Violet felt a groan escape past her lips and she quickly let go of her skirt with one hand, placing it over her mouth to mute herself, or more likely muffle whatever sounds she was making. 

You could feel the fabric of her skirt fall slightly against your face and as a result Violet could feel your chuckle vibrate against her making her knees wobble so that she fell more firmly on you.

A sharp gasp left her mouth, muffled by her hand. 

You knew by her reaction you’d hit a sensitive spot and your tongue worked tirelessly against her, feeling her body arch against you, her breathing becoming more rapid and frantic, gripping on the one side of her skirt with such intensity she could feel her nails dig into her skin where they met the palm of her hand. 

Violet felt herself rise, as if with the crest of a wave, building and building and building until finally it crashed down on the sandy shore and pulled away before lapping again and again. 

As you finally pulled away from Violet, her leg still draped over your shoulder, she took a few moments to gather herself before finally removing her hand from her mouth, noticing the marks she’d left on it from trying to silence herself.

You pressed gentle kisses to her thighs, your hands caressing the skin they were holding before moving to wipe your face and move her leg back to the floor. 

Violet let go of her skirt, letting it fall over herself and was about to reach down to grab her discarded underwear before you beat her to it. 

“Really?” her voice was still breathless, her nose merely an inch away from your own while you smiled and came closer to her. 

“No one would notice it was gone,” a devious playful sort of smile crossed your lips. 

“I would.” 

“That’s the point,” you whispered before pressing your lips to hers in a slow kiss. 

“You’re insatiable,” she mumbled against you, pulling you closer. 

“I’m not the one who couldn’t wait until we got home.”

TAGLIST —

@paola-carter @madde11 @thesamesweetie @cherrysxuya

[chaosandmarigolds]

pięć 🚑

Of EMS AU Thingy!

summary: Simon Riley finds himself utterly and completely in love with the newest medic on base, the only issue is that he has the social skills of a toddler.

“Mary I promise, I’m not incompetent-“

“never said you were!!” She counteracts, rummaging through the kit, stating she had a blood pressure cuff in there, “Just…you’re a baby.”

You frown, “I’ve been a paramedic for five years, hardly-“

“Gunshot wound to the upper anterior leg, what do you do?” The question was lifeless, as if she had been planning this for a long while. She leaned on the counter as she watched the color drain from your face for a moment, of course she knew that you were capable, yet she also knew you were a dear in a headlights, “Knife to the lumbar spine, what do you do? Solider is 35 year old male, 260 pounds of pure muscle plus gear and you do not have a lift assist.”

“I-“

“oh you’re also in an active warzone so you falter you get shot, stitch.”

you gulp, you had been in New York as a paramedic for years, you had seen some horrible things but…you were also aware you were walking into murky waters, “Mary, I-“

She frowned to your words and turns back to her bag, “The team as a EMS refresher at 0700, tourniquets, packing, and anything else they have in their itty bitty first aid kit. I’ll be on a plane, you take care of it.”

with a huff you run your hands down your face as you move to grab your kit, the large backpack fit easily weighing upward to fifty pounds. You end up standing in your spot for a long moment, trying to figure out what to say next. However, you no longer cared on if Mary thought you stupid or not, you cared much more on the refresher course.

“Who…do we have a dummy?”

She scoffs, “No. You’re the patient, layer up.”

…oh.

—

Kyle Garrick was arguably one of the nicer (looking) personalities on base, he seemed genuine in his actions- or so you thought, as did he. If not a bit overbearing, thought he did not mean to, so when he saw you walking down the corridor with arms full, he offered to take some, simply because he wanted to be kind-nothing else.

“How are ya finding it?”

You let out a breathy laugh as you wait for the door to open, “Do you want an honest answer or one that makes me seem better?”

he feigns thoughtfulness and hums, “I’d say…honest.”

“Overwhelmed. But hey!” You were mainly rambling to the poor man, and when you get to the gym you drop the obscure items onto the table, where he followed- to where you were speaking face to face, “It could be a lot worse right?”

Kyle shrugs to your words, a smile on his features and he pats your shoulder, “You seem capable. The trainee fore you slept through an OP so..you’re doing good.”

great, you’re better than someone who slept through a mission that seemed like the lowest form of compliment but you would take it. “Awesome, well thank you, um…where is the Captain, Lieutenant and sergeant?”

“Well you’re looking at a Sergeant.”

a smile tugged at your lips and you look down, “I mean MacTavish, though I do suppose I have one accounted for.”

Kyle then motioned to the other side of the gym, which you hadn’t bothered to turn on the full lights as of yet, “LT is over there.”

that was one of the oddest sentences you had heard, so you frown and move to turn on the light, and sure enough you find the lieutenant casually sitting in the darkness, a book neatly folded on his lap. To the sight you furrow your eyebrows, “Should I ask, Lieutenant?”

He shook his head, standing up as he spoke, “No, probably not. Scare ya lil’ medic heart.” (He got there ten minutes before you and the lights were motion activated)

You laughed to that, not a real one though, more of petrified squeak, “Okay! Anyway! Where’s MacTa-“ just as you were speaking the door buzzed open and the very people you were speaking about came in, looking somewhat exhausted and barely awaken begrudgingly they grab the fold out chairs from the closet and sit down, and you would admit it was somewhat funny to see Johnny so…quiet. As you turn just double check everything was neat you didn’t see the slight fight, more like nudges between Johnny the Lieutenant, until he was tire of it and pulled the chair back and replaced it with his own. So when you turned around you saw a straight line of chairs, but for Johnny, who was now behind the Lieutenant, who was now directly in front of you.

You’ve been patient before, during paramedic school you wanted to be the patient. it was fun, now however you had a genuine worry if their tourniquet would just snap your leg off.

This will be fun.

(all I got! Comments and all that jazz mean so much to me, toodles!)

[kikuriki]

After a million years (or rather a few long months) I present you… A Splatoon picrew maker 

What’s so special about it you may ask? It has custom hairstyles AND you can combine parts of the hair and different gear to create unique OCs! 

Enjoy! https://picrew.me/image_maker/1781065

[slutforsilverfoxes]

Sleight of Hand

[A/N: I DID IT! I finished my Steve x reader undercover op fic, and I kind of love it??? I hope those of you who were looking forward to it enjoy it too 😈🖤 Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to write this as a full blown fic! Over 5.7k words hehe whoops]

—————

When your former mentor had contacted you about an opening at her coral reef research lab, moving from Camden to Oahu had been a no brainer. You’d packed up your life in New Jersey and been on a plane to the Aloha State within a week. Your favorite cousin, who’s truthfully more like the big brother you always wanted, had been elated to hear the news, welcoming you at the airport with open arms and two simple rules.

“Always answer the phone when I call so you don’t worry me to death,” Danny had said, holding up one finger, “and two,” he added a second, “you’re an adult and you can date anyone on this island-”

“Thank… you?”

“-but stay away from this schmuck.”

The schmuck in question had simply rolled his eyes, draped a beautiful lei around your neck, and greeted you with a warm hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Steve.”

Your confident promise to your cousin had been broken a whopping two months later- and no, you hadn’t ignored one of his phone calls.

“Did you get me a beer?” you ask with a teasing lilt to your voice, wringing out your wet hair before dropping down onto the bench beside your boyfriend. A quick glance around reveals that Danny’s over by the shrimp truck with Kamekona, and you lean forward to steal a kiss before putting some space between yourself and your favorite brunette.

“I surely did not,” Steve sasses back and takes a swig of his ice cold beverage. “Alcohol and diving do not mix. But I did happen to get a mango smoothie from that one place down the road this pretty girl I know really likes.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhm,” he responds, a goofy grin spreading across his handsome face. “But, uh, she didn’t show, so I guess you can have it.”

You laugh and give him a playful shove, then let out a content hum as you pop the straw through the lid and take a grateful sip. “So good,” you moan in delight, and Steve has to bite his lip to refrain from making a comment when he spots Danny approaching the table with your regular orders.

“Hey, you.” Your cousin greets you with a kiss on the cheek before taking up residence on the bench across from you and Steve. “Why’re you sitting all the way over there, huh? You like that clown better or somethin’?”

“This guy?” you snort, taking your lunch off the tray and rifling through the napkins in search of a fork.

“Ouch.” Steve winces as if burned by your comment, and you surreptitiously squeeze his thigh beneath the table.

“So tell me about this case you’ve got,” you coax your cousin to change the subject, spearing some grilled veggies on the plastic fork’s tines and scooping up a respectable mound of rice on top.

