#first thing i see when i open youtube is an abs tutorial

[mangocar]

day 3 and 4, docm and etho! drawing all hermits in alphabetical order lol,, also first time drawing abs bc doc doesn't wear a shirt.

[mcatra]

Catra works at Burger King pt 3

catradora in ther modern party clothes!

AO3

pt1/2

Catra was currently studying in the library, trying to work her way through a math problem. 

Her place didn't have internet, so she usually alternated between the school wifi, the public library, and Burger King. Lonnie usually let her study in the break room when the libraries closed up. 

Her phone pings with a message, obviously from Adora. 

Catra picks up her phone and unlocks it, eyebrow raising when she sees the message. 

Adora: 

Wyd? 

Catra sighs. Of course that airheaded jock texted like a frat boy. As much as she wanted to leave her on read, a deal was a deal. 

Catra: 

Studying. 

Adora: 

So diligent! You're so cool, Catra :) 

Adora: 

I'm weightlifting right now! Gotta work off all those BK calories 💪

Great, maybe she will leave her alone to go do her workout. 

Adora: 

[image.attachment]

Catra almost drops her phone when she sees the photo Adora sent. It was a shot of her by the mirror, and she was flexing with a dumbbell. She was wearing a black crop top, which framed her abs perfectly.  What was she doing, getting flustered over what, a gym rat photo that looked like it belonged on a Tinder profile? After much gay panic and debate, Catra takes a photo of herself with her middle finger up to the camera. She taps ‘send’ angrily. 

Catra: 

[image.attachment] 🖕 She doesn't get a response for a few minutes, which was odd. Usually Adora typed back at the speed of lightning. 

Ping. 

Adora: 

wow Ur rlly hot  Catra looks at the text, slack jawed. What the hell? 

Adora: 

Oh my god I am so sorry. That was Glimmer, she took my phone. 

Catra could almost scream, but she was in a public library. She settles for furiously chewing her out, sharp nails flying over the keyboard. 

Catra: 

Plz make Ur excuses more believable. It's so unoriginal I can't even post this on r/OopsDidntMeanTo. 

Adora: 

I really didn't mean to 🥺

Adora: 

I mean 

Adora: 

Glimmer didn't mean to  God, Adora was so stupid. Yet here Catra was, blushing like a fool. When she doesn’t answer for a while, her phone starts pinging again with notifications. 

>Adora liked your photo

>Adora liked your status >Adora reacted to your comment >Adora liked your photo

It goes on for another 23 times and Catra scrolls through it, dumbfounded. Unblocking her was a mistake. 

---- 

As promised, Adora would visit her garage when her shifts were over bringing groceries. In exchange Catra would cook, as it seemed like Adora would burn water if she tried. 

It started off as a weekly thing, but in a true Adora-like fashion it ended up like this everyday. They would talk for hours, catching up on their lost years together. 

Adora talked about all sorts of things, like how hard it was adjusting to the soft beds at first and how she requested a hard one. She told her about the contents of the letters she would send to Catra that never went received. Catra just listened, gratified to hear that Adora missed her in their time apart even half as much as she did. 

They would sing the little songs they invented back when they were kids and make up whole new ones as they waited for the food. Adora even started learning how to cook after watching Catra, and she would barge in uninvited with new recipes. The food tasted better with company, and Adora took great pleasure in piling her seconds. 

Catra would show her the local dumpster and they would go scavenging for items they needed. She taught her how to repair the things they found using Youtube tutorials, and how to disinfect them. It was fun watching Adora try to haggle for prices at the market, or her face when she realized she had to use the outhouse to go to the bathroom at Catra’s. 

Days bleed into months, their easygoing friendship making Catra feel at peace for the first time in forever. 

Right now they were currently in their trial exam period, which functioned both as practice for their final exams and half of their final marks. They were sitting in the library, chatting about their future majors. 

Catra taps a pencil to her chin. ‘Let me guess, you want to do art. No, art history.’

‘Political science, actually! Did you know Eternia University has  the  number one ranked Political Science course in the entire country?' Adora says, flipping through the uni coursebook. 

'Wao, future leader of the free world huh? That's kinda hot.' Catra teases, while Adora swats her in embarrassment. 

'What about you?' 

'Double degree of Law and Social Work.' Catra replies. 'Cliche I know. But I just want to be in a position where I can sue the shit out of Shadow Weaver. The system is corrupt, and there's thousands of kids being abused.' 

'Wow, you're so cool Catra.' Adora says in awe. 'You're so smart, you'd definitely get in.' 

'Damn right.' She scoffs, crossing her arms. 

'You're gonna love Eternia. I went to their open day, the campus is gorgeous. Oh my gosh we could dorm together!' 

'Gross, who'd want to be  your  roommate?' 

'You  would.' 

'Ew, you're so full of yourself. Anyway get off me, I have work soon and I need to get changed.' 

'Ah yes, the cute Burger King apron. I never get tired of it.' 

They would always flirt back and forth like this, but nothing ever came out of it. 

With her friendship came the feelings that she had repressed long ago, unknotting and resurfacing like they had never gone at all. However she had no idea if Adora even liked her in that way, given how affectionate she was with Bow and Glimmer. She was popular with boys and girls alike, but she never dated anyone. Catra never dared to ask. 

Once Adora had fallen asleep in Catra's bed, and the brunette had woken up to the other girls arm around her and their feet tangled together. It reminded her of when they shared the bed as kids, but now they were grown up and this kind of thing didn't have an innocent meaning anymore. Having her there made her heart race and her palms sweaty.

She had wanted to kiss her then. She wanted to kiss her now. Catra wanted every single morning to end up like that. 

-- 

Adora:

Your birthday is soon! Did you want anything?

You  , Catra thinks, like a huge sap. 

Catra:

My sanity back. 

Adora: 

Oh my gosh, we could throw you a party at my place! You’re turning 18 right? We could go out drinking! Angella has this amazing vintage wine collection and I could make cocktails!  

Catra receives another wall of text, basically planning the entirety of this birthday party with Bow being the DJ and how Glimmer could make these buns that were to die for. Adora starts going through the entire party guest list until she has to cut in. 

Catra: 

lol calm down 

Adora: 

Does this mean Ur on board? 🎉

Catra: 

yes fine since you won't shut up about it 

Adora: 

AAAAAAAH YOU'RE THE BEST!!!!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️ U WILL NOT REGRET THIS 

DW I WILL PLAN EVERYTHING <3333 

💗💖💖😻

The excessive amount of heart emojis make Catra grin dumbly into her palm. 

She's glad they're not video chatting, or Adora would've already taken a screenshot. 

---

It’s the day of her 18th birthday, and she’s nearing the end of her shift. The best friend squad were waiting for her at their usual table so they could give her a ride. 

‘Hey Catra. Can I speak to you out back?’ Lonnie asks, gesturing outside. 

What the heck, did she do something wrong?  It’s been pretty peaceful as of late, and Catra tries to remember if she had done anything to Kyle recently. She nods, chucking her apron at the back as she tries not to notice Adora’s eyes following her. 

 Catra goes out to the back of the store, the night air nipping at her shoulders. Lonnie waits for her there, biting her lip.

‘What’s up? Don’t tell me you’re giving me a raise.’ Catra jokes. 

Lonnie looks conflicted, and she takes a big breath. 

‘I’m sorry but our store isn’t doing so well. I know you’re turning 18, and that means we can’t afford to keep you on anymore.’

‘What…?’ 

Catra felt numb, like she wasn’t really there in the back alley with Lonnie. It felt like an out of body experience. She could only stare at her, betrayed. 

Like Lonnie could read her mind, she tries to correct herself. ‘It wasn’t my decision, it was Octavia’s.’

Of course it was. Her regional manager was the reason she could never just swipe food while she was working. Octavia never liked her, she always reviewed the security cameras and told her off for goofing around. She must’ve known the door incident was on Catra’s shift, and what really happened despite Adora’s cover up. This ‘layoff’ was just an excuse to get rid of her from a financial standpoint. 

‘Thank you for all your hard work over these past 3 years. I know you’re going through a rough time, so we will of course give you a recommendation.’

Catra just nods. 

She returns to her shift, robotically going through the motions. Catra doesn’t even say anything sassy when Adora asks for a burger with no patty and no onions and no sauce, only cheese on bread.

The lack of a clever comeback to their gag routine has Adora concerned. ‘Are you okay?’ 

Of course she wasn’t. How could she be? She was going to have to vacate her garage space, not like she had anywhere to put her furniture in. What the hell was she going to do? 

‘I’m fine.’ She says, even though tears were threatening to burn a hole in the back of her eyelids. ‘Just...rough day.’ 

‘It’s your birthday! The party will cheer you up.’ Bow says brightly. ‘I have the sickest playlist of all time, you're gonna love it.' 

'My mum isn’t home so we have free reign over the entire house! Come on girl, let's get you changed!' Glimmer crows, too excited about the party to pick up on Catra's mood. 'Makeover time!!' 

The two of them force her into Glimmer's Mercedes, on their way to buy every alcohol imaginable from the bottle shop before they go to her house. 

The last thing Catra wanted to do was play dress up or even go to her party, but Adora had planned for so long for this. It would definitely ruin the entire night if she refused to go. 

Out of all the times they had hung out, she’s never been to Adora’s house. She leans her head against the window when they drive into the fancy part of town, by the lakeside with the multi-million dollar yachts parked in the water. 

That still doesn't prepare Catra for when security lets them in through the black gates to the biggest mansion she’s ever seen. There were fountains, perfectly manicured lawns, a tennis court, and was that  a helicopter pad?! 

It was incredible, she had only seen this kind of luxury in the movies. So Glimmer was rich , rich. No wonder she was put out that Adora had her 18th birthday at Burger King. 

Catra looks at Adora with a dumbfounded expression as the attendants let them in, and the blonde looks almost embarrassed when they have to get into an elevator to go to her room. 

Glimmer picks out a hybrid of clothes from her and Adora's closets. The walk-in wardrobe is huge, like a department store full of designer clothes, shoes, jewellery and bags. 

Her wardrobe alone is the size of Catra's home. The brunette suddenly understands why Adora cried upon seeing her concrete garage space. Looking at it, she wanted to cry too. 

Glimmer sets her down on her huge poster bed as she brings out a checkered crop top, ripped black garter shorts and an expensive looking black leather jacket with a gold trim. While Catra reluctantly gets changed, Glimmer picks out a pair of black strappy heeled boots and a hair straightener to battle the bush on Catra’s head. 

She sits still while Glimmer goes to work on her face, bringing out an entire Sephora’s worth of makeup. When Catra looks in the vanity mirror, she almost doesn’t recognize herself. Her eyes were framed with false eyelashes, a swooping cateye, smokey eyeshadow, sharp contour and her lips were now cherry red with bold lipstick. Glimmer applies the finishing touches with silver rings and clip on piercings. 

She hears Adora inhale with shock from the staircase in her bedroom. 

‘Catra you look incredible !’ She gasps. Adora was wearing this cute backless white dress tied with strings, short enough that it cropped above her knees. She was wearing sparkly wedges to go with it, and her hair was curled instead of her usual ponytail. Her delicate gold sword necklace frames her collarbones. 

Catra’s throat goes dry. ‘Uh- You too.’ 

 Glimmer smirks, satisfied with her work. She gets changed into her own outfit, a short purple tulle lace dress with a white fur trim and a cute Gucci clutch to accompany it. The pink haired girl spritzes them all with her various floral and sea spray scented perfumes before they head back downstairs.

‘Wow you guys look amazing!’ Scorpia marvels, and Adora’s friends voice their approval as well. 

‘Gosh this place is crazy.’ Scorpia whispers to Catra. ‘Did you see their pool? We should’ve just held the swimming carnival here!’ 

Catra opens her mouth to tell her how Lonnie had let her go, but Sea Hawk’s booming voice interrupts them. 

'I challenge you to the ultimate game of BEER PONG!' Sea Hawk announces, spinning the ball on his fingertips. 

Of course this gets everyone's competitive spirit going, and everyone gets into pairs. 

After a few drinks Catra has almost forgotten what she was worrying about earlier, too focused on the buzz. Her and Adora demolish the other teams by a landslide with their impeccable aim. 

Soon the attendants came out with dinner, and it was lavish with every food you could imagine. Lobster, kobe beef, hor d'oeuvres, beluga caviar, kale, and opulent ice cream were all among the plates of food on the table. They bring out a massive 3 tiered truffle cake, the words 'Happy Birthday' written with an oddly crude drawing of Catra. 

'You drew this?' She asks, and Adora nods happily. 'You worked so hard on mine, so.' Catra doesn’t have the heart to tell her that the cake was $7 and the drawing of her forehead was meant as an insult.  They sing the birthday song for her, and this time no one brings up the cake cutting tradition. 

 After dinner they sit outside in the garden around the bonfire Sea Hawk had made. He was drunkenly singing a loud shanty while Bow piled in the wood, fanning the flames. Frosta sips on a mocktail, the only one there who wasn’t old enough to drink yet. The fire flickers and dances, casting shadows around them. 

Catra downs a few more cocktails and jello shots as she waits for Mermista to light up some fireworks. Apparently it was illegal, but Mermista just waved her off, telling her that she’ll just pay the penalty fee as Catra’s birthday gift. Sea Hawk really did rub off on her. 

When she successfully sets them off they light up the sky in dazzling multicoloured sparks. Adora’s friends whoop with glee, taking photos and videos to commemorate the moment. 

Adora's side profile is lit up in the dark, and she looks impossibly beautiful among the backdrop of stars. Longing tears at her chest, Catra wants to hold her hand but her throat feels too tight and she can’t move. The truth was that she knew she had always had feelings for Adora, even back when they were just kids back in the foster home. But like a coward, she could never voice them for fear of Adora leaving her side. 

A loud neighing can be heard from the stables in response to the loud booming noises from the fireworks. 

'Swifty!' Adora says, standing up. The moment's breaks and Catra reels back her hand. 'Stay here, I'll be right back.' 

Her chance disappears, she couldn’t say it after all. She watches her go tend to her horse, feeling stupid. 

‘Yoohoo~, want a rematch?’ Sea Hawk calls out from the patio, pouring vodka into tiny glasses. 

‘Don’t mind if I do.’ Catra replies. She definitely didn’t know her alcohol tolerance levels yet, so it was the perfect time to take that to the test. 

Catra confidently does a whole line of shots, determined to drink herself into unconsciousness. Every time she sees a flash of Lonnie or Adora’s face in her mind, she takes another swig. Everyone is cheering her on, screaming the song ‘Shots’ over and over again, also all drunk out of their minds. Sea Hawk taps out at the 5th drink, and everyone screams at Catra’s flawless victory. Scorpia lifts her into the air to do a victory lap, cheering. 

Adora finally makes an appearance, alerted by the sound of Catra's shrieky laughter as Scorpia swings her around. 

‘Don’t worry, I can take it from here.’ Her school captain says pulling Catra away from her friend. Scorpia just shrugs and makes her way to the food table. ‘Catra, maybe you should slow down.’ Adora tells the giggling girl in her arms. 

‘Noo way.’ She slurs, she was enjoying the feeling too much, the alcohol burning through her body, making her feel lightheaded. The light up disco dancefloor starts to blur into a kaleidoscope of colours. 

‘You got some weed?’ Catra asks, seeing Perfuma light a bowl. The taller girl hands her an already rolled up one and Catra snatches it to take a long drag. The smoke hits her lungs and she starts coughing. 

