#from stress and from frustration and from mood swings and from a lot

[jan-likes-jam]

Hc's of One Piece Men as dad's / having a pregnant S/O

Reader could be any pov. We support M!preg ♡

List of characters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Law, Ace.

Tw: Pregnancy.

Fluff, a bit of angst.

Go check part 2

My first ever post about headcanons, please, if you enjoyed this silly thing, vote. Even comment suggestions ♡.

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Monkey D. Luffy:

★ Yes. He knows how children are made.

★ He probably didn't understand at first what it trully meant to become a father though.

★ Responsability striked probably way too late.

★ He realised when he saw you not being able to defend yourself. Probably in danger.

★ After that, he would try to be more careful, when he fights, he asks the crew to take you away or shielding you from any threat.

★ It amused him nonetheless having a child on the way, and asked a lot of questions, even if you yourself didn't know how to answer.

★ He gets really frustrated seeing you in trouble during pregnancy, like cramps, morning sickness, cravings and trouble handling emotions.

★ He is poorly socially aware and an impulsive talker. Probably would accidentally make rude or out of pocket comments that don't suit your delicate situation.

★Wouldn't know how to properly show you support when you felt your mood swings and have self steem issues. Tends to say dumb shit to make you laugh though.

★ "It's okay to be fat, you are eating a lot!" ... "Wait, why are you crying more?!"

★ At the end of the day he is excited to meet his child.

★ Everyone hopes the baby doesn't take after Luffy. One is enough.

★ Doesnt know anything about children. But is willing to try his best and learn.

★ Will give you heart attacks at seeing him holding the baby wrong or playing with it like a toy.

★ Would 100% stretch his arm from the crib to the bed as he placed the baby and now had his hand trapped under it's tiny body, too scared to remove it and wake the poor thing up.

Roronoa Zoro:

★ Couldn't believe it when you announced it to him.

★ Lowkey was affraid at first. Didn't feel preppared for a responsability like that

★ Felt actually bad as he thought how to break the news to you about how he "wasn't ready" when the baby was already on the way.

★ The first time it kicked he was napping. You yelled across the ship for him to come feel it kicking.

★ Since that momment he fell in love with his unborn child.

★ Doesn't like to show how excited he is. Always trying to act nonchalant and tuff before the crew and other people.

★ In private likes to speak to your belly like the baby is a complete functional person.

★ "It's a restless one" you say, an uncomfortable smile on your face as you caress your swollen belly. "Yo, little rascal. You are not even here and you are already causing trouble?"

★ Zoro cracks a smile every single time.

★ When the time for your delivery was coming closer, Robin made him scared saying how living in a ship and the stressful life of a pirate ship could make your water broke at any time.

★ Since then, he can't nap properly, high alert all the time and tense.

★ Once born, the restless nights made him literally his sleep schedule even more chaotic than it already was.

★ You found him once asleep on the Galley, empty baby bottle in one hand, your child in the other cuddled against his chest, both heavily asleep.

★ That image was the cutest thing you've ever seen.

Vinsmoke Sanji:

★ Oh, he passed out.

★ He got so shocked and excited he cried like a baby.

★ After crying his eyes off, he hugged you the strongest he has ever held you.

★ "I love you so much... thank you for giving me this chance. I promise I wont dissapoint."

★ Kisses your forehead good morning and kneels down to kiss your belly, even when the bump was barely noticeable. Every. Single. Day.

★ Tried to stop smoking. He doesn't want to intoxicate the air you're in.

★ Now he only smokes late at night on Sunny's deck, alone with his thoughts.

★ Usually catches himself smilling at the idea of having a gorgeous baby girl, to raise her like a princess (he doesn't mind a boy, he just rlly wants a girl)

★ Cooks you ANYTHING you want, ANYTIME you want.

★ Top listener and comforter.

★ Whenever you are havin self steem issues he knows exactly how to comfort you.

★ "No, no... My dove please don't cry. You are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on." ... "Don't be rough on yourself, in my eyes you are even more gorgeous than ever." ... "Of course I would still love you, you are carrying now the All Blue of my heart in your womb."

★ Everytime you do something that takes an extra effort (like step on a ladder, carry a lot of bags, or play rough with Luffy), Sanji is already there, softly guiding you to take a seat and lecturing you on not being too rough on your precious body.

★ Held your hand throught the whole delivery, didnt complain a single time.

★ Had the sweetest, most calming aura ever. Helping to ease your stress.

★ He held your guy's baby and silently cried, hoping not to wake up the poor child nor you, as you rested.

Trafalgar Water D. Law:

★ Tbh he has mixed feelings.

★ Even with the baby already delivered he wasn't excited. It was bittersweet. You were fine, that made him feel at ease. But now he had to take care of a new life with you. Each time he thought about it a lump got stucked in his throat.

★ Not like he doesn't love you and the child doesn't make him happy. He is proud of how for you both have come, and the fruits of your labor.

★ He just felt a huge unease at the idea of becoming a father.

★ After all he's been through, and all he's seen, it felt almost like a sin to bring such innocence into a cruel world like this.

★ However, when he steps into his private quarters to see you feeding your guy's child, all the guilt dissapears.

★ He didn't really feel touched during the whole pregnancy, usually occupying himself with work. It wasn't until he actually held that tiny baby, with it's chubby hands held his finger to try and suck it.

★ After a while the baby was there, and everything just... settled down, he couldn't speak about how bad he felt for being so distant during the pregnancy.

★ One day you found him changing a diaper and softly smiling as the baby looked at him with a funny face.

★ "Look what the sea brought in." You teased. A grin on your lips, but your eyes filled with love.

★ Instead of getting annoyed or ignoring he hugged you, pulling you into a warm embrace.

★ "Hope one day you can forgive me..." Is all he said before kissing your temple.

★ He is not a very affectionate dad. But expresses his love the best he can.

★ The crew loves that baby, they play with it every time they can. But pannick the second it cries.

★ Surprisingly clingy to it's papa. Law's calm aura makes the tiny thing get at ease.

Portgass D. Ace:

★ You tried to keep it a secret fro a while. But of course he noticed something was wrong and you had to tell him.

★ You hoped he would comfort you and tell you something like "We'll get through this together."

★ He pannicked with you. Both of you sitting in the Moby dick's bathroom having a shared meltdown.

★ After a while decided to keep it. Tough decision. You guys were still too young.

★ Ace felt guilty. Having the blood of Gol D. Roger, and having a child on the way made him feel like he was repeating the story. But this time, he was going to make it right.

★ Went to talk to Marco about it. Expecting guidance, got his ass whooped instead.

★ Later that day, both of you were getting the biggest lecture about safe sex.

★ Whitebeard wasn't particularly happy, but refused to lecture you and Ace about it.

★ A couple of months later everyone was overjoyed. Ace being the happiest. Throwing celebrations, plans, a baby shower even.

★ He took this opportunity as a life mission to prove himself that, even if his biological father was never there, and probably never even cared about him, perhaps not even his mom, he would be different. Better.

★ Tried to learn his best about babies and parenthood. Even asked all pirates he knew that had children for advice.

★ Everytime he had to leave, he hugged you tightly and kissed you until your lips were tired. He caressed your belly, even pressed his forehead against the bump.

★ Always offering a big smile, he said "Don't bring trouble. I'll be back soon. Stay safe."

★ Sadly, at his excecution whitebeard absolutely forbid you to be any close to Marinefort. You were in no state of stepping into the battlefield.

[malfoy-mrsdracomalfoy]

Both.

Pairing: Husband!Draco Malfoy x Wife!Reader

Warnings: Arguments, insults, adult language, a hint to a physical altercation (NOT domestic violence)

Word Count: 6352

Summary: Not the best day in the married life of Draco Malfoy and his reader!wife. Alike in dignity- but love outweighs pride. Sprinkle in a little fun and they get through an otherwise unpleasant day.

Reader's Point Of View:

Draco fixes me with an icy stare, his voice low and menacing. "You'd do well to remember who your husband is, my dear. I am Draco Malfoy and I will not be ignored." We'd been having a disagreement all afternoon and I finally stepped away before I really dug into him.

"Did you really just use your business voice on me?" I say, turning to face him, incredulous. "Your own wife."

His expression remains neutral, confirming my accusation.

"Yes, I did." He crosses his arms over his chest, standing tall and intimidating in our living room. "Is that so surprising? You're acting no better than a difficult client." He stares at me, his icy blue eyes rivaling the warm yellow light bulb in our lamp mere feet away. "You act like a bloody child sometimes."

"Okay, and what child-like behaviors have I shown then, hm? Why are you even upset with me right now? You started this ridiculous argument."

His jaw tightens. I can tell he knows he's being harsh but his pride isn't letting him stop. His business voice gets deeper. "You argue over silly things. You pout when you don't get your way. You're far too sensitive..." He trails off.

"Oh, you have a list."

He runs a hand through his perfectly styled hair, leaving it slightly disheveled- just like his mental state right now. "Would you bloody listen for once without trying to joke your way out of serious things?" His expression softens slightly, likely realizing that's one of the things he loves most about me. I decide this mood swing of his isn't personal. He's not quick to anger, and he's not at all being logical like he usually does in real arguments.

"Are you stressed about something?" I ask, hesitant at first. I really don't want to relent and excuse his behavior, but I can't help but feel like he needs something from me, and I love him far too much to let this go unnoticed.

His business mask cracks slightly, revealing genuine tiredness. "Yes, actually. My father has been riding my arse about this new business venture." He unbuttons his suit jacket, pacing slightly. "And instead of supporting me, you're being argumentative."

I step right in the middle of his pace trail, halting his movements as I slide my fingers up his palm while I look up at him. "How can I support you better?" I search his features, genuinely wanting to help now that I know the real reason he's being difficult.

He looks down at me, his expression softening. He takes a deep breath, allowing my touch to calm him slightly. "By not picking fights over trivial things. By understanding I have a lot on my plate right now." He pauses, his voice gentling- the authoritative tone gone.

"Okay. I'm sorry." I say, setting a hand on his bicep. He watches my hand for a moment before pulling me in a sudden hug. Craving my comfort more than his pride allowed him to earlier.

"Just... be my wife tonight. Not my argumentative partner- which I admit is entertaining sometimes." His arms sit firmly around me and he buries his face in my neck. "No snark."

"Your non-snarky wife tonight then." I say, unable to help myself as I caress the back of his head.

He laughs softly, the tension already leaving his shoulders. "I said no snark." His voice rumbles in his chest. "I'm serious. No sassy remarks, no rolling your eyes..." He pulls back slightly to look at me. "Okay?" His voice is a bit firmer now. He's serious, and I respect that. It's what he needs right now.

"Okay. I'll tone down my sassiness." I say, fighting the urge to say something snarky as I push back the strands of hair that fell messily with his frustrated movement earlier. "You look handsome in this suit, by the way. Is it new?"

He raises an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Yes, it is. New business startups, new suit." He leans into my touch slightly, enjoying our moment of tenderness. "You know how I am about appearances."

"Yes, and that comes easy for you because you're so bloody perfect and handsome all the time." I giggle, looking up at him lovingly. His expression softens further, and his voice comes out his usual soothing tone.

"Is that snark I detect?" He says, smiling at me teasingly and pulling me closer by my waist. "You just can't help yourself, can you?" He laughs softly, not bothered by it as much as he would've been earlier.

"It wasn't. I was being honest." I say, standing on my tip toes to press a sweet kiss to his cheek.

He caresses my back softly, his expression becoming tender as my lips meet his cheek. "Honest or not, you're bloody impossible sometimes." He nuzzles into my temple with his smooth and freshly-shaven cheek. "And too bloody sweet for your own good. How do you disarm me so easily?" His hand movies to my hair.

"Sweet in every way." I tease, innuendo clear.

He freezes, his hand tightening in my hair as he pulls back to look at me with a mix of shock and amusement. His voice drops lower, his eyes glinting with sudden desire. "Trying to distract me with your true but inappropriate commentary?"

"Couldn't help myself." I say, mimicking his earlier sentiment as I wrap my arms around his neck. "Let's go to dinner? Maybe it'll help to get some fresh air."

He looks at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Then, with a small smirk- he nods. "Alright, my little temptress. Dinner it is." He keeps an arm around me as he leads me out, his thumb tracing small circles on my hip. I slip on my brown trench coat from the coat rack near our door and hand him his dark grey coat as we walk out of the house. He slips his jacket on behind me as I turn to lock our front door. When I turn back, he's looking at me with a soft expression.

"You know, sometimes I forget how normal this is." He says softly as we start walking towards his blacked out Lamborghini Urus S. He pulls the keys from his pocket, getting ready to start the engine from the key fob.

"Yeah, sometimes it takes me a minute to register that we're married. I'm Mrs. Draco Malfoy." I look up at him, feeling proud of my title. He looks down at me, a dazzling grin taking over his features.

"Yes. Y/n Malfoy." He leans down to press a kiss to my lips sweetly, spinning me to face him before he lifts me off the ground in a soul-meshing hug. I giggle as he sets me down on my feet. He takes it one step further and spins me once more before lowering me in a dip.

"You're so histrionic." I say, secretly loving it. "My car? Please?" I say, pouting at him. He stop abruptly, raising an eyebrow at my pout.

"Really? Still arguing over the bloody car?" Despite his words, there's amusement in his voice. He knows he can't resist my pout.

"Fine. Your car it is." He throws his hand up in mock surrender. We head toward my equally blacked-out small, sporty car. I giggle and pull my keys out of my clutch to unlock my car before tossing them to him. He catches the keys easily- and I slip into the black interior.

"Bloody woman." He mutters affectionately as he slides into the driver's seat. He prefers bigger cars and always complains about my little vehicle- claiming my car barely fits his long legs. Once he climbs into the driver's seat he sits cramped for minute, looking over at me with a faux-annoyed look.

"Must you sit so close to the wheel?" He mumbles, adjusting the seat to fit him better.

