#creatine before bed

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Can We Take Creatine Before Bed? Still, Confused? Must Read

[chaos-in-deepspace]

LNDS: Bongo Butts | 18+

I should be going to bed but I forgot to do laundry so here I am, writing more content that nobody asked for. Just like motorboating them...when I see them butts. Just. WHAM BAM. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Also hope you know I had to research different types of dump trucks for this fic.

Disclaimer: This is an original fan work for “Love and Deepspace”. Do not repost on other platforms or plagiarize. All characters shown in this fic is 18+. Warnings: Ass Slapping, Crack Fic, Playing their asses like they're bongos, Zayne's lost sanity, Rafayel is scandalized as per usual, you mentally scar Raf, Xavier is confused as per usual, but is he confused?, he does get you back tho

Blog Information | Masterlist

Xavier

Xavier really did need to be more careful around you. He was the one who wanted you to date him first, in your defense. He chose you. And you wouldn't let a single day go by that you didn't prove why that was a horrible decision on his end. At the very least, he could claim that he was never bored with you around.

Today was supposed to be a lazy day. You two had off from all missions and were relaxing around the apartment since it was too damn hot to actually go outside. It also happened to be laundry day for Xavier, so he was dressed in his workout attire while his uniforms were being deep cleaned from all the dirt that accumulated on them during his missions.

Those shorts. They were so damn short. You'd even call it slutty because hot damn. His ass was just right there. It was staring at you. Hypnotizing you like it was a snake charmer. Your hands were already twitching in a grabby motion as you stared directly at those perfectly rounded globes on his backside. His beautiful bubble butt.

Xavier could feel your stare burning into him as he looked over his shoulder. He was just sun bathing by the window, laying on his stomach. So vulnerable to your upcoming attack.

"Something you need?" Damn, he already sounded suspicious. It might've been by how you were practically drooling with your hands up, ready to grab at him. It was a slight give away. He should've been more prepared though, because you lunged at him in that moment.

He only had time to turn slightly when you pushed him back on his stomach, sitting on his back to pin him down. Your hands took a fistful of his ass before you began hitting them with little force. Just watching them jiggle with every little slap of your hands.

You were cackling like a maniac as you continued your assault until he managed to maneuver you off of him. You were laughing, your cheeks flushed as you almost teared up. His entire face was red as he stared at you in horror. Then you saw a flash in his eyes and you knew you were done for.

He grabbed you, pulling you onto his lap. Then you felt a harsh slap at your ass, making you squeal. It was so much rougher than you had hit him. He stared at your back side and did it again.

"I can see why you found this so entertaining. I think I'll play with this for now."

"Unhand me you creatine!"

"I think not, if I let you go, who knows what else you'll do to me."

Zayne

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on Akso's best Cardiac Surgeon knew that one thing was a pure fact. He had an ass. His doctor's coat did a good job concealing it, but he couldn't wear it all the time. You had even noticed a few nurses who would glance down at him when he passed them in the hallway.

It was something you knew very well about Zayne, and something the man seemed oblivious to. The man didn't just have a dump truck as a rear end, it was a dump trailer. That shit could keep a family fed for an entire year. It was so perfect in every way. You could grab onto one cheek with both hands and you still wouldn't be able to capture the entire thing.

Yet for some reason, Zayne had no idea just how badly you needed his ass. You would often times find yourself staring at it when you hung out, had an appointment, or were just lounging at the apartments. It plagued your thoughts. You were losing sleep over this. It wasn't good for your health.

"Zayne..." You said as you relaxed on the couch next to him. You two were catching up on a TV show that you started well over a month ago but hadn't had time to really enjoy it.

"Yes, did you need something?" Oh how sweet he was, always looking out for you.

"Yes actually...can you lay down on your stomach for me? I wanna do something." You said, knowing that this man would do just about anything you asked. He eyed you for a moment, contemplating if he wanted to play this game with you.

"Might I inquire as to why?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out."

Zayne took one more moment before giving in. He adjusted his position, laying down on his stomach just as you had asked. You decided to be subtle, leaning over his form and placing your hands on his shoulders at first. You gently caressed the skin there, massaging the muscles through his shirt as you slowly made your way down to the small of his back.

There it was. The prize. The holy grail of all asses. It was ripe for the taking as you looked over to see Zayne's closed eyes as he relaxed under your touch. You didn't hesitate. Your hands slapping down on his ass and grabbing it roughly.

His eyes shot open as he looked over at you. You licked your lips as you began gently slapping the flesh, watching the bounce as though it were made of jelly. It was a sight to behold and you couldn't help yourself. You had seconds before Zayne reacted and pulled your grubby little hands off him.

So you leaned your head in and bit down. His pants managed to cushion him from the force of your bite, but he sure as hell felt it. He sat up and grabbed you under the arms like a cat, stopping you in your tracks as you stared at him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Playing with your nice ass."

"My butt is not a play thing."

You paused for a moment, eyes trailing down to the front of his pants, "If you aren't gonna let me slap your ass, can I play with your dick like it's a Bop-It?"

You watched Zayne go through five stages of grief. He sighed as he grabbed a blanket next to him, wrapping your entire body like a burrito so your limbs were no longer effective. He then sat back down on the couch with his legs open and placed you between, holding you tightly to his chest.

"I'm begging you, please be quiet for once and let's finish this show."

Rafayel

He should've known you were up to something if your gaze was anything to go off of. You had zeroed in on him the moment you had come over. Even during your little date as you two explored Linkon together, he knew something was up. Your not so subtle glances in his direction couldn't be considered innocent.

If only he knew why you were staring so hardcore. He had gotten a new pair of pants, or at least you assumed they were new. You were pretty sure you'd remember them with how good he looked at the moment. It was tight on him, accentuating his ass perfectly. You were pretty sure if you riled him it would also perfectly outline another aspect of him.

Still, you had a mission. Rafayel didn't know it yet, but the moment you had caught a glimpse of him this morning, you knew what had to be done. His muffins needed to be squished. His plump little cushions had to be properly admired and worshipped. You would be the one to happily give them the attention they deserved. An ass sculpted by the gods themselves were staring at you literally all day.

You closed the door to his home slowly, turning over to him. He was already heading to the living room. You slowly stalked behind him, and he could feel you were up to no good.

"Something caught your interest? I know I look good, but not even you normally stare at me this much."

"I just think you look particularly handsome today is all." As does his ass. You couldn't say that yet though, he would realize what your plans were if you verbalized it too early. Like a cat stalking a mouse, you followed him until he was in the living room. The moment he was by the couch you took action.