‘Oi Perfuma, why did you bring drugs? Angella will kill me!' Adora gripes, trying to wrestle the blunt away from Catra. 

‘Aw don't be like that! I made some edibles for you guys to try.’ Perfuma says cheerfully, pointing to the pot brownies. 

‘See? Scorpia likes them.’ She gestures at the other girl, who seemed to be currently tripping out of her mind and eating everything on the table. 

Catra goes to reach for one, but Adora grabs her by the wrist to lead her back inside. 'Alright, you're done for the night. Everyone say bye!' 

‘Byee Catra!’

‘Happy birthday!!’

Adora grabs her by the waist to lead her to her bedroom, Catra wobbling after her in the heels Glimmer lent her. 

'Ugh Adoraaa, don't be such a party pooper. I'm fine.' She moans, leaning heavily on the other girl. 'Don't you have a shift tomorrow afternoon? I don't want you getting hungover or drug tested.' Adora chides, rummaging around the dark for the light switch. 

Catra snorts. 'Oh you don't have to worry about  that  anymore. Got laid off.' 

Adora looks at her in confusion, until realization dawns on her. 'Wait, is that why Lonnie took you outside?' 

'Say, I never got to give you  your  birthday gift.' Catra pushes her hair back, voice sultry as she flings off her jacket. She never pinned herself down as a horny drunk, but here they were. Catra shoves Adora onto the bed, straddling her. Her golden hair spills over the mattress, soft like spun silk. 

'You still want that kiss?' Catra whispers in Adora's now burning red ear. 'My knife touched the bottom.' 

Adora's face now resembled a fire truck, mouth gaping in shock.

'C-Catra, I…' 

Catra presses their lips together, silencing her. She knows she probably tastes like alcohol and weed right now, but she couldn't care less in the moment. Adora's mouth is still slack jawed from mortification, so she takes the opportunity for tongue. She frowns and moves down to her neck when Adora doesn’t return the kiss. 

'Catra, what are you doing-' 

Catra bites down on Adora's nape. The blonde underneath her lets out a soft gasp, arching her back. Her gold manicured nails dig into her shoulder. 

'Stop, you're not thinking straight-!' 

'Sure ain't.' Catra grins, licking a stripe down the base of her neck. Adora’s necklace chain jingles with the movement. There was now an impressive hickey there, blooming violet on her pale skin. She pauses to admire her handiwork. 

'This isn't you talking, you'll, you'll regret this in the morning.' Adora stutters. She's shivering, their hands now laced together, silver rings clanking. 

'I know. I don't care.' She replies, kissing her again. Adora's teeth nick her lip. The alcohol in her system makes her feel lightheaded, confident. No way would she have managed this sober. Adora tastes better than she does, sweet like blueberry soju. Catra's hands wander down further, pulling the strings to untie the back of her dress-

'Catra stop!'  Adora suddenly shouts, striking Catra across the cheek in a deafening  slap . 

Adora's eyes were blazing, almost teary in the dark. Her breathing was irregular, panting in and out. Catra stills, clutching her cheek. The look in her eyes sobered her immediately. 

Adora looks down at her palm, realizing what she just did. 'Sorry for hitting you!' She flounders. 'It's just that, you're only doing this because you’re drunk and upset, right?’

Catra just stares at her before climbing off. Cold realization settles as the fog in her brain clears. 'You're right. Forget it.' 

She sits on the edge of the bed, numbly watching Adora hurriedly trying to re-tie the back of her now wrinkled dress. Her lips are stained with Catra’s red lipstick. Adora catches her looking, and she quickly turns away to smooth down her hair with her fingers. 'You've had more than enough to drink tonight. I’ll get you some water to clear your head.’

She gets up to turn on the light switch, and Catra blinks in the harsh light from the chandeliers.  ‘Come on, let’s get you sobered up, okay?’ Adora leads her to the kitchen on the same floor, gingerly placing her friend on the slippery bar stool. 

The blonde goes to get the chilled jug of infused water from the fridge and pours it into a glass. Adora slides it across the island, and Catra reluctantly takes it. She sips at it, mint and lemon on her tongue. It tasted way better than her hose water. 

‘I’ll uh, pick out some groceries for you since we’re here and all.’ Adora says awkwardly into the silence, turning around to rummage through her pantry. 

Suddenly Catra is brought back to the whole reason why she was sitting here in this oversized mansion in the first place. Their friendship agreement. The one she had just violated. Catra had never felt more stupid to mistake Adora’s kindness and guilt for actual feelings. She felt like a charity case, waiting to collect food from the soup kitchen.

Of course Adora didn't like her back. She just saw her as someone needing to be saved. The product of survival guilt. Catra wanted to whack her head on the corner of her marbled countertop and not wake up. 

Adora takes out a green plastic bag, and starts filling it with everything and anything she can get. Cans, pasta, biscuits, fruits and vegetables. Actually this feeling was more like being one of those poor kids that white girls would pose next to for their Instagram after their trip to Africa.  Did Adora have fun, volunteering to slum it up in her place while she returned here? All she ever wanted her entire life was to be Adora’s equal. 

Scorpia and Sea Hawk's loud laughter and DJ music can be heard downstairs in the garden, beyond the tall golden trimmed windows. The class difference between them stretched like an unfathomable canyon. Living the classy bougie dream until the clock struck midnight and she was back in her run down garage. Except soon she won’t even have that anymore. Why did Adora have to bring her here? It was almost cruel. 

Catra's suddenly overcome with the urge to vomit. She nearly falls off the high chair in her rush to throw up the unholy cocktail of alcohol into the sink. Tears bead in her eyes from the sour taste as she continues to vomit out everything she ate that night. She can feel Adora by her side, patting her back reassuringly.

It was by far the worst birthday she has ever had. 

 --

The morning of, Catra woke up in Adora’s bed with a splitting headache. 

Unfortunately she was  not given the gift of amnesia, as she vividly remembered every last excruciating detail about last night. 

She spots Adora’s mop of blonde hair under a blanket on the floor, even though there were a billion other free spare rooms to sleep in. Adora was probably too afraid to share the same bed as her now.

Catra’s borrowed crop top digs uncomfortably into her skin, and she angrily flings it off her body. The shorts stick to her like a second skin, smelling of tequila. She grabs her old Burger King uniform and puts it on, though even this didn’t belong to her now. 

Adora shifts in her sleep, and Catra lightly steps over her to get to the door. The last thing she wanted was for Adora to wake up. 

As soon as she’s out, she runs out to the elevator and bangs frantically on the buttons until it sends her to the bottom floor. The lift opens with a  ding  and in her haste she almost crashes headfirst into Glimmer. 

‘Oh hey! Are you going to work?’ Glimmer greets. She was in her silk pajamas and slippers, holding a glass of orange juice. 

‘Uh. Yeah.’ Catra lies, trying her best to look natural. 

‘Some party last night huh? Lucky today is a Saturday.’ Glimmer says conversationally, unaware of Catra’s urge to throw her across the room. ‘Hey, what happened to your cheek?’

Catra clutches her face, it still strung from where Adora struck her. ‘Nothing.’

Glimmer raises an eyebrow. ‘Well anyway, did you wanna stick around for  breakfast? The cooks made pancakes, bacon, eggs, the whole deal.' She peeks behind Catra. 'Is Adora  still  not up yet?’ 

As much as Catra wanted to scream  get out of my way she schools her expression to her best customer service smile. ‘Nope she’s still sleeping it off. Anyway I’m gonna be late so I can’t stick around.’

‘Did you need a lift?’ Glimmer asks. It dawns on the brunette she couldn’t exactly run the entire way back home. ‘I’ll ask one of the drivers to take you back so you make it to your shift.’

Catra thanks her lucky stars that Glimmer was still too hungover to drive her. She wouldn’t have been able to dodge her questions if she had. 

‘Yes please.’ Catra says, giddy with relief. ‘Thank you.’ 

‘Ooh and before I forget, Adora told me last night to give you this.’ Glimmer says, grabbing the green bag of groceries off the counter. The shorter girl bundles it into Catra’s arms before she can object. 

‘Get home safe.’ She says, waving as the attendant leads her out the door. 

Catra looks down at the cans of food in her arms and doesn’t say anything.  

 ------

The days leading up to graduation were painful, to say the least. 

They more or less pretend the kiss didn't happen. Adora never brings it up, and neither does Catra. 

She would stare at the ceiling, wishing she had never gotten piss drunk at her birthday and kissed her. Adora was right, she did regret it. It was awful, the look on Adora's face when she slapped Catra replays in her mind and nightmares over and over again. It was mortifying. 

Adora still messages her every 3 days, and Catra still replies, though her words are empty and devoid of banter.  I'm worried about you,  she says.  I'm fine , Catra always responds. 

The brunette continues to humour her to keep the peace, only shutting down when her old job was mentioned. Catra doesn’t allow Adora back into her home again. 

Sometimes they study together, but she can't concentrate when Adora wears her glasses. Her heart hurts, so she cradles her cheek and tries not to remember. 

The hickey she had branded Adora's neck with had been covered with foundation until it faded away. None of her friends had teased her about it, so she clearly had not told a single soul what had happened. 

Catra bites at the scab on her lip from where Adora’s teeth nicked her until it bleeds. She wants to apologize, but the words stick on her tongue and she can't bring herself to talk about that night. 

Catra knew Adora was only here by her side to alleviate her guilt. Shame buries itself under her skin every time she's near her, like she was too embarrassed to even exist in the same space as Adora. She wants to disappear. 

Exams are hard, and without an internet connection after the library closes at 6pm made it difficult to study. In her heart she knew she wasn't going to come out on top. Her ranking had slipped, she wasn't even at second place anymore. Rent was due at the end of the month, and without her Burger King wage she knew she'll be kicked out sooner than later. 

Catra felt stressed and self destructive, and the only thing that kept her from falling off the edge completely was Scorpia. As much as she hated depending on others, she'd much rather her old coworker than Adora. 

Her classmates seemed to like this new, muted down version of Catra who didn't argue and just stayed quiet most of the time. Fighting back was too difficult when all she wanted to do was blend into the wallpaper. All they talked about was where they were going for vacation after graduation, and Catra certainly had nothing to contribute to that conversation.

She felt like crying, all the time. It was agony, wanting to burst out into tears randomly while she sat wasting away in the student council room. Despite herself, she missed Burger King, and she just kept getting ghosted or rejected in her other job applications. Sometimes when she really wanted to indulge herself, she'd go cry silently in the school toilet stall. 

Glimmer notices the change, and she catches her glaring. 'You don't seem as alive lately. Your eye bags are huge.' 

'S'fine.' Catra replies, hiding her hands so she doesn't see how they shake. Honestly Catra couldn't remember the last time she slept.

'Pfft, don't lie to me. Adora's worried about you. You're getting skinnier, and your eyes are always raw. All you do is stare into space.' 

Catra bites down on her nails. Of course she knew that. But she's gone through this before, and she'll do it again. 

'What happened between you two?’ 

‘None of your business.’ Catra replies, shuffling her way to the hall. 

--

 Their graduation ceremony starts off uneventfully. Every student’s parents except Catra’s sit proudly in the audience, eager to watch their kid graduate. One by one they receive their certificate and return to their seats. 

Adora and Catra stand side by side onstage, as Adora makes their final speech as School Captain. Through the blinding lights, she sees Angella waving proudly at her adoptive daughter in the crowd. 

Catra looks at Adora in the corner of her eye. She must look pathetic, lovesick and pining after someone she couldn’t have. 

‘It’s been such an honour serving the entire faculty and students of this school. I couldn’t have done it without my amazing Vice-Captain and all of my prefects. Now I’m proud to hand over my badge to the next School Captain, Frosta.’ 

They go through the rest of the ceremony like that, each member of the student council handing their badges to their successors. 

Soon their Principal comes up to the podium, tapping it once and clearing her throat. 

‘Announcing our honor student, and the winner of the scholarship to Eternia University…’ Castaspella says, turning over the sign card. 

‘None other than our school captain, Adora!’

Everyone starts clapping, and Adora walks across the stage to shake Castaspella's hand. 

Sounded about right. Catra never won against Adora in her entire life. She had already expected this outcome. Like a game of cat and mouse, going over and over for all eternity. 

Adora would excel with her elite education and secure a well paying job. Catra would struggle at the bottom indefinitely, never amounting to anything. She never would, if Adora was still there next to her. When the blonde re-entered her life, everything she had been working towards for years just collapsed. Her job, her home, her School Captain status, her chance at the scholarship, her sanity. 

She had to be wiped clean. A fresh start. 

The flower petals were falling, the streets decorated with a vibrant pink. The other students mill out of the crowd with their parents, chatting excitedly about what was next in their futures. She waits for Adora underneath a tree.  

'Congratulations.' Catra says, when she finally spots the other girl in the crowd. Adora pulls away from Angella’s embrace to meet her. 

'You deserve this so much more than I do.' Adora says, her voice pained like she didn't just win a full ride to her dream university. 'You should take it.'

'It's in your name, silly.' Catra replies, lightly tapping her with her rolled up certificate.

'Besides, I knew you'd get into Eternia, so I never applied.'

Adora blinks dumbly. '...What? Aren’t we going to the same university?’ 

She always was a bit slow on the uptake. ‘Only  you  decided that, stuupid. Say, it's about time we ended this right?' 

‘Catra, what are you...' 

'Our deal. You don't need to feel guilty anymore or bring me anything.' Catra says, her voice sounding like it didn't belong to her. She rummages in her bag, bringing out Adora's spare varsity jacket that she hadn’t returned. 'Here, take this. Thank you for all the help.' 

'What do you mean? You want to stop being friends?' Adora says in disbelief, taking the jacket.  

Catra nods. ‘I can’t continue with the arrangement. I hope you understand.’ 

‘I don’t! Was I the only one who thought we were friends, real ones?’ Adora asks.

‘...That’s right. I never saw you as a friend. You were just a meal ticket to me. Are you happy now?’ Catra snaps back. Shit, that wasn’t what she meant to say. She had planned to end this quickly and painlessly, on a high note.  Trust Adora to put up a fight. 

Something seems to click in Adora’s brain. ‘Is this about the night of the party?’

‘Figure that out yourself.’ Catra replies, turning to walk away. 

Adora grabs onto her arm. ‘Wait! If- if that’s what you want, I’ll give it! Just don't go!' 

This dumb blonde really was offering up her body, out of what? A sense of duty? How stupid. 

‘Is that right?’ Catra says, walking closer to her. Adora backs up until she is pinned to the tree. They’re face to face now. 

‘Can you really do this?’ Catra lifts Adora’s chin by a finger. 

Finally it seems to dawn on Adora exactly what Catra wanted. She swallows, biting her lip. 

There’s a flicker of hesitation, before Adora’s eyes squeeze shut defiantly. The blonde is shaking like a leaf, her breath coming out in panicked stutters from her pursed lips. 

Catra just stares at Adora’s scrunched up face impassively. Her scared reaction was the only confirmation she needed for closure. 

She flicks the other girl’s forehead, and her big blue eyes open in confusion. ‘Chill out, I’m not that evil to do it to someone so unwilling.’

 Adora blinks, clutching her forehead. ‘Catra?’

Suddenly Angella’s voice cuts through their conversation from the car park. ‘Adora dear, are you done chatting with your friend? We have reservations!'

‘Um, I…’ Her old school captain opens her mouth to say something, but Angella's started to lose her patience. 'Adora, how long are you going to stand there? Glimmer is already waiting for us at the restaurant!' 

