#he needs a spa day urgently

[rivangel]

we as a collective need to do something about this

[cera-writes]

Can I ask for nightcrawler with a reader who likes stuffed animals a lot, like those sanrio and she would probably have a collection of them?

A/N: cute request, Anon! This was fun to write! <3 Pairing: Kurt Wagner "Nightcrawler x F!Reader

Sanrio Sanctuary

Rain lashed against the window, the wind howling like a drifting ghost. Curled up on the window seat, you clutched a giant Hello Kitty plushie, its oversized head a comforting presence against the storm. Shelves overflowing with Sanrio characters – a fluffy My Melody, a mischievous Badtz-Maru, a sweet Gudetama – lined the walls. This was your haven, a world of plushy comfort.

Suddenly, a blue shimmer materialized in the corner. Nightcrawler had bamfed beside you, a sheepish grin on his face. You jumped slightly, clutching your plushie tighter to your chest.

"(Y/N)," he greeted, his voice warm like hot cocoa. "Didn't mean to startle you. Beast needed some urgent research materials, and the quickest way was..." he trailed off, gesturing vaguely towards the window.

You peeked at the storm raging outside. "Yikes, that's rough. Glad you're not stuck out there, fuzzy elf."

Nightcrawler's blue fur bristled slightly at the nickname, but a smile tugged at his lips. He noticed your gaze drifting towards his empty hands.

"Ah, about the research materials," he said, conjuring a small, wet package from the shadows. "Beast wasn't the only one who needed something retrieved."

Hesitantly, you unwrapped the package, your eyes widening in surprise. Inside was a bedraggled-looking Pompompurin plushie, its yellow fur matted and a single button eye dangling precariously.

"I found this near the Danger Room," Nightcrawler explained. "Looks like it lost a fight with an unrelenting training session."

Your heart melted. With a gasp, you scooped up the Pompompurin and cradled it gently. "Oh, poor guy! Don't worry, little buddy, we'll fix you right up."

Nightcrawler watched, a touch of amusement sparkling in his yellow eyes. He'd never quite understood the human fascination with stuffed animals, but seeing your face light up with such genuine care… well, that was something special.

As you bustled about, grabbing sewing supplies and chattering excitedly about giving Pompompurin a spa day, Nightcrawler couldn't help but grin wider. Maybe there was more to these fluffy creatures than met the eye. Perhaps, just like his own teleportation, they offered a kind of comfort, a connection to something familiar and safe.

Nightcrawler settled in beside you, watching you expertly mend Pompompurin's button eye. In the warmth of the room, surrounded by the soft glow of fairy lights and the comforting presence of your plushie friends, you looked completely at ease. And Nightcrawler, the teleporting blue mutant, found himself feeling a strange sense of peace amidst the storm outside. Maybe this world of stuffed animals wasn't so bad after all.

[crazyunsexycool]

My Little Love

Girl's Weekend

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced!Reader

Word count:2.4k

Warning: drinking, guns, fighting, bombing, Just women kicking ass, idk what else....

A/N: I wanted to write something that was Nat, Wanda and Sugar just for fun. This is mostly to show their friendship and it's a pre-Bucky x Sugar one shot. This takes place before the main series!

Series Masterlist

It was a rare moment in the compound. Usually there were always a few team members hanging around somewhere, especially on a Thursday night. But as luck would have it you were the only person from the main team to be in. You’d been on your own small mission and came back to find everyone else was out on missions as well. A weekend to yourself sounded nice. You’d been hanging out in your apartment when the door opened to reveal Nat in pajamas. She promptly sat on the couch next to you, taking the wine glass you’d been holding and taking a sip. You grabbed another glass and poured yourself more. The two of you watched tv and talked. A few hours later Wanda shows up and takes her place in an armchair.

For the next few hours the three of you joked, gossiped, did some face masks and drank more wine than you should have. Friday informs you that the rest of the team will be out for the next few days. Nat��s eyes light up when she hears that. No boys for three days, it was wonderful.

“This is the first time that the three of us have been together without the boys around.” Wanda says.

“We hang out, just us, all the time.” 

