#even if nothings changed the way i described her helped settle a lot of things and solidify her character and what she needed

[lunarflare64]

Tell me about ur OCs ( •̀ ω •́ )

Ajdhwkdj hello! I would love to! But first of all, fair warning, I am definitely not sober rn, vodka is involved, so I shall be long winded and rambley

This is my girl Julie, who will be a regular on my art blog @lunartflare64 for at least a little while

If you couldn't tell, I made her to ship with trans lesbian 2012 TMNT Leo, aka Leonora, because I've been drawing her a lot lately and wanted a big buff girl for her to be gay over

Julie's creation was incredibly vague at first, starting out leaning a lot more into the tough type of butch at first, and as I was going though each individual species of lizard on Wikipedia (as you do) I came across the red eyed crocodile skink

Very fun from a character design perspective, so I took a crack at it (with some aspects of other species of lizards I liked, character backstory forming around them), and proto!Julie looked badass! Very spikey, very fiery. But then I came into a major hurdle. Drawing her repeatedly would be a massive PAIN IN THE ASS

So into the trash that design goes, and back into the lizard species wiki I go. Idk how many species of lizard I looked at. Hundreds would be a given. Thousands is likely. I went through every species of skink first after all, and theyre the biggest family of lizard by a lot. Even when I left the skinks for other families I didn't find anything that appealed to me for a few days. Until.......

The green keel-bellied lizard. Aren't they cool? Look them up, their colour variation is gorgeous. So, after looking at a few more species to make sure this is what I really wanted, I went to start drawing her

Her backstory started to form as I was drawing her. How did she get mutated into this specific species? Well originally I thought about her owning her own green keel-bellied lizard, but I didn't want her character to be that brand of nerd, so...roommate. A roommate in college learning biology and the like, with the focus being reptiles and lizards specifically. And one of their species would be the Gastropholis prasina. And Julie would help with caring for their lizards occasionally because she's a sweet girl like that

Why does Julie live with a roommate in college at such a young age? Guess the parents aren't in the picture. I can see her ditching her parents early if they were shit, so that's what happened. She got emancipated at 14, found her roommate a few months later who helped her out a lot, and two years later the mutation would have happened

I wanted to lean into Julie being the "bad girl" stereotype at some level, even if she's a massive sweetheart, tattoos and piercings would be a given, but how does she get those when she was mutated so young? She couldn't get them before, and getting them after.....the mutant community isn't enough of a community to form even an underground business, and how would they even figure out how to make tattoos and piercings last for mutants? Especially shedding mutants like lizards?

Guess that'll be up to Julie then. Julie is an artist before her mutation, selling a little art every now and then to try and help her roommate out (and just enjoying the art process in general). When she was mutated she had a hard time with it for the first few months, as they all do, but eventually she got tired of that and was ready to find her new normal. Unfortunately, again, the mutant community isn't much of a community. When they do gather its for something very combat focused. Which she's not down for.

While the majority of the mutant community is still fighting, sometimes for good reason, sometimes for bad reason, Julie is ready to do something with her life, which she wasn't even ready for before her mutation. She wants to give something, some form of acceptance, a way to embrace their new forms and take the first step in imagining a life with those forms. And one thing they can't just get now is any kind of body modification. Even if a body mod place didn't freak at the sight of them, they wouldn't be able to help. Scales and fur can't really be tattooed. The normal way, that is. And luckily Julie has a roommate (who has stuck with her through her mutation and has helped big time with figuring out her new biology) who would be willing to help figure out how to make tattoos and the like last for mutants

So Julie becomes a mutant body mod specialist, with her friend figuring out the technicalities of it, and Julie making it happen. In a way, she becomes the start of the first real mutant community

So, what is she outside of her career? Well, from what has been gathered she's very focused, the unknowns aren't a deterrent for her, she's determined and ambitious, she understands that she can't be focused on the present forever, she needs to move forward. She's a trailblazer, but not really a leader. Her ambition has a limit, she doesn't plan on forging a whole community on her own, she just wants to give them something, and that something is what pushes others to find their own places and ways to contribute, even if Julie herself has no real control herself over what they become

But again, outside her career?......what is that? Where is that? Who is she? She went from being a nobody teenager to a driving force in the mutant community, she puts her all into it, she wants to put her all into it, but now she stuggles with slowing down, finding herself and her time, she's focused to much on giving and now she doesn't know where her centre is outside of that

She starts getting pent up, her home and her work are both now restricting for her, there's always something to do now and no escape from that. She needs to move, to do something without a PURPOSE behind it, and so, one day she goes for a run. Obviously mutants can't just go for a run on the streets, they'd be seen, but the rooftops are safe space for them, parkour is an important skill for mutants, so she knows what she's doing. She scales a skyscraper and starts to feel...at home

That would be her mutant parent's influence there. Green keel-bellied lizards are arboreal, they need to climb, and her long tail does give her a decent advantage on the rooftops

Its not much, but parkour becomes her escape, and through that she meets Leonora, a fellow workaholic.

You would think that two workaholics would create a work maniac, but no. They cancel each other out. If they see the other relaxed and in control, then they have no reason to worry or push themselves. They relax each other, sometimes too much. After so long (3 straight years for the both of them, at 18 for Nora and 19 for Julie) of endless work, for them relaxing means appreciating the little things. Very little. You can hear the Mii theme playing as they stare at a goldfish in a fishtank for 2 hours straight. Zero braincells total. They struggle to make date nights actually reach the DATE, they've wasted planned dates talking about nothing for hours in the same spot they met up. They're so dumb together, but its so good for them. Its the only time they can slow down enough to really start finding themselves, and once they get used to being allowed to have those little things they WILL start finding themselves, discovering things together their previous lives didn't let them have, even at the best of times

Okay, I think I'm done for now, this is as far as I've gotten with them. Don't know if the way I went about this said more about Julie or more about the way I go about character creation, but its gotta be informative in some way

[neverfilth]

"Bloberta made Clay drink so-"

OKAY, BUT DO YOU KNOW WHY?

Let me explain

'Help'.

A very important word when describing Bloberta.

First, it is integral to understand that Bloberta feels torturously alone and unwanted. Her friends are all getting married while she has no one.

She isn't clever enough to help Censordoll.

Her own family leaves her out of the family choir. 

And the only crumb of validation she is offered is from her mother.

“Why don't you help me out and… Clean your room?” Note even the slight pause her mother has, as if she doesn't even know what to do with Bloberta.

Next, we see her trudge to her room. And what does she hide under the covers of her bed?

A flask.

She turns to alcohol when she is confronted with how unwanted she is. But where did that draw to alcohol come from?

We know she comes from a home where she is ultimately ignored and seen as valueless by everyone except one person.

Her Father.

I have a lot of thoughts about Bloberta and Raymond's relationship (the one scene where they interact just UGH LIVES IN MY HEAD) but the main thing to get away from it is that she associates the act of drinking with her Father.

A man who, without alcohol, is unable to speak his mind at all. He drinks to better tolerate his situation and his wife, who clearly doesn't value his words or opinions.

But Bloberta is very receptive to her Father, she greatly values his company and his thoughts and she finds comfort in being around him. She feels like someone cares about her and values her even if she knows he can't change anything.

Notice that despite her desperation to speak with her father, to form that connection that would validate her, she can't even touch him because she knows doing so would break the frail connection they have currently. Her Father is so reserved that at this point, any unexpected emotional reach would immediately cause him to shut down and retreat. Demonstrated just by him closing up immediately after she told him she loved him.

So how does this affect Blobertas perception of alcohol?

Well she says it herself.

"I think it helps us to be better people".

This rationality was reinforced by the small acts of kindness her father would show her.

And we don't have any reason to believe she is lying about this because up until the night of the reception, she's experienced nothing that contradicts this belief.

Bloberta's reliance on alcohol can be seen as her reaching for a solution to her need to feel wanted. She knows she's left out, both by friends and family. But if she believes drinking can make you become a better person? Then of course she would drink, because maybe then someone will want her.

What does she say directly after that?

"My Father drinks.”

Further insinuating her belief that he is good and he is the main reason she sees alcohol as a positive force.

She thought it would genuinely help Clay.

There's that word again.

Importantly, notice her clear anxiety and tenseness in her beginning interactions with Clay. From her first question, their conversation began falling apart.

So what happened?

Just after the wedding, she was almost suave in the way she invited Clay to the reception.

Why was she so nervous now?

Well, in her eyes, this was her chance.

After an undisclosed time of having no luck she finally convinces a handsome single man to have some semblance of a date with her.

She NEEDS this to go well.

So she's obviously anxious and stressed, and that's showing, but she figures that some drinks will make it easier for both of them. She's full panicking because she feels it's just so normal to drink, especially socially, and she can't understand why he wouldn't drink. She has no frame of reference for that mindset.

Things are already awkward between them once they settle in, and its not getting better. So of course she is going to fall back on what makes things easier for her.

And initially things are looking up.

Suddenly Clay's more talkative, and more receptive to what she's saying.

He's complimenting her.

He says she helped him.

The one thing she wants more than anything is to feel useful, she wants to be able to fit into that role that everyone expects her to so that she can be of worth to someone.

She isn't worth it to her peers,

she isn't worth it to her family,

but she could be worth it to him.

This only reinforces her resolve. 

This is it.

She is going to finally find her place to fit in, and everyone will welcome her with open arms as she finally finds her place in the role society has chosen for her.

But it's not that simple.

Things go south quickly, Clay doesn't want these things that Bloberta has to have. 

But she needs them.

To Bloberta, those things are proof of your value. The value society, friends, and family place on you.

Who would she be if she couldn't attain that value?

We again recognize that Bloberta has a fixation on being helpful. Helpfulness is the clearest indication of one's value, after all.

After being turned away by Clay, she immediately returns to a default ‘helpful’ act, cleaning. Just like her mother would tell her to do. But this was still her only chance, and Clay had already told her she had helped him. If she could only help him again, then maybe she had a chance at the real value she craved.

Once her anger passes and Clay sobers up, she returns to him and paints herself as ‘helpful’ as possible. She's desperate for that validation again, and if he would agree to her help then everything would certainly be fine.

She is practically begging him, help becomes a plea for him to save her from the pain of her day to day.

She hopes more than anything he will accept her and make all her pain go away.

He does accept, but in exchange, her previous world view is shattered.

Drinks don't help you become a better person.

They just help your true nature come out.

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 104 }

the price of a lie.

lies of p.

pinocchio x reader

warnings: unedited and a self indulgent mess.

{ how many lies would you tell to be human? }

truth be told, pinocchio never understood what it truly meant to be human.

his journey throughout krat was no easy task, for surrounding him were enemies who wanted nothing more than to witness his demise; automatons who held such deep contempt for him and his goals, being just as deadly as the plague that wracked through the city.

with each challenge that he faced, he was forced to play the role of a real boy, acting as though he desired nothing more than for his lies to become a reality someday. even though he knew that being human was seen as a good thing, he didn't really understand it. when asked about it, his father often told pinocchio that he was the key to saving humanity; that it was due to pinocchio being geppetto's creation that he held him in such high regard- that this was something only he could do.

but it was difficult for pinocchio. he felt as though the weight of the world had been placed on his shoulder, and he was forced to navigate through such a dark world entirely on his own while given little to no motivation. despite how he wasn't quite human yet, there seemed to be a looming weight within his chest, one that filled him with an inexplicable emotion.

the feeling was so great that he couldn't help but dwell on it, the curiosity of it all spilling over that he had to ask sophia about it.

"that emotion you are describing sounds a great deal like dread." he recalls sophia telling him one late evening when he was last seeking refuge at hotel krat. her graceful figure seemed to float along the marble floors, voice ever so gentle as her slender fingertips ran along the oakwood shelves, exploring the spines of the various books settled within it.

she hums, not quite facing him, yet pinocchio knew that she was simply deep in thought. "it is not strange for you to feel this way, after all, we are asking a lot of you at this very moment."

"however," her gentle laughter makes pinocchio finally meet her gaze, seeing her smile as she reassures him, "how you decide to move forward and continue your journey is entirely up to you. and truly, i have faith in you- we all do."

sophia stops herself from speaking further then, her gaze becoming a bit more solemn as she clasps her hands together. she steps closer to him, the skirt of her blue gown swaying back and forth with her movements when she settles herself before him. her gaze was unwavering, placing her hand on pinocchio's shoulder as she tells him:

"but it won't be easy... you must have a strong conviction in order to become what you truly desire. so, tell me..."

just how far would you go to truly be human?

pinocchio hears sophia's words echoing within him, the cogs in his mind whirring as he fought to find the right words to say. could he really tell her of how numb he felt? would she understand if he spoke to her, finally telling her that single phrase i don't know?

instead of being truthful with her, pinocchio found that he could not get the words out; the silence was deafening, and despite how no words had been spoken or exchanged, the pain in sophia's gaze said it all.

as if taking pinocchio's unspoken words as his answer, she simply nods at him before letting him go, leaving him feeling numb.

if pinocchio were to be honest with himself, the puppet simply felt... empty at the thought of being human. he felt no innate desire to become one, and only felt such desires simply because he was told to.

the lies he tells were only made to put up a façade; one that he was meant to uphold if he were to ever survive the dangers that were seen all across krat. he never had a reason, nor felt the true desire to become real-

but that all seemed to change one fateful moment, when he came into contact with a human-

when he came into contact with you.

it was raining that day, the downpour causing the cobblestone streets to become slick. puddles surrounded the city as pinocchio could feel his own clothes becoming wet from the rain. his shoes made splashes all across the roads when gemini's voice became panicked.

"whoa, b-bad news, buddy! i sense a group of rogue automatons just a few blocks away. maybe we should retreat for now? you seem unprepared, and you were only meant to be out here to do recon."

pinocchio ignores gemini's advice, simply sharpening his rapier with his legion arm as he stepped forward, eyes narrowing when he sees a figure coming towards him, seeing you running to him. he stops walking, watching as your footsteps pound against the streets as gasps escapes from your parted lips. you were dressed in a tattered shirt with torn pants, and your shoes were so worn and torn that they nearly made you slip and fall into the slick streets.

when you finally see him, you let out a sigh of relief all while reaching out to him with your hands, "p-please, you've got to help me!"

he takes note of the way your heart raced from within your chest and how wisps of smoke seemed to escape from your parted lips due to how cold it was. the constant thumpthumpthump heard from the confines of your chest intrigued pinocchio a great deal, and he was uncertain why his curiosity was so piqued by you.

"pino, this is bad, the enemies are right in front of you!"

without saying a word to you, pinocchio places you directly behind him, shielding you from the automatons. he watches the rogue puppets with thick oil escaping from their porcelain lips, staining at their skin as heavy grunts and groans were heard from them. their movements were slow, dragging their feet along the slick streets. pinocchio held no concern when it came to defeating them and shielding you from the dangers that they pose.

using the speed and grace he had developed from his past battles, he manages to take down the rogue group of automatons with ease. his rapier slices through them as he dodges their attacks with great succession. within what seemed like seconds, they all collapse in a pile of broken limbs, the rain already beginning to turn their bodies into rust.

he faces you once more, seeing you wrap your arms around your chest, your eyes wide with wonder. "t-that was amazing! and goodness, y-you are also an automaton? i truly thought you were real! simply a young man taking a stroll across krat! well, actually, that would be quite crazy, since humans like me would definitely struggle surviving here!"

pinocchio listens to you and the way you excitedly spoke to him. it was here that he learns of your name, how you were not originally from krat and had simply traveled here to learn about the city's accomplishments with automatons. you spoke highly about your dreams and how you wished to be a master engineer like geppetto.