"By the way, I need gas." I giggle, covering my face as I admit the true reason I wanted to take my car. He looks at me with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"You're kidding." He states, pressing the start button. The engine comes alive silently. "You wanted to take your car because you need gas." He sits still, staring at me deadpan until I respond. I laugh melodically.

"Busted."

He laughs softly , throwing me an unbeliving look. "I should've known. You're usually a 'passenger princess' in my car." He mocks my voice on that self-proclaimed title.

"True." I admit, turning up the dial on the screen between us, clicking over to my Spotify on the touch screen. "We're listening to Taylor Swift, by the way. Don't even try to fight it."

He rolls his eyes dramatically as my upbeat pop music fills the car. "You and Taylor Swift have got to be secret lovers with how much you talk about her and listen to her." He mutters, pulling out of the driveway. I spy him tapping his fingers on the wheel despite his protests, though he'd never admit it. I roll my window down and begin to shamelessly sing along- hitting every note perfectly.

"Honey, I can tell when someone still wants me, come clean! Standing at the bar like something's funny. Once you fix your face- I'm going in!"

Draco smiles from his position at the wheel, glancing over at me- my hair flying everywhere as the cool night air flows in- a lot of it considering how fast he's driving right now.

"You know every bloody word." He says, looking slightly impressed. I wink at him, still singing.

"Whether I'm gonna be your wife, or gonna smash up your bike- I haven't decided yet."

"I hope that wasn't a warning." He says, looking over at me suspiciously while we crawl to a stop at a red light. When the light turns green he resumes driving, glancing over at me once more like someone would look at a tiger. In awe, but a little afraid, too.

As the next song comes on, he recognizes it immediately. "Not this one." He quietly groans. I look at him, amused before leaning toward him, caressing his arm as I over dramatically sing the next song- "Lady Killers II" by G-Eazy. He rolls his eyes but can't suppress a smile. He focuses on the road, but I can tell his attention is clearly divided between driving and my antics.

"I'm a lady killer- if I want her- imma steal her." I pause between lyrics, looking at him- amused. "So if you don't know by now, you should probably get familiar." I say, mimicking the tone and voice of G-Eazy loudly into the night air as we whoosh through the bustling streets.

"I should be finding this embarrassing." He says, side-eyeing me and giving me an unamused look.

"You find it entertaining. Admit it." I tease, leaning over to give his jaw a playful smooch. He shivers at my kiss, looking over at me.

"Entertaining." He repeats, arching an eyebrow. "I wouldn't go that far." He lies poorly, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You'd be bored while commuting if it wasn't for me."

He chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "True." He concedes, "My podcasts can only entertain me for so long before I need some... drama." He teases, referring to my over dramatic singing. "What's next?" He eyes the screen between us wearily, wondering what song I'll assault his ears with next.

"I'm feeling generous- you pick now. I'm not an unfair woman."

He thinks for a moment, a mischievous glint in his eye as he navigates the touch screen quickly, typing his choice with one hand, eyes glancing down only once before looking at the road again. It's a song I hate. A slow, sappy love ballad. "This is the one." He says with a smirk, turning up the volume slightly. I groan, slipping down in my seat dramatically.

"My teeth are going to rot just listening to this."

He laughs loudly at my exaggerated disgust, enjoying my reaction far too much. "My wife, the musical snob." He teases, glancing over at my slumped form with amusement. "It's a good song, you know. Might teach you a thing or two about romance." He adds with a smirk.

"Romance sounds cringy and embarassing." I say, throwing my hand over my eyes dramatically. He snorts, shaking his head at my dramatics. "You say that now, but just wait until I sweep you off your feet with a grand gesture." He says confidently, his tone laced with fake seriousness. "You'll be singing a different tune then. Pun intended."

"Ha ha. Clever." I say, giving him an unimpressed look. "I'd definitely sing a different tune than this ridiculous song." I grumble. He reaches over and pats my hand dramatically, feigning great sorrow. "You wound me so deeply with your judgement." He gasps over dramatically. "How shall I recover? Perhaps I shall playlist only heavy metal from now on!" He declares with faux outrage, barely suppressing his grin.

"I would take death metal over this romantic, sappy, candy floss nastiness excuse of a song."

He bursts into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he tries to keep his eyes on the road. "Death metal it is, then." He says, still chuckling. "You know what? I think you might be the only person I know who can make a love song sound like torture."

"It is torture." I grumble. "You get to pick ONE MORE. We are doing two songs. Go on. Pick your next song. If it's awful I'll veto your choice and apparate myself to the restaurant."

He grins mischievously, knowing he has one more chance to annoy me. We approach another red light, and he scrolls through my playlist quickly as we wait for the light to change, pausing on a power 80s ballad. "Here we go." He says, pressing play before driving through the green signal light.

"Hearts On Fire?" I look at him, amused. "From Rocky IV?"

He nods, a proud smirk on his face. "Guilty as charged. Figured an 80s rock classic might just win your favor." He teases, "Plus it's got that epic romance air about it. Surely even you- a cynic- can't hate this one?"

"I'll admit... this one isn't... awful." I say, unwilling to admit complete defeat. He chuckles, clearly enjoying my reluctant admission. "See? I knew I could find a romantic song that you wouldn't immediately hex me over," He says, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I stay silent and let the song play through as I sit back upright- pretending to be aloof. Draco catches my faux nonchalance and laughs. "Drama queen." He murmurs affectionately, "Alright, you're up." He tells me just as the song ends.

I put on 'Behind Blue Eyes' by The Who and begin dramatically singing along, feigning being misunderstood by society. He quietly listens to my performance, trying not to laugh. When I hit a particularly over-the-top note, he can't help but laugh softly. "Oh, so now you're a tortured soul?' He teases, glancing over at me with amusement.

"The most tortured." I agree, ending the song with an extra flourish. He shakes his head, smiling unabashedly now.

"Right, the most tortured soul in all of London." He deadpans. "Your final choice better not be as dramatic as the prior, or I'll start questioning your emotional stability."

I look at my phone's screen for a moment, contemplating as I scroll through my Spotify songs. I settle on 'All Shook Up' By Elvis Presley. He throws his head back and laughs, watching as I sing along to the upbeat rock'n'roll song. "You're so inconsistent." He says, glancing over at me with a playful smile. "One moment you're a tragic heroine, the next you're Elvis's love interest." I laugh melodically, shifting closer to him, laying my head on his shoulder.

"I'm endlessly fascinating, what can I say?"

He smiles, shrugging his shoulder playfully as my head rests against it- making my head bob.

"Endlessly frustrating, more like." he murmurs, pressing a quick kiss to my hair before his hand follows suit- ruffling it for no apparent reason other than to annoy me. "Who knew picking songs could reveal so much about one's fickle musical tastes?" He says to me, smirk in place. I giggle, peppering kisses on the side of his neck.

"Are we almost to the restaurant? I'm hungry."

He lets out a soft chuckle as he feels my kisses, his arm wrapping around my shoulders to keep me close.

"Almost there, love." He replies, his voice slightly huskier than before. "But we have one stop before- remember? You need gas." He says, pulling into a mostly empty petrol station. I sit back in my seat, taking off my heels and coat before smiling innocently at him. "Oh, I suppose you expect me to do all the work? Right. Typical." He pretends to be annoyed but he leans over to press a sweet kiss to my lips before unbuckling his seat belt and sliding out of the car with surprise grace considering his height.

I watch him close the door behind him before he locks me in- looking after my safety like always. I slightly hunch over to look out of my backseat window- watching the back of his blazer subtly shift as he pulls his black platinum debit card out of his wallet, holding it over the no-touch feature. Once I hear a small beep, I watch as he bends down to type something on the gas pump's keypad before he pulls the hose- pressing the neck of the gas tank on the side of my car and slipping the hose in with practiced ease.

For a few moments he stills, looking around our surroundings as the gas pumps. Then there's a click to signal the tank is full. He retrieves the hose, places it back in its cradle and waits for the receipt to print. He's rich but he always keeps track of our finances. He's not worried about it, just organized.

Once the receipt prints, he rips it off, folds it nicely and tucking it away in his wallet before he unlocks the car, slipping back in. I keep my eyes trained on him, finding him irresistibly handsome right now. He catches me staring and gives me a wink before he reaches over to his buckle, locking the door once more and pressing the start button. He looks down at the dash.

"Full tank for you, darling." He smirks, glancing over at me. I lean over to him, caressing the side of his face once.

"Thank you, my love. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a big deal, honey. We need to make sure you have reliable transport."

I lean over and kiss him affectionately, letting all my appreciation and love and devotion fill the kiss. He hums as I pull back, watching me for a second- lovestruck. I guess the feeling is mutual.

"Just a few more minutes and we can finally eat." He says after a beat of silence. "Buckle up." He says, looking at me expectantly. He will not drive off until I'm buckled. I do as he says but scoot as close to him as possible as he pulls to the exit, looking both ways to make sure it's clear before he smoothly pulls out- picking up speed quickly in his usual fashion.

I lean up to his ear, lips brushing against his lobe. "You know what we'll do when we get home?" I say suggestively.

His hands tighten on the steering wheel as he turns ever so slightly towards me, glancing at me with an eyebrow raised and smirk before focusing back on the road.

"And what might that be?"

"We can sit in our hot tub and have some wine?" His eyes flicker briefly to me before returning to the road. I press a kiss to his temple. "Play your cards right and maybe there'll be more." I whisper in his ear. He groans softly, reaching up to gently tug at his hair in sexual frustration.

"You're playing dirty," he mutters, shifting in his seat as I'm sure he imagines all the possibilities of what I mean by 'more'.

"Dirty, you say?" I say, voice sultry.

He clears his throat, trying to maintain composure but clearly failing. "Stop that," he says without any real conviction. "You know exactly what you're doing to me," he adds softly, reaching over to gently squeeze my thigh. "And I'm supposed to be concentrating on driving."

I giggle and sit back in the middle of my seat, bending down to grab my black stilettos- slipping them back on. "Fine, I relent. For now."

He exhales sharply, probably relieved and frustrated all at once. He pulls into the restaurant's parking lot, heading into a parking spot and switching the gear to park before turning to face me with a mock glare. "You're the worst." He accuses, unbuckling my seat belt then his own and shedding his jacket, setting it in the backseat- next to where I put mine while we were at the petrol station.

"Oh. But you're so handsome when you're frustrated." I coo at him, leaning over to his seat to press a kiss to his lips. He scoffs but the sound quickly turns into a soft hum as my lips press against his. He melts into the kiss for a brief moment before pulling back, his eyes still closed. "Flatterer." he murmurs, finally opening his beautiful blue eyes to look at me. I give him a wink and get out of the car slowly, giving him a perfect view of my butt in this dress.

He sits in the car a few seconds longer, obviously watching the way the dress I'm wearing hugs my curves. I hear him take a deep breath before exiting the vehicle himself, adjusting his blazer in such a way I suspect he's hiding a bulge. "That dress should be illegal."

I give him a small spin, heels clacking on the pavement. "Do you like it? Isn't it just the loveliest shade of red?" I say, teasing lightly. He swallows hard, his eyes roaming over the red dress that hugs me in all the right places.

"It's... distracting." he mutters, offering his arm to me as we walk towards the bustling restaurant doors. "You know red is my weakness."

"Aren't you going to enjoy taking it off later, then?" I say, taking his arm and letting him lead me to the entrance of the restaurant.

His eyes flicker with dark, unspoken promises as he opens the door for me, allowing me to walk in ahead of him in a gentlemanly gesture. For the most part. I'm sure he just wanted a second look of how this dress accentuates my curvy form. When he catches up to me, he whispers in my ear "You better believe it. I'm already imagining unzipping it..." as we walk through the aisles.

He pulls back slightly, trying to act casual as we are seated at our table. I thank the waiter politely as I sit down on the black cushion set atop a dark wooden frame with a matching table. He watches me settle into my seat with admiring eyes and leans down to settle into his own booth. The warm light above us kisses his skin in the most flattering way I am actually entranced.

"You're killing me here." he murmurs, low enough so only I can hear, unfolding his napkin. "Every man in this place is staring." I follow his lead, unfolding my napkin, and placing it in my lap.

"Is that so? Maybe they're just blinded by this." I look down at my engagement ring and wedding band set, flexing my fingers slightly so the light catches the large diamond on my dainty gold band. He chuckles, chest slightly puffing with pride as he glances down at my rings.

"Or maybe they're trying to figure out how an arse like me managed to land someone so beautiful and poised."

The waiter returns then and asks us our drink preferences. Before I get a chance to answer- Draco says the name of some specific vintage wine and the waiter nods and heads off.

"True, I've often wondered that myself." I tease.

He raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Careful, darling. Your ego is showing." He says, leaning back in his chair as the waiter returns to set our crystal glasses down, filling them with wine.

"Leave the bottle." Draco says, voice firm as he keeps his eyes on me. I break eye contact with him to look up at the waiter.

"Please." I add on sweetly, not wanting to be rude to this staff member. Draco wasn't raised to show manners to staff- but we are working on it. He smirks and looks up at the waiter, too.

"Yes, if you please." He says. I giggle softly. At least he's trying. The waiter nods and sets the bottle down between us, lighting the candles on either side of the table before leaving.

"But seriously, I know I'm the luckiest bastard alive and I won't take that for granted." Draco admits.

"My ego is huge because I have a man who treats me like I hung up the moon and stars."

His eyes crinkle as he gives a genuine smile, showing a hint of his pearly whites. "Well, you did hang the moon and stars in my sky," He says, reaching for his wine glass to take a sip. "Not to mention the sun and every constellation known to man." My face softens as I gently set my hand on top of his that's laid on the table between us.

"You're far too good to me. I'm very lucky to have you."

He flips my hand to intertwine our fingers, his thumb caressing my wedding ring.

"You always say the sweetest things," He murmurs, "Do you know how many men would kill to have a wife like you?"