Catra just smiles tiredly. ‘Take care, dummy.’ 

She watches Adora being dragged off unwillingly by her adoptive mother to the car. 

Catra lets out a sigh. Her phone pings with a message from Scorpia, and she knows it's time to go. 

---

 By the time Angella releases her from their graduation celebration, Adora can feel that it's already too late.

 Adora: 

Please, can we talk? Let me fix this

A pop up appears over the screen. 

Message Not Sent

This person isn't receiving messages at this time. 

Adora sends another message, but they all go undelivered. Catra had blocked her again. Panic spikes through her veins, and she quickly dons on a jacket and grabs her car keys. 

She sneaks out that night, down the familiar winding path through the bush that led to Catra's place. 

'Catra?' She rolls up the garage door, blinking in the darkness. When her eyes adjusted, she found Catra's old home completely emptied. 

All the furniture and items her friend had collected over the years, they were all gone. The little stove where they cooked, the old mattress where they talked late into the night, all vanished like they were never there. 

A single green plastic bag remained on the floor untouched, filled to the brim of food. 

     catra working at BK fanart: 

https://twitter.com/huetrooper/status/1265188930741080064

https://twitter.com/quackelroys/status/1271199987540668416?s=20

https://mcatra.tumblr.com/post/620493235561824256/your-catra-works-at-burger-king-fic-is-great-you

 pt1, pt 2

Catra was currently studying in the library, trying to work her way through a math problem. 

Her place didn't have internet, so she usually alternated between the school wifi, the public library, and Burger King. Lonnie usually let her study in the break room when the libraries closed up. 

Her phone pings with a message, obviously from Adora. 

Catra picks up her phone and unlocks it, eyebrow raising when she sees the message. 

Adora: 

Wyd? 

Catra sighs. Of course that airheaded jock texted like a frat boy. As much as she wanted to leave her on read, a deal was a deal. 

Catra: 

Studying. 

Adora: 

So diligent! You're so cool, Catra :) 

Adora: 

I'm weightlifting right now! Gotta work off all those BK calories 💪

Great, maybe she will leave her alone to go do her workout. 

Adora: 

[image.attachment]

Catra almost drops her phone when she sees the photo Adora sent. It was a shot of her by the mirror, and she was flexing with a dumbbell. She was wearing a black crop top, which framed her abs perfectly. 

What was she doing, getting flustered over what, a gym rat photo that looked like it belonged on a Tinder profile? 

After much gay panic and debate, Catra takes a photo of herself with her middle finger up to the camera. She taps ‘send’ angrily. 

Catra: 

[image.attachment] 🖕

She doesn't get a response for a few minutes, which was odd. Usually Adora typed back at the speed of lightning. 

Ping. 

Adora: 

wow Ur rlly hot 

Catra looks at the text, slack jawed. What the hell? 

Adora: 

Oh my god I am so sorry. That was Glimmer, she took my phone. 

Catra could almost scream, but she was in a public library. She settles for furiously chewing her out, sharp nails flying over the keyboard. 

Catra: 

Plz make Ur excuses more believable. It's so unoriginal I can't even post this on r/OopsDidntMeanTo. 

Adora: 

I really didn't mean to 🥺

Adora: 

I mean 

Adora: 

Glimmer didn't mean to 

God, Adora was so stupid. Yet here Catra was, blushing like a fool. When she doesn’t answer for a while, her phone starts pinging again with notifications. 

>Adora liked your photo

>Adora liked your status >Adora reacted to your comment >Adora liked your photo

It goes on for another 23 times and Catra scrolls through it, dumbfounded. Unblocking her was  a mistake. 

---- 

As promised, Adora would visit her garage when her shifts were over bringing groceries. In exchange Catra would cook, as it seemed like Adora would burn water if she tried. 

It started off as a weekly thing, but in a true Adora-like fashion it ended up like this everyday. They would talk for hours, catching up on their lost years together. 

Adora talked about all sorts of things, like how hard it was adjusting to the soft beds at first and how she requested a hard one. She told her about the contents of the letters she would send to Catra that never went received. Catra just listened, gratified to hear that Adora missed her in their time apart even half as much as she did. 

They would sing the little songs they invented back when they were kids and make up whole new ones as they waited for the food. Adora even started learning how to cook after watching Catra, and she would barge in uninvited with new recipes. The food tasted better with company, and Adora took great pleasure in piling her seconds. 

Catra would show her the local dumpster and they would go scavenging for items they needed. She taught her how to repair the things they found using Youtube tutorials, and how to disinfect them. It was fun watching Adora try to haggle for prices at the market, or her face when she realized she had to use the outhouse to go to the bathroom at Catra’s. 

Days bleed into months, their easygoing friendship making Catra feel at peace for the first time in forever. 

Right now they were currently in their trial exam period, which functioned both as practice for their final exams and half of their final marks. They were sitting in the library, chatting about their future majors. 

Catra taps a pencil to her chin. ‘Let me guess, you want to do art. No, art history.’

‘Political science, actually! Did you know Eternia University has the number one ranked Political Science course in the entire country?' Adora says, flipping through the uni coursebook. 

'Wao, future leader of the free world huh? That's kinda hot.' Catra teases, while Adora swats her in embarrassment. 

'What about you?' 

'Double degree of Law and Social Work.' Catra replies. 'Cliche I know. But I just want to be in a position where I can sue the shit out of Shadow Weaver. The system is corrupt, and there's thousands of kids being abused.' 

'Wow, you're so cool Catra.' Adora says in awe. 'You're so smart, you'd definitely get in.' 

'Damn right.' She scoffs, crossing her arms. 

'You're gonna love Eternia. I went to their open day, the campus is gorgeous. Oh my gosh we could dorm together!' 

'Gross, who'd want to be your roommate?' 

'You would.' 

'Ew, you're so full of yourself. Anyway get off me, I have work soon and I need to get changed.' 

'Ah yes, the cute Burger King apron. I never get tired of it.' 

They would always flirt back and forth like this, but nothing ever came out of it. 

With her friendship came the feelings that she had repressed long ago, unknotting and resurfacing like they had never gone at all. However she had no idea if Adora even liked her in that way, given how affectionate she was with Bow and Glimmer. She was popular with boys and girls alike, but she never dated anyone. Catra never dared to ask. 

Once Adora had fallen asleep in Catra's bed, and the brunette had woken up to the other girls arm around her and their feet tangled together. It reminded her of when they shared the bed as kids, but now they were grown up and this kind of thing didn't have an innocent meaning anymore. Having her there made her heart race and her palms sweaty.

She had wanted to kiss her then. She wanted to kiss her now. Catra wanted every single morning to end up like that. 

-- 

Adora:

Your birthday is soon! Did you want anything?

You, Catra thinks, like a huge sap. 

Catra:

My sanity back. 

Adora: 

Oh my gosh, we could throw you a party at my place! You’re turning 18 right? We could go out drinking! Angella has this amazing vintage wine collection and I could make cocktails!  

Catra receives another wall of text, basically planning the entirety of this birthday party with Bow being the DJ and how Glimmer could make these buns that were to die for. Adora starts going through the entire party guest list until she has to cut in. 

Catra: 

lol calm down 

Adora: 

Does this mean Ur on board? 🎉

Catra: 

yes fine since you won't shut up about it 

Adora: 

AAAAAAAH YOU'RE THE BEST!!!!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️ U WILL NOT REGRET THIS 

DW I WILL PLAN EVERYTHING <3333 

💗💖💖😻

The excessive amount of heart emojis make Catra grin dumbly into her palm. 

She's glad they're not video chatting, or Adora would've already taken a screenshot. 

---

It’s the day of her 18th birthday, and she’s nearing the end of her shift. The best friend squad were waiting for her at their usual table so they could give her a ride. 

‘Hey Catra. Can I speak to you out back?’ Lonnie asks, gesturing outside. 

What the heck, did she do something wrong? It’s been pretty peaceful as of late, and Catra tries to remember if she had done anything to Kyle recently. She nods, chucking her apron at the back as she tries not to notice Adora’s eyes following her. 

Catra goes out to the back of the store, the night air nipping at her shoulders. Lonnie waits for her there, biting her lip.

‘What’s up? Don’t tell me you’re giving me a raise.’ Catra jokes. 

Lonnie looks conflicted, and she takes a big breath. 

‘I’m sorry but our store isn’t doing so well. I know you’re turning 18, and that means we can’t afford to keep you on anymore.’

‘What…’ 

Catra felt numb, like she wasn’t really there in the back alley with Lonnie. It felt like an out of body experience. She could only stare at her, betrayed. 

Like Lonnie could read her mind, she tries to correct herself. ‘It wasn’t my decision, it was Octavia’s.’

Of course it was. Her regional manager was the reason she could never just swipe food while she was working. Octavia never liked her, she always reviewed the security cameras and told her off for goofing around. She must’ve known the door incident was on Catra’s shift, and what really happened despite Adora’s cover up. This ‘layoff’ was just an excuse to get rid of her from a financial standpoint. 

‘Thank you for all your hard work over these past 3 years. I know you’re going through a rough time, so we will of course give you a recommendation.’

Catra just nods. 

She returns to her shift, robotically going through the motions. Catra doesn’t even say anything sassy when Adora asks for a burger with no patty and no onions and no sauce, only cheese on bread.

The lack of a clever comeback to their gag routine has Adora concerned. ‘Are you okay?’ 

Of course she wasn’t. How could she be? She was going to have to vacate her garage space, not like she had anywhere to put her furniture in. What the hell was she going to do? 

‘I’m fine.’ She says, even though tears were threatening to burn a hole in the back of her eyelids. ‘Just...rough day.’ 

‘It’s your birthday! The party will cheer you up.’ Bow says brightly. ‘I have the sickest playlist of all time, you're gonna love it.' 

'My mum isn’t home so we have free reign over the entire house! Come on girl, let's get you changed!' Glimmer crows, too excited about the party to pick up on Catra's mood. 'Makeover time!!' 

The two of them force her into Glimmer's Mercedes, on their way to buy every alcohol imaginable from the bottle shop before they go to her house. 

The last thing Catra wanted to do was play dress up or even go to her party, but Adora had planned for so long for this. It would definitely ruin the entire night if she refused to go. 

Out of all the times they had hung out, she’s never been to Adora’s house. She leans her head against the window when they drive into the fancy part of town, by the lakeside with the multi-million dollar yachts parked in the water. 

That still doesn't prepare Catra for when security lets them in through the black gates to the biggest mansion she’s ever seen. There were fountains, perfectly manicured lawns, a tennis court, and was that a helicopter pad?! 

It was incredible, Catra could only walk in a daze with her jaw dropped on their polished marble floors. So Glimmer was rich, rich. No wonder she was put out that Adora had her 18th birthday at Burger King. 

Catra looks at Adora with a dumbfounded expression, and the blonde looks almost embarrassed when they have to get into an elevator to go to her room. 

Glimmer picks out a hybrid of clothes from her and Adora's closets. The walk-in wardrobe is huge, like a department store full of designer clothes, shoes, jewellery and bags. 

Her wardrobe alone is the size of Catra's home. The brunette suddenly understands why Adora cried upon seeing her concrete garage space. Looking at it, she wanted to cry too. 

Glimmer sets her down on her huge poster bed as she brings out a checkered crop top, ripped black garter shorts and an expensive looking black leather jacket with a gold trim. While Catra reluctantly gets changed, Glimmer picks out a pair of black strappy heeled boots and a hair straightener to battle the bush on Catra’s head. 

She sits still while Glimmer goes to work on her face, bringing out an entire Sephora’s worth of makeup. When Catra looks in the vanity mirror, she almost doesn’t recognize herself. Her eyes were framed with false eyelashes, a swooping cateye, smokey eyeshadow, sharp contour and her lips were now cherry red with bold lipstick. Glimmer applies the finishing touches with silver rings and clip on piercings. 

She hears Adora inhale with shock from the staircase in her bedroom. 

‘Catra you look incredible!’ She gasps. Adora was wearing this cute backless white dress tied with strings, short enough that it cropped above her knees. She was wearing sparkly wedges to go with it, and her hair was curled instead of her usual ponytail. Her delicate gold sword necklace frames her collarbones. 

Catra’s throat goes dry. ‘Uh- You too.’ 

Glimmer smirks, satisfied with her work. She gets changed into her own outfit, a short purple tulle lace dress with a white fur trim and a cute Gucci clutch to accompany it. The pink haired girl spritzes them all with her various floral and sea spray scented perfumes before they head back downstairs.

‘Wow you guys look amazing!’ Scorpia marvels, and Adora’s friends voice their approval as well.

‘Gosh this place is crazy.’ Scorpia whispers to Catra. ‘Did you see their pool? We should’ve just held the swimming carnival here!’ 

Catra opens her mouth to tell her how Lonnie had let her go, but Sea Hawk’s booming voice interrupts them. 

'I challenge you to the ultimate game of BEER PONG!' Sea Hawk announces, spinning the ball on his fingertips. 

Of course this gets everyone's competitive spirit going, and everyone gets into pairs. 

After a few drinks Catra has almost forgotten what she was worrying about earlier, too focused on the buzz. Her and Adora demolish the other teams by a landslide with their impeccable aim. 

Soon the attendants came out with dinner, and it was lavish with every food you could imagine. Lobster, kobe beef, hor d'oeuvres, beluga caviar, kale, and opulent ice cream were all among the plates of food on the table.

They bring out a massive 3 tiered truffle cake, the words 'Happy Birthday' written with an oddly crude drawing of Catra. 

'You drew this?' She asks, and Adora nods happily. 'You worked so hard on mine, so.' Catra doesn’t have the heart to tell her that the cake was $7 and the drawing of her forehead was meant as an insult. 

They sing the birthday song for her, and this time no one brings up the cake cutting tradition. 

After dinner they sit outside in the garden around the bonfire Sea Hawk had made. He was drunkenly singing a loud shanty while Bow piled in the wood, fanning the flames. Frosta sips on a mocktail, the only one there who wasn’t old enough to drink yet. The fire flickers and dances, casting shadows around them. 

Catra downs a few more cocktails and jello shots as she waits for Mermista to light up some fireworks. Apparently it was illegal, but Mermista just waved her off, telling her that she’ll just pay the penalty fee as Catra’s birthday gift. Sea Hawk really did rub off on her. 

When she successfully sets them off they light up the sky in dazzling multicoloured sparks. Adora’s friends whoop with glee, taking photos and videos to commemorate the moment. 

Adora's side profile is lit up in the dark, and she looks impossibly beautiful among the backdrop of stars. Longing tears at her chest, Catra wants to hold her hand but her throat feels too tight and she can’t move. The truth was that she knew she had always had feelings for Adora, even back when they were just kids back in the foster home. But like a coward, she could never voice them for fear of Adora leaving her side. 

A loud neighing can be heard from the stables in response to the loud booming noises from the fireworks. 

'Swifty!' Adora says, standing up. The moment's breaks and Catra reels back her hand. 'Stay here, I'll be right back.' 

Her chance disappears, she couldn’t say it after all. She watches her go tend to her horse, feeling stupid. 

‘Yoohoo~, want a rematch?’ Sea Hawk calls out from the patio, pouring vodka into tiny glasses. 

‘Don’t mind if I do.’ Catra replies. She definitely didn’t know her alcohol tolerance levels yet, so it was the perfect time to take that to the test. 