"that is my father." pinocchio wasn't sure why he felt the need to tell you of this simple fact. something about you seemed...bright. so achingly bright that it made his chest feel this strange tightness. the fact that you were all alone in this dangerous world made pinocchio wish to help you- to shield and protect you from it.

he watches as your eyes widen in response. "you're kidding, that's amazing!"

"yup, it sure is! master geppetto is a genius, and i along with everyone else agree that pinocchio is his greatest creation!" gemini chimes in, further adding to your excitement.

"then that means-"

"you may come with me." pinocchio softly tells you without a hint of hesitation, simply holding his hand out for you to take. your features appear surprised once more before turning a bit sheepish a mere moments later. "i-i don't know. i don't wish to intrude, but...krat has become a living nightmare since the plague hit. i was a bit foolish in coming here so...so unprepared. "

"hey listen, your only hope of survival is to follow pinocchio here. if you stay out here, you're gonna be made into mincemeat for sure." gemini continues to urge you to follow pinocchio, "he can take you to geppetto. and who knows? maybe you can work as his assistant along with eugénie."

throughout it all, pinocchio never stops keeping his hand outreached for you to take. as gemini's voice slowly softens before becoming silent, he could see your eyes shining with excitement and happiness once more. with a sigh, pinocchio watches you as you step forward and call out his name for the first time. "pinocchio, right?"

he feels himself shiver a bit upon hearing the way you call out to him. giving you a simple nod, he extends his hand out even more to you, to which you finally take. the warmth that came from the palm of your hand was what pinocchio initially feels, his fingertips lightly grazing against your wrist as he felt the pulse along with the warmth that radiated off of it.

there was a sudden surge felt within his chest, one that pushes him forward as he ends up interlocking the fingertips of his non-legion hand with yours, pulling you along as he safely lead you out of the city and towards his sanctuary found within hotel krat.

and it didn't take long for you to find a new home within his found family. as predicted by gemini, his father welcomed you with open arms, along with eugénie. you were a fast learner, and offered many insights to both of them when it came to optimizing pinocchio's legion arm.

pinocchio wasn't sure why your presence instilled something so profound within him. he has had his fair share of communicating with humans. he was close to his father, and he enjoyed listening to eugénie prattle on about the modifications she has made to his legion arm.

but interacting with you sparked something deep from within him. each day he returned to hotel krat, he found himself basking in your smiles and the sound of your voice as you told him about your day all while asking pinocchio about his own adventures.

he never tired of hearing your voice, and how your warmth seemed to permeate at the air before seeping into him. and it was while he was in your presence that he found himself regretting that he could not feel your warmth nor share it with you. pinocchio's body was cold, being carved by the richest wood and sewn together with metal. his glass eyes were incapable of reflecting the same emotions that you showed each time you met his curious gaze, and that part bothered him greatly.

that was the first time pinocchio felt a great sense of regret at not being truly human.

he wanted to bask in the rain and feel the cold droplets against his skin and dance in it with you;

he wanted to share cups of hot chocolate with you and be able to lick away the cream that decorates your lips;

but more so than that, he wanted these feelings he was beginning to feel to come into fruition and have a true, beating heart.

it was a yearning that pinocchio felt growing inside him, getting stronger and deeper with each passing day. each time you walk by him, his gaze would ultimately follow you. the longing that he felt was certainly becoming more evident, and an almost knowing smile would grace sophia's features each time she witnesses your interactions with pinocchio.

with a newfound passion, pinocchio continues his journey, now believing his lies of being human each time he uttered them while exploring the city of krat- allowing the thoughts of you to push him forward.

and it was with these thoughts of you plaguing his mind that he returns back home from his exploration around krat. the night was at its peak, with hotel krat remaining silent as evident of its inactivity. pinocchio was the only one still awake at this time, and he found himself wandering aimlessly around the library, unable to rest.

his fingers run across the spines of the books, yet he felt no desire to read any of them. as his eyes scan the various titles, he was aware of the familiar sound that never fails to bring him comfort.

thumpthumpthump...

his ears pick up the gentle pitter patter of your heart, its slow beats alerting him of your sleeping state. yet despite how he knew that you were resting, pinocchio couldn't stop his footsteps from moving forward. he allows the sounds of your heartbeat to lead him away from the library, his steps echoing throughout the marble flooring of the hallways.

as if running on instinct alone, he does not stop his movements until he reaches the front of your room. like a moth being drawn to a flame, pinocchio lifts his hand, pressing it against the door as he pushes it aside and steps within your bedroom.

his eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the room within seconds as he moves forward. he follows the sounds of your breathing and ends up standing before your bed. it is here that he sees you curled up against the sheets, your hair splayed across your pillow as you cling to your blankets. pinocchio allows his eyes to trail over to your chest, becoming mesmerized by the gentle rise and fall of it.

unconsciously, he reaches out to you, allowing his hand to brush back the strands of your hair. upon feeling his cold hand against your skin, you wince in your sleep before letting out a soft groan. pinocchio simply stiffens in response, not even attempting to move his hand away from you even when you slowly began to awaken.

"huh? pinocchio?" you sat up in bed, forcing pinocchio to remove his hand away from your cheek. "what are you doing here?"

pinocchio knew that the right thing to do in this situation was to simply apologize for waking you up, yet no words seemed to come out properly from his parted lips. "i...i..."

yet miraculously, you seemed to inherently understand him. "it's alright, you can't sleep, right?" wordlessly, you scoot over on your bed, making room for pinocchio to settle beside you. "come on, it's alright, you can stay here, with me."

his hands began to itch with a sudden urge, a pinprick of desire that seemed to grow as your smile was all he could see. following along with this strange emotion, pinocchio lets out a tiny thank you in response to your kindness before laying in bed with you.

not wanting you to fall off the bed, he wraps his arms around your form, bringing you closer to him as you let out a gasp. he says your name in yet another soft whisper, adjusting himself so that his ear was pressed against your chest.

"p-pinocchio?" your voice had risen a few octaves, and he could hear the way your heart began to beat faster in response to his touch.

"ssh...just let me...let me listen to your heart beat- listen to what makes you human." pinocchio's voice began to take on a richer tone, being filled with wonder as he closed his eyes and listened to the steady beat of your heart.

thumpthumpthump...

how far would you go to be human?

how many lies would you tell?

in this moment, with you by his side, pinocchio knew that he would tell an infinite amount of lies-

for if he could become human and share his heartbeat with yours, than what greater bliss could possibly exist for him?

a.n. - so a new lies of p trailer just dropped, and i find myself falling for pinocchio all over again 🥹

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[triceratops6]

Hiii, I have a request! Ok so hear me out, what if Daichi ends up becoming friends with this girl (Michimiya), and he spends a lot of his time with her. Lately he has been forgetting his plans or canceling his plans with reader, who is his girlfriend, for the friend.  make it as angsty as possible with a happy ending pretty please with a cherry on top🥹

Hi ! Thanks for your request I hope you're gonna like it <33

Daichi x reader

ANGST with happy ending :)

Summary : At first, you were happy when Daichi became friend with Michimiya, but as he started to hang out more with her you couldn't help the bitter thoughts that reached you.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

It has been happening more and more lately, a text to told you he wasn't available this night or another one to apologise because he forgot your date. Daichi was the best boyfriend you could wish for, always sweet to you and full of kindness. This is why you didn't complain when he started to hang out with Michimiya more and more often. After all the two were captain of their volleyball team, they advised each other and could share their burden.

So you were happy at first when they became friends, you always thought Michimiya was very nice. But then Daichi started to forget your date or to cancel at the last minute because he had things to do with her. And, even to you tried to be comprehensive, even to you trusted your boyfriend with your life; you just couldn't take it anymore.

Not when you were standing in front of your house all dolled up and beautiful; waiting for your boyfriend for more than an hour now. He was supposed to pick you up for a date, the two of you had been waiting to go to this place for a long time now. Well, at least you had, you were happy to finally spend time with Daichi given that he was very busy lately. You checked one last time your phone and seing that you had no text from him you simply gave up. Sighing before going back to your home.

Once settled in your couch, you couldn't help the gloomy thoughts that overcame you. Had you done something for him to avoid you this much ? Didn't he wanted to spend time with you ? You were really lost, he was as kind as ever to you and nothing had change in his attitude towards you. Well, beside the fact that you could barely see each others outside of class now.

Maybe he stopped loving you; falling for his new friend instead. Your stomach tightened up at this thought, the most painful thing being that you found this situation likely to happen. Maybe that was it, he was growing bored of you and had found a new lover in Michimiya. Not knowing what was really going on made your head ache, all you had really wanted was for Daichi to just tell you. Not slowly drifting away from you without saying anything, letting you in your inability of really understand the whole situation.

As you were going to bed, you recieved a text from your boyfriend. He had unexpectedly practice tonight and were very sorry that he couldn't let you know in time. You were already in a bad mood from his manners but in addition to all that, this new practice was in common with the feminine volleyball team. An idea Michimiya and him had not long ago.

Speechless, you stared at your phone for a good minute before taking the decision not to respond to him. Tomorrow you would have to talk to him seriously, wether it would mean ending your relationship or not. You went to bed, tears menacing to spill as you thought once again of Daichi and this whole situation.

Nothing could describe what how you were feeling right now, the feeling that made its way trough your stomach since this morning was unbearable. You were anxiously attending to your class already thinking about what you would say to your boyfriend -thoughts that were spinning in your head since this morning. You wondered how he would react and what were his excuses. Was he just busy and stressed, or had he really found his feelings for you to be gone ?

Before you could torture yourself further with your thoughts, a hand on your shoulder startled you. Turning your head, you meet the sweet smile of Daichi, he gave you a peck on the cheek before speaking "Hi love, I'm really sorry for last night, tonight I have no plan so we can see each other okay ?", you just stood there not really sure what to say. You were angry at him and you were sad, it took all your will not to slap him right now. Seing your lack of reaction, Daichi's eyes became sad and his eyebroww knitted with worry "Are you alright ?" and before you could respond, the sound of the bell told you you had class to attend. Before going, you just told him -with what you hoped was self-confidence- "I think we should talk, so I would be waiting for you this evening after your practice"

The rest of the day felt like hell for the two of you. Neiher could really concentrate on their classes as their thoughts were eating them up. You couldn't stop thinking about what you were going to say to him, replaying the fictional scene in your head again and again like a movie. And Daichi couldn't stop the aprehension he felt, he knew he had fucked up, he was already grateful that you were patient with him but he had cross the limit this time and there were no going back. His worry and lamentations followed him all day, even at practice and he was not surprised when the coach told him to go home given his poor game.

Finally outside, the first thing he saw was that you were already here, sat on a bench you seemed in your thoughs. As he was observing you, his sweet and beautiful girlfriend, the truth hit him, you were going to break up with him. Well, of course you were, he had been cancelling your dates for weeks or even forgetting them, being busy wasn't an excuse anymore. But even to he didn't want to, he had to accept the consequence of his actions, so he walked to you.

When you saw him, you were taken aback given that his practice was supposed to end later. You came here before to gather you thoughts and now you didn't feel prepared enough. You jumped on your feet, facing Daichi and an awkward silence took place. Neither one of you knew what to say and to you, it was like all the negative feelings of this past weeks came to weight you down at this exact moment. The only moment where you needed to be calm and have an important converstation.

"Do you still love me ?" was all you could muster in the moment and you cringed at how it came out. You saw Daichi eyes open wide as it was his turn to ask "Why would I don't love you anymore ?". After sadness there were anger that filled your words "Are you kidding me ? Don't do like you don't know what I'm talking about Daichi," he flinched slightly hearing his name fall from your mouth "You've been avoiding me for weeks, spending all your time with either your friends or Michimiya. You could've at least told me you don't want to spend time with me anymore instead of drifting away like that. I thought you were better than that, so now that we finally see each other outside of school tell me the truth. Are you still in love with me ? Have you fall for Michimiya ? Just tell me Daichi so I can finally move on and understand."

Daichi was at a complete loss of words, he wanted to punch himself so bad for letting the women he loved think that of their situation. For letting you have this thoughts that were evidently eating you for a long time. And most of all, for the way he made you suffer. "Oh no, I don't want to break up with you ! I still love you so much, Michimiya's just a friend !" he was such an asshole, of course it would do nothing to say that, he basically spend more time with her than with you lately. "I'm so sorry my love... I was so busy lately and when I was spending time with her I didn't mean it like that."

He could see that you were still angry -wich was totally normal-, but there were still a once of doubt in your eyes "Are you sure ? I don't understand with how you have been acting lately." He approached you carefully, not wanting to make you uncomfortable "Of course I'm sure, I love you and my feelings will not change for a very long time, I'm sure of that. I should have talked more with you, and explain further when I couldn't go out with you, I have been careless and I promise I will make time for the two of us now and never see Michimiya again" that last sentence made you smile a little "Will you forgive me my love ?"

He saw you pout slightly "Well... I don't really know, your excuses didn't seem really convincing to me" he smiled, before taking your hand in his, " I swear you're the only one in my mind at all time, and the only thing I could think of when we weren't together was you and how I would love to have you in my arms. I will do anything for you to forgive me and I'm really sorry." you were smiling now, and even to you were still angry with him, you were glad your thoughts had the best of you and that he had just been an asshole for a little while. Still, an asshole that loved you and were ready to learn from his mistakes.

"Of course I forgive you, but if it happen again I will dump you." "It won't happen again, I swear. Can I hug you ?" you just noded and he was on you, kissing your cheek as you reciprocated his embrace. As you were making the most of the presence of each others you couldn't stop a last sentence to slip past your lips "You're punish though, you can't see Michimya more than me now." he drew away and you were meet with a nervous smile, proof he was again sorry. You snort before giving him a peck on the lips.

You two then started to walk, Daichi sneacking his arm on your hip "Where do you want to go ?" you looked at him "I was thinking we could go to my house and see a movie, I have popcorn. Is it okay with you ?" "Yep, perfect."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

[cottoncandy-cult]

Babysitting

I used a wheel to determine which guys I'd write for~

Intro:

"So…Why do you have a stranger's kid?…" (Y/n)'s lover stared blankly at her; a singular eyebrow quirked as he watched how she cradled a sleeping child to her chest. "One of my friends amongst the seamstresses is having to babysit her nephew because her sister is ill, since I've already finished all my commissions I offered to watch him for her." She giggled, gently brushing her fingers over the child's chubby cheeks. Her lover seemed skeptical about toting a kid around the castle, but because of how much fun she seemed to be having he had been willing to just let it happen.

Shingen

The large male chuckled from where he sat next to (Y/n), sipping his tea as he watched his lover settle the baby in her lap so that he was sitting up with his back against her torso. She was currently entertaining the baby with a puppet his aunt had brought from home for him, she was so focused on the giggling baby that she hadn't noticed Shingen's loving stare. At first, he wasn't sure about having an infant in the castle, but (Y/n) had handled every moment like a champ. Even the infant's cries hadn't been enough to frazzle her, instead she went about soothing him with a smile. The scene was enough to make him think, he had been with (Y/n) for some time now and since they were officially married the next logical step was a family. It wasn't something he had put much thought into previously, but seeing his wife playing with and taking care of this baby was enough to have him confronting himself over his own thoughts and feelings of the future. Shingen didn't come out of these thoughts until (Y/n) moved to sit beside him, the little baby giggling happily as its tiny hand grabbed hold of his sleeve. With a warm smile and large gentle hands, Shingen lifted the baby up to his level. "Not even 3 years old and you're a lady killer, what are you parents gonna do with you?" The baby giggled loudly as Shingen gently bounced him up and down, (Y/n) taking the moment of freedom to snag a skewer of mochi and begin digging into her own snack. "He really is adorable; his parents must have amazing genetics." (Y/n) giggled, watching her husband play with the baby boy was she ate her snack. She couldn't help but focus on her lover's grinning face, she took a good hard look at his features as she did her best to imagine him as a baby. She'd be lying if she claimed to have never thought about having a family with him, many early mornings were spent getting ready together and wondering how things would change when they had a child of their own. She couldn't help but gaze at the love of her life, wondering what he had looked like as a baby. Given how big Shingen was, she was confident he was the chubbiest of babies. A thought that made her cheeks flush as she smiled, the thought of having a chubby baby just made her happy.