You rushed behind him and pressed down on the small of his back, making him stumble forward. He grabbed the edge of the couch, his body hunched over. Rafayel turned just in time to watch you drop down to your knees. Then he felt your hands harshly gripping his ass. Then the quick slaps in succession followed as you began laughing maniacally.

"Finally!" You said as you grabbed at them again. Rafayel finally reacted, rolling onto the couch to get away from your hands. You were practically panting as your hands twitched, "Come on Raf, lemme just squeeze em again."

"You are a psychopath." He said, hiding his ass from your view.

"I'm your psychopath though." Despite how horrified Rafayel looked, he was also amused by your antics. He grabbed at your arm, making you fall forward and your chest pressing against his own. His hands went to grab at your ass this time, squeezing them and laughing.

"You know, I think I'm seeing the appeal of this." He commented, his hands lazily hitting your ass cheeks like you had to him, although he was far more calm about it.

"See, it's amazing...now can I go back to playing with your butt? I wasn't done yet."

"I think not...although this has given me an idea. Do you mind if I paint your backside?"

"You wanna paint on my ass?"

"Perhaps."

"...I'll agree if you let me eat your-" Rafayel had never cut you off so quickly.

"Never mind."

The most accurate representation of what we're doing to these poor men. I will not be silenced. Their asses need to be slapped. And ate

[linomilkers]

Minho x Reader [Warnings: dry humping, a filthy blow job, probably some medical inaccuracies, Minho calls Felix Yongbok bc canon and that's his Yongbokkie]

Note: Helloooo, this is my first time writing in this style! Just trying something different for this particular piece. Also, I started writing this before we found out about Minho's hand, so I promise I wasn't making light of his injury! Just a coincidence!

Let me know if you like it!!

Minho who hurt both of his wrists somehow, maybe it was a misstep in dance practice that sent him to the floor, or a stumble at the airport. His wrists are sprained, he's in two clunky arm braces to keep them still, and he's not meant to participate in any strenuous exercise that would involve movement of them. It sucked, being hurt, and he was missing schedules, he would fall behind in learning the new choreography, and he was setting the comeback back by a couple of weeks -- but it wasn't the worst thing. He could use a small break, even if it's just a week or two, of resting and taking it easy after nonstop months of producing content.

Minho who enjoys the break for about a week before he started getting a little stir crazy. Eating was a chore, a true test to his patience instead of being something gratifying and he couldn't cook much. He could move his wrists a little so that the muscles wouldn't weaken from not using them, but barely enough to eat, let alone prepare a full meal. Everyone else in the dorm was so busy that nobody was really cooking, so living off take out has made his face swollen and a bit puffy. Which he wouldn't mind as much, if not for how annoying Seungmin's been with pinching his cheeks and cooing at him for it. He can't even properly exact revenge and the creatine is taking full advantage of that.

Minho who can't touch himself properly and is starting to go crazy because of that too. He doesn't have to do it every day like some (namely Jisung, the little pervert), but he does it often enough that a week and a half in he's starting to feel it. Every morning he's waking up with something stiff between his legs, and he's helpless to it. Minho believes he has enough mental fortitude to look past his horniness, because no orgasm would be satisfying if he couldn't properly use his hands. He could wait it out, the braces would be off within two more weeks, he'd be fine.

Minho who breaks the day after he'd made a pact with himself to hold out. In the daze of his morning wood and being two seconds from sleep again, he rolled onto his front on his bed. Minho bunches his blankets up into a wad, then presses into it, a reedy sound leaving his mouth, unfamiliar to his own ears. It feels good, really, really fucking good, but it isn't enough. Still, it doesn't stop him from trying. He ruts pitifully into the blankets, chasing after a release he knew he wouldn't find, leaking precum in his briefs. It's embarrassing, how badly he needs it, how desperately he's trying for it -- but there's nobody home. Everyone left early this morning, so he was safe to do this for a little while, until he gets frustrated and takes a cold shower instead.

Minho, who forgot Yongbok's friend had spent the night and had promised to wait around for him to get back from schedules so they could go shopping, or out to eat, or whatever. The friend who Yongbok had made promise she would bring Minho breakfast in the morning, so that he wasn't fumbling around the kitchen himself. Minho had told him that he didn't need that, that he wouldn't want his friend going out of her way for him, but he refused to listen, and so did she. Which was surprising, she's usually pretty quiet, but the sudden headstrong attitude started him into silence and acceptance. "No earlier than 7AM," he told her, "I'll at least try to sleep in."

Minho, who doesn't hear the perfunctory knock on the door before it opens at 7:05 (of course she is close with Yongbok, because he barely waits half a second before opening the door after a halfhearted knock as well -- he doesn't care what he sees when he ambles in, usually caught in his own head about whatever he'd come for in the first place), and only realizes that Y/N is standing there with a bowl steaming in her hands when she says, "Oh, shit, sorry," as if this wasn't embarrassing enough, Minho has to let go of the pillow he'd caught between his teeth, "I should've waited for you to reply."

Minho, who knocks his head against the mattress and gives a disbelieving laugh, because of course this would happen to him. He's at the edge of his rope, he just wants to cum, and he can't even do that without being caught humping the bed like a desperate dog. He's caught between wanting to apologize to her for seeing him like this and wanting to scold her for walking in, in the first place. He doesn't get a chance to do either because Y/N offers her help instead, gentle and not in the least bit suggestive sounding, despite what she was suggesting, "I can help you out, if you want," she told him, "Yongbokkie thinks my mouth is really good."

Minho, who really doesn't have a chance to consider what that means, because since when was Yongbok getting his dick wet? Is that why he's always so calm? How long had she been doing that? And would he be okay with her offering that to Minho? Wouldn't he be upset? Or were they not together like that? He makes a confused sound in his throat, nervous to turn around where he knew she'd be able to see how hard he was, but too mortified to stay in the position he's in. So he flipped onto his back, and tries not to wince when her gaze zeros in on his cock -- so fierce, he's sure that he could feel it burning him, "I told him to ask if you needed help, but he didn't listen to me," Y/N continued to say, "Swore up and down about how you don't like asking for help, that you'd have to really need it to accept it, and I think humping your blankets is really needing it, right?" It was a fair assessment, and he feels his ears get hot, "I'll help."