“Yeah but the boys are always around and they end up crashing our plans.”

“Especially Bucky,” Nat teases and wiggles her eyebrows. “I wonder why?”

“We are just friends.” You reply, you can’t help but smile. It was no secret between the three of you that you liked Bucky. 

“Anyways, we should take advantage and have a full girls only weekend. We start tomorrow with a spa day.”

“Then we go shopping on Saturday.” Wanda adds. 

Nat and Wanda look at you, waiting to see what you would suggest. 

“We could get drinks at that bar Sam mentioned.” 

“Yes.” Wanda exclaims with a big smile. 

“We could do brunch on Sunday and then go get our nails done.” 

“That sounds like a great plan.” You grab the wine bottle. “But for tonight we finish this off and have a sleepover.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ringing was pulling you from sleep. Then there was your name being called until you finally opened your eyes. It took a second to orient yourself. You were still in the living room. Wanda had her head on your lap and her legs over the arm rest while Nat rested her head on your shoulder. Her arm was wrapped around your midsection and she even cuddled closer. 

“Agent Y/L/N, there is an urgent call from director Fury.” 

“Put him through, thank you.” You tell Friday. 

“Finally.” You hear Fury’s annoyance. 

“Sorry Fury. What’s going on?” 

“Are Romanoff and Maximoff with you?” He asks.

“Yes sir.” You nudge both women until they start to stir. 

“There is a terrorist group we’ve been tracking for a while now. Intel suggests they are making a move at the U.N. Summit that's being held this weekend in Brazil and you need to leave within the next hour in order to stop them. I’ll send the rest of the information to you so that you can go over it on the jet.”

Both women were up and alert although the three of you were slightly hungover. They started getting up once Fury hung up. 

“Meet at the jet in 30.” Nat says. 

“But my head is killing me.” Wanda complains. 

“Don’t worry I’ll bring the hangover cure for us. Just go get ready.”

“So much for a girl’s weekend.”

“Maybe next time, ladies. See you on the jet.” Nat mutters and walks out followed by Wanda. 

You rush to your room to put a go bag together quickly. Then you go to one of your spare rooms where you keep your tactical suit, well stocked first aid kits and weapons. After grabbing what you needed you put on your suit and headed to the jet. 

****

You were second on the jet. Nat was already in the pilot’s seat, the lights of the screens lighting her face. It was still the middle of the night so hopefully you made it to your destination with enough time. Wanda shows up a few minutes after you do. 

“Ok, before we take off I have to give you each the hangover shot. We have to be clear headed on this mission.” You say while looking through your medical kit. 

“Please do.” Wanda sticks out her arm while her eyes are still closed. “I also brought coffee.” 

“You’re a lifesaver.”

“How did you even come up with this?” Nat asked as she rolled up her sleeve.

“I made a joke about it to Bruce but he took it seriously. We worked on it for weeks.” You give a little shrug. “It works great so you won’t hear me complaining.” 

Once you were done Nat went back to the pilot’s chair while you and Wanda strapped in for take off.  After the jet was airborne and headed in the right direction Nat joined you at one of the computer stations. You’re typing away before the information Fury had sent pops up over the conference table toward the center of the jet. You both join Wanda and go over everything. The plan has basically been laid out for you by the agent that’s been keeping tabs on the group. Nat makes some changes and adds back up plans of course. Wanda adds her input and you offer your point of view. The three of you work well together. You all have different sets of skills that complement each other and cover the gaps. Naturally Nat takes the lead which is fine by you since she has more experience than you and Wanda put together. By the time you get to Brazil you’re confident everything will work out fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smoke and debris settled around you. There was a ringing in your ear from the bomb that had gone off. As you coughed you searched the area for the person that had dropped the bag with the bomb. 

“Y/N? Answer me.” Wanda sounded desperate as she called your name and then Nat over comms. 

“I’m here.” You coughed. “Suspect is on the move.” 

“Don’t go after him.” 

“I have to, he has another explosive in his possession.” You say between coughing.

“Wanda head north, I’ll meet Y/N.” 