Of course, Shingen had similar thoughts, especially when they walked through the Castel town and the children would recognize his goddess. The way they get so excited, wanting nothing more than to play and talk with the woman he loved. Sometimes he found himself daydreaming, wondering when the day would come that he'd be looking up from his desk to find his dear wife nurse the fruit of their labors. He's already worked out a few designs for some baby furniture, wanting to make it himself so he knew it was made right. He and his wife had discussed the baby furniture of the future before, the things she described gave him a lot of inspiration. "He's quite small, I was almost afraid to hold him at first." Shingen chuckled, resting the little boy on his leg and gently bouncing him. The large man couldn't help but chuckle as the little boy squealed happily, tiny hands gripping Shingen's sleeves as he bounced comfortably. "i know, it's been so long since I last babysat. When I first saw him, I was almost surprised he wasn't smaller, I forget sometimes they aren't as small as dolls." She giggled, reaching over to gently brush her hand against the thin layer of hair on the little boy's head affectionately. "Perhaps it's my height, but all babies seem absolutely tiny to me." Shingen chuckled, watching her give the boy some affection as she ate. "Probably, you are bigger than most other grown men so I can only imagine how little he must look to you." She giggled, putting down her skewer as she moved closer to Shingen and leaned into his side. She wrapped her arms around one of his, her head resting on his shoulder as she closed her eyes with a soft smile. Shingen could only chuckle, the little boy leaning back against his chest as he seemed to finally tucker himself out. "Now that's a good idea…" Shingen's low voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke softly, gently shifting the little boy to rest in his arm. "Since you finished your snack, why not come here and join me for a nap. The weather is wonderful." Shingen opened his arm, leaning back against the wall as his dear wife smiled at him and shook her head in mock-shame. "I suppose a nap won't hurt." She moved closer to him, slipping under his arm now and snuggled into him as she rested her head on his chest. Shingen had the boy cradled on his lap, leaning against his torso comfortably. It didn't take long for (Y/n) to sleep, Shingen had stayed awake a bit longer though. He wanted to enjoy the sight of holding his lover like this, looking down on the boy and that was how he KNEW it was about damn time he spoke to his wife about starting their family.

Kanetsugu

Kanetsugu stood speaking before a crowd of other vassals, it was a pretty standard meeting so why were these men staring at the man of the house? Because sat on his hip as he spoke was a 3-year-old girl, she was awake but quite content with the gentle bouncing and the sound of Kanetsugu's voice. His wife had to run into town to buy some stuff, so he had offered to watch the little girl since he had nothing to do after this meeting was over with. The little girl had been absolutely smitten with Kanetsugu, lighting up every time she saw him in a way similar to how his wife seemed to brighten whenever he'd come home at the end of the day. It made Kanetsugu chuckle whenever he saw it, this little girl reminded him of both his wife and his younger siblings. He took great part in raising his siblings, he remembered when they were all little like this and those memories were quite dear to him. At the end of the meeting Kanetsugu made his way to the kitchen, paying no mind to the odd stares he got and the whispers that followed him down the hall. He wanted to get the little girl a snack, so he planned to fix her some peaches since they were soft and easy to eat. On his way there he noticed his lover on her way down the hall. She was coming from the direction of their room, meaning she had dropped off her shopping. The young woman's face lit up; he couldn't help but give a slight smile at how she rushed up to him with her own wide grin. "I take it the meeting is over? Thanks for watching her while I ran into town." (y/n) smiled, reaching out to playfully poke the little girl's side and listen to her giggle. They exchanged the little girl, who had smuggled into (Y/n)'s chest. No doubt the woman was a bit more comfortable to lay on, for obvious reasons. "I was on my way to the kitchen to get her a snack, so it's perfect timing on your part. It'll be easier than cutting a peach one handed." He gently took her hand, since getting married, he had begun doing this any time they were together. She was his wife, something he was proud of and more than willing to display. "Food sounds good, lunch should be coming round soon. So hopefully she'll be done eating before then and we can eat without too much trouble." (Y/n) smiled up at Kanetsugu, the little girl resting on her arm and curled against her chest. She was sucking on her thumb, content with the steady sway of the woman's walk cycle.

"Maybe if we're lucky we can put her down for a nap after her snack, she hasn't had one today yet so it's about that time anyways." Kanetsugu lead his lover to the kitchen, his free hand running through his own hair as he found his gaze wandering away from the sky as he took in the sight of his lover with her friend's baby. It was such a domestic sight, something that made an odd feeling stir in him. He had never actually thought about it in depth, he knew he wanted a family, but he had never put a whole lot of thought into it. But confronted with the glimpse before him, it was like something was stirring awake. He no longer just wanted a family with her, he needed one. The thought of having evidence of their love made his heart speed up, a sort of primal shift growing inside of him at the thought of her having his child. It wasn't just animalistic desire though; his protective instinct was starting to twitch awake. To have a family with his wife, that would truly be his peace. It was like a new goal came into focus; one he couldn't wait to discuss with her later once the little girl had gone home with her mother for the night. So, for now he had to settle for gently squeezing her hand, giving her a fond gaze as he watched her talk about her experience at the market. When her gaze suddenly caught his, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Leaving her flustered as he released her hand and stepped through the threshold and into the kitchen. She stood at the doorway, watching him with curiosity as she failed to fight the love-struck smile that crossed her face when watching the man, she loved prepare food for the little girl in their care.

Motonari

Motonari watched his wife with a grumpy pout, on her lap was a 4-year-old that had proven to be the bane of this man's existence. This little boy would not accept anyone but her, and God forbid Motonari be allowed to hug or touch his wife. The boy didn't throw a hissy fit, oh no, worse yet the little boy would hold his palm out to Motonari with a firm but docile "No." With the most expressionless stare Motonari has seen in his life, he hadn't been able to so much as hug his wife with this little boy around. The kid refused to be held by anyone else, he was always giving Motonari such a blank faced stare and it never failed to make the man laugh out of mild frustration. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous he felt. He was competing with a kid for his wife, and it wasn't even his kid. At the end of the day, this kid goes home with someone else, so there is NO competition. Each time Motonari reminded himself of this, rolling his eyes at the jealous side that was near desperate to hold her hand. Though there was some odd part of him that was satisfied with watching his wife interact with this little boy, even when he was fussy, she was calm as can be when handling him. Plus, there was the pride he took in having a wife so loved by so many people, she was the prize jewel out of all his treasures. Currently the two were waiting for the little boy's aunt, (Y/n)'s friend, to come and pick up the little boy for the night. The sun was an hour or two from setting, and he was doing his best to be patient as he had a staring contest with the little boy. At least until the child reached out to him, making a grabby motion that had (Y/n) lighting up. "Aw, he wants you to hold him!" She was excited, moving closer to Motonari, who for just a moment was panicking, he did not have a plan for this particular option. So he had let his wife lead him into holding the little boy on his lap, the boy sat with his back to Motonari's chest. His little head was leaned back on Motonari's collarbone, he still had one hand holding onto (Y/n)'s finger so she had to sit against Motonari's side. Seizing his chance, he slid his free arm around her waist as his other was draped over the boy's stomach to keep him steady.

"I guess you respecting his boundaries earned his trust, that's so sweet." She smiled brightly, nuzzling Motonari's shoulder in a way that never ceased to make him melt inside. This was a situation he had never imagined in his life, the male having never actually thought about having kids of his own. Sure, he knew kids existed, but he never thought about HIS kids existing. This whole situation felt so surreal, looking down at his lover and this child no longer felt real. All of a sudden it felt dreamlike, as if he was discovering something for the first time. A wide array of emotions overwhelmed him, from a strange anxiety to what could only be described as an intense contentment. He had come a long way from the person he was when he and his wife first met, but even still to have such a large discovery out of nowhere was almost startling. He hadn't felt like this since he first realized he truly loved his wife; it was a feeling that could be described with the word emotion. It was so much at once, and yet he felt calm in an odd way. His face was flaming, silently staring at his lover as he processed everything. Of course she had noticed his stare, she had trying speaking to him, but he never responded and now she was simply flustered by the look he was giving her. It was almost innocent, the flustered look mixed with confusion and surprise. Leaning forward she placed a gentle kiss to the tip of his nose, suddenly bursting the bubble he had previously been absorbed in. It took every ounce of self-control in him not to jump, he had already embarrassed himself enough today. The hand that had been around her waist came up, pulling her close and tucking her head into the crook of his neck as he tried to hide his flustered state. These new realizations had him feeling energized in an odd way, he simply had to have her close right now. He knew the look on his face was probably quite out of character for him, and he was embarrassed to admit how little control he actually had over his current behavior. He wanted to hide his emotional state, and what better way to do that then basking in the affection and the touch of his wife that he had wanted all day. Once the boy was returned, he planned to spend the rest of the day and night with his wife in their room. He wanted only her presence, only her voice and scent. Only her.

Masamune

(Y/n) currently sat at a banquet between her boss Nobunaga and her lover Masamune, across from her was Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi. Meanwhile in her lap was a 1-one-year old little girl, the niece of a friend that was taking care of her sister until the woman's husband got home from work. Because of that (Y/n) had brought the baby to the banquet, it was fairly late, and the baby was full from where (Y/n) had taken the baby home long enough to eat and give the mom a chance to see her. The little girl had been quite content after eating, and so now she was happily babbling away at Keiji while Masamune fed his wife a bit of rice. "I shouldn't be surprised you volunteered for such a task; you always do manage to find the most amusing situations." Mitsuhide chuckled from across the woman, drinking some sake and letting a servant refill it. "She was a little fussy at first, but once she got comfortable with us it got a bit easier. Her aunt should be back to get her soon. She's just waiting for the woman's husband to come home to take care of his wife." Masamune chuckled, sitting close to his lover's side as he'd raise bites for her to take and fed her her meal before he had even touched his. He had spent most the day doing paperwork, which left (Y/n) to bear the brunt of the child's care. He wanted to give her a small break and help out now that he wasn't busy, plus he had been wanting to give her some love all day. She was just too cute, playing with and fawning over the baby girl currently in her arms. Looking at the little girl he could admit she was cute, but he just knew their baby would be even cuter. If he had a little girl that looked just like his wife, he'd be over the moon. In truth he wanted a larger family, something he and his lover had discussed many times. They want quite a few children; they hadn't really been trying for kids as of late but also hadn't been avoiding it either. But today made him feel it was time, seeing the way she cared for the little girl, even when she screamed and cried, had reaffirmed in him that they could do this, and it was about time to take the first steps officially.

Once his wife had finished her food he had set the chopsticks down, using one hand to hold one of her own as the other brought his cup of tea up to his lips so he could take a sip. "It seems so natural; I was worried you'd struggle with her when I first saw you in the halls this morning. But you seem to have everything under control." Hideyoshi smiled, taking a bite of some roasted vegetables while observing the baby girl in his friend's lap. Despite all the noise she almost seemed ready to fall asleep, the group laughing at how her tiny head bobbed before she finally gave up and completely rested across the woman's lap as her haori functioned as a makeshift cover. "I won't lie it was hard to be calm sometimes, but I eventually found a good rhythm for cycling through what she wanted or needed until I could find what I needed. Then it just kinda got easier to tell what she was wanting, plus after visiting her mom to drink her fill she's been quite content and a lot less fussy." (Y/n) giggled, gently rubbing the baby's stomach with her free hand. She watched the baby sleep with a fond gaze, her mind wandering to places that her observant friends could easily predict. For Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, and Hideyoshi; it was the same look Masamune got any time they noticed him watching her interact with the little girl. Oh yes, they knew it was only a matter of time before they had children running about the castle whenever the pair would come to visit from Aoba. "Well, at least you'll have practice for when you and Lord Masamune have a child. It'll be quite the sight to see." Mitsunari spoke openly with a fond smile on his face, and as flustered as it made her, (Y/n) couldn't fight the smile she felt forming on her face. She'd be lying if she said taking care of the little girl made her wonder how things would be when they DID have their own child, she'd love to have a little boy that looked just like her husband. Though she had known for a while she wants more than one child, as aware as she is of what childbirth is like in this era she wouldn't miss the chance to have the family she desires with the man she loves. "You guys will be the first we tell when I fall pregnant, I promise Mitsunari." She giggled some, at least until she felt Masamune's arm wrap around her waist. "It'll be more than that, we'll be staying here during your pregnancy that way I can be sure of your safety. Plus, Ieyasu will be a boon to have on standby." The blonde let out an indignant snort but said nothing back. The fussy blonde being surprisingly quiet about Masamune's desire to have him care for Hime in such a state, and none of the other warlords seemed bothered at the idea of a pregnant woman waddling around the castle. Something that both embarrassed (Y/n) and made her feel overjoyed, as she knew she had everyone's support when it came time for this new step in her life.

Kenshin

Everyone stared intently at the trio during a war council, sitting in his usual place was Kenshin. And as per usual, he was the one making a scene. In his lap sat his wife, odd but not entirely unexpected. And then on her lap was a little boy, a 4-year-old she had volunteered to watch during the day for her friend who was caring for an ill family member. The group had been stuck at the hip since the little boy's arrival, though at first Kenshin had been a little jealous and that had been why he was being more openly affectionate than usual. But it was less than 2 hours before his reasoning shifted, some part of him deeply enjoyed watching his wife happily interact with the child. He had thought about having a family with her for many years, even before they had married. Though he had yet to put his desires into words, he didn't want to pressure her and had originally decided he'd just wait for her to approach him when she was ready. But now, while Kanetsugu went over his report for his recent observation mission, Kenshin wanted nothing more than a way to bring up his desires without pressuring his love. Starting a family was a big deal after all, he didn't want her to force herself into something she isn't ready for just to try and please him. Kenshin was staring off into the distance, his chin resting on the top of his lover's head while the little boy in her lap played with a stuffed animal. His vassals watched, absolutely astonished. Even Shingen was quite intrigued with his friend's behavior, meanwhile Kanetsugu could feel his eye twitching as he figured out long ago his Lord was barely listening, and they'd probably have to talk about this again later. Of course (Y/n) wasn't dumb, she could tell what everyone was thinking, and she did kind of feel bad for Kanetsugu. Before Kanetsugu left for his mission Kenshin had the Fearsome God of war, when he returned however he was Kenshin Lord of the bunnies. Sure, he still went to war, but he had changed in many ways. Kanetsugu could recognize the good, but he often found himself surprised at how (Y/n) brought out a childlike behavior in Kenshin.