“So there’s a diamond smuggling ring-” Danny starts, and you immediately cut him off with, “Shut up, that doesn’t happen in real life.” You turn to Steve for confirmation, but there’s no provocative arch to his eyebrow or twitching of his lips to suggest this is a joke. “Are you serious right now? BFFR, Danno.”

“I don’t- I don’t know what that means. Why are you making me feel old?”

“Be fucking for real,” you and Steve supply in unison, and you smile proudly at him. “You’re learning!”

“Between you and Gracie, I keep up, okay?”

“Oh, between my baby cousin and my daughter, you- okay, that’s excellent,” Danny proclaims, his tone indicating it’s anything but. “Anyway, they’re using poker games as a cover to uh, collect their product, shall we say.”

“There’s enough rich people on Oahu with actual diamonds?” you ask, incredulous. “And here I am working like a pleb for paper currency.”

“Word,” Steve seconds your statement, raising his beer in a toast. You clink your smoothie against it before taking another refreshing sip and asking, “So how’re you gonna catch them?”

“Well, there’s a high roller tournament on Friday night that we’re betting they’ll hit. We wanted to go in undercover and flush them out but…” Steve trails off and gazes at you thoughtfully, but Danny’s shaking his head before the words have even formed on the brunette’s lips.

“No, absolutely not. Don’t even think about it, Steve.”

“What?” You turn to him, excitement coursing through your veins at the way his eyes have lit up. “Think about it! And tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“You could go undercover with me to the tournament, help me gather some intel. Maybe we get you to confirm the diamonds are actually in their possession and-”

“No!” Danny chimes in again. “What’s the matter with you, huh? These guys have killed two people, Steve. It’s too dangerous for her.”

“First off, fuck that-”

“Language.”

With an eye roll, you amend, “Forget that. More importantly, shouldn’t Danny go undercover? You kind of suck at poker, Steve.” You feel a sharp pinch at your side and you yelp in protest, slapping at the Navy SEAL. “It’s true, you little-”

“You’re not going,” Danny says definitively. “What about Tani?”

Steve shakes his head. “Tani and Junior have already questioned two of the men involved. They’ll be made before they even get to the table.”

You cross your arms and level your cousin with a smirk. “Sounds like you need me, Danno.”

“Then I’m going with you,” he declares.

“Yeah, no, hard pass,” you backpedal. “Even as a former thespian, there’s no way I can convincingly play arm candy for you without it being weird.”

“So, it’s settled then, little Williams,” Steve says with a grin. “You and me. Friday night. The high roller table at the Ilikai Hotel.”

__________

“This whole affair is giving very much Ocean’s Thirteen,” you remark as you lean into the mirror to line your puckered lips with Devil’s Den red. “The diamond heist, the poker game… it’s all so exciting.”

“Except this isn’t Hollywood and a bullet will actually hurt,” your cousin ever so graciously reminds you, trying to tug the slit ends of your dress together and then grunting in displeasure when the action reveals more of your bare back. “You’ve gotta be kidding me with this dress, babe,” he tuts. “Why’s it so expensive if it’s missing half the fabric, huh?”

You shrug and answer with a smile, “Don’t ask me! Your buddy picked it out.”

“Oh yeah, I bet he did,” Danny grumbles under his breath. “I mean, you’d be the most beautiful woman in the room if you were wearing a paper bag, but this- this dress-”

“Danno,” you laugh, completing the finishing touches on your makeup before turning around to squeeze his shoulder. “Remember one of the first things you said to me when I stepped off the plane?”

“Don’t date Steve?” he offers hopefully with a grimace.

That ship has sailed and it’s not docking anytime soon, you think wryly. “No, you goofball,” you respond instead, “that I’m an adult. Everything’s going to be fine!”

“Alright, okay, but just- just promise me you’ll be smart tonight and play it safe.”

With three fingers held aloft, you answer solemnly, “I promise.”

“And don’t let Steve talk you into doing something stupid, okay? No honeypot insanity or trying to sneak into rooms or anything, you got it?”

You press your lips to your cousin’s cheek and then wipe away the smudged lipstick. “Relax, Danny. The man’s a former SEAL. What could possibly go wrong?”

You open the door of the en-suite bathroom with a small smirk tugging at your lips as Danny splutters on behind you in answer to your incendiary question.

As soon as your stiletto touches down on the carpeted floor of the luxury hotel room, you’re hit with an enthusiastic, “Woah, baby!”

“You like?” you ask with a grin, holding your arms out at your sides and giving Tani a spin to show off the dress.

Tani laughs appreciatively and lets out a low whistle. “You are smokin’ hot. I am looking… disrespectfully,” she concludes after pretending to mull over her word choice. She sneaks a glance over at her boss who’s trying and failing to draw his gaze away from the high slit that’s showing off a majority of your leg, then steps closer to you and drops her voice. “And I’m not the only one.” You shush your friend quickly and she ducks away from your playful smack with another peal of laughter.

“Wow,” Steve breathes out, practically sporting heart-eyes as he drinks in the black silk hugging every curve of your body. His piercing blue eyes blaze a trail of heat from the stilettos on your feet to the low bun your hair is swept into, and you feel your skin grow warm under his attention.

“You look pretty wow yourself,” you remark, appreciating the smart tux he’s donned, the perfectly tailored suit accenting every defined muscle on his powerful body. The blush on your face deepens when your gaze meets his, catching a glimpse of a hungry predator on the prowl.

“No, but you, Y/N,” Steve counters, his voice a low growl, “you just- I mean- wow.” He looks ready to pounce, and you’re positive he would forego the event in lieu of spending the evening in bed if there wasn’t a case riding on your performance tonight- and your cousin who you’re keeping your relationship a secret from less than a foot away.

Danny snaps in his face, directing the brunette’s attention to him. “Don’t you gawk at her like that. Paws off my baby cousin, you hear me? Better use the right head tonight, Steven, I swear.”

You dart your eyes over to your boyfriend and make an intentionally obscene gesture with your hands, indicating which head you’re thinking about. He covers up his laugh with a cough, then hurries to reassure his partner. “Danno, c’mon. I’m a perfect gentleman. Aren’t I, Y/N?”

“You’re an animal, is what you are,” your beloved cousin continues his tirade, answering for you. “Just remember I’m watching, huh? I’ve got eyes on all the cameras.”

“Alright, people, focus now,” Lou admonishes gently, handing you and Steve small communications devices that you fit snugly into your ear, out of plain sight. “Y’all remember the plan?”

“Stand there and look pretty. Don’t get shot at,” you dutifully list off your objectives for the op with an exaggerated waggling of your eyebrows while Steve tests the microphone tucked away in his bow tie. “As an unofficial member of Five-0 now, do I get a gun?”

“Are you insane?” Danny cries as Steve asks, genuinely, “Where would you even hide a gun in that dress?”

Unable to resist, you shoot him a coy smile and challenge, “Wouldn’t you like to know, Commander?”

“Woah.” Your cousin holds his hands up between the two of you and declares, “Flag on the play. Don’t- Don’t do that. No flirting. Get in, entice Lee to steal your fake diamonds, get out. Deal?”

“We’ve got it, Detective,” Steve huffs, bending down to adjust his ankle holster.

Junior approaches then with a gorgeous looking diamond necklace and announces, “Got our bait here, boss.”

“Excellent,” Steve says, taking the jewelry from him and motioning for you to turn around. He gathers the necklace in one hand, his fingers drifting across your shoulder and collarbone to grasp one end before he fits it snugly around your neck. The simple touch has your veins flooding with heat, but you tamp down your reaction, keenly aware of the multiple sets of eyes on the two of you. “Tight enough?” he murmurs, and you nod in response, not yet trusting your voice.

“Oh, and one more thing!” Lou reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box, opening it with a flourish to reveal one simple silver band, the other studded with diamonds. “Little extra bling for good measure.” Your cheeks flush at the sight, and you turn your face away from Steve while you slide the wedding ring onto your finger.

One glance at its mate on your boyfriend’s hand has you weak in the knees, and Tani whispers, “Girl, you are down bad.”

“Shut up,” you hiss, fighting the blush threatening to give you away. Steve approaches with one eyebrow raised in curiosity, and you clear your throat before taking the arm he’s offered to you. You tuck your hand into the crook of his elbow, pressing yourself close to him and sending a sharp look to your older cousin when you feel his eyes boring holes into the two of you. “Knock it off, Danny.”

He cups your face between his hands and pulls you closer to press a kiss to your forehead with an apologetic smile. “Be smart. Be safe. I love you. You watch her back, okay?” He directs the last comment to his best friend with all the gruffness of a father sending his daughter off to prom.

“I will, Danny,” Steve answers solemnly, squeezing your hand.