"Do you know how many women would kill to have you as a husband?" I retort, swallowing a lump of affection that climbs up my throat.

His genuine smile gets bigger, showing more of his white teeth. "I suppose. But I must admit, I'm rather enjoying the view from up here with you." He gives my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go to pick up his menu. "Now- what are you in the mood for?"

I mirror his action, picking up my menu as I peruse it thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. Maybe the mushroom ravioli?" I glance at him from over my menu. "What are you going to get, darling? The steak?"

He scans the menu, and I take this opportunity to admire him. The way the light catches his nicely cut platinum hair- a small strand falling before curling over his forehead. I watch his blue eyes read over the menu, a slight crease in between his brows as he concentrates. I know he's weighing all his options and probably over complicating it. Something him and I have in common. Usually I'm the one lagging behind him in the order process.

I let my eyes shamelessly trace the curve of his neck, the sharp angle of his jaw, the way his button up stretches over his broad chest. I admire his hands, big and masculine but holding the menu with surprising gentleness. His wedding band catches the light and I feel a tug in my chest. I'm so in love with him- it envelopes my entire being. I say a quiet thank you to whatever force brought us together.

He breaks my reverie by nodding in agreement. "Yes, darling you know me well. The steak sounds perfect." He says, setting the menu down. "Rare with a side of those roasted vegetables you like." He looks up from his menu at me with a small smile. "How does sharing garlic bread sound?"

I grin at him, heart still beating frantically and head love-struck as I collect both of our menus, setting them together and on the edge of the table for easy access for the waiter. "That sounds perfect." I say, finding my voice as I meet his eye again. The waiter spots our body language and comes over, notepad and pen in hand.

"Good evening, Mr and Mrs Malfoy. What can I get for you?"

I give him our order politely, smiling up at the waiter kindly as he writes. He says a polite thank you, taking our menus and heading to the kitchen to give our order to the chef. When I return my focus back to Draco, I notice he's already staring- the same love-struck feeling I felt for him earlier now taking over his features.

The waiter returns apologetically, asking if we had a preference of what vegetables we want roasted. I smile at the waiter, giving him my charming smile I use to win over the hearts of all Draco's business partners. I notice the waiter practically melt, adjusting his tie a few times and struggling to keep eye contact with me. I tell him we don't have a preference, but thank you for asking. He nods before glancing over at Draco- who does not look happy with how the waiter is responding to me. He turns on his heel and heads off quickly, not looking back once.

"Thank you!" I call to him softly as he speeds off.

Draco waits until the waiter is out of earshot before leaning in close to me. "You know you're going to give that poor bloke a heart attack with that smile of yours," he murmurs, his eyes showing barely concealed jealousy. "He was staring at you lovelorn." He says, voice hard.

"He was not. He was just being polite. It's his job, darling." I say, taking a sip of my wine, sitting upright in my chair- back straight. He snorts, rolling his eyes.

"Polite? Love, that was not just being polite. He was bloody smitten." he argues, his voice still low and now slightly annoyed. "I saw the way he looked at you."

I glance over at the waiter for a moment then back to Draco. "Do you think so? Truly? It seemed like he was just being nice because he can see that you're the type that can leave a hefty tip." I joke, trying to lighten the mood. Draco chuckles, leaning back in his chair- I think it worked.

"Ah, yes. The power of the Malfoy name and wallet," he says dryly, "But even so, I doubt he'd be that charming to just anyone."

I tut at him and reach over to caress his wedding band on his left hand. "I'm yours, darling. Only yours."

His expression immediately softens and his eyes drop to my manicured finger sliding over the symbol of our undying commitment to one another. He captures my hand, pressing a gentle kiss to my fingers.

"I know, love." he murmurs, his voice sincere, "I am so lucky to know this as truth."

I give his fingers a gentle squeeze for a moment before letting go. "I'm going to head to the restroom. I'll be right back." I say, touching his shoulder as I pass him by. He nods, watching me walk by with a soft smile. I feel his eyes on me as I follow the path- likely ensuring I'm safe until I take a turn that effectively cuts off his vision.

I head into the bathroom and walk towards the mirror, my heels clacking on the white marble floor. When I reach the gold encrusted mirror I lean in slightly to reapply my lip gloss and to adjust my hair. The white light brightens my entire appearance- looking more like a vanity than a bathroom at a restaurant. This place screams 'expensive.'

My eyes trace my silhouette and I gently tug down my dress, turning to the left and right- making sure nothing is amiss. I glance down at the top half, the dress sure has slid down quite a lot. There's a pop of clevage peaking over the collar and I find myself kind of liking it. I bet Draco likes it even more.

Feeling satisfied I look presentable- I head out of the bathroom and I spot some commotion at the table where I was sat at just minutes ago. I hurry over, placing a hand on Draco's wrist, effectively tugging him off the wrist of a navy-suit clad man.

"Draco." I say, trying to piece together the scene. "Calm down, darling. What's going on?" I ask, putting myself between him and the stranger, facing him fully. I watch his face soften as he looks down at my concerned and confused expression. He wraps his free hand around my waist, then he glances up at the stranger again, his expression souring once more.

"Nothing, y/n." He says through gritted teeth, his anger barely controlled.

I nod and turn towards the man, not wanting to escalate this scene further. "Leave us, please."

The man scoffs, downing the cup of whiskey in his slightly unsteady hand before shuffling past- giving me a disdainful look in the process.

"Fine. Keep your precious little wife. She's probably boring in bed, anyway." He says, staggering off.

I give the back of the stranger's balding head a confused look, hand sliding down Draco's arm until I can intertwine our fingers. I pull him towards me in the booth, a signal to sit down. "What an odd thing to say about someone. Did you know that man?"

Draco sits down heavily, his hand squeezing mine gently. His eyes flash with anger as he seemingly recalls the man. "No, I don't know him." he replies gruffly. He looks at me for a moment, as if debating whether or not to tell me something. "He was just.." He trails off. I nod, leaning in to listen better.

Draco leans in as well, lowering his voice. "He was implying that I couldn't satisfy you properly, and began to say vulgar things about you." He looks like he's getting angry again, so I gently run my thumb over his knuckles in a soothing motion. "As if I'd ever let anyone disrespect you like that."

I nod thoughtfully before giving him a small smile. "Well. Thank you for defending me. I'm not sure why he would casually discuss those things with a perfect stranger, but he's gone now. Are you okay?" I look at him in concern, searching his features. His expression darkens, and I suspect he's replaying the man's words. He wraps his arm around me possessively, pulling me to his side.

"I'm fine." he mutters, trying to brush off his lingering anger.

I wrap my arm around him, gently caressing his back under his blazer. "Okay, my love. I'm with you and he's gone now." I reassure quietly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. His body relaxes slightly at my touch and reassurance. He turns his head to capture my lips in a gentle, comforting kiss. "Mhm," he hums against my lips, his arm tightening around me before he pulls away slightly. "Let's just enjoy the rest of the evening."

"Yes. Oh, look! Our food is coming." I say, watching the waiter approach us. I take notice that it's not the same waiter from earlier. Draco must've scared the first kid off.

Draco turns his attention to the waiter, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. As the food is placed in front of us, he relaxes further as if his earlier anger has faded into the background. "Thank you." He says to the waiter before turning back to me with a small smile. A silent way to communicate he's working on his manners with waitstaff. I give him a real smile in return, pressing a kiss to his nose. "Good job, darling." I whisper to him. He seems to preen under the compliment before he looks down at his steak. It's rare, alright. It looks like raw flesh cut straight off the bull. I suppress a gag before focusing on my own food.

Draco turns to look at me and watches me for a few seconds with a soft expression, his earlier tension almost completely dissipated. He begins to eat as well, the clinking of cutlery against plates filling the comfortable silence between us both.

I wrap my arm more securely around his back, slightly leaning into his side as I allow my self to appreciate the smell of his cologne for a few seconds before I resume eating. He wraps his arms around my shoulders, leaning his head slightly against mine.

"Comfortable?" He says quietly, pressing a tender kiss to my temple. I hum in response, finishing up my food. Draco has finished slightly before me and is now absentmindedly drinking his wine and running his thumb on the top of my arm. When I take my last bite- Draco looks over at me, using his free hand to tuck some hair behind my ear and to quickly caress my face with his soft finger pads.

"Dessert?" He asks, looking at me with a mischevious smirk.

"Read my mind." I say, grabbing the dessert menu and looking over our options. He plucks the menu out of my hand playfully.

"Hey! I was reading that." I playfully scold, but lean across his chest to look at the menu with him. I watch his finger run down the list in front of us. "Chocolate lava cake or tiramisu?" He asks, looking over at me. "Or should we get both and share?" He suggests.

"Chocolate lava cake sounds divine. But, it might be a good idea to try something new. Which do you prefer?"

"Tiramisu sounds good to me. Though chocolate lava cake sounds bloody brilliant. What do you think?"

We both stare at each other for a minute, remembering all the conflict we've had to maneuver today.

"Both." We say at the same time.

Masterlist

[lefteagleblizzard]

𝔈𝔞𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔫 Mike Schmidt x male reader

Summary: A request that I received from a friend of mine. “Abby's first time going to a sleepover and Mike is stressed, you try to distract him which inturn evolves into him basically using you to forget about his anxiety.”

Tags: Part 12 of this series of Mike Schmidt x male reader but can be read as a standalone as usual. No use of Y/N. Age-gap (5 years) between you and Mike. Male reader. He/him pronouns used towards the reader. Mike is a perfect older brother. Sometimes too much. Lots of teasing and intimacy. Smut. Fluffy smut. Top Mike. Bottom reader. Anal sex. Riding.

Words count: 3000

ℳ𝒶𝓈𝓉ℯ𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉

The clock on the wall ticked past 11 P.M., but Mike's restlessness filled the room like a storm cloud. He sat slouched on the couch, one leg bouncing furiously while his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His gaze flicked back and forth between the phone on the wall and the door, almost willing it to vibrate or swing open. Abby was out for her first sleepover and the unknowns of her new friends, their parents, their house, were eating him alive.

You knew how he got when his nerves took over, which was exactly why you were in his lap, determined to pull him out of his spiral of worries.

"You're gonna give yourself a heart attack," you muttered, your lips brushing against the stubble of his jaw as you peppered him with kisses, each one loud and insistent. His skin was warm under your touch, his body taut like a coiled spring.

He let out a low groan, somewhere between irritation and something far more carnal.

"It's not funny," he said gruffly, though his hands had drifted to your thighs, gripping them through the fabric of your pants as if grounding himself. "You don't get it. She—“

"She's fine," you interrupted, your voice soft but firm. You nipped at his jawline, smiling when he flinched and tightened his grip on you. "She's probably drawing some creepy animatronic with her new besties right now, not plotting her escape to Vegas."

"That's not—"

"When's the last time we had the house to ourselves?" you cut him off again, your lips finding the sensitive spot beneath his ear. Your tone turned teasing as you let your hips roll ever so slightly against his lap, feeling the hardness that was starting to press against you despite his sour mood. "I mean, no Abby, no interruptions…"

Mike's hands flexed on your thighs, his jaw clenching tight enough that you could see the muscle jump beneath his stubble. "You're unbelievable," he muttered, his voice rough, though the way his hands slid higher up your legs betrayed his growing interest.

"And you're stressed," you countered, leaning back to meet his eyes. "Seriously, Mike, she's fine. You need to chill."

His brow furrowed, his lips parting as if to argue, but you silenced him with a kiss all teeth and tongue, a deliberate effort to pull him out of his head and into the moment. He groaned against your mouth, his frustration tangling with desire as his hands found your hips, holding you in place even as you continued to grind against him.

"You're the worst," he grumbled, though his voice was muffled against your lips.

"I know," you whispered back, your breath hot against his skin as you tugged at the hem of his shirt, sliding your hands beneath the fabric to trace the lean muscles of his stomach.

He didn't stop you. Instead, he pulled you closer, his hands slipping under the waistband of your pants to grab your ass, squeezing hard enough to make you gasp into his mouth.

You ground down harder, feeling the full extent of his arousal pressing against you.

Mike cursed under his breath, his resolve cracking as he shifted beneath you, his hands deftly tugging your pants down your hips. The cool air against your skin made you shiver, but his touch was warm, almost searing, as his fingers slid between your legs.

"Shit," he muttered, his voice low and rough as he dipped his head to kiss along your neck, his stubble scraping against your skin in a way that sent shivers down your spine. "You're so—"

"Yeah," you cut him off, your voice breathy as you fumbled with his belt, your fingers trembling slightly as you worked to free him.

The moment his cock was in your hand, heavy and hot and already leaking, he let out a deep groan, his head falling back against the couch as his hips jerked involuntarily.

"Fuck," he hissed, his hands gripping your hips tightly as you stroked him, your movements slow and deliberate. "You're so fucking eager."

"Can you blame me?" you teased, your voice laced with heat as you leaned in to kiss him again, swallowing the guttural sounds he made as your hand worked him with a steady rhythm.

The first press of his finger was slow, the stretch intoxicating. His fingers moving faster, lips capturing yours again as he prepped you thoroughly, slicking you up and preparing you for what’s next to come.

When you were finally ready, your skin slick with sweat and your body trembling with anticipation, he guided you into position, his cock pressing against your entrance as you braced yourself against his shoulders.

"Take your time," he murmured, his voice softer now, though there was a tension in his tone that betrayed how badly he wanted you.

You nodded, biting your lip as you began to sink down onto him, the stretch both overwhelming and addictive. He groaned low in his throat, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he watched you.

His head tipped back against the couch as you slowly sank down onto him, and for a brief moment, he couldn't breathe. The heat, the tightness, the sheer, overwhelming sensation of you wrapping around him had him teetering on the edge already, his fingers biting into your hips as he forced himself to stay still, to let you adjust.

