#divorce lawyer orange

[moradineufer]

Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach | Newport Beach (415) 306–8651 | Why Do You Need a Divorce Lawyer in Orange for Your Legal Separation?

Divorce is a challenging life event that can bring about emotional turmoil, legal complexities, and significant changes to your daily life. Whether you are contemplating a legal separation or have already decided to move forward, having a divorce lawyer in Orange by your side can make the process smoother and less overwhelming. Here, we’ll explore the reasons why a skilled divorce attorney is essential during this pivotal time and how they can help protect your rights and interests.

Understanding the Legal Framework of Divorce

The legal process of divorce involves more than simply signing papers and parting ways. Divorce laws in California, including Orange, are intricate and designed to address various aspects such as asset division, child custody, alimony, and more. Without proper legal guidance, you risk misunderstandings and mistakes that could have long-term consequences.

A divorce lawyer is well-versed in local laws and court procedures. They can help you understand your rights, responsibilities, and options, ensuring you’re making informed decisions at every step. Their expertise can save you from common pitfalls and ensure you’re compliant with all legal requirements.

Navigating Complex Financial Matters

Dividing assets and debts can be one of the most contentious aspects of a divorce. California is a community property state, meaning that all assets and debts acquired during the marriage are typically divided equally between the spouses. However, determining what qualifies as community property versus separate property can be complex.

A divorce lawyer in Orange can help untangle these financial matters by:

Assessing assets and liabilities: They’ll work with you to create a clear inventory of marital and personal assets.

Negotiating settlements: An attorney can help negotiate fair terms, avoiding prolonged disputes.

Handling business interests: If you or your spouse owns a business, a lawyer can ensure its valuation and division are handled appropriately.

Protecting Your Parental Rights

If you have children, custody arrangements will be one of the most critical aspects of your divorce. Custody decisions are often emotionally charged and can significantly impact your family’s future. A lawyer can help you navigate this process with sensitivity and professionalism.

In California, courts prioritize the best interests of the child when making custody decisions. This includes evaluating factors such as:

The child’s relationship with each parent

Each parent’s ability to provide a stable environment

The child’s preferences, depending on their age and maturity

A divorce lawyer can advocate for your parental rights and help create a custody agreement that works for you and your children. They’ll also ensure compliance with court orders and assist with any modifications if circumstances change.

Reducing Emotional Stress

Divorce is emotionally draining, and managing the legal aspects on your own can amplify the stress. A divorce lawyer provides not only legal support but also a sense of reassurance during this difficult time. Knowing that a professional is handling your case allows you to focus on rebuilding your life and supporting your loved ones.

Additionally, an attorney can act as a buffer between you and your spouse, facilitating communication and preventing unnecessary conflict. This is especially valuable if tensions are high or if there’s a history of contentious interactions.

Ensuring Fair Spousal Support Arrangements

Spousal support, or alimony, is another important aspect of many divorces. The purpose of spousal support is to ensure that both parties can maintain a reasonable standard of living after the separation. However, determining the amount and duration of support can be a contentious issue.

A divorce lawyer can help:

Evaluate eligibility for spousal support

Advocate for a fair amount based on factors such as income, earning capacity, and the length of the marriage

Negotiate agreements to avoid prolonged litigation

Their expertise ensures that the spousal support arrangement is fair and reflective of your circumstances.

Streamlining the Legal Process

Divorce proceedings can be time-consuming, especially if there are disputes or misunderstandings. A divorce lawyer in Orange can help streamline the process by:

Preparing and filing all necessary documents

Ensuring deadlines are met

Representing you in court, if needed

Their knowledge of local courts and procedures can expedite the process, helping you achieve resolution more efficiently.

Mitigating Potential Risks

Handling your divorce without professional guidance can expose you to various risks, such as:

Signing unfavorable agreements

Overlooking important legal details

Misinterpreting the implications of certain decisions

A divorce lawyer’s role is to mitigate these risks and safeguard your interests. They’ll carefully review all agreements and ensure you fully understand the consequences of your choices.

Supporting Alternative Dispute Resolution

Not all divorces need to go to court. Many couples opt for alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation or collaborative divorce to resolve their issues amicably. These methods can save time, reduce costs, and minimize stress.

A divorce lawyer can guide you through these processes, acting as your advocate and ensuring your rights are protected. They can also help you decide whether alternative dispute resolution is appropriate for your situation.

Planning for the Future

A divorce lawyer does more than just address immediate legal needs; they also help you plan for the future. This includes:

Drafting post-divorce financial plans

Updating wills and estate plans

Addressing long-term custody and visitation arrangements

By considering the bigger picture, a lawyer can help set you up for success and stability after the divorce.

Conclusion

Divorce is a significant life transition that requires careful navigation of legal, financial, and emotional challenges. Having Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach by your side can make all the difference, offering the expertise, support, and advocacy you need to move forward with confidence. Whether it’s ensuring a fair division of assets, protecting your parental rights, or streamlining the legal process, their skilled attorneys are invaluable allies during this difficult time.

If you’re considering a legal separation or divorce, don’t hesitate to reach out to Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach. Their guidance can help you achieve a resolution that aligns with your needs and sets the foundation for a brighter future.

Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach 620 Newport Center Dr # 1100, Newport Beach, CA 92660, United States (415) 306–8651 https://californiafamilylawgroup.com/newport-beach-family-law-lawyer/

Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Neufer | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach

[moradisaslawcalifornia]

Navigating the complexities of family law can be one of the most challenging experiences for individuals and families alike. Whether you’re facing a divorce, custody dispute, or need assistance with adoption, having a compassionate and skilled legal advocate by your side can make all the difference. Orange family attorneys understand these challenges and are committed to helping families find resolutions that allow them to move forward with confidence and peace of mind.

Understanding the Role of a Family Attorney

Family law covers a wide range of legal matters that impact families directly. From divorce and child custody to prenuptial agreements and adoption, these cases often involve high stakes and deep emotions. An Orange family attorney is more than just a legal professional; they are a guide, mediator, and advocate for their clients. Their primary goal is to ensure that your rights and interests are protected while working toward solutions that serve the best interests of everyone involved.

Here are some of the key areas where Orange family lawyers can provide assistance:

Divorce and Separation:

Handling the legal proceedings involved in ending a marriage.

Assisting with property division, alimony, and spousal support agreements.

Child Custody and Support:

Advocating for parenting arrangements that prioritize the well-being of the child.

Establishing or modifying child support agreements based on financial needs and circumstances.

Adoption:

Guiding families through the legal requirements of adopting a child, whether domestically or internationally.

Ensuring compliance with state laws and addressing potential legal hurdles.

Domestic Violence and Restraining Orders:

Providing immediate legal protection for victims of domestic abuse.

Assisting with filing restraining orders and ensuring their enforcement.

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements:

Drafting agreements that define financial arrangements and asset protection before or after marriage.

Why Compassion Matters in Family Law

Family law is unique because it touches on some of the most personal aspects of an individual’s life. Unlike other legal disputes, family law cases are not just about contracts or transactions; they are about relationships, emotions, and futures. This is why compassion is such a critical quality in an Orange family attorney.

Compassionate family lawyers:

Listen Actively: They take the time to understand their clients’ concerns, priorities, and goals.

Provide Emotional Support: While they cannot replace a therapist, they offer reassurance and guidance during emotionally charged moments.

Prioritize Amicable Solutions: Whenever possible, they strive to resolve disputes amicably to minimize stress and conflict.

Maintain Professionalism: Even in emotionally charged cases, they remain focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for their clients.

How Orange Family Attorneys Help Families Move Forward

One of the most challenging aspects of family law disputes is the uncertainty they create. An Orange family attorney’s role is not only to address the immediate legal issues but also to help their clients envision a path forward. Here’s how they do it:

1. Clear Communication

Family lawyers prioritize clear and open communication with their clients. They explain the legal process, provide realistic expectations, and answer any questions that arise. By demystifying the legal proceedings, attorneys empower their clients to make informed decisions.

2. Tailored Strategies

Every family is unique, and so are their legal needs. Compassionate attorneys take the time to understand the specific circumstances of each case and develop strategies tailored to their clients’ objectives. This personalized approach ensures that the solutions are both practical and effective.

3. Mediation and Collaboration

Whenever possible, Orange family lawyers encourage mediation and collaborative approaches to resolve disputes. These methods often lead to quicker, less adversarial resolutions, saving families time, money, and stress.

4. Advocacy in Court

When court intervention is necessary, family attorneys provide strong and focused representation. They use their knowledge of family law and courtroom experience to advocate effectively for their clients’ rights and interests.

5. Long-Term Support

Family law cases often have long-term implications, especially when they involve children. Attorneys remain available to assist with modifications to custody, support, or other agreements as circumstances change over time.

Choosing the Right Orange Family Attorney

Selecting the right attorney can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. Here are some factors to consider when choosing an Orange family lawyer:

Experience: Look for an attorney with a strong background in family law and a proven track record of successful cases.

Communication Style: Choose someone who communicates clearly and makes you feel comfortable asking questions.

Approach: Determine whether the attorney prioritizes amicable solutions and mediation when appropriate.

Reputation: Read client reviews and ask for recommendations to find a lawyer with a reputation for professionalism and compassion.

Availability: Ensure that the attorney has the time and resources to dedicate to your case.

The Benefits of Working with Local Attorneys

Orange family attorneys bring a deep understanding of California’s family law system and local court procedures. This knowledge allows them to provide more accurate advice and effective representation. Additionally, local attorneys are familiar with community resources, such as counseling services and support groups, which can be invaluable during challenging times.

Moving Forward with Confidence

Family law cases can be daunting, but you don’t have to face them alone. With the guidance of a compassionate and skilled attorney from California Family Law Group, you can navigate the legal process with greater ease and confidence. Whether you’re seeking a resolution to a custody dispute, planning an adoption, or addressing any other family law matter, the professionals at California Family Law Group are dedicated to helping you move forward.

Taking the first step can feel overwhelming, but it’s also the most important one. Reach out to California Family Law Group today to discuss your situation and explore your options. With the right support, you can overcome the challenges you’re facing and build a brighter future for yourself and your family.

Moradi Saslaw | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach 620 Newport Center Dr # 1100, Newport Beach, CA 92660, United States (415) 306–8651

Moradi Saslaw | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Saslaw | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Saslaw | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Saslaw | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Saslaw | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach Moradi Saslaw | California Family Law Group | Newport Beach

[starreo]

eren jaeger drabble.

includes eren being in love at first sight, no adult themes but this is an 18+ blog, so, mdni.

just watched the tennis match rn...i don't wanna talk about it, so 'm going to introduce you to, tennis player! eren jaeger. PART TWO (SMUT)

tennis player! eren, who's been in love with the sport since he saw his father play it at a club.

tennis player! eren, whose father got him the most expensive tennis coach, and the most expensive shoes and rackets as soon as he learned of his interests. everything had to be perfect for his perfect boy.

tennis player! eren, who grew up being the best in his category. he never paid mind to the things other kids his age were doing. and he didn't need friends either. not when he had tennis. the sport was his best friend after all. it was the only thing that remained constant for him, through his parents' divorce, through his rebellious stage, through everything.

tennis player! eren, who's moping and sulking after his loss, head down as he mindlessly makes his way into the club's tennis court to practice somewhere besides his personal court. maybe he was getting too carried away since he wasn't seeing other people play.

tennis player! eren, whose eyes are on his white shoes, frowning at his previous defeat when he hears a scream followed but the instant push of something hard around his stomach.

tennis player! eren, who finds himself lying on the court, holding a hand to his waist, and groaning as his eyes catch the bright green sight of a ball.

questions run in his mind such as, what kind of an idiot would aim so badly? how dare someone try to use this court at this time? why didn't anybody tell him this court was occupied? where is his phone- he needs to contact his lawyer about- how fucking beautiful you are.

he thinks as your face shows up in his vision, blocking the orange hue of the sun, making it appear as if there was a bright outline around you.

sitting up instantly, with eyes wide and a gap between his lips. his pain forgotten as he looks at your worried face. your beautiful worried face. oh god, is this love? he thinks. his hand raising from his waist to his loudly thumping chest, in hopes of calming his heart.

but to no avail, as your face moves closer to his, rambling, something about him being able to understand...but he couldn't understand. he couldn't understand how there was somebody as perfect as you. so he gulped down whatever saliva was left in his dry mouth, and smiled widely at you. holding your hands in his, "are you an angel?" he asked, hearts in his eyes and devotion in his voice.

and for the first time, tennis player! eren, falls in love with something other than the sport.

i luv tennis and i luv tennis player! eren,, gonna write another part to this soon,, WITH SMUTTT hehehe

© starreo 2024. do not copy, translate or repost .