“Alright, buddy. But not too close, okay? Remember, I’m always watch-”

You pull the door shut behind you with a sigh. Steve guides you down the hallway towards the elevators, and your grip on his arm tightens at the prospect of what you’re about to do.

Steve immediately intuits your nerves and offers a soothing, “Hey, you’re okay.” He takes your left hand in his, his right hand coming to rest on the small of your back so you feel completely enveloped by his steadying presence. He lets his thumb drift back and forth across your skin, just above where the fabric drapes at the base of your spine, and your comms come crackling to life. “Higher.”

Steve shifts his hand up with a chuckle, and your cousin begrudgingly remarks, “Better.”

The moment relieves some of your tension, and you shake your head before pressing the call button for the elevator. The lavish gold doors open to reveal an already sizable group dressed to the nines and clearly heading to the big casino-sponsored event downstairs. Steve applies gentle pressure on your back to guide you into the elevator, and as you descend each floor and the crowd grows, you’re forced closer together in the corner. “You’re wearing a new perfume,” Steve comments, his lips right by your ear to avoid your conversation being picked up by his mic.

“How observant,” you reply. “My boyfriend bought it for me.”

“He has excellent taste,” he continues the charade, and you resist the urge to roll your eyes at the compliment. With the crowd in the elevator blocking the camera’s view, Steve allows his fingers to glide down your spine until they reach their intended destination, and he sucks in a sharp breath when he realizes you’re not wearing anything under your dress. You smirk to yourself but quickly lose the upper hand, forced to swallow down a gasp when the elevator doors open into the lobby and Steve brazenly palms your ass while calmly stating, “Target acquired.”

“We see him, too,” Junior affirms. “East corner of the lobby, talking to the concierge.”

“Come on, darling,” Steve croons, settling into character- or rather dropping your usual act. “Let’s go win me some more money to spend on you.”

__________

“No entry without invitation, sir.”

You crane your neck to look up at the beefy bodyguard at the entrance to the high roller section. His biceps must be the size of your head, if not bigger, he’s got at least 6 inches on Steve, and his hulking form is completely blocking your view of the room behind him.

“Honey,” you murmur, “you brought it with you, didn’t you?”

Steve gives you an easy smile and pulls a gold-plated poker chip from the breast pocket of his tux. “Of course, my love.”

“Alright, enough with the cutesy nicknames,” Danny gripes, and you’re forced to stifle a laugh at Tani admonishing him in the background. The security guard pulls back the velvet rope to let you pass, and you duck behind the curtain to cross into the high roller area.

The room is a sea of expensive suits and sparkling cocktail dresses. A thick cloud of sweet-smelling smoke has settled in the air from the Cubans lit around the room, and the distinct symphony of ice clinking in glass tumblers joins the hum of dealers murmuring at their tables.

“Why don’t you go get us a drink and I’ll find a table to join?”

“The usual?” you purr in question, running your manicured fingers across the lapel of Steve’s suit.

“That’s perfect,” he assents, squeezing your hip before releasing you to do your own recon. Then you feel his fingers lace through yours and he murmurs, “Y/N, wait.” When you turn back to Steve, he tugs you closer by your connected hands and presses his lips to yours in a kiss that has your head buzzing before a drop of alcohol has even hit your tongue. “Lee’s watching,” he whispers against your mouth by way of explanation.

“Then let’s give him something to look at,” you respond with a glint in your eye, winding your arms around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. Steve’s left hand comes up to rest on the nape of your neck as the other caresses the diamond fitted snuggly against the hollow of your throat, making sure that it catches the light just so as you lay the groundwork for your operation tonight.

“He’s practically suffocating her,” Danny cries in the hotel room upstairs, hands raised while he stares at the two of you in disbelief. “What’d I say about ‘not too close’, huh? Animal.”

“Okay, lovebirds, get some air,” Lou chuckles over your comms. “Seems like our man Lee has his eye on the prize now.”

Junior leans over to Tani as he watches the two of you part ways on screen, tracking your path to the bar with a skeptical brow. “Is it just me, or was that… intense?”

“C’mon, Junes,” she laughs breezily. “That is theater at its finest.”

“One scotch on the rocks, and one vodka tonic that’s light on the tonic,” you place your order at the bar, absentmindedly letting your fingers drift over the diamonds as you peruse the top shelf.

“Easy there, cowgirl,” Danny coaches in your ear. You look around for the nearest mounted dome camera and make a face at it. “Real mature, kid.”

You feel a heated gaze on your back, and you turn to flash a coy smile at Mister Jason Lee, the suspected brains behind the smuggling operation, before collecting your drinks and making your way back to Steve.

“He’s interested,” you murmur in his ear as you bend down to place the glass between his hands on the table. “But we need to really hook him. Better start throwing some money around, hotshot.”

“Go ahead, baby,” Steve says animatedly, attracting the attention of the other players around the table. He makes a big show of closing his eyes and letting you bet for him, clearly unaffected by winning or losing a few hundred on your blind faith. As you lean over to push a stack of chips towards the pot, you hear an appreciative titter around the table and turn to find Steve with one eye very obviously peeking- but definitely not at what your hands are doing.

“Naughty boy,” you scold playfully, and he offers his palms in an act of mock deference.

“Can you blame the man?” one of the other players barks out through a raucous laugh, and you smile politely even though their leering eyes make your skin crawl. When you bend to retrieve your drink, Steve moves closer with a grin and whispers in your ear, “If one of them so much as breathes in your direction, I’ll break off every one of their fingers and feed them to ‘em, okay, mama?”

Acutely aware that Danny and the rest of the team are watching your every interaction, you suppress a shiver and murmur back, ��Sir, yes, sir.”

Steve has mixed luck on his first few hands, but you’re sure to make a big show of celebrating each win with a kiss that has the older women in the room clutching their proverbial pearls and Lee hanging onto your every move. You toy with the necklace as a nervous habit each time Steve places his bet and let your fingers trail across his broad shoulders as he studies each hand, squeezing affectionately every now and then.

“I hate this,” Danny declares, a dismayed frown tugging at his lips as he watches you on the live CCTV footage. On the small screen, you drape your arms around Steve’s neck and press a kiss to his cheek before murmuring something in his ear that’s too quiet for the hidden mic to pick up but has Steve grinning like a fool. “I hate this. Why did I let him talk me into this? Putz.”

“Relax, Danny,” Lou attempts to soothe his ruffled feathers. “They’re doing great.”

“Hey, hey, look!” Tani calls to garner their attention. “They’ve lured Lee in. He’s about to make contact.”

“Good evening,” he opens politely, pulling out the chair next to Steve.

“Evening,” your boyfriend offers in kind.

“Do you mind if I join you for the next hand?”

“Not at all,” you purr. “Perhaps you can help break my husband’s current losing streak.”

“With a good luck charm like you on his arm?” Lee counters smoothly. “Impossible.”

“From your mouth to the cards’ ears,” you laugh airily. “Let me go get you another drink, my love,” you say to excuse yourself, running your hand down Steve’s arm to collect his glass. “Can I get you anything, Mister…?”

“Good girl,” Tani praises you quietly over your comms.

“Lee,” he supplies. “But please, call me Jason.” He raises the remaining amber liquid in his glass with a smile then says, “Perhaps when I finish this drink, I’ll have what your husband’s having. Clearly he’s got excellent taste.” The way his eyes wander across your body isn’t lost on you.

“Arrogant son of a bitch,” Lou scoffs to his fellow team members upstairs. “Not even using an alias.”

Steve notices Lee’s hungry gaze straying from his cards to appreciate your form against the backdrop of the expansive bar and remarks, “Beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Indeed,” he agrees, swirling the expensive liquor in his glass before taking a sip. “Women like that are hard to find. As rare as that diamond around her neck.”

“Laying it on thick there, buddy,” Danny comments over your comms, and you steal a glance over to the table. “Take the bait, Steve.”

“Only the finest for my girl.”

When you return to the table with your and Steve’s drinks in hand, he hooks his ankle around the chair beside him and tugs it close for you to sit by him. “Slick move, double-oh-five-oh,” you murmur appreciatively in his ear before nipping at his earlobe. He seems extra possessive now, his hand either resting on your thigh, or your hip, or the back of your neck, always maintaining some form of skin to skin contact while the other holds his cards, and you can’t help but wonder what transpired between the two men.

Leaning over, Steve presses his lips to the point where your pulse thrums along your throat and asks, “What should we bet, beautiful girl?”

“Hm?” Your gaze is hazy, more so drunk on Steve’s touch than alcohol, and the unbidden thought that you can’t wait for this guy to be in cuffs so you can take your man home crosses your mind. You run your manicured fingers down his cheek and answer coyly, “I want you to go all in.”