"Fuck," he muttered, his voice hoarse, barely above a whisper. His chest heaved with shallow breaths as he closed his eyes, every nerve in his body alight. He felt you trembling against him, the way your body pulsed and clenched around him, like it was trying to pull him even deeper. His hands smoothed over your thighs, gripping tightly, his thumbs brushing over your skin in a soothing rhythm to keep himself grounded.

But then his eyes opened, and when he looked at you and saw the flushed heat on your face, the way your lips were parted as you panted, the slight furrow in your brow as you worked to take all of him with that unfiltered want mixed with the faintest hint of pain as you adjusted was enough to drive him out of his mind.

He tilted his head forward, resting his forehead against yours. "You okay?" he murmured, his voice softer now, a quiet rasp that didn't match the burning desire coiling low in his belly.

You nodded, biting your lip as you wiggled slightly, sending a shudder through both of you. "Just…big," you muttered, your voice shaky, your breath warm against his face.

He chuckled softly, though the sound came out more like a groan. "Take your time." He said, his tone laced with something teasing, though his chest tightened at how fragile you sounded.

His gaze flicked past you for a moment, catching on a piece of paper half-finished made by Abby, the bright colors smudged slightly where she'd pressed the crayons too hard. The sight sparked a sudden, stupid thought, and before he could stop himself, the words tumbled out.

"Do you think her friend's mom has enough papers for her?"

You froze, your forehead still pressed to his as you blinked at him, your expression shifting from confusion to disbelief.

"Mike," you said, your tone incredulous but low, strained from the stretch of him inside you. "Are you serious—" You trailed off, biting back a laugh as you rested your head against his cheek, his stubble scratching against your skin. "Can we maybe not talk about your little sister while I’ve got your dick in my ass?"

It took a second for your words to register, but when they did, his eyes widened, and he groaned, his head falling to your shoulder. "Shit. Sorry. Fuck, I—"

"It's fine," you interrupted, snickering softly as you nuzzled into him. "Just…focus, yeah?"

"Yeah. Focus," he muttered, more to himself than to you. He tilted his head, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, "I'm an idiot."

You were about to say something but he cut you off with a sudden upward thrust, his cock burying itself completely inside you. You gasped sharply, your words dissolving into a hiss as you clung to his shoulders, your nails digging into his skin.

"Is this what you wanted?" he murmured, his voice hit your ears like a low hum, rough and frayed at the edges, his lips brushing just beneath your ear as he spoke, the huskiness of his tone vibrating straight through you.

It wasn't the overconfident dominance of someone trying to prove a point. His words carried the weight of his exhaustion, the kind of bone-deep weariness that clung to him. That rasp in his voice, that almost lazy confidence was enough to leave you breathless.

You swallowed hard, unable to stop yourself from clenching tightly around him in response, which drew a low, throaty groan from him that only made the moment more intense.

You started to move then, rocking your hips against him, finding a rhythm that made both of you moan. His hands dropped back to your waist, guiding your movements, his fingers digging into your skin as he thrust upward to meet you.

"You're so tight," he groaned, his head falling back against the couch as he watched you. His hand slipped between your bodies, wrapping around your cock, stroking you in time with his thrusts.

Mike's grip on your hips was almost punishing, his fingers digging into your skin as you rode him, the couch creaking beneath the weight of your movements. His head was tipped back, lips parted, breaths ragged as his dark eyes stayed fixed on you.

"Fuck," he muttered, his voice hoarse and strained as if speaking took all the energy he could spare.

You could feel him trembling beneath you, his body taut and flushed, his length throbbing inside of you as you clenched tightly around him.

His hands tightened their hold on you, pulling you down harder onto him as his hips snapped upward to meet yours, the wet slap of your bodies filling the room. You could feel how close he was, the way his rhythm was faltering, his movements growing more frantic as he chased his release alongside you.

And then the phone rang.

The sharp, jarring sound cut through the haze of pleasure like a slap to the face, breaking the intimate barrier you'd both built so painstakingly. Mike froze beneath you, his gaze snapping toward the phone on the wall.

You let out a frustrated whine, your hips still grinding against him in a desperate attempt to regain his attention.

He didn't respond, the sound of the ringing filled the room, relentless and intrusive and you felt his body tense beneath you, his grip on your hips loosening slightly.

"Mike," your voice insistent as you leaned forward, your hands framing his face. You forced him to look at you, your lips brushing against his as you whispered, "Stay with me."

The plea seemed to snap him out of his daze, eyes refocusing on you as his hands tightened on your hips again. "Shit—sorry," he muttered, his voice low and rough, but before he could fully immerse himself back in you, the ringing stopped.

For a moment, there was silence, then, the voice of Abby's friend's mother crackled through the answering machine, her tone calm and measured as she left a message.

You couldn't make out her words—didn't want to, frankly—but Mike stilled again, his gaze flicking toward the machine as his jaw tightened. He made a muffled sound against your lips, a low groan that was equal parts annoyance and worry, and you could feel him pulling away mentally even as his body remained pressed against yours.

Your hands clutched his shoulders as you moved against him again, desperate to keep him with you. The friction was almost too much, the intensity of your own need clawing at you, and when he groaned again, this time louder, deeper, you thought you'd won.

But then he was pulling back, his movements abrupt and clumsy as he shifted you off him. "I'll be right back," he muttered, his voice laced with apology as he grunted softly, pulling out of you.

The sudden emptiness was unpleasant, your body protesting the loss as you stared at him, wide-eyed and breathless. "Are you serious?" you managed to whisper, your voice raw and incredulous.

He winced, his hand braced against the couch as he stood, his other hand adjusting himself awkwardly. "I just need to make sure everything's okay," he said, his tone almost pleading as he glanced toward the phone.

You shifted on the couch, wincing at the dull ache in your lower half from how deep Mike had been before the damn phone decided to ruin everything. With a sigh, you brought your knees up to your chest, your arms crossing defensively over them as you watched him pace to the phone on the wall.

His posture was stiff. Partially from the erection he was still sporting and partly from the mix of irritation and worry etched into his expression. You caught the faint tremor in his voice as he answered the call. "Yeah? This is Mike."

You leaned back against the couch with a huff, your head falling against the cushions as you glared up at the ceiling.

The conversation blurred into a series of muffled words as you tuned him out, your frustration and wounded pride making it hard to care.

When he finally hung up and turned back to you, his expression softened. His lips curved into a small, sheepish smile as he walked back over to the couch. "So, uh," he started, his voice low and tentative. "Abby's fine. She passed out with a crayon still in her hand together with her friend."

You hummed in acknowledgment, refusing to meet his gaze. Your arms remained crossed over your chest, your eyes fixed stubbornly on the ceiling.

"I think that woman caught up on what I was doing." He groaned in defeat as his voice dropped into that awkward, self-conscious tone you loved while he ran a hand through his hair.

You finally turned your head to look at him fully, raising an eyebrow.

"I sounded like I'd just run a marathon," he groaned, dragging a hand down his face as if he could erase the memory. "She was definitely trying not to snicker." He trailed off, his eyes flicking to you briefly before looking away again.

You kept your gaze stubbornly fixed on the ceiling, your arms still crossed as Mike kissed your shoulder, the stubble of his jaw scraping softly against your skin while one of his hands rested on your knees. "Hey," he murmured, tilting his head to catch your gaze. "Are you mad at me?"

"Mad? No," you replied, your tone clipped as you shifted your legs to make it harder for him to hold them. "I'm just thinking about how I'm going to sleep on the bed tonight. Alone."

He blinked at you, his lips parting slightly in disbelief before he let out a soft laugh. "Oh, come on. Don't be like that."

"Like what?" you shot back, your voice unintentionally sharp as you finally met his gaze. "Like someone who was left high and dry because you had to go full 'big brother mode' right in the middle of—“

"Okay, okay," he cut in, holding his hands up in mock surrender. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he chuckled, the sound warm and rough. "I get it. I suck."

"You said it," you muttered, your arms tightening around your chest.

Mike let out an exaggerated groan, leaning forward to press his forehead against your knees. "You're killing me here," he mumbled, his voice muffled against your skin. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to walk with this?" He gestured vaguely at his still prominent erection.

You raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at your lips despite your best efforts. "I noticed," you quipped. "Pretty hard to miss when you're waddling around like a penguin."

He laughed, the sound genuine and unguarded, and the tension in the room eased slightly. His hands slid up your thighs, thumbs tracing gentle circles against your skin as he looked up at you with those dark, tired eyes that always made your heart skip a beat. "Let me make it up to you," he murmured.

You pretended to consider it, tilting your head as if weighing your options. "I don't know," you said, your tone light but teasing. "I'm pretty comfortable here, actually. Might just call it a night."

Mike's lips twitched into a grin, and he leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss to the inside of your knee. "Come on," he whispered, his breath warm against your skin. "Don't do me like this. I'll be good. Promise."

You hummed, your arms still crossed as you feigned indifference, though the heat pooling in your stomach betrayed you. "You're gonna have to try harder than that," you muttered, your voice trembling slightly as his lips trailed down your neck, his teeth grazing your collarbone.

"I plan to," he replied, his voice thick with promise as he leaned in to kiss you, slow and deep.

Mike's thumb brushed over your thigh as his other hand wrapped around your still throbbing erection, his fingers stroking the length with a deliberate slowness that made your breath hitch. His hand was warm, his grip firm as he tugged, squeezing you just enough to make you groan softly despite your earlier resolve to play stubborn.

Your resolve cracked under the weight of his touch and you finally uncrossed your arms, threading your fingers through his hair as you pulled him closer. "You're lucky you're cute," you muttered against his lips, your voice breathless.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling against your chest as he pressed you back against the couch, his hands gripping your waist as he leaned down to capture your lips in a kiss while slowly easing you down onto the couch. His fingers curled around your thigh, pulling your leg up and wrapping it around his waist as he settled between your legs. The weight of him was grounding, his toned stomach pressing against your aching length, the happy trail there tickling you while his own erection nudged insistently at your entrance.

His hand drifted down, positioning himself with careful precision, and the heat of him pressing against you made your breath catch.

"Mike—" you started, your voice breaking on a gasp as he pushed forward, his cock breaching you with a slow, deliberate stretch that had your fingers digging into his shoulders.

He groaned low in his throat, his forehead dropping to yours as he slid deeper.

Your head fell back against the couch, your lips parted as you sucked in shallow breaths, your body trembling beneath him. "Move," you finally managed, your voice barely above a whisper. "Please."

Mike didn't need to be told twice. He leaned down, his lips capturing yours in another searing kiss as he began to move, his hips rolling with a steady, unrelenting rhythm that sent waves of pleasure coursing through you. His cock filled you completely, stretching you in a way that was almost overwhelming, and the friction with each thrust had you gasping against his mouth.

"Fuck—" you moaned, your fingers tangling in his hair as you pulled him closer, your lips brushing against his with every desperate breath.

He groaned in response, his movements growing more frantic as he buried himself deeper, each thrust harder and more insistent than the last.

The weight of his body, the heat of his skin, the relentless rhythm of his hips was too much, and yet not enough. You clung to him, your nails scraping down his back as you arched into him, your own arousal trapped between your bodies and smearing against his stomach with every thrust.

Mike's hand slipped between you, his fingers wrapping around your cock once more as he stroked you in time with his movements. The combination was devastating, the pleasure building so intensely it left you gasping, your body trembling beneath him as you teetered on the edge.

"Close," you managed to choke out, your voice trembling as your walls clenched around him, pulling him even deeper.

"Me too," he muttered, his forehead pressing against yours as his pace faltered, his hips stuttering as he chased his release.

Your body tensed, your release spilling between you as you cried out his name, your nails digging into his shoulders as you clung to him.

Mike wasn't far behind. The way you tightened around him and the look of pure ecstasy on your face drove him to his peak. He thrust into you one last time, his body going rigid as he came, a guttural groan tearing from his throat as he filled you completely.

Mike collapsed against you, his weight comforting as he pressed lazy kisses to your neck, his lips warm and soft against your flushed skin.

"Still mad at me?" he murmured, his voice teasing but tired, the exhaustion finally catching up to him.

You chuckled softly, your fingers brushing through his hair as you shook your head. "Not anymore," you admitted, your voice warm with affection.

"Good," he muttered, his lips curling into a small smile against your neck. "Because I don't think I could survive round three."

You laughed, your chest heaving with the effort, and pulled him closer, your bodies tangling together as the heat between you slowly gave way to a comfortable, drowsy warmth.

[hiiragi7]

Is Final Fusion Really Final?

My experiences with splitting again after final fusion and some notes on one of the most controversial debates about final fusion.

-

Hi - My name is Duckie.

I'm a new split. The first "proper" split in my system since 10/12/2023.

I split 2/16/2025, after months of chronic stress and trauma and reaching a safe place to finally just collapse and fall apart about it. We also split another new part, Retro, 2/22/2025.

So, what does this mean for my system? Does this mean we've "failed" final fusion, or that final fusion is not viable as a recovery path?

Well, no. At least, I don't believe so.

Let's talk about it.

A misconception that I see a lot is that final fusion is essentially a "cure" for DID - it isn't.

Final fusion is a state, an experience, rather than an ending or a finish line. In fact, recovery work extends far past when final fusion happens, and for those of us receiving clinical treatment, it is strongly recommended that treatment continue beyond final fusion, with some recommendations even suggesting a year or more of continued treatment and stabilization.

Recovery isn't linear, and this still applies after final fusion.

Final fusion coming apart is not only something which happens, but is something that is expected to happen. Many people will even go through several final fusions.

Does this mean that final fusion isn't really, well, "final"?

In some sense, absolutely. In fact, a more appropriate term would probably be "full fusion", rather than "final". I use "final fusion" mostly out of habit, and because it is the most recognized term for this experience.

Maintaining final fusion is a practice, and even beyond that, there are times where splitting is necessary - not because of a failure in final fusion, but because final fusion is not what we need in that moment. At times, splitting helps us more than final fusion.

Splitting is a tool, a coping method, one that is often very good at what it does.