Sometimes it made Kanetsugu want to laugh, but when his Lord is just blank face no thought staring at him in the middle of a war council, he wanted to throw something. Not that he actually would. He tried to soothe himself by observing his Lord's situation while he spoke, knowing that at least Shingen, Yukimura and Sasuke were listening. From the outside, you'd almost think they were a family. A thought that did calm the white-haired male's irritation, his Lord seemed so content. Kenshin was always quite happy when he had (Y/n) in his lap, but the addition of the child seemed to bring something out of the male. Kanetsugu didn't miss how his lord had gently pulled his wife closer, the blonde man's hand occasionally coming up to pet the little boy on the head absent mindedly. It only further reassured Kanetsugu's expectation that this is likely going to be the future, he wasn't quite sure how he was gonna handle this, but he was sure it was going to involve late night drinks with a recap of the war council. By the time Kanetsugu had come to this conclusion he had finished his explanation of the survey he had been sent on, and as he stepped back to return to his previous seat Kenshin seemed to realize that everything was over. On the outside Kenshin seemed somewhat normal, but Kanetsugu could see the slight surprise in his lord's features upon realizing he had missed the entire council. "I see, I do have a few questions, but we can discuss those later. Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" Kenshin gazed around the room, wanting to make sure there wasn't anything left to discuss before he dismissed the meeting. When it was concluded that there was nothing else to talk about, Kenshin released everyone to go back to their daily duties. "It's almost time for lunch Kenshin, did you want to go out to eat? The weather has been nice the past few days." (Y/n) smiled, leaning back so that she rested against his chest. Her head leaned back against his shoulder, and she pressed a kiss to his cheek with a warm smile. After the door had been closed and everyone left, she let the little boy up so that he could explore the room a bit. Where the two adults sat, they could see every corner of the room and could easily monitor him. "Sure, we can make a date of it. The little one won't notice, and we can stop by a tea house for dessert after if you want." Though Kenshin didn't really like sweets, he still enjoyed the tea house atmosphere while he watched her enjoy her desserts. "You know me too well." She giggled, pressing another kiss to his cheek as they spent a few quiet moments in each other's arms. Watching over the little boy in front of them, both having only the thought of discussing family with each other at the end of the night.

[jeewrites]

Hold Fast | Ch. 2 SBD & Cinnamon Rolls

Series Master List

Rating: M for language, but this blog is 18+ MDNI

Summary: Frankie works out at Pope's Gym with his bff Pope

A/N: Happy Frankie Friday! Bit of backstory about reader, Frankie gets a glimpse into reader's powerlifting world, meet some OCs. And as always, thank you to my beta @bloviating-vy, although I messed with it later so all errors are my own, lol.

Word Count: 3.7k

Tags: no y/n, reader gets a nickname, swearing, yelling, discussion about food, reader is a powerlifting girlie in her late 30's described as short and she has hair long enough to put into a ponytail, Tom is alive unfortunately (we hate Tom), Tom owns a bar called Redfly's, Pope owns a gym, reader's mother is a menace, an OC is fatphobic, some Frankie POV

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One of the hobbies you picked up after you broke up with your fiancé — ex-fiancé — was baking. Chase always complained that everything you cooked or baked made him fat. You both shared a sweet tooth, but he was adamant about keeping the house sweets-free, fat-free, fun-free. Christ, he had gotten so militant about so many things. So fucking suffocating.

He didn't start out this way when you first met in college. He was sweet and driven, focused on getting into medical school, like you were. Your first real relationship. But somewhere between medical school, residency, and supporting him through his fellowship, he became increasingly neurotic and controlling. He started yelling, first about things, then at you. Why can't you do anything right? Why are you friends with her? Who is he? Why are you texting him? Why do you act like a child? You're going to wear that? That outfit makes you look like a whore. He started bragging about what a big bad surgeon he was going to be and how lucky you were to be with him. The larger his ego grew, the smaller you felt. It took you too long to realize the college boy you fell for no longer existed.

Now, every Friday night after a long day, you'd go home, throw on some tunes, and bake to decompress from the week. There is something calming and meditative about the process — measuring, mixing, and kneading — resulting in a desired outcome that pleases you, delights you. Sometimes you even liked to get experimental with the flavors from your childhood. You could watch whatever show you wanted while you baked: wholesome comedies to cringe-worthy reality tv, without a judgment to be heard. Peace. You finally had peace.

Despite the long days at the group practice, it was nothing compared to the 80-100 hours a week you'd pull working at the hospital. Did you miss teaching the next crop of residents? Sure, but you love the newfound free time you had to do things for yourself, things that interest you. You needed a break and a break from working in the same building as Chase. The hospital just wasn't big enough.

The hospital rumor mill had cranked into high gear when you caught him sneaking out of a call room with one of the OR nurses, scrubs rumpled, hair mussed. It's like you were living in a fucking episode of Grey's Anatomy. And he had the audacity to raise his voice at you in the middle of the hospital in front of what felt like everyone. You stopped wearing your engagement ring (thank fuck) and Chase started blatantly hooking up with any of the staff that were ready and willing. Of which there were a lot. You were done with the hierarchy of the hospital, placing surgeons at the very top, over-inflating their otherwise fragile egos. You were over the whispered judgements questioning Why would you leave a surgeon? What was wrong with you? Between the long hours and hushed whispers everywhere you went, you wanted — no, needed — a change.

You joined a group practice with some former residency friends across town and moved into a small one bedroom apartment until you could decide what your next steps were. It helped that Pope's Gym was halfway between home and work now, so you settled into a more sustainable routine of working, lifting, and exploring hobbies and interests long neglected since college. And Chase. And more recently, giving the whole online dating thing a spin after over a year of pouring back into yourself, rediscovering who you are now in your late 30's.

Sometimes it felt like going through a second adolescence, rebelling against the expectations Chase and your parents caged you with, to fit their very specific idea of who you should be as a wife first and physician second. Always serving a role, being a pretty object, but never a person. At the first opportunity, you sold the stupid black Audi that Chase had insisted you buy because all of the other physicians owned the same fucking one. He also insisted on an automatic because he couldn't drive stick. Now you zipped to work in that sporty blue WRX STI that you wanted in the first place, windows down, singing loudly and off key to the radio, free as can be.

It still hurt when you ended things, but it hurt a lot less than you thought it would. You realized the end really began when Chase left for his fellowship out of state and you noticed how much happier and free you felt when you were on your own. Why didn't you miss him more? Why didn't you miss him at all?

And yet, it didn't stop you from saying yes when he proposed. A big flashy proposal in front of both your families. You remember feeling frozen like a deer caught in the headlights of a car driven by your mother. Your mother's voice in your ear, You won't do better than a surgeon. Not with your looks. Not with those thighs you inherited from me. So you said yes and floated through the rest of the celebratory evening weighed down by the most obscene diamond ring, smiling and nodding like a robot while you drowned on the inside. Saying and doing exactly what you had been taught to do as the eldest daughter. Appease. Please. Live for everyone else. And don't rock the fucking boat.

Frankie couldn’t remember a Saturday when he had sweated so much. When is Pope going to get a proper A/C system for his gym? It'd been a week since Frankie met you at Redfly's and Pope had finally convinced him to come in for a workout despite his excuse that he had Gabi that weekend. I'm sure your mamá would love to spend some time with her nieta, Pope had pressed.

Which is how Frankie finds himself, curls dripping in sweat, looking up at Pope's crotch as Pope hands off the barbell for him to bench. Fuck, he’s out of shape. And getting old. Pretty sure he could hear both his shoulders creak under whatever weight Pope had shoved onto the bar. He grimaces at how he is going to feel tomorrow.

As he finishes his set and sits up, Frankie catches a blur of lavender and black greeting Benny and beelining to one of the lifting platforms near the entrance of the gym. It was you.

“You can quit starin', Fish, she’ll be here at least 2.5 hours. It’s her SBD Day,” Pope ribs. "You text her about dinner yet?"

"Um…" Frankie pauses before choosing deflection. "Uh, what's SBD?"

"Jesus, Fish, it's been over a week," Pope chides.

"I mean, we've texted a bit," Frankie mumbles, getting up from the bench and turning to face away from you, one hand cupping his neck.

"Squat, bench, deadlift," Pope responds.

"What?"

"That's what SBD stands for," Pope grunts, laying back on the bench to complete his set.

"She's going to do all three in one workout?!"

"She's planning to compete this year, so yeah," Pope unracks the barbell on his own as Frankie just stands there dumbfounded. He was beat just benching with Pope this morning.

He takes another glance in your direction as you wrestle your knee sleeves on and flop dramatically on the ground when you finish. As other members filter around your platform, you greet them like old friends with that warm, beaming smile of yours. Even the perpetually furrowed brow woman doing tire flips in one corner of the gym breaks out a smile when you arrive and wave at her. Frankie had noticed her shirt first, a deep red t-shirt with cut-off sleeves that read "STRONGER IS HARDER TO KILL" in aggressive black text.

He could watch you lift all day. The way you set up for your squat with mechanical precision. Your entire body language changes with a flick of a switch. You could be casually chatting with another person, but as soon as you walk up to the barbell and click your belt in place, you are methodical, intentional, focused. When your hands touch the barbell a streak of aggressive energy swirls around you as you swoop under the barbell and set your feet, left foot, then right. Two deep breaths and brace. A flick of your ponytail over the bar. Back tight against the bar with an assertive lift-off. Right foot back, then left. A brief pause. Then squat. Loading into your lower body with control. High knees. Weight midfoot. Driving up into each rep. Rep after rep. Pause. Re-rack. The switch flicks back when you lever off your belt and you're giggling again about something with someone until your next set. Rinse and repeat. It is fucking hot.

"C'mon Fish, top set," Pope prods, bringing Frankie back from his reverie with a groan. "If you get a move on, maybe we'll finish in time for you to offer your spotting services to her when she gets to her bench."

Frankie hustles.

As he spots Pope for his top set, he notices a toned, blonde man with a garish tan approach you as you stand to do another set. Instead of greeting him with your usual smile you gave everyone else, he sees your entire body tense at the man's approach. Frankie couldn't hear what Blondie is saying to you but you cross your arms, hands gripping your upper arms as you move to the edge of your platform, giving you as much distance as possible from the guy. You shake your head twice to whatever Blondie says.

This guy makes you uncomfortable, Frankie thinks to himself, paying rapt attention to the interaction. He loses himself in thought wondering what the story with Blondie is, if you had dated him before, or...?

Pope's grunt snaps his attention back to his friend as he helps Pope re-rack the bar.

"Who's the guy?" Frankie asks, tilting his head towards your direction. Pope glances over before he shrugs and responds, "His name is Michael? Mike? Kind of a bro."

Mike seems to have finally gotten the hint and stalked off. You stand there for a moment before glancing around the gym wondering if anyone else saw the interaction. Your eyes fell on him and Pope, lighting up before mouthing hi and giving Frankie the sweetest smile and small wave. Frankie felt his cheeks flush as he smiles back and looks down at the weights he had been removing from the bar.

"Fish, why are you taking all the weights off? We still have backdown sets!" Pope rolls his eyes. "Focus, cabrón."

As he and Pope work through the backdown sets that seem to take fucking forever, Frankie keeps a sharp eye out for Blondie in case the man decides to bother you again. Everything seems to have gone back to normal, as you finish your squats and adjust the rack for bench. Frankie notices a sudden shift in the gym's energy. Energy amping up as it seems like everyone is watching you more intently than he is. What the fuck is going on?

"Oh shit, it's time," Pope says, snapping to attention and moves towards you. "Let's go, don't wanna miss out on..."

"I thought we had one more set?" Frankie asks as he follows behind Pope.

"SNACK TIME!" bellows the woman in the aggressive Harder to Kill shirt who now stands next to you.

"Descend like locusts" drifts through your mind as you dig out two enormous Tupperwares of baked goods. Thank God for powerlifters and their appetites, otherwise your co-workers would complain about all the sweets you brought to the office. You didn't need that kind of negativity around such a delicious act of love.

Snack time became gym tradition on SBD Saturdays, usually between squat and bench. This week you made fluffy cinnamon rolls, a batch of regular flavored rolls with a light icing and an experimental batch of ube flavored rolls with delicate coconut icing, making them a delightful purple dressed in white swirls.

"Fuck, these are so good," Pope groans before taking another large chomp out of his purple cinnamon roll.

You see Frankie standing behind Pope, glancing around, bewildered at the crush of powerlifters crowding your platform to grab a treat. You manage to squeeze through the throng of biceps and quads to reach him.

"Saved you half of each," you smile up at him before proffering up your baked treats. He seemed surprised you thought to save him some.

"S'good, so good," he groans between bites. "S'not too sweet either. I really like that."

"That's why we call her Sweets," the furrow-browed woman says as she walks up to you and Frankie. When Frankie gives her a confused look, she explains, "It's the highest praise she gives for dessert, not too sweet."

"Ah yeah, no one really calls me by my name," you explain with a shrug. "Everyone just calls me Sweets, honestly." Frankie nods with comprehension, shoving the rest of the roll into his mouth as if to give himself an excuse to avoid talking.

"Frankie, this is Chloé. Chloé, Frankie," you introduce the two of them. Chloé gives you a meaningful look before grunting a nice to meet you at Frankie. When she gives him an extra firm handshake you inwardly roll your eyes.

The first time you met Chloé, she immediately sized you up, trying to not-so-subtly find out if you were interested in Benny. It made sense since you had just squatted him in front of the whole gym to get him to shut the hell up. It could have been interpreted as a sweet pick-up move (if you thought so yourself, although you hadn't tried it on someone you actually wanted to pick-up, pick-up yet). As soon as you snorted that yes, you thought Benny was hot, but no, absolutely not your type, Chloé released her arched brows and decided you were okay, or at least not mortal enemies. She even offered some valuable insight into the idiosyncrasies of Pope's Gym and its members.

You soon learned that her fierce demeanor and myriad of furrowed expressions ("Yeah, I'm aware. My mom reminds me all the fucking time my face is going to get stuck like this if it hasn't already.") protected her thoughtful, kind, and sweet interior. Her broad shoulders, taut muscles, long single braid down her back, and aggressively worded shirts struck an intimidating image. You won her over once you plied her with snacks you kept in your gym bag. Premium snacks, every powerlifter's dream.

"Why are you sharing the good stuff," she asked, a skeptical arched eyebrow appearing once again.

"Us girlies gotta stick together," you reason. "Plus, who else is going to listen to you gush about Benny's abs?"

You both bonded over training cycles (fuck volume week, you can't count higher than 5 in the gym), training on your cycle (uuuuugh, just gut me now), creative ways to consume enough carbs (you both loved to bake and began swapping recipes at an alarming frequency), Benny's abs, and Pope's ass (dares may have been made to try and bounce a quarter off it). Chloé definitely had an enormous crush on Benny, but adamantly put her foot down when it came to dating anyone from the gym. Not gonna shit where I eat or something like that.

You treasured your friendship Chloé, the way she understood the highs and lows of training, didn't care you were basically a pariah in your family, and didn't give a flying fuck about other people's expectations. When you eventually shared why you moved to this part of town, how you ended up at Pope's Gym, and why you broke off your engagement, she looked you dead in the eye and congratulated you, "Sounds like that was a close call."

It made sense why she is now giving Frankie the once over, although you suspect it would take a lot longer and more than a few choice snacks to get Chloé to view Frankie without reservation. You appreciate how protective she is of you now that you are two peas in a powerlifting gym. Despite her own reservations about dating someone at the gym, she mostly kept her opinions to herself when you had mentioned going to have drinks with Benny's friends, including Pope's best friend.

Of course she was the first one you told the next morning as you warmed up for your workout — how the evening went, how you finally tried literally picking up someone you wanted to pick-up, pick-up, and your surprise when it worked. At the end of the night, Frankie had insisted on walking you to your car where he asked for your number with heat creeping up his neck before getting promptly distracted by your car. Wow, I've always wanted to drive one of these! Did you know they make some of the best rally cars? Oooh and it’s a manual! You may have suggested if he was lucky, you’d take him for a ride one day as you slid into the driver's seat. Before you even got home, your phone pinged with a message from him asking if you'd let him know when you got home safe.