The two of you dutifully ignore Danny’s protesting in your ears at your overt innuendo as Steve pushes his stack of chips to the center of the table.

“A bold move,” Lee declares with a whistle.

“What’s a few thousand when I have a million on my arm, hm?” your boyfriend counters with a sly glance in your direction.

“Let’s make this a real game. I’m all in, too.”

The dealer flips over the river card, and Steve’s arm tenses beneath your fingertips. The other few players around the table toss their cards aside with a sigh, but Lee looks over at the two of you with a grin, presenting his hand- a flush- with a flourish. He stands to collect the pot but Steve holds up one finger.

“Not so fast, my friend,” he laughs, his confidence making your body grow warm. Steve lays his hand out on the table with a smug smile. “Full house. Aces over eights.”

You let out an excited squeal, genuinely delighted at such a triumphant win, and pull Steve toward you by the lapels of his jacket to mold your lips to his. He makes an appreciative noise low in the back of his throat and his hand comes up to cup your neck in an overtly possessive manner that has you melting into his embrace. You feel his fingers playing with the clasp resting at the nape of your neck, and then the necklace falls into your lap, the next phase of your ruse in full effect now.

You pull back with a gasp and pout at Steve, your eyes wide. “It broke!”

“Then I’ll buy you ten more,” he answers easily, shrugging off your concern. “Go put it upstairs and don’t give it a second thought, okay?” He presses his lips to yours once more and gives you an affectionate pat below the dip of your dress when you stand that has you blushing. You can practically feel Danny’s laser eyes through the screen where he’s watching you.

You make sure to wobble the tiniest bit when you move, steadying yourself on Steve’s shoulder with a laugh. “What was our room number, honey?”

He shares a knowing look with your mark, then jokes, “How many vodka tonics have you had, hm? How many fingers am I holding up?” He has his fist raised and you smack at his chest with an eye roll. “217, my love,” Steve supplies before taking your hand and kissing the wedding band adorning your ring finger.

You head upstairs to the empty room the team had rented for this very purpose and place the necklace in the carefully concealed safe in the cupboard. When you return to the table, you find Steve alone.

“Where’s our friend?”

“Turned in for the night after that big loss,” your boyfriend supplies, winking at you. “Shall we?”

He offers you his arm, and after collecting his winnings, the two of you make your way to the lobby to lie in wait. “You’re going to be insufferable about that win forever now, aren’t you?”

“You said I was bad at poker,” Steve reminds you.

“You still are,” you fire back. “Dumb luck one time does not a skilled player make.”

“Jeez, boss,” Junior’s voice comes crackling in over your comms. “Want some ice for that burn?”

“Would you just- would you shut up and focus on the room, please?”

After a few minutes of waiting with no sighting of Lee, you lean into Steve’s chest and ask the team, “Anything?”

“Girl, hop off the mic,” Lou admonishes you, and you jump back from Steve. “We can hear you when you talk normally. Damn.”

Leaning back in, this time you whisper, “Sorry, guys.”

“Hey, McGarrett?” Tani speaks calmly but you can hear an edge of tension to her voice. “At your 4 o’clock, there’s two guys in suits who’ve had an eye on your table all night. I thought they were watching for potential card counting but they seem to have taken an interest in you and Y/N.”

“Copy,” Steve says quietly, pulling you closer to his body in a protective move in case all hell breaks loose.

“Let’s just show them we’re not a threat,” you offer.

“You want to go back in?”

“I was thinking of a more… hands on approach.” As the clicking of Italian leather shoes on the polished floor grows closer to you, you spin Steve around and push him against the wall, crashing into him for a heated kiss. His strong hands caress your bare back for a moment before one stays put to hold you against him while the other deftly undoes the knot holding your bun, your hair cascading down to its full length so Steve can use it for better leverage. You can’t help but moan into his mouth as he kisses you like a man starved until you’re shaken from your stupor by yelling approaching the lobby.

“Hey! Five-0! Stop running, dumbass!”

Without opening your eyes or breaking your kiss, you stick your foot out at the opportune time, making contact with the ankle of your diamond thief’s leg so he goes sprawling. There’s a faint splash to your right, and when you pull away for a breath, you can see your necklace winking at you from the lobby fountain.

Danny catches up to the scene and yells, “Hands- hey! Hands!”

Lee raises his hands above his head with a sigh, but your cousin continues on, “You two! Yeah, let me see your hands, too!” You turn to find Danny’s gun aimed at the diamond smuggler, but his fiery eyes are trained on you while Tani and Junior wrestle the other two lackeys to the floor nearby. You exchange a look with Steve, then feel the warmth of his palms leave your bare skin as the two of you slowly raise your hands as well. Clearing your throat, you offer meekly, “We’re really into method acting?”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Danny growls, slapping zip ties on a defiant Lee and ratcheting them tight before hauling him to his feet.

“Hey, man, ease up,” he whines and Danny barks, “You shut up.” He continues lamenting his woes audibly as he leads the thief to the waiting squad car, grumbling, “Had enough of all of you. My baby cousin and my best friend. Christ. What am I gonna tell my aunt?”

Steve whistles low under his breath when Danny’s out of earshot, then mutters, “That could’ve gone better.”

“On the plus side,” you comment, “he still referred to you as his best friend.”

Tani shoots you a sympathetic smile when she passes by with the man she apprehended, but Junior wastes no time leaning in and playfully tutting, “Bus-ted.” Steve raises one eyebrow and he tacks on a hurried, “Sir.”

—————

With Lee and his crew stewing in interrogation and HPD clearing the scene, you’re left sitting on the couch in Steve’s office like kids who got sent to the principal for misbehaving in school. The three of you must look ridiculous from the rest of the team’s point of view- you clad in spare clothes from Steve’s wardrobe in his office that you’re positively swimming in, your 40-plus-year-old boyfriend in a full tux with his bow tie and top few buttons undone, hand pressed over his mouth to avoid saying something that will further incense your cousin, and said cousin still dressed in his shirt and tie pacing the floor in front of you with his hands flying to emphasize every point he makes.

“And you-” Danny pauses his pacing to point an accusatory finger at his best friend. “How old are you, huh?” The finger changes angles to point at you. “And how old is she?”

“Do you want me to actually answer the quest-”

“No, Steve, they’re rhetorical questions! I know how old you are, and I’ll tell you! Too old for my baby cousin, that’s how old, huh? What’s the matter with you?”

“Why don’t you let Y/N speak for herself, Danny? Gotta let her grow up, buddy, c’mon now.”

“Thank you!” you cry. “Can I say something?”

The blonde and brunette duo turns to look at you with the same infuriating, incredulous look before simultaneously deciding, “No.”

“Alright, y’know what?” You slap your hands against your thighs and stand with a huff. “You two-” You point back and forth between Steve and Danny before continuing, “You work out your little marital spat. Daniel, when you’re ready to talk to me like the adult I am, I’ll be with Tani. After I drink some water. Because I’m still buzzed.” With that, you attempt to walk out of your boyfriend’s office with your head held high but are thwarted by the door, pushing on it to no avail.

“It’s a pull-” Danny says quietly, and Steve jumps in at the same time, “Pull, babe, you gotta pull on the-”

“I got it,” you bark at them, tugging on the glass door with a grumble about architectural intuitiveness.

After a long conversation with Steve and a short interrogation with Lee and his associates, Danny finds you nursing a bottle of water in Tani’s office, as promised. She slips out as your cousin takes a seat next to you, pulling you into a hug that you allow yourself to melt into even though you mutter all the while under your breath about his overprotective nature.

“I’m sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t just tell me you were seeing Steve.”

Woah. What?

“What?” Danny laughs. “You were right. We should talk about this like adults.”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“The ‘Woah. What?’? Yeah, you did, babe, it was very much not an inside thought.”

“Excellent,” you laugh, nodding solemnly. “Well, um, thank you for that. And sorry for not coming out and just telling you.”

“Guess I made it pretty hard for you to tell me, huh? What with the two rules and-”

“Yup.”

“But everybody else knew or-”

“Tani knew, cause she’s my girl, y’know. Grace figured it out pretty quickly. Pretty sure Lou’s had a feeling since at least Thanksgiving, honestly.”

Danny sits back with a start, pulling away from your hug. “How long has this been going on?”

With a sigh, you realize it’s time to come clean. “You remember when I wanted to go on that dive with you, and you said I should take Steve since you don’t ‘do water’? Well, Steve took me to this really beautiful dive spot and we kind of made a day of it so…”

“That was like-”

“A while-”

“Like seven months ago!”