[trippiwonder]

Plants of Santa Muerte

A

Agave: Self confidence, Love-Magic.

Aloe Vera: Protection(especially for children & pregnant women), self love, inner beauty.

Apple: Knowledge, wisdom, necromancy, healing psychosomatic ailments.

Apricot: Love-Magick (especially for gender-variant people). Wisdom spells (especially focused on one's own self or your masculine side if you're a woman, or feminine side if you're a man.

Avocado: Love and lust spells(attracting men), erotic beauty, increase male virility.

B

Beans: Friendship-Magick.

Belladonna: Lust(enhancing one's seductiveness), protection(cord-cutter), connect to other dimensions and realms of consciousness.

Berry: Raspberries are used in female fertility spells (Raspberries are used to create). Black berries are used in protection and healing psychological trauma (Blackberries are used to destroy).

Burdock: Protection(keeping harm and danger away), attraction (people, places, things).

C

Cactus: Protection(guard against those who wish to do harm), Chastity spells (ward off unwanted sexual advances/aggression).

Cherry: Love-Magick (lust to love).

Chili Peppers: Chastity spells, Protection(cooling/calming).

Chocolate: Luxury, prosperity, erotic love. Dark chocolate is preferred.

Chrysanthemum: Necromancy, communing with the dead.

Cilantro: Self-acceptance, self-love, stopping/preventing bullying(giving victim courage to stop being victimized), Maintain grace during stress.

Cinnamon: Money-Magick(expand prosperity), Lust-Magick(add sensuality to relationship).

Coca Leaves: Offering to spirits, tool of divination, aid to energize mind during meditation.

Coffee Beans: Break addictions, Breaking self illusions.

D

Dandelion: Self-confidence to be stand out of the crowd, Detoxify negative thinking.

H

Honeysuckle: Expedite spell speed.

Hyacinth: Gay male love-magick(help with coming out of the closet or accepting one's own homosexuality).

J

Jasmine: Dream work(prophetic dreams). magnifies emotions in spell work like love or lust.

L

Lemon: Cleansing, Healing-Magick.

Licorice: Hexes , harmful magick, combat addictions, promote longevity.

Lily: Break love spells, ease transitional pain of loss(friends, breakups, divorce, death).

Lime: Cleansing spiritual ailments, love magick(zest/strengthen relationships).

M

Marijuana: Protection(from law and harm), Money-Magick.

N

Nettle: Protection-Magick(to get a handle on what is causing harm). In Healing-Magick(get a hold on ailments(arthritis)).

O

Orange: Cleansing the mind of harmful thoughts and emotions, and countering sorrow and depression in it's physical association.

P

Palo Santo: Healing-Magick(unknown ailment), Protection-Magick(block all harm spiritual/physical/emotional).

Pau d'Arco: Healing-Magick(critical condition), Undo/abort magick spells that gone wrong.

Peach: Gay male love magick.

Peppermint: Memorization (students/lawyers), quell arguments, spats among friends/lovers/coworkers.

Plum: Healing magick(over-come blockages).

Pomegranate: Healing-Magick(blood and feminine ailments), Increase fertility, prosperity, empowers women.

R

Rose: Red(Erotic Love), Pink(romantic love), White(pure platonic love between friends/family/self-love), Yellow(love of life).

T

Tobacco: Communing with the Divine, empowers men.

V

Vanilla: Lust-Magick(foreplay, oral, fetishes).

W

Wine: Divination, development of psychic abilities.

Y

Yerba Mate: Protection-Magick(standing ground), mental clarity, self-confidence.

[punkshort]

Thank you to everyone who participated in my writing challenge and reblogged/liked/commented on any of the works listed below!

➤ I will keep updating this list as more entries post

Joel Miller:

• Vacay Lover - Yacht Captain AU - @josephquinnswhore

• Come Fly with Me - Pilot AU - @punkshort

• Physical Therapy - Lifeguard AU - @eff4freddie

• Mr. Bakery Man - Baker AU - @honeyedmiller

Javier Peña:

• Orange Peel - Uber Driver AU - @captainredspade

Frankie Morales:

• Love in Hawaii - Tour Guide AU - @natasharomanoffsmotorcycle

• Water Cooler Courting - coworker AU - @crowandmousewritingco

• Hiding Place - best friend AU - @libraryofneith

• Neighborhood Watch - Neighbor AU - @joelalorian

• Poolside - Poolboy AU - @ghotifishreads

• Walking on Sunshine - Dog Walker AU - @sunshinehaze1

Dave York:

• The Prenup - Divorce Lawyer AU - @yxtkiwiyxt

• Lies, Excuses and Bullshit - Ex Boyfriend AU - @bitchesuntitled

• Doctor's Pet - Doctor AU - @evolnoomym

• Don't Move - Bodyguard AU - @almostfoxglove

• Every Breath You Take - Detective AU - @guiltyasdave

Dieter Bravo:

• Dieter's Sky High Brownie Delights - Chef AU - @pedges-world

• Bittersweet Love - Childhood Friend AU - @ozarkthedog

• Golden Girl - husband's best friend AU - @whocaresstillthelouvre

Jack 'Whiskey' Daniels:

• Sing for you Forever - Musician AU - @yopossum

• Forever - Groomsman AU - @morallyinept

• My Kink is Karma - Hitchhiker AU - @clawdeewritesfanfic

dividers by @saradika-graphics

[fanimplaytion]

I wanted to share this here because I high-key love her a lot and want to share her with the world.

This is Evelyn Anderson and she's a billion-dollar lawyer who specializes her skills working with major cooperations and high profile clients, oh, and she's also Dale's ex-wife and Dev's mom. 🧡💛

The only case she lost was their child custody case, and she couldn't see Dev for years until Dale needed her aid for a law-suit. Dale also made her dye her hair red, like his, before they got married in the public eye.

After making millions off of being a lawyer, she started to become an investor and turned "Anderson Law" to "Anderson Intl." I wanna believe that whenever she has to work with Dale post-divorce she insults him in another language.

Their ship name is gonna be Evale and they're the reason I use the orange and yellow hearts 🧡💛

[oshawottarchive]

[Pt 1] [Pt 2] [Pt 3] [Pt 4] [Pt 5] [Pt 6]

More incorrect quotes yippee!

————

Bdubs: Could you guys at least try to see this from my perspective?

Tango: *crouches down*

Etho: *kneels down*

Skizz: *sits on the floor*

Bdubs:

Bdubs: I hate all of you

————

Skizz: What are you getting Etho for the holidays?

Bdubs: I don’t know. It’s kind of hard buying a gift for your partner when they already got everything they could’ve ever wanted when they married you. So I’m not sure yet

Tango: I’m getting Etho a divorce lawyer

————

Impulse: If I punch myself and it hurts, am I weak or strong?

Zedaph: Strong

Tango: Weak

Skizz: An idiot

————

Xisuma: Don’t break someone’s heart, they only have one

Keralis: Break one of their bones instead, they have 206 of them

————

Mumbo: Good morning

Pearl: Good morning

Bdubs: Good morning

Scar: You all sound like robots, try spicing it up a bit

Joel: MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS

————

Skizz: How did you even get in here?

Tango: BigB’s window! Or as I like to call it; “Tango’s door”!

BigB: I’m closing the window

————

Tango: Hey guys, I found a 100 dollar bill!

Tango: *looks around* . . .Should I keep it?

Skizz: Tango, just do the right thing

BigB: And put it in your bag

Skizz: NO—

————

Scar: The first time I saw you, you stole my heart

Grian: But I’m a kleptomaniac, so that doesn’t mean anything

————

Scott: Breaking news, Jimmy has disappointed us yet again

————

Ren: I’m cold

BigB: Here, take my hoodie

*meanwhile*

Pearl: I’m cold

Scott: Well damn, I can’t control the weather, now can I?

————

Martyn: Pearl just said “I have an appetite for destruction” and then reached down and untied my shoe

————

False: Hey do we have any more orange juice?

Joel: *pours the rest of the orange juice into his cup*

Joel: No

————

Joel: I’m not like other girls. I’m way, way worse

————

*at the zoo*

Scar: What are they in for?

Grian: Scar, this isn’t prison

Scar: So they can leave?

Grian: No-

Scar: *points at an armadillo* I bet that one murdered someone

————

Cleo: What the hell kind of tea is this?

Scar: I boiled gatorade

————

Scar: Okay, two person huddle

Grian: You can’t huddle with two people. This is just a hug

————

Etho: Please Xisuma, I don’t speak meme! I don’t know what a “yeet” is!

————

xB: Why do you keep a diary?

Joe: To keep secrets from my computer

————

Xisuma: I am an expert at identifying birds

Joe: Okay, what about those ones over there?

Xisuma: Yup, they’re all birds

————

[elderwisp]

yap session for this week’s story post, gather around friends:

how taryn copes

⊱✿⊰ tessellate was always meant to be a story in which the viewer is following alongside different characters lives and watching how things unfold. while some have a less tumultuous path, others really struggle with being stuck in a cycle. taryn has a tendency to avoid vulnerability and shoulder the weight of difficult emotions/scenarios. there are few characters that i utilize monologues with and i think taryn's personality really embodies that nature because she's known to internalize a bit. (examples: bonk and bonk) however, with that being said, the lack of attentiveness to her emotions is beginning to take a toll as she's unable to let go and truly enjoy an intimate moment with jules.

jules

⊱✿⊰ speaking of the man, jules was initially only supposed to have a small role, the dialogue was incredibly short the first draft but that expansion came from wanting to give the two a bit more chemistry to me wanting to understand the character. fun fact, he's a divorce lawyer and we'll see how that career has almost influenced the way he approaches relationships in the future.

miscellaneous thoughts

⊱✿⊰ with coloring, while i associate taryn with orange, i went with red in this scenario as i found it to be a bit more punchier and sharper to embody her current nature. red is associated with a lot of things like passion but for me, personally, i see red and think pain. taryn's clothing pallet is also going to adjust throughout her arc as initially, she leaned into softer colors whilst in the future, those colors are going to shift into richer colors like navy blue, maroons, dark purples. oo! in the photo with atlas's eyes, i leaned into their associated colors which is blue and orange and i think it made this nice sunset appearance.

there's a lot i enjoyed in this scene as well as the next. sometimes when we lose people, we grapple with some tough feelings of wanting to be the bigger person to being bitter about a situation to ultimately acceptance.

[smok3r7]

One Door Closes & Another One Opens

Joel x OFC!Divorce Lawyer

Explicit, 18+

How Did This Happen?

Main MasterList & Series Masterlist - My AO3

Summary: She’s a divorce attorney and he’s a husband looking for help to save his daughter, and himself, from his gambling addict wife. Renae Russo is a woman who fights for her clients and wins. She’s satisfied with her life and what she does, but she wishes she could have a little more. What happens when Joel Miller becomes her client and an old flame of Renae’s reignites in the same breath?