You start to run, yelling at the civilians in your way to get out. There was debris all over the lobby of the building you were at but you were a few steps away from the door. Outside Nat’s motorcycle revved and you quickened your step. She was literally right in front of the doors. You didn’t waste any time and hopped on behind her. The motorcycle bounced as Nat drove down the stairs. She swerved through the traffic jam while you communicated with Wanda. 

The three of you met up again at a government office building. People were screaming and running out. Some of them had some type of purple dust on their clothes and skin. It was very obviously causing them pain. 

“There on the second floor.” Nat pointed up to a row of windows where your targets were walking by. 

“If I can get up there I can distract them while you get everyone out. Then we meet and finish this.” You said, looking over at both redheads. They nod in approval. “Ok Wanda, can you get me up there?”

Red magic pulses around her hands and in her eyes. “Of course I can.” 

You reach into one of the pockets of your suit and grab a small respirator to place over your face. It automatically activates and covers your nose and mouth. You extend your hand out and pull the door of a car that had crashed nearby. The metal bends at your will until you form it into small orbs. 

“Ready?” Wanda asks. 

You nod and watch as red magic swirls and lifts you. As you fly toward the window the metal orbs you made shoot forward and break the glass. You land on your feet and immediately start to fight against the group of people causing havoc. Plumes of purple smoke hang heavy in the air. It makes your eyes sting but you push forward.

The metal from the bangles you always wore and the metal from the car door bend to your will. One moment metal is draped over your chest as bullets are shot your way and the next moment little pellets are flying through the air to hit their target. 

The harder you fought the more it seemed like people kept coming at you. Still you kept forward, deep into the belly of the building until you got to the center. The atrium of the building had seen better days. Where once was a large sculpture at the center there was now rubble and dust. The stairs that connected the ground floor with the rest of the building had taken a hit, leaving gaps in the stairs. The decorative plants and benches were all destroyed. People were hiding behind whatever they could as the group of terrorists waved around guns and even took a few shots.

On the ground floor, Nat and Wanda were fighting back and trying to help anyone they could. You sent small metal orbs that hovered around you to shield a small group of bystanders from bullets. The action caused the attention to be moved to you. You duck behind the concrete railing as they start to shoot.

“Keep them distracted.” Nat said as she started to form a plan. “If you can get them all on the stairs we can take them out in one fell swoop.” 

“I can do that but I’ll need help, Wanda can you get on the stairs behind them?” 

“Just say when.” Wanda answers. 

You peep over the railing just enough to see below again. The huge sculpture that laid on its side was made up of glass, wood and metal rods. You could work with that but first you concentrate on the guns the group you’re fighting has. The muzzle of the guns closes so that they can’t be used.

“Their guns are useless now. It should give you an advantage.” You say through comms. “Wanda, I want you on those stairs in two minutes. Keep them in place. Nat, get everyone you can out.” 

They both confirm and you count down before popping up and running towards the top of the stairs. Some of them try to fire but their guns malfunction and just explode in their hands. Just as that happens Wanda takes her position, distracting the group while you begin to move the metal rods, bending and shaping them to your will until you manage to capture every single person that was part of the terrorist group. 

When everything was said and done, you, Nat and Wanda managed to save a lot more people that were hiding within the building. The group that had tried to sabotage the Summit was stopped just in time. With your part of the work done you headed back to the jet. 

“You know if we hurry we can still do some of the things we planned.” Wanda says as she buckled herself in. 

“And if we do our mission report now we can technically take Monday off.” 

“Well what are we waiting for ladies? Let’s get the rest of this girl’s weekend started.” You say as you grab your Avenger designated laptop and start typing away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were laughing at something Wanda said as you made your way to the large living room. As you sat down the men all walked in looking battered, bruised and tired. They dragged their feet and collapsed on the first seat they could. The last person to enter the room was Bucky. He scanned the room until he saw you and the tiredness he had disappeared. You involuntarily smiled when you made eye contact. Bucky made his way toward the empty seat next to you. 

“Hey.” You greet him when he plops down next to you. 

“Hey, how was your weekend?”