“I mean, we didn’t exactly start dating on that day- well, no, we kind of did,” you correct yourself quietly, biting your lip with a grimace, but Danny’s already halfway across the floor back to Steve’s office. Lou takes the opportunity to poke his head in to check on you and you draw out a slow, “So Lou…” He raises one eyebrow in question, and you dare to ask, “Would now be a bad time to tell Danny about Will and Grace?”

—————

Tagging you beautiful people who commented for me to finish writing this 🖤

@the-silentium @ilovewriting06 @jamie2305 @kelssssxd @cassadilasworld

[saltpepperbeard]

BEFORE AND AFTER COLORING CHALLENGE!

tagged by the immensely talented and lovely @blakbonnet & @bizarrelittlemew. thank you so much for tagging me, beloveds <3

my no pressure tags are: @stedebonnets, @captain-flint, and @rainbowcrowley

I'm so very glad such a fun little demonstration is circulating around, because as Ida and Meow both said on their versions of this challenge, gif stealing is in full-force right now. With so many new scenes and so much subsequent excitement to match, people are very excited to share whatever footage they can for use in metas or just General Screaming™. Which, is totally understandable! But there are so SO many ways to do that that aren't just outright reposting an artist's work, effectively stealing the excitement away from them. I've mentioned it a few times before, but I'm more than happy to offer a refresher; the tumblr "add gif" function is a lovely tool! It allows you to search for a particular character, a particular episode, or even a particular user. You just find whatever gif you're looking for, add it to your post, and it automatically credits the op by mentioning them, as well as linking back to the original set! And if, for whatever reason, the particular gif you're looking for is not showing up with the "add gif" function, reposting a gif is fine WITH CREDIT. It takes just moments to add a small (gif by @ so-and-so) beneath whatever gif you choose, and is so so appreciated by the original artist. Why are we so adamant about credit? Gifing is a lot of work! Yes, it's very possible to throw a short clip into an online gif converter and get a quick something, but legitimately sitting down to beautify can take hours. Between coloring, lighting, typography, captioning, sharpening, gradients, and grading, it can turn into a very lengthy process. Take all of my gifs above for example! The differences on them, particularly the darker scenes, are quite stark. OFMD Season 2 is dark as HELL in a lot of places lol, so it has a lot of us fighting for our lives trying to make scenes look beautiful and visible. We take great pride in our work, and subsequently get very very excited to share it with you! And when we see said work reposted by someone else without any sort of credit, it can be very disheartening. Because it feels thankless, or outright disrespected. Again, you wouldn't take someone's photography, or someone's painting, or someone's fanfiction. So please, don't do so with ANY sort of digital art, gifs included. Mistakes happen. "We're all whim prone." But if we could maybe take it slooooww, and sit back to appreciate the artists in the fandom and the time they put into all their projects, that would be very much appreciated! <3

[mitochondriencocktail]

i absolutely love your fic with older bojere! we don't really have many fics like that, and it's so refreshing and sweet. could you name your top ten favorite bojere fics?

AHHHH thank you!! I'm honestly such a sucker for them being middle aged and would love to write a proper fic about them one day... even if it's just a one-shot. Something about the beauty of a love that has matured and settled into its foundation... but also the joy of rediscovering love later in life after you think your prime has passed.

As for my top 10, this took some brainpower... There are SO many talented writers in this fandom and it goes without saying that a lot of the notable ones (private landing, camboy AU, 24k bojere space AU, others that my sieve of a brain cannot recall right now) are definitely on there, so I wanted to try and showcase some others that are less talked about :)

So, in no particular order:

hukun täällä lakanoihin by @sepetajmikolikomehoces (banger after banger from her)

Tarkotin sua by @frikatilhi (this take on the soulmate trope was DELIGHTFUL)

The perfect date by @dreaminofu (The pacing in this was DELICIOUS and the tension built so beautifully)

A Stolen Heart by robohippie on AO3 (I looove the world building in this and the commitment to the style of writing)

5+1 Times Bojan Kissed A Boy by @electron-road-suspect (I'm an absolute sucker for the 5+1 trope and also just any story about Bojan coming to terms with his sexuality, so this was a delight)

here, there and everywhere by @oneshotdepresso (well first of all this fic brought us together... but also I am OBSESSED with this concept and how CD put it together)

non-disclosure agreement by @alien-girl-21 (I'm really a sucker for an AU that builds out the world, and this one also crafted the build-up between Jere and Bojan so well!)

I'm barely breathin' (trying to stay afloat) by anonymous on AO3 (Again, the pacing and build-up in this one delight me)

and my road took you from me by anonymous on AO3 (Short and sweet and poignant. I really enjoy the tone of voice in this one)

Fanfiction of Käärijä and the Bojan by anonymous on AO3 (I knoooow this one looks like I'm adding it as a joke, but I'm actually not HAHA. Humor is so hard to write honestly, and OP committed to the fucking bit which I respect the hell out of. It's short but plays with the meta-textual knowledge we all have of BoJere, Jere's speech patterns, habits etc and it does it SO well HAHA.)

This is by no means an exhaustive list and if I had all the time in the world, I'd probably keep adding more. As you can see, I (personally, which is not the end all be all of writing!!!) really love a fleshed out world, thoughtful pacing, and strong writing style.

I also didn't include PWPs because man I'd have a whole separate list for those, but I hope people can check out some of these if they haven't already :) MWAH <3

[vicsy]

it's not something limited to f1 rpf or others but this is basically saying that you have to force yourself into writing something you don't personally find enjoyable because it is loved by the majority or by a certain group of people that have """""fandom fame"""""

for fucks sake man.....

saw a take so bad i had to pace around the room to calm down

[fanfic-lover-girl]

Why I like Manjoume Thunder as a Yugioh rival

Hot take: And why I say 'screw you he is actually one of the best thanks!'

Appearance

Starting off on a silly note: Chazz is very pretty. Like seriously, look at him.

Tbh, sometimes you can mistake him for a girl at certain angles and close-ups :)

Anyway, I like his aristocratic look (dark hair and eyes and pale skin). I think the only rival who comes close to his blue-blood look is Ryouga from Zexal (I have only watched the first four Yugioh shows so you know). However, Ryouga has the tentacle theme going on with his hair which ruins the aesthetic a bit. I think it emphasises the concept of the rival usually being rich and upper class.

Personality

The rivals tend to have similar personality beats. However, I have a soft spot for Manjoume's. I didn't fully understand why until it hit me!

Manjoume Jun is a mix between Kaiba and Joey!

Kaiba's stoicism and self-confidence

With Joey's goofiness, playful nature and resiliency in the face of hardship

Love it! It makes Manjoume stand out among the rivals. You won't see Ryouga, Kaiba, Kaito or the rest rough housing with their rivals the way Manjoume does with Sho and Judai.

I just find Manjoume's personality entertaining. He's fun to watch. Not to say I like Manjoume being treated like a joke so often...but it made him very endearing. He does have a certain charm to him.

Relationship with siblings

Yugioh GX has many faults but I think GX has the best brother dynamics with the Manjoume and Marufuji brothers.

Don't get me wrong: I love the Kaiba brothers. I love how much Seto loved Moki and how the relationship became corrupted after Gozaburo adopted them (re. Seto using Mokuba in his plan to take over Kaiba corp and Seto's other emotional problems). I like how Mokuba steps up in running Kaiba Corp and has his own badass moments and is not some boring helpless damsel in distress like Haruto. Gosh, I despise Haruto and his relationship with Kaito. I found the entire thing such a bother.

Anyway, Manjoume stands out as being the only rival with older brothers (Jack has no siblings but I have always seen him as the big bro in the best friend trio). Manjoume isn't in a position where someone is looking up to him or depending on him to save them. He is out there trying to prove himself and I found the antagonism in his relationship a refreshing dynamic.

A bit of a hot take here but I kind of feel like Manjoume's brothers push his character in a positive direction whereas Mokuba and Haruto push their brothers in a negative direction. Kaito stole people's souls to save his brother (part of why I dislike Haruto but this is not the place for that) and Kaiba pushed to be adopted by Gozaburo and suffered abuse at his hands so that he and Moki could stay together on his terms. Whereas, Manjoume's brothers really kickstart Manjoume's arc to being a better person. I hope that makes sense?

Antithesis to the rival power deck

We all know the rivals have the heavy hitter, power decks. Almost to the point of being OP like Kaito's photon eyes (Kaito is kind of a boring rival IMO. He's badass sure but he only gets truly interesting in his interactions with V and Mizael).