"Just... be careful okay?" Chloé pressed, concern creased across her brows this time. "If Frankie starts working out here because he is the owner's best friend, you're gonna have to deal with some awkward shit if it doesn't work out."

"Good thing I have you as back-up," you teased back, earning you a Chloé shove of annoyed affection.

Frankie knows he's really in trouble now.

Between the glare from the serious looking woman, Chloé, shooting you pointed looks after you introduced the two of them, and the fluffiest, softest, most delectable cinnamon roll he's ever eaten in his life, he's either going to die getting strangled by Chloé when he eventually fucks things up with you or he's going to die of diabetes. Because Christ, you can bake too? How did you get the roll so light and fluffy? And just the perfect level of sweetness? Is that coconut in the icing on the purple cinnamon roll? Frankie loves sweets, but hates things that were so sweet it made his literal teeth hurt. Somehow you had managed the perfect balance of sweet. A fitting nickname, Sweets.

He peers around for the tupperware you brought, hoping a cinnamon roll may have escaped the locust of lifters that had descended just a few moments before, but the box is picked clean. It's then Frankie sees Mike grousing as he picks up and slams the container onto the floor.

"You didn't save one for me, Sweets?" he says, indignant words laced with outrage.

Frankie watches you flinch and move, putting as much space as you can between yourself and Mike.

"Fuck off, Mike." Chloé bites back, stepping in front of you.

"Even the new guy got one?" Mike jerks his head towards Frankie.

Frankie steps forward in line with Chloé and furrows his brows, hands clenching and unclenching. Who the fuck did Mike think he is?

"Yeah, well, I like him more," you push back, voice unsteady, staying partially hidden behind him and Chloé.

"What the FUCK did you just say bi—" Mike snarls, stalking forward just as Pope and Benny come up behind him. Benny clamps both hands on Mike's shoulders, staring daggers into the back of his head.

"Time to take a walk, buddy," Pope instructs, as Benny steers Mike around and marches him in the opposite direction. It takes Frankie a moment to realize he'd also moved, putting himself between Mike and the two of you, ready to protect. He drops his arms before turning back towards you.

Eyes wide, you release a long, shakey exhale and roll your shoulders away from your ears. After a moment you move to slide an arm around him and Chloé. "Thanks for having my back," you say to the ground. He can still feel a slight tremor in your arm before you drop them.

"Mike's such a fucking douchebag," Chloé huffs, glaring in the direction Benny and Pope had gone with Mike to before looking at Frankie with a flicker of appreciation before resuming her usual scowl.

"Wasn't gonna let him touch either of you," Frankie hesitates, "Know you're both strong women that can handle shit, but he's got at least 30 pounds on either of you. Wouldn't be ok just sittin' back if I could do something 'bout it."

Your eyes shift around him, glancing to make sure Mike hadn't suddenly come running back, before looking up at him, eyes still wide, before thanking him again. "Yelling... freaks me out. I — I don't... handle it very well sometimes." Chloé eyes you like she knows a lot more behind what you're talking about.

Frankie's unsure of what to do next. He wants to pull you to him, hold you, promise you you are safe and he won’t ever let Mike or anyone touch a hair on you ever. He longs to soothe the terrified expression off your face, wants to know what else made you so afraid besides what happened today. He isn’t good at many things, but Frankie knows he is built to protect the people he cares about, always making sure all the guys came home to their loved ones, safe. He wants to be the one who cares about you, protects you from anything that could hurt you, even if you are capable of standing up for yourself.

You take a few more slow deep breaths, staring at the entrance of the gym, before tearing off your squat shoes and knee sleeves. A switch flips and you're back to lifting mode, focused and determined, setting up the rack for your bench.

Frankie thinks he catches Chloé rolling her eyes when you shyly ask if he'd stick around and spot you in a few sets. "Absolutely," he breathes, delighted at the excuse to stay near you.

"Look," you continue, all business. "My top set is going to get real grindy, the bar might even come to a total stop, but don't touch the fucking bar unless it goes back down, okay?" you look at him over your shoulder waiting for confirmation before you lie back on the bench.

"Yes, ma'am."

<<prev chapter next chapter >>

Notes: nieta = granddaughter; cabrón = asshole

🙏🏽 Thank you for continuing to read! Your comments and reblogs have been giving me lifeeeee! I'm still bad at tumblr and new to tags/warnings, so if I missed something please let me know. Planning to post every other week since I have a lot of travel coming up.

I am open to constructive feedback but please be gentle with this baby powerlifting writer, yeah? I might be able to squat you, but I'm a big ol' softie.

Taglist is open: @katareyoudrilling @christinamadsen @rebel-held @littlemisspascal @burntheedges

[texasjen13]

Not to be rude to any anons, but you guys please stop making this FS woman to be some semi perfect woman. Many readers who saw an clout chasing Alba type coming ….and here we are….stated that his legit FS will come after this and she has been through hardship in life, won’t be well received by the world and not based on her own doing, the fandom won’t receive her well either probably not even the very fans who want this current pr stunt to end will be supportive when Chris actually settles down because his FS won’t match the descriptions so many hope for.

I love the creativity of the readings and various descriptions of her, she’s been described as every height, nationality, shape, age, race etc by now. ☺️ Don’t put social pressure and expectations on yourselves let alone a woman we know nothing about yet.

But the reality is this woman is going to go deal with a lot publicly all due to choosing to love this man. It’s not something many could handle and I promise you guys she’s not going to physically look or act anything like the fandom nor most readings have described and it going to lead to many claiming she can’t be FS. If people are getting specific physical descriptions of her, expect the opposite.

Many say she’s spiritually protected and based on how every time something from this current “shitshow” as it’s been dubbed, happens…..it FAILS immediately, I must say I believe she’s indeed spiritually protected and so is Chris. I would not play games with the divine, which is why I feel this mess should have ended months ago. Notice how it’s just gotten worse over time to the point, it’s like just pull the plug already. 😮‍💨

I do find it rather amusing because everything they do has been getting debunked since November 2022, the receipts are all online. Chris seems miserable, everything seems fake because it is and Alba has revealed her true colors in more ways than one. She’s NOT FS! I will say I have an odd suspicion that this mess may be used to assist Chris in meeting his actual FS, like this situation might end up making Chris and his FS gravitate towards one another faster or help them in their relationship once they go public. People are tired of the bs so when the real thing appears they might cherish, embrace and protect it at all cost vs had this mess never occurred. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t know, just a thought.

But back to his actual FS, This is a soul union or connection we’re waiting to witness in divine timing and it might not even make sense how, why or when it happens, but I’m sure Chris will be acting in a way his fandom has never seen like he has a light on him, genuine peace and happiness and things are going to change most definitely for the better.

But please don’t believe you’re this woman because again based on prior readings she’s been through hell on earth and has struggled with things, is probably still struggling with some things. Her and Chris might connect via a related struggle, not sure, but remember this FS woman is a human, not a Disney princess or angel.

At the end of the day, her being good for him and him for her is ALL that should matter in the end, not where she’s from, how she looks, talk, etc.

She’s been described consistently as a sweet soul and THAT is the one thing I can 100% agree on, you can’t fake a good soul. 💅

But yeah, I’m just waiting for the current bs to end and then real healing can begin! 😌❤️‍🩹

Take Care Everyone and I love the various interpretations. 😉

Exactly. She’s not gonna fit everybody’s description, but she’ll be perfect for him. As long as he thinks she’s perfect then nothing else would matter because he would think she’s perfect for him and she would think he’s perfect for her. No matter what the fandom would think. And let’s be real nobody’s perfect. As long as he’s happy as long as she’s happy, then yeah.

[marvelmaniac715]

This is something new for me. A perspective on the Chucky franchise from a character who’s seen it all, yet we never hear from him. It might not work out, but I thought it would be fun to try. Can you guess which character it is before the end? I hope you enjoy it :).

————————————————————-

I can’t remember my birth. But I can remember the moment I first became… aware, with painstaking clarity. The moment I first met him. The instant his cold, dark soul brushed against my wide eyed and innocent mind. I was so young back then, I had a heart filled with love and a head full of hope. How naive I was.

I’ve recently theorised that he cares for me in his own twisted way. When I was young, he would shield me from the worst of his deeds. I can’t remember much of the early years for that reason. It was terrifying back then, I’d go to sleep in one place and wake up wandering the streets. He never explained why or how I ended up in those situations. I wish he would.

As the years passed, he became jaded. His initial rage changed into an almost bored bloodlust. A weariness for the world in general. He stopped shielding me from the truth, and I saw it all. I heard the screams as innocent people died. I saw the fear and confusion in their eyes as they took their last breath. I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me.

I saw those poor innocent children be led to insanity or death. Andy Barclay, that poor child who only wanted a new friend, reduced to paranoid obsession because of his childhood tormentor. Alice Pierce, that sweet little girl who was naively led down the road to her own demise. Glen and Glenda. His children. They were doomed from the very beginning. Now they’ll never be whole.

Jake Wheeler. I thought he was done with children, but the teen is living proof that some people will just never learn and grow from their past actions. He destroyed that boy’s life, and he laughs about it, expecting me to join in and share his sentiments. Devon Evans. I wish he’d never met Jake. His life would’ve been much simpler. Junior Wheeler upsets me too much to even think about, he corrupted and destroyed that boy until there was nothing left. Lexy Cross breaks my heart as well. Her entire family is gone, and she’ll never be the same.

Nica Pierce. Not a child, but his impact on her was severe. Something inside of her has broken, and I don’t think it’ll be repaired, not until she’s taken Tiffany Valentine’s life.

Tiffany. When she found me I genuinely thought she wanted to help. But she’s as twisted as he is, if not more. I see her in my nightmares now. The woman is despicable, I can’t think how else to describe her. 

There’s always so much blood. It never washes out. The taste of iron is now highly common, as is the sticky residue the droplets leave on my fingers. His laugh always follows the blood. The two go hand in hand, there’s never one without the other. I’ve become desensitised to it now.

There’s a lot of confusion whenever he takes a new form, because I have to go with him, we’re eternally linked now. A whole new world of atrocities to endure until he gets his fix and settles down for a few years to let me process his actions. Many times I’ve wished that things could’ve turned out different, that I could fulfil my original purpose to bring joy to a child instead of fear. I wish I could have been a normal doll, but Chucky will never let me have peace. Whenever I’ve tried to advocate for my independence, he reminds me that I can’t move on my own and then laughs until I lose consciousness once more.

[messengerofmechs]

5, 12 and 19 for Castor please!

5. Do you have any role models? Tell us a little bit about them.

"It should be no surprise that Cityspeaker Radix has been a huge role model to me." Castor gives a slight, fond smile, "She was very straightforward, but never unkind. Always saw even the small issues were addressed, never letting anyone or anything fall to the wayside. She very much was another mentor to me as I learned how to be a cityspeaker."

"And of course Pollux itself. Its boundless enthusiasm and passion has always inspired me, long before the role of cityspeaker even crossed my mind." Castor's face lights up. Literally, as the markings on her face glow, signifying a response from the titan only the cityspeaker is privy too. Castor sighs, "and of course its beauty is remarkable as well."

12. How would you describe your style?

"Well I must admit I have quite the attachment to the synthwave street-racer look. I know it's hardly the most unique style but to me, nothing quite beats driving down the neon-lined outer roads of Pollux under full view of the cosmos and with the skyline of the main hub in the distance." Castor rattles off her response, guesturing out the window in the general direction of the roads she's referring to. "When I was younger, I spent a couple days planet-side on.... oh what was it. Phobos Prime? I saw my first sunset there. The colors that the sky had... Well, I haven't changed my paint since."

19. Describe an average day in your life.

"My day starts pretty early, I try to get out for a drive first thing in the morning and grab a bite to eat at my favorite bakery. Then, it depends on the day, but there's usually a lot of meetings. I meet with the city council very regularly, any planetary representatives if we're in orbit, and there's usually a couple ongoing projects that need Pollux's and my input. I meet with artists and curators, help with public events, and even do interviews sometimes." Castor smiles a bit cheekily. "And I always make time to check in with Pollux to see how it's doing."

"Some days I'm traveling all over city and some I'm in my office. Being a cityspeaker really is facilitating communication between our community and our city, and that conversation ebbs and flows just like any other." Castor speaks warmly, clearly proud of her work.

"I'll generally eat out either at the places near city hall or wherever I happen to be at the time. Pollux always has suggestions on new restaurants it thinks I should try. I think it's a bit jealous that it can't try the food too." Castor's markings glow again. She chuckles and adds, "Now I know for sure."

Castor settles, and continues around the disruption, "At the end of the day I try to take some time to relax, though I don't always get that chance. The nights here are just as busy as I'm sure you know. Especially if there's a show planned." Castor sighs and sinks into her seat, "and, well, that's just about it. I head home, recharge, and do it all over again. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

[mariacallous]

The Guardian's This Week in Patriarchy from Arwa Mahdawi

What are God’s preferred pronouns?

The woke agenda spares no one, not even God. The revelation that the Church of England is considering gender-neutral ways to refer to God has caused quite a ruckus this week; very predictably all the usual suspects have been foaming at the mouth about wokeness gone mad. Nigel Farage (AKA Mr Brexit), for example, even suggested that you might as well shut down the Church of England if they’re going to go all trendy and politically correct.

Steady on, Nigel! God isn’t coming out as non-binary anytime soon. The Church of England is considering moving away from referring to God as “He”. What does that mean? It means they’re going to launch a commission investigating the matter and, if they did decide to make changes, those changes would have to be approved by synod, the Church’s decision-making body. Maybe, once all that’s done, they might develop “more inclusive language” but, as of yet, there are no specifics as to what that language might be. Not all that sensational when you dive into the details, is it? But people like Farage don’t tend to be too fond of details.

While the idea that God might stop being described as “He” has generated a lot of headlines there’s plenty of precedent for gender-neutral religious language. “As truly as God is our Father, so just as truly is He our Mother,” Julian of Norwich said in the 14th century. As a spokesperson for the Church of England said: “This is nothing new. Christians have recognized since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship.”

As an atheist I don’t have particularly strong opinions about God’s preferred pronouns. However, I do have strong opinions about how language shapes the way we see our world. And the conversation that the Church of England has sparked reveals a lot about how gendered language reinforces stereotypes. “Given that people of faith think of God as another way of talking about ultimate reality, the gendered nature of God language could easily be a way of projecting male superiority in the very nature of things,” Giles Fraser muses in UnHerd. Yah think?

You can see that superiority complex in comments by the Rev Dr Ian Paul, who thinks God should remain a He. “The fact that God is called ‘Father’ can’t be substituted by ‘Mother’ without changing meaning, nor can it be gender-neutralized to ‘Parent’ without loss of meaning,” Paul told the Telegraph. “Fathers and mothers are not interchangeable but relate to their offspring in different ways.”

There’s a lot to be unpicked in that last sentence. Do mums and dads really relate to their kids in different ways? It’s hard to say definitively because there isn’t actually a lot of research on non-maternal caregivers. Until the 1970s hardly anyone even bothered to study the role of fathers in children’s development – it was just assumed that dads made the money, and mums did the nurturing. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that parenting roles are flexible. When dads are the primary caregivers, their brains adjust and show similar patterns to those seen in mothers, one study shows. Fathers and mothers are a lot more interchangeable than some people might think. And yet Paul seems to be suggesting that God could simply never be a “mother”. Why is that, I wonder?

Anyway, I think there’s an easy way to settle this thing. God can tell us about Their pronouns themselves. I hear They are quite powerful after all.