Minho, who agrees because. . .well, why shouldn't he? She's offering, and he's hard and horny and wet, and he probably isn't thinking the clearest. He'd never thought of Y/N in that way, she's always just been Yongbokkie's sweet friend and that's it, but now he can't get the image of her with his cock in his mouth (or Yongbok's cock, for that matter) out of his head. With great effort, he scoots himself up the bed, among his pillows with his back against the headboard while Y/N got herself comfortable between his spread legs. She doesn't bother to take his briefs off at first, burying her nose against the hard swell beneath the fabric and breathing in deep. His face feels like its on fire, because who just does that? And why is he so turned on by it?

Minho, whose mind is spinning because this sweet girl's mouth is made for more than gentle compliments and clunky sentences in a language Yongbok is working hard to help her with. It's made for wetting the thin fabric of his light colored briefs, sucking opened mouth kisses that add to the growing wet spot on him. He has a hard time figuring out what was from him and what was from her, but it hardly matters. He throbs and twitches with every suckle and lick while she saturates the cotton. And when he is about to start whining at her for teasing him, her fingers dip beneath the elastic and fish his cock out from the briefs. A small, contented sigh leaves her mouth, like she'd been waiting all day to get her mouth on him. The head is flushed ruddy and dripping, shiny with his own slick and she shows her tongue to wet her lips, and he's throbbing again.

Minho, who can only gasp when she says, "You really needed this, right? I would have helped sooner. I like drinking cum from pretty boys," because what is Yongbok teaching her? But before he can ask, she's swallowing his cock down in one go and he cries out like he'd never been touched in his life. It sure feels like that right now, and the tight, wet heat of her mouth makes his brain melt, and any hope for thoughts that surpass, this is good, this is good, this is good leave his head. His brain to mouth filter evaporates, he spreads his legs further, "Fuck," his eyes roll back, because if he looks at her then he'll cum and he wanted to enjoy this for a little while at least, "Who taught you to be this naughty?"

Minho, who wasn't really looking for an answer, but Y/N slips off to tongue at his slit any way, then drools a glob of spit on his shaft and fucks him with her hand, "Yongbokkie," she replied without thought, "He trained my throat really well, now I can take all of you pretty deep." All of them? He can't clarify because she's sucking his balls into her mouth and soaking them with her tongue and his mind fizzles out again. It's too much, all of it, and she does it with a practiced ease of someone who is taking a lot of cocks in her mouth and his mind is reeling with it. She slobbers and drools and sucks until she's licking back up to the tip, taking him down, down, down, until the head nudges at the back of her constricting throat.

Minho, who comes with barely a warning scraping away from his tongue but Y/N doesn't mind. She withdraws just enough so it fills up the pocket of her cheek, squeezing the base, working him through it. He thinks his vision whites out for a second, he's almost positive he might have momentarily blacked out from the intensity of it. It burns from his fingertips up through his chest, spiraling through his whole body like summer storm lightening. It's a lot, his muscles lock up, he thinks if there were any time to understand the universe it would be now after he just flooded her mouth.

Minho, who isn't sure what to expect exactly, but certainly didn't expect her to crawl back up his body, tilt his chin toward her mouth and fix their lips together. He didn't expect her to push his cum into his mouth either, in a kiss so filthy and gross he knows he's going to be touching himself to it for months to come. At least he doesn't taste all that bad, as she makes him share, and he moans pretty pitifully against her tongue.

Minho, who finally opens his eyes after some time and is greeted with a smile, "Good news is, we were quick about it so your food is still warm," she tells him, "Should I feed it to you? I don't mind." And who would have thought that, with his softening cock against his thigh, and his wrists in braces, that Y/N would offer him something like that too? She'd already done too much, hasn't she? More than she'd been requested to, should he really let her feed him? Or was she joking?

Minho, who quickly finds that she isn't joking at all actually. She doesn't wait for him to answer before she's offering him rice and a sliver of egg from his bowl, holding it out toward his mouth. Minho parts his lips, she presses it inside, then gives an even bigger, triumphant smile when he hums at the taste, "It's good, hm? I made it myself."

Minho, who decides that he needs to know more about her, needs to implant himself deeper into her life, needs to ask Yongbok where he found her and if he's willing to share.

[gilverrwrites]

Hellooo, I hope ur doing well ;) Can I request Bruce Wayne/Batman for the headcanon meme ? I know this is a lot and I apologise in advance lol, but I’m genuinely so interested about your takes on Bruce 🫶🏼 Hi anon, I hope you don't mind but I'm posting this as a text post so I can add a read more to it. Thank you so much for the ask, I'm honored that you're curious my HCs. Again thank you, and have a super rest of your day! 💖💖💖

• what religion are they? how do they practice? Canonically, I believe he was raised catholic, and identifies as an atheist because if there was an all knowing God, why would he let Gotham exist as it is?

But I’ve always had trouble rationalising religion in comics. I’m also an atheist but if I’d met/knew Gods literally walked the Earth (Zeus for example) I would be having a crisis of faith. Pretty sure Superman once met the Christian God? Bruce clearly has a stronger sense of belief than I.  

So, practice wise; Growing up would be church on Sundays, grace before dinner. Nightly prayers. Once his parents had passed, while Bruce would be questioning his faith, I don’t think Alfred would have enforced such things if Bruce didn’t want to continue practicing.

• what holidays do they decorate for? For the longest time he didn’t decorate for any. Alfred decorated at least for Christmas every year, but Bruce stopped noticing once he became Batman.

It wasn’t until a young Dick mentioned he’d never been trick or treating that Bruce started to put the effort in. That year Dick had the best Robin Hood costume, Bruce dressed as Little John, and Alfred as Friar Tuck. Not only did Dick get to go trick or treating, but Bruce and Alfred decked out the front yard for any local kids too.

When thanksgiving rolled around, Alfred was delighted that Bruce seemed to care about it again, having gone out to buy new centre pieces. And that year was the first year since he was child that Bruce helped put up the Christmas decorations.

Every year he tried to one up the last, however, his presence on the day dwindles until Dick goes off to college and Bruce’s motivation to care about such frivolous things while Gotham needs him is gone. But this exact process repeats with every adopted child until there’s always somebody home, be they young and living with him or old and visiting.

• what clubs / sports were they involved in as a child / teenager When he dropped out of school, that also meant quitting any clubs and sports. The lack of team sports is probably a contributing factor to his inability to communicate well with others outside of strategy. However, prior to that he was a Cub Scout, as well as tennis and fencing (fuckin’ Rich kids).

Post homeschool (much like in the Gotham TV show) Alfred ensured Bruce was still doing outdoorsy activities; camping, hiking, learning survival skills. As well as Bruce insisting on multiple forms of combat training. He continued fencing.