Catra confidently does a whole line of shots, determined to drink herself into unconsciousness. Every time she sees a flash of Lonnie or Adora’s face in her mind, she takes another swig. Everyone is cheering her on, screaming the song ‘Shots’ over and over again, also all drunk out of their minds. Sea Hawk taps out at the 5th drink, and everyone screams at Catra’s flawless victory. Scorpia lifts her into the air to do a victory lap, cheering. 

Adora finally makes an appearance, alerted by the sound of Catra's shrieky laughter as Scorpia swings her around. 

‘Don’t worry, I can take it from here.’ Her school captain says pulling Catra away from her friend. Scorpia just shrugs and makes her way to the food table.

‘Catra, maybe you should slow down.’ Adora tells the giggling girl in her arms. 

‘Noo way.’ She slurs, she was enjoying the feeling too much, the alcohol burning through her body, making her feel lightheaded. The light up disco dancefloor starts to blur into a kaleidoscope of colours. 

‘You got some weed?’ Catra asks, seeing Perfuma light a bowl. The taller girl hands her an already rolled up one and Catra snatches it to take a long drag. The smoke hits her lungs and she starts coughing. 

‘Oi Perfuma, why did you bring drugs? Angella will kill me!' Adora gripes, trying to wrestle the blunt away from Catra. 

‘Aw don't be like that! I made some edibles for you guys to try.’ Perfuma says cheerfully, pointing to the pot brownies. 

‘See? Scorpia likes them.’ She gestures at the other girl, who seemed to be currently tripping out of her mind and eating everything on the table. 

Catra goes to reach for one, but Adora grabs her by the wrist to lead her back inside. 'Alright, you're done for the night. Everyone say bye!' 

‘Byee Catra!’

‘Happy birthday!!’

Adora grabs her by the waist to lead her to her bedroom, Catra wobbling after her in the heels Glimmer lent her. 

'Ugh Adoraaa, don't be such a party pooper. I'm fine.' She moans, leaning heavily on the other girl. 'Don't you have a shift tomorrow afternoon? I don't want you getting hungover or drug tested.' Adora chides, rummaging around the dark for the light switch. 

Catra snorts. 'Oh you don't have to worry about that anymore. Got laid off.' 

Adora looks at her in confusion, until realization dawns on her. 'Wait, is that why Lonnie took you outside?' 

'Say, I never got to give you your birthday gift.' Catra pushes her hair back, voice sultry as she flings off her jacket. She never pinned herself down as a horny drunk, but here they were. Catra shoves Adora onto the bed, straddling her. Her golden hair spills over the mattress, soft like spun silk. 

'You still want that kiss?' Catra whispers in Adora's now burning red ear. 'My knife touched the bottom.' 

Adora's face now resembled a fire truck, mouth gaping in shock.

'C-Catra, I…' 

Catra presses their lips together, silencing her. She knows she probably tastes like alcohol and weed right now, but she couldn't care less in the moment. Adora's mouth is still slack jawed from mortification, so she takes the opportunity for tongue. She frowns and moves down to her neck when Adora doesn’t return the kiss. 

'Catra, what are you doing-' 

Catra bites down on Adora's nape. The blonde underneath her lets out a soft gasp, arching her back. Her gold manicured nails dig into her shoulder. 

'Stop, you're not thinking straight-!' 

'Sure ain't.' Catra grins, licking a stripe down the base of her neck. Adora’s necklace chain jingles with the movement. There was now an impressive hickey there, blooming violet on her pale skin. She pauses to admire her handiwork. 

'This isn't you talking, you'll, you'll regret this in the morning.' Adora stutters. She's shivering, their hands now laced together, silver rings clanking. 

 'I know. I don't care.' She replies, kissing her again. Adora's teeth nick her lip. The alcohol in her system makes her feel lightheaded, confident. No way would she have managed this sober. Adora tastes better than she does, sweet like blueberry soju. Catra's hands wander down further, pulling the strings to untie the back of her dress-

'Catra stop!' Adora suddenly shouts, striking Catra across the cheek in a deafening slap. 

Adora's eyes were blazing, almost teary in the dark. Her breathing was irregular, panting in and out. Catra stills, clutching her cheek. The look in her eyes sobered her immediately. 

Adora looks down at her palm, realizing what she just did. 'Sorry for hitting you!' She flounders. 'It's just that, you're only doing this because you’re drunk and upset, right?’

Catra just stares at her before climbing off. Cold realization settles as the fog in her brain clears. 'You're right. Forget it.' 

She sits on the edge of the bed, numbly watching Adora hurriedly trying to re-tie the back of her now wrinkled dress. Her lips are stained with Catra’s red lipstick. 

Adora catches her looking, and she quickly turns away to smooth down her hair with her fingers. 'You've had more than enough to drink tonight. I’ll get you some water to clear your head.’

She gets up to turn on the light switch, and Catra blinks in the harsh light from the chandeliers. 

‘Come on, let’s get you sobered up, okay?’ Adora leads her to the kitchen on the same floor, gingerly placing her friend on the slippery bar stool. 

The blonde goes to get the chilled jug of infused water from the fridge and pours it into a glass. Adora slides it across the island, and Catra reluctantly takes it. She sips at it, mint and lemon on her tongue. It tasted way better than her hose water. 

‘I’ll uh, pick out some groceries for you since we’re here and all.’ Adora says awkwardly into the silence, turning around to rummage through her pantry. 

Suddenly Catra is brought back to the whole reason why she was sitting here in this oversized mansion in the first place. Their friendship agreement. The one she had just violated. Catra had never felt more stupid to mistake Adora’s kindness and guilt for actual feelings. She felt like a charity case, waiting to collect food from the soup kitchen.

Of course Adora didn't like her back. She just saw her as someone needing to be saved. The product of survival guilt. Catra wanted to whack her head on the corner of her marbled countertop and not wake up. 

Adora takes out a green plastic bag, and starts filling it with everything and anything she can get. Cans, pasta, biscuits, fruits and vegetables. Actually this feeling was more like being one of those poor kids that white girls would pose next to for their Instagram after their trip to Africa. 

Did Adora have fun, volunteering to slum it up in her place while she returned here? All she ever wanted her entire life was to be Adora’s equal. 

Scorpia and Sea Hawk's loud laughter and DJ music can be heard downstairs in the garden, beyond the tall golden trimmed windows. The class difference between them stretched like an unfathomable canyon. Living the classy bougie dream until the clock struck midnight and she was back in her run down garage. Except soon she won’t even have that anymore. Why did Adora have to bring her here? It was almost cruel. 

Catra's suddenly overcome with the urge to vomit. She nearly falls off the high chair in her rush to throw up the unholy cocktail of alcohol into the sink. Tears bead in her eyes from the sour taste as she continues to vomit out everything she ate that night. She can feel Adora by her side, patting her back reassuringly.

It was by far the worst birthday she has ever had. 

--

The morning of, Catra woke up in Adora’s bed with a splitting headache. 

Unfortunately she was not given the gift of amnesia, as she vividly remembered every last excruciating detail about last night. 

She spots Adora’s mop of blonde hair under a blanket on the floor, even though there were a billion other free spare rooms to sleep in. Adora was probably too afraid to share the same bed as her now.

Catra’s borrowed crop top digs uncomfortably into her skin, and she angrily flings it off her body. The shorts stick to her like a second skin, smelling of tequila. She grabs her old Burger King uniform and puts it on, though even this didn’t belong to her now. 

Adora shifts in her sleep, and Catra lightly steps over her to get to the door. The last thing she wanted was for Adora to wake up. 

As soon as she’s out, she runs out to the elevator and bangs frantically on the buttons until it sends her to the bottom floor. The lift opens with a ding and in her haste she almost crashes headfirst into Glimmer. 

‘Oh hey! Are you going to work?’ Glimmer greets. She was in her silk pajamas and slippers, holding a glass of orange juice. 

‘Uh. Yeah.’ Catra lies, trying her best to look natural. 

‘Some party last night huh? Lucky today is a Saturday.’ Glimmer says conversationally, unaware of Catra’s urge to throw her across the room. ‘Hey, what happened to your cheek?’

Catra clutches her face, it still strung from where Adora struck her. ‘Nothing.’

Glimmer raises an eyebrow. ‘Well anyway, did you wanna stick around for  breakfast? The cooks made pancakes, bacon, eggs, the whole deal.' She peeks behind Catra. 'Is Adora still not up yet?’ 

As much as Catra wanted to scream get out of my way she schools her expression to her best customer service smile. ‘Nope she’s still sleeping it off. Anyway I’m gonna be late so I can’t stick around.’

‘Did you need a lift?’ Glimmer asks. It dawns on the brunette she couldn’t exactly run the entire way back home. ‘I’ll ask one of the drivers to take you back so you make it to your shift.’

Catra thanks her lucky stars that Glimmer was still too hungover to drive her. She wouldn’t have been able to dodge her questions if she had. 

‘Yes please.’ Catra says, giddy with relief. ‘Thank you.’ 

‘Ooh and before I forget, Adora told me last night to give you this.’ Glimmer says, grabbing the green bag of groceries off the counter. The shorter girl bundles it into Catra’s arms before she can object. 

‘Get home safe.’ She says, waving as the attendant leads her out the door. 

Catra looks down at the cans of food in her arms and doesn’t say anything.  

------

The days leading up to graduation were painful, to say the least. 

They more or less pretend the kiss didn't happen. Adora never brings it up, and neither does Catra. 

She would stare at the ceiling, wishing she had never gotten piss drunk at her birthday and kissed her. Adora was right, she did regret it. It was awful, the look on Adora's face when she slapped Catra replays in her mind and nightmares over and over again. It was mortifying. 

Adora still messages her every 3 days, and Catra still replies, though her words are empty and devoid of banter. I'm worried about you, she says. I'm fine, Catra always responds. 

The brunette continues to humour her to keep the peace, only shutting down when her old job was mentioned. Catra doesn’t allow Adora back into her home again. 

Sometimes they study together, but she can't concentrate when Adora wears her glasses. Her heart hurts, so she cradles her cheek and tries not to remember. 

The hickey she had branded Adora's neck with had been covered with foundation until it faded away. None of her friends had teased her about it, so she clearly had not told a single soul what had happened. 

Catra bites at the scab on her lip from where Adora’s teeth nicked her until it bleeds. She wants to apologize, but the words stick on her tongue and she can't bring herself to talk about that night. 

Catra knew Adora was only here by her side to alleviate her guilt. Shame buries itself under her skin every time she's near her, like she was too embarrassed to even exist in the same space as Adora. She wants to disappear. 

Exams are hard, and without an internet connection after the library closes at 6pm made it difficult to study. She tries to use the Mcdonald's wifi but soon just ordering a water cup wasn't enough for the workers to let her stay. It was a fruitless effort anyway, in her heart she knew she wasn't going to come out on top. Her ranking had slipped, she wasn't even at second place anymore. Rent was due at the end of the month, and without her Burger King wage she knew she'll be kicked out sooner than later. 

Catra felt stressed and self destructive, and the only thing that kept her from falling off the edge completely was Scorpia. As much as she hated depending on others, she'd much rather her old coworker than Adora. 

Her classmates seemed to like this new, muted down version of Catra who didn't argue and just stayed quiet most of the time. Fighting back was too difficult when all she wanted to do was blend into the wallpaper. All they talked about was where they were going for vacation after graduation, and Catra certainly had nothing to contribute to that conversation.

She felt like crying, all the time. It was agony, wanting to burst out into tears randomly while she sat wasting away in the student council room. Despite herself, she missed Burger King, and she just kept getting ghosted or rejected in her other job applications. Sometimes when she really wanted to indulge herself, she'd go cry silently in the school toilet stall. 

Glimmer notices the change, and she catches her glaring. 'You don't seem as alive lately. Your eye bags are huge.' 

'S'fine.' Catra replies, hiding her hands so she doesn't see how they shake. Honestly Catra couldn't remember the last time she slept.

'Pfft, don't lie to me. Adora's worried about you. You're getting skinnier, and your eyes are always raw. All you do is stare into space.' 

Catra bites down on her nails. Of course she knew that. But she's gone through this before, and she'll do it again. 

'What happened between you two?’ 

‘None of your business.’ Catra replies, shuffling her way to the hall. 

--

Their graduation ceremony starts off uneventfully. Every student’s parents except Catra’s sit proudly in the audience, eager to watch their kid graduate. One by one they receive their certificate and return to their seats. 

Adora and Catra stand side by side onstage, as Adora makes their final speech as School Captain. Through the blinding lights, she sees Angella waving proudly at her adoptive daughter in the crowd. 

Catra looks at Adora in the corner of her eye. She must look pathetic, lovesick and pining after someone she couldn’t have. 

‘It’s been such an honour serving the entire faculty and students of this school. I couldn’t have done it without my amazing Vice-Captain and all of my prefects.

Now I’m proud to hand over my badge to the next School Captain, Frosta.’ 

They go through the rest of the ceremony like that, each member of the student council handing their badges to their successors. 

Soon their Principal comes up to the podium, tapping it once and clearing her throat. 

‘Announcing our honor student, and the winner of the scholarship to Eternia University…’ Castaspella says, turning over the sign card. 

‘None other than our school captain, Adora!’

Everyone starts clapping, and Adora walks across the stage to shake Castaspella's hand. 

Sounded about right. Catra never won against Adora in her entire life. She had already expected this outcome. Like a game of cat and mouse, going over and over for all eternity. 

Adora would excel with her elite education and secure a well paying job. Catra would struggle at the bottom indefinitely, never amounting to anything. She never would, if Adora was still there next to her. When the blonde re-entered her life, everything she had been working towards for years just collapsed. Her job, her home, her School Captain status, her chance at the scholarship, her sanity. 

She had to be wiped clean. A fresh start. 

The flower petals were falling, the streets decorated with a vibrant pink. The other students mill out of the crowd with their parents, chatting excitedly about what was next in their futures. She waits for Adora underneath a tree.  

'Congratulations.' Catra says, when she finally spots the other girl in the crowd. Adora pulls away from Angella’s embrace to meet her. 

'You deserve this so much more than I do.' Adora says, her voice pained like she didn't just win a full ride to her dream university. 'You should take it.'

'It's in your name, silly.' Catra replies, lightly tapping her with her rolled up certificate.

'Besides, I knew you'd get into Eternia, so I never applied.'

Adora blinks dumbly. '...What? Aren’t we going to the same university?’ 

She always was a bit slow on the uptake. ‘Only you decided that, stuupid. Say, it's about time we ended this right?' 

‘Catra, what are you...' 

'Our deal. You don't need to feel guilty anymore or bring me anything.' Catra says, her voice sounding like it didn't belong to her. She rummages in her bag, bringing out Adora's spare varsity jacket that she hadn’t returned. 'Here, take this. Thank you for all the help.' 

'What do you mean? You want to stop being friends?' Adora says in disbelief, taking the jacket.  

Catra nods. ‘I can’t continue with the arrangement. I hope you understand.’ 

‘I don’t! Was I the only one who thought we were friends, real ones?’ Adora asks.

‘...That’s right. I never saw you as a friend. You were just a meal ticket to me. Are you happy now?’ Catra snaps back. Shit, that wasn’t what she meant to say. She had planned to end this quickly and painlessly, on a high note. Trust Adora to put up a fight. 

Something seems to click in Adora’s brain. ‘Is this about the night of the party?’

‘Figure that out yourself.’ Catra replies, turning to walk away. 

Adora grabs onto her arm. ‘Wait! If- if that’s what you want, I’ll give it! Just don't go!' 

This dumb blonde really was offering up her body, out of what? A sense of duty? How stupid. 

