#gigs. she's still like “I HAVE to try SO many things because I can.” She'd probably do the weather stuff JUST for fun though.

[dootznbootz]

I know a lot of people have Helen be a model if they're doing modern AUs but I think meteorologist fits better. I mean her dad??? Plus that's still "showing up on screen". She does modeling on the side.

[atimeofyourlife]

Learn to forget your biases

written for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt: angst with a happy ending | rating: t | wc: 925 | tags: hurt/comfort, eddie munson being an asshole, hurt steve harrington, angst, hopeful ending Steve got sick of Eddie constantly putting down everything he liked, leading to a fight. Eddie had to put the work in to make it better.

"Why are you even with me if you can't stand to even pretend to be interested in anything that I like?"

It had been days since the argument, and Steve still felt like shit. He hadn't wanted it to end like that, with a maybe break up. He'd just been feeling so frustrated with Eddie being so dismissive of everything he enjoyed, where he at least tried to understand Eddie's hobbies and interests. At times, it felt like Eddie was trying to make him into a clone of him, and it really gave Steve the impression that Eddie was only with him for his looks. Or because he was the only other queer guy in Hawkins that they knew of.

It had started when Steve was making plans to see the Pacers. He'd got the tickets and was thinking they could get a hotel for the night and make a thing of it. But when he'd brought it up to Eddie, he'd laughed in his face. Asked what had possessed Steve into thinking it was something that Eddie would be interested in doing, and told him he shouldn't have even bothered wasting his money to buy tickets when he could just catch the game on tv. It had hurt, but Steve tried to brush it off. He invited Robin to go with him instead, knowing that even though she wasn't a huge fan of basketball, she would tag along and find a way to make it fun.

But Eddie then booked a last minute gig with the band at a bar in Indianapolis. On the same day as the Pacers game. At the same time. He tried to convince Steve to ditch the game to watch them play instead, saying that it would be a better use of his time, and that he was going to be in Indanapolis anyway, so it wouldn't make any difference. Steve refused, as he'd seen Eddie play in shitty bars so many times. Almost every gig they'd played since they'd been together, even attending when he was recovering from a migraine, not wanting to disappoint Eddie.

The fight was the next day. Eddie kept making jabs about Steve ditching him for a basketball game, claiming that he should have been Steve's priority. Steve couldn't even get a word in edgewise to say how the game had been. And he just got sick of it, remembering how Eddie never gave his interests a chance. Brushing off all mentions of sport. Insulting his taste in music, saying he needed an education in real music. Even making fun of his clothes. It was something he couldn't put up with any more.

In the aftermath of the fight, Steve felt lost. Robin had automatically taken his side, she'd already tried talking to Eddie about his attitude toward Steve's interests, only to get ignored. The kids were split, most of them taking Steve's side, but Dustin and Mike siding with Eddie. Saying that sports weren't worth it, that it made it seem like Steve hadn't changed from his jock days in high school. What did surprise Steve was Gareth and Jeff taking his side. They hadn't even known that Steve had invited Eddie to the game weeks before they'd booked the gig, and that Steve supported them at every opportunity, it made them decide that Eddie was being a dick just for the sake of it.

Steve didn't hear from Eddie for a while after the fight. Until one day he and Robin were working. Robin was manning the desk while he tidied and put away returns in the adult section. He wasn't paying much attention until he heard Robin's voice, a note of anger to it.

"If you're not here to apologize, you can fuck off right now."

"I come in peace." Eddie said, and Steve felt his heart skip a beat. Unsure of what could happen next.

"He's in there." Robin replied.

Steve kept his back to the doorway, just waiting for what Eddie was going to do or say.

"Hey." Eddie said softly, keeping his distance from Steve.

"Hi." Steve replied, turning slightly to face Eddie.

"I fucked up. I really, seriously fucked up, and I'm so, so sorry about it. It isn't an excuse, but I genuinely didn't realize how much of a dick I had been until almost everyone we know beat some sense into me. I was taking my attitude from high school too far and projecting it onto you. I know how much I hate it when people judge me based on my looks and my interests, but here I was doing the same to you. I hate how much I hurt you, and I am so sorry. I just hope you would give me another chance?"

"I. It did hurt, Eddie. You made me feel like I was worth less than you because I don't enjoy the same things you do. You lumped me in with a bunch of assholes who I never even associated with. I want us to work, but it's going to take a lot to prove that you're really in it for me." Steve said.

"I get that. Maybe this can be the start." Eddie held out an envelope, which Steve took. He opened it to find two tickets to the next Pacers game. For some of the best seats in the house. "Wayne had to help me figure out which ones I needed. I was thinking we could go together."

Steve smiled, it was a good gesture. "Yeah. I'd like that."

[deva-arts]

Human Vince and Sera are not on the best terms, but at least they talk to each other!

They're waiting for the others so they can take the train.

Some human au lore under the cut! it's kind of disjointed ahah

Just raising Vincent in a 'normal' environment outside a lab would change the outcome of his character a LOT.... But some parallels still stand!

He's always been a very performative and willful person (even as a kid! He's lived for the spotlight just to prove he can shine in it), so I imagine he'd still have that spitfire in him... But directed towards means and goals that aren't as destructive to himself and others.

He was the type that was categorized as the gifted child, but his talents were never really given much space to develop since Sera's birth took the forefront of their parent's priorities in an already failing marriage. He felt neglected and even replaced in many ways, trying and failing to get their attention and recognition... And suffering academically because of it, which created more rifts. He dealt with his frustrations using physical means- exercise, running off without knowing where, and spending the day roaming and doing dumb tricks with his friends. "Ooh, this makes people pay attention to me? they're looking for me? I should keep doing this!"

Vincent is a bit directionless, getting in trouble with his parents, his school, the law... Until eventually he realizes his shithead hobbies (parkour, stupid dares, sports and street racing) could get him somewhere. He becomes quite successful in this field! but he never seems to get his family's approval... Nothing he does is perfect in their eyes. Is he just a bug to them? He gets kicked out after going to jail for reckless endangerment.

Vincent and Sera grow to be somewhat estranged; Sera thinks that he hates her for being the 'perfect child', and he thinks that she looks down on him for his rockier go at life. "She doesn't know how hard I had it. She'll never understand." His jealousy certainly doesn't inspire any bonds, even though he knows it's not really about her as a person. Their idea of the other was never dispelled with an earnest conversation, and so it continued to build until... They felt it was their reality.

Sera is the quiet, good child. She doesn't bicker, does her tasks well, and their parents even go so far as to say they learned from their mistakes with Vincent. However, she's always swallowing her feelings, and never feels secure when moving outside the lines set for her. Vincent never understood Sera's plight with always having their parent's 'approval', and so she never brings it up. If anything, he was the bad example. She somewhat envies his freedom, and resents it all the same. "Maybe if he tried harder I wouldn't have to pick up after him. "

She grows up quite alone, with few friends if any. She's always in new clubs and practices and study groups, out by six and back by nine. Sure, it's great to train your child to be multi-talented, but the pressure placed on her leads to whittling herself down into a utilitarian shell to meet her family's expectations, and she loses interest in the things that made her happy. She doesn't have time for herself anymore, nor does she make any. She has work to do, things to attend. What's the point of anything?

Sera leaves home early after a very, very low point in her life and goes to juvenile bootcamp with her highschool friend, Eric, in search of some sort of release from her life, where she'd eventually continue on until entering the Airforce under Monica Herrera's mentorship. There, she eventually meets Nathaniel.

Vincent wanders around the country a lot, likely working in fields that give him the sweet thrills he seeks without staying in one place too long. Good way or bad way, he learns regardless, like a renaissance man of risk taking. Stuntman gigs, extreme sports, racing, and competitions would be his bread and butter. It brings in the dough. And the dopamine. When things slow down, he often leaves to try the next thing and see where it takes him. His unabashed nature opens both doors and windows, while also closing many others. Maybe monotony just scares him.

It's only years later, when Sera and Vince reach a more stable time in their lives and careers, that they reluctantly see eye-to-eye.

[queerwritersingerdramaqueen]

A random, kinda crack pjo x mtp crossover

Random little PJO x MTP thoughts but William and Louis would be children of Hades. Before someone rocks up with "They're children of Athena" I simply want to avoid the whole "Sherlock and William are technically siblings in that vein of thought."

Following on from that, Sherlock could only be a child of Athena for me, unless there is some god of detectives and critical thinking or something.

(Maybe Louis and William are students of Athena on Olympus because they were cool or something, idk)

Moving on though, Albert is a child of Achlys and he carries it around as the most depressing burden ever. The man would not be able to get over it. Mostly, this connection comes through poison and Achlys being the personification of Sorrow (his dramatic ass in the tower is the only proof I need).

Mycroft I'm 30/30/30 on. One hand, he's Sherlock's half brother and the son of Zeus (cause he has that whole leadership thing going on), on the other hand, he's the son of Athena and Sherlock's full brother, and on the other other hand, he's a child of Ares and represents battle strategy. So while Sherlock is normal intelligence, Mycroft is strategic intelligence. The most probable one would be child of Athena but it's fun to think about.

James is a son of Aphrodite and has the most beef with Hera for being all "femininity this, masculinity that." He loves Artemis and her hunters, briefly considered joining her hunters when he was Irene, then found he didn't fit there. He's still invited on hunts sometimes.

Jack and Moran would be kids of Ares, with Jack being some legacy type guy, one of the very few Greek Demigods to survive to old age. If it were set in the Percy Jackson Universe, Moran would but heads with Clarice a lot and Jack would mentor her.

Herder is a son of Hephaestus, done.

Moneypenny gives off the vibe like she'd be a child of Hestia but I'm fairly sure Hestia has a virginity vow so maybe she's just a follower? If not, then maybe a child of Demeter (cause she provides) or Hermes (cause she's a secretary).

John's a child of Apollo in every Will Solace aspect of the gig. The man's a healer, a ball of sunshine and a soldier in one breath. the only thing he probably couldn't do is play music. Billy is also a kid of Apollo and takes on more of the aspects of the "archer" since he's a gunslinger.

Miss Hudson is a dryad or some other creature from the camp.

Patterson, weirdly, is also a child of Athena. He, Sherlock and Mycroft aren't particularly close as siblings but they do see eye-to-eye (Sherlock gets jealous of him a lot).

Fred would probably be a child of Persephone, which makes a strange relationship between him, Louis and William.

Bill is a child of Hecate for all the mystery around him. He can hide things and is extremely smart in doing so. He natural math skills are just his and have no connection to Hecate (I really tried to find a god that relates to him but Athena is the only other one and it just bothers me how many of them would be children of Athena).

Adam Whitely would be a child of Zeus but he'd die trying to protect his human brother.

Wiggins would be some mischievous little forest creature that bothers Sherlock for food.

[outsidereveries]

ningning's personality

what she's faking: related to her individual path, ningning feels she has less options than what she personally wished for. she tries to be chill about it, but deep inside, she's frustrated. she doesn't feel she "can escape" from sme. i personally won't be suprised if there happens to be plot twist that's similar to the former (chinese) exo members. (specifically suing sme)

what's also fake but tries not to be: ningning might've been a loner for quite some time (i don't mean that she's introverted or similar thing). she really tries to depend on the æspa members when it's needed but it's just not her actual personality. ningning might've been used to do everything alone, without anyone's help, so her trying to rely on someone else whether if it's personal issue or it's something else is a big thing for her. just.. she's very stubborn.

what's genuine: her individuality, stage presence.. basically how she does her work. she would love to sing live more often though.

what we don't see: ningning's intuition appears from time to time very strong and also not only for her own good but for her environment's own good. she might've been aware for some actions before they were revealed just because she dreamt of them or she felt them for example.

political views: personally, ningning would like to see china voting for different party.. just for them to experiment themselves. it feels like for her everything was and is still the same there her whole life. she might dislike how ccp decide the things, related to china and not only. ningning is somehow aware of the recent changes in the international politics (like, it becoming multipolar) but not fully. she'd like to be active back home but she is personally worried how she'll be there from the side of the popularity and how much she earns.

what's mixing between her morals and the fame: how much she gives to the celebrity life. for some reason, she feels the glory takes her soul and she's already tired of it.

would she choose the fame over her standarts: stritcly no, she'd leave this industry if it's needed.

controversial things she agrees with: either someone has the talent to be an idol or they shouldn't be an one. she understands many people (asians?) dream of that but if they are just pretty, just become influencer, smh..

addictions (either more prone to has them or might have them): she's more prone to overwork. nothing else!

destruction traits: related to her industry, ningning has to learn more business strategies. she puts her happiness first, which is good thing, of course BUT her stubborness appears here again. she would love to experiment with gigs.. and it seems that's just not it. it can apply to her personal life too, whether in dating or just in general. ningning seems to put her environment first (the people around it) too, so in this case she should be more egoistic than she usually is, whether she likes it or not.

qualities she's proud to have: that she does what she loves to do. she loves how honest she is and that she lives well when working what she loves. she feels in control of her life and she loves it.

intentions for the future: she won't do something specific or significant but will try to have solo gigs nonetheless as it makes her more free.

[wanderingaldecaldo]

for streetkid val! 🚙🔫❔

Thanks for the ask! From the Core Meme-ory game:

🚙- Panam Palmer

After they finish taking down Nash, Panam drives them to the Sunset. Still wired from the adrenaline of the fight, V is happy to have someone to share post-gig drinks with; even though it's only been a few weeks since Konpeki, it feels like ages since she's worked with a partner she trusts, and she really feels comfortable with the straight-talking Panam.

Panam positively glows with excitement after everything they just did, and V has to admit that she really likes Panam -- she's smart and a smart ass, not to mention handy with a wrench and drop dead gorgeous. Panam talks enough that it covers up V's usual nerves -- either not knowing what to say or talking too much -- though V takes her chance when she suggests that they can share one room. Oblivious to her overtures, Panam agrees and orders a double occupancy room, leaving V to chug her beer and sigh at her luck.

Panam certainly isn't the first woman V's fallen for who is straight -- or hasn't yet figured out they aren't...*cough*.

🔫- Mitch Anderson

Am I going to cheat and use something I already wrote? Yes, I am. While this is tangentially about Mitch, it's one of the first things she really notices about him -- how Panam respects him.

"Do you have any idea how angry the old man’s going to be when he sees you here?" Scorpion asks as he paces away from them.

Out of the corner of her eye V sees his gaze drop to her ass, and she does that thing Misty showed her—casually cocks her hip, twists a little to try to give him something to look at—while keeping her attention fixed on Panam and Mitch.

V’s only just met Panam and for anyone to be able to make her hide her face like this? Whoever Saul is, he's not the one who makes her cower. It’s these two, but especially Mitch, and the look he's giving that Panam refuses to meet.

She wishes she had someone to give her that look.

Mark never looked at her like that. He was never mean or unkind, but even at the tender age of seven she knew that he only took custody of her out of guilt and love for his favorite cousin, her mother, because why else would anyone in Night City take on an orphan without means. And V knows how lucky she had it, living on a scrap of mattress in the corner while other kids her age were doing god knows what to survive the night, and god knows how many didn’t.

Mama Welles would give her that look, if only V had the cojones to call her back. Jack would be furious if he knew the number of calls V’s ducked, how many texts unread.

Chest squeezed tight and heart breaking, she screws up her face into a smirk of sorts and pushes away the guilt and sorrow.

❔- Lupe Welles

The day V met Jackie literally changed her life. She'd been living in the tiny closets they call apartments, renting week-to-week because she couldn't afford more than that. Having spent the last few years in Atlanta meant she had no one to vouch for her, so she had to scrounge for jobs and take what she could -- like bullshit jobs from Kirk.

After Jackie takes them out for food, they grab a few drinks then he brings her back home. Throwing open the door, he announces, "Mamá! Una mas para la cena!"

V follows nervously. She's stayed with friends before but usually on a raggedy couch in a two bedroom flat shared by six people; or hell, just a corner with her jacket sufficed many nights in her youth. She's not used to cooked food and hospitality.

Lupe is unfazed and answers, "Hurry up and set the table, and get your friend something to drink."

Jackie nods at the kitchen. "Kitchen's there. Help yourself."

V hesitates. It's one thing to follow a strange merc home to have dinner and have a place to crash for the night, but another to walk into his mother's kitchen and help herself to a drink. When he tromps upstairs leaving her alone, V sighs and goes to the kitchen. She stops in the door when she sees Lupe at work in front of the stove, one hand holding the pan and the other stirring with a wooden spoon.

She's never had anything that smelled like this -- at least, nothing that was from a vending machine, which is most of her meals; street vendors are way too pricey for her salary. After a moment Lupe notices her standing in the doorway and she frowns, making V's heart plummet.

"Where is my son? Did he send you in here to get your own drink? JaquÍto, donde estas?"

She continues in Spanish, so fast that V can only catch a third of what she's saying since she doesn't have the eddies for the visual translation mod, but the gist of it is that she didn't raise someone so rude to abandon his guest without getting them a drink first. After a moment Lupe stops and smiles at her.

"I hope you are hungry. And since my inhospitable son did not offer you a beverage as instructed, por favor, please help yourself."

"That's what I told her to do, Mama!" Jackie yells as he thunders back down the stairs. "Mamá, this is V. She needs a place to stay so I told her she could crash with me."

Lupe squints and gives her a closer look then she nods. "Okay. Take her upstairs to wash up."

When she returns to her cooking, V looks up at Jackie who just grins and jerks his head to the stairs. "C'mon, gotta show you my room."