• do they take any medications? No. That’s not to say he shouldn’t be on medication, he just doesn’t. Hard to speak to a professional when you can only tell them half of your life.

He does however take daily vitamins along with his protein, creatine etc. If he’s not taking supplements, Alfred is sneaking them into his food. He eats nothing but protein, gotta make sure he’s getting his nutrients somewhere.

• do they watch the olympics? do they prefer summer or winter Rarely has the time. But if and when he does sit down to watch I’d say his preferred watches are; tennis, fencing, boxing, and judo. Sports that mean something to him. For that reason he also prefers the summer games over winter.

• what are they like when they're sick? Nightmare. Alfred is a saint for putting up with it, honestly. That WFA comic where he’s trying desperately to get back to work whilest injured is 100% accurate to my imaginings. Even when he’s too sick to move, he’s still thinking up ways he can sneak out of bed, wondering if he should build a batlaptop for these sorts of occasions.

Crime is never sick; therefore Batman can’t be sick!

• what do they usually buy in a gift shop? It varies from place to place but typically:

Fridge magnet and/or some other small kitchen accessories for Alfred.

Stationary for Damian.

Preferably a cola drink, but if not a snack for Tim. He’s specifically looking for decorative packaging that can be saved. [See this Tim HC]

Pin badges for Babs.

Postcards for Dick.

An oversized hoodie for Cass. Black only.

An oversized hoodie for Steph. Tacky only.

Keying for Jason.

Puzzles or decorative decks of playing cards. (Duke is into tabletop card games, Bruce thinks they’re the same thing)

A coffee mug for himself.

• what color was their childhood bedroom? Blue, and it’s still blue but a lot of the furniture has changed. Can’t sleep in a kids bed forever.

Most of the new furniture is sleek, modern looking and black. He likes the gothic style, but this is where he often brings his dates/hook up, and the minimalist style suits his image better.

The old bed, desk, toy box etc haven’t been thrown out or anything, they’ve been used by most of his family as they’ve grown up and are currently in Damian’s room. Everyone who has used the desk (B included) has carved their their initials on the underside of it.

• what does a typical day off work look like for them? A day off? What’s that? Seriously, even if he’s not being Batman, he’s being Brucie, Mr Wayne, Matches, or Dad or even just working out.

On the rare, rare, rare occasions he’s not doing any of those things, the first thing he does is sleep in. He probably needs to sleep for 5 days straight, but he’ll only sleep until 10/11ish.

By now he’s missed breakfast (which is served from 8-9), so he’s latching onto the first person to pick up the phone and taking them out for brunch. By now he’s already itching to get back in the cave, and to thwart this he forces himself to stay in the city; go to a museum, walk in that park, visit a friend, go shopping for (another) new watch, anything but return home.

Will surprise Damian by picking him up from school. Damian, as he gets older externally complains and cringes more and more, but he loves it.

When they get home, he becomes a nuisance until dinner, offering help to everyone with anything to distract himself. It’s appreciated but nobody needs help with homework or housework.

After dinner is the home stretch, and the easiest part. He gathers as many people as he can in the family room for films or games, and by the time they’re done it’s bedtime.

He’s in the batcave at midnight.

• how many pillows do they sleep with? One. He has at least ten in the bed, every night she shifts all but his favourite to the floor, and every morning Alfred makes the bed and puts them all back and arranges them perfectly.

• what's their least favorite chore? He rarely does chores, but Alfred must have time off. The first time he took a week off since Bruce became Batman was the first time he realised the impracticality of having a CAVE! So much sweeping and dusting and everything smells damp, he has no idea how Alfred keeps it liveable because after 2 days Bruce was overwhelmed and ready to risk it all by moving everything upstairs.

• how often do they do their laundry? He doesn’t. If Alfred isn’t available, he’s been specifically instructed to take anything that needs cleaning to the dry cleaners. Not because he’s incapable of doing laundry, he’s not completely inept at doing normal things. He just thinks he can do it better. Which often results in the washer-dryer being ‘upgraded’ in ways that nobody ever needs, and Alfred hates it.

• what is their favorite wine / liquor? Prefers wine to spirits, specifically red. Or better yet, champagne.

When he does drink spirits he leans towards brandy, the same kind that his mother would drink.

• what is their favorite scent of candle? Citrusy, fresh scents. Something strong that pierced the musty smell of the Batcave or the damp of the city. Sage & citrus, lemon lime, maybe even mint cucumber.

• what's their guilty pleasure tv show? Again, he rarely watches TV. But I think at least once while on ordered bed rest he ‘accidentally’ watched every season of the Kardashian’s. He 'hated' every second.

He’s assigned all of his children a Kardashian and keeps up to date with every episode, just as a person who hates the show would do. He will never tell anyone else.

Tim knows. Bruce knows that Tim knows but they’ve never discussed it. Tim has never seen a single episode, but he’s seen memes, and will quote them in front of people to make Bruce sweat.

• have they ever done volunteer work? Bruce is a known philanthropist. The Wayne Foundation is a non-profit which primary cause is funding charities, hospitals, medical research, urban renewal, etc.

He puts a lot of money into The Wayne Hospital (or whatever its called dependant on the media). He also funds a lot of youth centres, and rehabilitation centres.

But as for actual hands-on charity work, no. It anything it would cause more harm than good.

Could you imagine being homeless, starving, at your lowest, and when you arrive there’s fucking media vans and photographers everywhere, cataloguing your worst? And then inside, the herald prince of the city that has screwed you over, billionaire Brucie Wayne is serving you ladles of dirt-cheap slop? You'd be mortified, pissed.

• do they listen to music or watch tv more often? Definitely music. TV is time consuming; music is easier to multi-task. I don't think he listens to much of anything other than classical and meditative music. Maybe some kind of classic rock workout playlist on Spotify that Babs occasionally hacks into and keeps adding back-to-back plays of Black Betty. Bruce gets so into his workouts that he doesn't notice until one day he realises he's done a 2-hour cardio session and Black Betty has been playing the entire time.

• do they watch the superbowl even if they aren't into football? Not into football and barely has the time. However, when it's football season, the men (and some women) in his social circles go crazy for it, so he keeps up with the matches through news reports and tries to watch the final, Batman missions permitting.

(Psst. I'm from the UK and know nothing about American football. I presume the Superbowl is preceded by a series of tournament matches like euro football (soccer) is?)

• do they collect anything? Children

Watches, and cars. Later in life, he's fixed on these things a lot more, because he's been collecting them for so long. But they started purely as a way to fit in with his high society peers. To make him appear more normal.