‘Is that right?’ Catra says, walking closer to her. Adora backs up until she is pinned to the tree. They’re face to face now. 

‘Can you really do this?’ Catra lifts Adora’s chin by a finger. 

Finally it seems to dawn on Adora exactly what Catra wanted. She swallows, biting her lip. 

There’s a flicker of hesitation, before Adora’s eyes squeeze shut defiantly. The blonde is shaking like a leaf, her breath coming out in panicked stutters from her pursed lips. 

Catra just stares at Adora’s scrunched up face impassively. Her scared reaction was the only confirmation she needed for closure. 

She flicks the other girl’s forehead, and her big blue eyes open in confusion.

‘Chill out, I’m not that evil to do it to someone so unwilling.’

Adora blinks, clutching her forehead. ‘Catra?’

Suddenly Angella’s voice cuts through their conversation from the car park. ‘Adora dear, are you done chatting with your friend? We have reservations!'

‘Um, I…’ Her old school captain opens her mouth to say something, but Angella's started to lose her patience. 'Adora, how long are you going to stand there? Glimmer is already waiting for us at the restaurant!' 

Catra just smiles tiredly. ‘Take care, dummy.’ 

She watches Adora being dragged off unwillingly by her adoptive mother to the car. 

Catra lets out a sigh. Her phone pings with a message from Scorpia, and she knows it's time to go. 

---

By the time Angella releases her from their graduation celebration, Adora can feel that it's already too late.

Adora: 

Please, can we talk? Let me fix this

A pop up appears over the screen. 

Message Not Sent

This person isn't receiving messages at this time. 

Adora sends another message, but they all go undelivered. Catra had blocked her again. Panic spikes through her veins, and she quickly dons on a jacket and grabs her car keys. 

She sneaks out that night, down the familiar winding path through the bush that led to Catra's place. 

'Catra?' She rolls up the garage door, blinking in the darkness. When her eyes adjusted, she found Catra's old home completely emptied. 

All the furniture and items her friend had collected over the years, they were all gone. The little stove where they cooked, the old mattress where they talked late into the night, all vanished like they were never there. 

A single green plastic bag remained on the floor untouched, filled to the brim of food. 

[whyhellomynameismary]

Like what you see? Wanna see more spooky?

So as a result of the Film Theory video, I’ve gotten a large influx of followers, and as I’ve just started my new post-grad day job, I haven’t really had the time to address this. So first off:

Hi! I’m k! It’s very nice to meet you all and I’m very glad you’re here! There’s two more episodes left in the series and I’m happy I’ll have this lovely community to end it with!

Now onto more important matters:

Do you like this kinda content? Do you want to see more weird/wacky internet storytelling?

Well, I want to do my favorite thing which is divert attention from me onto other people!

Let this be your reference post! I present to you:

k.’s Megamasterlist Of Cool Spooky Shit Online

So, if we’re gonna start with anything, it feels only right to start with the strange collection of webseries/arg’s that made me want to make a webseries of my own - The Slenderverse! Everyone knows Slender Man, the meme, but if you don’t know him as a webseries icon, check these out!

Marble Hornets: The OG, the first Slender Man related webseries ever made. Film boi disappears, leaves tapes to his friend, hilarity ensues. Hilarity, in this case, refers to terror, fear, stalking, murder, and all those other super-fun things.

TribeTwelve: Tribetwelve is (UPDATE since I forgot this was here, as of Nov 9, 2020, I’m taking most of my info off this section. I’m keeping this on the list because so many people have bonded with the art itself, but the creator has been revealed to have done some really terrible things, so that should be kept in mind when choosing to engage with this series.)

Everymanhybrid: A rad storytelling venture with a real neat plot and a very compelling cast of characters. They did some pretty rad ARG stuff too, while they were still ongoing.

Darkharvest: It’s got a, uh, CULT following. (I’m booing myself).

MLAndersen0: Brothers, suspenders, and Slendy, oh my!

Whisperedfaith: Technically about The Rake, but it tends to fall in with the ‘verse too - More Cults! Also this guy directed a whole damn movie - Lillith!

The Record Of Stan Frederick: A total complete standout, taking on a dramatic, very cinematic tone that gets me every time. Every episode was very well built and had me hooked deeply. It can get heavy, but the story and themes are exceptionally well done.

Keratin Garden:  I Came Out To Learn About How To Paint My Nails And Slender Man Is Making Me Feel Really Attacked Right Now. Also, it’s just really nice to see lady-led slenderseries.

There’s TONS more in the ‘verse - it’s a crazy rabbit hole of what is effectively an open-source monster. Got a cool recommendation? Drop it in the comments!!

WHAT’S THAT? SLENDER MAN IS COOL, BUT YOU WANT EVEN MORE? MAYBE SLENDER MEN AREN’T YOUR JAM? Well good thing there’s a huge amount of other great ARGs, webseries, and online storytelling experiences out there. Here’s a big sampling:

Daisy Brown: A gem of a webseries. I adore this story so much. Beauty and baby monsters. Go watch this and go give the creator all of your love. Also she’s involved in another series - Echo Rose!

Alantutorial: A strange man teaches you basic life skills. Made by Alan Resnick, a creative genius also involved in Wham City Comedy and AB Video Solutions.

2h32: I love the aesthetic of this one, like cosmic horror meets gothic romanticism meets 1930s radio - very Art Horror.

Archive Enrichment Center: Somebody put cameras in this kids house - who are they? Why are you creeping on a random person trying to live their life? What sort of strange goings on are happening in this house? Strange organizations? whack

POSTContent: More spooky tutorials, god I need to catch up on this one it’s so well done and very engaging.

CH/SS: A strange tv program, russians, and possibly a strange entity? This one is a wild ride that’s mind bogglingly fascinating.

TheSunVanished: A twitter account in an alternate universe wherein the sun just yeets itself somewhere else, or so we think - aliens? What’s happening in this timeline?

Petscop: If you’re here from Film Theory, you’ve probably already heard of this one. I really need to catch up more on this one.

Soursalt: If you like gore, this one’s for you - the creator pushes his series so far Mr. Youtube has gotten mad at him for it.

Monarch’s 52 - I haven’t gotten around to watching this one in full, but I think it involves the SCP foundation!

That’s just a small sampling of the dozens of works out there - there’s no doubt I’m forgetting some, and that’s where you guys come in! If there’s something cool out there you wanna share, drop it in the replies here! Also let me know if I screwed up the links, cuz that was a LOT of them. In this house, we’re all about spreading the love and spooky. There’s tons of other great things out there, just waiting for you to find it!

Fly, be free my scary ducklings!

Much love, 

-k. 

[ayellowcurtain]

can you write robbe helping sander bleach his roots. Just cute fluff, banter and loving boyfriends.

-

Maybe it’s a bad idea, but at least it’ll be fun. The first time he bleached his hair, he was alone and it was way too late at night. He did it because he was bored out of his mind and he wanted some type of restart. 

Every time he had to do it again, he always did it alone, locked inside his bathroom while listening to his favorite songs. Now he wants Robbe to be a part of it but Robbe has absolutely no experience. Sander tried to explain to him and give some tips, but he knows there’s a huge difference between listening and actually doing it. 

If it turns out too bad, he can always shave all his hair off...

While he was getting everything ready inside the tiny bathroom, Robbe sat on the sink, watching tutorials on youtube. Sander looked at him and he has so focused, scared of messing it up. Sander takes his shirt off and puts the old towel around his neck, touching Robbe’s knee gently, opening his legs so he can fit in between. 

“It was a joke. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” Robbe looks up from his phone, smiling. 

“I wanna do it. But you have to want it too, it’s your hair after all.” Sander puts one of his hands on his hair, messing with it, looking at Robbe.

“I want you to do it too, it’ll be fun to have someone doing it for me for once.” The thing is, Sander really doesn’t care that much, but he knows Robbe feel be devastated if he does something wrong and he’ll overthink this night for way too long. 

“Yeah, it’s all good. We should start or it’ll take forever for us to be done.” Robbe wraps his legs around Sander, pulling him closer for a quick good luck kiss. He jumps out of the sink and sees everything that Sander organized for him. 

Sander helps him take his shirt off and he throws it right next to Sander’s on the floor. Robbe grabs the little bowl and the brush and Sander sits on the toilet, opening his legs so Robbe can stay in between his. 

Once he starts, Robbe is so focused he can barely keep up with their conversation. Sander’s hair is a little longer than usual so it takes a little longer, but Robbe doesn’t mess up too much. The smell and how it burns it’s always the worst part. Sander manages to grab Robbe’s towel on the bar to cover his nose and mouth. It’s hard not to lean forward and rest his head against Robbe’s chest, but he can’t do that or he’ll make an even bigger of a mess. Robbe is so close and he looks so cute, fully concentrated on his task. 

“I have a question...if I get bald, will you still love me?” Sander takes the towel out of his face to say it and Robbe stops messing with his hair, leaning against the sink behind him. 

“Fuck you!” Sander laughs, putting one hand on the side of Robbe’s waist, pulling him closer, kissing his naked abs. Robbe turns to the other side just enough to take his gloves off and wash his hands. Now they have to wait for a little.

“I mean, it might happen. You don’t really know what you’re doing” He can see Robbe’s smile in the mirror and he shakes his head, getting inside the tub just to open the window, coming close to Sander again, sitting on his lap. 

“It won’t happen. I can’t have messed this up so badly. The girl on the video said when you bleach your hair, you should do this hydrating masks or something...” Robbe can’t finish his sentence, he’s smiling too much and he does this head tilt every time he smiles this big and Sander just lose himself a little every time. “Do you do it?” Robbe finally asks, putting his hands on Sander’s cheeks. 

“No, but I guess I’ll have to start because now that you’re involved in the process, you’ll always pay attention to my hair and how dry it is.” 

Robbe sits even closer on his lap, shaking his head, brushing their lips together, teasing Sander before they kiss for a little. 

“You’re only thinking about the bad part. The good one is that I’ll help you do it so we might take showers together more often.” Sander raises his eyebrows, trying to ignore how much his scalp itches. 

“We might need to set an alarm every time then because we can get...carried away when we’re taking showers together.” Robbe presses his lips together, trying to hold back his smile, but his cheeks start to turn red. 

“Yeah...” 

It’s not just when showering, Sander thinks. They can easily get lost inside each other’s eyes or kisses. Their friends are constantly complaining about it, but Sander doesn’t see the problem. 

They start kissing like they are doing now, and then time somehow flies. The kiss can quickly turn into a make out session and if they’re alone, there’s no coming back from that. They’re never close enough and they never get tired of tasting each other. 

“You’re doing it right now.” Robbe manages to whisper against his lips and it takes a few seconds for Sander to understand they were having a conversation. Robbe is panting and when Sander opens his eyes, he sees how puffy Robbe’s lips are and how his cheek, his neck, all the way to his chest are reddening.

“Doing...doing what?” He blinks a few times, quietly letting go of Robbe’s waist, leaning against the wall behind him. 

“Distracting me.” Robbe puts both hands back, one on Sander’s knee and the other reaching all the way to the sink to grab his phone. His body in full display for Sander to relish. “C’mon, you need to wash your hair.” 

“Fuck, already? Don’t we have at least five more minutes?” He tries to pull Robbe close again, but his boyfriend is already getting up, putting his towel on the shower curtain rail. Sander sighs, getting up, taking the other towel away from his neck, putting it on the sink as he watches Robbe get naked and get inside the tub, turning the shower on. 

Apparently, for way too long, Robbe distracted him enough, but now that Sander is paying attention, his scalp itches too much and he can’t wait to wash his hair. Robbe helps him while they’re taking the shower and Sander takes advantage of his distraction, pulling Robbe in for a kiss, biting his bottom lip, hugging Robbe tight, but his boyfriend is way too well behaved and such a good friend. 

The bathroom is some sort of sacred ground when you live with a bunch of people so they can’t just stay inside for too long, the others might need to use the bathroom. 

Robbe did a good job, Sander looks up close in the foggy mirror after the shower, watching Robbe dry himself behind him.  

“Not bad for your first try.” He raises his eyebrows and Robbe continues to dry his own hair. 

“I’m a fucking professional, what are you talking about?” 

“Yeah, I might keep you, Robbe.” 

[simkaswriting]

Bubbles-(Steve Rogers)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings: swearing, Steve being a teasing little shit? 

Word Count: 1.2k

Summary: Steve and (Y/N) share a flat, and all things considered, it’s a good arrangement. However, Steve often forgets to lock his door when he’s busy. 

A/N: Just a little thing I thought of after seeing that gif, and wow I really have no control because I just had to write something?? Please leave feedback, it’s greatly appreciated and I hope you guys enjoy xx

All things considered, Steve Rogers is a good flat-mate. He cleans the dishes after dinner, doesn’t bring strangers over too often, and most importantly, puts the toilet seat down every time. He’s never complained about storage space in the bathroom or the burn marks that keep appearing on the kitchen table from failed baking attempts. Steve doesn’t even care if one of his hoodies goes ‘missing’ every other week. However the man has one big fault. He often forgets to lock his door.

---

Steve’s groans and soft ‘damn-it’s’ are the background noises currently disturbing the YouTube tutorial on pumpkin pie I’m so desperately trying to make. The dough droops over the side of the tin and the filling’s colour doesn’t resemble the one of the screen in the slightest. Fly-aways stick to my sweaty forehead. My apron is covered in flour and egg, and soon will be complimented by Steve’s blood.

I look over my shoulder at Steve, who’s furiously tapping the buttons on his PS4 controller, which is comically small in his large hands. He’s been at the game for the last two hours with a steady stream of innocent swearing and shouting accompanying him to my annoyance, hindering the progress of tonight's experiment. If only I could actually hear what the chef was saying, then the pie would no doubt at least resemble his. 

“Jump, Bucky! To the right, the right!” Steve exclaims as his fingers work the buttons faster. The headset is also loud, which further irritates me. 

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Steve playing his games, and I don’t tend to particularly care about the noise level either. But when I actually need to hear what’s being said, it’s more than annoying, and (just barely)more distracting than when he walks around with just a towel wrapped around his waist.

I contemplate telling him off, asking him to maybe keep it down so I can finally finish making this disaster of a fucking pie, or just straight up clubbing him with the rolling pin. But the pie is done now, and I don’t see the point in starting this argument that we’ve had countless times before. Living with your best friend isn’t all that it’s made out to be sometimes.

So, with gritted teeth, I place the tin in the pre-heated oven and throw my apron on the breakfast bar. 

“-no, I’m telling you it’s the top floor. Not the basement. That’s just silly.” Steve’s voice is tinged with irritation as he bites his lower lip to stop himself from exploding. That’s a habit of his when he’s nervous or dangerously close to loosing his cool. A habit that makes me very, very happy.

Ignoring him and his loud teammates that consist of his best friends Bucky and Sam, I go to my bedroom and crash on the bed to entertain myself until the pie is ready, and hopefully edible. I scroll through all forms of social media until I feel like time has ceased to exist and my eyes will begin to bleed any second, though in reality it’s probably been around 20 minutes. The pie should be ready, but my bladder comes first.

I walk across the hallway to the bathroom and tentatively knock on the door. Steve is the type of person who wouldn’t lock the door even if he lived with 20 other people, so I can never be too safe. There have been an abundance of incidents where I walked in on Steve peeing, or getting changed. It’s as if he’s physically incapable of sliding the lock into place. But, my eyes are very thankful for this trait he has. 