[icyday]

OC Post questions: 1 (Cole) | 6 (Jubilee) | 8 (Raye) | 14 (Raye) | 20 (all/any) | 35 (Raye) | E (all/any). (feel free to all/any for any of the specific ones too

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

An Ofanite sitting still? Please. LOL. It doesn't happen. Being still with nothing to do is the least Ofanite state ever. In the actual spirit of the question, I think Cole could probably chillax in the Grove without a specific task for about 3-4 days before it would go stir crazy looking for something to tag along on. Not that its a workaholic or anything.

6. Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

Probably more flexible. Jubilee has to pay more attention to laws now that she's working for Judges, but I don't think she considers laws to be immovable Truths of the Symphony. There are always going to be corner cases and contradictions and extenuating circumstances and conflicting interpretations, and as a Creationer she's better at accepting that ambiguity than the Judges she works with. I also don't think she considers obedience to law (including Heavenly law) to be more important than doing the right thing.

8. What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?

Raye was a very sweet reliever, but I can imagine that she had to be told sometimes to not ask so many questions, especially ones that could have awkward answers. Not everyone wants to tell everything to a reliever.

14. What animal do they fear most?

Maybe moose or similarly large herbivores. Likely to be dangerous and too big for her to easily possess.

20. If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?

Huh. This is actually hard to answer. I don't think any of them would see the distinction between romantic/platonic love the way that humans would; and 'familial love' will also have a different meaning for celestials too.

For Jubilee, the distinction probably comes down to degree of obligation. Familial love is brought about from the obligation she holds for the ones in her care. So familial love is what she has for all of her children, the relievers she's taught (past and present), and possibly even Mara (who may or may not count as her child/grandchild, but towards whom Jubilee feels that obligation for nonetheless). Platonic love is for those who are connected to her via other obligations. I think she loves both of her Cherubim (past and present) but would never consider a romantic relationship with either of them. Romantic love to Jubilee has to be entirely voluntary; she is with this person because of them and they are with her because of her.

For Cole, the difference between romantic and platonic love comes down to "Do I love them? Is boinking them (in a sexual way) appealing to me?" But it's as likely to view Raye as 'its favorite person' than 'its girlfriend' and that's probably the most romantic relationship it has.

For Raye, she'd mostly make the distinction as her hosts would apply it. Humans consider the distinction important, and so she has to at least be aware of it so she can adjust her behaviors where applicable. Otherwise, she might distinguish familial love as the connection she has with her mother and her siblings. Otherwise in her personal life, love is love whether it's romantic or platonic. She's still likely to refer to Eva or Cole as her 'friends' even if others might interpret those as romantic relationships. And that's not even touching on the categorical mess that is her relationship with Mara.

35. How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive?

Oh, always. Raye's whole gig is about encouraging people to discover/reconnect with things that they're passionate about, and while her job usually has her trying to help humans do that, I think she's also very happy and encouraging towards celestials who are also getting excited about things.

E) Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

I'd probably get along with most of the characters at the same base level that I get along with most people. I'm not sure if there's any of them that I'd be close friends with or who would want to be close friends with me. They'd all be a lot to deal with in various ways.

[00katrinka00]

Landcaster Legacy Gen 7 Update #73

As the days turned into a month, Violet's anger turned to sadness, and she was unable to do anything other than work. She'd stopped writing songs and performing at open mic night entirely. To her, there was no point when one of the few people who believed in her had broken her heart so thoroughly.

Jenna still hasn't found the right time to tell Violet about her plan to move out, but time is slowly running out for her. "Lacy, I just don't know what to do. I thought she'd be better now." "I know, I know," said Lacy. "It's been a month, and my new lease starts in 5 days! I have to pack."

"Let me try and talk some sense into her," Lacy offered. "Are you sure, she might bite your head off. It's what she tried to do to me." "I'll be fine. It wouldn't be the first time she's gone off on me, and it probably won't be the last. I think I know what to say to her." "Good luck," Jenna said.

"Vi, we need to have a serious conversation," Lacy said as soon as she entered Violet's room. "Not now," whined Violet. "Yes now, and you can scream and cry and yell at me all you want, but you need to hear what I'm about to tell you, because this is all getting a bit ridiculous." "Please, no."

"I understand and Sage broke your heart, she was your first love, and you're allowed to be upset," began Lacy. "But what you aren't allowed to do is let yourself waste away because of her. You have all these feelings, I get that, but you need to turn them into something productive." "How?"

"Violet, you write songs, really really good songs. Take your feelings and write about them. I think it just might help you get over Sage," Lacy suggested. "She was one of the few people who believed in me and my music though." "Not the only one, you have me, Jenna, your parents, so many others."

"There are so many people who believe in you, Violet. I know you're hurting now, but channel that into your music. There could be so many other sims going through a similar thing right now and your music might just help them too." "You might be right…" "Maybe you'll even write a hit song."

For the first time in a month, Violet decided to sit down at her piano and at the very least try to focus on her music. Violet thought about all the times other people's music had helped her get through tough times, and she realized that Lacy had a point. Maybe Violet could do that for someone else.

Dear Diary, Lacy and I had a good conversation yesterday about my breakup with Sage. She made me realize that even though I'm still hurting, I can channel my feelings into my music and create something with them. It feels nice to be writing music again. Even if only a few sims will hear it. -Violet

With Violet seemingly doing better, Jenna thought it as good a time as any to break the news to her. "What's all this?" asked Violet. "It feels like and intervention, and Lacy just had one with me." "There's something important I need to tell you, but I want you not to freak out," Jenna began to say

"Freak out about what?" asked Violet skeptically. "I'm moving to San My in a few days," Jenna told her. "WHAT!" exclaimed Violet. "I told you not to freak out. Look, San My is the place to be for simfluencers like me right now. It'll be better for my career if I move. I know it screws you and Lacy."

"Actually," Lacy began. "I've had like a month to come up with some solutions. We aren't that screwed. For starters, I've been booking pretty consistent gigs which helps a lot. We can also rent the extra room out or just get a full time third roomie entirely." "You've known?" asked Violet angerly.

"Vi, you were in no state to hear the news," Lacy pointed out. "Also, you can move into my room," suggested Jenna. "It's bigger and you can get your piano out of the living room." "You have a point," said Violet. "I guess I'm fine about this." "OMW, thank you Vi!" Jenna exclaimed. "You're the best."

The girls decided to spend one more night out together, as a sort of going away party for Jenna, but also a celebration of the last two years they've spent in Del Sol together. Lacy and Jenna even convinced Violet to get out on the dance floor, even though she's never been a good dancer.

"Three martinis please," Lacy said as she slid into a seat at the bar "Hey," Dean greeted her. "Long time no see. Haven't seen you three, in weeks" "Vi had a bad breakup," Lacy explained. "Couldn't get her to leave the house" "That reminds me. Some lady's been in here every week asking about Violet"

"Who?" asked Lacy. "I don't know. She's rich, walks around with her nose in the air like she's better than everyone. Guess she saw Violet's performance a month ago or something." "You didn't get a name though?" "No. Just tell Violet some rich Ladys looking for her." "I will" "Don't forget" "I won't"

"You know, I've always heard that the best way to get over a breakup is to get with someone else," Jenna said. "I don't know," Violet hesitated. "C'mon, just try and flirt with someone. What's the worst that could happen?" "I really don't know." "There's not even one girl here you think is pretty?"

Violet caved, because Jenna was right. What could possibly go wrong? "So, uh hi there," Violet said as she approached a sim who'd caught her eye. "Hi?" "So, um if we were in the alphabet they'd put U and I together." "Oh, hell no!" exclaimed the girl. Apparently, a lot could go wrong.

"OMW, I'm so sorry," exclaimed Violet. "Look, it's all good," the sim began to say. "But you really got to get yourself some better pickup lines. That was so embarrassing." "Sorry, um I'm just going to uh go over here then, thank you," Violet said sheepishly before running back towards Jenna.

"What was that, Vi?" exclaimed Jenna. "I panicked okay," Violet defended herself. "I've never flirted with anyone before." "Where'd you even learn a pickup line that bad?" "I don't know, I think it was in one of those bad joke books I read when I was a kid." The girls burst into a fit of laughter.

[clicked-in]

Why Men Pull Away And how you can tap into his deep desire for commitment...

Maggie was confused. Rick had blown her away on their first two dates. No guy had ever worked so hard to impress her.

And impressed she was. He was attentive, respectful, gentle and engaged.

But then, just when she decided she'd fallen for him...poof. He withdrew.

Now their roles had reversed. Overnight, she was working to get his attention.

Why do men do that? Why do men shut women out?

Certainly, not every man pulls away when things start to heat up, but a lot of guys do.

Enough, in fact, that this is a common question among the women I work with as a dating and relationship coach.

Guys come on strong, pursuing with enough passion to make Romeo jealous, but when they win the attention of their Juliet, it's game over.

What gives?

Look, dating's a tough gig. Yes, it's fun and exciting, but it's also nerve-racking.

At first, it's all about the chase. He's trying to get your attention, and you're deciding whether or not he's worth it.

That's the time in any dating relationship when both people are so wrapped up in the pursuit that they're hardly giving any thought to what will come next.

And then, the pursuit changes.

You decide you're into the guy, and he, having won your attention, has to begin the process of considering an actual, serious relationship. Does he want one?

More than likely he does, or he wouldn't have been chasing you!

But, wanting it and being fearless enough to really go after it are two different things.

So, what's a girl to do?

Well, first I'll tell you what you should NOT do.

Avoid These Two Common Mistakes

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First, don't assume it's about you. It almost certainly isn't. He was into you before you decided you were into him. He's still into you, now.

Second, don't pressure him. This is where a lot of the advice columns get it wrong. They often say you should play "hard to get" or some version of it.

Instead, let him know you're interested in him.

Do it in ways that don't smother or push. (Text messages every hour, on the hour, for example, might be over-doing it.)

Why do men pull away and shut women out at this phase of a relationship? Because he's a little nervous. He's nervous about giving up the freedom of choice.

Don't change, be the woman he fell in love with

During the pursuit phase, it's desire that motivates him. As soon as he realizes this could be something real, his motivation shifts.

Suddenly he's thinking about the many options he will give up, and the lifestyle changes he's committing to.

(A lot of guys have an irrational fear that all their activities will all become feminized if they commit to a woman.)

When he's acting this way, you don't have to change what you're doing. When he acts distant, your best bet is to appear calm and comfortable.

Be the woman he fell in love with (carefree, confident, and available).

Don't freak out—that'll freak him out. Don't demand his attention—that'll send him running. And don't launch into a panic that he's seen some fatal flaw in you.

Because that thought process will put you in a negative frame of mind, and that's anything but attractive.

Always Assume The Best

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He pursued you for the first few dates, hoping you'd decide you were into him. He's gone out on a limb before.

Now it's your turn. Give him enough space to feel comfortable while still letting him know you're interested.

Any guy who truly wants a mature, real relationship will come around as soon as he sees there's nothing there to be afraid of.

And any guy who's not ready for a real relationship wasn't the catch you thought he was, anyway!

Now, before you settle into "waiting mode," I'd like to share a shortcut that can pull him back and rekindle his passionate pursuit at lightening speed.

There's nothing wrong with being patient, but if you want to pour a little miracle grow on your relationship, here's what I recommend you do next...

When He Shuts You Out, Try This...

Survey research shows men would rather be respected than loved. It's wired into our DNA.

We feel an irrational need to earn your respect as an avenue to becoming worthy of your love.

Now look, as a male dating coach working primarily with women, I know how crazy this must sound to you. But it's true.

It's one of the few "secrets" that really can give you an unfair advantage with men.

Here's how this knowledge can help.

If you channel a man's deep desire to earn your respect in the right ways, he will bend over backward for you.

And the more he does this, the easier it becomes for him to see himself in a long-term committed relationship with you.

And his favorite way to earn your respect?

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He wants to be heroic. He wants to solve problems for you, come to your aid, and prove himself useful.

It's not very romantic, but it's woven into the fabric of his DNA.

And that's why I've put together a video explaining this phenomenon further so you can tap into his hero instinct anytime you want, even if he's currently asking for space.

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[askthefivefallen]

"Please, read and relax. I shouldn't be too much longer."

... really?

I have no idea how long this will take.

Yeah, I kinda figured. What's your vision for 'complete'?

I don't rightly know; I've not yet gotten a proper look at all of Heaven.

True... but, if you're just trying to finish the city, you can use your imagination. Or just copy what's already been done.

But then it won't feel complete.

Look, the only places I've seen are in Hell, so I'm not sure what you're looking for here.

Show me Pentagram City.

Shamira closes her eyes, focusing on Ass' memory of overlooking the city. It's brief- her attention shifted to Emily quickly- but it's enough for Shamira to extrapolate. When she opens her eyes, she looks at the sand city before and begins walking around, musing, mapping out what she needs to do in her head. Once she has the mental picture, she sets to work again.

Sugar, first chance we get, I'm introducing you to Legos.

Legos?

And model kits. Miniatures. Bitch, you're gonna have so many hobbies.

None of what you're saying constitutes a full sentence.

You're having fun building things! You like building things!

I... suppose that's correct. I am having fun.

More importantly, you like doing shit I find fucking boring!

And this excites you for some reason?

It's good to have your 'thing'. Emily's got her Joy gig and reading and learning and shit. I like driving and video games and... honestly, taking care of the horses down in Wrath. I miss those fuckers. One of your things is building shit.

Ass shares with her a daydream. The three of them sit on Emily's couch in her living room. Ass holds a controller, leaning into the seraph's side as she reads a book, and Shamira sits on Emily's other side with a tray in her lap and fitting tiny little pieces together with care.

... Ass?

Yeah?

In your little daydream, you are wearing a tank top and shorts, Emily is wearing her sleepwear, and I'm wearing... workout clothes.

You haven't developed a good chilling out style but I'm not putting you in a suit for downtime.

That's fine. My bigger question is: why are we both wearing collars? And why does yours have spikes?

I didn't think you would dig the spiked look.

You know damn well that's not what I mean.

I think you'd look good in a collar.

But why are you wearing one, too? And they're both in periwinkle- doesn't that imply Emily owns us?

Okay, we both know she could tell you to fly into the ocean right now and you'd do it. I wouldn't stop you; I'd do it if she asked me! She does own us but in, like, a sexy way, not an Overlord way.

Considering all she went through to get you back, I would argue you- oh, damnit, I am not phrasing it that way.

No no, you're right, Em would probably wear a collar for me. You would, too.

... we both know you're right, so what's your point?

We'd wear collars for you, too.

Shamira's hands falter, nearly knocking over the Vee tower in the process.

I don't like that.

Got it! True bottom. Kinda figured but I wanted to make sure.

Ass, please-

This is just another way of getting to know you.

You could literally choose any other way.

Yeah... but... nah...

Why are you like this?

For one, it's fun. For another, because I have the feeling you're gonna be difficult about saying what you want and how you feel out loud. So! Getting these conversations outta the way while I'm in your head lets you keep your dignity intact.

... is it really? About that, I mean?

It's part of it, for sure. I'm also a little bored in here and messing with you is something to do.

You really can't find something else to occupy your time? You can't grant me five minutes of peace?

... Sugar, how long do you think you've been working on this?

Shamira blinks and rises to her feet carefully, stepping back. She hadn't noticed she'd been etching windows into the recreation of the Hazbin Hotel. She wasn't able to replicate the signage at the top- or any of the many billboards hanging off Hell's buildings- but there was still a very sizeable, very recognizable portion of Pentagram City filling in the other half of the sand city. Notably, she could tell from the position of the sun that she'd been working for... quite some time. Possibly multiple hours.

Shrinking in on herself a little, she goes to find Emily. "I, perhaps, lost track of the time. However, Ass is convinced I would like Legos so... I believe it's a net gain?"

“Okay, so the key to a good sand castle is a good sand to water ratio. If you have too much water, it’s mud, too much sand and it won’t stick. You want it to stand on its own but still be pliable. Like this,” *Emily squeezes a handful of sand and it keeps the shape of the space between her palm* “Once you have that, you can build it up and shave away what you don’t need. If you make a mistake, just add a little more and fix it.”

*She offers the sand castle building kit to Shamira* “Here, now you try!”

Alright, Sugar, here you go. Go ahead and summon your mask; it's your time to shine.

Shamira smiles, snapping her fingers to summon a periwinkle mask into place. It wasn't the same as her face guard, the fabric far more flexible and permitting her to speak, but it brought her a similar level of peace. She then took the kit Emily handed her, tilting her head as she puzzled through the various pieces. Aside from the bucket that carried the kit, there was a small hand shovel and several molds to build the actual castle. "It seems fairly straight forward."

She kneels down and familiarizes herself with the various components before taking the bucket to dig out a small pit, intending to use it to create a pool of water she could easily draw from and using the displaced sand to build her castle. Then, she went to gather water.

You know, now seems like a good enough time to ask- why sandcastle building?

I'm unsure what you mean with that question.

You're pretty invested in doing this and I'm just curious what about sandcastles has your attention. Not like either of us knew surfing was a bad idea until this morning.

Shamira gathers up water in the bucket and ferries it back to her pit, going back for a second trip as most of the water began seeping through the sand at the bottom.

I am intrigued by the concept and I hope to better understand our dynamic by experiencing the process myself.

Our dynamic?

Yes. We're very much like a sandcastle.

Sugar, I'm pretty good at reading you, but ya gotta explain this one.

Shamira continues bringing water, focused solely on creating her pool of water and conversing with Ass in her head.