I think Manjoume once again stands apart from the other rivals. Unlike the other rivals, he learnt that there was value in weak cards. To the point where he can say to Ojama Yellow in season 4 that he is the ace of his deck. Not Armed Dragon L10 or VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon like what you would expect from a normal rival. But this disgusting, annoying 0 attack monster. This monster won his match against Aster and it makes me so happy to see Manjoume's development.

Jack was supposed to have an arc like this where he determined that power was not everything...only to get a stronger version of his ace 😒. Yawn. I really don't like Jack. At all. Well a bit. But mostly I can't stand him.

It makes Manjoume seem more down to earth than Kaiba and the other rivals (except Ryouga, I think his deck is pretty balanced).

Unrecognized Talent

It seems to be an unappreciated fact that Chazz is canonically an extremely talented duelist.

He beat everyone at North Academy with random cards he picked up in the ice. He beat almost everyone at the school and brainwashed them into joining the Society of Light. Yeah, most of these kids are NPCs but it still counts!

It's honestly so unfair that Manjoume was dumped in Slifer. As much as he deserved to be humbled, he never deserved to be in Slifer when there are so many talentless hacks in Obelisk. Plus the other exchange students weren't put in Slifer in season 3! Outrage I tell you! My boy deserved better. It is such a Manjoume power move to stay in Slifer out of spite though lol.

Manjoume's story ending in season 4

Ok, I never really watched season 4 so I don't really know much about the Darkness plotline. But! I do know the story beats for Manjoume.

Besides Ryouga once again, I think Manjoume had the most satisfying story conclusion.

IMO Kaiba's story climaxed in Battle City with some good moments in the Orichalcos arc. I wish Kaiba played a bigger role in the Memory arc.

Jack's story climaxed in the dark signers' arc with Carly. After that, he kind of became a bum. I appreciate him pursuing his duelling career to become king again, this time for real, but it's nothing grand. Although I will say that his final duel with Yusei looked epic.

If I start talking about Shark's story in the Barian emperors' arc, I won't stop gushing so I'll just say that Shark's final duel as Nasch was cheff's kiss. His final speech to Yuma 🤧. To be fair, I wish they explored his Barian background more in the early seasons. It's so unfair how Shark was messed up so much by Barian powers while Rio was immune 🤨

Anyway, I like how in season 4 Manjoume was determined to become a pro duelist on his own to earn his brother's respect. To the point where he endured so much crap as Aster's assistant and suffered so much humiliation as Ojamanjoume. Season 1 Manjoume would never do this. Beating Aster with the school cheering him was a sweet ending to Manjoume's arc. He became a pro duelist without losing himself like Zane and without his brothers' handouts. He proved himself as a man to his brothers. I wished we saw Shoji and Chosaku after the duel in season 1 where Chosaku acknowledged Manjoume's strength. It would have made season 4 even more powerful for Manjoume.

Conclusion

These are just my opinions. I am not saying Chazz is the best Yugioh rival - Seto Kaiba will always be my #1 - but I just wanted to write this appreciation post for Manjoume Thunder who often goes unappreciated as a yugioh rival.

If any Jack or Kaito fans are offended, well...whatever. Kaito is truly overrated and his relationship with Haruto is boring and dull. Jack's character suffers after the signer arc. I really wished he and Carly got together. Sigh, 5ds had some of the best romances and they still never gave us anything at the end.

[autumn-foxfire]

KID episode! The one where Heiji almost kisses Kaito. Also, in the episode Shinichi looks very unimpressed with Kaito that he did. I wonder why.

Heiji is giving credit to the wrong person though. Shinichi didn't do anything, that was Ran. And she did so because she can't actually voice her feelings for Shinichi (I wonder why <.<).

Shinichi's husband <3

I don't like how Gosho writes Kazuha and Heiji most of the time but I do appreciate Heiji being written as a normal teenage boy who shows normal attraction to others but still chooses Kazuha. It's not really as contrived as the main couple of this series.

Urgh. Please bring back the old OP with Shinichi dancing. It's better than this one. I always watch the OPs at least once to see if they have any good moments but this one was not a good one.

Hi, Komei. Welcome but I don't really care about you, I care about our favourite phantom thief.

I will remind people that Jirokichi has suggested this idea before and it was dismissed so Komei isn't special for suggesting it, in fact I'm pretty mad that they forgot he has suggested this before just to fluff up Komei.

Ran, the history nerd.

KAITO. My precious baby boy.

BABY BOY. Kaito is adorable, he heard the woman had been cheated and immediately changed his plans in order to return what belonged to her.

I love how Heiji is too busy thinking about Kazuha to care about Kaito while Shinichi only cares about his husband and is confused why his best friend isn't interested like he is (suprise surprise, Heiji actually likes his love interest).

Ran: if he saw that...

Me: What a flattering way to talk about you "returning" Shinichi's "feelings"

Ran is still more invested in the relationships around her than she has ever been in her own.

What I do appreciate about heists, as infrequent as they've become in the canon, is that they're showing Kaito's more human side, the one where he does make errors and does make plans at last second instead of being always ten steps ahead.

Heiji immediately regretting upsetting Kazuha and going back on his previous words is nice though and refreshing. You don't see this too often.

But of course they have to make into a competition with Shinichi. But Shinichi won't let you arrest his husband, Heiji.

Of course Kaito buys himself good dresses to wear. He wants to look pretty, thank you very much.

You know Shinichi noticed immediately that he switched with Kazuha and didn't say a word because he acts like he wants to arrest Kaito but he never actually tries properly to do so.

Kaito is incredibly, thank you for pointing it out.

Kaito is really using Heiji's attraction to Kazuha against him XD But he can't fool Shinichi when he's dressed as Ran (Shinichi did show his attraction to KID when he was though, I remember when he tried to look at his thighs).

Kaito is having too much fun.

Shinichi has definitely known that Kaito is Kazuha since his arrival and did absolutely nothing to inform anyone about it. In fact, him trying to drop a hint to Heiji just comes across as him being jealous over Kaito clinging to him. Yes I'm delusional.

Look at this unimpressed face.

I forgot Komei is related to Scotch.

He's so annoyed.

I love taking screenshots of Kaito.

Awww, poor Shinichi thinks Heiji knows. You've underestimated how attracted Heiji is to Kazuha and how he wants to start a relationship with her that he's overlooking things because all he thinks about is confessing to her.

Kaito: THIS ISN'T THE DETECTIVE I WANT TO KISS.

And Shinichi still looks unimpressed. Jealous boy.

Shinichi: So you noticed the broker was suspicious, but not that your girlfriend was suspicious.

Shinichi knows his husband well and that we went to return it to the real owner. And he still looks incredibly annoyed about this whole heist. Probably because his husband was about to be kissed by a person who was not him.

Shinichi: he's doing a good thing but he almost kissed another man and I am not impressed.

We know baby.

[lady-of-endless]

Hi! Can I get a matchup for JJBA (any part) and Overwatch.

I am female, she/her, 25 years old, bisexual, ENFP.

I am a very ambitious person that loves to learn new things, I am an artist by profession and finished 2 art schools. I am a big art history nerd and love to talk about artsy and philosophical things. I am very extrovert and love to meet new people, I love going out and taking long walks. My main hobbies are video games, writing, reading, watching anime and movies and lifting. I am very friendly, love hearing out other people and I always try to understand their side and how they feel. I am very sensitive and tend to easily get attached to people. Romance wise I struggle to show affection to my partner, however I show it trough gift giving rather than physical touch or trough words. Overall in relationships I am very communicative and will always bring up issues or understand if my partner has issues with me and I will try to fix them always.

Appearance: medium length red hair, a mole above my lip, chubby build and short, pale skin and hazel eyes.

Author's Note: Hello again, I hope you will enjoy those. I can tell that you're so fun to be around. It's a pleasure to talk to you and thank you so much for wanting to do this trade!

(beautiful GIFs are not mine, all appreciation to the op)

Your Jojo's Bizarre Adventure matchup is...

Kakyoin Noriaki!

- An artist and a philosophy enthusiast? He's whipped, gone. He will find you absolutely mesmerizing. You two will click right away! And he will also get attached fast.

- However, before realizing that he's falling for you, you two get close to each other as friends first. It is known that he wishes not to feel alone anymore, and to have friends. Because you like to get to know people, you get to him. He's introverted and he finds your presence so refreshing.

- He's bewitched with your whole personality but his favorite thing about you would be your ambition. It just shines through, it motivates him, it gets him going too. He just loves watching your power, your strong ambition, and your kindness.

- He appreciates how you make things work so well in your relationship, making it very healthy. He also always wants to know if there's any problem he can fix.