Imagine that scene in American Psycho where they're comparing busisness cards, but it's Gotham’s richest competing over who has the latest watch, the nicest vintage car etc. Now that he knows what he likes he's more focused in on those; he like vintage European watches and American cars.

I also love the idea that Dick once bought him an ugly novelty tie (completely earnestly) on like his second Christmas at the Manor, and that quickly became a tradition. Every year he gets a new tie, the most hideous the kids can find, and the following year, Bruce wears it during Christmas dinner.

• what hill are they willing to die on? Mint is the superior dessert flavour, milkshakes, ice cream, Oreos, coffee syrups. Dark chocolate and mint = peak.

[sketchy-rosewitch]

Ours: Bo Sinclair x hinge!f!reader x Vincent Sinclair

Warnings: Bo’s a little drunky, also he confesses how obsessed he and Vincent are with you

A/N: Dead Ringers is like all up in my brain rn so that’s what you guys get.

Masterlist

Loud yelling and groaning comes from the TV as you and Bo watch a movie. Vincent had his head laying on your lap and you could tell by his steady breathing he was asleep. You couldn’t help but still play with his dark hair. Running your fingers carefully through it, braiding a few strands.

Bo sat on his chair that was angled so you could have conversation with him but he could still watch the TV.

It felt nice getting to sit here with both of them. It hardly ever happened with them practically having opposite sleep schedules. You took your wine cooler and sipped it, the condensation making your fingers wet. You playfully put your fingers on Vincent’s forehead and he flinches but continues to sleep. You giggle and Bo looks at you. He sips his beer and keeps staring, when you notice, you stop and look away. Bo had been the more intimidating of the two for you. You don’t know what it is but you feel like you have to listen to everything he says. Like he’ll snap if you just make one wrong move.

The room is silent again, you feel Bo still staring but you continue to play with a piece of Vincent’s hair.

Then the mechanic speaks up, his voice makes you jump, but you ease into the conversation when you realize how calm he is.

“You know, Vincent and I had to share a lot of things when we were younger.” He takes another sip of his beer.

You nod, not understanding a bit where this conversation was going.

“Shared a bed, birthdays, clothes, a brother, parents, thoughts, and feelings. Never had to share a girlfriend though. No matter how much both of us wanted to share one of them. We never did.” You look at him absolutely confused. He finishes his beer and sets it down, relaxing into the chair. Your hands have stopped playing with Vincent’s hair, they sit one on the top of his head and the other over his crossed hands.

“Now we don’t share shit, he works in his basement creatin’ and I work at the gas station destroyin’. Then some girl from god knows where came in this town bein’ so sweet and carin’ yet ended up the greediest thing ever. Needin’ both of us instead of one.”

Your heart clenches thinking Bo is gonna yell at you. Call you a slut and whore. You only liked those names in the bedroom but he’s called you them a few times outside of it, those were enough it freak you out enough to not get him mad again.

“Thank God you needed both of us, don’t think either one of us could stand not sharin’ again.”

Bo gets up, you watch him like a hawk as he walks up to you. Your head tilts up to meet his face. He leans down and kisses you, you taste the alcohol on his lips. He lets go.

“I love you Bo.”

He hums, and grabs his beer off the end table before going into the kitchen to throw it out, he passes through the living room.

“I’ll be upstairs whenever you two decide to come up.” Bo tilts his head towards the stairs. You nod.

-

It’s not long before you wake Vincent. He’s groggy and a groan cokes from his chest. You take his hand and guide him up the stairs. Bo is on the left side of the bed, he’s not asleep yet. You can tell because he flinches when the door opens. You don’t mean to scare him. You go to the other side of the bed and crawl in wrapping your arms around Bo, Vincent comes in after you and wraps his arms around you. Vincent kisses your shoulder gently, trying to fall asleep again.

You fall asleep easily between the two.

[suzieb-fit]

After an overly indulgent day yesterday, I'm on it this morning.

I stayed in bed late. That's actually a GOOD thing for me, with my usual problems with too little sleep and waking up far too early.

So out fora drizzly half hour walk. The weather doesn't hold me back. I'll still do this in the middle of winter.

I made a slightly different breakfast.

Absolutely divine with my collagen/inulin/creatine coffee!

I'm training heavy these days, so my level of protein isn't necessary for everyone. But I've recently switched my macro targets. I used to follow Mindy Pelz's "ketobiotic" principle, which was perfect at the time.

60% fat, 50g maximum NET carbs, thecrest as protein.

But now I need more protein, more carbs and less fat.

My new ratio (without getting too obsessive) is 40% protein, 30% carbs and fat.

Only a short "digestive rest" today, even though breakfast was later than usual. I ate way too late last night, and I ate way too much!

All the same kind of food, just much more of it, lol. And that's not cool. Too much healthy food is unhealthy!

Excess of any kind is not healthy.

But it happens every now and then, not very often, so I need to accept its just one of those rare curveballs from a history of disordered, binge related eating habits.

When breakfast was settled, I got on with my next Nike Training programme session.

Challenging as always, felt great as always!

Lunch after that was bacon with fake cheese, grapes and salad. Delicious.

I based my fitness mostly on cardio today.

Second workout, before my afternoon snack was upper body resistance band work.

I combined strength with cardio. Someone on FB requested one.

But I totally messed up, and deleted it before uploading it 😂😂.

Never mind, I'll try again over the next few days. Still a great workout for me, though!

Dinner later will be chicken, veggies and avocado.

Pretty good day with my boxes ticked.

[tamamita]

hey sal i'm thinking of starting gymming next monday but i was wondering what kind of supplements would be good to buy

I can recommend you three dietary supplements:

Whey Protein, pretty much an essential for muscle growth and recovery. Always take it within 30 mins after a weightlifting session.

Pre-Workout/Creatine: They are often mixed together, but can be bought separately. Pre-workout is a dietary supplement containing ingredients (such as caffeine) and is designed to help enhance athletic performance. Creatine is a compund that exists in your muscles and helps produce energy, allowing your muscles to perform better in weightlifting.

Casein Protein, as opposed to Whey, is a slow-digestive protein that exists in most dairy products: They're especially good to take before bed or as a meal, keeping your body with sufficient proteins to absorb during the night or in-between larger meals.

There are ofcourse alternatives for vegans, lactose intolerant and vegetarians.