In my case, my DID brain is just doing what DID brains do: Dissociating as a response to chronic stress and trauma. I experienced stress and trauma beyond what I could reasonably cope with, and so my brain is relying on its oldest, most reliable methods of survival. This is a good thing - This is exactly what it is meant to do in this situation. Dissociation and amnesia allows me to experience life in smaller pieces while I rest, recover, and eventually process.

Additionally, dissociation and amnesia makes it more possible for me to actually hold myself to resting - I am extremely prone to pushing far past my limits and burning out and crashing, and it is harder to do this when I am dissociated and cannot think too hard about many things and cannot remember the things I wanted to do anyway. And, well, that's exactly what I need right now - I am lucky to be in a place where I can just let others help me out while I recover for a while.

That being said, although the dissociation and amnesia certainly serves me and protects me when I need it, it is not by any means all smooth sailing - It is, simultaneously, very frustrating to be dissociated all of the time again, as well as other symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, increased anxiety, confusion, and so on. I have also gotten deeply comfortable with the constant background chatter and support of all of my parts, and not having that is isolating and disturbs me. My DID symptoms have always been on the "severe" end, so having an increase in these again has been very hard on me.

Both of these truths - that dissociation is useful as well as difficult - can coexist at the same time.

What my DID brain is doing is a reasonable response to unreasonable circumstances; Rather opposite from a failure, I believe that both final fusion and splitting are completely normal functions of my DID brain which operate in different contexts.

I have, at times (and especially lately), caught myself being incredibly perfectionistic about my recovery and my fusion, and I do think that a big part of that comes from this expectation that final fusion is final, an end goal, a cure - and, oppositely, that splitting is bad, unhealthy, or a sign of failure. How much less pressure would it be, and how many more conversations could we open up, if we were to think that final fusion is simply just another way of being DID, a system structure like any other, and that splitting is simply something many systems do? If final fusion wasn't treated as any "better" or "worse" than, say, being polyfragmented, but just a different sort of systemhood? If splitting was just as valued as fusion?

Personally, I think that it would help a lot, and I believe that a perspective shift like this would help us to imagine even more ways to live as DID and futures with DID.

[jscrawls]

Widows confusion

Widows rest one shot that was requested, not explicitly fic canon 🫶🫶🫶

Bruce and reader argue in front of everyone and reader accidentally says too much. (Request by huening-ly)

🔹🔹🔹

At had all started with a comment.

A little jab if you will, it wasn't the kindest thing to do but when you'd seen Catwoman leaning into his side while angling herself just so so that her hip was fully flush with his side, you'd joked about it.

What else can you do? Things aren't quite…. You don't know what to call you and Bruce and to be frank, Catwoman muddies the waters a little more Everytime she comes around.

“I see where you'd been spending your time while I was in the hospital.”

It was too far and you already knew it before it ever even rolled off your tongue, yet you still let it.

Bruce stiffened near instantly and turned away from the bat computer, his elbow sliding over the neck of the chair as he twists in place. The tense fists And displeased frown visible under the cowl foretelling how this'll go.

🔹🔹🔹

You know things were getting loud when the kids all came down the stairs one by one, quietly treading on unsure feet close enough to listen without interfering, though they all share the same doubt that they'd be able to get in-between the two of you right now.

“you know it's not like that with her!” Bruce is pacing back and forth in front of the training mats slowly, the cowl was pulled off in a bout of frustration at least fifteen minutes ago and discarded somewhere around the desks. He keeps running an agitated hand through his hair while scowling at you. Meanwhile you're leaning against one of the boxing ring posts with crossed arms and a guarded expression on your face, your eyes the only thing showing just how pissed you are.

“at this point you're just calling me a moron with no eyes, I don't care that you did it I'd just like you to own it.”

“Maybe you are acting like a moron if you think that a woman flirting with me equals me sleeping with her.” Bruce all but hisses out through gritted teeth, pawing through his hair again as if he's taking his stress out on himself.

Dick slowly eases between you two with raised hands. “Hey now…let's not go throwing words we don't mean around like that…”

You just roll your eyes, your whole head moving with it in your annoyance. “Quit playing peacekeeper Dick, you and your fucking oldest daughter syndrome. It's not your job to fix Bruce's problems for him, you're not helping.”

He gapes at you in shock before Bruce quickly brushes past him to get in your space, his frown twisting into a scowl as he grabs your shoulder. “Can you stop attacking everyone that dares to challenge your great authority? Do you even hear yourself sometimes? Quit jumping to conclusions already!”

You push his hand off somewhat aggressively, leaning in to sneer at his face.

“I'm not attacking anyone, I'm sick of all of you watching me like an experiment and comparing me to a dead person! everything i do is wrong because i don't do it the exact same way they did. I'm so sorry I'm not the soft little person you walked into that gala with, Bruce.”

He glares at you for a moment before he steps back and switches tactics, his tone softening just a bit as he nudges Dick to back off. “I know you're stressed and going through a lot, but we've all been walking on eggshells around you for your sake. We're trying to accommodate your mood swings and personality switch. Can you please just…. Not snap at them?”

Bruce gestures at the crowd of children and Alfred, who's standing in the back with a tray of something in his hands just silently watching you, something about how he's turning this around to be about how hard this is for everyone else just pisses you off more. How fucking dare he twist this? Making your every emotion an attack on the family when you're just barely coping with dying.

“Oh right like you're the paragon of good parenting, you've got a preteen fighting murderers and human traffickers with you and another teen dealing with professional daytime criminals completely by himself!” you aggressively gesture at Damian and Duke, who both shift uncomfortably at the implications, before you continue. Not wanting to give Bruce the chance to defend himself yet.

“Do you know how you're fucking them up? What damage you're doing to their mental health? No! You didn't start this until you were already a man! You got to live the normal life of going to school everyday and only worrying about your friends at that age! You have zero clue what being a child soldier does to a person!”

Dick again tries to step in but Bruce grabs his shoulder and steps in front of him, again getting in your space. his tone is ice cold. “Neither do you, (name).”

Rage fills you and before you can think, you snap at him.

“yes I do! You have no clue how I fucking survived my childhood! The shit I had to do so I wouldn't be put down like a dog!”

The cave falls dead silent after that, you're certain you could hear a pin drop over the distant sound of water dripping somewhere in the cave. That and the sound of your agitated breathing, fuck. You know you fucked up when Bruce slowly steps closer to you, like a man approaching a cornered animal.

“…just what do you mean by that….”

You scowl at the man and back away, not liking his coddling behavior all a’ sudden. “oh piss off, go screw your cat themed criminal and leave me alone.”

He pauses when you move and takes a step back himself, not wanting to crowd you when you're clearly uncomfortable right now.

“(name), please don't circle back to that…I'm sorry, I said the wrong thing.”

“this isn't ‘pity (name) time’ Bruce, I'm not gonna-”

Cass interrupts you by tugging on your sleeve, pausing your angry words in your throat as you glance at the young woman.

“stop fighting.”

The simple command is almost absurd enough to make you laugh, almost.

Tentatively, Bruce speaks up when you don't immediately snap at Cass. “…I'd like it if we understood your situation a little better…but I won't force you. No one will force you.”

He cats a quick glance around at the others in the cave, warning them to keep quiet for now as if he's not the problem. He's sorta trying to give you a chance to breathe and calm down.

You cross your arms again as you look over each and every one of them, almost challenging someone to pick a fight with you so you can focus on that instead of all this. “…what's there to even say? It's not something to be proudly shared.”

“You implied you were a child soldier….” Damian murmurs quietly from where he leans against the wall, he keeps glancing at you and quickly looking away as if he's uncertain about himself.

Cass again tugs on your sleeve and points at herself as soon as you glance back at her. “I was an child assassin.”

You know her well enough by now to know what she's getting at, other people here have gone through hell just to get to grow up.

It makes you sigh quietly and reach up to mess up her hair, surprisingly she let's you, the others in the cave all relax just the tiniest bit when you willingly engage with the girl.

“i know Cass….. So was I.” you can't even look at any of them as you say it, even now you don't trust yourself with their reactions.

Again a silence falls over the cave, though this time you'd expected it, anticipated it even. Because at least you had a moment to gather yourself before you do something stupid here, before you spill your guts to them and ruin what little good they must think they see in you.

You turn and leave before this can go on any further, the stairs creaking under your feet as you quickly trot up them in escape. Multiple people call out to you but you down them all out. You've already taken the face of their loved one, why taint their image of them too. Kill the other you's memory with your bare and bloodless hands.

🔹🔹🔹

| m.list |

A/n: I hope this is okay! This is at a point where reader obviously knows about the bats and they vaguely know a bit about reader, mostly that they're someone with different memories more or less. I was gonna have reader open up a little more but I think it'd be so hard to get anything out of them that much more would just be out of character. If this isn't what you had in mind plz let me know and I'll try again! 💜☺️💜

[bluelolblue]

Hiii! What would you put on a prompt list of omegaverse whump ideas? (Heat cycle fevers, stressful alpha rage, things like that!)

HII YAAY thank you for the ask!! :]

✦ Omegaverse Whump Prompts ✦

I'll talk about omegas and alphas (sorry betas...), specifically omega!whumpee and alpha!caretaker.

Omega Whumpee

Omega whumpee going through heavy heat and that includes: heat fever, dizziness, fatigue, irritation, heat cramps, mood swings, etc.

Sometimes, the heat hits them so hard, they can't do anything but lie in their bed, curled up, and try to drink some water.

Heat cramps can feel like abdominal discomfort, it can come in waves, and it depends on the individual on how strong they can be.

Yes, due to their body working overtime during heats, they can get dehydrated easily. If they have a partner, it would be very nice of them to try and help their omega and encourage them to take sips.

Omega whumpee that wraps themselves in blankets for comfort.

Making nests: place their comfort clothes, blankets, pillows, some of their partner's clothes, anything soft and comforting on their bed and spend some time there. Mostly until they feel well enough to leave the room to get food or something.

Wearing their mate's clothes so they can have their scent with them.

During heat, whumpee can also be sensitive to touch, even from their mate. They can flinch or shiver at their touch.

Their skin feels hot, like they have a fever.

Whumpee's senses are heightened, they can feel on edge and nervous.

Some slow breathing can definitely work to calm them down.

Warm baths/showers are also very good!

Some omegas need more time to adjust to blockers. It's best to try and find the right brand of blockers that wouldn't cause them any discomfort.

Some use pills, but pills tend to have a lot more side effects. Such as: nausea, weakness, exhausting, dizziness, etc.

Whumpee, who is ashamed of being an omega. Since omegas are seen as "weak" in society, lots of them have issues with themselves.

Whumpee who refuses to use blockers. Very dangerous, unfortunately. If they have a mate, then they're safer and it's best to stay with their partner during heat.

Well, one of the best ways to truly help an omega go through heat is with sex. But during it, omega can be a bit sensitive but it depends on the individual.

Alpha Caretaker

Caretaker who helps him omega whumpee go through heat. If the omega isn't up for sex, just their presence and comfort is enough.

Caretaker who rubs his whumpee's back in circles and makes soothing noises.

Having their whumpee leaned against them so they could feel their warmth and breathe together.

Stressful alpha rage, I would say, is during alpha's rut, and it can definitely happen since they also have their needs, but it's more common in alphas that don't have a mate.

Yeah, some alphas can get a bit frustrated when they're in a rut due to hormones rush.

They can experience possessiveness, muscle tension, heightened senses, and restlessness, they can have similar symptoms to omegas.

Caretaker will try his best to give his omega whumpee whatever they ask for, they want to be a good mate.

Cuddles and scenting each other is important as a lover ritual.

Marking each other with love bites! It's not painful, it just shows that they're taken, and lots of partners like to playfully nip at the mark.

One of my favorites is alpha caretaker helping omega whumpee get through the heat with helping them make a nest, rubbing their back, being patient with them, there is soooo much with how alpha can help their omega and I love it.

There's so much that can be done so these are some of the prompts that I could think of rn! :)

[dykedvonte]

One of my mutuals opinions is the "bro code" thing, that Curly is one of those guys who wouldn't care about the victim because the perpetrator is his friend and I'm really banging my head on the wall like that other anon. I've only played through the game once but Curly's behaviour/reactions etc read completely different from the "bro code" thing and I have to wonder if my mutual and I even played the same game.. like the constant digs at him from Jimmy, his body language in his face reveal and so on like you mentioned in your post. While this game is a little different obviously, it kind of reminded of a point in Alice Madness Returns that makes it very clear that Alice's pain blinded her to the abuse of the other children and her failure to act earlier because of it. Curly is guilty of a similar inaction but it doesn't change the fact he was a victim of Jimmy too. I don't think I can look at it any other way because both of these games have really stuck with me.

I genuinely think it really is the idea that people want a simple easy to blame problem and the idea that the only relatable victims of abuse are those that "surpass" it or do a lot to help others. When it comes to victims, especially those that don't fit the typical demographics, who either accidently perpetuate it, enable it or aren't ideal in some way shape or form, people jump to ignore what they went through as it's easier than dealing with those conflicting sentiments.

The bro-code conversation in Mouthwashing stems from a concept I generally dislike that there had to be something about Curly that made him meet or keep being friends with someone like Jimmy. I think people genuinely underestimate how many like decent and good people just know an asshole or are friends with someone who is really bad outside of their view/established dynamics. The game makes it clear none of the inaction against Jimmy is because of a lack of care, it is a lack of understanding from the privaleged postions they have as men to not have to worry about what Anya does/went through and the type of extremes men like Jimmy will go through to cover it up. They are all too preoccupied in their own strifes.

Another thing I see being oversaturated the idea that you have to be a freak, misanthrope or have a disorder to do the thing Jimmy does. The game is an escalation, it's a spiral that I don't see people comment on that Jimmy was not likely having the mood swings and episodes of rage/frustration we were seeing in the game. This is after they all start experiencing the worst moments in their lives that he got THAT openly bad. Of course, this is just my interpretation but much like in real life, people that go to extremes like that usually live mundane lives. It's a pressure cooker affect to where the stress made them pop. It's self inflicted but still the case.