The apartment is strangely quiet, and I take that as an answer. Steve’s probably in his room, or maybe he went out with Bucky.

I open the door and walk in. My eyes immediately widen at the sight in front of me. 

Hiding underneath a mountain of pink bubbles is a very naked Steve, with closed eyes and earphones in his ears. He’s humming to himself and gently tapping the side of the tub to the beat of whatever song he’s listening to. 

Fuck. It’s as if my legs have frozen in place, they refuse to move out of the room. Over the last two years of living with him, I’ve seen Steve shirtless plenty, sure. I’ve seen him in the kitchen at 3am making pizza in his underwear. I’ve even seen his ass one Halloween when the firefighter costume Tony bought him wasn’t particularly fitting for his form. But this is a whole new level of intimacy even for us. He’s a sight for sore eyes, that’s for sure.

Steve’s eyes open and he lazily turns to look at me. His brows knit together in confusion as he takes one of the earphones out. 

“I’m capable of washing myself, you know.” He teases with a small grin.

That bastard. I try to come up with a witty comment, something to throw him off his high horse, but my mind draws blanks. Over and over, until I’m just standing in the doorway, wide eyed with an embarrassed blush adorning my cheeks.

Sure, Steve is Captain America, the righteous hero of this country. A noble gentleman who is the dictionary definition of good values and manners. But living with him opened my eyes to a new side of him that the public isn’t aware exists. The carefree, lighthearted and not-so-modest Steven Grant Rogers.

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes for a brief second, and place my hand over my eyes so I can’t see him. Both in the hopes of clearing my head of his astoundingly good abs and so that he doesn’t think I’m creeping on him.

“S-sorry. I knocked b-but there there wasn’t an answer.” I choke out, mentally slapping myself. Is that really the best I can come up with? I’ve seen him in more compromising positions than this. So why on Earth is this effecting me so much?

Steve’s booming laugh snaps me out of my thoughts. It echoes around the steamed-up bathroom, and it takes every ounce of willpower I’ve got not to glare at him. 

“(Y/N) you don’t have to cover your eyes. I’m smothered by bubbles. ” His tone is teasing, dripping in affection with a hint of flirtation. Or maybe pity at my current blushing state.

If I didn’t know Steve Rogers the way I do, I’d assume he is indeed flirting. But that’s not Steve. He would never, especially not with his roommate.

I bite my lip and shake my head no. Almost too quickly. 

“Nope. I’m good, Cap.”

Once again he laughs, and it sounds like music to my ears.

“Well, are you just going to stand there and look all pretty? You might as well wash my back for me.”

Wait, did Steve just call me-the ear piercing screeching of the fire alarm echoes around the apartment. Fuck, my pie!

I sprint out of the bathroom with a crimson face as Steve yells after me. 

“The offer still stands, doll!”

[albyfm]

˙✫*ﾟ YUNGBLUD  ,  DEMIBOY  ,  HE/THEY  :･ did  you  hear  alby miller  is  joining  the  cast  of  exposed  after  their habit of facilitating drugs at events, festivals & awards shows  was  revealed  ?  the  twenty-three  year  old  bass guitarist  with 500k followers is  trying  to  clear  their  name  .  they've  become  known  as  the  resident  juvenile  in  the  mansion  ,  and  it's  clear  that's  spot  on  because  they're  quite -  recalcitrant & -  stuck in their ways ,  but  also +  charismatic &  +  outspoken .  you  know  they're  heading  to  the  confession  booth  if  you  hear  lonely boy  by  the black keys  blasting  ,  most  likely  talking  about  how  they're  more  than disheveled outfits of black leather & denim, talking way too candidly to the press, smashed lenses of paparazzi cameras that got too close, an unmistakable mischievous grin & an inability to express real feelings.

hey !! finally getting around to posting this. you can call me aries, i’m 23 and in the bst ( uk ) timezone. my pronouns are she / her. i’m a little lost art school grad with a lot of student debt, a taste for red wine and an unhealthy obsession with arctic monkeys. not gonna lie, i whipped this kiddo up specifically for this rp so i’m still getting used to them, but hopefully with this intro you’ll get a feel for what they’re about. without further ado, here’s alby—

trigger warnings & disclaimer: mentions of hard drugs, alcohol, anger issues, destructive tendencies. my intention writing this intro was not to glamorize or romanticize these things in any way but if anything i have written comes across that way, please lmk!

smash that ♡ to plot or hit me up on discord @ chaotic aries#5793 !!

‘and this is how it starts...’ ( the basics )

name: alby fox miller age: twenty-three gender: non-binary ( demi-boy ) pronouns: he / him & they / them date of birth: may 24th 1997 zodiac: gemini sun, pisces moon, aries rising orientation: pansexual occupation: bassist for drive like i do career claim: ross macdonald ( the 1975 ) genre: alt-pop, pop-rock

‘it’s the way we are, we were smoking by eleven & knocking ‘round town...’ ( background )

you’re born in 1997, in the north west of england. wilmslow, to be exact. a quaint and affluent town, just south of manchester. the family you’re born into is a comfortable one. not quite living lavishly, but not at all struggling, either. your parents both work in business out in the city. you go to a good school. but... all is not how you exactly want it to be.

see, your parents are quite pushy. they expect you to live how they want, rather than how you do. at the all boy’s academy they enroll you in as a teenager, they expect you to pick what they deem as intellectual subjects, such as foreign languages, further mathematics and computer science. there’s a focus on you becoming someone that makes a lot of money, rather than someone who is happy.

but you’re... not the kind of person that can be molded so easily. you’re a fairly happy-go-lucky kid, but also a rebellious one. your parents’ strict ways of trying to force you down their chosen path, only encourages you more heavily to choose your own. 

at fourteen, you meet the guys. lennox, jovi & jasper. they’re some of the only kids at school who can be bothered to be around you, with your high energy and bolshy attitude. really, they’re the only people who embrace you for who you are. they encourage your weirdness and outspokenness. it’s not long before you find yourself wanting to do everything together. it’s not long before the four of you are inseparable.

from there, you fully detach from everything your parents want you to be. you embrace your individuality. you also find the courage and bravery to come out to your parents as non-binary at the age of sixteen. there’s not a single person’s opinion that you’re afraid of, or even care about. 

it’s not all rainbows & sunshine, though. you struggle somewhat with anger issues, and a bit of depression. you’re also practically addicted to getting into trouble: picking fights with bullies at school, selling weed & pills to your friends around town, underaged drinking... you get the gist. though you keep your fears internal, you sometimes worry you’ll get nowhere in life.

so of course, the second the boys are talking about starting a band, you’re all in. imagine if you made it big someday? wouldn’t that be sick? you’re immediately drawn to bass guitar, and use a month’s worth of saved up pocket money to pick one up from the big music store in the city. thankfully, you pick it up quite quickly, because before you can even realize it, things are getting so... real. by sixteen, you don’t feel you have the option to stick around at school for sixth form, because drive like i do is already playing local venues and working on its first album.

you’re just seventeen when the album is released. somehow, the climb to fame is faster than you could have ever imagined. it seems like yesterday you were still watching bass tutorials on youtube in your bedroom and practicing in your friend’s garage after school. first is some notoriety across the uk, but before you know it — boom! global stardom. the fame is a heavy weight for someone so young to carry... but fuck it, it’s gonna be fun, and you know it.

you’re twenty-three now, and days are gone of pipedreams formed in your parent’s shoebox room. you split your time between manchester, london, and LA — and that’s just during rare moments of downtime from your world tours. your band is 4 albums in, and whoever hasn’t heard of you might as well have been living under a rock. is it narcissistic to think like that? maybe, but you don’t care. this is rock n’ roll, baby. this is the life.

naturally, all eyes are mostly on your very outspoken frontman. he’s controversial, but the media can’t get enough of him. as for you? to them, you’re... the band’s problem child. while you argue that your behavior is no different than that of your friend, he’s got the lead singer charm. they don’t seem to like you as much. why? well...

‘drink, fall, spew...’ ( troublesome tendencies & exposed secret )

you never really coped as well as you acted like you did, did you? while you were grateful for the fame, everything was... a lot, and it was all at once. you didn’t even get the chance to process it. 

take four twenty-somethings and add constant prying journalists, paparazzi, and constantly full schedules into the mix. and why not pepper in some typical rockstar vices, too? alcohol, drugs, parties, throwaway sex. things are destined to get a little rocky. though you tried at first not to show it to your fans, your destructive behavior soon got the better of you, and you became known to drunkenly lash out at paps, smash cameras and storm out of interviews when the questions got too personal. 

this all came to a head when you were caught on camera several times distributing acid tabs, cocaine and mdma at events, music festivals & awards shows. the press gave the band a pretty bad time over this, and given the other members’ controversies and lennon’s similar link to drugs, it wasn’t a good look for any of you. 

it didn’t matter that you had a side to you that was good, pure. that you were always kind and loving and down-to-earth towards your fans and friends. you were a bad seed, and you wound up on exposed with the rest of your bandmates. hopefully you can prove there’s more to you than what the media shows...

‘oh & you say, i’m such a cliche...’ ( personality )

immm gonna rush thru this section & write less formally bc those other parts too me WAY too long

basically a literal toddler. loves a laugh, loves a good time, but get on his bad side and he WILL throw a tantrum

it’s mainly people like press & paps he lets his anger out on. the band’s fans and people he’s close with on a personal level know he’s a good person underneath it all

loves a bit of mischief / rebellion / drama

king of hiding insecurities....

literal softie.... like... who allowed this binch to be so soft. he’s so open about how much he loves his friends (particularly his bandmates) and will platonically kiss and hug and love people all the time, particularly on the show bc he’s trying to show the cameras his softer side dfjghdfdfg

so excitable like WHERE does this kid get all his energy...

( tw drugs ) will probably struggle a bit on the show without access to drugs, but ( tw addiction mention ) he has never really been addicted or dependent on them, just a frequent user.

outspoken as fuck, has no filter sometimes oops

very flamboyant, in line with the general aesthetic of his band but also on a personal level. sports a kind of soft gothic/punk/early 2000s emo look. always paints his nails and wears makeup etc

sleeps around a lot but has never really been able to find a lasting relationship, has just had a bunch of short-lived flings???? but lowkey develops crushes at the drop of a hat and would love to properly fall in love with someone who could be with him forever & accept him for all his flaws, but he highly doubts that will ever happen fgjdhsfg

‘why don’t you figure my heart out?...’ ( wanted connections )

exes on good terms

exes on bad terms ( maybe someone who actually really wanted to stay with him but couldnt deal with his bullshit and now resents him? )

 someone who loves the band’s music & inflates his ego ab it

 someone he hasn’t seen for years that he’s reunited on the show & maybe they’re revisiting old feelings for each other??? and he wants it to be DIFFERENT this time but also theres shit tons of fucking cameras and shit which... makes things difficult...

first friend he made in LA or in the states in general, someone who showed him the ropes

someone who hates him / hates the band like PLEASE

and also just a straight up enemy maybe?? someone who finds him annoying as fuck??

FRIENDS!!!

literally anything just hmu and lay an idea on me and theres 90% chance ill be down

[heartschoicegames]

Heart’s Choice Author Interview: David Monster & Jim Dattilo, “All World Pro Wrestling”

You’re a trainee in the male Erotic Professional Wrestling Federation... and you’re reader to take on all comers. Training includes sparring, matches in the ring against the other trainees, tag team competitions, a battle royal, antics in the showers and locker room, and even ringside seats at the Championship Match.

All World Pro Wrestling is a 310,000-word interactive erotic gay novel by David Monster and Jim Dattilo, one of the first set of games releasing with the launch of Heart’s Choice. I sat down with the authors to talk about writing interactive romance. Heart’s Choice games release December 2nd.

All World Pro Wrestling is part of the first launch of Heart's Choice games and it's the first gender and sexuality locked game we're releasing for gay men. Jim you've written non-genderlocked games as well. Can you talk a little about the difference?

JIM: Writing a gender and sexuality locked game certainly has some advantages. The most obvious first advantage is that we don’t have to code gender pronouns, which saves time in coding and editing.

The next major advantage is in creating the characters. As a writer of choice games you want to give players lots of options. As a writer of fiction you want to give the reader highly specific characters. So in a game like Zombie Exodus, I need to have a huge variety of characters which are all open to various sexualities. Hopefully every player can find someone they are interested in or identify with. It is a phenomenal amount of work. However in All World Pro Wrestling, we can focus on a smaller set of characters, making them highly detailed.

Wrestling is also having a little cultural moment right now, it seems. What informed your decision to write wrestling fetish interactive fiction?

DAVID: There’s currently a great climate in independent pro wrestling. They seem to be embracing diversity, especially LGBT, in a way that major federations are not. The independents are a lot more entertaining because they have a great sense of humor, especially guys like Joey Ryan, RJ Skinner, Brian Cage, The Golden Lovers, and Jervis Cottonbelly. It’s a lot more appealing to me, because through the humor, they are acknowledging the homoerotic aspect of the sport in a way that’s exciting, amusing, and not derogatory.

After I published my first book, Service, people contacted me to tell me they loved it but wanted more sex and erotica. So, I wrote a gay erotic pro wrestling novel. It’s such a natural, because beyond being a sport, pro wrestling is really a fetish, and along with the homoeroticism, there’s a brotherhood that naturally lends itself to man-on-man romance.

JIM: I have a lot of gay male fans through my other writing and they provide some of the best feedback on romance. There are so few choice games or forms of interactive fiction focused on LGBT characters that players are more willing to voice their support and criticism. As game designers we need both forms of feedback.

When David and I decided to collaborate, we thought to convert his gay male erotica novel into a choice driven story. His novel already had a rich setting, plot, and set of characters. This is why we wanted to pitch it.

Are you fans of regular wrestling?

DAVID: Yes, I watch all different kinds of wrestling, mainly on YouTube. I like vintage pro wrestling, like AWA and GWF from the 50s to the 80s. When it comes to current wrestling, I’m a big fan of the independents. They’ve evolved as much more entertaining than WWE, currently the largest federation. I can’t watch WWE anymore. I’ll tune in every ten years or so, and it’s always the same storylines, same choreography. The guys are great-looking, but I need more than that.

I’m also a fan of Collegiate Wrestling. I wish I would have trained in amateur wrestling and grappling. All the great MMA fighters say it’s a necessary foundation for their sport.

JIM: As a kid I was a big fan of wrestling, back in the early days of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. I stopped watching at the time the WWF became the WWE, because as David said, the storylines became recycled. I don’t fault anyone for enjoying it now. Sometimes I’ll see a commercial for a large event and it will pique my interest.

This game is full of different romanceable characters. Tell me about some of them and which ones you enjoyed writing most.

DAVID: To tell you the truth, I love them all. They all have different attributes that make them special. Rory is an extremely cute blond boy. He’s sweet and kind, but he has the heart of a fighter. He always wants to win but wants all his friends to win, too. Bravon’s a real man, the best athlete in the facility, and a good friend to have. He’s a handsome muscle stud with the most extreme abs. Mandrew’s a cute jock boy and the class clown. He’s funny and always a good time, although he’s straight (or at least he says he is). Marcos is a big, hairy bear, and a total pushover. If you’re a power top, he’s your guy. He’s truly up for almost anything.

Finally there’s Stan. He’s a short little mountain of muscles, and, by far, the toughest guy in the training facility. He’s built is solidly as a wall of concrete which also represents the walls he built around himself to hide his vulnerabilities. He’s a loyal warrior, who is devoted to training but always searching for love.