Chapter Summary: Renae’s life is the same; Wake up, go to court, come home, sleep, repeat. It’s not as bad as it sounds, she thrives in this environment, but maybe something can change that. Then there’s Joel, whose life is the same but not - the routine is the same, but the situation as a whole isn’t.

Word count: 2.9k

Warnings: gambling, alcoholic wife

—

“Your Honor, Ms. Fredrick owns this home and that's all she wants out of this divorce. She’s willing to give Mr. Henry everything else; the two thousand, twenty-two Mercedes, the two sets of leather furniture, and the property on Hess lake - it’s all his. As long as he stops fighting for the home in Austin, which he has no rights to.” Renae stands up from her seat on the right side of the courtroom and sternly glances between the older judge in front of her and the other table, which consists of Mr. Henry and his attorney, Garcia Cole.

Before Judge Nick can ask any questions, Renae is already opening a folder and flipping through pages and pages of documents that Ms. Fredrick has provided. “And here are the mortgage payments for the past eleven years that she and Mr. Henry lived together.” She pulls a stack of papers from the light colored folder and struts up to the judges’ bench.

Her black Louboutin’s click on the tile-like floor, the sound bounces around the empty courtroom, her fiery orange curls bouncing as she walks, “clearly showing she is capable of paying the twelve-hundred dollar mortgage by herself, in full.”

By now, Renae is back at her table with Ms. Fredrick’s, who is noticeably nervous but trying to keep her cool because she knows Renae’s rate - she always wins.

Renae swings her thick hair behind her shoulder and smooths the front of her white silk blouse as she stands between her wood chair and the table, clearing her throat before she starts again. “Ms. Fredrick’s name and bank account are also listed as the Homeowner. Legally, Mr. Henry has no leg to stand on, if he doesn’t want a fight-” she turns to her left, making eye contact with him, “I’d suggest he stops while he’s ahead.”

Almost all eight of the Family court Judges love Renae because she’s thorough and does right by her clients - she never fails them, and she’s a bulldog in the courtroom. But what makes Renae Russo so different from any other attorney is that she doesn’t take cases that she doesn’t think are fair. Not because she’ll lose, however, it’s all based on if she thinks the divorce is a necessity. If the wife, or the husband, is getting abused or taken advantage of in the marriage - either literally or figuratively - Renae will gladly help them get out of that situation, and come out with more than they started with, only if they wish.

“Well, I’d have to agree with Ms. Russo here. Unless Mr. Cole can show me bank statements from Mr. Henry that shows consistent payments with no issues, such as any other properties or vehicles.” Judge Nick raises his face from the documents Renae handed him, to look at Mr. Garcia and Mr. Henry, “Otherwise, the home will stay in Ms. Frederick’s name and you’ll receive all other assets.”

Renae has now sat back down, her right leg moving to fold over her left, her black pencil skirt making it a bit of a task, and her medium length, French tip acrylics rest on her thighs as she waits for their answer. She knows they don’t have any rebuttal, so she mentally crosses this case off of her list of many things she needs to do today.

—

The loud noise of the back slider opening and sliding closed, and her drunken laughter, that she says she tries to contain, alerts Joel. He routinely stands up from his brown leather recliner and storms out of the living room, around the dining room corner which leads to a hallway that curves right and turns into a mud room - where she is, fallen on the floor, giggling to herself as she stares back at Joel who towers over.

It’s seven in the morning on a Wednesday and she left at five-thirty PM yesterday. Last night was poker night, her absolute favorite game.

Who is she, exactly?

She is Joel’s wife of twenty years and the mother of their ten year old daughter, Sarah - Annie Miller. The once beautiful and successful business woman and owner of her own beauty shop is now a full blown gambler and alcoholic, and Joel isn’t quite sure how she ended up like this.

The Annie that Joel fell in love with twenty years ago, looks nothing like the Annie that he now just lives with and takes care of. She was a tall lean woman, with beautiful toned blond hair that went down her back, these robin egg blue colored foxy eyes, her eyebrows were thin but sharp, and her lips were Joel's favorite feature because of their light pink tone and plumpness.

But now she looks like a different woman; she’s nothing but bones - besides her beer gut, that makes her look pregnant - her eyes have sunken in and have major circles around them, and she’s lost all color in her face and lips that he loved. But she acts like she looks like her old self, because she still dresses the same with her business casual style and tries to do her makeup and hair the same - but, it just doesn’t work anymore.

The only thing he can narrow down to her downfall, was his and Annie’s sixteenth wedding anniversary and they went to the casino for the first time since they had Sarah. Joel and Annie had an amazing weekend, full of love and laughter - some of Joel’s favorite memories are from that trip. But a couple months later Joel started to notice her behavior change.

Annie would start going out without Joel, her excuse would always be the same, I’m just goin’ out with a couple girlfriends, babe. And at first, Joel was blind to it mainly because he believed she was going out to the bar or somewhere with her friends. Why would he think otherwise? He’s never had to worry about it before and he got to spend more time with Sarah - which felt great because he worked so much and didn’t get much time with her, other than dinner and doing their nightly walk around the block.

However, after that became the norm over the next month and the next month, slowly turning into the next year, Joel started to feel like he was doing everything. Thankfully Sarah started first grade that fall, so with her at school seven hours a day, it allowed him to work with Tommy, his younger brother. They would do carpeting and some other construction for side jobs so Joel could get some extra money in his pocket because all of a sudden, Annie was asking him for money all the time.

She chalked it up to being, the shop wasn’t doing well and tips weren’t coming in like they used to. Again, Joel blindly believed her and he was understanding, told her he would pick up some extra shifts on the weekends to make up for her loss. But, unbeknownst to him at the time, Annie wasn’t working anymore and her business had shut down due to not paying the rent or property taxes for close to a year. So with all her free time, she was actually going to the casino, alone, with Joel’s money.

After another year of no change, besides Annie’s behavior and appearance, Joel finally said something to her. He told her she needed to get help or he was going to leave her - but ultimately, he couldn’t do it. She continued going out every night, with no explanation, but Joel let it slide because he didn’t want a broken household for Sarah, believing she deserves to have a two parent home.

Joel is now starting to regret that decision, because he knows that Sarah would be so much better off without Annie in her life. Or, at least not live together.

Annie doesn’t make it easy for Joel, she’s gone five nights out of the week, for hours and then comes home early the next morning for Joel to take care of her and get her to bed before Sarah gets up for the day. Then the two days she’s home, she sleeps, all day, and she needs Joel to take care of her and tend to her every need. Joel is pretty much a single parent of two kids, the second child being his wife.

“Hi baby,” she drunkenly slurs in a high pitched tone, “I’m trying to be- I hope I was quiet.” She raises her pointer finger with her signature cherry red acrylics, up to her mouth and then whispers, shhhh.

“Get up,” he demands deep and low, as he stands only a couple feet away from her, his arms folded on his chest, he can feel his heart pound against his arms. He wants to scream at her for coming home this late, or early, for being an absolute mess and reckless - but he doesn’t, because he knows he wouldn’t be able to control himself, he’s not sure from what, but it’s enough for him to be cautious.

Annie gives him her classic pouty lip. I’m sorry, darling, she apologizes, but it doesn’t last long. She shifts from remorseful to joking instantly. She starts her giggle-fest to herself as she tries to stand on her feet, ultimately failing and falling back on her ass - slamming her back into the glass door, causing the smack to blare through the whole house.

“Oop- clumsy me!” She laughs to herself, giving up on trying to move by herself, “Help me, baby.” She whines and raises her arms over her head, much like a child waiting to be picked up - the image reminds Joel of Sarah as a toddler, but it’s quickly gone when Annie turns to her right and starts puking on the rug.

Fuckin-A, Joel rolls his eyes and grabs a towel that’s folded in the closet to his left, and waits for her to finish - he has no remorse for her anymore, physically and emotionally Joel is drained from this gruesome cycle. His presentation of himself has also declined; his oak colored hair now has gray streaks and is way too long, it just looks like a mess, his build has thinned out a bit but not much since he’s still working, and his face is always in a scowl, unless it’s with Sarah but people can tell that Joel is not himself.

“Can you stand up?” Joel asks as he sets the towel on top of her mess, to take care of later, “Cause Sarah’s gonna be up any minute ‘n I don’t want her to see this. Don’t think you do either.”

Annie wipes her mouth with the sleeve of her gray sweater, a faint smile still on her face - Joel wants nothing more than to take it right off, but he doesn’t. All he does, while she’s giggling and talking nonsense the whole time, is throw her thin, lanky body over his shoulder so he can take her upstairs with no issues. And all she does is laugh.

The whole time he does this, all he can think about is Sarah and he prays that she doesn’t see this. He hates that Annie won’t get right for Sarah, if it were him, he’d go and get help immediately…however, it’s not Joel, so he can’t dwell on that.

Then like that, his worst nightmare became reality.

“Dad?”

The tired little voice questions behind Joel, just before he reaches the bedroom him and Annie once shared. Fuck, he can’t help but freeze, his mind rushes a mile per minute to think of something but he also knows Sarah is very smart for her age. It’s been four years of chaos, so she’s gotta have some kind of idea of what’s going on.

“Go to your room baby girl, I’ll be there in a minute.” It’s short and sweet, enough for him to get a hold of the situation, but also not scare her. Her yawn calms him down, but what really does it is when he hears her bedroom door shut - he’s able to breathe a little more.

—

The pitter-patter of small paws on hardwood hit Renae’s ears as she unlocks her front door to her apartment. “Hiii Frankie,” she sings as she locks her door. The small golden retriever, no older than a year old, runs up to her with his tail wagging happily and his ears flopping around, and he barks once for Renae to pick him up.

Okay, okay, one second, she laughs while she walks over to her kitchen where she slides her large purse off her shoulder and sets it on top of the granite island. “C’mere baby boy!” She sings as she squats down to pick the handheld size puppy up into her arms, the dog starts to lick her hands and neck before she tells him to stop.

“Were you good for Ms. Pam today?” Renae questions before she stands up and walks out of the kitchen, heading down the singular hallway that leads to her bedroom. Pam is Renae’s dog walker, she comes three days out of the week to help relieve some stress of a new puppy for Renae. The apartment fills with the sound of her heels as she walks to go start her night.

When she gets to her room, pushes the door open with her hip and she’s met with the smell of fresh pine, her favorite scent - plug-in air fresheners and candles are her babies, she can’t live without them.

“Lay right here baby, I’ll be back.” She sets Frankie down in the middle of her king size bed and he sinks into the puffy gray comforter, curling into a tiny ball just floppy ears and bug eyes. Renae then slides her heels off, right one first then her left, then glides over to her walk-in closet, sliding the door open and entering to set her black, red bottoms with her couple dozen other heels she owns.

Turning around, she grabs a large graphic T-shirt with Mario and Luigi on it along with sleep shorts and ankle socks off the middle shelf on her wall. Her nightly routine has become Renae’s life for the past seven years and she’s content with it because she doesn’t have to worry about anyone else, well Frankie now. But that’s only because she’s been starting to feel lonely, all her friends and girlfriends are married, or getting married and have kids - Renae has never given a man a chance for anything more than a boyfriend that she has for a year or two.

It’s not that she can’t hold on to them, she just gets tired of the neediness that men have. She doesn’t want to have to take care of a man who should be fully capable of doing it themselves. Her mom instilled this work ethic into her since she was a kid, Renae always conjured up some idea to make money; Lemonade stands, cleaning pools, mowing lawns, and really anything in between.

So for a man, who’s supposed to be her partner, to come into her life and expect her to do everything for him, she can’t deal with it - she’d end up killing him, no joke.