Sandcastles combine two concepts that should not make sense together. Sand is malleable, always shifting, dynamic; a castle is not. The stone is immutable, worn away only after ages have passed. You are the sand- dynamic, changing, adapting, and yet you remain true. No matter how the ocean beats against you, you are still the same Ass, despite how much you've changed,l just like you may never walk on the exact same sand but the beach endures. I am the castle; I am set in my ways, virtually incapable of changing easily, and I fear I may be worn away entirely one day.

What makes you think you'll be worn away?

A few things. I'm not as strong as you- spiritually. It's as Emily said; you are a wild, blazing flame. I am not.

Just because you're not a flame doesn't mean you can't endure. Look at the Palace; that's a type of castle and it's been around ages.

... I suppose.

And, even if you're always going to be a castle, that doesn't mean you can't change. You were once a castle dedicated to Sera. Now you're dedicated to Emily.

I changed because you showed me how. In that way, we are a sandcastle- two things that, by all rights, should not be even remotely considered relevant to each other. Yet, we are.

Okay. Well. Couple things. First, whatever our 'dynamic' is, I promise it's gonna be stronger and hardier than any fucking sandcastle.

Noted.

Secondly, sandcastles, even well built ones, are still messy and imperfect. So, it's okay if we're a little messy and imperfect, too.

Reasonable.

Finally, trust Em's word. It's about finding the right ratio, the right balance. It might not be intuitive. But, if we keep working at it, we'll figure it out.

I believe that's a sound strategy.

Awesome. Now, you've been fucking silently filling up that hole with water for, like, ten minutes. Em's probably a little worried.

Shamira blinks and looks up, turning her head to meet Emily's gaze while holding up the bucket. "Preparations are almost complete. Then, construction can begin."

((@ask-emily-em-emmy))

[parkerslatte]

Never Assume

Alive!Luke Patterson x Fem!Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.8k+

Summary: Luke has had a crush on (Y/N) for a while however every time she tries to talk to him, he dismisses her to not seem like an idiot by accidentally blurting out that he likes her. (Y/N) finally asks Luke why he doesn't like her.

MASTERLIST

*****

Luke Patterson had a crush on (Y/N) (L/N) and he had ever since he met her. Whenever she looked away, he was caught on multiple occasions by Julie, Alex and Reggie looking at her. Of course he always denied what he was doing, blaming it on zoning out but in reality, everyone knew the truth - well everyone but (Y/N). 

(Y/N) believed that Luke hated her. Whenever she would try to talk to him, he would dismiss her or only speak very few words to her. At first, she thought that he was tired or stressed but as soon as Julie, Alex or Reggie stepped into the room, he would perk up immediately. From then on (Y/N) assumed that Luke hated her. 

The reason why Luke ignored (Y/N) was because he didn’t want to make a fool out of himself in front of her. Everyone knew him as a boy who could flirt with any girl no problem, but when it came to (Y/N), he froze up, unable to form full sentences. Most of the time, when she was left alone in a room with Luke, (Y/N) would either walk out or play on her phone until the others came back. Whenever she walked out, Luke would feel bad, all he wanted to do was speak to her but he was afraid that when he opened his mouth, he would have no control over what he was saying and blurt out that he liked her. 

However, the times when (Y/N) stayed in the room, Luke would constantly look over to her. He would notice the way her eyes narrowed when she tried to read something on the phone screen. He noticed the tap of her foot when she had a certain song stuck in her head. He noticed the way she would blow air out of her nose when she found something funny. He noticed all the things he had grown to love about the girl.

(Y/N) sat in band practice. The band had a gig coming up and they needed to rehearse, the (L/N) girl was their biggest supporter, always turning up to every gig they played. The band had tried to convince the girl multiple times to join the band - she had the voice of an angel, however the girl refused every time, preferring to help Flynn out behind the scenes. 

Julie sang the last note of Bright and (Y/N) jumped up and clapped the band. She had probably heard that song at least a hundred times by now but she enjoyed it every time. She rushed up to Reggie and gave him a hug, followed by Julie and then finally Alex. (Y/N) returned to her seat not even looking in Luke’s direction. However, she missed the hurt look on his face as (Y/N) didn’t even spare him a second glance.

“That was amazing guys!” (Y/N) exclaimed.

“You say that after every song.” Julie chuckled at her friend's excitement.

“I know but you’re all just so talented. Like it’s unreal.” (Y/N) said sitting back down in her seat.

“You’re talented as well, (Y/N), remember our offer still stands.” Alex spoke from behind the drums.

“Yeah, your vocals combined with Julie’s - we would be unstoppable.” Reggie said.

(Y/N) smiled at the boy, “I’ve told you before, I prefer to be behind the scenes and besides, I definitely wouldn’t have the confidence,” (Y/N) shifted her gaze slightly towards Luke who was tuning his guitar not paying attention to the conversation, “But I also thing someone doesn’t want me in the band.” (Y/N) mumbled the last part, however Julie still heard it, she frowned. 

Julie, Alex and Reggie knew about Luke’s feelings for (Y/N), no matter how many times he denied it, they could tell that he was in love with her. The three of them had noticed his longing glances, when (Y/N) wasn’t around, Luke would always try to find ways to slip her name into the conversation, and he was the one who wanted to invite (Y/N) into the band in the first place. Everyone was aware of Luke’s feelings towards (Y/N) - all except for (Y/N) herself.

“Anyway, it’s getting late, I should really head home.” (Y/N) says.

“You can stay here another night, my dad won’t mind.” Julie says.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to overstay my welcome.” (Y/N) replied.

“It’s fine, you know that he won’t mind. I mean for a few weeks you basically moved in.” Julie chuckled.

(Y/N) smiled at her friend, “Okay, but I need to borrow some clothes.”

“Go on ahead, I’ll catch up in a second.” Julie says. (Y/N) bids the boys a goodnight before leaving the studio and making her way to the house. 

Once (Y/N) was gone and out of earshot, Julie turned to Luke with her arms folded, “Why are you acting like this?

Luke looked up to her confused, “Acting like what?”

“You’re ignoring (Y/N). You like her so why are you ignoring her?” Julie questioned, “And before you even try to deny it, I won’t believe it for one second.”

Luke looked between Alex and Reggie silently asking for help but the two shared the same look as Julie. Luke sighed, “Alright, I do like her but I’m afraid that if I talk to her, I’ll just screw up and look like an idiot.”

“And you’d think she'd care?” Julie questioned, “Luke, she liked you, she told me that herself.”

“Wait, what do you mean liked?” Luke asked.

Julie sighed, “Well, you’ve been ignoring her every time she tries to talk to you, you never participate in any conversation (Y/N) is in, but I know you’re listening.” Julie said.

Luke sighed and leant forward resting his elbows on his knees, “So I screwed up without even saying anything? Great, the one time I really liked a girl and she doesn't even like me anymore because I was being an idiot.” 

“I never said she didn’t like you anymore,” Julie says, “I don’t know if she still does, but it’s worth a shot, Luke. You need to try before she distances herself from you even more than she already has.”

Luke jumped up to his feet, “Alright, I’ll do it.”

“What now?” Alex questioned.

“Yes, if she is distancing herself from me, I don’t know what I would do.” Luke confessed and left Julie, Alex and Reggie in the studio in pursuit of (Y/N).

Luke wandered into the house and made his way up to Julie’s bedroom. At this moment, he may look composed but on the inside, his heart was hammering against his rib cage. Each step he took towards Julie’s room felt like a mile, he was tempted to turn back multiple times but he marched on. He knocked on the door.

“Julie, it’s your room, you don’t need to knock-” (Y/N) stopped talking, realising that it wasn’t Julie, it was Luke, “Oh, hi.” (Y/N) turned back towards the drawer she was looking through. 

“Hi.” Luke said quietly.

(Y/N) wanted to know what Luke was doing here. He was meant to hate her, so why was he coming to see her. The girl frowned at the thought of the word ‘hated’. (Y/N), herself hated the fact that Luke disliked her. She knew it sound stupid to have a crush on the boy that hated you, but (Y/N) just couldn’t help herself.

“Why do you hate me?” The question came out of (Y/N)’s mouth before she had a chance to stop herself.

Luke looked towards the girl in shock, “What? I don’t hate you (Y/N). What makes you think that?”

(Y/N) turned around to face Luke, “You ignore me Luke. Every time I tried to make conversation with you, you would either dismiss my comment or give me a one word reply. I really don’t know what I did wrong. I tried so many times to get you to talk to me, and right now is the most you’ve spoken to me in weeks.”

Luke stared at the girl. He had never wanted to make her believe he hated her. He hated himself for making her feel that way, “I don’t hate you, (Y/N).”

“Then why do you act the way you do when you’re around me?”

“Because I was afraid I would mess up.” Luke stated.

“Mess up? What do you mean mess up?” (Y/N) questioned.

Without realising he was doing it, Luke began to slowly step towards (Y/N), “I was afraid I would mess up and you would think that I was an idiot.”

“Luke, you’re not making any sense.” (Y/N) folded her arms across her chest, she hoped it would help with the nervous thumping of her heart.

“(Y/N), the reason why I acted the way I did was because I like you. I was afraid to talk to you in case I messed things up by blurting out that I liked you.” Luke confessed. 

(Y/N)’e eyes blinked open and close for a moment, wanting to make sure that what Luke said was real and not just a figment of her imagination, “Wha-what?”

Luke took a deep breath, “I like you, (Y/N).”

(Y/N)’s eyes flicked back and forth between his, trying to figure out if he was lying or not. 

“Well, are you going to say something?” Luke asked softly. 

“I liked you, Luke,” (Y/N) said, “I liked you and you ignored me, dismissed everything I had to say and do you know what the worst part was.”

Luke was afraid of the answer but he asked anyway, “What?”

“I never stopped.” Before Luke could process anything, (Y/N)’s lips were on his, her hands placed on his chest. It took Luke a moment to catch up to the present. His arms held (Y/N)’s waist lightly, his thumb occasionally brushing over the bit of exposed skin from where her shirt had ridden up. (Y/N) manoeuvred her hands from his chest and clasped them behind his head. Luke’s grip on her waist tightened, pulling her closer to him. He couldn’t believe this was happening. 

(Y/N) was the first to pull away from Luke. She looked at him in the eye. He looked down at her, adoration shown in his features. (Y/N) smiled at him and he smiled at her. 

“I don’t hate you, and I’m sorry for ever making you think I did.” Luke mumbled, pulling (Y/N) closer into a hug. 

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” (Y/N) mumbled against his neck, “Even if you did screw up, I wouldn’t have minded. I would never judge you Luke.”

Luke placed a small kiss on (Y/N)’s neck before burying his head into her shoulder, “I’m lucky to have you.”

[that-crazy-five-foot-two-chick]

I've been so excited to write for the Mystic Messenger Reverse Big Bang 2021 (go check out other amazing fics and art in the collection at @mysme-rbb), and it's the first fanfic/art event I've participated in! @madiebelleadventures and I teamed up to brainstorm this beast, so her art is at the very end (because I ain't spoilin nothin)!

-

Rating: T

Word Count: 5.1k

Summary: One day after the end of a work week, Vanderwood surprises MC with some husband-wife baking time—with a twist. Inspired by his agent training, he suggests that they bake as a team but have MC blindfolded. In order to make a cake that's actually edible, she must follow his directions to the letter. All that's left after that is chaos, banter, and spouse-flustering. And figuring out how to actually make a cake.

A/N: Fyi MC is definitely more of her own character than a reader-insert on this one. Also as per usual with me, I headcanon Vanderwood as British, so I tried heavily to align his phrasing accordingly, despite being an American myself. Enjoy seeing exactly how much fluff I can possibly cram into 5k words!

MC sighed happily at the feeling of the wind in her hair as she drove home from work one Friday evening. Windows down, jacket off, music blasting—the air itself felt like freedom. She had nothing against her job—in fact, she enjoyed it for the most part. She prided herself in a job well done, she liked being able to manage a team of her own, and the paycheck and benefits were good. Nothing extravagant, of course, but enough to comfortably support a couple newlyweds.

And that was the real reason MC nearly jumped out the door every day when everything wrapped up at the office. Who wouldn't, with a husband as unfairly hot as Vanderwood? Completely unfair how he could make leopard print and what was practically a mullet actually look attractive. Thank goodness his fashion sense had mellowed out over time, if only a little bit. With Vanderwood's past being what it was, they had mutually come to the conclusion that it would be best for their well-being if he stayed at their apartment during the day to keep the household running. He was very particular about how he cooked, cleaned, and did the laundry, and he handled their finances conscientiously and precisely. Admittedly, she did have to occasionally remind him that as sleek as that new top-of-the-line taser was, there was no real need for it, but that was just part of her husband's charm.

And boy, was he charming.

She truly couldn't wait to get home, past this rush hour traffic. She'd get home and be pulled in for a deep kiss moments after walking in the door. Maybe he'd slip a gentle but insistent hand into her hair. Maybe they'd take it a little further. Or a lot further.

"HOLY FUDGE NUGGETS ON BACON ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME???"

MC swerved to avoid a collision and waited for her heartbeat to settle down again. There was no freaking way she was going to die in some stupid car wreck before their date tonight. A surprise, he'd said. No matter how hard she'd tried to weasel more out of him, he wouldn’t bend. Darn agent training. Good thing it wouldn't be a surprise for much longer. Within minutes, the streets got smaller and quieter as she neared her apartment building. Another minute, and she flung open the apartment door and leapt on her husband.

MC's fantasies were soon replaced by an even better reality when Vanderwood's lips landed on hers. Kissing back enthusiastically, MC wrapped her arms around his middle so tight that a less sturdy man would be coughing for air. Vanderwood snatched her keys and purse and hung them by the doorway, never breaking his focus for a second. His kisses grew slower, but no less fervent, as he smoothed her wind-strewn hair. Eventually, their lips reluctantly parted, and MC broke the silence.

"How did I manage to snag the best kisser on earth on top of marrying the most insanely attractive man on earth?"

Vanderwood smirked. "Good taste, I guess." He kissed her once more soundly for good measure.

"Maybe. Will my insanely attractive husband tell me what our surprise date is now?"

"Perhaps."

"No perhapses! I've been dying waiting!"

"Very well. Start by changing your clothes, because I am not scrubbing stains out of your good work clothes."

"Do I otherwise have to wear anything in particular? That's not a lot to go off of."

"Doesn't matter to me. Now go change before I do the job myself."

"I wouldn't complain."

"This is not that kind of date! Go!"

"Fine, Sir Panties-in-a-bunch."

MC went to the bedroom and took stock of her clothing options. She had to choose something practical that could be easily washed, but she still wanted to look a little cute. After all, it was a date. It was a tough balance to strike. Eh, she could always stick an apron or an old shirt over it. She grabbed her oversized paint shirt just in case before snagging a light pink shirt. Now for the bottoms. She debated on a simple skirt, but decided to go for it. After all, if it didn't fit with Vanderwood's plans, he would tell her. MC changed quickly and weaved her hair into a side braid, slipping a tendril out on each side to frame her face. Mirror-MC nodded in approval. Time to see what on earth her husband had been planning.

She cracked open the door and peeked through before skipping over to Vanderwood, who had made himself comfortable on the couch. His amber eyes widened in interest.

"You have no business looking this pretty for a baking date."

MC grinned. "Ha! I did get it out of you! A baking date sounds cute. What made you think of that? Are you just really getting into the whole house husband gig?"

"It was my agent training, actually." Seeing the puzzled look on his wife's face, Vanderwood continued, "There's a bit of a twist to it, you see. I will hardly be doing any of the actual baking. You, my dear, on the other hand, will be completely blindfolded. You will have to follow my instructions explicitly, or else the result will be completely inedible."

"I still fail to see how the setup doesn't sound like 'that kind of date', but it sounds like fun! What does this have to do with your agent training, though?"

"Various exercises used similar techniques. Many times in the field, we had to follow orders to the letter with no questions asked if we wanted to make it out in one piece. We also did training to be able to operate blindly or in the dark if our vision was compromised. But none of it was as enjoyable as watching a beautiful woman bake a cake by pure trust."

"You're such a flatterer. Keep it coming," MC smirked.

"At least get into the kitchen first," Vanderwood said, handing her a blindfold that looked suspiciously like his nap mask.

"Okay, but if you don't want me in the kitchen until I'm blindfolded, you're gonna have to get my apron yourself."

"I thought I was the one giving out orders tonight?"

"A girl's gotta get her kicks somewhere."

"Such a docile wife I have. Never difficult, never demanding."

"You think it's sexy. Don't even try to deny it."

"I would have filed for immediate divorce if the description 'docile' actually fit you." He stepped into the kitchen and emerged a moment later with the apron. MC slipped it on and, after ducking briefly into the bathroom to wash her hands, covered her eyes with the blindfold.

"I'm at your mercy now. Don't abuse that privilege."

He materialized behind her, winding his arms around her waist. "I wouldn't dream of it," he murmured into her ear before attacking her stomach. MC burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"I swear—!" she giggled "—I swear I'm going to punch the living daylights out of you!"

"You're certainly welcome to try. You know I wouldn't even feel it."

"But I could try. How am I supposed to trust you to give me decent directions to bake whatever the heck we're making if I can't even trust you not to tickle me?"

"You don't. That's the thrill of it."

"You'd better have me make something actually edible for all our trouble."

"That all depends on how well you follow my instructions."

"And how decent your instructions are. Let's not forget that tiny detail," she reminded.

"Hmm, we'll see," The smile was evident in his voice. "Now if we're going to start, we need to go ahead and do it."

"Probably."

He guided MC by her upper arms into the narrow kitchen.

"Fortunately," he said, halting and holding her in place, "we're only baking a cake and not an entire meal, so it won't take an eternity."

"I sure hope not! It's pizza night and I'm already a little hungry!"