Beyond these characters, you can have flings with lots of other characters.

Could you talk a little about your collaborative writing process?

DAVID: It was a learning process for me. I’ve never written a multiple choice game before, and Jim had already done three. He was my teacher and mentor, and taught me things about making a game you can’t learn from a tutorial. Jim’s guidance made me a much better writer.

JIM: David was the primary writer while I was the developer and coder. After writing a very extensive outline based on his book, we went through several rounds of drafts and edits until we came up with the shell of the game. David would write a chapter in a form of pseudocode, and I would take that document and convert it to ChoiceScript. Along the way we would talk about adding new content and deleting certain parts that weren’t working. David was always willing to do rewrites or punch up some text if needed. Since this was really his subject matter, I had to lean on him for the majority of the content. And he never made me feel like I was working for him. We were always collaborative and equal.

And what's next for you guys?

DAVID: I released the book this game is based on, called Rowdy Armstrong 2 – Pro Wrestling Rookie. It’s available on Amazon, and you can check out the website for pics of all the characters in the book: RowdyArmstrong.com    

I hope Jim and I can work on the sequel to this game, very soon. He’s so busy with Zombie Exodus. His fans are constantly demanding more of that story, because he has created a really cool world there.

I have another game, with accompanying book, I hope Choice of Games or Heart’s Choice will host. It’s a non-genderlocked fantasy story that will not involve wrestling.

I have a podcast, called Unimaginary Friendcast, and will continue to talk about this game on it. We have interviewed Jim twice, so search for that. It’s worth a listen, for sure.

Here’s my webpage, if you want to know more: DavidMonster.com

JIM: I’m continuing to work on Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 3 primarily. I’m also currently working on a new title for Choice of Games. It’s a secret project, and I hope to share some details on this game early next year.

[kegruben9598]

GSA SER tutorial

GSA software verified lists - How to configure

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With SERengines supporting increasingly more Web 2. 0 platforms and the level of modification, GSA Search Engine Ranker has long surpassed XCr. However, hi, if that does not encourage you, this will while GSA SER is a one-time payment (), SEnuke XCr costs $147. Nope, not a one-time per month! And really, I think that while it actually is great, it's not a bad link building tool at all, GSA SER is a lot more economical, and you can do basically anything with it.

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ere w ill let yo understand the way to make ue of the GSA SER efficiently. GSA Online search engine Ranker well-lik hyperlink constructing software tat dosn't depend upon a pre-st list of websites ut oes ut to search fr ne site targets n th basis of keywords. The software wil construct backlinks fr ou want a by hand.

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urthermore, u a likewise accomplish our assessment report n visual form to. hs software application mainly reates social networks posts ith my links insi them whi aids with pure link indexing. A you'e tried t enliven gsa search engine ranker efficiencies nd skyrocket rankings ou' v tried evry single GSA online search engine ranker validated lists outta tere.

[eddycarroll25]

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Yep, my mathematics is fantastic too (GSA SER training). The third and final method you can employ is merely using all of the target URLs from the second method as keywords in Scrapebox's Harvester. The principle is simple. Given that these are most likely Tier 2 or even Tier 1 backlinks, they will be connected to by other backlinks also.

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Hope you comprehended this one as well. Then you just scrape for these target URLs on search engines (you need to put each of them in quotes to make certain the target URLs which you scrape in fact contain this URL), and import the brand-new discovered target URLs into your 7 verified link contractors once again.

Now, you can use GSA Search Engine Ranker as it was indicated to be utilized. I can't inform you how soothing and incredible the sensation is of simply watching the links get verified by the dozens. I do not understand, there's just something about it. Let's start with GSA SER vs SEnuke XCr.

Fantastic GSA Search Engine Ranker tutorials

GSA Search Engine Ranker Youtube - How to

With SERengines supporting more and more Web 2. 0 platforms and the level of customization, GSA Search Engine Ranker has long gone beyond XCr. However, hey, if that does not persuade you, this will while GSA SER is a one-time payment (), SEnuke XCr costs $147. Nope, not a one-time monthly! And really, I believe that while it actually is excellent, it's not a bad link structure tool at all, GSA SER is a lot more cost-efficient, and you can do pretty much anything with it.

Then there's Ultimate Satanic force. Again, great link structure tool, however it features a cost when more $47 regular monthly charge or a one-time payment of $397 while you can get SER which is light years ahead in cost-effectiveness. Simply take a glimpse around through online forums for fights between these great web marketing tools. We comprehended tat back links mak an internet website n design and more powerful. Web link indexing s broken down int 2 aspects one is pages in you site and pges on ther sites t lace o ae abl t build te links. Ths GSA SER confirmed record integrates t most current websites t hich yo'll b ale to publish your backlinks.

gsa online search engine ranker video tutorials Captcha Breaker nd Captcha Sniper re all astounding, but they do not fix reCAPTCHA correctly r Text Captchas. nd that is frequently th first answr people uch as yu and I strive. Te vps gsa online search engine ranker SER haps in increasing t excellent use experience and aso hikes th conversions.

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We also provide primary concepts and guidelines t the ne novices (GSA Search Engine Ranker video tutorials). However, now things have altered ith GSA Online search engine Ranker. o requirement to d plenty of handbook web websites optimization nd ikewise construct plenty f handbook backlinks. Free Download Premium GSA R Verified Lists, otal 539K Fresh inks. The web page optimization s moe o ess simple t do, then building backlinks re more complicated.

The software application constructs backlinks fr ou 24 hr a day, 7 days pr week. Unlie oter SEO instruments, t does not need database of prescreened website t depart backlinks. e create eve brief post in a special manner and, yu do not nee to stress relating t th replication f parts.

s we re ale to see mny individuals scrape temselves s t i a pain t let GSA SR do itslf. Wth Links Plug, yu a construct our's unique igh-quality ser validated health care mailing lists and b2b database with e-mail addresses by let orking GSA SER for a couple f hours.

What are the best GSA search engine ranker tutorial settings

s, my links wil index slower tan if have en to use an indexer owever a minimum of tht technique, th indexing process s somehat pure. fter a wile, I run al of m backlinks thrugh Minik's Social Signals Manager (Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr nd Google lus). Buying an off-te-shelf GSA SER listing will conserve ou ot of time and processing power from needing to scrape target urls for publishing ur backlinks (GSA Search Engine Ranker reviews).

e personally advise Sweaty Quid Freelancer Market ecause it has a numbe of relied on sellers ho offer ver igh quality lists and change tem really regularly. f ou would lie to index your backlinks wth te search engines you'll b abe to "send validated links to indexer service providers" such a "GSA seo Indexer" r "other indexers". GSA SER help.

Get Kick-ass GSA Search Engine Ranker Help at - Asia Virtual Solutions

to scraping now for 6 month and buy inks Plug t develop yor unique GSA online search engine ranker confirmed listing. prt frm this we prvides u ith free life time updates, endless open door t our web optimization programs. here are new variations of te seo releases no nd then and these updates r furthermore comfortably taen care b ur Modern web optimization practices.

High-quality GSA SER tutorial

ere w ill let yo know the way to make ue of the GSA SER efficiently. GSA Search Engine Ranker well-lik hyperlink constructing software tat dosn't depend on a pre-st list of sites ut oes ut to search fr ne site targets n th basis of keywords. The software application wil construct backlinks fr ou want a by hand.

Tak it frm me Befor I was ver abe to boost link success fee nd VPM in GSA Online search engine ranker, doors ave en slammed n my face wth eah failure. Finally, simple wa to taken full advantage of GSA SR performances and build igh quality backlinks n no time at all utilizing proven techniques that ctually wrk. GSA Search Engine Ranker Tutorials.

urthermore, u an also achieve our examination report n graphical form to. hs software principally reates social media posts ith my links insi them whi assists with pure link indexing. A you'e attempted t spice up gsa online search engine ranker performances nd skyrocket rankings ou' v tried evry single GSA online search engine ranker confirmed lists outta tere.

[kelleyadame93]

GSA Search Engine Ranker Youtube - How Too

Table of Contents7 Tier GSA Search Engine Ranker - Overview How to Export Content for GSA SER Honest GSA Search Engine Ranker Reviews GSA Search Engine Ranker - video tutorials How To Get High Quality Backlinks GSA Search Engine Ranker

Yep, my mathematics is fantastic also (GSA SER help). The 3rd and final technique you can utilize is simply utilizing all of the target URLs from the 2nd strategy as keywords in Scrapebox's Harvester. The principle is simple. Given that these are most likely Tier 2 or even Tier 1 backlinks, they will be linked to by other backlinks as well.

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Hope you comprehended this one as well. Then you just scrape for these target URLs on search engines (you need to put each of them in quotes to make certain the target URLs which you scrape really contain this URL), and import the new discovered target URLs into your 7 confirmed link contractors again.

Now, you can use GSA Search Engine Ranker as it was meant to be utilized. I can't inform you how calming and amazing the feeling is of just enjoying the links get validated by the lots. I don't understand, there's simply something about it. Let's begin with GSA SER vs SEnuke XCr.

GSA search engine ranker manual by Asia Virtual Solutions

Rank YouTube Videos Using GSA Search Engine Ranker Easy

With SERengines supporting more and more Web 2. 0 platforms and the level of customization, GSA Search Engine Ranker has long gone beyond XCr. However, hello, if that does not persuade you, this will while GSA SER is a one-time payment (), SEnuke XCr costs $147. Nope, not a one-time per month! And really, I believe that while it truly is great, it's not a bad link structure tool at all, GSA SER is so much more cost-effective, and you can do practically anything with it.

Then there's Ultimate Satanic force. Once again, terrific link structure tool, but it comes with a rate when more $47 monthly charge or a one-time payment of $397 while you can get SER which is light years ahead in cost-effectiveness. Just take a peek around through forums for battles between these great web marketing tools. We understood tat back links mak a web site n style and stronger. Web link indexing s broken down int 2 components one is pages in you website and pges on ther websites t lace o ae abl t build te links. Ths GSA SER validated record integrates t latest websites t hich yo'll b ale to publish your backlinks.

gsa online search engine ranker video tutorials Captcha Breaker nd Captcha Sniper re all amazing, but they do not resolve reCAPTCHA properly r Text Captchas. nd that is typically th very first answr people uch as yu and I make every effort. Te vps gsa online search engine ranker SER haps in increasing t good use experience and aso walkings th conversions.

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We also provide primary ideas and pointers t the ne beginners (GSA Search Engine Ranker manual). However, now things have changed ith GSA Search Engine Ranker. o requirement to d a lot of handbook web web page optimization nd ikewise construct plenty f handbook backlinks. Free Download Premium GSA R Verified Lists, otal 539K Fresh inks. The websites optimization s moe o ess simple t do, then constructing backlinks re more complex.

The software program builds backlinks fr ou 24 hours a day, 7 days pr week. Unlie oter SEO instruments, t does not need database of prescreened website t leave backlinks. e produce eve short article in a special way and, yu do not nee to stress relating t th duplication f parts.

s we re ale to see mny individuals scrape temselves s t i a discomfort t let GSA SR do itslf. Wth Hyperlinks Plug, yu a build our's distinct igh-quality ser verified health care subscriber list and b2b database with e-mail addresses by let orking GSA SER for a couple f hours.

GSA Search Engine Ranking – Tutorials - For Free

s, my links wil index slower tan if have en to use an indexer owever a minimum of tht technique, th indexing procedure s somehat pure. fter a wile, I run al of m backlinks thrugh Minik's Social Signals Employer (Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr nd Google lus). Buying an off-te-shelf GSA SER listing will save ou ot of time and processing power from having to scrape target urls for publishing ur backlinks (GSA Search Engine Ranker manual).

e personally recommend Sweaty Quid Freelancer Marketplace ecause it has a numbe of trusted sellers ho offer ver igh quality lists and replace tem really routinely. f ou would lie to index your backlinks wth te search engines you'll b abe to "send confirmed links to indexer companies" such a "GSA search engine optimization Indexer" r "other indexers". GSA SER video tutorials.

Get Kick-ass GSA Search Engine Ranker Help at - Asia Virtual Solutions

to scraping now for 6 month and purchase inks Plug t construct yor unique GSA search engine ranker verified listing. prt frm this we prvides u ith totally free life time updates, unrestricted open door t our web optimization programs. here are new variations of te search engine optimization launches no nd then and these updates r additionally easily taen care b ur Modern web optimization practices.

How To Build Backlinks With GSA Search Engine Ranker

ere w ill let yo understand the way to make ue of the GSA SER efficiently. GSA Search Engine Ranker well-lik hyperlink constructing software tat dosn't depend on a pre-st list of sites ut oes ut to search fr ne website targets n th basis of keywords. The software application wil construct backlinks fr ou desire a manually.

Tak it frm me Befor I was ver abe to boost hyperlink success cost nd VPM in GSA Online search engine ranker, doors ave en knocked n my face wth eah failure. Finally, simple wa to taken full advantage of GSA SR performances and develop igh quality backlinks n no time making use of proven methods that ctually wrk. GSA SER Tutorial.

urthermore, u a likewise achieve our assessment report n graphical type to. hs software principally reates social networks posts ith my hyperlinks insi them whi assists with pure link indexing. A you'e attempted t enliven gsa online search engine ranker efficiencies nd skyrocket rankings ou' v tried evry single GSA online search engine ranker confirmed lists outta tere.

[gailstansfield]

GSA Search Engine Ranker Tutorial - Manuels and Guidance

GSA Search Engine Ranker Review & Tutorial - YouTube

Table of ContentsGSA Search Engine Ranker Ultimate Tutorial & Genuine Review How to Install GSA Search Engine Ranker. GSA Search Engine Ranker Tutorial - Manuels and Guidance GSA Search Engine Ranker Review - Best link Building Tool Help Exceptional GSA SER tutorials

Yep, my math is incredible too (GSA Search Engine Ranker training). The 3rd and final method you can employ is simply using all of the target URLs from the 2nd method as keywords in Scrapebox's Harvester. The concept is easy. Since these are most probably Tier 2 or perhaps Tier 1 backlinks, they will be linked to by other backlinks as well.

GSA Search Engine Ranker Tutorial Blog post

Hope you comprehended this one too. Then you merely scrape for these target URLs on search engines (you need to put each of them in quotes to make sure the target URLs which you scrape actually contain this URL), and import the brand-new found target URLs into your 7 validated link builders once again.

Now, you can utilize GSA Online search engine Ranker as it was suggested to be used. I can't tell you how soothing and incredible the sensation is of simply enjoying the links get validated by the dozens. I don't know, there's simply something about it. Let's begin with GSA SER vs SEnuke XCr.

How to Install GSA Search Engine Ranker.

GSA Search Engine Ranker Tutorial - Best Settings

With SERengines supporting more and more Web 2. 0 platforms and the level of customization, GSA Search Engine Ranker has actually long exceeded XCr. But, hello, if that doesn't persuade you, this will while GSA SER is a one-time payment (), SEnuke XCr costs $147. Nope, not a one-time each month! And really, I believe that while it actually is excellent, it's not a bad link structure tool at all, GSA SER is so much more cost-efficient, and you can do practically anything with it.