- He is also a curious person with a desire to learn new things so please, tell him more about your interests, especially about art history. He can listen to you talk about it for hours.

- Please show him your art. Not only he will admire it and praise you for it so much but he also is moved by the fact that you want to show him.

- Romance-wise, even despite his introverted personality, he is extremely affectionate. He just craved showing his love and admiration for his special someone for so long. He has a lot of love to give to you.

- You're into lifting? He starts sweating under his clothes because damn he finds it so hot.

- Art museum dates are your thing. But when you get back home, you'll lose track of time, gaming with him. He will playfully provoke you during it.

- Oh and his Hierophant Green is so clingy with you since he sees how happy you make Kakyoin.

Runner up: Caesar Zeppeli- I feel like your artistic inclination and your extroverted personality charm him more than expected. You're much different than all the women he invited to dinner at fancy restaurants, you're a breath of fresh air, a change in his type, and it intrigues him.

Now onto Overwatch

Your Overwatch matchup is...

Lifeweaver (Niran Pruksamanee)!

- He came to my mind immediately after reading how you take time to try to understand other people's points of view because that's exactly what he does too, all the time. You two are a blessing.

- However, he has seen the cruelty of the world too so he wants to protect your kindness and friendliness from those who might use it.

- Your artistic nature is very interesting to him, very attractive. It speaks to him because he's also an artist, activist, and inventor. That's why you two click and get along so easily from the start. He will always be in the mood to admire your work and hear more from you.

- Your ambition powers up his. You two will always hype and support each other. A lot of people will be jealous of how well you work together as a team.

- He loves to get lost in deep philosophical conversations with you. You will both lose track of time during those calming moments.

- He'll always prepare beautiful bouquets of flowers BUT knowing how curious you are in general and eager to learn new things, expect him to pick the flowers having flower language in mind. He knows you'll probably like to discover what each flower type means when gifted and its symbolism.

- With this in mind, romance wise he also has gift-giving as a love language. Although he can't decide on his favorite love language. He's very affectionate and won't be afraid to hide it. However, he's not going to be suffocating or clingy.

- He is going to treat you like a queen, a goddess even, and not just in the relationship but from the very start. He respects you a lot.

- Will always ask about what you're reading and listening to you talk about it. He will ask if you could read to him as he lays his head on your chest because that's his heaven.

- Long walks through nature as dates! He's going to take you to the most beautiful places just to see you smile and get inspired.

Runner up: Genji - you're exactly what he wants in his life, you're definitely his type too. And even Zenyatta - he too admires your sensibility and kindness.

[ppystkposts]

Profile Tag Game~

Tagged by @ticklystuff a loong time ago

Hello - Hehe Hii~ Of course Ppy isn't my name but you can call me that as I have a secret identity. Pipi, ok?

Chat: Tickling - I am frightened about the t word, although I'm not ticklish, It's ok if you try tickling me. But be prepared to when I get back to you "smirk".

Chat: Health - Skincare~ so refreshing! I love taking showers too. Ah, It's about another kind of health....I can't say much.

When it rains - Hm... A hot chocolate would go so well right now.

When it Snows - I've never seen snow but the thought of cold weather makes me exited!

When the sun is out - Ahh... I'll have to wash my hair again today, I hate sweating

Good Morning - Oh, good morning! It's another wonderful day.

Good Afternoon - Nap time!

Good Evening - Let's begin the work!

Good Night - Sorry, I'm not really in the mood.

About me: Color - Red, White, Pink, Gray, Green, Blue, Yellow.... I JUST CANT CHOOSE!! I love all the colors.

Something to Share: Jobs - Multi-task is my middle name hehe. I can do everything and more.

My Hobbies - Karaoke YAAAAY. Release the demons and have some fun with me, what do you think of a duet? Of course I get to do the rap and the parts you struggle.

My Troubles - I just, don't know who I am today......

Favorite Food - Katsudon!!!!!!!

Least Favorite Food - Don't put anything from the sea anywhere near me.

About @ticklystuff - I haven't talked much to them, but seem to be such a sweet and amazing person! Thank you so much for tagging me and for always remembering about my existence. I know we don't know each other well, but you were essential in the process of me accepting myself, the stuff Iike, and not giving up on my drawings.

About @xsezzie - LITERALLY MY SWEETHEART!!! I love you so much, thank you for taking care of me, and being such an amazing friend! I never Imagined to be so happy in this community, and you are a big part of what makes me happy ☺️🫶 You are the writer for my art!

Birthday - I can sing you happy birthday in 5 different languages! Also that's your gift....Just kidding, I'm preparing a surprise at 3 pm on my house, there'll be a cake and a lot of Brazilian desserts! Ops... That's not a surprise anymore.

[togaki-kun]

Any books/movies/tv shows you’ve read/watched recently that you would recommend?

Oh, let’s see! For books, I recently read Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu. It’s an action-packed YA book where one MC is a world-famous superstar and the other is a spy. BookTok will market it as an “enemies to lovers” romance, but the romance is a little more lean on this one, and it’s definitely not an “enemies” to lovers scenario—maybe more of begrudging coworkers to ??? lovers? 🤔 😂 Either way, I enjoyed it! It has a sequel, but I felt satisfied with just the first book, so you can read it as a standalone!

As for shows—I’ve been taking a dive into Fall 2024’s anime line up!

1. Let This Grieving Soul Rest (Crunchyroll)

This one hits a lot of Isekai beats without actually being Isekai. It’s about an MC who’s the leader of this insanely overpowered guild with his childhood friends—and the kicker is, everybody thinks he’s an OP dude himself, but the man is just barely surviving 😂 Often by buying these expensive-ass relics that will save his skin. Others around him tend to misconstrue his actions and think that he actually has some “grand plan” going on under the surface—but there are no thoughts in that man’s silly brain, just pure terror. It’s a fun watch!

2. Blue Box (Netflix)

A very sweet coming-of-age show! I read the manga a few years ago and fell in love with it, but sadly didn’t keep up with it. Now that it’s been adapted into an anime by Studio Wit though, I find myself re-enjoying all the parts that made me love it in the first place! MC is a badminton player who has a crush on his senpai from the basketball team. When certain circumstances force her to live with his family to finish out the remainder of her high school years in Japan, the two begin to bond! This anime has a really refreshing take on romance and sports and goals in life—in that it’s more about self-improvement and friendships rather than trying to get the girl. (Though I don’t doubt that also happens later on lol.)

3. TsumaSho (Crunchyroll)

This one is… contentious among people who just give it a glance, to say the least lol. A guy who loses his wife to an accident a decade ago suddenly finds her reincarnated as an elementary schooler. Because the wife comes back in the body of an elementary school girl (and the dude is still very much in love with her and not over her death), this has squicked a lot of people. But it’s actually a story about grief and letting go. The couple have a grown daughter too, so it’s about the entire family being able to finally process what happened, getting that closure, and hopefully move on with their lives. I ended up bingeing the manga after the first few episodes of this show dropped—and I think it does a pretty good job at exploring grief through a fairly unique lens!

4. How I Attended an All-Guys’ Mixer (HiDive)

I’ve seen others describe this show as the “straight” yaoi—and they’re kinda right 😂 The whole premise is that this dude gets asked by a girl in his college class to a mixer, and when he shows up, with his friends in tow, they find all the girls in cross dress! And they’re HOT IKEMEN! Very amusing, very funny antics, very “so much questioning of sexuality but typically just from this one guy character who insists he’s straight (but prob isn’t).” If you want something fun to watch, then I definitely recommend this!!

That’s all I have for now! If you end up reading/watching any of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for the ask!

Edit: Correction! Blue Box is not animated by Wit Studio, it's by Telecom Animation Film (a sister studio of TMS Entertainment). Thank you, anon, for correcting me! I was watching an ep recently and saw Studio Wit in the credits so my mind just somehow associated that as their main studio.

[ectogeo-art]

Trick or treat!

(for this ask game)

Lol, thanks for sending this on anon because I didn't want to curse anyone I actually knew with my weird siskarak bullshit but since this is anon I can safely send you a fic about my most beloved cursed rarepair, mwahahaha! <3 Anyway, here's a very rough draft (written today lol, def subject to change) of the start of a Way of the Warrior siskarak fic (working title "A New Suit"):

Just as he finished trying yet again to sell Morn on the concept of Vitarian wool undergarments, Garak’s communicator buzzed against his chest indicating an incoming call. He didn’t get many comms besides his dear Doctor inviting him to lunch (or letting him know he’d be late for the same), but they’d already eaten together today so this was quite unusual. He allowed the call through.

“Mr. Garak,” said Sisko’s voice, “I'd like to see you in the wardroom immediately. Bring your tailor's kit.”