After her shower and making herself dinner, then cleaning up afterwards, Renae went back to her bedroom for the night. Frankie curls up on her stomach, her acrylics scratch softly through his soft fur as she watches The Hunger Games, a movie she’s seen hundreds of times but she didn’t mind. It’s more for background noise so she can fall asleep, there’s just something about living alone as a woman that when it’s silent, it’s hard to sleep.

But hopefully she can get some sleep to the sound of Haymitch explaining the violent games to Katniss and Peeta, so she’s ready for tomorrow. She couldn’t be more excited, her younger sister, by two years, Gia is coming into town with her eight year old daughter Bianca for the long weekend. Bianca is a mini-Renae, she’s got fire in her that everyone knows resembles her and Gia says she absolutely loves it because she misses her sister since she moved to New York almost ten years ago.

However, whenever Gia comes back to Austin, Renae can’t help but get a little jealous at the life her sister has. Gia has the dream life; Gorgeous brownstone, solid career as a VP at a plumbing company, husband of nine years and he absolutely adores her and Bianca whole heartedly - the man would find a way to walk on water for them. And all by the age of twenty-nine, it’s incredibly impressive.

How did the youngest sister get the life that the oldest dreamt of?

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

The hand that feeds is the hand that's loved

Chapter 4: Curry not

Astarion's an aspiring lawyer, who's running from his past and suffers from a long list of food allergies. Gale's a former culinary prodigy, who's going through a nasty divorce and suffers from cooking fatigue. They meet in the snack aisle.

Trigger Waring (18+): Alternate Universe: Modern Setting, No Magic, No Vampire, No Wizard, Lawyer Astarion, Cook Gale, Astarion Has Food Allergies, Gale Is Depressed, Astarion Everything Is A Transaction Ancunin, Unnecessary Cooking And Food Details, This Is Basically A Culinary Show, Author Constantly Thinks About Food, Food As A Love Language, POV Astarion, Emotional Rollercoaster, Feelings, Overthinking, PTSD, Dissociation, Past Domestic Abuse, Past Non-Con/Rape, Unhealthy Coping Mechanism, Blow Job/Fellatio

Read on AO3

With a huff, Astarion banged open the door of his apartment, kicked off his shoes, and manoeuvred the shopping bags into the kitchen. He hated to go grocery shopping in the evenings. There were always too many people in the supermarket. Sighing deeply, Astarion sat everything down on the counter. It was time to meal prep.

Since he suffered from so many food allergies and food sensitivities, it was literally impossible to eat out or order in. He had to make every single meal he ate himself, or otherwise, he'd spent the next seventy-two hours in agony. Switching between curling up in bed in the foetus position, and hunching over the toilet, ejecting his entire stomach content one way or another. And all that while running a fever, breaking out in cold sweat, trembling like a leaf, and gripped by stomach cramps. Yeah, no thank you. He had had enough of that during his childhood and teen years. Never again.

Astarion took out his phone and logged into the GobblingGoblin online store to place his usual order of items he couldn't buy at GlutMart: dried wakame seaweed, toasted (with olive oil instead of sesame oil) nori seaweed snacks, vegan chocolate bars with cherries, dried porcini mushrooms, orange-flavoured rooibos iced tea sweetened with agave syrup, and gluten-free, vegan saltine crackers. He winced at the price, but nonetheless paid via PayMate. With that out of the way, Astarion started meal prepping. He washed, halfway peeled, and sliced the fresh cucumbers. He filled them into five glass containers with airtight lids, of which each one could fit exactly one sliced cucumber and a small jar of salad dressing. Astarion whipped up the latter in a bigger bowl, mixing together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper, before dividing it into the five small jars. He sprinkled some frozen, pre-chopped chives and caraway seeds over the cucumber slices before adding the little sauce jars on top and snapping the lids shut. Astarion placed his weekly ration of salad in the fridge. He cooked a fresh batch of white rice to store for later use as well. Meanwhile, he prepared his dinner with the last bit of what was left over from the last portion. In a microwave-safe serving bowl, he created a soup base with vegetable bouillon powder, pepper, and some boiling water from the electric kettle. Then, he added some dried wakame seaweed and the leftover rice, mixing it all thoroughly before topping everything off with some more boiling water. Dinner was served. With a sigh, Astarion slumped onto a chair at the kitchen table and started eating. He didn't cook to woo and wow people with fancy creations. He cooked to survive, using his scarce ingredient options to make meals that were tasty enough to eat every day without triggering his gag reflex when smelling them. He and Gale were not the same. Unenthusiastically, Astarion supped the too-familiar soup and was grateful as it warmed his body from the inside out. When he'd finished it, he hunted down the second-to-last chocolate bar in his pantry and munched it while his mind drifted off, once again occupying itself with thoughts about Gale. Groaning, Astarion ran a hand down his face. He had kissed him in the park and agreed to a goddamn date! Falling for a client was an absolute no-go, especially when their case wasn't closed yet. Thankfully, he'd been professional on Monday during their meeting and had shook Gale's hand instead of kissed him again.

"Get your shit together, Ancunín," Astarion scolded himself. The last thing he needed was getting into trouble because his dick did the thinking instead of his head. As if to taunt him, his phone vibrated to notify him of a message from his favourite client.

Gale Dekarios: Good evening, Mister Ancunín, I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I have a couple of questions. Do you like chocolate? Can you eat freeze-dried cherries and berries? Do you also have a negative reaction to pickled onions? Can you eat garlic if it's cook for over an hour? I'm looking forward to hear from you :) Sincerely, Gale

For a moment, the lawyer stared at the message as if it could bite him. What the hell were these questions? He finally unfroze from his paralysis and typed out a reply.

Astarion Ancunín: Hello, Mister Dekarios. Yes, I like chocolate. I can eat freeze-dried cherries and berries. I don't know about the onion and garlic thing because I've never tried it before. Also, no one ever cooked garlic for so long, just the normal amount of time? I don't know how to answer that question. Why do you want to know anyway? Are you thinking about me while you're cooking? ;) Have a nice evening.

Stop flirting, you idiot! Astarion cringed inwardly about his own stupidity. Thankfully, his phone vibrated before he started spiralling.

Gale Dekarios: Okay, great! Thank you for answering so quickly. I'm doing some experimenting in the kitchen, so, yes, I'm thinking about you while I'm cooking. :)

Astarion Ancunín: Sounds fun, but please don't treat me like a lab rat, and don't serve me some fancy shit either. What about that Halruaan rice you promised me?

Gale Dekarios: Worry not! I always keep my promises. I just got inspired and started to think about tweaking certain recipes to fit your needs. For example, my mother's infamous chicken soup. I also got a few other ideas and theories. If you'd humour me, I'd be very curious how your body will react. Nothing dangerous, of course. I don't want you to get sick. Just rather harmless chemistry experiments.

Astarion Ancunín: Like what? Using laughing gas to force-feed me with your creations?

Gale Dekarios: Good heavens, no! D: I'd never do anything without your consent! Plus, I'll write down every single ingredient that I'll use to create our dinner. Nitrous oxide is commonly used in whipped cream canisters and cooking sprays though.

Astarion Ancunín: I was merely joking, darling, stop clutching your pearls. Also, I know about whippets. They're a rather popular party drug in the Lower City.

Gale Dekarios: God... The only thing I'm addicted to is my work.

Astarion Ancunín: I'd drink to that if I could. To us workaholics!

Gale Dekarios: Touché!

The house looked odd. Astarion double-checked the address, but he seemed to be at the right place. The grey stone building had a square, raised ground floor and first upper floor. The other three floor were a literal, round tower with a conical roof.

Since moving to Waterdeep three years ago, Astarion had never seen this building before – granted, he usually didn't hang around in the Dock Ward neighbourhood. The chilly wind tousled his silver curls, the smell of saltwater, fish, and algae were in the air. Seagulls screamed and fought over a few soggy French fries in a puddle. Astarion flinched when a cargo ship honked somewhere behind him, and he hurriedly rang the doorbell. When Gale opened the door and greeted him, Astarion couldn't help but ogle him. The cook was dressed in a dark purple polo shirt and dark blue jeans. He wore his brown hair in a half-updo and his beard neatly trimmed. As Gale showed Astarion around, the light caught a dangling, silver earring. A star with small amethyst gemstones. The man was stunning, and Astarion couldn't look away.

"So, how does one acquire a tower?" the latter wanted to know. "I didn't expect such an eccentric, humble home for a famed star chef like you."

"Oh, really? What did you expect?"

"Something sleek and modern. Boring and sterile, with loads of chrome. Like a restaurant kitchen."

Gale laughed amused and replied: "Not my style at all, but to be fair, it's exactly what my wife likes. You pretty much described the apartment I shared with her."

"Ugh, sounds dreadful," Astarion retorted. To his surprise, Gale agreed.

"It was. I never felt at home there – which might explains why I only went there to sleep and nothing else really. I poured myself into work instead. But enough of that."

He led Astarion towards the table in the living room and pulled the chair out for him. Astarion sat down and accepted the offered glass of water with a smile. He watched as Gale hurried to the kitchen to plate the first course of their dinner and served it, before sitting down. Astarion inspected the salad in front of him.

"A multiple-course meal? Oh, my! What did I do to deserve this?" he joked, and Gale smiled bashfully.

"I... I suppose I'm trying to impress you, Mister Ancunín. You're a rather fascinating specimen."

"Charmer," chuckled Astarion. "And let's drop the honorific form of address. This is a date, after all." Blushing a tad, Gale nodded. How adorable. "Tell me about your grandiose dinner plan, and how and what you came up with."

Unsurprisingly, the addressed's face lit up and he started rambling happily.

"Well, as you can tell, we start off with a beetroot salad. After cooking them, I diced and tossed them in a balsamic vinaigrette. The addition of caraway seeds gives it a distinctive flair that reminds me of the national dish of the North: borscht. For an extra kick of freshness, I added a few filleted orange slices as decoration. That pleases the eye, the tastebuds, and the health. Bon appétit!"

"Bon appétit," smirked Astarion and took the first bite. The earthy flavour of the beetroots harmonised well with the caraway seeds and the citrus flavour. "It's lovely."

"Yes, but nothing special, I'm afraid," Gale retorted, completely ignoring the praise. "Salads are one of the most versatile dishes, but if you can't use any raw vegetables, it's much more challenging to make it colourful and interesting."

"You could have gone for the safe option: cucumber salad. It's the only veggie I can eat raw without any issues," Astarion remarked "But you didn't. You wanted to surprise me with something different, and that's rather thoughtful."

"Yes. Well." Gale cleared his throat awkwardly. "I cannot resist a challenge when one arises. A constant folly of mine, I'm afraid."

"I don't mind. It's a charming folly."

Astarion watched amused as Gale turned the same colour as their salads, and quickly finished the first course. The brunet carried the plates back to the kitchen and returned with the promised Halruaan rice. The smell alone had Astarion salivating.

"Voilà, the famed Eastern dish, as promised!"

"Honestly, I've been waiting for this all week," admitted Astarion. "I even fantasised about the rice in my sleep."

"Well, then I'm glad I can satisfy this urge," Gale told him, before they dug in. The long grain rice was fluffy and firm to the bite. The mild yellow curry was elevated by sweet bits of raisins and dates. On the side, Gale had served a juicy chicken breast, marinated with the same yellow curry mixture and a drizzle of honey, and had garnished it with a fresh sprig of rosemary. Holy shit, it was delicious. Astarion couldn't help but moan at the taste, making Gale blush once more in the process.

"I apologise for ever doubting you. You really are a culinary wizard!"

Gale huffed a laugh, sounding relieved.

"I'm glad you like it, Astarion."

They lapsed into comfortable silence while they ate, until Gale spoke up again.