He wound his hands around his wife's waist, lightly patting her stomach. "Well, the faster we start, the faster we can eat. I've already laid everything out for you as best I can, so you just have to follow my directions, all right, love?"

"Got it."

"All right, can you feel the worktop?" A nod. "Raise your right hand just a bit...and over…now grab the box with the cake mix, because heaven knows neither of us knows or cares enough to make it from scratch. Got it? Now open it up. The mixing bowl is straight to the left. Go ahead and pour it in."

"Just so you know, if I spill anything, you're the one taking responsibility."

"And why is that, darling?" Vanderwood asked, feigning shock.

"Because you're the one who had this idea in the first place! Not to mention if I make a mess it’s because of your faulty directions."

Unfortunately, MC failed to prove her point, pouring the mix into the bowl and barely spilling a few crumbs.

"Looks like we may not have to worry about that," Vanderwood smirked.

"You have met me, right? You know something's going to get spilled, right?"

Ignoring her, he moved the empty box toward the back and continued, "The milk should be right around where the cake mix was, if you can remember where you just were. The measuring jug is right next to it. Do you think you can pour it in correctly?"

"We'll see, now won't we?"

"There you go. Just try to take it slowly, just in case, and stop when I say so."

MC obeyed, gradually tilting the milk jug until a thin stream hit the center of the measuring cup.

"Brilliant! Now careful, careful, slightly to the left...that's it! Now slow down...almost done...stop!" He kissed her cheek. "That was amazing. Now pour it into the bowl."

MC felt around for the mixing bowl again. She managed to find it and poured in the milk. "Where's the cap for the milk jug?"

"Hm...where did it go? Oh, there it is. Right by the sink."

She batted at the air around her right side to find the inside of the sink. Instead, her hand bumped the side of the milk jug. Vanderwood's hand shot out to catch it, but a small puddle had already sloshed onto the counter. MC's hand shot up to take off the blindfold, but Vanderwood caught her wrist first. She sighed.

"Vandy, give it to me straight. How bad is it?"

"Not bad at all. I caught it before much got out. Stay put for a moment while I wipe it up so it doesn't start to smell or dry up."

"Not to say I told you, but I definitely told you."

Her husband stuck out his tongue at her—one of the few ways he had begun to let himself be childish lately. Then the obvious dawned on him. "I'm sticking out my tongue. I thought you ought to know that."

"Crucial information. Are you done yet?"

"Yep. You ready to get your hands a little dirty?"

"Isn't that expected in all this?"

"That's probably a large part of why you demanded an apron first, yes."

"You would be right about that, also yes. And you're so dramatic. I did not demand."

"Up to interpretation. Reach up to the left of the mixing bowl and just grab it off the plate and toss it in."

As instructed, MC reached over and let out a tiny shriek when her hand came into contact with the soft butter. Vanderwood guffawed.

"I was waiting for that."

MC gasped. "You did this on purpose!" She flung the butter into the bowl with an extra dash of vindictiveness.

"Maybe so. I like hearing your reactions," he purred.

"Don't try to be all smooth when you're being a twit. It doesn't suit you," MC sniffed, then muttered under her breath, "actually it totally works for you but it doesn't make me less ticked at you."

"By the way, don't bother trying to wash your hands just yet. The next part is probably going to be the messiest. I'll go get the bin so it'll be close by for you."

"Appreciated. What's the next part?"

"Eggs."

"Yikes, okay. That's why I needed the trash can, then. And where are the eggs?"

"To your left. You're going to need four of them. I read somewhere that adding an extra egg makes it better, hypothetically."

"You're the one giving the instructions."

"Alright, the bin is to your left, whenever you're ready."

"I could hear the thunk when you set it down, but thank you," MC said wryly.

"I live to serve."

There was silence for a moment as MC cracked the first egg into the bowl, and a soft smile rose on her face like the dawn. "Not anymore, you don't. I thank God every day that you and Saeyoung were able to free yourselves from the agency. I never could have forgotten you even if you hadn't, but I never would have known the immense joy I've gotten to have by being your wife." She sniffed, then laughed. "Sorry for being so sentimental all of a sudden, I don't know what got into me. It's just that knowing how many things could have gotten between us makes me that much more grateful for what we have."

"Ah!" Vanderwood shot a hand out to correct the second egg's trajectory into the mixing bowl.

"Oops, thank you."

"No problem, love. We're a team." He settled against her back, rubbing her arms lightly and placing a tender kiss on her cheek. "And never feel sorry for your so-called sentimentality. In fact, I really think you hold back sometimes. You shouldn't. I know that I used to scoff at these things, but locking out your emotions for job after job really takes a toll on a man. The agency had no room for love of any sort, and I've long come to the realization that every person is hardwired to desire love of one kind or another. I know I'm still unlearning all of my coping mechanisms, and I know I'm still sharp with some people, but with you?" He smoothed a hair back from her face. "I'll take whatever love you can give me."

She cracked the third egg into the bowl and threw out the shell. "I always knew you could be a softie, very deep down. I'm just glad that I get to be the one to see it."

After the fourth egg was in the bowl, Vanderwood directed, "Okay, time to wash up. The next thing is mixing for two minutes. While I love you, I do not trust you to use an electric mixer while blindfolded, so you're going to use a whisk for that job."

"I suppose that's fair. Can you put away the trash can while I wash my hands?"

"Already on it."

"Where's the whisk, again?"

"I kind of put it toward the back, so either be careful or wait for me to move a few things."

"Oh, I've got it. Don't worry," MC waved a hand in dismissal and groped around for the whisk, but her arm was a bit too low, and she dipped her clothed elbow in the plate where the butter had been. She sighed. "What did I just decorate my elbow with?"

"Butter. Try it. It might be tasty," he teased.

"Come on, Vandy, this is not the time. Help me get it off before it soaks in too much."

"Alright, alright, I just had to pick on you a little bit for not listening to me." He carefully scooped off the top layer of the butter with a paper towel before trying to absorb the rest. "I'm going to roll up your sleeves a bit more so that this hopefully won't happen again."

"Well, not until I slosh half the cake out of this bowl trying and failing to mix it."

"You'll be fine. Just stick to mixing the center and bringing the outside of it toward the center so everything gets mixed. But mix it well and mix it fast. The timer starts...now!"

MC held the bowl against her stomach to steady it while she mixed the batter vigorously. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one trying to mix furiously while keeping it all in the bowl on top of being blindfolded!"

"Calm down, you're doing great. A couple drips, maybe, but it's staying in."

"So far, anyway. But that's good, I guess."

"No guessing. It's quite good." Vanderwood leaned against the counter. "We've got a minute and a half to kill. Should I spend it telling you how you look right now?"

"Oh gosh, do I even want to know?"

He shook his head in near disbelief, smiling. "Magnetic. Adorable. More delicious than the cake we're making."

MC cackled. "You cannot be serious. I've got to be a mess right now."

"You act as if that's a contradiction. It's the mess that makes you more beautiful. Is every single hair of yours in place? No. But they fall around your face in the most delicately beautiful way. Even the places where the ingredients got smudged on you somehow add to your charm." He leaned in so that his lips touched her ear, his voice lowering to a gravelly timbre. "Did you know that your cheeks are all rosy from the effort you're putting into stirring? It's unbelievably attractive. And the way your lips press together when you're concentrating? It makes me want to kiss them apart. In fact—"

"Vanderwood, how much time is left?" MC interrupted, suppressing a vivid blush and a shiver.

"Our entire lives," he said, happily ignoring the real question.

"The timer, Vanderwood. How much is left on the timer?"

The sound of the timer going off answered the question for him. "None," he grinned. "I'll go spray the cake pan while you rest for a moment. You've earned it."

She exhaled, set the mixing bowl aside, and stretched. Then a thought made her panic. "Vandy, we forgot to preheat the oven."

He held her face in his hands. "MC. Darling. Breathe. I set the oven when I grabbed the apron."

Her breathing gradually slowed. "Sorry, love. I'm just really hungry and kind of tired and I think not being able to see is doing weird things to my brain and you kind of flustered me a minute ago with what you were saying and I'm sorry, I—" her voice cracked, but Vanderwood cut her off and held her close.

"Hey...hey...you're alright. There's nothing to be sorry about. I kept you going after a long day of work without feeding you first. I should have known better." He smoothed her hair and tucked it into her braid. "I'll tell you what. How about we get this cake in the oven and then order some pizza and watch another episode of Cucumber Fish?"

MC sniffled and hummed in agreement. Vanderwood loosened his hold around her and gently brought her hands to the bowl again before grabbing the cake pan. "Okay, all you've got to do now is pour it into the pan that I've put just to the left of the bowl. Just take it nice and easy. There you go. Perfect. You're almost done. Now let me get a spatula to scoop the last of it out." After he finished, he slid the cake pan into the oven and started the timer. "There. All done." He slipped the mask off her eyes and gave her a peck on the lips as she blinked to adjust to the light. "I'll clean all this up, alright? Go ahead and relax on the sofa. You can order the pizza and get Cucumber Fish queued up while I finish up in here."

"Okay," she murmured. Another peck, and she curled up on the couch. She pulled out her phone to order the pizza and smiled at the notifications she'd gotten from the RFA chatroom. They were up to their normal antics again. Hopefully, Saeyoung wouldn't exasperate Saeran too much with his crazy propositions. But there was nothing she could do about that, and she was starving and in desperate need of pizza. Once it was ordered, she turned on the TV and selected the episode, making sure to let it run past the ads before pausing it.

After Vanderwood joined her on the couch, the next forty-five minutes was filled with lots of cuddling and pizza devouring, more kissing than watching the show, a few glances at the cake's progress, an agreement to actually watch the episode while they ate the cake, and several minutes of cooling time after the cake was removed from the oven. Vanderwood emerged from the kitchen after a few minutes of setting up to decorate.

"Are you sure you want to put on the mask again?" he asked. "I don't want it to mess with your head like it did last time."

"I'll be fine, babe. I'm pretty sure it was like that last time just because I was starving."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes."

"If you say so. Go ahead and get them on, then," he said, handing MC the apron and mask.

"Just make sure to lead me into the kitchen again."

"Hmm, we'll see."

"We'll see?" she repeated, but shrieked soon after when she no longer felt the ground beneath her feet. Vanderwood had scooped her up to carry her into the kitchen bridal-style and sank his lips against hers with intentionality. He bumped into the counter but managed to avoid any damage to his wife. He deposited one last kiss on her lips before setting her down.

"What have you done to me, woman? Years and years of agent skills, undone in a moment. If it were anything or anyone else, I never would have bumped into that worktop. But when it's you kissing me, you're the only thing that exists." He grinned. "It's a shame, really. I thought my dexterity was an impressive skill, but I don't even have that anymore, it seems."

"Shame indeed," MC parroted, trying to steal another kiss from his lips and stealing one from his nostrils instead. She made a face, causing Vanderwood to laugh.

"Well, at least I still have the ability to order you around." MC smacked him in response, and he continued, "Alright, alright, let's get to it then. This is where it'll get really interesting, since decorating requires more precision. Which, no offense, is a skill you don't have, since you're not exactly used to being blind."

"Now wait just a—okay, I can't argue that," MC sighed. He placed a spatula in one hand and a jar of frosting in her other.

"Turn around. Can you find where the cake is?"

"Ye—wait, Vandy! I thought you said you cleaned up!"

"I did…sort of." Before she could protest, he interjected, "I wiped the worktop! I just pushed all the dishes to one side so we could put all of it in the dishwasher at once when we were done!" He added with a mumble, "I just wanted to get back to you."

"You think you can charm your way out of anything," MC responded airily. "Well, you're right." She squared up as best she could with a frosting jar in hand. "I found the cake. I'll try to do my best."

"Well, in this part, I won't let you go completely solo. I can rotate the cake for you as you go, if you want."

"Please."

MC scooped a large helping of frosting from the jar and started spreading around the perimeter. Her spatula made a slight detour for a moment to donate some frosting to the top of the cake, and Vanderwood halted and reversed his rotation slightly to avoid confusion. A few seconds later, she went for another, slightly smaller, scoop to finish frosting the circumference of the cake. Another scoop, added to the deposit from the first, finished off the top.

"Is there a big corner around the top edge? Or any dry spots?" she asked.

"Just a slight corner. Grab a little bit more frosting to round it off a bit and thicken the top."

She did as directed while he helped rotate, and stepped back. "Better?"

"Much better. Maybe we can add a little artistic touch by making some...what do you call them? Swoops? Around the sides from the top?"

"Sounds great. You're definitely going to have to help me, though."

"Alright, I'll rotate again and stop you when you're done. Then you can smooth off the top edge again quick."

Six slightly lopsided arcs later, he stepped back for a moment, observing. "This is certainly not the prettiest cake I've seen, but it all adds to the fun, yeah?"

"I guess," she laughed.

"Now here's the part that'll really get a laugh when you take off the blindfold. I've got a bowl over here with some frosting for smaller decorating, and you get to pick the food coloring that goes in it."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes," he snickered while guiding her over to a trio of colored bottles that she couldn't discern. "Take your pick," he said cheerily. MC gingerly selected one, and he suppressed a snort poorly. "Excellent choice!"

MC groaned. "I'm going to regret all my life choices, aren't I?"

"Of course not! Only your decision to marry me."

"Hey." She squeezed his wrist. "I could never regret that."

"You might reevaluate that statement when you take off the blindfold and see the cake. Or at least my ugly mug."

"Vanderwood. Don't you even start with me. You're so hot that if we were working with chocolate instead of a cake, we wouldn't need the microwave to melt it."

"You're so hot that the beach would need sunblock instead of you."

"You're so hot that the sun goes to you when it needs to warm up."

They collapsed against each other, gasping for air. Vanderwood caught his breath first. "Let's get this food coloring in the bowl, shall we? The spoon and frosting are already in it. All you have to do is put a few drops in and stir until I say so. The bowl's on your left."

"As you wish," she said as she did so.

After a few moments, he spoke. "That's enough. Let me get you back over to the cake, and I'll get the frosting in the decorating bag. Which is really just an ordinary plastic bag, but I did pick up some cheap decorating tips when I got the ingredients."

"Splendid. How am I going to decorate, though? Even if I could see, I don't know the first thing about cake decorating. Oh yeah, and I can't see."

"Don't get your 'panties in a bunch,' as you like to tell me so often. I'll do it with you this time."

"But you don't know how to decorate cakes, either!"

"Ah-ah-ah!” he chided. “Do you trust me or not?"

"Not particularly."

"Hey!"

"But! We should just go ahead and do it anyway, because even though neither of us knows what we're doing, we're the only ones in this apartment who can. And the frosting smells too good not to eat soon."

"That's my girl." Vanderwood curled around her. He molded one hand around hers and slid the other over her stomach. As they formed a few swirls on the top, he murmured, "We did this whole thing together. How impressive is that? Was it as fun for you as it was for me?"

MC smiled. "Of course it was. I know I got a little hangry for a bit there, but I know how much thought you put into this. None of my old deadbeat ex-boyfriends ever would have cared so much, let alone shown it. These are the things that make me love you that much more."

"I never experienced any permanent love until you showed it to me. And it's been so...world-altering—that I've been trying to wrap my head around it ever since. I still can't. But I swear I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to give you the same love you've given me. I certainly don't deserve it, after the things I've done. But you do. You deserve all the happiness a person can have."

MC paused and blushed slightly. "Vandy…" She exhaled. "We've gone over this whole 'not deserving it' thing. Whether you deserve it or not doesn't matter. To me, what matters is your heart. You have such a beautiful heart, Vandy. I love the kind of man you've become. I've seen you strive every day to be better than you were the day before, and that is so inspiring."

"Well, whether or not I deserve happiness, I would choose to be happy every day if my being happy made you happy." He squeezed her hip affectionately and pulled her in for a tender kiss.

"It would." She kissed him back. They added one last swirl and a border before they set down the bag of frosting. He uncurled her fingers and fiddled with her wedding ring.

"Are you ready to see it?"

"Sure."

He slipped off the blindfold, and she gasped.

"What have we done?" she exclaimed as her laughing grew louder by the second.

"Whatever do you mean, dear?" Vanderwood asked, feigning ignorance.

"The cake is bright flaming orange, Vandy!" She let out a snort, then covered her face. "Hey, wait! All the food coloring was the same color too, you little twit!"

He shrugged innocently. MC sputtered. "Nuh-uh. Don't you shrug at me, mister. Saeyoung has rubbed off on you way too much."

"Has not."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe the tiniest bit."

"Uh huh, that's what I thought. Now are you as ready as I am to eat this cake and watch Cucumber Fish?"

"Let me take a picture first. And another one with you in it? You look so lovely, I can't not have one with you in it."

She tried desperately to keep a frown on her face as he snapped a picture but couldn't quite hold back the quirk at the corner of her mouth. He cut a slice for each of them and handed one to her. He curled the paper plate around his slice, and she did likewise. They looked each other in the eyes, both knowing exactly what would come next. Vanderwood solidified his stance. "Ready...steady...GO!" The couple raced to the living room and took a running jump onto the couch, ready for the wonderful night ahead.

[danceing-spelled-wrong]

I've created siblings.

Yes. I'm brain dead.

Yes I have too much time.

Yes I'm dying

And yes. They over lay with Amly

I guess I'll explain them..woo..