Then there's Ultimate Demon. Once again, excellent link building tool, however it includes a price when more $47 month-to-month charge or a one-time payment of $397 while you can get SER which is light years ahead in cost-effectiveness. Simply take a glance around through forums for battles between these terrific internet marketing tools. We comprehended tat back links mak an internet website n design and stronger. Web hyperlink indexing s broken down int 2 elements one is pages in you site and pges on ther websites t lace o ae abl t build te links. Ths GSA SER validated record incorporates t newest sites t hich yo'll b ale to publish your backlinks.

gsa search engine ranker video tutorials Captcha Breaker nd Captcha Sniper re all unbelievable, however they do not resolve reCAPTCHA effectively r Text Captchas. nd that is commonly th first answr individuals uch as yu and I strive. Te vps gsa online search engine ranker SER haps in increasing t excellent use experience and aso walkings th conversions.

GSA software verified lists set up guide

We also supply main concepts and pointers t the ne amateurs (GSA Search Engine Ranker tutorials). But, now things have actually changed ith GSA Online search engine Ranker. o need to d a lot of handbook web websites optimization nd ikewise construct plenty f handbook backlinks. Free Download Premium GSA R Verified Lists, otal 539K Fresh inks. The web page optimization s moe o ess easy t do, then constructing backlinks re more complex.

The software application constructs backlinks fr ou 24 hr a day, 7 days pr week. Unlie oter SEO instruments, t does not require database of prescreened web websites t depart backlinks. e create eve short short article in a special way and, yu do not nee to worry relating t th replication f components.

s we re ale to see mny individuals scrape temselves s t i a pain t let GSA SR do itslf. Wth Hyperlinks Plug, yu a construct our's distinct igh-quality ser verified health care subscriber list and b2b database with e-mail addresses by let orking GSA SER for a couple f hours.

Exciting GSA SER training

s, my links wil index slower tan if have en to utilize an indexer owever a minimum of tht technique, th indexing process s somehat pure. fter a wile, I run al of m backlinks thrugh Minik's Social Signals Boss (Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr nd Google lus). Purchasing an off-te-shelf GSA SER listing will save ou ot of time and processing power from having to scrape target urls for publishing ur backlinks (click here!).

e personally suggest Sweaty Quid Freelancer Market ecause it has a numbe of trusted sellers ho supply ver igh quality lists and change tem really frequently. f ou would lie to index your backlinks wth te search engines you'll b abe to "send out confirmed links to indexer service providers" such a "GSA search engine optimization Indexer" r "other indexers". GSA SER manual.

Get Kick-ass GSA Search Engine Ranker Help at - Asia Virtual Solutions

to scraping now for 6 month and buy inks Plug t build yor distinct GSA online search engine ranker validated listing. prt frm this we prvides u ith free life time updates, unlimited open door t our web optimization programs. here are new variations of te search engine optimization releases no nd then and these updates r additionally conveniently taen care b ur Modern web optimization practices.

How to use GSA Search Engine Ranker correctely

ere w ill let yo understand the method to make ue of the GSA SER effectively. GSA Online search engine Ranker well-lik link constructing software tat dosn't depend upon a pre-st list of websites ut oes ut to search fr ne website targets n th basis of keywords. The software application wil construct backlinks fr ou desire a by hand.

Tak it frm me Befor I was ver abe to increase link success fee nd VPM in GSA Online search engine ranker, doors ave en knocked n my face wth eah failure. Finally, basic wa to maximized GSA SR performances and develop igh quality backlinks n no time making use of tested techniques that ctually wrk. Gsa Ser Manual.

urthermore, u an also achieve our examination report n graphical kind to. hs software mainly reates social networks posts ith my links insi them whi assists with pure link indexing. A you'e tried t spice up gsa online search engine ranker efficiencies nd skyrocket rankings ou' v tried evry single GSA online search engine ranker confirmed lists outta tere.

[northshorehealthandfitness]

15-week update

This post is sponsored by Embrace. They kindly offered a promo code for reader friends: enter GINA10 at checkout to get 10% off sitewide. 

Hi friends! How’s the day going? I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far. We’re relaxing here at home, and I’m trying to figure out what adventures P and I will get into today. Despite the festivities and traveling lately plus a sick kiddo, I’ve been surprised that I’m not super tired. It wasn’t too long ago that I was exhausted from walking to the kitchen and back.  

I was telling the Pilot that – knock on wood – I feel remarkably better and different over the past couple of weeks. Days go by where I forget about my surgery, and I just feel like I’m living life now. It feels really good. I’m still listening to my body and taking rest days when I need to, but it’s nice to have the freedom to do whatever (minus super crazy ab work), take classes (especially when we travel!) and do my thing. 

For today, I wanted to share a quick scar treatment update with you all. (Please keep in mind that if reading about scars makes you squeamish, and you’re not in the mood for a post-surgery update, I totally get it! Just wanted to give a heads up.) When I wrote my last blog post, Embrace reached out and asked if I’d like to try their scar treatment. I felt like this was destiny for a few reasons. 

When I first started reaching the abdominoplasty and breast implant removal surgery, I heard about Embrace Active Scar Defense often. One of my good friends texted me and told me it was a gamechanger and to order it ASAP. I went to the website so many times to look at it, but in the end, I decided to skip it and see how my scars healed on their own. My eyes are allergic to silicone – I have to wear silicone-free contact lenses – and since Embrace is an extra investment on top of the cost of surgery, I didn’t want to spend the money only to find out I was allergic to it.  

When I saw my plastic surgeon for a follow-up post, he recommended a generic silicone sheeting scar treatment, and placed two on my breast incisions in his office. The ones he used were a different brand, and while I could tell that they were making a positive difference, they didn’t stay on extremely well. They were constantly rolling and peeling, and I decided to ditch them. The only good news about this brand is that I didn’t have an allergic reaction, so I figured that Embrace would be gentle enough to have no problems. (I was right! YAY.) 

I’ve ALWAYS used pure Vitamin E for my scars. It was a trick I learned from my plastic surgeon in Tucson, and for the much smaller incisions of my past, it’s always done the trick. However, my stomach incision was an entirely different beast, and since it’s higher than I would have liked – I have a short torso, and my skin was unevenly damaged from all of the stretching – I wanted my scar to fade as much as possible. After scouring the reviews online, I figured Embrace would be the best bet. They had so many glowing reviews and incredible before and after photos (especially on the Real Self forums that I’d lurk), that I wanted to give it a try. 

When the packages of Embrace arrived, I was so excited to try it.

Here’s what it looks like: 

They have a ton of YouTube tutorials, and the application is super easy. 

You simply wash the area you’re going to use, and dry it.

Peel open the Embrace applicator and flatten it, making sure to avoid touching the sticky part.

Place the sticky part on your incision, and press against it. (It’s helpful to use a mirror so you’re standing up straight and can see what you’re doing.) The heat from your hands activates the adhesive.

You’ll use your hands to rub all over the outer portion of the applicator, following the lines on the outside.

You’ll put the strips to detach the applicator from the dressing, and rub all over it again to make sure the air bubbles are gone and it’s good to go.

Peel off the applicator, and boom. 

Some of the benefits of Embrace:

-They use silicone therapy, which creates the ideal healing environment for scars. While a few other brands offer similar technology, there’s a huge factor that sets Embrace apart: the dressings reduce tension on the scar. This is the key to having a tiny, smooth scar. The sheets hold the scar super close together, which not only feels supportive, but helps to prevent the scar from widening and becoming larger.

 -The adhesive is STRONG, but not abrasive. It had no problem staying put for 10ish days, but I could remove it without crying. With some soap and water in the shower, it peeled off fairly easily.

-The dressings are paper thin and clear, so you hardly notice them. While they’re extremely thin, they’re well-constructed. I could move, exercise, and complete all of my normal activities without the dressings peeling or breaking.  

My only regret: I wish I would have used them sooner! You can start treatment as soon as you no longer have stitches and the incision is closed, which is 1-4 weeks after surgery (after your doctor approves it). I didn’t start until closer to 11 weeks post-op, and noticed a difference within 24 hours. My scars looked flatter and much less *angry.* I can’t wait to see what the difference is like after 8-12 weeks.

I’d love to hear any crazy or interesting scar stories you have. I think that scars are beautiful in their own way, but also thankful for the opportunity to make my recent ones less noticeable. If you’ve been wanting to try Embrace, you can enter my promo code GINA10 to get 10% off.  I am using Active Scar Defense, which is for scars less than 6 months old. There is also another product, embrace Minimize, but it is for scars that are older than 6 months and needs to be used longer to see a change in appearance.

Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you soon!

xo

Gina

The post 15-week update appeared first on The Fitnessista.

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[droneseco]

Don’t Buy a Raspberry Pi Until You’ve Seen CrowPi All-in-One Kit (Review and Giveaway!)

Our verdict of the CrowPi: Compact Raspberry Pi Educational Kit: CrowPi is a unique all-in-one Raspberry Pi starter kit, well designed and for a fair price. To get someone started with Pi programming or hardware, there isn't anything better right now.910

Raspberry Pi starter kits generally contain the same things. While some vary in the number of components or price, they usually all offer the same experience.

That is, until now.

Enter CrowPi, a portable, pre-built, all-in-one Raspberry Pi starter kit. Costing $239 for the basic kit, and $329 for the advanced (as reviewed), it is at the higher end of the price range for this kind of package. Is it worth it? Read on to find out, and at the end of this review, we’ve got one complete kit to giveaway to a lucky reader!

CrowPi in Brief

The CrowPi was successfully funded on Kickstarter by Elecrow last year. It comes in an ABS plastic, aluminum ringed case (which comes in a variety of colors). Inside, there is a custom PCB with a huge array of hobby electronic components, and a 7″ HDMI touch screen mounted in the lid.

CrowPi: Compact Raspberry Pi Educational Kit CrowPi: Compact Raspberry Pi Educational Kit Buy Now On Amazon $339.00

The basic version comes without a Pi but does provide a pre-loaded 32GB MicroSD card. The advanced version bundles in a Raspberry Pi 3B+ along with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and two USB game controllers.

A ribbon cable attaches the Pi to the custom PCB, completely cutting out the need for setting up circuits on a breadboard. Rather than dismantling and tidying away once you are done, you can simply power off and close the case. This, along with example sketches provided by CrowPi, make getting started with this kit a quick and painless process.

What Comes With CrowPi

Elecrow has managed to fit a lot into the 27 x 17.5 x 7cm carry case.

The basic version contains:

USB Camera

7″ HDMI Touch Screen

16 x 2 LCD Module (MCP23008)

Segment LED (HT16K33)

Vibration Motor

Matrix LED (MAX7219)

Light Sensor (BH1750)

Buzzer

Sound Sensor

PIR Motion Sensor

Ultrasonic Sensor

Servo

Stepper Motor

Tilt Sensor (SW-200D)

Infra Red Sensor

Touch Sensor (TTP223)

Temperature and Humidity Sensor (DH11)

Relay

16 button matrix

4 assignable buttons

RFID Module (MFRC522)

Mini Breadboard

Microphone

IR Remote

USB2.0 to MicroSD converter

Touch Screen Stylus

Power Adaptor and connecting cables

Preloaded Raspbian 32GB MicroSD card with code examples

The advanced version adds a few extra parts:

Raspberry Pi 3B+

Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

2 x USB Retro Game Controllers

Headphones with inline microphone

That’s more components than Pi GPIO pins, so there are two mini 8-row switch banks to allow components to double up on the pins.

The provided power supply attaches to the CrowPi via a barrel jack, though MicroUSB powering is also an option. With a beefy enough portable power brick, you can power the whole board on the move.

Initial Setup

Setting up CrowPi was a simple experience. Since the advanced version comes with the Pi already installed, it was merely a case of plugging in the power supply and mouse and keyboard and powering on.

While I’ve got a lot of experience with the Pi, I approached this review with a beginner’s mindset. Following the quick start guide will take you through connecting to Wi-Fi and downloading the provided source materials which go along with the provided code examples.

Five minutes after opening the box, I was making things flash, buzz, and vibrate. I’m confident anyone would have the same experience regardless of previous experience.

The Build Quality

One concern I had going into the review was the build quality. A portable clam-shell kit is useless if it’s too flimsy to travel. I found the ABS shell to be solid without much flex, and the iron hinges are strong enough to hold open the top half containing the screen.

The PCB is clean and well made, displaying both the components you are using along with the SMC components required to operate them properly.

Given how much they’ve crammed into this board, everything is well organized and uncluttered. The Pi fits in the top left corner of the case, with 90-degree HDMI and 3.5mm jack connectors for connecting to the screen. There are no built-in speakers to the CrowPi, but the provided headphones are good enough quality for daily use.

Using CrowPi

Given that everything comes pre-assembled, the hardware side of the CrowPi is incredibly easy to use. Even external parts like the servo and stepper motor have connectors making it difficult to wire anything in the wrong way.

This is the first significant plus point of the CrowPi for beginners, who can accidentally fry hardware with a simple mistake. This kit removes that disheartening scenario.

Following the provided Python tutorial was an easy process, although it does suffer a little in translation. Each lesson covers a different component and associated code before providing the terminal command to see it working.

The lessons could more accurately be titled as a guide to the provided code, as it doesn’t explain things too much, but CrowPi does provide the lessons on their YouTube channel in a more detailed form.

Regardless of how much Python you’ll learn from these lessons, they do take the reader through identifying components, reading code, and running it in the terminal. In many ways, this is a great way to get someone interested in the beginning steps using the Raspberry Pi with hardware, avoiding some of the pitfalls that may cause some to lose interest.

Other Uses For CrowPi

The 7″ HDMI screen isn’t competing with smart devices or full-size monitors but is more than adequate for watching YouTube. Given the inclusion of two game controllers, I thought it only appropriate to install RetroPie and spend an afternoon playing some old classics.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, CrowPi makes for a fantastic little retro gaming machine, and the inclusion of USB gamepads is a nice touch.

Are There Any Downsides To CrowPi?

The lessons mentioned above do show off each component on the board, but the explanations are lacking in places. For resources for learning how to program the Raspberry Pi using Python, you’ll likely want to look elsewhere.

If only there were a website with a resource of Raspberry Pi tutorials to help you learn how to use it?

Confusingly, part 20 of the lessons refer to an LED and resistor that isn’t provided in the kit, while lesson 21 (which deals with the camera) is mentioned in the quick start guide, but nowhere to be found.

These are tiny points though and given the large online community of Raspberry Pi users and tutorials, not a big deal.

The Cost

For some, the $239/$329 asking price might seem a little high. To compare, I made a list of most of the provided parts in the advanced kit. Without any power supply, cables, headphones, and a few other small peripherals, the combined total, when purchased separately, was over $260. Even then, you would still need to put it all together yourself, and you would be missing the integrated clam-shell case.

While there are significantly cheaper Raspberry Pi kits available, for what it provides the CrowPi is actually great value.

Should You Get A CrowPi

For learning and teaching about the basics of coding and hardware on the Pi, I can think of nothing better than the CrowPi. It combines everything open and extendible about the Pi while removing some of the stumbling blocks that beginners can face.

If you already own a Pi, the $239 standard kit will give you enough hardware to play with for a long time, and the solid case makes it perfect for storing and transporting when not in use.

CrowPi: Compact Raspberry Pi Educational Kit CrowPi: Compact Raspberry Pi Educational Kit Buy Now On Amazon $339.00

If you are looking for a pre-built Raspberry Pi learning platform, there just isn’t anything else quite like the CrowPi available right now.

Enter the Competition!

CrowPi All-in-One Raspberry Pi Learning Kit Giveaway

Read the full article: Don’t Buy a Raspberry Pi Until You’ve Seen CrowPi All-in-One Kit (Review and Giveaway!)

Don’t Buy a Raspberry Pi Until You’ve Seen CrowPi All-in-One Kit (Review and Giveaway!) published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/