"I haven't actually answered your question from earlier. About the tower?" Astarion hummed encouragingly, shovelling another forkful of addictive rice into his mouth. "Originally, it served as a harbour tower since the middle ages, but has lost its importance one hundred and fifty years ago."

"And then it was just offered for sale?" Astarion asked in disbelief. "Not turned into a museum, or something? This city's so obsessed with its history otherwise."

"Ahem, well..." Gale grinned sheepishly. "Both sides of my family are deeply rooted in Waterdeep, and my maternal ancestors weren't cooks but fishers."

Astarion's eyes widened in realisation.

"No... Don't tell me that..."

"Guilty as charged, I'm afraid," giggled Gale. "This tower belongs to the Aumar family since the thirteenth century. My great-grandfather was the last harbour tower guard before the industrialisation, and since the tower lost its use and value, my family was able to keep it. My grandparents lived here, and after their death, the property went to Elminster." Gale had a fond look on his face as he smiled. He was beautiful, Astarion thought once more. "I've made a lot of good memories in here. After... after the scandal, Elminster encouraged me to move in long-term." He sighed as a shadow past his face. "You know, even before all of that, we had marital problems. Occasionally, Mystra got so mad at me that she changed the locks of the apartment and refused to let me in. During these times, Elminster allowed me to hunker down in here. The tower was empty anyway, so he told me to make myself comfortable and make it my own. I never had a say in the apartment’s furnishing and decor. Mystra hated how our tastes clash. Well..." Gale shrugged, smiling apologetically. "It's not my fault I like my home to be cosy."

He seemed so tired all of a sudden. So much older than thirty-five. Astarion suppressed the urge to stand up, walk over, and stroke the other man's hair. Instead, he remarked: "Well, darling, in my opinion, your home's nice and cosy, and I like it a lot. It feels warm and safe."

"Not cluttered?" Gale asked, the corners of his mouth ticking up.

"I think that's part of the charm, darling," teased the addressed, and they laughed about it.

After polishing off his plate, Astarion couldn't resist when Gale offered him seconds. When he was done with it, the cook prepared the dessert in the kitchen. It gave Astarion time to thoroughly look around and find out more about the other man. The plentiful, overflowing bookshelves gave away Gale's love for reading, the many pots everywhere proved his green thumb, and the old-fashioned furniture made of dark wood and velvet revealed Gale's taste. Astarion's head snapped back to attention when the brunet walked in, carrying a serving tray. Maybe he could continue his snooping later on.

"Ta-da! Tiramisu and a Myratma Fog!"

"Gale..."

"Listen, I know what you're thinking, and I'm aware it looks like the real deal, but it's not, I promise! I brew organic lavender from the Purple Hills region and steamed almond milk, which I've sweetened with vanilla sugar before. I gently stirred it all together, placed some almond milk macrofoam on top, and garnished it with a sprinkle of dried lavender flowers. It's safe for you to drink, I swear it on the lives of all my ancestors."

"What about the tiramisu?" Astarion asked quietly. "That's biscuits, coffee, mascarpone, and egg. I'm not an idiot, Gale."

"I know, yes, but I - I changed the recipe! I bought vegan mascarpone, and it consists of coconut cream, rape seed oil, and guar gum flour. I double-checked the ingredient list, I swear!" Gale was stumbling over his words in the haste to explain himself. "I used gluten-free, vegan ladyfingers and soaked them in Amaretto and chicory coffee substitute. I left out the eggs and simply fluffed up the vegan mascarpone with sugar, and orange and lemon zest. I topped it off with a light dusting of a cocoa and powdered sugar mixture."

Despite Gale's words, Astarion stared and poked at the dessert as if it could jump off the plate and bite him. Gale sat down with a heavy sigh.

"It's safe to eat, I promise. I'm not trying to hurt you and make you ill. Quite the contrary, actually." A faint blush spread across his cheeks as he nervously rubbed his nose. "I believe more chefs should cater to people with food allergies. It was rather challenging to hunt down all the ingredients I needed, and if food companies and cooks would focus more on that problem, new products would be invented, the variety would increase, and the prices would be less exorbitant."

"That's exactly why I try to stay away from products that are specifically labelled as allergen-free," Astarion ranted. "All those breads, cookies, and snacks are at least twice as expensive as the 'normal' products, and, as the cherry on top, usually, they taste like shit!"

Gale laughed, good-naturedly.

"I think you're onto something."

"Naturally," quipped Astarion, winking.

They lapsed into a pleasant silence. It was never fully quiet in Gale's tower though. The grandfather clock was ticking slowly, the fridge hummed in the background, the fireplace – which apparently was the building's heating system – crackled, and outside the windows screeched a colony of seagulls.

Finally, Astarion cut off a piece of the tiramisu with the spoon and, with a pounding heart, put it in his mouth. ... Fuck. He closed his eyes as long-forgotten but still familiar flavours exploded over his tongue, and his tastebuds sang their praise. Despite being a coffee substitute, the chicory offered the typical roasted flavour and harmonised perfectly with the nuttiness of the almond liqueur. The vegan mascarpone had a thicker, less fluffy texture than the real stuff, but still provided the required creaminess. The zests gave it a fresh kick, which would cut through the heaviness of the dairy, but in this case, they served to enhance the taste of the vegan mascarpone. The bittersweetness of the cocoa/sugar powder brought it all together. It obviously didn't taste like 'real' tiramisu, but it was easily the best dessert Astarion had ever had since he'd cut out all the allergens. Fuck. He swallowed another bite.

"Is it to your liking?" Gale wanted to know, sounding anxious for some damn reason. Was he actually nervous? He? The culinary prodigy, who could do magic in the kitchen? Astarion opened his eyes, horrified to feel the sting of tears in them.

"Gale... this is the best thing I've eaten in fifteen years. Not just the tiramisu but the entire dinner. I... I don't know what to say." Astarion barked a laugh, furiously blinking away the unshed tears. "There are no words that could describe my gratitude, so, I'll make it simple. Thank you, Gale. This is a gift, you know, and I'll never forget it."

The addressed beamed at him, replying: "Anything for you, Astarion."

After finishing their dessert, Astarion followed Gale into the kitchen. He knew what naturally came next. They were on a date, after all. Usually, Astarion made sure to keep some room in his stomach, but he'd had no self-control tonight. Gale's cooking was too delicious to deny. So, there was no way he could be fucked without the risk of puking. A blowjob then. Yes, he could do that. Astarion observed Gale, who was yapping about the little experiments he wanted to involve the lawyer with. The latter hadn't really been listening, too distracted by the thoughts of repaying the cook for his generosity. When Gale was drying his hands on a kitchen towel, Astarion took it as his cue. He moved closer, trapping the other man against the kitchen counter.

"You know," he purred, "no one has ever cooked for me specifically before. What I like or what I can eat never mattered. I just had to make do with what was given to me. So... thank you, Gale. For everything."

He leaned in for a kiss, sighing when their lips met. Gale's were soft, plush, and warm, and the cook brought his hands up to cradle Astarion's face between them. The lawyer liked it. He gently sucked on Gale's lower lip, and when the brunet gasped, Astarion slipped his tongue into the other's mouth, making him moan. It felt so good. Kissing Gale was a revelation. Astarion liked everything about him: his personality, his looks, his scent, his taste. Gale was the first person in years, who didn't put Astarion off. With a happy, little sigh, the brunet drew back to gasp for breath.

"Astarion," he whispered, reverently. The addressed felt a pleasant shiver running up his spine. Kissing Gale felt great, but he knew that was not enough for payment, and he wasn't sure if he'd enjoy the next part of it.

"You took care of me, now, let me take care of you in return, darling," he purred and unzipped Gale's jeans. The latter's breath hitched, his eyes widened. Oh, he was totally into this. Of course he was. Astarion was beautiful, and they both knew it. The lawyer went down on his knees, pulling Gale's trousers and underwear down. The half-hard cock sprang free, uncut, and nestled in a neatly trimmed bush. At least, he wasn't gross. A small mercy. Astarion licked his lips. He could do this. He'd done it countless times before. This was Gale, not a random stranger, and he would be gentle. Wouldn't choke him on his dick until he gagged and threw up. This was Gale, with his soft eyes and warm hands. He wouldn't pull his hair and push him down. Wouldn't call him derogatory terms while fucking his throat raw. Astarion took a deep breath to calm himself and glanced up to see a look of awe and adoration on the other man's flushed face. Gale wouldn't hurt him. Determined, Astarion took him in his mouth, deliberately slowly, running his tongue along the underside of Gale's dick. It wasn't so girthy that it caused lock-jaw, and it smelled clean and faintly of lavender. Gale's dick was perfect – and so were the noises he made. Little hitches of breath and high-pitched whimpers. Delicious. His surprisingly dextrous fingers were in Astarion's curls, not griping or pushing, but lightly massaging his scalp, which was rather pleasant. Astarion focused on sucking the cock in his mouth, he was a professional after all. He drew back to lick the tip, tasting the pearly precum. It wasn't too bad. With closed eyes, he sunk down again, twirling his tongue, while his hand stroke the base. He had an intense fear of deepthroating ever since that one very specific incident when –

"Astarion... I'm close. Please..."

Ah, alright then. The addressed hummed in understanding and kept going. Gale's panting sounded loud and harsh in the otherwise quiet room.

"Astarion."

There was a sob and a hitched breath, and then, Gale was coming. Astarion swallowed it all down dutifully – too afraid of the punishment if he wouldn't – and was surprised that it didn't even taste too bad. Other than HIM, Gale didn't drink coffee nor alcohol, nor did he smoke, so, maybe, that explained the difference in taste. With a gasp, Astarion popped off the softening dick, slightly dazed. The gentle fingers in his hair wandered down to his cheek to tilt his head up.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, Astarion. I didn't mean to - to - But you didn't stop."

"What's the problem, darling? Didn't it feel good to come in my mouth? Isn't it what you wanted?"

The lawyer's voice was raspy and his speech slightly slurred as he peered up through his long, black lashes.

"W-well..." stammered Gale, turning crimson. "It – It felt good."

Astarion hummed in acknowledgement. Of course, it felt good. He'd been praised for his skills often enough. He knew he was a talented cocksucker.

"Was it... good for you too?"

Okay, that was new. Astarion blinked a couple of times, dumbstruck, and found his way back into his body.

"Of course, darling," he lied, coquettishly. – Was it a lie? Astarion suddenly wasn't sure anymore.

"Oh." Gale let go of the breath he'd been holding. "What a relief. I have no intention of making you uncomfortable, or getting you into a sticky situation."

"Sticky, eh?" Astarion smirked, his brain fully online again, as he stood up with feline grace. "It's fine, darling. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself so thoroughly."

To his utter surprise, Gale placed a gentle, chaste kiss on his lips despite the fact that he'd just sucked his dick and reeked of it.

"I'll gladly return the favour," the cook told him, still flushed. "I - I can do that for you, if you wish."

"That's not necessary," Astarion replied quickly. "The pleasure was all mine, and it's getting late."

"But..." Gale frowned. "It would be rather ungentlemanly of me not to –"

"You can be a gentleman next time," Astarion interrupted him smoothly. Gale kept frowning, but thankfully didn't object. Astarion was relieved when the brunet turned around and started stacking food containers with leftovers into a cooling bag, together with his experiments.

"Here you go," Gale smiled. "Again, you don't have to indulge my curiosity if you fear it'll be unsafe for you, but I'm curious about the results nonetheless."

"I'll see what I can do," replied Astarion smoothly.

"Spoken like a true lawyer," teased the cook.

"I am a true lawyer."

Laughing, they moved towards the front door, and Astarion took the cooling bag from Gale, before pecking him on the cheek and stepping outside.

"Thank you, Gale. I had a lovely time," smiled Astarion. He meant it. The addressed smiled back.