“Nothing special,” you look over at Wanda and Nat who had joined the group. “Just stopped a terrorist group down in Brazil. No biggie.” 

Bucky’s eyebrows shoot upwards in surprise, even Steve who had been talking with Clint and Sam about their own mission stops mid sentence and looks your way. Nat starts talking about the mission with you and Wanda jumping in and adding details.

“You should’ve seen Y/N, she took this huge sculpture and used the metal pieces to detain about ten guys. It was very impressive.” Nat says, ending the story. 

“Please, I couldn’t have done it without you or Wanda.”

The guys complimented the three of you on your team work. When you look at Bucky he has a soft smile and pride in his eyes directed your way. 

“What?” You ask him. 

“Nothing. You just always say you’re afraid to use your abilities but you did good. You saved people.” Bucky smiles again. “You should be proud.”

You dip your chin to hide how flustered you feel.

“Anyway, it was good to see you boys but we are just heading out.”

“Where are you going?” Sam sits up and starts to put on his best pouty face in hopes of getting invited. 

“Sorry Sammy but it’s a girls weekend.” Wanda informs them and grabs your hand to pull you up with her. “Don’t wait up.”

You start laughing when all of them begin to explain why inviting them would be better. As you head out you look over your shoulder at Bucky who looks like a lost puppy, already missing your presence. Wanda pulls you along though. Nat stays behind and watches you before turning to Bucky. She rolls her eyes and sighs when Bucky gets up and starts walking out of the room. Just as he’s about to walk past her, she speaks up.

“Fine you guys can come. We’ll still go ahead and get enough tables.” She announces and turns to Bucky. “I’ll even make sure you get the seat next to Y/N. But you should make a move soon Barnes. She isn’t going to wait forever.”

Bucky watches her walk away and smiles. All he wanted to do since leaving for this last mission was to come back and see you. Now he’d at least get to hang out with you. He didn’t care that your girl’s weekend was ruined.

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[jamiesfootball]

🌈 ALSO something soft as hell from secret nap club pleaaaase owo

He looked like one of those pampered Instagram cats that people dressed up like they were having a spa day. Face goop, eye mask, plush dressing gown, a glass of ice water with a fat lemon slice floating in it, and—

“What the hell is that?”

Jamie followed his gaze down to his arms and smirked.

“What, this?” Jamie asked, adopting the tone of someone who’d brought their prized poodle around to brunch. He wiggled his eye mask the rest of the way off his face, sliding it over his hair like a makeshift hair band. “You weren’t here; I needed something to hold onto to get me to sleep.”

“Is that a football?”

“Yeah,” Jamie grinned. He held the plushie out for inspection. “Mint, innit? One of my fans sent it to me.”

Roy accepted the stuffed football, twisting it around in his hands. It was soft as a baby toy, and sized to regulation, although the skinny arms and legs sticking out of it would probably make it hard to get a decent spin on it. Stitched on the front were two small circles for eyes and a perfect half parentheses smile, something so simple a kid could’ve drawn it on, blissfully serene and ignorant of things like transfer windows and Financial Fair Play regulations. It certainly appeared more well rested than Roy.

Jamie waited expectantly for Roy to praise his excellent choice in plushies.

“Huh,” Roy huffed.

Jamie bristled indignantly. “‘Huh?’ That’s it?”

He made to grab the ball back and squawked in protest when Roy briefly held it up out of his reach before letting him snatched it back. Jamie clutched the toy protectively to his chest.

“Nothing else to add to that? No remarks ‘bout me being too old to sleep with stuffed toys?”

That would be hypocritical of him. “It just means ‘huh.’ I figured if anything, you’d have one of those stupid stuffed sharks from IKEA that everyone won’t shut up about.”

Jamie sat up in bed like a primped-up vampire rising from his coffin. He asked urgently, “What stuffed shark from IKEA?”

Sensing that the remainder of his day was about to be hijacked for something stupid, Roy disappeared into the bathroom. He at least deserved a chance to rinse off the stench of contract negotiations first.

Approximately thirty seconds later, a body thudded against the door. The doorknob rattled, followed by a whine when it didn’t open. “Roy! We need to go to IKEA.”