I really think people need to be more willing to acknowledge that not everything needs to be an extreme or in black and white or easy to understand. It doesn't need to be happy or have an answer or solution, especially in the cases where the abused sadly helps perpetuate what they experience. It's not he should've known better from experience or shouldn't he have known what could've happened because victims tend to not like to think in matters of the worst. Not to mention, especially in cases of abuse where it feels so personally directed that you don't expect to happen to someone else.

[sexisbetteronthemoon]

I’d love to hear your ideas for pregnant Lance if you have any (just in general or for Change Ringtone or even a fic you haven’t talked about before) 🥺🙏

hi! i honestly don't remember what fics i've talked about. i don't have many with pregnant Lance. one i do have is going to be hacked up and rewritten, but it's about 170k so i'm putting it off.

mm, for Change Ringtone, and off the top of my head, i imagine that Lance is actually very calm during it. he's witnessed his siblings having kids and has been present for most of them. he's heard stories and is very much mentally prepared for the worst. so he's actually really surprised when his pregnancy is.. not so bad.

his feet and ankles swell, he feels like a heavily anchored hot air balloon, he's very uncomfortable and sweaty, he's got hemorrhoids and hasn't had a proper bowel movement in ages. the worst of it, to him, is that he's got morning sickness throughout the entire pregnancy.

but what keeps him going is the thought that it could be worse. he's heard and witnessed worse. and it makes him feel much more able to deal with the comparatively mild pregnancy he has.

and that keeps him very calm (aside from the brief hormonal mood swings of course).

it helps that Keith is carrying all of the stress. he is constantly freaking out over every little thing. Keith feels like he's caught in a body horror film as he watches Lance's body change in ways that he feels shouldn't be physically possible. reading pregnancy books and pregnancy forums haunts him. the horror stories keep him up at night. he's not the least bit calm.

he just wants Lance to be okay and get through this. he spends way too much time seeing to Lance's comfort that it even starts to annoy Lance a little. he's got the doctor on speed-dial. he's also one of those dad-to-be's that goes, “we can't have sex, what if i hurt the baby?”

eventually, he gets the courage to go through with it, but it takes a lot of convincing and even a little strip tease or two from a very sexually frustrated Lance to get him on board.

at one point, Lance experiences false labor and Keith's hyperventilating into a paper bag while Lance is the one rubbing his back, reassuring him that he's alright.

and Lance is alright. except when someone messes with his system.

Shiro visits, and on a night when his morning sickness is acting up, Shiro uses up the last of the ginger tea.

Lance gives him a look that makes Shiro pray to every god he's ever heard of. he's standing in the kitchen, staring Shiro down after hearing Keith screech, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DRANK THE TEA?”

he's wavering on his feet, heavily pregnant, hair a little frizzed around his head, bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. his nausea is horrific. and he's staring dead-eyed at Shiro who looks like the grim reaper itself has come for him.

he doesn't even say anything. but it's enough to scare the living daylights out of Shiro.

it's half past one in the morning, but Shiro promptly volunteers to go out and get Lance more tea while Keith rubs Lance's back after returning to the bathroom to puke up his guts.

when Lance's water breaks, Keith blacks out. by the time, he comes back to himself, he realizes he's picked Lance up and has started walking to the hospital. Lance has already called an ambulance and is actually laughing at him between contractions.

the ambulance picks them up half a mile from their home, and the whole delivery is the most harrowing experience of Keith's life. by the end of it, he tells Lance, “you want to do this AGAIN? are you insane?”

and Lance is holding his newborn, too happy to be mad at him. he just says, “you promised me a dozen.”

and Keith is, unfortunately, a man of his word.

the irony here is that Keith was so focused on worrying about Lance and the pregnancy that he had zero time to contemplate fatherhood. and now there is a whole child and Keith finds himself having staring contests with them bc he is absolutely bewildered by the tiny entity that his world now revolves around. he is extremely careful and constantly looks to Lance to guide him through it. the first night home, he spends the entire night standing over the crib, checking that the baby is still breathing while Lance sleeps.

he's there to prepare a bottle as Lance taught him before the baby even begins to get too fussy. he's terrified the baby will choke the entire time he's feeding him. changing the diaper goes just as well. Keith does it so slowly that the baby wets the changing table.

he passes out over a bowl of cheerios in the morning.

there's days where Keith will take the baby to work to give Lance time to himself, and he'll attend meetings with the baby in a kangaroo carrier. everyone speaks in whispers and are somehow even more terrified of Keith because the last person to wake his baby got fired.

Keith's just as rattled during the second pregnancy, but he's handling it better since he knows what to expect. he considers himself a veteran and he's armed with lotion for Lance's belly, a donut cushion for Lance's comfort, and ginger tea for Lance's nausea. he still worries like hell, but he's more confident that things will be okay.

thankfully for Lance, the nausea is not so bad the second time.

or something like that.

[liminarystars]

Hi ! I just recently got into the Sally Face fandom, and luckily found your blog - I love it !!

Could I request some hdcns for a midsized!fem!adhd!reader x Larry and/or Sal pls ? (They're all 18+ btw ofc).

Reader struggles with low self-esteem, body image issues, intense mood swings/emotional dysregulation, irritability/low frustration tolerance, forgetfulness, social anxiety, doesn't rly like physically touch, anxiety & depression, etc. But she's super sweet, caring, and loves Larry and/or Sal ! Even through all her struggles and anger issues lol-

Can you pls write some hdcns on how Larry and/or Sally would deal & help their s/o with these issues ? Just some angst but lots of fluff pls 🙏🏻🤎💙 !! Ily & hope you're taking care <333

a/n: tyty, it's mainly platonic. but could be taken each way.

characters: sal fisher, larry johnson

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ sal fisher

✧˖° wether it's platonic or not, he'd play his guitar and let you relax in his room.

✧˖° gizmo cuddles >

✧˖° he'd know different breathing techniques and things to do when your upset.

✧˖° he wouldn't bother you, if you don't want him to touch you.

✧˖° self image issues? sals been there, done that. he wouldn't tell you shit you want to hear to make you feel better, i'd say he'd challange you on how you see yourself.

❝ why's that? ❞

❝ do you really think that's true? why? ❞

✧˖° he'd also compliment you, a lot. like random specific ones.

✧˖° he'd make you a little drawing of the two of you holding hands. likeee? platonic or not, if his shitty drawings make you happy, then he'll draw something for you.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ larry johnson

✧˖° stress painting.

✧˖° simple as that, he'd tell you to make art based off of how you feel. having a depressive episode? paint how you feel.

✧˖° aside from stress painting, if your down, smoking sessions. weed for your troubles.

✧˖° again, like sal, you can just vibe in his room. you'd be stuck listening to sanity's fall or smelling his weed, or watching him paint. but if you don't mind that, it's pretty chill.

✧˖° as for your self image issues, expect compliments, not as specific as sal's but they'd be more vague. still sweet, he's trying.

✧˖° he's paint you a pretty picture. like a happy one. bright and colourful.

✧˖° he'd ask lisa for help, he doesn't want to upset you more.

© 2024 liminarystars - all rights reserved. do not modify, repost, translate or plagerise my content.

[carlsdarling]

Hello friend! Can you do some Carl x reader with high functioning adhd pls? By hug functioning, I mean intense mood swings, extremely forgetful, super low stress tolerance, gets frustrated very easily, etc. Maybe with a bit of smut :)? 💜

Carl x ADHD! Reader headcanons

Y/N has ADHD, but Carl has gotten used to it... Everyone is 18 or over.

WARNINGS: lowkey smut, nsfw

When everyone else is annoyed by your constant restlessness, Carl doesn't mind at all; he's always suggesting activities - usually sex first, of course he means it totally unselfishly *cough*.

Carl and you share a bedroom, so he inevitably notices when you can't sleep again. While the bed is big enough that he could just shift away from you and sleep himself, if he's not completely exhausted and passed out, he'll stay awake with you; you'll watch movies, kiss, sleep with each other, and play video games until you're eventually able to fall asleep.

Carl isn't particularly tidy himself, but he often cleans up after you - especially in the bathroom, because Rick and Michonne get annoyed when one of you leaves it messy.

Carl is used to you not being able to sit still and constantly rocking your feet, crossing your legs, biting your fingernails, and not being able to concentrate on anything. When being active is not possible, for example at important meetings in Alexandria, Carl takes your hand and holds it.

He reminds you of the things you forget. While Denise has taught you to write lists to structure yourself and your daily routines, you often misplace those lists or completely forget to write them at all.

Other people think you babble too much, too fast, and too much nonsense. Carl doesn't mind, he thinks it's cute.

Carl finds your mood swings interesting because they are so unpredictable. He sometimes teases you about it ("Are you on your period again? Okay, at least you're not pregnant then.").

When you're out in the woods or on a scavenging trip, you never run out of energy - Carl admires and envies you for it.

Carl has taught you a few techniques to calm down and focus. For example, he's picked up books on autogenic training and meditation and practiced that with you. But his favorite way to relax and relieve stress remains sex. Not that you would feel any different. You two literally can't keep your hands off each other, and at times your libido is even greater than Carl's - not that he is bothered by that, he likes to sacrifice himself for the good thing....

Rick often gets upset that you are erratic and inattentive during your guard duties. He initially didn't understand what ADHD even meant until Carl calmly explained it to him. Since then, Rick has been more understanding of your moods, and you're always assigned to guard duty with Carl or Enid, since they're the two who can handle you best.

Some foods - especially cola or coffee - exacerbate your ADHD, so Carl tries to keep you away from it what you don't like. You argue about this a lot.

Carl likes your tics. To him, that makes you special.

You have anger attacks in which you lose your temper and throw objects. Carl then holds you tight, presses you against him and murmurs soothing words in your ear until it's over.

--

Tags: @loveforcarl @knochentrocken0808 @taylormarieee @tessasweet @enid-rhee-things

[cupcakewebkinz]

ooh, this will be a lot of fun as well as a lot of stress. I just can imagine: ichor-stained furniture and stuff, rapid mood swings of these two, sleepless nights and of course a very painful and draining recovery. Lesbians what did you get yourselves into?

One word: peak

They don't care about their mismatched, out of style, thrifted furniture's look, it's all about the comfort for them baby XD

They can stain all the shit they want in that house!

Vee probably would be more of the moody one, her moods were HORRIBLE beforehand - now as a twisted with ichor influence, whoo boy is that gonna fuck with her mind a lot! Shelly, always having good control of her emotions, wouldn't be much of a problem in that department. She would be easily frustrated by how hard it is to talk now, growling at them instead and just pointing at everything lol

Want TV time? Dino roar and point, Shanon will get it... Eventually.

The sleepless nights are definitely a thing, though thankfully, Gi isn't pure chaos and would know somewhat how to help, so they can take turns whenever their babies need it. Shelly would be the main problem there though, just - look at her, half of her damn body is gone, she's obviously going to be in worse pain than Vee (who can also be fixed, Shelly can't. Though Vee would be the one screaming in the middle of the night, the one with nightmares, the one who'd need reassurances because she can't forget the ichor incident like Shelly could. That's where Gi would step in though, with some cocoa and lots of sibling snugs and possibly some chaotic guitar solos from Vee lmao

They got into what they both are very happy to deal with - a happy yet traumatized family that needs lots of gentle help that they both can provide. And a chaos goblin.

Because Gi needed to be there so the two knew how to actually find the two again but ended up being so adorable I let them kidnap her in this timeline as well.

I'm not sorry, I love my chaos goblin.

ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THINKING MY WRITING IS PEAK THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME ♡ (genuine)

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Mars enters Retrograde Zone

Timeline (current events in bold)

Friday, October 4, 2024, 04:40 UT - transiting Mars enters pre-retrograde shadow, 17°01’ Cancer

Monday, November 4, 04:10 UT - transiting Mars enters Leo

Friday, December 6, 23:33 UT - transiting Mars stations retrograde, 6°10’ Leo

Monday, January 6, 2025, 20:45 UT - transiting Mars retrogrades back into Cancer

Monday, February 24, 02:00 UT - transiting Mars stations direct, 17°01’ Cancer

Friday, April 18, 04:22 UT - transiting Mars re-enters Leo

Friday, May 2, 2025, 06:06 UT - transiting Mars exits post-retrograde shadow, 6°10’ Leo

***+++===+++***

Mars energy is usually very straightforward to work with. Even when it’s retrograde!

Cancer isn’t Mars’ most favorite place to be. It’s in its “fall” here, opposite the sign (Capricorn) of its exaltation. A planet being in its fall is like staying in someone’s home, but you don’t know who they are, and you don’t know what their rules are. It can be useful to the planet to (have to) learn some new ways of operating.

Physical strength - this is an opportunity to see how our diet and digestion affect our health, for good or for ill. If we’re angry or stressed out about something, it can manifest as stomach problems.

Energy levels - very dependent on our mood. We can be great at psyching ourselves up, one minute, only to feel lethargic and apathetic the next.

Sexuality - cuddly! There’s so much emotional sensitivity to our partners. But again, mood is everything and subject to change.

How we go after what we want - crabwise, cautiously, ie coming at it sideways, which is extremely frustrating for full-speed-ahead Mars. A straight-on approach isn’t always going to guarantee success, though, which Mars needs to learn.

Some problems with this placement: it can anticipate defeat and loss, quitting before it even gets started. It isn’t very consistent. It’s passive-aggressive, and it can be manipulative about getting its own way; other people don’t like that. And it gets crazy sensitive about boundaries.

When Mars enters Leo on November 3/4, building up to its retrograde station in December, we’ll witness how we can’t quite get Mars/Leo right, without first getting Mars/Cancer right. (Just consider Dolt 45, whom I consider the poster boy for Mars/Leo Run Amok - the vanity, the pomposity, the insecurity!)