Cemi:

He came to Snaktooth Island because he was dragged there by his older sister

He's not a well known icon, but he's known for his modeling gigs

He gets crushes pretty easily and gets upset when they don't like him back

Even though he looks like he would never hurt anyone, he could hurt anyone and will do it

He's really good at hiding and publicly speaking

When he first stepped on the island, he met Eggabell and fell in love with her

Then he met Triffany and fell in love with her, then Wiggle, and lastly Floofty

He doesn't like his sister because she spends time with Floofty

He doesn't like Chandlo(he got confused and thought he was dating Floofty) or Gramble because they have a thing for his crushes

He covers his left eye due to incident with a wild animal but his sister took most of the fall for him

His hut is right beside his sister's hut which is near the woods

In town, he's known as a bit of a stalker

He's relatively popular despite him acting shy which might add to his "coolness" but that's up to perceptive

Beffica made him a bracelet and he always keeps it on

Even though Lizbert's with Eggabell, Cemi doesn't hate her along with Wambus

He goes out at night to..do whatever he wants

You meet him in the desert where he's stalking helping Triffany

Charlia:

She came to Snaktooth Island because she wanted to study the snaxs and get away from the city

She took a liking towards Floofty and Snorpy since they're siblings and she just so happened to bring her younger brother with her

Her and Floofty get along due to their fascination of the bugsnax and both missing their limbs

She uses a prosthetic arm due to an incident that happened when she was younger

Amly tried stealing her arm and now Charlia always keeps it on her no matter what

You find her in the Sugerpines not near Chandlo or Snorpy but closer towards the mountain

Sometimes, she lifts Cemi into the air because he's light weight and because she thinks it's cute when he tries to get out her grasp

If someone is older then her, then she'll refer to them as a Miss, Mr, Mrs, and Mx

Snorpy fixes her arm when it's broken or just isn't working

Lizbert sometimes invites her on expeditions that way Charlia can grab some test subjects

She doesn't eat the snax, seeing them as..gross but she thinks that of anything she consumes

The experiments she does aren't harsh like Floofty's but it still involves scalpels and jars of unused parts

Besides doing experiments, she really good at sports mainly basketball and football

Dialogue in game:

Cemi:

Filbo

"He's really cool! He once complimented my fur AND gave me a high five!"

Wambus

"I don't appreciate him eyeing my wife, I don't see why Filbo thinks he's so great."

Beffica

"O M G! Cemi is like, the coolest grumpus here! I gave him a bracelet and he hasn't taken it off yet!"

Gramble

"He doesn't..like me.."

Wiggle

"Darling..he followed me for a whole day! I'm no stranger to stalkers but this is just ridiculous!"

Snorpy

"No comment."

Cromdo

"All he does is stalk people and everyone still think he's such a great guy!"

Amly

"Isn't that the stalker? Cemy right? Geez..I don't try to steal from him in case it directs his attention towards me."

Triffany

"Cemi? Oh dear..he stood at mine and Wamby's doorway and watched me sleep all night.."

Chandlo

"He assumes I'm in a relationship with Floofty and now sends me death threats.."

Floofty

"I'm confused on how him and Charlia are related."

Shelda

"Absolutely no comment on that..thing!"

Being asked about Floofty:

"I would say yes..but they haven't said anything about the love letters I sent.."

Charlia

Filbo

"She's so sweet, I would love to have an older sister like her!"

Wambus

"I'd like to know why she doesn't slap some sense into her brother, maybe then he'd stop with the stalking."

Beffica

"Eh, I don't speak to her but I do know that her and Cemi are related..I see the resemblance, but they don't act the same."

Gramble

"Oh..she's..very kind..and she drops off some bugsnax if she ever catches an extra one!"

Wiggle

"A lot less..strange then her brother, I would ask why her brothers like that, but I have a feeling she's a bit like him in a way.."

Snorpy

"Charlia's arm would always break so I would be the one to fix it for her, she's quite a fan of my work, mainly because I also have a sibling who is..different."

Cromdo

"A two bit goody-two shoes is what she is! She's just as bad as Beffica, but worse!"

Amly

"I can't stand her, she's too nice to everyone and doesn't get upset when I steal stuff from her!"

Triffany

"I'm not around her a lot, but she sure is nice to talk to when we're near!"

Chandlo

"Any friend of Snorpy, is a friend of mine. She can also can jump pretty high, she's a great opponent in basketball!"

Floofty

"A curious type, like Triffany but can hold back her joy in favor of science, if only she'd let me experiment on her."

Shelda

"Nothing evil seems to be stemming from in her..but still..avoid at all cost!"

Being asked about Floofty:

"I would..but I've seen what they do..and I rather keep my other arm.."

Meeting Cemi

"Ah! Wambus! I'm not eyeing ya wife! I swear!"

*calm down, i'm not wambus*

"Oh thank grump! I don't want to be thrown again.."

"Who are you anyways? You here to stalk too?"

*explains*

"A journalist? Did Lizbert ask you to be here..or something?"

"Whatever. I'm Cemi Bowtwist, I'm a model, you a fan?"

*Come back to town?*

"Oh no! No no no! If I go back, Wambus will rip me to shreds!"

*what did you do?*

"I..um..was watching Triffany sleep."

*that's creepy*

"Hey! Can ya blame me? She's married AND hot!"

"So no. I'm not coming back to town. Not until Wambus forgives me for my action!"

*why should he?*

"Because..he has to agree..his wife is really hot.."

*Sure I guess*

"Wowy! Thank you so much!"

*Wambus agrees as long as you stop*

"Oh great..sure..I guess.."

"Alright, who else is in town?"

*Gramble, Beffica, Filbo, and Wambus*

"Oh great..is Wiggle in town? If she's there, then I'll definitely come back!"

*Wiggle's in town*

"Yes! My girl is back! Awooo!!"

"Ha ha! Alright buddy boy, I'm-"

"Woah! Wait! I got to bring something for her! Ahh!!"

"Hey boy..can you..get me a Sweetiefly? The ones in the shape of hearts? If I give it to her, she might forget I followed her for a day.."

*gives Lovely Sweetiefly*

"Thank you so much! I guess I'll see you in town then, ciao buddy boy!"

Meeting Charlia

"Oh hiya! I haven't seen you around before..you're that journalist Miss Megafig told me about, right?"

"I knew it! But..I guess you came for no reason, Miss Megafig gone missin'..whya still here?"

*explains*

"Oh! That's rather kinda of ya!"

"They call me Charlia! Charlia Bowtwist! Nice to meet cha!"

*Come back to town?*

"Town? Well..I do miss my hut..but I'm about to make a break through! I've been testing this Strabby and learned that bugsnax don't have organs!"

"With this..I can finally figure out what bugsnax are!"

"But I need more.."

"If ya don't mind bitsy..could you get me a..oh..a Weenyworm and a Cinnasnail? If it's no trouble."

*got the worm and snail*

"Perfect! They'll do perfectly!"

"Hm..just as I expected, no organs! But that doesn't explain why they don't, maybe they're their own species? How come Miss Megafig is the only grumpus who discovered them?"

"So many unknown answers! I gotta get more info!"

"Maybe Mx Fizzlebean could help me..hey..are they in town?"

"If so..can you ask them if they're willing to help me with my studies."

*Floofty says they're gonna help*

"I always liked that grumpus...*sigh*.."

"I'm comin' back! I'll see ya in town bitsy!"

Welcome back message:

Cemi

"Hello Wiggle!"

"Oh..you.."

"I..brought you some Sweetieflies!"

"Cemi. I appreciate the thought..but this doesn't fix the fact you stalked me for a whole day!"

"I was making sure..you were safe!"

"....."

"How about a walk on the beach?"

"....."

"Hehehe.."

"......"

"I'll..just..leave them here.."

"......"

"Um..bye!"

Charlia

"Oh..hey sis."

"Baby brother! I'm so happy you're here!"

"Yeah..happy to see you too.."

"What brings you back anywho?"

"All my crushes are back and I plan to ask one out."

"I wish the best of luck to you little brother!"

"What about you?"

"Me and Mx Fizzlebean are gonna study Bugsanx again."

"Oh..well..can you hook me up with them? Tell them how cool I am?

"Sorry brother, they're just not interested in you."

"Yet."

"You really have a problem."

"No. You do."

"...."

"...."

"Well bye Ce!"

"Cya Char."

Interviews

Interviewing Cemi:

*Have time for an interview?*

"Of course, I'm always open for an interview!"

*Who are you?*

"The names Cemi Bowtwist, beginner model, lady master, and Grump City's most eligible bachelor!"

*Why come to Snaktooth Island?*

"I didn't want to come here, I had my mansion and my fame but my sister dragged me here."

"That's because you've been living under a rock. Duh."

*Thoughts on Bugsnax*

"Amazing, delicious, and will get me a lover!"

*If you're famous, shouldn't it be easy to find a lover?*

"Um..skip."

*Why did you leave town?*

"*sigh*"

"When Triffany and Wambus split, I tried going after her to see if I could romance her..and when I failed I came back and..Wambus was waiting there.."

"Safe to say I got out of there before he could land a blow."

*Maybe you should stop going after peoples wives*

"Eh.."

*Any info on Lizbert?*

"Meh..I don't really like her all that much. The only reason I involved myself with her was because she was the girlfriend of Eggabell."

*Another crush?*

"I've been single since I was a teen, give me a break."

*What happened to Lizbert?*

"Her and Eggabell had an argument and I tried getting with Eggabell before they made up but then they went missing, so sadly..I have no idea."

*That'll be it, thank you!*

"That was nice! I enjoy interviews very much!"

"I also found..this..laying around..so..here."

"Now I'm gonna try to get Floofty's attention, cya!"

*you received a strange key*

Interviewing Charlia:

*Have time for an interview?*

"I'm always open to chat about my experiments!"

*Who are you?*

"Charlia Bowtwist! Eldest of the two!"

*Two?*

"Yeah! I have a younger brother! He's the cutest thing ever!"

*Why come to Snaktooth Island?*

*Why did you want to escape?*

*Thoughts on Bugsnax?*

"They're really interesting and confusing..like..what are they really? And why is everyone interested in eating them? I know Miss Megafig said they were safe..but I don't get it.."

*Then what do you do with the Bugsnax?*

"Unlike everyone else..I study them and figure out why they change everyone's limbs, Mx Fizzlebean said if I want my arm back, I could eat one..but..I think that wouldn't work very much.."

*How did you lose your arm?*

"An accident regarding an animal when I was a kid..well..it was my brothers fault but I took most of the damage for him."

*Why did you leave town*

"I left..because the fighting was too much, I'm not new to arguments..but the screaming and constant fighting was too much to handle, so I left around when Snorpy and Mr Funkbun left."

*Any info on Lizbert?*

"Miss Megafig is really nice grumpus! She shows me the ropes of catching the snax and talks to me about personal issues, I liked speaking with her a lot!"

*What happened to Lizbert*

"I'm not sure..I was asleep when she and Eggabell went missing.."

"According to Mx Fizzlebean, they had an argument before they disappeared..so..maybe they're sorting things out on a secret part of the island!"

"That was rather quick..but fun!"

"You know..I found this earlier, here, you seem to be interested in this investigation stuff!"

*You were given a journal with a lock*

Reaction to death when and after:

Cemi

"H-Huh? Charlia..?"

"Why was I so mean to her..she..she just wanted to help me..and I shoved her away..

She didn't deserve to go..I was being a jerk..why did..those things..take her?

They knew didn't they?

About her suffering?

That's why they took her..

I need to be alone..go away.."

Charlia

"Noooooooo! Cemi no! Please grump no!! Don't..please..come back.."

"This has to be a dream..please..say it's a dream..he..he's not dead..no..

I'm a terrible big sister! I deserved to go, not him! Why take him you..you evil creatures of hell?!

Just..take me..please..I..I want to leave..please..take me..

Go away..please."

No more OCs. I can't be bothered to make more concepts..

[wrightiverse]

Hello and this is me annotating/doing director's commentary for the last chapter of Crowd as a victory lap. There's no indulgence like self-indulgence.

“I’ll just make my hot young boyfriend help me,” Robin teases. “When I’m eighty, you’ll only be sixty-nine.”

I love to take a thing from the beginning of a story/scene and revisit it at the end. In this case, 'hot young boyfriend' is a light callback to 'sexy-ass, significantly younger boyfriend' back at the beginning when Robin was sad about the empty nest situation. This is, I think, the first time we specify their exact age gap. It is also the exact age gap I have with my own partner, because I’m very lazy like that. (None of this was written with any reference to what's gone on in the podcast over the last year or so, which is good because it sounds like the whole aging thing for Glenn could have gotten really confusing. Wrightiverse Glenn came back right after Ravenloft, none of that other stuff happened to him. It's all good. Canon is optional.) * * * * *

It’s not like the men in his family have much luck in that area, anyway; Glenn never met either of his grandfathers, and Bill didn’t make it much past fifty.

I think Meryl actually lived for hundreds of years and is still alive in Faerun and they should totally meet, but Glenn doesn’t know all that. * * * * *

Aesthetics aside, it didn't seem like there was much for Glenn to look forward to in middle age and beyond. Nick would grow up and wouldn’t need his dad anymore, and Glenn would be all alone.

From Glenn’s second chapter in Crowd, when Robin is sad about Connor leaving for college:

“I want him to be independent,” Robin is trying to explain into Glenn’s knee, “but also I don’t want to be all alone.” Glenn flicks his ear reproachfully. “You're not all alone. I’m right here, dumbass.”

Sometimes what seems obvious when we're explaining it to somebody else doesn't feel as obvious when it's our turn. Admittedly, Glenn is coming to this with a different set of experiences than Robin is. More on that later. * * * * *

His career would go to shit, because getting old only works for rock stars if they’re actually bluesmen in disguise, like Keith Richards.

I think I got this theory from something Chuck Klosterman wrote, probably Fargo Rock City. * * * * *

He starts his grounding exercise without even thinking about it. Five things he can see: one, an information sign for the city park. Two, a freshly-painted bike rack. Three, some big public art sculpture that looks like a giant rusty hairbrush…

This particular grounding exercise came up earlier in Crowd. I didn't make it up for the story, it's real and many people find that it works well. Feel free to try it! The exercise he alludes to when they’re on the beach, creating ‘safe spaces’ out of vivid memories with lots of sensory details, is also based on a real thing. Lauren, his therapist, is named after the therapist who worked with me on my own PTSD and taught me that and a lot of other good stuff. At least based on my own experience, I can highly recommend EMDR if you can find a good practitioner. * * * * *

It was a hella sweet gesture from the kid.

Connor’s introduction in Name has to do with him carrying shirts past Glenn, and one of those shirts becomes important later to Robin. Given how big the GC3 actually seems to be, I don’t think Connor did the majority of their merch. I assume they used a regular printer and Connor just did small runs of fun custom stuff when he feels like it, meaning not much changed after Glenn quit. * * * * *

Of course, Robin is the only member of the family wearing the shirt right now, because Robin is the only one who doesn’t care that it isn’t cool to wear merch from the gig at the gig itself.

I have no idea how widespread the ‘no wearing merch from the gig at the gig’ thing is, but that’s the rule I learned. * * * * *

Robin is chatting away about something, but it’s hard to follow with all the noise and distraction around them. Glenn decides to let it ride, and allows himself to zone out and just watch Robin talk.

As requested by my brilliant co-author, this is a callback to when Robin spaces out watching Glenn talk on their first date. Both Robin and Glenn are consistently very prone to tuning out when the other one is talking, but neither of them particularly care. As Glenn says on their dinner date - sometimes a man just wants to think out loud for a while and get a ‘hell yeah’ in response. * * * * *

It's vastly unfair that Robin looks so good in direct sunlight, but he probably pulls it off because he's the one person in Los Angeles who isn't trying to look younger than he actually is.

Glenn should spend less time in WeHo. * * * * *

There’s already more gray in Robin’s hair than when they met, although Glenn will only accept partial blame for that. Either way, the old man’s on track to be a full-on silver fox before he even hits fifty.

It felt necessary to drop a reminder that despite how Glenn talks about him, Robin is not actually that damn old. I mean, I'm sure that sounds very old to some of you, but when you're in your mid-to-late 30s like Glenn, somebody in their late 40s is not unreasonably decrepit. I think it has more to do with their respective energies than actual birthdays. * * * * *

“What is it?” Robin has noticed Glenn’s gaze, and he touches his own face to check if there's something on it.

Glenn grins. "Nothing, just ogling."

This is another callback to their first date:

“Do I have something on my face?” Glenn asks, and rubs at his mouth.

“No, you’re good.” Robin says. “You’re great.”

Because I adore a full-circle moment, that's why. * * * * *

“Your eyes were intense," Robin laughs. "It looked like you were going to start growling redrum at me."

This is my own fault for saying in the last chapter that Glenn was rambling about Kubrick moon landing conspiracies when he comes back from his walk. I tried like seven different ways to get them on the subject. I still don’t know if it feels natural. * * * * *

Glenn stabs an accusatory finger toward Robin. “Did you suggest not doing the show because you knew I’d argue with you and talk myself into doing it?”

Can’t outro this story without at least a little argayment.

Glenn usually finds him in the bathroom at the end of the night, looking grumpy about being up past his bedtime and holding some girl’s hair back while she barfs.

With what we've learned about Robin over the course of Crowd, we now have the context to understand that for Robin, this drunk girl is very much the ghost of Christmas Past. I don't imagine he goes to many of these parties.

* * * * *

It doesn’t bother Glenn a bit. Life isn’t a movie, the cheerleader doesn’t have to put on leather pants and start smoking in order to get her bad boy and her happily ever after.

I know that there’s more going on in Grease than that, but consider: would Glenn know that?

* * * * *

He and Robin are very different people, and they always will be. They don’t make sense on the surface, but they both know who they are, and who they are fits together perfectly.