[amywritesthings]

gingerbread sweet. / a reiner holiday ficlet

pairing: reiner braun x f!reader ( attack on titan / shingeki no kyojin ) word count: 1.1k summary: It's the Titan frat's annual gingerbread house competition. Your boyfriend, Reiner Braun, is determined to win. You, however, are determined to distract.

tags: modern au - university, holiday fluff, gingerbread houses, all the marleyans are in a frat bc i said so, devoted boyfriend!reiner, light sexual tension credit: dividers by @saradika

welcome to the eleventh day of the twelve days of amymas !!

“Does the door look crooked to you?”

"The what?"

"The door. Look at it."

There’s nothing more amusing than watching your hulk of a boyfriend crouch over a tiny gingerbread house.

Reiner Braun squints as he presses a gumdrop to the front — circular windows make it modern, or so he claims — then pauses.

Distracted by a very minor detail, you can already feel his anxiety running his brain a mile a minute: a lopsided door may deduct a few points from Marcel's arbitrary points system from this very arbitrary holiday competition.

Because he's absolutely fucking determined to win.

Granted, the bragging rights are his, but the grand prize will not be — Reiner, of course, rarely rides this hard for something he wants.

No, he’s too willing to put everyone else's wants and needs above his own.

So the grand prize of the Titan fraternity annual gingerbread house competition is going to go to you, hell or high water.

He’s going to win you that goddamn spa day gift card that Marcel has been dangling as a sweet little incentive no matter how long it takes him to mold this gingerbread house into his image.

"I think it looks straight."

The tip of his pink tongue pokes out a little from his pressed lips as he leans in closer. "...I trust your eye more than mine."

The blonde sits up to fish for the green icing piping bag. He's gentle with the way he eases the icing along the edges of the tiny confectionary door.

(An icing wreath, like this couldn't be anymore adorable.)

“Reiner?” you coo.

“Yeah, babe.”

Flat. He’s in the zone.

“You know you don’t have to slave over this thing, right?”

You scoot your chair closer to his, dropping your temple to his large tricep.

“I can buy my own spa day card.”

“False,” he corrects. “I’ll buy you the spa day card myself, but if I gotta cheat Porco out of winning for the third year in a row. Pieck’s gone at least five times on our dime.”

"When were the other two times?" you ask, not correlating the math.

"Well, our freshman year," Reiner begins, using the green icing to make little bushes at the foundation of the house, "we did a Valentine's day relay race that ended up with Bert in urgent care with a broken nose. Then, the one-and-only pool party chicken fight tournament — Pieck and Porco fought dirty."

"Is that why it was the one and only?"

"Yeah. Bert got another bloody nose, but that time from Annie going a little too hard."

He snorts.

"We had to save him from becoming the next Owen Wilson, so — no more chicken tournaments."

Titan frat is… well, excessively competitive, you've learned in your year or so of dating Reiner.

(Blame Porco and the new pledge, Eren Yeager, for only exasperating in this year with the month-long holiday challenges.)

You shrug a shoulder. “I could help.”

“And mess up your pretty nails?” Reiner shakes his head, glancing briefly through his peripheral vision. He smirks. “Ain’t no way.”

Right.

Reiner’s also very giving, during this season — in more ways than one.

First it was the fully-paid-for manicure yesterday.

Then it was the reservation for a Christmas Eve dinner to your favorite spot in the inner city.

Now he’s trying to win Marcel's approval in this ridiculous decorating contest in your name, and you feel… well, loved.

(There's no disputing that you've won the boyfriend lottery.)

Which, of course, means you have only one thing you can do in this situation.

He’s too wound up.

Distracted.

So you reach down to the pile of icing supplies strewn about, picking the small red accented tube.

You swipe some on the tip of your finger, mindful not to get it under your nails.

Reiner doesn’t even see it happening.

He’s too busy playing fixer-upper on the front side of the house, his too-big hands delicately toying with the too-small decorations he’s pasting on the cookie.

You wait a few seconds, letting him place the door where he wishes, before swiping the icing over the side of his neck.