"Me too. Goodnight, Astarion. Be safe."

With a curt nod, the lawyer turned around.

As he walked along the wharf beneath the yellow light of the streetlamps and lulled by the sound of the gently swaying sea, he could still taste Gale on his tongue. For the first time in forever, the lingering cum didn't make him want to retch. How peculiar.

[pleasantspark]

ENTIRETY OF THE COLD Family!

Gen One: Chilled Cold - Orange Coola Cold [Not Pictured] - MIA, Divorced Chilled, doesn't want anything to do with him.

Gen Two: King Cold - Black, Mafia Boss. Frigid Cold - Pink Hair, Stay at home wife but is badass.

Gen Three: Cooler Cold - Light Purple Hair, Popstar Frieza Cold - Dark Purple Hair, Mafia Boss Icia Cold - Pink Hair, Mafia Boss's Dumb Daughter, Twin of Frieza Frostbyte Cold - Purple Hair, Works for the Police and is a Lawyer, Doublecrossing them to help her husband

Gen Four: Kuriza Cold - Red Hair, Elite at the private school his parents went to as kids

[gravityskittles]

Wherever We Go AU

Chapter 15: Just One Spark

Mabel blinked slowly. She felt strange, caught somehow in a place between being awake and asleep. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes, wondering what time it was. As the pale pink ceiling swam into focus above her, she sat bolt upright.

Around her was her bedroom from back in Piedmont. Exactly as she remembered it. The rational part of her realized this was probably a dream, but another part of her, the part that knew magic was real, quietly hoped that it wasn’t. 

The sunlight streamed in through her sheer purple curtains. It painted strokes across the floor, filling the room with the hazy orange light of late summer afternoons. She could hear the buzzing click of cicadas outside the window, their calls rising and falling alongside the gentle rustle of leaves. Everything in the room was how she remembered it. Everything was exactly how it was the summer before things got bad.

There was a basket of yarn in one corner, and a couple of her first attempts at sweaters lying crumpled on the floor next to it. She hadn’t really started knitting until later that fall, when she had still believed that there was a way to make everything all right again if she used enough yarn and glitter and smiles.

Crowded on the wall around her mirror were photos of her with friends from school. Framed on her desk was a photo of her and Dipper from just a few weeks before, his hair newly cut, her braces newly attached. For the first time in a photo together as un-identical twins.  She remembered her mom telling her it was silly for them to take a photo right then. Mabel had been in so much pain from the braces and Dipper’s hair had still been messy and wet from the shower, but she had insisted, and so, with a sigh, their mom had made them stand against the wall in the kitchen and taken the picture.

A slight breeze sent the suncatcher hanging in her window spinning, causing tiny rainbows to scatter and bounce across the room.

She wanted this moment back so badly it made her chest burn with something she couldn’t find the words for.

She wanted this room and this house and the way that this summer had stretched on forever in a pleasant hum of sunlight and trampolines and family trips to the beach. She wanted the freedom of bike rides and skinned knees. She wanted the constant smell of sunscreen and the ever-present stickiness of a recent popsicle.

She knew how the story went from here. She remembered the screaming matches and the slamming doors and the way their dad stopped speaking to Dipper sometime after Christmas. She remembered finding the business card for a divorce lawyer on the kitchen counter and how her parents began to trade off having dinner with them to avoid each other. She remembered empty beer cans overflowing the recycling bin and the way that she and Dipper had become so invisible in their own home that their mom forgot to pick them up on the last day of school.

She knew that this perfect moment was only a memory. But sitting here in the dusty sunlight, seeing her own childhood piled up around her, she missed it so much that it felt like she couldn’t breathe.

She picked up the photo of her and Dipper and stared at it, sinking down onto her desk chair, letting herself melt into the warmth of sunlight and memories. It wasn’t that she wanted to stay here forever exactly, she just. Didn’t want to let go yet.

Then the sunlight was too hot. Becoming hotter by the second until it was burning her and she scrambled up with a shout of pain, spinning to look at the window. Flames erupted along the walls, hungrily devouring the purple butterfly curtains and the photographs, filling the room with the acrid smell of smoke. She stumbled backward, still clutching the photo, and jolted awake in the backseat of her car.

She shoved the door open on reflex and tumbled out onto the ground, gasping in breaths of air that still tasted faintly of smoke.

The words from the vision she had seen in Lucian’s staff echoed in her ears alongside the roaring crackle of flames. 

One half of a whole

Trapped within a Crossroads

Flames will rise

Blood will separate

Follow the stars

Remember the World you Want

From behind her, Dipper popped his head up out of the blankets, squinting at her sleepily.

“You okay Mabel?”

She forced her breathing to slow, trying to ignore the smoke that she could still feel gathered thickly in the back of her throat.

“Yeah, yeah sorry. Just a bad dream.”

She stood shakily and forced herself to climb back into the car. Trying not to let herself miss the warm sunlight of her middle-school bedroom. Dipper reached out and patted her awkwardly on the arm.

“Sorry,” he mumbled through a yawn, “It’s okay now though, I can fight the monsters.”

She stifled a laugh, letting the guilt slowly begin to bleed out of her. Sleepy Dipper was always fun. “What monsters Dip-dop?”

He didn’t respond, and after a moment his breath evened out and she shook her head with a small smile, crawling back into her nest of blankets. She wasn’t able to get back to sleep though, instead lying and staring at the tan roof of the car, waiting for the sun to rise.

…

The snow rolled by in an endless blanket of plain white, dotted here and there with small houses and the occasional tree. Dipper was quietly leafing through his cryptids book next to her, making the occasional note in the margin and chewing on his pen cap. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other that morning. Mabel had clambered to the front seat, not bothering to change out of her pajamas, and had started driving the second Dipper was ready to go.

She had decided last night, staring up at the roof of the car, that she was ready to go home. She knew the time thing was complicated, she understood that home in this case wouldn’t be the home of her childhood bedroom that she still guiltily craved. But being back in Gravity Falls meant they could talk to Fiddleford, and maybe even summon the Time Police or whatever else they needed to do. Being in Gravity Falls meant being safe, and having options, and that’s what she really needed right now. Besides, it might not be quite the home she wanted but it was home nonetheless and that was more than she could say about DC.

It was hours before Dipper broke the silence. Mabel had been driving basically on autopilot since the morning, glancing down occasionally to check the gas gauge, but otherwise speeding along the mostly empty highway, eyes fixed on the horizon.

“Hey uh. Any ideas about where you want to stop today?”

“Not really. Mostly just want to get home.”

Dipper looked away and she felt her chest twinge with guilt. “I’m sorry, I’m still down to stop wherever you want to! We’re just so close and I really want to get home.”

Dipper shifted uncomfortably and pulled the roadmap off of the dashboard. “Look Mabel, I don’t wanna burst your bubble or anything—”

She winced and tried to cover it up with a cough, but Dipper continued on as though he hadn’t noticed.

“But we definitely have at least another full day of driving after this. Probably a little longer, just because I hate cutting it too close to midnight on the highway, so it’s unlikely we’ll actually make it to the Shack tomorrow night anyway.”

She blinked rapidly as her vision blurred with tears that she was absolutely not going to let fall. She knew that; she wasn’t stupid, she was just exhausted. They’d been at this for over a week now and the closer they got, the more it seemed like Dipper didn’t want to get there. He’d spent almost the whole of yesterday hunting Jackalopes through the snow and they’d really only gotten two hours of driving time in, most of which had been an argument.

Arguing was all they could seem to manage these days anyway. Planning and arguments. They hadn’t had a real conversation in days aside from debriefing about the circus performance, which was what had led to the argument yesterday anyway, so it didn’t really count as a conversation, just a prelude to the inevitable fight. She could still see the business card poking out of the top of Dipper’s journal. The card he had spent all day yesterday twisting around in his hands like some kind of talisman before he had finally asked her if they really needed to go to Gravity Falls.

Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Look Dipper, just because you don’t actually want to go home doesn’t mean I don’t, okay? So, let’s just try and get to Oregon and then once we’ve solved the time issue you can go do whatever it is you want to.”

“Mabel! That’s not what I meant yesterday. You know that I just—”

“Oh, it’s not? I’m so sorry. What exactly did you mean then?” She could feel the sarcastic bite in her voice, but she was too exhausted to try and play nice anymore. It wasn’t like it would work anyway.

“I hate talking to you when you’re like this! Can’t we just—Can’t you just accept that maybe we want different things sometimes?”

“Yes! Obviously, I can! But wanting to run away and join the circus rather than accept the fact that you got disowned isn’t us wanting different things! It’s you refusing to acknowledge that you need help!”

Ah shit. She hadn’t really meant to say that. She’d been thinking it of course. She hadn’t wanted to go home at first either. She still was hesitant about it, still mostly believed that Stan and Ford would be disappointed in her. But. Obviously, they wouldn’t be mad at Dipper. He should have realized that by now.

She just couldn’t accept that he really thought running away to the circus was a better option than accepting help from people who knew him and loved him.

She waited for him to yell, but instead he just sighed and flipped through the map again.

“Well, if you don’t have a place in mind to stop today, let’s just drive until we get to Deadwood. It has a weird forest fire history, and I have a few ideas about what might link to that. We should get there late in the afternoon, so I’ll have time to take a walk before it gets dark. You don’t have to come.”

His voice was steady and if there was an underlying current of resentment in it, she couldn’t hear it.

“I’d like to come. If that’s okay?”

Dipper nodded quietly, and they drove the rest of the way to Deadwood in silence.

…

Dipper’s excitement was infectious as he walked through the trees. They hadn’t resolved their fight in the last few hours and Mabel knew that they really should make an attempt to communicate about it before too long, but for now she was happy to watch her brother dart off, cryptid book in hand.

“Remind me what we’re looking for again?”

“Basically anything glowing that looks like it shouldn’t be there!”

“Are there glowing things that are supposed to be here?”

“Well, that depends, how close are we to the nearest nuclear weapons silo?”

“Dipper!”

He grinned at her and lobbed a badly packed snowball in her direction. “I’m mostly joking!”

The snowball spattered against a tree trunk next to her head, sending a fine powder of snowflakes drifting into her hair. She bent down and scooped up a snowball of her own, readjusting her shoulder bag so that her camera wouldn’t slip out.

“Your jokes are terrible!” She chucked the snowball back in his direction and he dodged behind a tree.

“That’s what I have you around for!” He called cheerfully, vanishing into a thick snarl of branches.

“To critique your jokes?” She looked around warily, trying to figure out where he had gone.

“Nope!” A snowball hit the side of her head with a thud and her glasses flew off into the snow. “I keep you around to tell the jokes!”

She laughed despite the annoyed expression she was trying to maintain, and dropped to her knees, feeling around in the powder for her glasses. She felt her fingers brush against something warm and paused in her digging, still thinking about Dipper’s nuclear waste comment, before continuing to search. Eventually she felt the thin arm of her glasses and lifted them back up to her face, wiping snow off the lenses.

As she put them back on, she noticed a faint glow coming from under the snow. Right about where she had felt the warm spot a moment ago. She carefully reached out and began to dig gently at the top layer of snow.

Hidden beneath it sat what, on first glance, looked like a glowing coal. It shimmered all over with a gently pulsing orange light that sparked every so often, causing the snow around it to hiss and steam. Then, Mabel saw it move. Six long legs stretched out from the sides, and it raised itself up off the ground, briefly shaking open wings of flickering flame before closing them again with a click. It was a beetle. Large enough to fill the palm of her hand if she was to pick it up.

“Dipper! I found the thing you’re after! I think.”

He skidded through the snow, plopping down next to her with a lopsided grin. “I was right! It’s a firebug!”