[sportsbianism]

my advice for boosting your health and looking hotter if you're on the heavier side and dont suffer from a scary ed. this is what has really really worked for me.

get a step counter and try to get 7k-15k steps in every day

get a food scale and use a simple spreadsheet to track your calories, protein, and fiber. if you're on the heavier side (200+ lbs) shoot for something like 1800-2000 calories, 100-170 grams of protein, and 15-30 grams of fiber. if you go over calories some days it's inconsequential so long as you are still in a deficit for the week on average. i find it's easier and feels healthier for my caloric intake to fluctuate throughout the week and sometimes go over, maintaining a weekly average that is below my personal maintenance calories (for me maintenance is about 2,400).

get consistent about some kind of hobby that works you out. for me i like lifting heavy shit at the gym 4-5 days a week. i used to love pokemon go and hiking, which boosted my steps every day to like several miles. it's more important to be relatively consistent than to work out correctly. it's better to be good most of the time than perfect every once in a while.

get a scale and weigh yourself naked in the morning after you pee. unless you have a serious psychiatric issue, it's good for you to learn specific information about yourself, having an accepting but forward looking attitude. your weight doesn't define you but it's useful information that can help inform your habits and choices

the only exception to that is the mirror. i hate mirrors. i don't even have a mirror except a small one just for my handsome face.

don't cut out carbs or sweets or fat or anything like that. just try to stick to your macros. i eat a chocolate bar every day and usually another sweet treat on top of that. it's good for me bc it makes me happy and gives me energy for work and for my healthy hobbies. but i keep track of the calories, protein, and fiber because i don't have an instinctive sense of exactly how much is good for me, so it's healthy for me to work with data.

really try to get enough sleep and take your vitamins.

don't make your calorie deficit too steep.

don't restrict your diet in unsustainable ways.

don't do crazy amounts of cardio you don't enjoy, especially not early in the morning. this just cuts into your sleep and makes you lazier for the rest of the day, so you might not even burn any extra calories doing it.

invest in some protein powder. anything around 10 bucks a pound is good, less than that is a really good deal. there's cheap protein powder at aldi and on sale at muscleandstrength.com

love and compliment yourself

keep learning

consider supplementing your diet with creatine and caffeine. creatine is really good for you and a low calorie caffeine source suppresses your appetite. just don't drink at night bc sleep really matters.

drink 4-5 pints of water every day

eat before bed, it helps you get to sleep more easily and if it's protein rich it will help you build muscle. i drink one scoop of protein after my workout and one before bed.

this shit is just simple and it just works.

[gepetordi1]

The Big Food industry spent billions teaching you what to think about food. Everything you've been taught about eating is WRONG. Here's 20 tips to educate yourself:

1) The inner aisles of a grocery store are engineered to taste good and keep you coming back for more. They are closer to drugs than REAL food.

2) Eating 5-7x a day is not the way to boost your metabolism but its a great way to create insulin resistance.

3) You don't need more supplements. You need a whole foods diet.

4) There's nothing healthy about fruit drinks. They are liquid sugar IVs. 100% juice is still 100% garbage for your body.

5) Breakfast can be the most important meal of the day but not when your routine is eating 3 bowls of cereal. If you're going to eat breakfast start with hitting 30+ grams of protein to start your day.

6) The food pyramid maximized profits and destroyed people's health.

7) Vegetable oils are closer to industrial waste than they are vegetables. Stick with coconut, avocado, olive, and butter.

8) Terms like natural, heart healthy, and multigrain are marketing terms that have nothing to do with that food improving your health.

9) Heart disease wasn't a serious issue until the past several decades, yet red meat and eggs which have been eaten for thousands of years have become the scapegoat for what processed foods and insulin resistance have done.

10) Calories in, calories out sound great unless your diet is full of empty calories. Nutrient density matters when it comes to hormonal balance, metabolism, and overall health.

11) Low fat is usually just a smoke screen for high sugar, increased triglycerides, insulin resistance, and heart disease.

12) The sun has endless nutritional benefits and comes at zero cost and free of calories.

13) Everything in moderation is illogical. Just because your body can deal with certain foods doesn't mean its good for you.

14) Creatine isn't just for bodybuilders, it's for everyone. It's cheap, safe, and has cognitive benefits in addition to its impact on muscle.

15) You don't need energy drinks. You need a high protein diet and better quality sleep. Something as simple as magnesium before bed can have a huge impact on improving the quality of your sleep.

16) Artificial sweeteners lack sugar but can destroy your gut health.

17) Drinking alcohol because it's good for you in some way is bullshit. It's a toxin. If you want to enjoy it fine but don't use your health to justify it.

18) If it's designed to sit on a shelf for a year it's not food.

19) An exclusively plant based diet lacks essential nutrients. Don't be fooled by products like Beyond Meat which require high levels of processing to create a cheap alternative "food".

20) Cholesterol is the boogeyman you have been told to fear but cholesterol is naturally occurring and dietary intake of cholesterol is not strongly understood or supported by the data to cause heart disease.

P.S. Food companies are enabled by limited regulation to prioritize max profits over consumer health. It's important to be an educated consumer. You are responsible for your own health. Think critically and stick to the basics. If it wasn't eaten 100 years ago it's not worth eating!!

[bigtreefest]

So tired. Had to take nap between discussion posts. My responses definitely don’t make sense.

Jakey would’ve sat me up in his lap and typed what I dictated to him, filtering out my odd loopy logic as I threw my head into his neck.

“Jakey, you finish it for me. It’s almost done.”

“Baby, I don’t know that much about creatine phosphate.”

“Neither do I. That’s what google is for.”

“C’mon. You can finish it. Only a couple more sentences.”

He helps me research my last couple sentences, making sure they’re actually contextually sensible, before helping me submit it. Then he carries me off to the shower, followed by helping me brush my teeth before bed🥺

[sunlightandsuffering]

I'm fiercely attracted to Cabin Eren because in my mind besides being a perfect husband, he's also the most buff version of Eren. Hobo Eren was living off rations as as an eldian living in the internment zone & Manbun Eren spent an entire month living in a jail cell. Both of them weren't eating well or doing much physical activity. Meanwhile you know for a fact Cabin Eren was eating full meals with Mikasa after spending the day, chopping wood, hunting, fishing, etc.

I bet he got so broad and beefy and Mikasa definitely loved it! Mikasa drooling over how much bigger he's gotten, how much more of the bed he takes up and how easily his body completely covers her when they fuck. Her just admiring his naked back in the morning before hugging him from behind trying to wrap her arms around him 🥰

OKAY U ARE SO RIGHT FOR THIS THO!! LIKE UR SO CORRECT ANON!! THATS WHY HE'S SO BEEFY!! This si so funny tho i was writing this in switch last night lol 😂

One thing about Eren that Mikasa has always liked is his gym obsession. 