Idaho wants to criminalize ‘trafficking of minors’ to receive abortions

Consider this scenario: your 17-year-old niece desperately wants you to drive her out of Idaho (where abortion is banned) to get a legal abortion. She doesn’t want her extremely anti-abortion parents to know. If you help your niece then some lawmakers want to throw you in jail and call you a human trafficker. A new bill, introduced by Republican Barbara Ehardt, would add the act of transporting, recruiting or harboring minors to seek an abortion to Idaho’s criminal human trafficking law. Just another day in the increasingly dystopian US!

Rightwing media are freaking out about new AP Stylebook guidance on abortion

The Associated Press suggests not using the incendiary and pseudoscience-drenched terms the right has invented (eg “partial-birth abortion”) and the right are very annoyed indeed.

The unacceptable look on Madonna’s face

If you’re going to read one thing about the furore around Madonna’s new look (and about 10m things have been published) then make it this Washington Post piece by Monica Hesse. “Madonna’s face forced her uneasy audience to think about the factors and decisions behind it: ageism, sexism, self-doubt, beauty myths, cultural relevance, hopeful reinvention, work, work, work, work … One of the most famous women on the planet and still the anti-aging industrial complex got under her skin.”

Is computer-generated intimacy the future of film?

In Netflix romcom You People the two leads smooch at the end but it turns out that smooch is computer-generated. “Is the future of intimacy in Hollywood going to be deepfaked sex scenes?” Stuart Heritage asks in the Guardian. “Will actors need to seek out specific contractual clauses promising them that they won’t be turned into a horny avatar in post production?”

Toxic masculinity fuels dangerous driving like drink, French advert says

In France, 78% of those killed in road accidents in 2022 were men – a number that goes up to 88% when you look at drivers aged 18–24. Eighty-four per cent of people suspected of causing road accidents were men; 93% of drunk drivers involved in an accident were men. A new ad campaign warns that macho stereotypes may be to blame and asks men to examine how they drive.

The week in Pete-riarchy

Turns out Pete Davidson isn’t just a stellar rebound boyfriend, he’s also a talented taco salesman. The comedian recently starred in an ad for Taco Bell and, in a recent call with investors and analysts, the fast-food chain credited Davidson for helping their breakfast sales jump by 9%. Pete: if you’d like to help me sell my book, you know where to find me!

[sakurarisen]

mind: does my muse have any mental conditions that affect their lives? what are they? how do they handle them? what coping methods do they use most? 

All About A Sera's Health~!

mind: does my muse have any mental conditions that affect their lives? what are they? how do they handle them? what coping methods do they use most? 

Apologies for long ahead of time because wow this unintentionally is long XD

Sera does - She has anxiety, both general and a little social, some issues with depression, and PTSD, none of which are particularly diagnosed in most verses because Sera very much dislikes seeing doctors of any kind, but it's been brought up to her in most and she actually agrees with it, even if she won't say as much to most people. Even when she isn't aware there's names for it, she's more than aware she has something going on - But even in this case, she's prone to just calling it "her nightmare" and "the nightmare's voice", largely because she has nothing else to actually call it by. It keeps her constantly looking over her shoulder, afraid of thunderstorms, unable to handle large crowds of people on her own or tight things around her wrists, being alone with someone clearly scheming or giving her strange looks. and doesn't do well with people who've made their intention to hurt others clear, among other triggers.

As for dealing with it... That depends on what point in her life you're asking her. While she's usually good at hiding it and only breaking down in private, or excusing herself to deal with it alone, she's still dealing with it alone until she finds herself a home and settles down with Zack, and 'dealing with it alone' doesn't usually go well. She's prone to breaking down when she's alone, curling into a little ball and sobbing... For a long time, Sera would've - and did at one point to Zack - described herself as a 'broken porcelain doll stuck in a glass box', eventually progressing that to 'a broken doll played with and thrown aside out of the owner's boredom'. She may have seemed to have it under control, but in truth, her 'nightmare' controlled a lot of what she did and how she acted, and she just didn't have the words - or ability - to explain it.

As she grows into her 20's, however, and finally allows herself to develop a tight support network, she learns better ways to explain herself and her mental state and problems, and discovers better coping skills, as well as ways to combat 'the nightmare' that is her PTSD, fears, and anxiety. Grabbing or touching something physical - grabbing onto the hem of her shirt or the sides of her skit/pants, holding Zack's hand, touching his shoulder or arm, leaning against a tree and pressing her palms flat against it, etc - is a big way to keep her grounded and remembering what's real life and what's just her mind trying to run away with itself, the feeling of something solid and physical a wonderful way to help in re-focusing herself.

She's learned breathing exercises, and has anti-anxiety measures frequently nearby that change depending on verse, like squishy keychain toys, fidget toys, and in all verses, her stuffed husky, Zax. Zack and their closest friends who know of her traumas - a number of people she can count on one hand - are on speed dial on her phone, and reachable with the press of a button, or at least easily reachable in verses where phones don't exist (Genshin), ready to pose a 'rescue' and give her a safe place to break down if she can't avoid it, or help her fight off the 'nightmare', be it with distractions or helping to talk her through it.

To that, she's also learned how to talk through it, and while she doesn't have the 'proper words', persay, even now to explain how she feels or what's going on with her, she's taken to Zack's nickname for her of 'Kitten' and embraced the idea of 'I am a kitty' much like a child, and uses that to help explain herself when everything else fails. Sera is very much capable of being a mature adult and regularly is, only being childish around close friends and family who're okay with her being silly and embracing the childhood she never had, but even then, 'bad kitty' when she feels like she's screwed up something and can't figure out what or how is pretty self-explanatory, and so is 'Kitty doesn't feel good-'; if she's referring to herself as 'kitty', it's fairly known she's having trouble dealing with something really upsetting her she doesn't otherwise have the words to explain any better.

She doesn't have her mental state fully under control just yet - There's still a lot Sera doesn't know how to handle or how to word, and she's someone who will try to deal with things alone to avoid being a burden on others, but she's certainly come a long way and is still learning, each and every day.

[eternal-nyx]

First 7 days of HRT

Day 1

September 27th 2023

No Noticeable changes

Day 2

September 28th 2023

NSFW: When I find alone time and find myself aroused, I have a daily habit to get into me and my fiancé’s shared toy box and do my thing. Well I did my normal thing today, and I noticed I could FEEL things with my fingers. So I did a LIL inspection and it was bigger. Not by a lot but I KNOW my anatomy, and my AFAB parts are heavily hooded and usually don’t extend past the hood even when aroused. Today was different, and that is ALL I will say to anyone about my genitals. Then when all was done it was less plump, but still slightly larger than I am used to. I HAD MY FIRST ERECTION! And not only that, but I have growth!!!!!! On day fucking 2!!!! I’m gonna cry

Also….It’s itchy. And I seem to be unable to stop being aroused. Whoops.

Day 3

September 29th 2023

Vocal Changes: I haven’t noticed anything talking but me and my fiancé sing together every day. WE are very musical and Spotify is ALWAYS playing. We were singing this morning and my voice just refused to hit this note I’ve always hit before. I tried several times and couldn’t hit the note at all. My voice just straight cracked and went NOPE when singing soprano. Specifically my very high very belty notes. I can still hit my very high breathier ones.

Day 4

September 30th 2023

NSFW: Noticing a change in the way orgasms feel. I’m not exactly sure how to describe it. It’s not bad. It’s different. But it’s nice.

Why am I so horny. How do I stop being horny. I own an entire box of toys. I have a very healthy sex life and a partner who is more than willing to assist. But no matter what I try, it doesn’t STOP. And it’s not emotional its physical. I can FEEL this…..tingling? Fullness? Every time I shift my sitting position, and it’s arousing. What the hell? I expected sensitive, and I expected wanting to have sex more. But being PHYSICALLY aroused more when I just wanna take a nap? Or watch tv? Like…..ok chill.

Vocal Changes: Still having issues hitting some of the notes in my higher singing range, though not all of them. Nothing noticeable when talking yet

Day 5

October 1st 2023

Hygiene: Increase need for deodorant. Body odor is stronger and smells different. I may need to change hygiene products.

NSFW: Things feel plumper down below. Is this the beginnings of growth?

Vocal Changes: Singing those high notes is getting harder but im trying to continue to exercise my singing range. I don’t care how low my talking voice gets, but I’d like to keep some of my higher singing range. Daily singing to try to help.

Appetite: There’s been a gradual increase. So far, it’s been a positive for me. I have an eating disorder (ARFID) and the increased need to eat is helping a bit. In the last month alone I accidently lost over 25lbs unhealthily. So this is good for now.

Body Hair: Is that a shadow on my lip? I know I have lip and chin hair due to my PCOS, but is it shadowing on my lip now? I feel indifferent to hair growth currently. I don’t shave my body hair really ever, I just maintenance it. My facial hair I’ve always shaved before but maybe we will let this grow and see what feelings arise. I am cautiously curious.

Misc: As night settled, I became subtly aware of my genitals in way I hadn’t really before. It’s a little hard to describe, but the best way I can put into words is to say it isn’t painful or unpleasant. It isn’t pressure or pain. But I can feel it in the sense that my brain is aware of it in my daily life and movements, similar to the way I feel and am aware of my breasts as they rub the inside of a bra or shirt. It isn’t pleasurable or painful, but it’s not quite the type of awareness one is used to in regards to those types of body parts.

Day 6

October 2nd 2023

Hygiene: The body odor changes continue to happen slowly.

NSFW: As I have mentioned before, my partner and I have a very healthy amount of communication regarding intimacy. I had asked her to let me know before, I ever even started T, if she noticed any changes in my anatomy. During the night of day 5 into the morning of day 6, during an intimate moment, she informed me she was noticing changes, though struggled with describing them.

Holy fucking CHRIST I cannot sit comfortably. No position takes the pressure off enough to make it comfortable below. ACK. I was warned. I know. But ACKKKK.

Appetite: Very munchy. I want bland ass salty chips. Or Cheetos.

Day 7:

October 3rd 2023

Hygiene: The body odor changes continue to happen slowly.

NSFW: I still cannot sit comfortably. Or lay comfortably. No position takes the pressure off enough to make it comfortable below.

As I mentioned in a previous day, my AFAB parts at the beginning of all this naturally laid downturned and were heavily hooded. At this point things seem to be….er….straightening out? Moving upwards/outwards slightly? Not just the clit but also the outer labia, which, hunh, unexpected but I’ll take it. Its all still very much a tiny bundle tucked away where it’s at but its starting to plump up and shift. That’s the best way I can really put it I think.

Appetite: So hungry. Wtf?! But so nauseous. I’m not sure where the nausea is coming from but blech. GERD is nuts today too. Unsure if related.

Body Hair: Yea that’s DEFF an upper lip shadow.

[watatsumiis]

Sitting in their lap (part 1)

Exactly what it says on the tin, how various Genshin characters would react to a reader who just decides to sit on their lap randomly!

Content: Gender neutral reader (referred to as 'you'), described/implied to be physically smaller than most of the characters (simply because I am and that's how I project, but if you'd like an alternate version, send me an ask and I'll whip it up!), pre-established platonic relationships (though this may border into romantic if you consider physical affection to be that way, so be warned).

Characters: Albedo, Al Haitham, Ayato, Arlecchino, Capitano, Childe.

Albedo just sort of... lets it happen. He's got no qualms about you making yourself comfortable in his lap - unless you start to get in the way, in which case he might just politely try and redirect you elsewhere. He isn't particularly fidgety or squirmy, and he finds that the pressure of your weight in his lap actually helps him concentrate a little better, and sometimes he'll let you stay, even long after he's finished up whatever he might be working on. Be warned, though, he may rope you into holding art or writing supplies for him! He doesn't care if others see, he's never really been one to care all that much about what others think or say. If it's benefiting you both, there's no real reason to stop it.

Al Haitham gets pretty irritated the first time you plonk down in his lap like you have every right to sit there. He's almost downright rude about it, making snide little remarks and grumbling to himself about how you're in the way - you may find that he just outright boots you off if you're somewhere where others might see you (especially Kaveh). As long as you stand your ground, though, he'll eventually settle for it, and he may deny it but sometimes he sits a little further out from his desk, just so you have space to slip into his lap and snuggle up to him if you so desire. If you ask him about the sudden change of heart, he'll quote something about how pressure can help the parasympathetic nervous system kick in, and how humans are a social species and how he's read that physical closeness every once in a while is good for physical and mental health. Damn know-it-all.

Ayato openly adores it. He has a lot of paperwork to do on a day-to-day basis, and any excuse to have some silent company is good enough for him. He can be absently fidgety, twirling your hair around his fingers or rubbing a loose part of your clothing gently - he hardly even seems to notice that he's doing it at all. He's ambidextrous, so you have a lot of freedom in how you decide to sit, he's happy to work around you, so long as you aren't too loud or distracting. You may even find that every once in a while when he knows he'll be swamped with paperwork, he might call you into his office and subtly try to goad you into sitting with him (while making it seem as if it was your own idea all along, cheeky thing he is). The pressure and physical closeness of someone else helps him concentrate on the tedious, repetitive papers he works on.

Arlecchino can be... finicky. It largely depends on her mood and what sort of day she's had whether or not she'll allow you to sit on her lap. She's pretty touchy on the days she allows you to sit in her lap, constantly adjusting your position and tugging you closer to herself - if you didn't know any better, you'd say she was actually enjoying this, but she vehemently denies it, citing the fact that she figured you were in need of comfort and she was just trying to provide it, or that she just hadn't switched out of 'working with the children at the orphanage' mode. She may scold you if you wriggle around too much, or boot you off with very little rhyme or reason, so it's a bit of a gamble if you decide to try and settle in with her for the long run.

Capitano silently takes it. No protests, no comment, nothing, he just leans back in his chair and adjusts his position so it's as comfortable for you as it could possibly be (which is surprisingly nice, considering all the armour he wears). He won't complain, even if you won't stop wriggling around or chattering or playing with his hair or the chains that hang off of his plate mail. He quickly gets very good at reading your intent, and eventually he seems to realise what you want the moment you step in the room, and he'll just silently push his chair back and give his thigh a pat like an open invitation. He may occasionally use you as a chin-rest, or wrap his big arms gently around you if you seem to be getting restless, but otherwise he's silent and hands-off.

Childe is a little all over the place. He loves the idea of you sitting in his lap, he loves physical affection, but in practice, he can't stay still for more than a few minutes without his senses going haywire, and it won't be long until he's bothering you, asking you a million questions or fidgeting with your clothes or accessories in a manner that's downright disconcerting. He never gets any paperwork or anything done when anyone else is in the room, let alone so close to him, but he loves it anyways. He'll chatter away excitedly about anything and everything that comes to mind as he snuggles up to you and smiles, glad that you came to him, of all people, in your quest for affection.

Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagarise my writing! This includes posting translations to other sites.

[alwaysxangel]

rebellionevoked​:

.

     Not wanting to push at the lack of information Valentina had offered up he nodded his head easily and let it be. Maybe a conversation for another time, if an alcohol fueled confessional ever came up in their future. Nothing against her, Owen tried to keep a distance due to her working for his sister and not wanting to impede or possibly make anything uncomfortable. “There’s a feeling I get here…” Ocean eyes briefly panned the room while he looked for the particular word he’d wanted to use to describe what it was like for him. Unfortunately he’d come up short. “Something like community, I suppose. Like you said, I get to be in touch but not too close. Not too personal.” Would there ever be a time he’d fear people learning the truth about him? Currently it wasn’t something Owen could envision. Even though he’d been proven innocent, the fact that he’d been suspected, arrested and charged, tried and convicted, and then sat on death row for six years — people would make up their minds regardless. So far his experiences with that hadn’t been good.