Circling back to Robin at the end of Name, expressing his anxieties:

Robin rests his forehead on the steering wheel, avoiding Glenn’s eyes. “Like I don’t make sense for you, and everybody can see it.”

Some of the circles that I closed in Crowd were ones that were opened in Crowd, but some went back further. * * * * *

Love bubbles up in Glenn like a shaken-up soda, and he finds himself standing up suddenly and grabbing Robin’s shirt collar to tug him down for a kiss.

I wanted to mirror the ‘Hot Dad surges forward to kiss him, hard’ thing from the beginning, but given the established height difference, Glenn can’t just go for it unannounced unless he’s gonna stand tippy-toe. Thank you @whotaughtyougrammar for this art of what happens when Glenn tries the collar-tug and Robin doesn't notice fast enough.

* * * * *

Robin is caught off guard and stumbles half a step back, managing at the last second not to drop his drink. “One second, sweetheart, just one second. You surprised me. What was that about?”

Glenn gives him a lopsided grin. “Luck?”

“Oh, well, then. For luck.”

Luck and how to change it is a big theme throughout the whole series, both in the sense of ‘good fortune/unearned blessings’ and ‘random, unforeseen chance.’ More later about that. * * * * *

When Glenn presses his tongue forward to slip between Robin’s lips, he tastes lemon and sugar.

Same as the first time they kissed, when he’d been drinking whiskey sours.

* * * * *

“Right, yeah,” Robin breathes, but he doesn’t let Glenn out of his arms quite yet. “You know,” Robin adds, “Nick was telling me earlier that he’s going to sleep over at Grant’s tonight.”

So I'll be there when you arrive / The sight of you will prove to me I'm still alive / And when you take me in your arms / And hold me tight / I know it's gonna mean so much tonight * * * * *

She’d found him there, and she'd saved him, like she always did.

We didn’t know Morgan’s name when we first wrote the scene where they discussed her in Name, so we wrote around it as though Glenn was reluctant to name her out loud. We maintained this throughout the rest of Crowd except for the line where Glenn says that he’ll tell Robin about the phone call with Morgan. Felt right. Her presence is very much felt but Glenn, at least, is not in the habit of talking about her unless he has no other option. * * * * *

They ran out of the venue and down the street, hand in hand and giggling like kids playing hooky.

@shrack was the one who began writing our Glenn with very physical methods of showing affection. I liked it a lot as a vibe and carried on with it. He and Morgan are also very young here. Glenn would be 21 or 22 at the oldest, which is barely older than Connor is now. I've always attributed some of his immaturity to the fact that he became a parent pretty young. (Glenn is 36 when Name starts and Nick is 13, meaning Nick was born when Glenn was 23 and probably conceived when Glenn was 22.)

* * * * *

It was like falling in love with every single person in the crowd, all at once. Glenn felt like he would never be lonely again as long as he could have that feeling.

Facing twenty thousand of your friends / how can anyone feel so lonely? * * * * *

By then, the GC3 performed in venues so cavernous that Glenn couldn’t see anything outside his own spotlight. He could hear the audience roar approval at him, making a wall of sound that he could feel like a physical force. It was loud enough to drown out the screaming in his head, loud enough to let him forget that she wasn’t out there among them. It was the closest he could get to forgetting, so Glenn did it as much as he could.

Part of a success that never ends / But I’m thinking about you only... * * * * *

Slowly but surely, he’d been learning how to go through life with his mind and heart focused on someone else’s well-being. It didn’t come naturally: that wasn’t the kind of family either of them knew. Still, they’d promised each other that they could do better than how they were raised.

I am never here for iterations of this dynamic that assume Glenn is the fuck-up and Morgan was the perfect parent. They both became parents at exactly the same moment, you know? The world does not need one more story with an incompetent sitcom dad and his smoking-hot wife who does all the actual parenting. * * * * *

Nick is long since asleep, but Adele fucking Close has stayed up until these sickening hours of the early morning.

Conveniently, Glenn’s brain has overwritten all his memories with the correct name and pronouns for Nick, because writing around it is a pain in the ass otherwise. * * * * *

“Hello, Glenny.”

Bill calling Glenn “Glenny” that time at Ravenloft really stuck with me. I don’t know if they ever revisited that in the actual podcast, but it was so slimy and chilling somehow. * * * * *

“I fucked up,” Glenn says bluntly, and his mother narrows her eyes ever so slightly at his cursing.

Glenn gets in his own head early in Crowd about comparing himself to Penny, and Robin later worries about putting himself on ‘the same level’ as Morgan. Neither of them are quite galaxy-brained enough to realize that there’s more than one person in Glenn’s life who uses a lot of terms of endearment for him, considers themselves old-fashioned, and wishes everybody wouldn’t swear so much. * * * * *

“Thank you, mother,” Glenn grits out. He sounds absolutely nothing like himself, not that she minds. “I appreciate your help.”

I assume that part of the reason Glenn has such a hard time offering genuine apologies is that when he was growing up, too much of his apologizing was forced rather than sincere. * * * * *

“You are out of chances. If you continue to neglect this child, I will get the state involved, and I will take custody myself. I’ve already spoken to the Freemans, and I have their full support.”

Morgan’s parents are not mentioned very often and don’t seem to be a big part of the Close boys’ lives. I imagine that whatever tenuous relationship Glenn had forged with them post-accident was pretty much destroyed by Adele forming this alliance with them and telling Glenn about it. * * * * *

Her patient demeanor is meant to remind him that she's here to clean up his mess again, like she always does, and his proper response is humble and apologetic gratitude.

And that is why Robin being patient can set Glenn off so bad, such as after the bike accident when they were arguing:

Glenn doesn’t really hear most of what Robin’s saying. It’s all just soothing, pointless stuff in that obnoxious tone that means Robin thinks he’s the smart, calm, mature one here and Glenn’s the immature asshole who lost his temper again. He’d never say it, but Glenn can tell what he’s thinking.

I hope it came across clearly in that part that Robin doesn’t actually see the situation that way and isn’t saying or thinking anything to that effect, but Glenn feels like he is because he’s had this somatic/emotional reaction triggered. Spatially he's arguing with Robin, but his body and a lot of his brain thinks he's arguing with his mom. Trauma can be like that. * * * * *

His mother keeps talking like he didn’t say a word. “We can all stay in each others’ lives, Glenny. I’m not trying to cut you out, I’m trying to help you. I know you think I’m a monster, but I’m just trying to do what’s best for my family.”

Sometimes the monster will tell you it's not a monster. * * * * *

From that night forward, Glenn will always know that he’s not a good person, because he almost takes his mother up on the offer.

I don’t think being tempted by this offer means Glenn’s a bad person, but we write Glenn as somebody who wishes he was a good person but is really afraid that he isn’t. He was at a very low point here and he needed help. Feeling drawn to the only help on offer, even if it was from a toxic source, is pretty understandable. * * * * *

"I'll get Nicky ready for school tomorrow and you can sleep in. We’ll finish talking about this when you feel better.”

Man, I hate that abuser thing when they start being sweet as soon as you muster the energy to fight back. You get a little bit of steam built up and then they dodge you like a matador so that it dissipates again. To be clear, Nicky isn't Nick's deadname or anything, it's just the somewhat baby-ish diminutive form that Adele uses for him, like how she calls Glenn "Glenny." * * * * *

“Family is important,” his mother says sadly. Just before she closes the door, she gives him a look that’s an exquisite mix of regret, tender affection, and a tiny spark of hope. Adele would have been a great actress, but Glenn can’t imagine who that particular performance was for.

Performance skills run in the family and Adele comes by her acting chops honestly, although she doesn’t know it. I picture one of those situations where a young woman from a good background gets pregnant by some rakehell actor and her family covers up the scandal by raising the baby as a new sibling. That would mean that as long as Adele’s “older sister” never spilled the beans, nobody in their family at this point knows that they’re related to Meryl. If Nick ever decides to do one of those ancestry DNA tests, things are going to get interesting. * * * * *

He certainly didn’t find it very compelling. Family? All the family he will ever need is sleeping soundly down the hallway, tiny arms wrapped tight around a stuffed plush Babar.

I wanted Nick to have a stuffed animal that was sort of his parallel to Mr. Lion. Robin is drinking with Mr. Lion in the beginning of Crowd when he’s upset about losing Connor to college, and Mr. Lion appears again when Glenn comes in to talk to Nick and Connor after Robin’s accident.

“I… I guess I don’t know.” Nick looks down, avoiding eye contact by staring into the darkness under Connor’s bed. Mr Lion is under there in a clear plastic box, along with some other stuffed animals. Even when Nick first met Connor, the stuffed animals were already banished underneath the bed instead of on top of it. But over the years, Connor’s never thrown them away.

Mr. Lion is one of the various ways we played with the theme that Connor is, as Nick puts it, “somewhere between a kid and an adult.” Connor is a very confident and clever guy, but you don't magically get a giant box of maturity and life experience on your 18th birthday. At various points, he asks both Nick (at the campus concert) and Glenn (after Robin’s accident) to try to understand that he's still growing and figuring stuff out. Nick has definitely been deprived of some chances to be a kid, but in some ways Connor has as well. He started hanging out with Glenn after Penny and Robin split up, and although he and Nick obviously hit it off, Connor was closer to Glenn for a while. In a different universe, that might not have turned out as well - I mean, tell me you wouldn't side-eye that arrangement in real life. I sure would. Robin just sort of flings his hands up at the role Connor plays for the Close boys, but I strongly suspect that shit would not have flown on Penny’s watch.

It’s funny - he thought Connor was so grown-up when they met, but the guy was only 16 when the Wrights moved in next door. He wasn’t much older by the time he was over at the Close place almost every day, helping Nick with homework or cleaning questionable leftovers out of the fridge. It didn’t strike Nick as weird at the time, It was just another thing about his life that wasn’t like anybody else’s. He never questioned what was in it for Connor. Back then, Nick didn’t even realize how lonely he himself was - he wouldn't have figured out why a kid whose parents had just gotten divorced might want to come over to the chaotic Close apartment to get away from the quiet in his own home.

Everybody was doing their best, and everything worked out for the best, but Connor over the course of the stories is sorting out the balance that works for him in terms of responsibility and playfulness. Fortunately, now that he has less responsibility for Nick, he can enjoy Nick more as a friend and brother. In Name, Robin and Glenn both sort of assume Connor will act as a babysitter to Nick while they go off on their first date; by Crowd, Connor is hanging out playing Smash with Nick and Grant as the gents get ready for their dinner date, but he's there socially, as a peer. Him being goofier and more immature also frees up Nick to do the same, since if Connor is cool and Connor is being playful, then "it's not a little kid thing, it's a bro thing" They both get to be kids now in a way that they weren't before, and I love that for them. Anyway, the point of Mr. Lion and why I wanted to give Nick a stuffed animal as well was to draw the parallel between the sons more directly and to anchor the stuffed animal component. So far there hadn't been any moment in which an actual kid was holding an actual stuffed animal.

[r3b3lgrrrrrrrl]

A LunaTic and her Gunn (Part 93) "We'll Take It!!"

@lovemythsworld

@creatureofthen1ght-v3

@crystalbaby12

@backoftheroomandnotbelonging

@5sosfam1dlover

@mgkobsessed

Luna finds herself swigging a bottle of Paul Masson in a small, smokey apartment in Bushwick. Taking a joint from a random person, she feels the rush of familiarity hit her as she absorbs the buzz of the room. There's nothing like being in a tiny hub of musicians exchanging ideas.

"You wanna do this?" Sam asks as Luna passes her the joint.

"Yeah... I don't have a fucking electric though. I've been using Colson's, remember." Luna responds, rubbing her forehead.

"Fuck... I am really unprepared." Luna realizes suddenly and begins to panic. Thinking of how she needs to get in touch with her grandmother.

Sam catches Luna's change in facial expression. With a loud whistle, she quiets the room.

"Who's got an electric I can borrow for a minute?" She shouts into the full kitchen.

"For what?" Floats into the air.

"To fucking play, ya douche bag." Sam scoffs. "What the fuck do you think for?"

"What shit are you causing now?" Mike asks Sam as he enters the room.

"Luna only has her acoustic. We need an electric TO PRACTICE ON." She shouts the last part in to the resumed room. "Ya got one?" She asks with irritation.

"Yo. Electric. Now." Mike hollers over her head.

"Mine's in the living room." A different voice offers.

Mike throws his hands up at the solution. Sam rolls her eyes as she grabs Luna's hand, pulling her towards the living room. Luna following with the bottle in tow.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The living room isn't posh by any means. There's amps and speakers. A drum kit is set up the way a suburban family would worship their TV. A ratty couch, lawn chairs and fold out tables are pushed to the sides all around it. It's dirty and has cockroaches with random pieces of artistic creations strawn everywhere. Making Luna happy to be home.

Luna pulls off her leather and hoodie. Dressed in a simple black T underneath. Kicking on the amp, she tunes the electric she finds. Sam getting comfortable behind the kit. Mike lighting a joint as his bass hangs off of his lean body. Luna can't help but notice him as they fuck around on their instruments for a few moments, finding their footings.

"Try it out?" She asks to their nods.

Plucking a few strings before she begins to strum specific notes. Flipping through D, C, A and G. Those being the primary chords of the song as Mike and Sam follow behind her lightly with the same melody. Luna comes in with her voice low and haunting.

🎼Tell me//What's so//Entitled//Aaaabout//Yoooou//Treating women//Cheap//Like//Yooooou need//Toooo//Why can't you//See we're//Just//As Strong as//Yooou//Come on Boy//I wanna//Hear you//Speak your//Truuuuuth🎶

The song follows a soft/hard formula. Luna's voice adds a taunting sweetness to the aggressive lyrics but rips through certain biting ones as she wails with inquisitive anger. Sam and Mike throwing out equal amounts of fierce energy through their instruments with her.

They run through IT ten or fifteen times. Tweaking different notes and lines together. Each time playing louder and with more raw passion as they become comfortable with each other and the song.

The electricity is pumping, creating a surprisingly mixed group roaring along with them by time they finish up. Many singing the song. All singing the chorus. There's definitely something undeniable in the air.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Taking a break from practicing, Luna needs a little breathing space. Sam follows her downstairs for a cigarette. Mike behind them.

"This is either gonna be a hit or you're about to become America's Hottest FemiNazi." He declares, lighting his own Marlboro.

Sam glares at him as she pulls on her Camel. Luna just stares. Contemplating his words.

"Probably the latter, but I don't give a FUCK." Luna finally answers with a shrug before taking a drag. "They wanted a second song... They're gonna get a second song. It's not my problem if people are uncomfortable with the truth."

"I hope one of those Assholes from Chicago sees it too." Luna thinks to herself. Having practiced the song with Sam and Mike, she feels confident in how they sound and feel together. Catching the attention of others while practicing the same song over and over, she feels good about their stage presence. Performing comes naturally to Luna and she enjoys it with all her heart. She does not enjoy the rest of the nonsense that comes along with it though. "Fuck... I hope she keeps it light..." Her mind trails off. Truly only worried about the interview. Luna doesn't mind discussing politics but she hates giving up any details on her personal life and she knows that's what Ellen is going to want.

---------------------------------------------------

Colson's somewhere on his way to Arizona. It's late. Casie's sleeping and he misses Luna. He had tried to call her but it rang straight through.

Stepping into the bathroom, he Snaps her. Hoping to get her attention as he wonders what she's doing.

"I fucking hate when she goes..." He sighs to himself. The double edged sword of loving an independent woman.

Looking at his schedule, he begins to formulate a plan.

--------------------------------------------------

Back at Sam's, Luna changes out of her clothes. Lighting a joint, she finally reaches for her phone. Texting her grandmother about her guitar.

Finding a missed call and Snap from Colson. Missing him, she calls first. With no answer she opens the Snap, immediately snickering at it's content.

"This Motherfucker...." She thinks as she shakes her head with a huge smile and Snaps him back.

------------------------------------------------

Colson wakes up as soon as The Bus stops to a sleeping Casie and Luna's Snap. He's in Phoenix, AZ. Her, New York City.

Looking at his phone, his dick and heart rage for his woman.

"Take a shower and handle your business." He groggily coaxes himself out of bed.

Hitting the single shower, Colson strokes his massive hard on away. Thinking of Luna as he pulls on his cock. Imagining the different times he's fucked her in it's tiny stall. Her strong thighs and tight pussy wrapped around him.

Eyes closed, leaned against the wall, he strokes harder and faster. Images flying through his mind. He cums with the jolt of the memory of her teeth sinking into his neck as she had consumed his entire being.

Heady and satisfied, Colson steps out of the shower. Still missing Luna as he burns and snorts the amount of Adderall that it'll take to start his day and mission.

--------------------------------------------------

Luna is so grateful to see her grandmother in MidTown. Not just because she has her electric guitar. Even though Luna's still pissed at Patti for booking her, she LOVES her Mom-Mom. It's been harder to be away from her than she'll readily admit.

"Hi!" Luna shines bright as she hugs the older punk.

The busy City streets whirl around them. All is silent in their hug. Making Luna a bit more happier to be home. Holding hands with her Mom-Mom, Sam and Mike follow behind them.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Upstairs they're greeted by Ellen personally. Taping in NYC, she's taking full advantage of the convenient request.

"I'm so sorry to hear of Porscha's mother." Patti tells her friend as she grips her hands.

"Thank you. She's doing much better." Ellen squeezes her friend back.

"You ready, Kiddo?" She asks, turning to Luna.

"I don't know... How bad you gonna fuck with me?" She blatantly asks.

"Enh... Ya never know!!" Ellen grins as she wiggles away.