“That’s a very unoriginal name,” Mabel remarked, poking gently at it with one finger. It was pleasantly warm to the touch, like a stone that had been sitting in the sun all day, but it didn’t seem hot enough to burn.

She scooped it off the ground, holding it up to get a closer look.

“Mabel!” Dipper hissed, “You could get hurt!”

“You worry too much, Dipper. I’m fine! Besides, it’s cute!”

He flipped through his book a bit. “The book says their flame reacts to the emotions of things around it. So, when it’s surrounded by happiness or contentment it glows like a warm coal, when surrounded by anger or grief it can build into a ball of spitting fire.”

“Probably where all the forest fires come from huh? People come out here to camp, get too close to one of these little guys while having an argument and whoosh!”

“Yeah—good thing we aren’t arguing anymore.”

Mabel rolled her eyes and tugged Dipper into a one-armed hug. “We never really were arguing silly, not enough to start a forest fire anyway. I’m sure sibling bickering would only light a campfire at best.”

He laughed. “You’re probably right. It’s awesome that you found it though! It seems to like you.”

Mabel looked down to where the scarab had nestled firmly into her palm, vibrating slightly against her fingers. It was like a little hand warmer. She stroked the top of its shell with one finger, and it clicked at her, wiggling its legs slightly. Dipper pulled out her camera and took a photo, before sliding it back into her bag.

“Hey, are you okay here for a minute? I want to run back to the car and get my journal.”

“Yeah, sure Dip!”

He stood and brushed himself off before heading back into the trees. Mabel cupped the beetle in both hands, letting it crawl around her fingers, as she watched the sparks ride along its back.

When they had been kids, their dad had always hosted an end of summer campfire. It had always been in their backyard, grass sprayed down with the hose to ensure there was no chance of starting a real fire. He had built the fire pit himself back when Dipper and Mabel had been about three.

She remembered, in that vague way you remember things from early childhood more from story retellings than from an actual memory, toddling along behind him dragging rocks from the truck to the hole in the backyard. For a few summers they had even temporarily installed a tarp into the firepit to act as a kiddie pool.

But on the final day of summer, they would pull the ancient lawn chairs off the porch and into the wet grass and their mom would put together a small tote bag of marshmallows and chocolate and graham crackers. Their dad would cut a few sticks off the aspen trees or the bushes around the house to use as marshmallow roasters, and they would sit around the fire for hours getting progressively sleepier and stickier as the flames slowly died down.

This bug reminded her of those nights. She stared at it shimmering in her palm, and felt something warm and sharp settle into her chest. She didn’t want to think about how things had been, but the dream last night was still at the forefront of her mind, and she couldn’t shake off the nostalgia. She remembered curling up on her father’s lap next to the glowing coals of the fire, and asking him about the stars.

She wasn’t sure Dipper remembered where her love of constellations had come from. After all, it had been years since their last backyard campfire. But every campfire ended with their father telling them about the stars. He would pick out constellation after constellation, and tell stories until they both fell asleep, each curled up on their respective parent. Those nights always ended with them both being carried up to bed, still sticky with chocolate and marshmallow, and having to wake up all the earlier the next morning to shower and take family photos before heading to their first day of school.

Tears pricked at her eyes as she stared into the tiny ball of flames cradled in her hands. She missed those days so much. She missed the gentle rumble of her father’s voice beneath her as he retold all of her favorite myths. She missed the way he carried her up to bed, beard tickling the top of her head as he gently pushed the screen door open. She missed how he would tuck her in and pile all of her stuffed animals around her, laughing quietly when she would startle awake in confusion before understanding where she was. She remembered how he would tell her he loved her and hum softly until she fell back asleep, flipping on the nightlight before he left the room to go check on her mom and Dipper who were going through the same exact ritual in the room next door.

She missed feeling safe. She missed the way that her childhood had been an endless blur of laughter and warmth and love, her best friend always at her side, their parents always there ready to catch them when they fell.

She didn’t understand what had changed. She didn’t get how you could have a child and not be prepared to love them no matter what happened. How on earth you could love someone so much and then just stop loving them the moment that they didn’t meet your expectations anymore. She didn’t understand. How had the man who had loved them both more than every star in the sky, kicked them out of their house just because they were no longer the people they had been when they were born.

She could feel the heat growing in her hands, but she didn’t let go of the beetle. She clutched onto it tighter, knowing in the back of her head that letting it get away before Dipper came back would lead to another argument. Flames flickered between her fingers, and she wasn’t sure if it hurt.

“Hey Mabel? What’s wrong, did something happen?”

Mabel felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look up at Dipper. Through blurred tears he looked almost exactly like their father, the same concern causing wrinkles along his forehead. The same unhappy little twist was at the corner of his mouth as chewed nervously on the edge of his lip. She blinked and felt the tears begin to run down her face.

“Mabel, talk to me, what’s going on?”

“I miss dad.”

She felt the world break around them as the words left her mouth. She knew it was a mistake; she hadn’t even meant to say it out loud. She wished more than anything in that moment, that she could take them back.

Dipper’s expression closed off. Concern smoothed away into blank indifference in a single second. He jerked his hand back from her shoulder like she had burned him, and stared off into the distance refusing to meet her eyes.

“You should go home, Mabel.”

She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream and cry and apologize until her voice was gone. But, as Dipper straightened up and walked back into the trees towards the town, all she could do was stare after him silently, choked by all the words tangled in her throat.

By the time the blank numbness inside of her had begun to give way to grief, Dipper had long since disappeared into the trees, without a backward glance.

“I’m sorry.” The words were barely more than a broken whisper. Something inside her chest cracked into pieces and she began to sob, hands tightening around the beetle which she was still clutching at, despite the heat.

“I’m sorry! Please, Dipper, I didn’t mean it, I’m so sorry!”

The snow swallowed up her sobs.

She screamed, numbness cracking into grief, then shattering from grief into anger. Fury at her carelessness, at the callous way she could never seem to stop hurting her brother. Four years had gone by and she was still the same selfish, heartless little girl she had always been. Her scream echoed into silence and the world around her glitched. She felt a swooping sensation in her stomach almost as though she was falling. Her tattoo burned sharply with the cold fire of the ghost roads, and then the pain was gone, the world settled, and the fire in her hands flared into an inferno.

Pain lanced through her, sinking deep into her fingers and palms, burning with the same intensity as her anger. She dropped the beetle into the snow in panic, but it was too late. The flames rose, climbing around her in a swirling cyclone of smoke and fire.

She tried to run, slipping through the slush and mud back towards where she had watched Dipper disappear.

“Dipper! Help me!”

There was no response except the roar of flames.

She paused for a second, gasping for breath between ragged coughs. She pulled her sweater up over her mouth to try and block out the smoke, and looked around desperately for an opening in the trees. Above her there was a sharp crack, and a branch crashed into the ground, scattering flaming embers onto her head and sweater.

She stumbled back with a cry, feeling her clothes and hair catch, as the heat climbed along her arms. She screamed again, a mix of grief and terror, and ran blindly away from the inferno. Her head connected with a tree trunk and stars burst across her vision. She lost her balance and tumbled backwards into the snow. The only clear thought ringing through her head was that Dipper would never know how sorry she was.

The world spun around her as she watched the trees burn and fought to keep her eyes from slipping shut. She knew that if she didn’t move now, she was going to die here, but she couldn’t seem to get her limbs to cooperate. Smoke began to fill her lungs and blood seeped down her face from where she had hit her head against the tree.

Then, suddenly, there were voices around her. People were shouting and sirens were wailing, and she couldn’t understand any of it through the pounding in her head. She tried to scream for help again, but instead began to cough, struggling to catch her breath.

Strong arms lifted her up out of the snow, and a mask was slipped over her nose and mouth. For a moment she tried to struggle, but the person only held her tighter, pulling her gently into their chest like she was a small child again.

“Dad?” Her voice was garbled by the mask. She knew it wasn’t her father. Even through her confused fractured memories of summertime and bonfires, she felt the dull burning pain from her hands and the ache in her head grounding her to the snow, the cold, and the now.

A rough hand carded gently through her hair, and she leaned into it as much as she could, despite the pain in her skull.

“Oh sweetheart, what did you do?”

Mabel felt herself begin to cry again, as the darkness finally claimed her.

[autism-purgatory]

hello hello hello....

hypothetically, where may I read sneak peeks of Fluff & Tendrils?

also hypothetically. may I get a lore dump. if that's possible. because I Want To Understand this creation of yours. it looks bloody fantastic so far & I'd adore more information

I might put in on AO3, and I’ll happily put a snippet here!

“Oh, and let me know if you dissect a fellow organic! I haven’t gotten to do that in centuries!” Zur yelled from the car. Jesse cringed and gave a subtle thumbs up, then bolted into school before his embarrassment sunk in further. He shuffled his way through the cluttered halls. He recognized patterns in the crowds even with their diverse clothes or complexion, yet none truly felt like him. Everyone was so similar yet so distant to the point of him sticking out. He shoved his thoughts away once he entered his classroom. His desk was at the left end against the windows. The morning mix of orange and yellow spilled onto it and the desks near him. After dropping his backpack next to his seat, he sat and slouched into his hoodie. He relished in the warmth and feeling of wool against his skin. His stimulation was interrupted by the buzz of his phone. “New kid new kid new kid new kid. He’s approaching your class now.” A text from Hannah read. Jesse sighed, “So? What’s so special about this one?” He responded. “Idk. There’s something off about him. Not bad, just kinda weird, like you.” “Thanks?? I’ll believe it when I see it.” He replied, taken aback by her bluntness. By the time he put his phone away, the class had settled and prepared the low-quality TekBooks from under their desks. Jesse did the same. Mr. Wren came in soon after. “Alright, students, before we begin, we have a new student. Please introduce yourself,” he said in his dry, deadpan voice. The new kid slowly entered, and Jesse felt like he was struck by lightning. He was already lost in their tan complexion. The student scratched their stark black, curly hair before speaking. “Hey everyone! I, um…My name’s August!” Most of the class was silent. August nervously chuckled and sat at his desk, which was at the very back. Some classmates gently waved or muttered “Hi, August.”

Fluff & Tendrils is about Jesse, an outcast autistic kid with divorced parents, and he ALSO recently realized he’s gay. Did I also mention his dad is the ruler of the 4th dimension, named Zur’Guran? Yeah he had a child with a human, seeing it as an alliance with the corporeal realm. Jesse’s mom is a lawyer and Zur went “ah yes the perfect person, surely this will strengthen my ties to all earthlings”

Zur has only recently re-entered Jesse’s life, when he’s a junior in high school. It doesn’t make him feel any less othered by everyone, and he also doesn’t want his dad to find out he’s been practicing eldritch spellcasting while he’s been away. Jesse only has two other friends (one is secretly undead), but this all changes when a kid named August recently moves into town (and it turns out he’s a werewolf)

anyways lore dump!

There’s stuff like Aliens, eldritch horrors, werewolves, vampires, cryptids, ghosts, undead, the works. All have some connection to the lovecraftian. It’s usually because someone or a group of people pissed off the 4th dimension gods and got cursed. Vampirism is an alien parasite that integrates itself into your bloodstream, altering your dna bit by bit. It can’t be inherited by birth, rather, you have to infect someone by injecting a bit of the parasite via your fangs. There are dozens of strains of vampirism, but the “main” one originates from Eastern Europe sometime in the 15th century. Same applies to werewolves, except the “main” strain originates from Mycenaean Greece. There’s also a butt ton of different monsters based on the region. Also the main aliens are called the Cru’zra, who got their homeworld eaten by a 4th dimension god and are responsible for the vampirism parasite. There’s plenty of other aliens who come to earth, hiding among the masses. Also eldritch magic exists and can be taught via Skin Grimoires, which can be used to summon plenty of spooky entities or cast certain spells, but you’ll be disintegrated unless you’ve bound yourself to a 4th dimension god or (by some miracle) are related to one like Jesse.