It’s hot, there’s no sugar-coating it.  A boy who goes to the gym and works out is hot. 

Even hotter because it shows, shows in almost everything he does. Eren might be on the leaner side, not built like some of the linebackers he’s always yelling about on TV, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a wall of solid mass these days. 

He’s built subtly and in a way she likes more than some of the massive guys she sees at the gym, getting a peak when he wears shirts and the sleeves stretch just a little tight around his biceps and the muscles of his back, leaving the lower part loose. 

It’s also in how confidently he can lift her up, not even flinching when he drags her onto his lap, throws her over his shoulder, how he manhandles her. 

God, it gives her the shivers just thinking about it, and he’s so much taller than her these days, she gets butterflies when she has to look up, when she can’t so easily brush her hands through his hair, has to stand on her tippy toes to tease him now.  It’s hot, he’s hot, and so Mikasa will take absolutely any opportunity offered to accompany him to the gym, even more so because Eren going to the gym is an almost otherworldly experience. 

As a resident gym rat Eren partakes in many gym rat things such as pre-workout and protein shakes and as Mikasa watches him dutifully from the kitchen counter, she counts her lucky stars that she gets to watch. 

He’s currently scooping a suspicious looking white powder into water for it to dissolve, wearing a t-shirt that’s stretched taut around his biceps, forearms on display as he mixes the substance into his cup.  “So, what’s that again?” Mikasa asks for the tenth time and Eren shoots her an exasperated smile, “Baby I told you it’s Creatine.” 

“That tells me nothing.”  He hums at her, shutting the large cannister and grabbing another one from the cupboard, now scooping a different substance into a blender bottle.  He humours her questions though, answering with more patience than she’d ever have, “It’s basically a supplement that helps me bulk up, good for muscle growth and if you’re going to the gym a lot people tend to use it.”  “But you already look really good,” she breathes shyly, the words almost unconscious as her eyes catch on where his biceps strain against his grey t-shirt. 

[meg2md]

Back to Life Is Really Hard (Residency Edition)

Things I've learned: I do like obstetrics. Mainly, I like that routine obstetric clinic visits are fast and easy, I like that I know how to do basic labor and triage tasks quickly and efficiently, and I like that I get to do cesarean deliveries. That being said, I think I can live without it. There's lots of confounding hours (like who's on my team, the better hours, etc), but gyne is where I'm much, much happier. And that's where I am now!! At the same time I'm trying to buckle up for MIGS applications which happen next year, and basically the advice given to me was to make peace with the numbers because it's possibly one of the most competitive fellowships across all specialties with a 50/50 chance. I'm motivated: I'm about to submit an IRB for my research project, I'm working on manuscript revisions for my med school paper, I'm involved with ACOG on a state level, I have another research project that might come to fruition, and I'm hoping to design a surgical skills curriculum for medical students. I've also started looking in-depth at away rotations for MIGS, and I'm making a spreadsheet of every program I want to apply to (so, probably 50-60 programs). But I also need to be realistic and have a Plan B, because it's a coin flip whether I match.

But to level with ya'll, despite this sliver of ambition I've regained, I'm SO depressed. Like, VERY FREAKING DEPRESSED. I'd say my mood is largely fine, but man, it is incredibly difficult to get out of bed, to be on time, want to be around my co-residents. I'm finally on weekly Prozac again, but my dose most likely needs increased. I'm also starting therapy (again) tomorrow. But it's just... hard. My life got pretty bad at the start of the year. My cat getting really sick, going into a lot of debt from vet bills and conference costs, my car getting vandalized. My oncology rotation was probably the worst I have ever performed in all of residency. I got some really, really tough feedback. It really knocked me on my ass. Things are slowly getting better, but again, I'm working against this baseline depression. The best I can describe it is just... heavy, or blurred. I lost my zest for life. It's like my life is muted.

I drew a tarot card yesterday to describe where I'm at in my life right now. I drew the 10 of Swords.

Yep. That's residency.

My tarot draws are always like this. I gravitate towards swords and cards like The Tower. It's not all bad, though. I like the concept of death, decay, and endings. I like that it creates fertile soil with which life can rise anew. Consider the artwork from the Light Seer's tarot:

We face the loss, the betrayal, the stress... whatever it is that is causing us so much pain. It will always be a part of us, but what rises up from the ashes is much brighter and stronger, "vulnerable, whole, and totally and powerfully alive."

I drew the Tower card before I drew the 10 of Swords. I like the chronology of it, too. It makes sense with the sequence of events in my life, first undergoing its major upheaval (my break-up with my fiance, moving to a new city alone, being dumped by the rebound I fell in love with, living independently for the first time in over a decade, all with the background of my chronic depression)... and then when the fire finally goes out and the dust settles... it's this empty, desiccated landscape, full of hurt and pain and loneliness. But despite all this, the sun still shines, the rain falls, and slowly life springs forth from the rot. I really resonate with cards like these, like Death, The Tower, The Fool, any card that represents endings and beginnings.

(Lol I lost my actual journal and my thoughts had to go somewhere so here we are.)

Anyway back to medicine (ugh), I'm again trying to focus on the ME outside of residency. The YA romantasy books, training for a Tough Mudder, resuming my interest in obscure non-fiction, tennis.

I'm also researching creatine??? IDK my brain is in a million places right now. My boxing class got cancelled so I biked for 40 minutes while watching 1000-lb sisters. Before I was obsessively looking up MIGS fellowship programs and I needed to get my mind OFF residency and medicine.

And since I find my mind drifting back to something that already occupies WAY TOO MUCH SPACE in my life, I'm gonna peace and work on Kingdom of Ash until I fall asleep

[twilightmalachite]

Machina - Dues ex... 3

Author: Kino Seitaro (with Akira)

Characters: Mika, Makoto, Shu

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Y’see, although the blue sky is nothin’ but clouds floatin’ on by, if ya look closely, you can tell it’s “artificial”! ♪ But y’know, the person who made it didn’t mean to create a fake, they were hopin’ to create the real thing."

Season: Winter

Location: Sky Garden (SSVRS)

At a plaza that imitates the ES Sky Garden in the Test World…

Mika: Nnah, nnaaaah~…

I have no idea what’s goin’ on at all… There’s still time left on my pieces up for auction, and an unbelievable amount of money’s changin’ hands!