     “Does anyone make it to adulthood without being at least a little broken by life?” Everyone had pain, baggage, and experienced some for of suffering. “I’m not offended.” The clarification was to assure that she’d done no wrong. Though, Owen hoped she’d taken his words to heart. 

Perhaps following Valentina to the table he’d suggested had been a bad idea. The man had been gifted with the full view of her in that little black dress and the sway of her hips as she walked. Thankfully he’d brought a couple glasses of water with him because he’d certainly need to quench the growing thirst. Since his release he’d been with a few women but connection had been exceptionally challenging, and the one woman he’d begun to see he’d ghosted. An appetite for the flesh and intimacy had been steadily growing. The more he settled into the real world and real life the more he’d wanted the simple comfort of company. Which was another bad idea for him to be sitting with his sister’s nanny like this. “Here.” The big glass of water was placed in front of Valentina on the table then he took the seat opposite of her. “It’ll help if you could drink all that down.” When he’d glanced at the bar where her friends had previously he noticed empty space. Only momentarily did his brow wrinkle.

     “Honestly, I thought it was permanent. Then life threw some curveballs.” Thick shoulders shrugged, Owen attempted to seem unaffected by it but his life had gone through a traumatic upheaval that still tested him. “But, I wish I had originally done this rather than law.” Which was easy to say now. The law both ruined and saved his life, and even though he still practiced, hardly a client in sight, what he wanted most was distance from the scars it’d left. As she spoke he leaned back against the chair and rested his lean, muscular frame. Blue eyes were intent on her, captivated in a way, and soon enough he’d been nodding to what she’d shared. “That happens to a lot of women. I don’t mean that to be sexist either. Things are changing in society and it’s great but yeah, young love… it can be so all consuming.” There was some wonder where that person was in her life now. If there was another someone in her life. Owen had deemed it inappropriate to ask so he refrained.“If you did go back… any idea what you’d want to do now?”

- “Sounds a bit like home.” Val offered. Maybe it wouldn’t make sense. “I come from a big family and sometimes being able to fade into the background while the kitchen is all hectic or someone is yelling at the tv feels the most comforting.” Valentina nodded in agreement. The world could be harsh. Everyone had their own version of burns and scars from the journey. Even now, after everything she’d been through, it all sounded a bit too cynical to her. “Broken sounds so absolute, I guess.” Shattered, smashed, in pieces - it felt so hard to put back together, to come back from. How many times could someone be broken? “Semantics.” She shrugged, noting on whether it really mattered what word they used if they both knew what he meant. “I just want to believe that those pieces can be put back together.” The hope reached outside of herself. Her eyes traced the glass of water as he placed it on the table in front of her. The gesture felt caring, but also slightly embarrassing. Was it obvious she needed it, or simply a precaution based on the amount of drinks he watched her take? Her slim fingers wrapped around the glass, damp with condensation. She slid it a little closer to her. “Thank you.” Her lips wrapped around the rim sipping the cold water slowly. She wiped the corner of her mouth to ensure her lipstick didn’t smudge in the process.

Valentina found it hard to resist her curiosity. She couldn’t remember the last time someone sparked her interest, so earnestly. His answers felt as vague as her own. Val knew she should follow Owen’s lead who seemed to respect what she offered up without poking deeper. “Can I ask what changed for you?” Her eyes diverted bashfully as the question left her lips, unsure if she was pushing limits here. Fingers slide across the water dripping on the glass in front of her, as her eyes watched. Her ex started out as the boyfriend of her dreams. He was so kind and loving. Still, Val didn’t really understand when the switch happened. It seemed so clear now that he was alienating her from her friends and family. She’d want to go visit home, but he’d find an excuse for her to stay. He made her feel guilty about going out with friends, about wearing dresses like this. Valentina remembered how remorseful he was the first time things got violent. Young love - her stomach churned. None of it had been love, which was something she was coming to realize. “Feels like a waste, feels so stupid, when you give up everything,” and she meant everything, “for someone for nothing in the end. No love. No career.” Not even good memories. Val shook her head. Everyone in her life always looked at her like she was so naive. It was hard not to see why, now. “Something like education or, well I really admire people who do social work.” She added on. Val owed her life to people like that. To help someone how people helped her would be an honor.

[bongo-clash]

Peacock Au Part 3

(Part One & Two here!!!)

Continuation of the Eldritch Danny DPxDC fic!!!! This is Kind Of the final chapter but Bones has also been making my brain go So Wild with other ideas so!!! Big chance they'll be more parts at some point (probably after Ectober week if I do!!)

Either Way Here It Is

(Fic under cut!!) (+ Part 4 Here)

-

Constantine makes the executive decision not to explain anything to Batman until the other League members are gathered in the watchtower meeting room. Maybe not his best choice, evidenced for the most part by the seething glare the vigilante is shooting him from his place at the head of the table, but still, John really doesn’t want to have to talk about this any more than he has to. It’s already going to be a pain in his side as is. 

It doesn’t take long for the rest to appear through the zeta tubes. Superman and Wonder Woman predictably arriving first of the lot, followed by Zatanna, the Flash, and then Green Lantern. Once they’re all settled and he figures this is all the people that’ll be showing up today, he deigns to begin speaking. He might’ve appreciated a bit of a higher attendance rate, but he’ll take it. 

“Alright, you lot,” He starts, just as the Green Lantern opens his mouth, likely to ask what this whole meeting is for. “I believe we’ve got a little bit of a situation on our hands.”

“Situation how, Constantine.” Batman asks, eyes narrowed behind the cowl, the furthest thing from a question. 

Constantine sighs deeply, fingers fidgeting in his coat pocket for a cigarette even if he knows he can’t smoke in the watchtower (maybe he could just hold one…). In lieu of looking the man in the face, however, he addresses everyone else in the room. “Well, see, the Bat here had a Pit forming in his territory, and he decided it’d be a bloody brilliant idea to call me for help instead of literally anyone else. The good news is the Pit’s gone. The bad news is I’m pretty sure the thing that got rid of it is worse.”

A few of them make faces, since if Constantine’s involved then this is definitely a magic problem, and none of them are fans of magic problems- Superman looks like he’s trying not to twitch. “Can you describe it?” 

“Not properly, no. Big, bright, bit of a space theme going on? Had these horrible things on them, kept changing between eyes and mouths and hands- used those to reach out and get rid of the Lazarus Pit, ‘far as I could see. They knew I was doing it for the Big Bat even though I never said a word about it, and from what I understand, they wanted a favour for sorting it out. I don’t know what they want it for.”

Batman’s face is unreadable, but there’s a scrutiny there that permeates the air around him. “So you discovered the existence of a powerful, unknown entity, and not only did you deign to summon it into our world, but you then proceeded to make a deal with it as well, completely unaware of the potential consequences.”

“In my defence,” Constantine retorts. “This is entirely your fault for getting me involved. I’ve no clue why you thought coming to me was a solid plan in the first place.”

There’s a storm brewing beneath that bat mask, but Wonder Woman intercepts before it can descend into a full-blown argument. “Now is no time to be assigning blame, we need a plan. Do you know of any way we can attain more information on this being, Constantine?”

“Not the foggiest,” He replies simply. “The only thing the book said was that it could help with the Pits. When I asked the damn thing what it was, it just gave me a riddle and, quite frankly, I wasn’t going to push it. So unless Zatanna has anything, I’ve got nothing.”

The whole table turns to look at Zatanna. She has a contemplative look on her face, pausing for the moment presumably to run through the information in her head. “Well, there’s a lot of entities around whose existences centre on keeping the balance between realms or concepts, but this is the first I’ve heard about anything like this. The closest thing I could think of is maybe Pariah Dark, since he’s known to have a connection to the Lazarus Pits, but he’s been out of commission for centuries now, and he’s never been depicted at all the way you described…”

“…And I know for a fact that his summoning ritual requires a blood sacrifice, and this thing didn’t want blood.” Constantine finishes. 

Zatanna makes a sour face, seeming to understand his implications, and the remaining non-magic members of the JL look appropriately disturbed. He thinks the worst thing about it for them is probably that there’s no real way to plan this out. They’ve got no power list, no strengths, no weaknesses, they don’t even really know what the entity is beyond its relation to the Lazarus Pits and even that’s an area of questionability, because the Pits are damn confusing on their own. If this thing shows up on them now, they’re screwed.

And just as the thought crosses his mind, there’s a tangible shift in the watchtower atmosphere, like the air’s thinning and closing in on itself at the same time. He looks at Zatanna with matching confusion, praying to gods he’s never met and that don’t like him that he hasn’t just managed to jinx himself in the worst way possible. 

“Do you feel that?” He says, and it doesn’t look like it’s only the other magic user in the room that does, because a fair few of the remaining League are pulling expressions Constantine really doesn’t like. Please, please say he hasn’t jinxed himself. 

There’s a sound like whale song and whistling as something comes up through the floor, and there’s not enough languages on Earth or beyond to encapsulate how many swears John wants to say right now. 

But it’s not the entity. 

Or at least, it doesn’t look like the entity, even if it certainly feels like it. It kind of looks like a teenager, of all the awful things. They have flare-white hair, bright, sheepish green eyes, and they’re wearing what Constantine thinks is a hazmat suit but doesn’t know enough about hazardous material protection to say for certain. No alarms going off, no doors opening or shutting, no signals at all; just a weird breeze, and the few seconds of warning that gives before the being appeared. That’s worrying. The way the League doesn’t even say anything is more so. 

“Hi,” They start, after what feels like an eternity of silence, and oh boy, they really do sound about twelve. Constantine doesn’t know how to deal with children, let alone ones that can just phase into the most secure superhero base in Earth’s orbit. This is awful. “Okay, so, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot yesterday, so I just wanted to, y’know, rectify my first impression? Uh, sorry if I came across sort of… weird.”

Everyone looks at the glowing kid. Everyone looks at each other. No one knows what to say. Flash decides to be the one to break the silence with a cough. “That’s great, kid! Uh… who are you, though?”

“Oh!” They startle. “Right. Me and Constantine met yesterday- I think I kind of scared him? It was by accident, though, I promise! I’d just had a long day, y’know? I didn’t know I was gonna get summoned and I wasn’t thinking so everything just kind of happened.”

No way. 

No. No way in Hell.

“You are not that thing I summoned yesterday.” 

And he knows, he knows entities like that tend to have forms more palatable for mortal eyes, but after seeing that yesterday, his brain just cannot for the life of it connect it to this. This child floating mid-air in a base he shouldn’t be able to access, with big huge earnest eyes and a painfully youthful face. One that seems to have reached a realisation. 

“Ah,” He says, smile just a little bit wry. “Fair enough, I did look kinda different then. Just- here, this should look a little more familiar?”

It’s not a full shift. He doesn’t contort into the same mind-searing thing that Constantine had had to bear yesterday- but his eyes scatter into neon spots across his face, nose and mouth left intact, the neck of his jumpsuit folds into the creases of an open eye, and those peacock-membrane-whatevers fall into fruition on his back, drifting like a cape or like spines. And just to top it all off, there’s a dinky little crown floating above his head, decorated with icicles and whispers of mist. 

It’s not a full shift, but Constantine’s never going to forget those damn cosmic peacock feathers. No mistaking it: that’s the entity. Forget yesterday, this is the worst day of his life. 

“What the Hell is happening right now.” Green Lantern flatlines, face dulled into non-understanding. Constantine thinks he feels the same way but worse. 

He takes a deep, cleansing breath, and tries not to scream. “You’re the one who sorted the Pit problem out?”

“Uh, yep, that’s me.”

“Okay, great! Fantastic. Can you tell me what the Hell that whole deal was?”

What’s left of the maybe teenager’s face drops somewhat, and a gloved hand reaches up to rub at the back of what’s left of his neck. “Ha, right, yeah sorry.” He mumbles, and Constantine kind of feels bad, but he’s also still kind of suffering from the adrenaline high of meeting the guy yesterday, so he guesses they’re even now. 

“So, I mean, I don’t usually look like that? It is my true form or whatever, but I’m not really… I don’t hang about in it too often. Gives people the heebie jeebies, y’know? I don’t want to scare people out of nowhere, especially not for a first meeting! But I was about to go to sleep last night when you summoned me, and I wanted to shift my form a little just to be more formal about the whole thing, but I guess I let the whole thing go by accident, and I didn’t realise at all until I got home. And if I was in that form by accident- I usually go with ghostspeak during summonings ‘cause it’s easier in that way and there’s usually translation sigils embedded in the circle- but if I was in that form by accident, then I was probably using a different dialect to the one I thought I was, so if I sounded kind of off, then that’s why. Again, really sorry about that. This was totally not how I wanted my first impression with the Justice League to go. You’re all really cool, y’know? I wanted to get off on the right foot and not the ‘let’s fight each other’ foot.”

Constantine blinks, opens his mouth, closes his mouth, and then blinks again. He’s sure there’s a reasonable response to this that can be expressed in a sentence somewhere, but right now he’s too enamoured with how utterly absurd this is. He genuinely, honestly does not know what’s worse: that this kid can turn into that, or that he can turn into that and it’s so natural he doesn’t even notice. 

Still, as consistent as the sun sets, Batman’s the first one to break the stupor, interjecting with narrowed eyes. “How do we know you’re not a threat to us? We don’t even know who you are.”

“Uh,” The kid splutters. “I didn’t introduce myself. My name’s Danny.”

“Danny.” Batman replies flatly. 

“It’s a nice name!” Danny, apparently, defends, looking about as stupefied as someone can without eyes on their face. The dinky little crown drifts after him when he moves his head. “And, um, I don’t know how to prove I’m not a threat? I mean, I closed up that Lazarus Pit for you, if that counts as being helpful in a non-threatening way?”

If anything, Constantine would think that makes someone more threatening. “You said you wanted a favour for it, that you were going to ‘find your recompense’.”

“No I didn’t?” Danny says incredulously, before he pauses and his lips part in an O. “Right, translation error, duh. I uh, didn’t actually say that, that’s just how the sigils took it I think. You don’t owe me anything. It might be nice to get some help if I’m ever in a bind or something, but we didn’t make a deal or a pact or anything, you just asked for help, so I helped. 

His brain completely shuts down, blue-screen style. This isn’t how this type of thing goes. There’s no way this is that easy. “You seriously don’t want anything.” 

“I mean, an autograph might be nice. My friend thinks you and batman are cool.”

“You don’t think the rest of us are cool?” Flash complains, because that’s exactly what he’s supposed to be getting out of this conversation and not how utterly insane it is. 

Danny, the kid that’s going to be giving him nightmares and is already giving him migraines, has the audacity to look embarrassed. “I think you’re cool; obviously you’re all cool, you’re the Justice League! My friend’s just into the edgier members, I guess? She’s goth.”

“Oh? So who’s your favourite?” Why is no one acknowledging that the incomprehensible cosmic horror just called him edgy. Why are they just moving past this. 

“…Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern. I really like space.”

Yeah, no shit, he’s made of it. 

Constantine genuinely wants to pass out. He wants Batman to get him over the head with a batarang; he wants Superman to tap him on the forehead and give him a concussion, just- anything not to be here right now. This might not even be the weirdest thing that’s happened to him, but he’s hating every minute of it. This kid’s talking and existing like it’s nothing but even as the conversation begins to border on casual the atmosphere is still thick, nearly physical with the chill and the chiming of bells and the way something shifts every time those peacock feathers waver behind him. 

Right now, John really, truly does not care if this entity’s playing some kind of twisted long con to trick them into sacrificing their souls or something equally as horrifying. He just wants to go home and forget anything ever happened. “So, you’re not a malicious entity.” Constantine states finally, putting an end to any further back-and-forth that he’d managed to tune out. 