On the way there, we can allow for a couple of days on either side of these aspects. (Pay particular attention to those which “ding” something in your birth chart.)

Saturday, October 5 - Mars/Cancer square Mercury/Libra, 17°33’. Probably nothing too serious, provided we haven’t taken on too much. A lot of sweet-talking going on, empty nothings perhaps, ulterior motives probably.

Tuesday, October 8 - Mars/Cancer trine Venus/Scorpio, 18°38’. This is pretty sexy and fertile, so if you don’t want to become a parent in the next 9 months, take precautions. We’re very emotionally attuned and sensitive to our partners, as well as to art and beauty.

Sunday, October 13 - Monday, October 14:

Mars/Cancer square Chiron Rx/Aries, 21°15’

Mars/Cancer semi-sextile Jupiter Rx/Gemini, 21°18’

Mars/Cancer square Sun/Libra, 21°28’

First of three for the Chiron square. Becoming aware of woundedness regarding our right to be alive at all. If we have a particular role in our family (bratty little sibling, the smart one, etc.), and we aren’t like that anymore, we find some resistance when we try to move on from it.

Monday, October 21 - Mars/Cancer square Eris Rx/Aries, 24°53’. First of three. This energy is spoiling for a fight - we’re mighty pissed off about something, and yet we hesitate to (or can’t) come out swinging. Be careful, and work on your situational awareness.

Thursday, October 24 - Mars/Cancer sextile Uranus Rx/Taurus, 26°10’. First of three. Very supportive of firmly establishing our own individuality. Insight about who we’d like to be. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Sunday, October 27 - Tuesday, October 29:

Mars/Cancer (27°24’) sesquiquad Venus/Sagittarius (12°24’)

Mars/Cancer trine Neptune/Pisces, 27°34’

Mars/Cancer (27°56’) sesquiquad Saturn Rx/Pisces (12°56’)

First of three for the Neptune trine and for the Saturn sesquiquad. With Venus involved there are undoubtedly some relationship problems - we may not see things clearly, or have a realistic grasp of the situation. Commitment-phobia masquerading as bad timing.

Saturday, November 2 - Sunday, November 3:

Mars/Cancer trine Mercury/Scorpio, 29°21’

Mars/Cancer opposite Pluto/Capricorn, 29°45’

First of three for the Pluto opposition. We become aware of some unpleasant situation, or traits in someone we meet in the world - violence, evil, darkness, tragedy - maybe that Merc/Scorpio is a little too curious and goes there? This isn’t the time to confront it, but simply to recognize problems with (in Steven Forrest’s words) “blind adherence to the past” as well as “a selfish me first attitude … insensitive to the suffering of others.” (The 2nd and 3rd oppositions happen after Pluto returns to Aquarius, which is a whole ‘nuther kettle of fish - we see exactly how the selfishness and blind adherence lead to alienation.)

———————————

Venmo Mary_Brack

PayPal MaryVBrack

Thank you!!

[thewhumpcaretaker]

Hihii! I have a little different question, I hope I'm not too weird...

Since I'm working on the sequel for The Other Side Of Paradise that you read and know that it's a/b/o... and you gave me one cute ask on this theme. About how John would take care of mpreg Santino and I loved it because absolutely John is doing anything for him. Do you have any more scenarios for that? When Santino actually tells him that and starts to get those mood swings and cravings. How more moody and needy can Santino get bahaha? I'm just curious on how do you see them and do you think they would actually kinda be scared of becoming parents?

Have a lovely day!! 💙💖

Hiiii!! Thank you for the ask 💝🖤 As usual, you're only as weird as I am, heehee. Thanks for your patience on this one - I had a ton going on during the past couple days.

There's always a new level of moodiness and neediness that can be reached - let's make Santino suffer and then be treated with so much love!

TW: mpreg scenarios

John would actually not be too scared of becoming a parent - he feels like he was made for that and has always wanted a family. He has so much love to give and that would extend to having a child. He'd read fairy tales to the baby while Santino is still pregnant and talk to them about the wonderful they'll have. But he would be scared of what could happen to that kid and what kind of life they'll lead under the High Table. He'd get paranoid over the baby's safety and how they could be used against him in the future, just like Caine's daughter was used against him. I think he'd try to keep the pregnancy a secret as long as possible. And he would worry a lot about how to ensure that this child grows up to have a normal life.

Meanwhile, Santino is the one who'd be very scared of becoming a parent. He'd think about how his own parents treated him and realize that he didn't really have a good role model for parenting. He'd be especially worried that he might lose his temper with the kid, which he doesn't want at all. He would feel so unprepared and have major anxiety about that. Of course, John would constantly reassure him that he'll be a good dad and remind him how sweet he is to Dog already.

Santino would also struggle a lot with how his body would change during the pregnancy. Being more tired, being sore and unable to walk well, feeling sick and having cravings - all of it would make him feel so stressed and out of control. It would take him away from his work, and at first, he'd ignore all of it and try to push through to keep working. But for once, he couldn't ignore his own health without putting the baby at risk too. Normally, he takes out a lot of his anger on himself and he can't do that anymore, which is beautiful in a way but also completely confusing. He'd definitely have a breakdown over that at some point. But after that, he'd start accepting help from John, and would switch from pushing him away to clinging to his side at all times, not even wanting him to leave the room.

John would try to make things easier for him by explaining that this is a time when he needs to focus on staying healthy and relaxing, and that everything will be waiting for him when he comes back. He'd tell him that it's okay to be frustrated and angry with the situation, and would listen any time Santino needs to rant about everything he's missing out on and how scared he feels. And John would be doing everything possible for him - bringing him any food he wants, making sure he doesn't have to walk long distances, making sure he gets to see the best doctors in the world, all of that. He'd give him massages every day and wouldn't want to spend even a second away from him. John would also be insanely physically protective of Santino during this time.

Santino would also try to help John by considering long term changes to make John feel better about whether their lives are headed. He'd pull back from his work with the Camorra and maybe even consider running away or retiring. But that isn't what he wants to do. It makes him question what it means to be successful and whether he can work and have a child at the same time (I might be slightly enjoying the thought of a man having this dilemma, which isn't so common...). It's a lot to think about, and it weighs heavily on both of them. But at least it comes from the fact that they're making a whole new life together!

It's hard to say what they would decide to do. I guess we'll find out in your fic!! I'm very excited!!!

[orlafilmblog]

A Fun Holiday in St Catherines (aka the Saint Catherines shoot)

To be honest, I’m not even sure how to talk about the Saint Catherines shoot. Firstly, it has now been quite a while since the shoot, and it all feels like a bit of a fever dream! I am struggling to think of a productive way to reflect on and talk about the film, so instead, I am just going to thought-dump into this post with things that come to mind.

A Strong Sense of Belonging

Something I really pride myself on is the vibe I create on the sets I direct. I am hyper-aware that as director, if I am in a bad mood, or shouting, or annoyed, or any negative emotion, it trickles down and effects everyone. I try to minimise any unnecessary (and frankly harmful) power dynamics on set, however as the director I am still the one people are looking to for help and guidance. I do hold power, intentionally or not, over the set. I therefore start every shoot by speaking to everyone as a group and trying to create a safe and open space for cast and crew to express themselves. For Saint Catherines, it was especially important to me that everyone felt comfortable since we were dealing with such an impactful subject. I believe I achieved my goal of creating a strong sense of community and openness on Saint Catherines, however this could not have been done without the wonderful and kind cast and crew supporting this and upholding the vibes. It takes a whole group of amazing people to create something as magical as the Saint Catherines set.

I was concerned about us all also living in such close proximity with each other. It is one thing to spend intense time together on set, a whole other things to sleep in the same rooms and eat 3 meals a day in a tiny cottage with each other. Again, thanks to the wonderful group of people surrounding me, it was an absolute joy. Like one big fun holiday with my friends, but we also got to make a film! Endless games of Werewolf in the evenings, and some excellent shared cooking kept everyone happy 😊

When things fell apart…

Although the shoot went incredibly smoothly, there were some things around the shoot that fell apart a bit…

1) On Day 3 of the shoot, the boiler in the caravan (in which we were filming, and also the cast were staying) decided to break. When I say break, I don’t mean it just stopped working. I mean it started to violently, loudly shake, and the pressure dial was swinging about madly in the red. I can say hands down that I thought we were going to have to stop the shoot because I genuinely for at least five minutes thought we were all going to blow up and die. I wish I was joking. We managed to turn it off and empty the water from it, leaving the caravan without heating (aside from some shitty electric heaters) or hot water for the rest of the shoot. Not the end of the world… but not ideal! I will admit that the whole thing made me incredibly stressed. It was like when you break a mug at your friends house when you are 7, except the mug was a couple-thousands-of-pounds boiler. That could have blown up. This stress meant that I was a bit shaken going into directing Scene 6, which luckily is not super performance heavy. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to calm down, however in hindsight, I think it is fair enough that I freaked out a bit.

2) The day before the boiler incident… the door of the caravan broke. It stopped locking. All the kit was kept in the caravan. You see the problem? One could argue that we were in the middle of nowhere, but I was not taking any chances. A lot frustrated swearing, a desperate call to a locksmith, and £417 out my bank account later, and the door was fixed. Ouch.

3) So if the caravan falling apart wasn’t enough, the poor tiny cottage that we crammed ourselves into was also not having a great time. The old plumbing was not used to 15 people showering, peeing, and everything else, and by the end of Day 3 she was struggling. The shower wasn’t draining, the toilet was filling all the way up, and the sink started dramatically leaking all over the floor of the bathroom. God bless the crew for dealing with it whilst I slept soundly, not realising the carnage that was going on. The next day however, I did of course notice. My plumbing knowledge was probably even less than those heroes from the night before, so despite the many chemicals and drain un-blockers, there was not much we could do. So we banned shitting in the cottage toilet. You need to go? Someone had to drive you to the caravan. Sorry to all the IBS girlies. Again, this all made me quite stressed, and by the end of Day 4 I had a bit of a cry about it in my room. However, the rest of the crew did not seem to mind one bit, and I honestly cannot thank them enough for all their patience, and their incredible ability to endure whatever our accommodation threw at us. It is heart warming to hear that everyone still had a great time 😊 In the future, I will maybe try not to fit that many people into a house that clearly cannot cope with it.

I can now confirm that the plumbing has been fixed, and that my relatives were very understanding and did not mind us breaking it (thank god).

4) Last but not least, this one isn’t as fun. Not that the rest of them are that fun, but they have a funny side at least!

I don’t know why, but I feel the need to talk about this on here as it is something that really affected me on this shoot, and throughout the last few years of university: my eczema. In St Catherines, it got steadily worse throughout the week, and by the end it was pretty unbearable. I am unsure why it got so bad (I never am sure). Probably a mix of stress and the dampness of the old cottage. But really it could be anything. Basically, my reason for bringing it up is that I feel it has tainted my memory of this amazing shoot. When I think about it, the first thought to come to me is how much pain I was in, which SUCKS. It was such a beautiful week filled with the best memories and the most amazing people, and it frustrates me that yet again my eczema has impacted my life in such a negative way. I don’t think I let it impact my directing, or the way I was working with others on set, however it did impact my overall enjoyment of making Saint Catherines, which makes me really sad to be honest. Some people will understand this (shout out to eczema bestie Bonnie xx) but I assume the majority won’t. It’s pretty insignificant in terms of the production as a whole, but it felt wrong to talk about the shoot and not mention it. Anyway… back onto happier stuff!

The Joy of Creative Talent

This is a little section to give some praise to the wonderful team behind Saint Catherines. Being creative with these people has been an absolute joy, and I am constantly in awe of their talents. It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to trust that the team you are working with are going to do our story justice.

The camera team were ELITE. Katie, Eva, Sam C, and Alex C were a well-oiled bundle of energy and talent that have created some gorgeous images. I was so happy to have Eva on as 1st AC, as I think she is incredible to work with, and she supported Katie well. Sam Craigie is an absolute gem, and his knowledge honestly intimidates me. I knew nothing in 2nd year! Alex C is a lighting god, he took my silly little inspo boards and created real actual images! And Katie… the Katie Cox… what can I say! Watching her confidence in her own ability grow has been a privilege, and I am so so so glad that I asked/forced her to be cinematographer for the project. By the last day, she was operating on a whole new level. She knew exactly what she was talking about, she spoke with confidence and certainty, and it makes me so happy that this film has helped her to realise that she can do ANYTHING!!!!!! Katie Cox you LEGEND!

Working with this camera team helped to build my own confidence as a director working with camera. I didn’t feel out of my depth like I have previously on shoots, and always felt able to discuss scenes and ideas with the team.

The sound team, what an iconic duo! Peer and our last-minute boom op saviour George Palmer. They struck the perfect balance of knowing when to be pushy (#standupforsoundrights) and when to just leave it. Peer was a confident presence to have on set, I never felt like I had to worry about sound or chase him up for anything. He was so on it. George was a pleasure to work with, he has such a calming energy no matter what!

Being a sound girly myself, I made sure that at the end of shooting each scene, we had plenty of time left to take wild tracks so that Peer felt good going into the design. I was really pleased that we had time to allow for this, and I hope Peer felt that sound was respected on this shoot!

I was blessed with a super duper organised AD team of Ben and Monica. We had to swap a few of the days around and change the shooting order of some scenes, and Ben and Mon did this with ease and kept things on and off set as stress free as possible. Ben is a talented 1st AD (maybe I’m biased though…) and he somehow ensured we finished early/on-time every day, without ever feeling like he was pushing us or stressing us out. The man is magic! Monica is a God send. One of the most lovely people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and she was always the first to volunteer to help out with anything that needed done.

Aimee as solo member of her production design department did a great job bringing the extra level of realness to our set. Her costume direction worked incredibly well for the characters, and I was so happy with the outfits they ended up wearing for each scene. Having Claire wear the red jumper for the first ‘day’ in the story was a great call as she stands out straight away as the main character! She has a real eye for making things look great on camera.