He raised his eyeridges intrigued. Did that mean what he thought it meant? Was Sisko finally taking him up on that offer he’d made a few years ago?

After a stunned moment, he acknowledged the request and closed the line.

His blood pounded in eager anticipation as he gathered his tools from his workbench and packed them into a small case. Measuring tape, pins, chalk, sonic stitcher… He also tucked a few condoms into one of the pockets on the inside.

He locked up his shop and walked down the Promenade towards the turbolift that would take him to the command level, maintaining his usual gait despite wanting to rush to this encounter. The choice of location clearly indicated that Sisko wanted discretion. They couldn’t meet in his office without Garak walking conspicuously through Ops, they couldn’t meet in either of their quarters without it being obvious exactly what they were up to, but the wardroom had multiple routes that could be taken to get to it. Warmth coiled between his legs. He had to admit, he quite liked the idea of being Sisko’s dirty little secret. 

The turbolift whirred. He wondered if Sisko would take him on the table, or up against a wall. Or perhaps in the window, on vulgar display to the stars (and any passing freighter crews who happened to look). 

He stepped into the hall. He felt like he was on the brink of everting already. It had been quite awhile since his last bit of… company. Quark had been the first to hear the rumors of Terok Nor being about to fall under Federation control and, in a low moment, Garak had duly rewarded him for passing along this valuable information. But the experience hadn’t been one either of them was willing to repeat, so he’d stuck to doling out more conventional rewards for information since. And as for enjoyable company… well, that had been longer ago still. 

Garak had never quite been able to give up hope that his dear Doctor would one day let things progress past flirting and take him to bed (and then, ideally, rail him so hard that he’d forget how cold and lonely his existence was, for a moment). But, aside from the incomparable Julian Bashir, Sisko certainly had to be one of the most physically attractive residents of the station. 

Sisko was, of course, just as hopelessly brainwashed by his Federation values as dear Julian, but he certainly didn’t seem to hesitate when it was necessary to momentarily route around such values in order to work towards a future outcome that was more in line with them. Garak found his pragmatism quite refreshing. 

Not to mention that there had always been something compelling to him about power and commands… If Sisko ordered him down on his knees, he would surely drop to them instantly with little regard for the sorry state of his ever stiffening joints. Just look at how embarrassingly fast he’d come running when he’d called.

The tip of his thorn slipped out unbidden. He squeezed his thighs together to keep himself from everting fully. It was a mercy that he hadn’t encountered anyone in the corridors. He was rounding the last corner now…

He entered the wardroom and froze. 

He realized quickly that either his assumption about the nature of this meeting had been incorrect, or Sisko had planned something much kinkier than he’d expected. It wasn’t just Sisko in here, it was nearly the entire senior staff—though no Julian, thankfully. Sisko stood in the center of one part of the room, with all of the others either seated or standing around him. If there was one good thing about this, it was that any of the concerns from a moment ago about everting too early had vanished, as he now felt more confused than aroused. 

When Dax finished rattling off some kind of statistics about fleet movements, Garak spoke up, and everyone turned toward him.

“Excuse me. I hope I'm not interrupting,” he said, hoping for some explanation before he embarrassed himself.

“I'd like to be measured for a new suit.” Sisko said it very seriously, but there seemed to be laughter buried inside of it. The edges of his eyes were crinkled from the slightest of smiles.

Moreover, his words felt like some kind of code, but Garak wasn’t sure for what. What made it all feel even more ambiguous was that when Garak had overtly propositioned Sisko during the Natima Lang business, he’d specifically couched it in terms of fitting him for a suit. Just like Sisko was now asking him for. 

Garak licked his lips. “Now?”

“Right now,” Sisko said. Where Garak was uncertain, he was definitive.

[slutforsilverfoxes]

🔊 Calling my fellow McGarrett girls, gays, and theys:

A McGarrett x reader undercover op at a casino has been begging itself to be written... do I keep going with this? Excerpt below the cut 👀

When your former mentor had contacted you about an opening at her coral reef research lab, moving from Camden to Oahu had been a no brainer. You’d packed up your life in New Jersey and been on a plane to the Aloha State within a week. Your favorite cousin, who’s truthfully more like the big brother you always wanted, had been elated to hear the news, welcoming you at the airport with open arms and two simple rules.

“Always answer the phone when I call so you don’t worry me to death,” Danny had said, holding up one finger, “and two,” he added a second, “you’re an adult and you can date anyone on this island-”

“Thank… you?”

“-but stay away from this schmuck.”

The schmuck in question had simply rolled his eyes, draped a beautiful lei around your neck, and greeted you with a warm hug. “It’s nice to finally meet the famous Y/N. I’m Steve.”

Your confident promise to your cousin had been broken a whopping two months later- and no, you hadn’t ignored one of his phone calls.

“Did you get me a beer?” you ask with a teasing lilt to your voice, wringing out your wet hair before dropping down onto the bench beside your boyfriend of three months. A quick glance around reveals that Danny’s over by the shrimp truck with Kamekona, and you lean forward to steal a kiss before putting some space between yourself and your favorite brunette.

“I surely did not,” Steve sasses back and takes a swig of his ice cold beverage. “Alcohol and diving do not mix. But I did happen to get a mango smoothie from that one place down the road this pretty girl I know really likes.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhm,” he responds, a goofy grin spreading across his handsome face. “But, uh, she didn’t show, so I guess you can have it.”

You laugh and give him a playful shove, then let out a content hum as you pop the straw through the lid and take a grateful sip. “So good,” you moan in delight, and Steve has to bite his lip to refrain from making a comment when he spots Danny approaching the table with your regular orders.

“Hey, you.” Your cousin greets you with a kiss on the cheek before taking up residence on the bench across from you and Steve. “Why’re you sitting all the way over there, huh? You like that clown better or somethin’?”

“This guy?” you snort, taking your lunch off the tray and rifling through the napkins in search of a fork.

“Ouch.” Steve winces as if burned by your comment, and you surreptitiously squeeze his thigh beneath the table.

“So tell me about this case you’ve got,” you coax your cousin to change the subject, spearing some grilled veggies on the plastic tines and scooping up a respectable mound of rice on top.

“So there’s a diamond smuggling ring-” Danny starts, and you immediately cut him off with, “Shut up, that doesn’t happen in real life.” You turn to Steve for confirmation, but nothing about his facial expression suggests this is a joke. “Are you serious right now? BFFR, Danno.”

“I don’t- I don’t know what that means. Why are you making me feel old?”

“Be fucking for real,” you and Steve supply in unison, and you smile proudly at him. “You’re learning!”

“Between you and Gracie, I keep up, okay?”

“Oh, between my cousin and my daughter, you- okay, that’s excellent,” Danny says, his tone indicating it’s anything but. “Anyway, they’re using poker games as a cover to uh, collect their product, shall we say.”

“There’s enough rich people on Oahu with actual diamonds?” you ask, incredulous. “And here I am working like a pleb for paper currency.”

“Word,” Steve seconds your statement, raising his beer in a toast. You clink your smoothie against it before taking another refreshing sip. “So how’re you gonna catch them?”

“Well, there’s a high roller tournament on Friday night that we’re betting they’ll hit. We wanted to go in undercover and flush them out but…” Steve trails off and gazes at you thoughtfully, but Danny’s shaking his head before the next words have even formed on the brunette’s lips.

“No, absolutely not. Don’t even think about it, Steve.”

“What?” You turn to him, excitement coursing through your veins at the way his eyes have lit up. “Think about it! And tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“You could go undercover with me to the tournament, help me gather some intel. Maybe we get you to confirm the diamonds are actually in their possession and-”

“No!” Danny chimes in again. “What’s the matter with you, huh? These guys have killed two people already, Steve. It’s too dangerous for her.”

“First off, fuck that-”

“Language.”

With an eye roll, you amend, “Forget that. More importantly, shouldn’t Danny go undercover? You kind of suck at poker, Steve.” You feel a sharp pinch at your side and you yelp in protest, slapping at the SEAL. “It’s true, you little-”

“You’re not going,” Danny says definitively. “What about Tani?”

Steve shakes his head. “Tani and Junior have already questioned two of the men involved. They’ll be made before they even get to the table.”

You cross your arms and level your cousin with a smirk. “Sounds like you need me, Danno.”

“Then I’m going with you,” he declares.

“Yeah, no, hard pass,” you backpedal. “Even as a former thespian, there’s no way I can convincingly play arm candy for you without it being weird.”

“So, it’s settled then, little Williams,” Steve says with a grin. “You and me. Friday night. The high roller table at the Ilikai Hotel.”