---------------------------------------------------

"Come on, Peanut... We gotta hustle." Colson tells his daughter as he holds her hand.

With only their carry ons, they move quickly through LaGuardia. Ashleigh had confused the dates when talking to Luna, thinking they would be father west. Colson and Casie hopping a flight before daybreak. They're doing a lot of traveling today.

--------------------------------------------------

Dressed in a baby blue slip dress, fishnets and Docs. Luna's hair is messy while she performs Nightmare on only her acoustic. Not far from the way she'd played the SNL gig with Ashley and The Boys, it's softer with only her guitar and voice wrapping around the strong lyrics.

The performance is simple and incredibly raw with no backing track. Shocking anyone who's never heard her stripped down, Luna's vocals are unforgiving as they stand alone. The emotional layers to her notes making the message loud and clear.

"WOWZA!!!" Ellen approaches her clapping after she finishes.

Looking into the camera, Ellen tells her audience They'll Be Right Back With That Brooklyn Bitch. Luna taking her guitar off and standing up from the stool she'd been sitting on.

"That was amazing!" Ellen exclaims to Luna as they take a commercial break.

"Thank you!" Luna beams as she gives her a hug.

Walking over to check on her grandmother, she can't find her. Only Sam and Mike. They don't know where she is. Being called back for the interview, Luna shrugs it off.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"And we're back with That Brooklyn Bitch." Ellen ques them from the commercial break. "Who just performed her #1 single Nightmare featuring Halsey." Ellen turns to Luna. "Congratulations. It's such an incredibly powerful song. Now, I understand all the proceeds go to the Yellowhammer organization? How'd you become involved with that?" Ellen asks Luna before looking down at her notes and back up again.

Smiling, Luna Thanks Ellen. She feels so uncomfortable in the bright studio and white chair.

"Yes. All proceeds go through Yellowhammer.... Uhm, Halsey and I linked up with them last month when Alabama decided that a group of men should have the final say on what happens with things that they don't have." Luna states.

Leaning back and moving both of her hands in circular motions to showcase her abdomen and vagina. Making sure to drive her point home.

"There are only THREE Planned Parenthoods currently functioning in the ENTIRE state. They are being used to provide anything from birth control to STI testing to cancer screenings. Since the government wanted to pull their funding, Yellowhammer has been able to provide the cash flow to keep them open. So, THANK YOU to everyone who has DONATED. STREAMED. Or BOUGHT. ANY. Of the Nightmare merch. WHICH SOLD OUT!!! THANK YOU!!!" She exclaims, moving her hands around in amazement.

Luna looks directly into the camera with her words. She may not like it but as said before, she knows how to speak to people. And give good plug.

"Everyone who has supported this song is in some way, in turn, supporting the women of Alabama, and the US, the RIGHT to make choices for ourselves and the separation of body and state... Which shouldn't even be a THING. Sooo.... again, THANK YOU." Luna says firmly with immense gratitude still talking with her hands. Emphasizing certain words as the audience applauds her. If she's going to be forced onto television, Luna figures she'll utilize it the best she can. Ellen applauds her also before digging into the celebrity gossip.

"The video is pretty iconic too. You've got A LOT of powerful women with you.... How did you get so many famous faces to match up their schedules to shoot that?" She asks with intrigue.

It wasn't just Luna. Or Ashley and Luna. It was all of them and it was pretty fucking amazing. Setting an unknown president inside people, women and the Industry that weekend.

"That was an act of the universe, honestly. They passed the law Friday morning. Halsey and I had the song written within an hour and recorded it before the end of the day. We both sent out rough copies that night to all of our friends, inviting them and anyone else who wanted to come to the shoot the next day. Like, no one's manager talked to anyone else's. We just had a major group chat going on." Luna laughs. "That EXPLODED.... I mean, I don't know Beyoncé personally.... so when she arrives on set unannounced, you KNOW that this thing you're doing is WAAAY bigger than you thought it was." Luna looks at Ellen with eyes wide in pure wonder and satisfaction.

Ellen nods. She's always liked Luna and respects how she seems to follow in both of her grandparents social rebellion.

"That's pretty amazing and as you all know... It speaks volumes..." Ellen says before Luna cuts her off.

"It is. And it's exciting on so many levels because if this song can speak SO loudly and it's context resonates so hard that it's at the forefront of the pop music... That means we're TALKING. That means we know there's a problem to fix and we're angry about it. And Ellen, you know, with anger comes change. That's what we want. Change. Equality. Simple fundamental rights. Girls don't just wanna have fun. We wanna... We want to. And DESERVE to stand beside those who think they're inclined to make major decisions that effect tons of people who aren't like them." Luna shrugs as she ends her stance.

Not realizing how quickly Luna can  bend a conversation to her will, Ellen struggles a bit to regain control of the interview.

"No. What you're doing is admirable. You are me but for women's rights." Ellen let's out a light chuckle. "So.... I do wanna play Five Truths with you. I'm gonna ask you five questions and you have to answer them truthfully." Ellen in informs Luna.

"Motherfucker...." Luna thinks as she shakes her head at Ellen with a nervous grin.

"Number One.... And remember I've known you long enough to know if you're lying." Ellen smirks at her.

Luna can't help but roll her eyes as she sighs.

"Number One?" She asks Ellen as she perks up her shoulders and sets her hands in her lap.

"Nuuuumber One... What's your real name?" Ellen stares her in the eyes.

"What??" Luna asks, completely caught off guard.

"What is your legal name?" Ellen cocks her eye.

Luna glares at Ellen.

"Luna Adelaide Smith." She answers leerily.

"I knew that..." Ellen smirks.

"I KNOW you did." Luna shoots back sarcastically.

"I had to see if you'd tell the truth or not." Ellen brushes her off with thrown hands. "Number Two... What's your favorite thing to eat?"

"Cheeseburgers." Luna answers without a thought.

"Number Three.... What happened to your grandmother's pottery bowl?"

With this Luna reels back with a scowl. Now understanding what this fucking game is about. Sighing, she shakes her head with a smile.

"You guys think you're slick." She snarks back.

Turning to the audience. Thumb jerked towards Ellen. Luna scans the room for Patti. Surprisingly, she still can't find her. Sending a weird feeling of What? Why? And Where The Fuck Are You??? Pulsating through Luna.

"She's friends with my Mom-Mom. What you're witnessing here, is a homemade lie detector test. On TV. YAY ME." She chuckles with an eye roll. Luna flashes her jazz hands. "For the PARENTS out there." She continues. Now pointing. Finger guns flaring at anyone in her range. Live or recorded. "NO. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME." Luna deadpans with another light laugh, hands thrown up as her brilliant smile shines with irritated intensity. "We won't tell you anything." Her shrug showcasing her honesty and irritation.

Ellen leans up grinning. Knowing she's been caught. Looking up at Patti, she proceeds.

"Five Truths...." She reminds Luna with a chuckle.

"Fine." Luna sighs. "My grandma took a trip to London when I was like 15yrs old. I was really irresponsible and had a house party. Some kids broke it on accident. I'm really sorry, Mom-Mom." She answers.

Only giving the details she wants, as always. Ellen glances into the audience to her friend's nod of approval. What Luna didn't reveal is that she took part in the breaking a also. Trying to turn it into a bong. Kids do stupid shit.

"Okay... Number Four. What's your biggest fear?" Ellen continues.

"Deep sea diving." Luna answers.

"Really?" Ellen looks at her inquisitively.

"Yeah... The idea of not being able to reach the surface with an empty tank freaks me out. I even get nervous coming up in the pool off the high di..." Luna tries to explain as the top from the table between them flies up.

"RAAAWWWWWWRRRR!!!!" Shouts someone as they burst out of it.

"MOTHAFU..." Explodes out of Luna's mouth. Shocking the shit out of her, she jumps back in her seat. Drawing up both fists, she almost swings before she recognizes the laugh.

Ellen watches as Luna freaks out, exploding into laughter herself.

"BUUUUNNY!!!" Luna shouts in shock and relief as Colson climbs out of the box.

Laughing, he smothers her with his body and kisses. Confused, she kisses him back before pulling away.

"What are you..." Luna looks around perplexed. "Where's Case?" She asks as he perches himself on the arm of her chair.

"She's with your grandmom." He kisses her head after pointing into the crowd.

Sure enough, Casie is sitting right next to Patti. Grinning and waving at Luna.

"Heey Dilla!!" Luna exclaims when she finds them. "What are you guys doing here?" She asks, turning back to Colson.

"Ash mixed up the dates, so we popped out to support you and check out the listing." Colson explains, melting Luna's heart.

"I fucking love you." Luna whispers as she touches his face and reaches up for another kiss.

"Aren't you two cute!!" Ellen gushes while still laughing. "We'll get back to that but first... Last question. Number Five.... Who is the most influential person in your life?" Ellen continues to question Luna.

"These bitches are ridiculous...." Luna thinks to herself.

"Am I supposed to..." Luna tries to ask a question.

"Five Truths..." Ellen let's escape through her laughter. "Most influential person in your life?"

"What the fuck is happening???" Luna is so completely out of her element.

"Uh... Crap... There's so many who make me, Me." She looks up at Colson. "But... I mean, my Mom-Mom. She top notch gave me my core being." Luna answers honestly.

Ellen smiles before teasing her about saying That just to make Patti happy.

"I'm not. I love my Mom-Mom, Man." Luna shakes her off with a pure grin.

"So, you love your grandmom. What about this guy?" Ellen asks pointing at Colson. "I heard you two are getting married soon..."

Luna looks up at a beaming Colson. He's sitting on the left side of her chair, where he jumped out to scare her, right arm resting carelessly around her where it belongs. Luna can't get a word out.

"Yeah." Colson answers for the both of them.

This perks Ellen up. She loves unexpected details.

"Oooh yeah?? When you kids gonna do it?" She asks the question most of the world already knows.

"Fuuuuuck my liiiiiiife....." Luna thinks, feeling incredibly exposed. "There are people I still need to tell....." Her mind worries.

"EstFest. Come one. Come all....." He looks down at Luna.

Her hands are between her thighs and he can feel the anxiety tensing in her shoulders as he notices her knee rocking. Colson strokes the back of her hair, calming her soul.

"What is this EstFest?" Ellen inquires.

Colson goes on to describe the festival. Detailing Mod's set and the extra day added. Along with the waterslide and thousands of other activities. Ellen commenting that it sounds a lot crazier than her own wedding.

"You two have a Top 10 single also, correct?" Ellen is now interviewing them together.

"Yes. Bad Things." Luna finally speaks. "It's off his Hotel Diablo album which drops July 5th." Always plugging. Making Colson kiss the top of her head again with pride.

"Think we could get a performance?" Ellen coaxes.

"And drop the other?" Luna bargains.

"No." Ellen shuts her right down.

Looking back up at Colson, Luna shrugs. They discuss On Air with Ellen how they'd do it before she takes them out for another commercial break. Promising a performance to her excited audience.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"I can't believe you're here!!" Luna tells Colson as she wraps her arms around his waist, snuggling into his chest.

"I go where you go, Kitten." He grins. Lifting her chin to plant a solid kiss on her lips.

"Fuck, I love him." She thinks as his words stick to her heart.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"And now... That Brooklyn Bitch and Machine Gun Kelly with Bad Things." Ellen introduces them.

Luna and Colson are sat together behind a piano that the producers had found for them. Exchanging knowing looks, he pecks her cheek as she begins to play.

🎼I know//I'm outta my head//But I haven't lost my mind//How is that you know//The Bad Things I like//Oh Bunny, I can't explain it//What can I say//It's kismet, Ain't it?🎶

Luna opens with the chorus, Colson coming in strong behind. His hand is on her thigh as she continues playing the melody on the piano. They share the mic when they sing to each other about tattoos and Wanting Each Other Forever.

Their performance is really sweet and incredibly intimate. Both ab libbing lyrics at different points. Grinning at each other from start to finish. Anyone can feel the genuine love that radiates between the two of them.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Back in the Hot Seat, Luna and Colson are now sat on a loveseat together talking to Ellen.

She asks how they met. Colson happily telling the story of The Girl in the Cheetah Print Coat as Luna blushes.

"But you really only met in April and you're getting married in July?" Ellen grills them.

Looking at Colson, Luna shrugs with a smile. "When you know you know." She answers.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Back OnStage, now with Sam and Mike. Luna tunes her guitar as the lights go down. Stepping up to the mic she begins the simple chords.

They start off low and haunting. Luna curling her voice around the lyrics like a sly cat.

🎼Tell me//What's so//Entitled//Aaaabout//Yoooou//Treating women//Cheap//Like//Yooooou need//Toooo//Why can't you//See//We're just as Strong//As yooou//Come on Boy//I wanna//Hear you//Speak your//Truuuuuth🎶

Keeping with the beat Luna changes the tone of her voice. Making it sound sweet and inquisitive around the nasty lyrics.

🎶Did we//Ask you for IIIIT//When we begged//Was it//Niiice//While we//We're asking//For IIIT//Did we//Beg you twiiice🎶

Sam and Mike kick in a little harder as the pop punk melody flows. Luna's voice picking up a hint of aggression. Growling certain lyrics.

🎶Anytime we try to//Go out and have//Some fuuuun//We can feel//Your eyes//Wishing for//Xray visiooooon🎶

Belting now, Luna's voice is raw. Angry and taunting. The Band roaring behind them.

🎶MOTHER NATURE//GRANTED YOU//A GUUUUUNNN//WHEN WILL YOU// LEARN TO CONTROL//YOUR WEAPOOOOON🎶

Colson is standing off to the side with Ellen. "She's fucking incredible." He thinks as he watches her rip through the song strong and confident.

The Band drops down low as Luna softens. Pretty voice still holding it's snarl.

🎶Did we//Ask you for IIIIT//When we begged//Was it//Niiice//While we//We're asking//For IIIT//Did we//Beg you twiiice🎶

Mike hits a small bass solo as Luna hums along with him. Sam and her jump back in with him in time for Luna to hit the unforgiving bridge.

🎶They say//If you//Dress like That//It means//You waaant IT//And//I can dooo//What III want//Toooo//And//If you//Act like Thaaaat//It means//You waaant IT//So I can//Taaaake from//Yooou🎶

Luna runs a guitar solo over top of Sam and Mike before they kick in their hardest. Each note and lyric getting stronger and more raw as they play. Luna wailing her point across.

🎶BUT//We're not//Asking for IIIT//We just wanna//Live our liiives//You're who's//Begging for IIIIT//Learn to stop//At once//No need to ask//TWIIICE//YEAH//WE'VE BEEN ASKING// FOOOR IIIT//WE'VE BEEN BEGGING//OUR WHOLE LIIIIIVES//WE'RE DONE//ASKING FOOOR IIIT//DEMANDING OUR RESPECT//WE'RE DONE PLAYING//Niiicce//Ooohh//Oooohhh//Ooohhh🎶

The tune coming to an abrupt soft end. Luna cooing over the last few chords. Ellen is shocked by Luna's performance as she claps them out to another commercial break.

"Holy shit, Luna." She says approaching her with wild eyes. "I don't know if The Network will let us run that."

"Be a shame if they didn't." Luna simply shrugs.

Colson comes up from behind, lifting her off the ground. Layering the back of her neck with kisses. "You were fucking amazing!!" He breathes into her hair.

Turning around, she thanks him with a warm embrace and deep lip lock. Just as Casie and Patti come up to them.

"Looney!!" Casie shouts as Luna turns to squeeze her tightly.

"Oh, LunaBug. I'm so proud of you!!" Patti gushes as she hugs her grandmother.

Once Luna changes and they collect their things, they say Goodbye to Ellen before hitting the street.

--------------------------------------------------

Outside, Luna introduces Colson to Mike. They make pleasantries as Patti hails a cab.

The next stop on Colson and Casie's Traveling Adventure is Brooklyn Heights to check out the brownstone Luna's interested in.

Luna and Sam say GoodBye to Mike. Luna Thanking him for His Help. Mike telling her No Problem, to Hit Him Up if She Ever Needs a Bassist.

Colson watches and feels a burst of jealousy when Mike pulls her into his body with one arm wrapped around her tiny waist. He glances at Colson over her head as he squeezes her tightly against him.

"Did that motherfucker just...." Colson's brain is about to explode as Patti ushers them into the cab.

---------------------------------------------------

Monica meets them at the brownstone. It is beautiful. Newly renovated with the original wood molding and pocket doors. Casie runs through laughing as her voice and footsteps vibrate off the high ceilings, wooden floors and natural acoustics.

Sam wanders after Casie as the realtor shows Colson, Luna, Monica and Patti specific amenities and features. There's a small hidden yard in the back. Tucked under Colson's arm, Luna thinks it's perfect.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Christen it?" Colson asks with a devious grin as he scoops Luna up.

They're in the master bathroom. Kissing all over her neck as she wraps her legs around his waist. Pulling her closer to him, he kisses her mouth as I Missed Yous escape between the two of them.

"I caaaan't." Luna pouts. "I'm on my period..."

"I hate that fucking thing." Colson complains.

"I know, Bunny..." Luna says as she slips off the sink. "Doesn't mean I can't do Bad Things to you." She continues coyly.

Undoing his belt and jeans, Colson shimmies out of them. Luna running her hands up his bare thighs as she kisses on his collarbone. Looking up into his eyes, she's just as devious.

"We can still christen it." She grins.

Pulling his briefs down with her as she drops to her knees. Colson leans back against the wall as Luna licks up, down and all around his hard cock. Soaking him before slipping his huge member into her warm mouth.

"Ahhhh. Fuuuuck, Kitten...." He groans in pleasure as he runs his fingers through her hair.