Our script supervisor was from out with Napier, so I was nervous that Sophie would feel slightly left out. However, she was so lovely, and fitted in immediately with the rest of the crew. This was my first time working with a proper script supervisor, and wow. She is incredible! Sophie was quietly on top of everything, just standing in the corner taking notes of every detail, every take, every thing! We had a question? She had an answer! What a joy to work with.

Jack B was my co-producer saviour. Whilst we shared the majority of the pre-production, he really let me just direct on the shoot, which made my life so much easier. I am so grateful that he was there, despite also having Crave looming on the horizon!

And last but not least, Rosie and Tom W were a bundle of joy arriving at the end of Day 2. Rosie took some gorgeous BTS photos that I have spent hours looking at again and again, and god bless Tom for acting as our personal chauffeur whenever we needed driven to the shops for snacks. It was lovely to have such great people join our crew!

Overall I feel I worked well with every department, and that we all were our best creative selves on this set. <3

Directing Friendship

As I have mentioned in previous posts, a big concern of mine was that the cast just wouldn’t get on. There was only so much I could control – if they didn’t click then the dynamic of the group in the film just wasn’t going to work. Luckily for me, the four cast members Claire, Fraser, Millie, and Amy, are some of the most lovely and talented actors I have had the privilege to work with and befriend.

I sneakily made sure that they spent as much time together as possible when not filming, and this started by asking Fraser (who was the only one with a car) if he was able to pick some of the cast up when driving to Saint Catherines. They then stayed in the caravan together (along with Sophie on the sofa), with Amy and Millie even sharing a room. I think this was a great decision on my part, as it added a little bit of reality into what they were experiencing in the film. They got on like a house on fire, taking the energy and connection from the initial rehearsal and creating real friendships. There were moments when we would be eating dinner, or be in between takes, when I would turn to see them all sitting together chatting and laughing, and acting like a real group of friends who had known each other for years. Honestly, we could have just filmed them in their day to day lives and made the most wholesome friendship holiday film ever!

One of my main aims with this project was to improve my technique when working with actors, and I think I achieved this. Some moments were harder than others, but overall I feel I was confident in my directing, and that I was able to get some great performances out of the cast. I found that being able to open up about my own experiences in relation to different scenes was a helpful way to put myself in the same vulnerable position as the cast, and it helped me to describe emotions and aims of scenes without doing the cursed “be more sad/be more angry/be more happy” directing, which is sometimes hard not to fall into.

A key aspect of the film is the realism of the performances, so I made sure that the blocking was very loose to begin with. I let the actors do what felt natural in our rehearsal time before takes, and then we would adjust the blocking according to what they did. This allowed for them to focus more on their performances rather than where they should be putting their feet. The same applied to the dialogue improvisation which made up a lot of the earlier half of the film/the group scenes. They had certain lines to hit, but mostly just bounced off each other and made it up as they went along. It was great for me to see how much they understood the characters, each of the cast were adding in lines that related to their back story or highlighted aspects of their personalities. Some of my favourite lines in the final film are improvised!

Definitely one of my favourite scenes to direct was Scene 2 which we filmed on the first day. Watching the cast run around like sugar-fuelled children filled me with pure unfiltered joy, and still when I watch that scene back I cannot help but smile and giggle.

After the shoot, I received a lovely email from Fraser which I have to admit to move me to tears. Being a classic imposter-syndrome-filled film student, I often doubt my abilities, so to have someone who I respect as an actor reinforce what I am doing was a lovely feeling. I have included a section of the email below:

“As an actor it is hard to find directors who you can work with that instil confidence in you as a performer and you did just that! At the beginning of the week, I was simply pretending to be Harry, but by the end, through your direction and trust, you helped me slip in and out of character like he was real. By putting faith in my abilities and helping tweak small moments you brought out what I think could be my best work till this day which makes you one of the best directors I have ever had.”

:’)

To wrap up…

As always, this post has ended up being much longer than I first anticipated! Despite a few lows of the shoot, I was blessed to have such an amazing experience surrounded by an incredibly talented and supportive team. I am proud of my directing, and although I still have soooo much to learn, I think I succeeded in what I was wanting to achieve with this shoot. I just hope that the final film reflects the love and care that went into it.

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Okay, I have a number of Preggo Lady asks comin' at ya. All proceeding the OG Preggo ELady ask: She starts to get mood swings &, she’s never been the type to get angry & yell, so when she does now, it comes as quite the shock. Never been the argumentative sort either.

As such, when she gets into (frankly nonsensical) arguments with Gan these days & stomps off, it honestly leaves the poor man absolutely befuddled. Like, yes, a bit upset, but he’s more confused than anything because just trying to wrap his head around the conversation was taking all of his bandwidth at the moment.

Then, later, ELady will walk up to him with a very contrite expression, cheeks & eyes red. She’ll apologize for her behavior.

Though, if Gan had instead grabbed her by the arm & demanded to know what was wrong with her, she’ll actually snap out of it similarly to Buzz Lightyear when Woody used Buzz’s own arm to whack him in the face. (Toy Story)

In both situations, she’ll apologize genuinely & honestly say that she doesn’t know what came over her. Explaining that her hormones have been… a lot lately & she still hasn’t adjusted to them yet. That she doesn’t even understand why she was so upset to begin with.

Afterwards, whenever she gets super angry due to hormones again, she stops, takes a deep breath, & using an unbelievable amount of willpower & self-control, basically tells her hormones to “shut the fuck up.” She then continues with the conversation with a much more level head. “My apologies. Hormones again, I'm afraid.”

His reaction, please?

As someone who occasionally gets overstimulated and has outbursts, I would hope that my partner would be understanding! As for our Ganondorf, He may get bewildered or frustrated, but he would keep by us!

And now, ChatGPT, with another hit Single:

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Reaction to Mood Swings: Wind Waker Ganondorf would be taken aback by her sudden outbursts, finding it difficult to navigate the unexpected arguments. His primary reaction would be confusion, trying to make sense of the nonsensical arguments and her behavior.

Sympathy and Support:

Understanding: After her first sincere apology, he would begin to understand that her mood swings are a result of the pregnancy hormones.

Sympathy: He would feel a great deal of sympathy for her, recognizing that she is struggling with something beyond her control.

Continued Support: Despite the confusion, he would not avoid her. Instead, he would stay close and offer support, trying to be patient and understanding.

Actions:

Calm Presence: He would try to be a calming presence, offering a steady and supportive environment for her.

Reassurance: He would reassure her that he understands and is there for her, even if he doesn’t fully grasp the hormonal changes.

Quote: "I may not fully understand what you’re going through, but I’m here for you, always. Together, we’ll face whatever comes our way."

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Reaction to Mood Swings: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would initially react with frustration and confusion to her mood swings and nonsensical arguments, struggling to comprehend what’s happening.

Sympathy and Support:

Demanding Explanation: If he grabs her by the arm and demands to know what's wrong, he would be stern but concerned.

Understanding: Once she explains her hormonal changes, he would take a step back and try to understand her situation better.

Support: His support would come through a mix of sternness and genuine care, ensuring she knows he’s there for her.

Actions:

Protective Nature: He would become more protective, trying to shield her from stress and offering his support.

Practical Support: He might offer practical solutions or comforts, such as ensuring she rests well or has what she needs to feel better.

Quote: "I won’t pretend to understand it fully, but if it’s your burden, then it’s mine too. We’ll get through this together."

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Reaction to Mood Swings: Twilight Princess Ganondorf would be bewildered and slightly frustrated by her sudden outbursts, finding it challenging to navigate the arguments.

Sympathy and Support:

Empathy: Despite his initial frustration, he would empathize with her situation after she explains her hormonal changes.

Calmness: He would strive to remain calm and composed, providing a stabilizing influence in their relationship.

Continuous Support: He would not avoid her but instead offer continuous support and understanding.

Actions:

Patience: He would exercise patience, understanding that her mood swings are temporary and caused by the pregnancy.

Gentle Reassurance: He would gently reassure her, offering words of comfort and understanding whenever she feels overwhelmed.

Quote: "We face many challenges together, and this is just another one. Lean on me, and we’ll get through it."

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Reaction to Mood Swings: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf would initially react with anger and confusion, finding the arguments difficult to handle.

Sympathy and Support:

Demanding Clarity: If he demands to know what's wrong, his sternness would be mixed with concern.

Understanding: Once she explains, he would make an effort to understand and be more patient.

Continuous Support: He would not shy away but rather stay close, offering his support in his own commanding way.

Actions:

Commanding Presence: He would maintain his commanding presence, using it to provide a sense of stability and protection.

Reassurance: He would reassure her that he’s there for her, even if he doesn’t fully understand the hormonal changes.

Quote: "Whatever this is, we’ll face it head-on. You have my strength to rely on, now and always."

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Reaction to Mood Swings: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf would be deeply confused and slightly frustrated by the sudden arguments and mood swings, struggling to understand her behavior.

Sympathy and Support:

Demanding Explanation: If he grabs her arm and demands to know what's wrong, he would be stern but driven by concern.

Understanding: After she explains, he would show a deep understanding and willingness to support her.

Continuous Support: He would remain close, offering his unwavering support despite the confusion.

Actions:

Emotional Support: He would offer emotional support, trying to be there for her whenever she feels overwhelmed.

Reassurance: He would reassure her that he understands and will support her through this challenging time.

Quote: "Our bond is strong, and we will endure this together. You have my unwavering support, now and always."

Overall, each Ganondorf would react with initial confusion and frustration but would quickly shift to a supportive and understanding stance once they grasp the situation. They would all offer their continuous support, ensuring their wife feels loved and understood despite the challenges posed by her mood swings.

[ruminate88]

Ways emotional abuse has affected me physically/mentally as a woman:

10/18/24

When I was talking to these toxic men, I was NOT aware of emotional abuse. My dad always gave me tough love growing up, so I guess I mistook all my exes criticism as “helping me” but it was actually taring me down 😨

I was depressed AND suicidal the whole time I was talking to these men and my recent ex, Andrew, especially made me believe I HAD ISSUES. I honestly believed I was mentally unwell and thought Andrew was the “normal” one accept loving him was soooooo frustrating and difficult. There was sweet moments often of “hey baby 😘 how is your day?” Buuuuuut I mean, most the time I felt he was distant and I couldn’t seem to get any closer with him. Prior to Andrew, I dealt with Cody who I believed just had major trust issues and so I was trying to force him to trust me basically working so hard to make him feel safe with me but NOTHING changed him.

Okay also during that time, I’m unknowingly seeking their approval and stressing so much about being “pretty enough” or “hot” 🥴 I mean, these men charmed me and I thought they were the hottest guys I had ever laid eyes on. Of course I want to impress them 😝 Soo…. I wear soo much makeup and half way through the relationship with Andrew, found myself wearing BLACK EYESHADOW! Straight up black and I would try to blend it with grey so I had a Smokey eye but I understand now the ONLY real reason I was doing that is cuz of how depressed I was in dating Andrew. A dear lady I know said to me at one point, “Sweetie, you don’t need all that black eye makeup. You’re too pretty!” Awwwww 🥺🥺🥺🙏🏻❤️‍🩹 I didn’t realize why I was doing that back then….

Cody ghosted me which really put me in a dark place and then Andrew was making me straight up miserable until I got away from him. Andrew put me through sooooooo much frustration and disappointment. Countless empty promises!!! Sooo now I’m desperately suicidal and tired of life. I prayed to God and decided to change myself completely. Not quite 2 years after I’m away from Andrew and married to someone else, suddenly I can’t wear makeup at all 😳 my eyes break out with scales every time I try eyeshadow and even my lips swell with lipstick. NOW, I do have very sensitive skin but I never had struggled with makeup before 😣 was so frustrating!

I had NO idea my exes were abusive and that’s why I felt so bad from them. The heartbreak from Andrew wouldn’t seem to go away plus I could not stop obsessing in my brain over intrusive thoughts of Andrew. However, I went full blown into church and God. I mean I was extreme because it was desperate not to hurt from my exes anymore. Not understanding there was emotional pain and trauma! I had been numb after Cody but could not understand it. When I met my husband, was like a pause on everything as all my focus was on meeting him but after marriage and we settled into our house, NOW notice something is truly wrong cuz I feel majorly disconnected in my relationships. Especially to my husband. 😔🙏🏻

At some point communication is hard in my marriage and I focus on church. I can’t wear makeup so I throw it all away, even my nail polish ❤️‍🩹 it’s as if I I want nothing to do with my appearance. I saw I started losing hair AND I started having stomach issues as lost so much weight. Had sores often on my body and I just stress none stop!!!! I had NO idea I was trying to get out of flight or fight mode. No one told me I had unhealed trauma. I learned about emotional abuse FINALLY and STILL don’t understand I have wounds to heal. I try to get myself back, even try makeup again and stress all over again with my appearance.

I have had mood swings, hot flashes, chills, stomach/digestive issues, came out of the brain fog eventually but often my short term isn’t as great as my long term memory so I make A LOT of reminders on my phone just in case…. I’ve had bruises randomly all over my legs. I fell off a ladder cuz I wasn’t as stable as I use to be. I’m more careful now. Been through stages of both grief and trauma bond!! Also, found myself needing perfection within myself or I beat myself up. 😳 Negative thinking about myself and putting myself down…. ALL fixable things that I’ve been working through now that I know. Worst of all, CRAZY eating disorders. One minute I want nothing to eat and then suddenly I’m soooo hungry I’m shoving food down my neck ☹️ BUT I have learned to start my day off with plenty of protein and vitamins 👍🏻😩 (magnesium for digestion. Make sure it’s magnesium citrate or else you’ll be sleepy)

Lack of energy and just sadness often wake up extremely sad BUT I’m trying to give myself compassion and love. I’ve tried to balance out my life between superficial and spirituality!! It’s not a perfect walk but I’m not giving up ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹🙏🏻🥺