“I promise you I’m not.” Danny replies seriously, even as his features shift back to something more human-looking that only seems like it’s trying and failing to hide something bigger underneath it now. 

Constantine puts his hands in his pockets, and turns straight to the door. “Brilliant news. I’m leaving now. I hope we never have to see each other again.” The League and that kid can do whatever they want, but Constantine swears on everything he holds sacred that he’s not touching any of it with a ten-foot pole. He never wants to have to deal with anything like this again, and he is never agreeing to do Batman another favour. 

[mapileonxputellas]

Hola (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

Request found here. Yes! Yes! Yes! Love this! So I contemplated making this a bit more saucy but then I wasn't too sure so this is like just sexual tension! 3.5k words x

If your friends and family had to describe you using one word, it would be confident. You learnt from a young age confidence is everything in sport, especially being a striker, without that you would never be where you are today. That confidence was needed to take you on your next journey and led you to Barcelona. Having spent your whole career at Arsenal, from the academy to a regular player, when it came to renewing your contract you felt that now was the right time to make the change, at the age of 25 you were ready for a new challenge. Having made a name for yourself in the WSL and in the Euro’s, when Barcelona approached you it seemed like the perfect fit. Having Lucy and Keira also making the move was a massive help to you, settling into the city together and having someone you could speak English to with your very basic Spanish knowledge.

What you would say was definitely your best season to date was rewarded with a Ballon d’Or nomination, though you knew it was already staying in the arms of your current teammate. A teammate who you were yet to meet. Though you’d been in Barcelona for over two months now and were loving your new life and teammates, it seemed like fate didn’t want you and Alexia to meet. Even though she was injured she still attended the odd training session but you never seemed to be in the same place.

You knew that would change today as you arrived at the pick-up point to head to the airport, you would be heading off with the men’s team and staying overnight before making your way back to Barcelona tomorrow. Asisat, Lucy and Frida had already arrived by the time you got on the coach, sitting at a table to yourself, but you were just missing the final leading lady.

You could hear the commotion at the front as she arrived, greeting the men’s players before joining your group at the back and the first thing you noticed was how attractive she was in real life. Of course she was attractive on photos but in real life she definitely hit another level.

“Hola,” She finally came around to greeting you with a little smile as she took the seat opposite you. “I can’t believe this is the first time we’ve met.”

“I was beginning to think we never would, it’s like you’ve been avoiding me.” You replied, which received a wink in return. “Are you excited?”

“Si, if not just to spend the night with you.”

“Always the charmer Putellas.”

“Always.”

If this was any other situation you would be the first to spark up the conversation but for some reason the girl in front of you was making you nervous, the odd look shared between the two of you but for the most part the conversation was initiated by the others in the group.

Not much changed on the short plane journey either though Lucy did bring up an awkward topic on the group after you’d all moved around one table on the private jet, Alexia to one side of you as Lucy was opposite you with Frida and Asisat.

“So how’s Ana?” Lucy tried to tease you with that cunning look in her eye that you knew so well.

“I mean I think she’s fine, why’d you ask me?”

“Oh come on we can all see it, you two are like always together.”

Whilst that may have been true and you had made a good friend in Ana, there was nothing more than that to it but before you could reply Alexia made her feelings known. “Wow and you say I have good charm.”

“I never said mine isn’t better but just to confirm we’re friends, I can’t just spend my whole time third wheeling you and Keira.”

“That makes a change.”

…..

The rest of the journey carried on in the same vain, mostly just a lot of you and Lucy teasing each other and the other girls joining in. You kind of wished you would have had a bit of time to get to know Alexia, of course you were going to be teammates at some point but the girl next to you intrigued you. You were alike in many ways in that you exuded confidence on the pitch but you wanted to know about the other side to her.

Arriving at the hotel, the club had organised a make up artist for each individual player in their rooms and all was going well until you realised once she had left you had no-one to help you get ready. If there’s one thing you were known for other than football it was your quite bold fashion statements and this time you had chosen a cream suit with a lacy bralette showing underneath attached to a chocker made of pearls. You’d barely even got through the first piece without encountering an issue and that came in the form of your bra which had a set of hook and eyes leading up to the neck. You tried with all your might but you just could not get them to do up properly, which left you with only one choice and that was to go and get some help. The problem was that you hadn’t taken enough notice of who was in the rooms around you and you knew the girls probably wouldn’t answer their phones.

Taking a deep breath you fixed the bathroom robe over the loose garment and went out into the hallway and with no idea who’s it was, knocked on the door across from your own.

Things could not get much more awkward as the girl you only met today opened the door, already in her own dress. “Hola, are you not going to get ready?” You barely heard the question as you took her whole outfit in, from the slick back ponytail to the incredible dress, she looked amazing. “Y/N!”

“Sorry, I was hoping you could help me, it’s got a fiddly fastening.”

“You better come in then.”

“Thank you.” You walked further into the room, noticing the stark contrast in her organised room compared the chaos behind your door. “You look good by the way, more than good, incredible actually….”

“I’d return the compliment but I don’t think you’re going in that bath robe.”

“No this is for your eyes only.”

“I’m honoured.”

Turning your back to her, your first instinct was to just drop the bath robe completely but you only realised once it was too late that doing so left you stood in someone else’s room in only a see-through bra and matching thong, quickly bending down to secure it round your waist. “Sorry.”

“No don’t apologise for that.” Her cold hands left shivers down your spine as she lightly made contact with your back whilst doing up the fasteners, continuing to work her way up until she reached the final one. “Cold? You’ve got goosebumps, I thought it was pretty warm in here.”

“Something like that.” You quickly muttered before pulling your robe back up. “I’ll see you later.”

“I look forward to it.” Just as you went to open the door a hand on your back stopped you. “You look great too by the way, breath-taking.”

“Smooth talker Putellas.”

“Like you said, I’m a charmer.”

You quickly escaped the room before your cheeks became anymore red, completing the outfit with your matching suit and killer heels that your stylist had forced you to wear. Forgoing a bag, you stuffed your phone into the inner pocket before rushing down to meet the others, knowing you were already slightly behind schedule.

“Here she is.” Lucy announced your arrival as you walked into the entrance hall, all eyes on you as you grabbed a quick glass of water before the photos started.

As Alexia and yourself were the highest in contention for the main award, you took your places in the middle of the group photos, Alexia to your left and Gavi to your right. “I was right, you look incredible.” Alexia whispered in your ear as everyone settled around you, her arm wrapped around your waist much like your own onto hers. “Fucking incredible.”

“Can’t let down La Reina over here”

It felt like you were stood there for hours taking photos, different combinations of people with the president coming in for some and the managers joining for others, but finally you were loaded off into the cars to the venue.

“Now I can’t get rid of you.” Alexia joked as she joined you in the car for just the two of you, a healthy amount of distance between you both as the car started though you could still feel her eyes trailing up and down your body. “Do you have a stylist for events?”

“They offer suggestions and then I have the final choice, this was my suggestion though. I don’t know suits kind of make me feel powerful, in control. Some might say dominant.” Now it was your time to turn on the charm as you could see her slightly moving in her seat. “What do you think?”

“You definitely look dominant right now.”

“Good.”

“Do you enjoy evenings like this? The paparazzi are always crazy at anything like this.”

“I like that we’re finally getting the chance to have some praise for our achievements. Interviews and all that don’t bother me, it’s just the initial photos. I don’t know sometimes the bright lights panic me, I know it’s stupid because we play in front of thousands every week but just standing there….”

“It’s not stupid.” She reassured you, gently placing her hand over your own on the middle seat, lightly tracing her finger over your hand. “No-one is the same on that field and with our family and friends as we are with the media.”

“What about you, you must be getting used to this all now?”

“I’m still not comfortable with it but I just know that tonight I’ll just be getting questions on the whole Spain situation and the injury. Like if I win, no-one will even be talking about the football.” She was obviously trying to be conservative but everyone knew Alexia would be the one taking the award home tonight.

“You’ve just got to remember you’ve had an amazing season and you got voted to be in this position, no-one can say you don’t deserve it.”

“I won’t say it was a positive because it was a shit time all round but this injury did mean that I got to watch a lot of you at the Euro’s and you deserved the player of the tournament. If anyone should win tonight it’s you.”

“Thank you.”

….

All too soon you arrived at the venue, the red carpet lined with photographers up to the interviewer at the end. You could feel the panic in your chest when you all stood for the photos but the ever-present hand on your back from Alexia grounded you. Every few minutes she would check you were fine before the both of you conducted a joint interview.

“Alexia how does it feel to be nominated tonight for your second Ballon d’Or in a row? You’ve got stiff competition this year.” The woman asked.

“It feels incredible to be here tonight, celebrating football and how it can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of their gender. The competition this year just shows how competitive the women’s game is and I’m in awe of every single player nominated tonight, including Y/N.”

“Y/N this is your first Ballon d’Or, you had an incredible summer but would winning tonight top it all off? Is this awkward trying to steal Alexia’s crown?”

“It was an incredible summer and of course it was nice being nominated but I know what incredible season’s everyone on that list had. In terms of Alexia, she’s an incredible player and she deserves this award, I’m just glad I can spend more time with her this season and I’ll see if she can give me any tips.”

“Good luck tonight girls.”

“Thank you.”

Both Alexia and yourself were shortlisted into the top 5 players and had managed to be seated next to each other as you awaited the final results and for the winner to be announced. Before the camera panned to yourselves you leaned over in the seat to whisper into her ear. “Good luck making the speech if you get nervous just picture me earlier. You know the effect you had on me, I wanted to be powerful tonight and you made me want to get on my knees for you.”

“And the winner of the Ballon d’Or is… Alexia Putellas.”

You thought she would just send you a smile before walking onto the stage but she leaned over to pull you in for a hug instead her arms low on your waist, taking the chance to whisper in your ear. “You don’t understand how much self-control it took to not rip that off you.” Thankfully she managed to compose herself, quickly making her way up to the stage, you watched on almost in awe as she nailed the speech, thanking her teammates and her family and friends before she looked your way. “I also want to applaud and congratulate my fellow nominees, I for one cannot wait to see you all thrive this year, especially those at Barca, we all have so much to show one another and the world. Thank you.”

@yourusername: Ballon d'Or 2022.

Comments:

@/alexiaputellas: 🔥🔥 photo creds?

↪️ @yourusername: always ❤️

…..

That night felt like months ago though in reality it was only a few weeks, the only negative being that straight after the awards Alexia was whisked away and didn’t even travel back with you all. The most disappointing thing for you came in the lack of contact between the two of you, she’d probably forgotten all about you once the night was over. It’s fair to say you hadn’t though, you could remember all the tension you felt between you both, the spark you felt when her hands touched your skin. Everything. You’d kept an eye out for her during the training sessions but you never spotted the girl who was in your thoughts all the time.

Two weeks had passed since the ceremony and you were celebrating a 2-1 win over Levante having scored both of the goals.

“Y/N I’ll pick you up tonight.” Ana shouted just as you were about to leave the changing room. “9 alright with you?”

“I’ll be ready, thanks.”

The team had organised to celebrate with a few drinks at an exclusive bar, come club, that had recently opened. With it being an evening kick off you only had a few hours to get ready and into the outfit you had chosen, a black silk shirt and skirt combo which you left open at the front.

“You look great.” Ana said as I got into her car that night. “Out to impress anyone?”

“Only myself.” Through spending a lot of time with Ana you’d told her vaguely about what happened that night, she tried to persuade you to just message Alexia but your nerves of getting rejected pushed you back each time.

“Good for you.”

“How’s your girl been?” Ana had also confided in you that she had been dating someone but didn’t want to make it public just yet.

“Really good, I have officially have a girlfriend now.”

“Shut up! I’m really happy for you Ana.”

“Thank you, now we just need to get you one.”

Arriving at the club you spotted all the girls in a private section, stopping at the bar for a shot to take the edge off and a drink for yourself and Ana as a thank you. After the initial welcomes, you took your spot on the dance floor, messing around with a few of the girls, letting your hair down and forgetting about the pressures of being a footballer.

That came tumbling down when you spotted the brunette in the corner of the room, her eyes trailed on you as she nursed her drink. Your eyes locked together, neither managing to turn away as you continued to dance with Ingrid and she tried to vaguely listen to what Mapi was saying.

“Are you even listening to me?” Mapi asked, noticing Alexia was barely even focusing on their chat anymore. Following her eyes she was met with you dancing with her girlfriend, your eyes though only meeting the girl next to her. “Wow I didn’t know you two even knew each other.”

“We don’t… not really anyway.”

“But you find her attractive.”

“Of course I do, I mean have you seen the girl.”

“Follow her.” Mapi almost pushed the Ballon d’Or winner out of her seat noticing your retreating figure. “Go.”

“I’m going.”

“Don’t come back without her.”

You didn’t know how long you could take the tension out there, even across the room it felt like she was invading all your senses. Retreating into the bathroom you took a deep breath, giving yourself a silent peptalk in the mirror.

“Hey.” Your thoughts were interrupted as Alexia walked into the bathroom, leaning on the counter next to you. “I thought you’d forgotten who I was.”

“I thought you’d forgotten about me.”

“I’m sorry about that night, I really wanted to spend the night with you girls, especially you, but then the media duties took over and I had to spend an extra night in Paris.” She admitted, her hand coming up to stroke down your face as you lent into her touch. “I thought I must have read the signals wrong when you didn’t message me.”

“I was waiting for you to message me.” You admitted. “I thought I misread the signals. I guess we both got the situation wrong.”

“Where’s little miss confident gone?”

“What can I say? You make me nervous, even tonight I would usually be the first to go over but you just paralysed me.”

“I saw you arriving with Ana and I didn’t want to make a fool of myself by approaching you.”

Before you had the time to reply you could feel footstep approaching and grabbed Alexia’s hand to lock yourselves in a cubicle, a mere few inches between you both that were immediately removed as you backed her into the wall behind her.

“I thought I told you there was nothing going on there.” Every inch of your bodies was touching as you left no room between you both, your lips grazing her ear as you tried to whisper. “She’s not the one I think about in bed, she’s not the one who’s hands I can feel on my back when I’m alone.” You traced your hands up her sides in the cut out of her dress, you could feel both your hearts racing as her leg wrapped around your thigh.  “She doesn’t drive me crazy after one meeting.”

“I’m guessing she doesn’t do this then.”

Before you even had the chance to reply she’d propelled you backwards, your legs instinctively wrapping around her waist as her lips crashed down onto yours. You’d never felt like this just from a kiss before as her tongue battled with your own, one hand holding you up whilst the other knotted itself in your hair. You own hands wrapping around her neck. She definitely had the smoothest lips you’d ever felt as her lips detached from your own only to trail down your neck, sucking on your sweet spot.

“Stop.” You whispered before crashing your lips together once again, not wanting her to leave a mark.

This time when you separated you stayed in close proximity, your forehead resting on her own as she let you get down. “Did you not have anyone to help you today? You seem to be missing something.” From her position she could see your lack of clothing underneath your shirt.

“I should have asked Ana.”

“Say that again.”

“Maybe Ana might not want to help.” Even though you knew that was a complete lie you couldn’t help but tease the other woman as her anger began to show. “Especially if we lose contact again.”

“I’m not sure that would be a good idea when I’m the one you’re thinking about.” You should have known she would use that against you. “Let me take you out on a proper date, maybe you can tell me about these dreams you’ve been having.”

“I’d like that.” You admitted. “About the date.”

“Of course.”

Taking one final glance at you, she pecked your lips once more and gave your behind a pat to move out of the cubicle. Only there you were met with Mapi and Ingrid washing their hands at the sink, your cheeks blushing as your eyes locked with their smirks.

“Good night?”

“You have no idea.”