Everythin’ a huge mess thanks to that~. A buncha my fans all stormed my store and now it’s all just “chaos”.

If Mako-kun hadn’t gotten me outta there as quickly as he could’ve, it would’a been a crisis fer sure…

Makoto: Yeah, seriously… I didn’t expect that someone would try to become your friend and then try to get you to give them your digital art, Kagehira-kun.

But given your art’s so expensive now, I guess it makes sense that people would come up with strange ideas like that. You have to be well off enough to afford a luxury car.

Mika: Uu, say no more, Mako-kun!

I also thought it’d be nice if my work could have some value, but somethin’ like this seriously hasn’t happened before! I feel my hearts gonna jump outta my chest every time it’s brought up…

I’ve already got no clue why my works bein’ valued higher than Oshi-san’s, I’m not even sure if I should be valued more than those whose works are featured in art textbooks!

Makoto: Ahaha. Yeah, it really is nicer to climb stairs step by step.

The situation’s a little different, but it’s like when Trickstar won first place in SS.

I kept pinching my cheek as I laid in bed because I couldn’t believe that everything that happened that day wasn’t a dream.

Mika: Yeah yeah, you get it!

I should be happy over it, but it doesn’t feel real, like it’s just a dream!

Makoto: I bet you’ll be too restless to be able to make anything new for now, so it might be a good idea to stop playing Test World for a bit.

Mika: Hm… I dunno about leavin’ the Test World…

Makoto: Ahaha, you like the Test World that much, huh?

But, I really don’t recommend it. You’re kind of a celebrity here in the Test World now, Kagehira-kun.

So much to the point that it might even hinder you from just walking outside to have some fun .

It’s gonna be tough to have as much fun playing as you did before.

Mika: Yeah, I know that, though.

…Ah, I don’t mean to brush off what you said, Mako-kun. It’s just, I guess you could say I got unfinished business in the world?

I wanted Oshi-san to properly recognize my digital art.

My work so far’s only been simple-mindedly created usin’ the new technology. But, that’s exactly what Oshi-san so angry.

I wanted to create somethin’ proper in hopes of convincin’ Oshi-san.

Makoto: Hmm. Well, judging from the auction results and response, it doesn’t seem like your art’s bad.

Maybe he just was in a bad mood at the time. I dunno if it’s jet lag or what, but there are days where Izumi-san’s unusually crabby too.

Mika: Y’think it could be that? I hope so, but Oshi-san seemed to be real angry. Like what I made was half-baked, or somethin’.

Y’see, although the blue sky is nothin’ but clouds floatin’ on by, if ya look closely, you can tell it’s “artificial”! ♪

But y’know, the person who made it didn’t mean to create a fake, they were hopin’ to create the real thing.

I bet they were creatin’ it, really aimin’ to make a world that could replace the real one. It’s like that.

This here ain’t the real world, but I do think it’s an interestin’ one. Everyone here’s tryin’ to get closer to the real world. It’s a real nice atmosphere.

So I thought to make a work that embodies that interestin’ context that could convey that to even Oshi-san.

Makoto: …I see now. From the perspective of the real world, this world may look fake, but I also feel the world of SSVRS can be just as real as the real one.

I guess you could call it harmonious? It’s so peaceful here that you can forget about reality.

Oh, right. Kagehira-kun, if you’d like, would you like me to buy you a new atelier?

Mika: Ehh, can I really ask that of you!?

The VL$ is worth so much now~! Wouldn’t it be a waste if you blew it on a gift?

Makoto: No need to hold back. Winter break will be ending soon. I was thinking about retiring from my part-time position as a test player anyways.

It’d be nice to cash in my extra VL$ given the fact Trickstar’s struggling financially, but… If I cover too much of the sum, the others will feel bad.

Game money is for using in games. So I can use it without hesitation! ♪

Mika: Thank ya kindly, Mako-kun. ♪ If ya do that, then I can start on my next work—

Shu: There will be no need for that, Kagehira.

Mika: …!? Is that Oshi-san’s voice…? Where’s it coming from?

?

Shu: Look up at the sky. I am here, Kagehira!

Mika: Huh…? O-Oshi-san’s on top of a flying machine!? What’s going on!?

Shu: Kagehira. I’ve come to bring you back to reality, upon this mechanical god.[1]

Mika: But why… What did I do wrong, Oshi-san?

Shu: Before I answer that question, I have something to ask you.

Why did you make such a thing, Kagehira?[2]

← prev | story directory | next →

I’ve explained what dues ex machina meant, but the word originates from Greek and Roman theater; the god that would then resolve the conflict would be held up in the air by a crane, a machine. That is why the words literally mean “god from the machine”. In the same sense, Shu is here to resolve the conflict, in the air by a machine.

The scene from the start of the prologue now takes place. Feel free to re-read!

[luxmaeastra]

Alaric leaned over to kiss her, a quick one on the cheek. She rose an eyebrow at him, her arm in his.

"Do you have a fever? Have you broken decorum for me?"

He rolled his eyes, the corner of his lips twitching in a smile. He shook his head at her, his deep set eyes sparkling.

"That's all you're getting tonight."

"And if the Lord's flirt with me then my love? How will I ever deter such advances?"

His nostrils flared and he glared down at her. She only grinned back, he wouldn't break twice. She knew what he wanted to do, what he'd done every time one of the prepubescent lords had tried anything. How he never let her out of his sight, how he spent hours between her legs afterwards.

But they couldn't that tonight, not when the celebration being held wasn't in their honor. They had to be nice to the dignitaries and prattling nobles. She wasn't allowed to stab anyone with her fans, in fact his mother had confiscated them.

She leaned up reaching for him, he tensed even as his eyes softened.

"Isobel we're going to -"

"Just one real kiss Alaric? I haven't seen you all day. Your mother had me help as if I had an eye for any of this frivolity."

Still their parents cared for their little creatins, she supposed it was only far she pretended to care about the table runners.

He supposed it only made sense that her mother wanted her help if only to ensure her education had not slipped. It was something his parents would do, test him to ensure he did not slip or forget a less. Their families' couldn't have them disappointing them now could they?

Alaric's eyes trailed over her as he thought of the moments they had together, how in the earlier years the task of making heirs had meant he had found any reason to bed her. How he had allowed the wildness in him lose as he had ensured she never left the bed until she had become with child if he could help it.

One kiss wouldn't break everything they had built, one kiss would show them all. His hand reached out to touch against her cheek before he leaned down, his lips pressing to hers as his other hand reached around and waist and pulled her close.

"Was that to your satisfaction?"