August has the “main” strain of lycanthropy, and its symptoms are 10x worse if you’re going through puberty such as excessive body hair growth and inconsistent distribution of testosterone (this applies to all werewolves not just male ones). Also they look more and more wolf-like depending on the moon phase. They only look like a full blown werewolf on the full moon. August gets it from his mother who immigrated from Greece.

thank you for asking and for letting me infodump :D

[robiny]

my genuine 100% serious highly delusional reasoning why tomgreg can happen : okay so first of all gregs a desperate bitch looking for attention and affection, he relays on tom to keep him financially stable and i think he wouldn’t stab him in the back like he used to, my opinion hinges solely on the basis that he didn’t do that yet (he had chances) and doesn’t feel the need to, because now he doesn’t view tom as a threat, but as? yeah great question, i think he’s repressing anything that is not perfectly friendly and platonic but at the same time feeling these emotions the same, he sees Tom as a friend and kind of accepted the way he is (intense and humorous, it’s like they got to know each other) He wants his attention and praise so he acts accordingly, but obviously there is something lacking in this friendship they’ve grown into and in his romantic endeavors………, what a man with emotionally absent mother and a joke instead of a dad, a man who also recently have come to some big wealth, would want? Would physically ache for? that’s right babyy the big AA (aforementioned) attention and affection! i assume nobody has shown greg this much of it for some time, tom swooped in and shook Greg around like a bottle of orange juice, he literally only wants loyalty from him and ahem submission… let’s be real, whereas greg seeks out love and stability, roy siblings are pretty much done with both of them, shiv is dealing in her emotionally detached way with the shivorce and tom is doing some thinking, that can go either way: 1)he’s reflecting on their marriage and questioning how much of it was just his effort for it to work out, feeling his affection towards her betrayed, and dismissed, 2)pretty much the same deal but greg somehow finds himself amidst of it (he kinda already did lol), tom finds comfort in his presence (we sometimes grab a drink… okay loser bitch), and how to get over someone quickly?

anyways im just hazarding some guesses, can’t wait to see tomshiv divorce trial where shivs lawyer brings up tomgreg sex tape as evidence

[siren-darkocean]

Ninth Grade Samurai aka Samurai Series Incorrect Quotes

Of books:

Ninth Grade Samurai (Book 1)

Phoenix Song (Book 2)

Curtain Call (Book 3)

Nothing is accurate to canon y'all it's an AU!

Howard: This blood line ends with me!

Randy: That's the fanciest way I've heard someone say "I'm gay".

**

Heidi: (with finding herself in the middle of the Ninja and Samurai fights against the Sorcerer and McFist) I don’t go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me first.

**

Howard: What did you order this morning?

Rei: What do you mean?

Howard: I heard you answer the door, and I sensed food.

**

Rei: Comparing Howard and Randy is like comparing apples and oranges.

Howard: We’re both unique in our own ways?

Rei: Apples are superior in every way and all oranges should be eliminated.

Randy: Which one of us is the orange?

**

Randy: So oxygen went on a date with potassium, it went... OK.

Julian: I thought oxygen was dating magnesium, OMG.

Randy: Actually oxygen first asked nitrogen out, but nitrogen was all like NO.

Heidi: I thought oxygen had that double bond with the hydrogen twins.

Howard: Looks like someone's a HO.

Julian: NaBrO.

Rei: I'm done with all of you!

**

Rei: State your name, rank, and intention.

Randy: Randy, Randy, fun.

**

Heidi: Randy, you'll be working with Julian and Rei.

Randy: Alright! My fantasy threesome!

Everyone else: *blank stares*

Randy: ...Of people on a team.

**

Howard: Is the plural of milf/dilf milfs/dilfs or milves/dilves?

Randy: Milfs.

Rei: Milf/dilf is an acronym, you can't change the spelling to milves/dilves.

Heidi: Mom in late forties, dad in late fourties.

Heidi: I learned that from the movie called M.I.L.F that I saw the trailer of in theaters probably 5 to 7 years ago.

Randy: Mom/dad I'd Love to Fuck.

Rei: WAIT, WHAT THE FUCK—

Rei: I NEVER REALIZED IT WAS ACTUALLY HORNY!

Heidi: Oh, is it not mom in late fouries?

Julian: What? No! It isn't!

Heidi: THE MOVIE TRAILER LIED TO ME!

Howard: Heidi...

Heidi: THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T THINK CALLING PEOPLE MILFS WAS ALL THAT BAD BECAUSE IT STOOD FOR SOMETHING HARMLESS IT JUST HAD A SLIGHTLY SEXUAL CONNOTATION!

Howardy: I am entirely unsurprised that this is coming from you.

Heidi: HOWARD, DOES IT MAKE SENSE WHY I CALLED THE DIARY OF A WIMPY KID MOM A MILF NOW BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS LITERALLY JUST A DESCRIPTOR WITH FUNNY CONNOTATION!

Howard: The word milf has been ruined for me.

Julian: THAT'S ITS DEFINITION, IT CAN'T BE RUINED THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS!

Rei: Y'all are dumbasses.

**

Randy i and Howard: *making loud, shouty gorilla sounds at each other*

Julian:

Rei, exasperatedly: We have a guest.

**

Heidi: I spy with my little eye something that begins with the letter “s”.

Rei: *looks over at Howard and Julian* Rei: Is it “sexual tension”?

**

Julian: Where’s my chair?

Rei: Randy broke it over Howard’s back while they were wrestling.

Howard: Correction, Randy was wrestling. I was eating soup.

**

Julian: Hah! 69! you know what that means?

Randy: What?

Rei: That you're a child.

Howard: HOW YOU GUESS MY IQ?!?

**

Heidi: What are you getting Howard for the holidays?

Julian: I don't know. It's kind of hard buying a gift for your partner when they already got everything they could've ever wanted when they married you. So I'm not sure yet.

Rei: I'm getting Howard a divorce lawyer.

**

Heidi: I told Howard to grab snacks for everyone.

Rei, looking through the options: Why did you grab fruit snacks? Are you five? Who even likes Fruit Snacks?

*Julian, Howard, and Randy raise their hands*

**

Rei: This food is too hot... I cant eat it.

Randy: You’re very hot, and I still eat you.

Everyone at the table: *silence*

Howard: YOU GUYS ARE DISGUSTING!

Julian: One dinner... I just want ONE DINNER!

**

Julian: *about Rei and Randy* They make a cute couple, huh?

Howard: They certainly are standing next to each other.

**

Heidi: I sleep with a gun under my pillow.

Julian: I sleep with a knife.

Randy: Both of you are pathetic.

Heidi: Oh yeah? What do you sleep with?

Randy: Rei.

**

Rei: *does 99% of the work*

Randy: *has no idea what’s going on*

Julian: *says they’re gonna help but does not*

Howard: *disappears at the very beginning and doesn’t show up again until the very end*

**

Heidi: Why are your tongues purple?

Rei: We had slushies. I had a blue one.

Randy: I had a red one.

Heidi: oh.

Heidi:

Heidi: OH.

Howard:

Howard: You drank eachothers slushies?

**

Post curtain call ig

Julian: Why is Rei crying on the floor?

Heidi: She's drunk.

Julian: And?

Heidi: She saw a picture of Randy's spouse.

Julian: But she's Randy's spouse.

Heidi: I know.

**

Howard: I still don’t have a New Year’s resolution.

Rei: You could lose a few.

Heidi: You could be less lazy.

Randy: Don’t be such a bitch.

Howard: Okay DAMN, SHIT.

**

*The gang when they drop food on the floor*

Rei: Aw man. *Throws it away*

Howard: Five second rule!

Julian: Foolish germs, thinking they can stop me!? *Eats it off the floor*

Randy: *Sobs on the floor*

**

Randy: It’s Christmas! Are you all in a Christmas mood?!

Rei: Merry crisis.

Heidi: Jingle bells, jingle bells, single all the way.

Howard: Hoe hoe hoe.

Randy: Guys, please.

**

Howard: Ducks are better than rabbits.

Rei: What? Rabbits are adorable. Have you ever been in a fight with a duck? Ducks are jerks.

Julian: Duck is delicious! Rabbit is all gamey.

Rei: We’re not talking about flavour, Julian!

Julian: Flavour counts!

Rei: Who carries around a duck’s foot for good luck? Anyone?

Randy: You wrap yourself in a comforter stuffed with rabbit hair. I’ll wrap myself in a comforter stuffed with duck feathers! Who’s cozier?

Rei: Okay, but-

Randy: NO, NO, NO, NO. WHO’S COZIER?

Julian: Then why don’t we take a rabbit, a duck, stick ‘em in a cardboard box and let them fight it out!

Rei: BECAUSE IT’S ILLEGAL, JULIAN!

Julian: ONLY IF WE BET ON IT, REI!

Howard: I- Jesus-

[steelbluehome]

The Guardian

Ali Abbasi’s film, starring Sebastian Stan, presents a fictionalised account of an incident recorded in Ivana Trump’s 1990 divorce deposition, and since retracted

The Apprentice review – cartoon version of chump-in-chief Donald Trump’s early years

Xan Brooks

Mon 20 May 2024 13.22 EDT

Donald Trump is depicted as a rapist who assaulted his first wife, Ivana, in a new biopic, The Apprentice, which has its world premiere in competition at this year’s Cannes film festival on Monday. Directed by the Iranian-Danish film-maker Ali Abbasi, the drama provides a fictionalised account of a 1989 incident that was previously detailed in the couple’s divorce proceedings.

The Apprentice review – cartoon version of chump-in-chief Donald Trump’s early years

The scene, which occurs near the end of The Apprentice, depicts Trump reacting with fury after Ivana disparages his physical appearance. “You have a face like a fucking orange,” she tells him. “You’re getting fat, you’re getting ugly, and you’re getting bald.” The future president is then shown forcing his wife to the floor and raping her. “Did I find your G-spot?” he asks in the film.

In her 1990 divorce deposition, Ivana Trump described a similar assault that she said occurred shortly after her husband’s scalp-reduction surgery. She claimed that Trump pushed her to the floor and pulled out handfuls of her hair. Ivana initially described what followed as a rape, but later walked back on the claim. In a 1993 statement, she said, “On one occasion during 1989, Mr Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently towards me than he had during our marriage. As a woman I felt violated … I referred to this as a rape, but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.”

During the couple’s divorce proceedings, Trump dismissed his wife’s version of the incident as “obviously false”.

Scripted by the bestselling non-fiction author Gabriel Sherman, The Apprentice casts Romanian-born actor Sebastian Stan as Trump and Maria Bakalova as Ivana, while the Succession star Jeremy Strong plays the brutish New York lawyer Roy Cohn. The film is a twisted rites-of-passage drama that shows Cohn schooling the young Trump in the dark arts of American business. One of the key rules, Cohn tells Trump, is: “Admit nothing, deny everything.”

The Apprentice is competing for Cannes’ crowning Palme d’Or award. However, while the Canadian, Danish and Irish-backed production has already been sold to a number of foreign territories, it has reportedly yet to land a US distribution deal. The film is also claimed to be facing a legal challenge from lawyers connected to billionaire Trump donor Dan Snyder. Variety magazine reports that Snyder had invested in The Apprentice believing that it would paint a positive portrait of Trump and was rumoured to have been outraged after viewing a rough cut of the film.

Since the 1970s, at least 25 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. Last year the former president was found liable for the sexual abuse of the writer E Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s and was ordered to pay damages of $83.3m. He has never been charged with or convicted of rape.

Ivana Trump – the mother of Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric Trump - died in July 2022 after falling down the stairs at her home in Manhattan. Her body is buried on the grounds of the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.