Using both her hands to work his sopping dick, Luna glides him along the sides and rim of her mouth. Rolling her tongue on his head as he reaches the entrance. Sucking fiercely. Pushing him in deeper when he hits the back of her throat. Holding him there as she sucks with force and hums. Knowing that's the ticket.

"Fuuuuckkkkk." Colson cums in her mouth.

"Hey Dad..." Casie's voice floats through the bathroom door as it begins to open.

Scared shitless, Colson throws his left arm against the door. Luna's still on her knees. Slightly paralyzed with a bit his cum still lingering on her bottom lip.

"Be right out, Case!! Go find Pat!!" He shouts looking down at Luna.

"Okay..." The little girl's voice drifts away.

Looking up at him, Luna sucks the remainder of him off her lip. Even though he just came, her actions make him ache to be inside of her.

"When the FUCK are you gonna learn to lock the God Damn door?" She asks as she shakes her head with a smirk.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"WE'LL TAKE IT!!" Luna and Colson say in unison as they come bounding down the stairs.

"Yeah?" Asks the realtor. "Do you still wanna see the stu..." Luna cuts her off with her hand up. Knowing she wants to keep that space to herself.

"Not today. We want this one though definitely." She says confirming her and Colson's wants.

"Okay...." The realtor nods.

They talk a bit about closing. Luna not feeling the need to pay attention while Monica works out logistics. Agreeing both of their names will be on the deed, they expect to be able to close before the end of the month.

Strolling around together, Luna's arm is around Colson's waist. His around her shoulders as they admire their new home.

"We have a home, Bunny." She beams up at him.

"And pets..." He reminds her.

"Oooh fuck, yeah we do. I mean if they're still alive..." She realizes with worry.

"They are. Jillian, my cleaning lady cleans their bowl and feeds them each week when she comes by." He reassures her.

"Really???" She looks at him with undying love. "You're so fucking awesome." She declares as she tip toes to kiss him.

------------------------------------------------

Back out onto the pavement, Casie looks up at the brownstone. "We're gonna live here?" She asks.

"Kinda..." Luna begins to answer. "It's like Daddy's house in LA... Now when we come to NY, you'll have your own bedroom instead of us having to sleep in a hotel." She explains.

"Cool." Casie nods. "So now I live in Cleveland, LA AND NEW YORK CITY." She grins.

Luna living for and loving the content on her Dilla's face. "Yup. You're bi-coastal, Baby!!!" She says with a laugh.

"What's that mean?" Casie questions her as a cab pulls up.

Having to be back in Phoenix before 8P, Colson scoots Casie into the back seat with promises of explaining once their on their way after she's hugged Luna.

Taking her into his arms, Colson kisses Luna lightly. A pleased smile playing on his lips.

"Pets. A home. Marriage. You think you can handle all this Mainstream Living, there Riot Grl?" He teases Luna in between kisses.

"With you. Absolutely. We do what we want. Twist Norman Rockwell to fit our punk view." She grins as she kisses him back.

There aren't any other words that need to be said between them. One Look holds it all. They kiss each other firmly and passionately before separating.

Colson touching her key as him and Casie make their way to JFK back to Arizona. Luna rolling her padlock between her fingers as she hops in a separate cab with Sam and her grandmother. They're headed to see about wedding dresses.

---------------------------------------------------

To be continued......

[punkscowardschampions]

Ali & Ronnie

Ali: [The day of but later] Ali: I convinced that man not to press charges or anything, the one that got involved Ali: so you don't need to worry about that Ronnie: wasnt Ronnie: tell someone who is Ali: 'course Ali: talking isn't the most useful thing for me to do right now so I'll pass Ronnie: go be useful then little girl Ali: I'm sorry he brought you Ali: that's fucked up Ronnie: course you are Ronnie: youre all well sorry now like Ali: For you, not myself, or ourselves Ronnie: no shit pity works with the rest of your brothers and sisters Ronnie: youre fucked up Ali: How so? Ronnie: show and tells over Ali: I hope it made you feel better Ronnie: bullshit Ronnie: none of you give a fuck how I feel Ali: yeah I do Ronnie: wheres it been Ali: you're meant to wait for the kid to make the first move, that's rule #1 Ronnie: if you wanna play by the rules Ali: so I've lost points, that's fine Ali: you don't want us to care, right? Ronnie: the way your family is im almost old enough to be your ma Ronnie: bit fucking late yeah Ali: You do have a solid decade on her, yeah Ali: I'm a late bloomer, clearly Ronnie: ill leave it to her to be proud Ali: a big ask, but I'll survive without Ronnie: like I said Ronnie: fucked Ali: Yeah, a fair bit Ali: nothing to shout about, or that hasn't been now Ronnie: you wanted a first move Ali: It was a choice Ronnie: nah Ronnie: a reaction Ali: That too Ali: like I said, hope it was what you needed it to be? Ronnie: ask him Ali: you just did it for Joe? Ronnie: why else Ronnie: none of you mean shit to me Ali: but he does, yeah Ronnie: connect the dots Ronnie: I bothered to carve each one out Ali: I can tell he loves you Ali: do you love him Ronnie: hes that fucking soft Ali: you do Ali: alright, that's something Ronnie: fuck you youve known him all your life and you dont Ronnie: theres no telling me how I feel Ali: I don't know him or I don't love him? Ronnie: have it both ways Ronnie: he tells it either way Ali: I probably don't know him now Ali: I'll allow that Ali: that's how he wants it so you don't have to defend him like I'm saying I do Ali: or that I'll force it, when he's been so clear Ronnie: hes the last person I can be arsed to defend Ronnie: but no shit he gets everything he wants Ali: What were you after Ali: we disown him Ali: or strongarm him into rehab and therapy Ronnie: yeah Ive got everything crossed for sobriety Ronnie: fucks sake Ali: disowning then, he's done it to us Ali: it won't happen the other way 'round, sorry to say Ronnie: give him your fucking sorry Ronnie: he was the one begging me to ruin it all Ali: close enough that he should still be happy Ali: I'm not sorry for him Ali: I already said, he shouldn't have used you like that Ronnie: thats what happens theres no fucking 💘 and 🥀 Ali: no one deserves that Ronnie: I am no one Ali: You aren't Ali: don't have to be Ronnie: people like their junkies part time or useful or repentant Ronnie: fuck that Ali: that's not your whole gig Ronnie: you don't know shit Ronnie: youre not under my skin or in my head Ali: I know enough to know that's bullshit Ali: if anyone was just their addictions and vices, you wouldn't need them Ronnie: yeah youre the smart one Ronnie: he told me Ali: He's the one at the fancy arts school Ali: how does he reconcile that with being the junkie one Ronnie: youre 16 theres no uni thatd take you yet Ronnie: happy birthday for whenever the fuck it was Ali: Thanks Ali: about a month ago Ali: extend the invite next time Ronnie: dont Ronnie: I wont show Ali: you haven't heard how great my parties are yet Ronnie: I aint a childrens entertainer Ali: be cool if you were Ali: have a heart attack when you showed up Ronnie: next time I need a few quid ill try and remember Ronnie: make you proud of me Ali: probably leave that to Joe, and your friends and fam Ali: but I know how to make balloon animals so hmu Ronnie: course you do Ronnie: youre the target market for hippy crack Ali: awh Ali: how true Ronnie: no shit Ronnie: how long you been in the youngest ones adhd meds Ali: not really my thing Ali: need to calm my brain, not stimulate it harder Ronnie: 💔 Ali: how'd you know about that Ali: doesn't seem like the sort of pillowtalk he'd be about Ronnie: i was in care i know what an kid with adhd looks like Ronnie: and theyve tried to diagnose me as everything but a west little bastard Ali: he's shit scared right now Ronnie: be fucked if he werent Ali: yeah Ali: he doesn't really know Joe Ali: was like 4 when he went to Uni so Ali: proper boogeyman shit Ronnie: mckenna will love that Ronnie: real boner for the misery Ali: someone should get something out of it Ali: he can pay for his therapy later Ali: more meds, whatever Ronnie: ill tell him to put in his will Ali: try not to die Ronnie: itd be the ultimate misery boner Ronnie: why should he stop getting what he wants now Ali: yeah, you do love him Ali: but hate him too Ronnie: 💘🥀 Ali: Is he worth it? Ronnie: youre describing freckles and the princess you know that yeah Ronnie: me and her dont share every dysfunction Ali: Nah, they don't hate each other Ali: loads of other stuff, people Ali: very them vs everyone Ronnie: she hates that she needs him Ronnie: that he makes her soft Ronnie: close enough Ali: You reckon? Ali: Hmm Ronnie: first rule of tortured kids club Ali: it's why she loves him too Ali: you'd understand if her sister had been there Ali: she's got no one to make her soft, I tried but Ronnie: gutted she werent there then Ali: you wouldn't like her any more than she'd like you Ali: it'd be fitting, but no fun Ronnie: thats the fun Ronnie: I hate you all Ali: I see the appeal Ronnie: have a go Ronnie: hate me Ali: I see your appeal Ali: why would I hate you? Ali: Fraze does and he's having the least fun of all Ronnie: you see what you fucking wanna Ronnie: youd have to know me to know if I had any appeal Ali: Then I'm a spoilt hippy brat, as you like it Ali: you'd have to do worse for me to hate you Ali: not my MO Ronnie: not wasting another flight on it Ronnie: kill your own ma Ali: then I'm good for it Ali: sorry again Ali: you did what you set out to do, making me 💔 wasn't part of it Ronnie: stop fucking apologising Ali: it offends you? Ronnie: I did what mckenna cant do for his fucking self being a useless pussy from cradle to grave Ronnie: he is under my skin and in my veins like it or not Ali: yeah, and my apology is worth a damn when you've got problems that big Ali: alright, I won't say it no more Ronnie: if it was for me Id have done it at 10 14 fucking 18 even Ali: 'course, you got fucked over at birth Ali: no other straws needed Ali: his is more of a slowburn of bullshit Ronnie: yeah Ali: I don't know what he's told you, or how much you care about it Ali: but they've always been like it, Fraze too Ali: we have no idea and they went through so much more Ali: but Joe's only got 5 on me, so that says all you really need to know Ronnie: thats lads for you Ronnie: cant handle any pain unless they glorify it Ali: or co-opt it Ali: if you don't wanna be like them, tell him to get his own Ronnie: Im not like them thats why he likes me Ronnie: it aint my winning smile Ronnie: helps that I look like you and your ma course hes that sick Ali: He's hated them both ever since Bea came around, then when we moved her, like it was for her Ali: he's spoilt, like you said Ali: but I really think he is sick, too Ronnie: no shit Ronnie: were both sick Ali: yeah Ali: maybe you'll wanna get help someday Ronnie: for what Ronnie: theres no happy ever after here Ali: to not be sick Ronnie: nice try little girl Ronnie: not gonna get cured Ali: yeah, well has to seem better than sick Ali: that's a big ask Ali: I can't imagine not getting to do the drugs I do, and that's everyone Ronnie: it's like being in a relationship yeah sometimes it makes you feel good sometimes it dont Ronnie: cant fix shit though Ronnie: the rots too deep and its already set in Ronnie: long before I took a hit Ali: That's medication for you Ronnie: thats pain for you Ali: Yeah Ronnie: if I cant cut it out Ill cut her out of me Ronnie: her face outta mine Ali: It's DNA Ali: everything and nothing Ronnie: if she's in my blood ill spill it all Ronnie: theres fuck all point keeping it on the inside Ali: It's a waste of you Ali: the you that ain't her Ronnie: I am the waste Ronnie: ive had enough kids scraped out of me it aint hard Ali: She believed in the happily ever after you don't Ali: more fool her Ronnie: she got it Ali: she wanted it with you Ronnie: bullshit Ali: She did, she loved your biological dad, basically as many years as she'd been about Ali: she didn't just not get an abortion because she was scared Ronnie: she wanted it with him then Ronnie: I was along for the ride til I got dumped out Ronnie: if she wanted me id fucking be there Ali: she could've tried Ali: yeah Ali: you would've got taken away though Ronnie: so what Ali: just that, she wasn't allowed to keep you, she was a 14 year old with no parent, they'd have separated you and put you into different care homes Ali: happened to her friend Ronnie: I was a 14 year old with no parents either Ronnie: and a 4 year old Ronnie: 4 months Ronnie: however the fuck far back you wanna go Ronnie: I still found ways to get shit that I wanted Ali: Yeah, I know Ali: you had enough to eat and a bed with a roof over your head Ali: you wouldn't have if you'd had her, if that was even possible, somehow Ronnie: no I fucking didnt Ronnie: not always Ali: if you were in a home Ali: more than a squat where no fucker pays the bills or gets groceries over smack, you know the situation Ronnie: I know it helps her sleep at night Ronnie: this story Ali: you don't have to add it to your narrative if it fucks with your peace Ali: ask Joe Ali: if he reckons he remembers everything back in Liverpool, he'll remember Ronnie: I dont need to ask him cos his story is that she blinked and her life was so fucking sorted that she pushed a shit ton more kids out Ronnie: where the fuck was I Ronnie: nowhere Ronnie: youre my fucking replacement is why Ali: she could've got you when she got Bea and Ro Ali: I don't know how old you were then, 13? Ali: they might've said she was sorted enough, maybe Ali: it was more, this girl has been abused and you're a friend she trusts who is willing to foster her so let's shove her at you and get her out, it wasn't happy families Ronnie: no need when theres already loads of shiny white kids to mother and 2 less shiny to play saviour too Ali: I could ask Ali: I was a toddler, and it wasn't my bedtime story too, believe it or nah Ronnie: luck of the irish Ali: I'll take 50% Ronnie: her sob story is as fucking useless to me as mckennas misery boners are Ali: 💔 Ali: very convincing performance in that case Ronnie: fuck you Ali: why Ronnie: if you have to ask youre not listening Ali: I meant the part where you necked on with him Ronnie: why not Ali: 'cos his boners are a letdown, obvs Ronnie: I dont need him to make me feel good Ronnie: and he fucking wishes he could do as good of a job as the shit that does Ali: thank God Ronnie: he wanted the shock factor thats me baby Ali: assumed that was his intention Ali: he stopped showing up as himself ages ago though, that was, not more shocking but impactful, let's say Ali: if he wasn't so obviously out of it, he might've known that we knew Ronnie: he wanted to stop showing up full stop Ronnie: til he gets shipped back in a ⚰ Ronnie: and reckoned thatd be the final nail for you all us fucking Ali: and us younger ones are dramatic, hilarious Ali: who doesn't want to get away from home? Ali: Tommy has been since he was 11, Bea went to Cambridge, Ro will too, Fraze only didn't because Bea told him he wasn't allowed to follow her Ali: I'm planning on Singapore, myself Ronnie: hes too pussy to handle being away from me Ronnie: or what I get like when he isnt in my fucking face Ronnie: that bit wasnt about you lot as much like Ali: it's how it goes Ali: that's why people get knocked up, get married, get fabulous careers, so you can have an excuse for why you can't make this weekend, will try to pop in for this event but end up just sending a card Ali: it's weird it's you, of course, you're both sick, duh, but look at it objectively Ali: it's your version of 2.4 kids and a dog Ronnie: he dont want me to slit my own throat or anyone elses but his more fool him Ronnie: cant knock me up or marry me thank christ Ronnie: I like that the dog is smack thats well poetic Ali: I'll have a go at writing it Ali: if you want a null and void illegal wedding too, I'll write those vows and all Ronnie: ill stick it in a song if you want better than happy birthday Ronnie: fuck that i belong to no one Ronnie: theres loads more fun illegal shit to do Ali: you write songs too? Ali: just don't let Joe play cello on it Ali: if depression had a 🎵 Ronnie: id lose money if i begged with him Ronnie: fucking hell Ronnie: looks pathetic enough but thats all Ali: very child actor vibes, or rockstar's kid Ali: you had it all and you pissed it all the wall Ali: not here's a couple of quid for a warm cup of coffee and a sarnie, no Ronnie: i can see his face hearing that Ronnie: id have to take a brick to it Ali: yeah, he probably hates me Ali: not as much as Fraze, didn't have the toddler clout to make us move to Dublin, bit rude Ronnie: you're in his way Ali: of what Ronnie: 💉 Ali: that's his hangup Ali: like I said, no one is forcing him to do shit here Ali: guilt's part and parcel of 💚 and 💉 ain't it Ronnie: youre not telling me shit I dont know Ronnie: hes the one shitting himself hes gonna get chucked in rehab Ronnie: nobodys coming to take me nowhere Ali: I get it Ali: she's shit at turning up Ali: tell her to work on it Ronnie: do what you want Ronnie: far as sisterly advice what ive got is dont ask me for a shot unless youre after a habit Ali: lecturing ain't my gig rn, she loves a bit of it so honestly no need when her 🧠 will be full of the 💔 Ali: cheers, I'll stick to the just saying no of it all Ronnie: get the money up front when you are gigging Ronnie: and take care of the kid when you aint Ali: I will, I do Ali: he's got a few years to grow before I'm going anywhere Ronnie: yeah Ali: and my wife might stay and they're best friends Ronnie: she was the one trying to rival us for most high Ali: ✌💚💉 Ali: it was a party before you walked in Ali: which I'm aware was very much the idea Ali: can I give you a tattoo I'm good Ronnie: go ahead Ronnie: not gonna be here long like Ali: where do you wanna meet, my rig is way portable Ronnie: [a place nearby wherever they are cos god knows but I doubt Joe wants to see Ali and she aint gonna tell him that's where she's going LOL] Ali: 👍 Ali: about 25 on my 🚲 Ronnie: reckon i can stay alive til then