Reiner tenses, turning to see what the hell just hit his neck, but he’s too late—

You’re already leaning in, sliding the tip of your tongue along his skin.

The man gasps, dropping his own piping bag to the supply assortment below.

“What are you—”

“Decorating,” you murmur nonsensically, grinning from ear to ear as his attention disappears completely from the gingerbread house to you.

“The guys are in the other room,” he rasps, eyes wide.

The pledges, he means — banished to the enclosed patio as they work on their own poorly-designed houses.

Through the last year while dating Reiner,  you’ve learned very quickly how sensitive he is.

Sometimes all it takes is a look to get him hard.

Your ego has never recovered, and it’s not deflating now.

Except his eyes soften and a gentle chuckle exits his throat when his golden eyes search your face.

“Wait, you got—”

“What?”

His hand gently cradles your jaw. 

“Hold still, baby.”

His thumb raises to swipe at your nose, where his smile only grows.

You stay still, obedient to his command, unable to stop looking at him.

God, he’s gorgeous.

He’s so fucking gor—

Something touches your lips, and you belatedly realize Reiner’s taken it upon himself to push the red icing along the seam of your lips, parting them easily.

You can taste the sugary sweetness on the tip of your tongue.

“Shit, sorry." When your brows knit in confusion, Reiner explains himself. "Seems like I missed a spot.”

Oh.

Oh.

His pupils dilate as his gaze drops to your lips, as if he’s ready to devour your whole.

Your entire body turns into flames.

“Just one spot?” you murmur, and a wicked smirk crawls to his mouth.

That same thumb drops to glide the remaining icing over your chin.

“I fear it's a couple of spots, but don't worry. I'll get you cleaned up.” He tilts his chin. “I take care of my girl, remember?”

(As if you could ever forget.)

His words get your blood pumping. Pledges and wandering eyes be damned.

“What about the gingerbread house?” you murmur, entranced by the way he continues absently swiping icing over your jaw, chin, and cheeks.

(Marking a trail his lips will devour.)

“We can bring the icing upstairs,” Reiner suggests with an innocent shrug. You know it’s anything but. “I’ll finish that damn house eventually, but I have something sweeter to tend to.”

Before you can say another word, the blonde stands from his chair and gently takes your hand into his.

You easily stand with him, unable to stop giggling as he tugs you eagerly upstairs.

He’s determined to win, yes, but to him —

He’s already won.

He has you, after all.

.

[duskier]

This one is for @bjornthebearguy <33

The day had been terrible. Heaven forbid you have a day off to yourself- no kids, no work, no work kids either! And yet all three seemed to converge on your one monthly day off to make a terrible, no good combination that was the opposite of the peace you had envisioned for yourself.

The bus you took to work because your car battery was dead was just the cherry on top of your already shit day.

"Hen! Don't run off! This is a military base, not a playground!" Calling out to child number one, Henrik; young but still plenty old enough to know better than to run off from you.

"Oh!! And who is this wee li'le guy?" Work child number one, Soap; the last influence you would have wanted to meet Henrik. "You lost ma friend?"

Soap was good with kids. You didn't need to see him around kids to know he was good with them, you had seen his myriad of family pictures; the ever expanding brood returning him from every leave with more pictures of him with chubby, smiling toddlers balanced on his shoulders. Henrik was more than happy to let the soldier scoop him up and carry him back over to you.

"Mor, mor, lookie! Who's this!"

"If it's a stranger, should you be letting them pick you up?"

Meekly, "....No."

Soap could only guffaw and heft your child back down to the ground. "Yer mom's right, kiddo."

Clara, actual child number two held securely in your arms, took the moment to scream shrilly. Toddler speak for, "Hello! I'm so excited to meet you!" You'd long since lost the flinch reflex from your eardrums being assaulted by your little ones, and just took the damage head on.

"What's all the noise about!"

You turned to that sweet voice, Clara turning her head in time with you. Work child number two, Gaz. Brilliant smile flashing even brighter in the sun, walking with long strides to pull you into a side arm hug. Clara giggled and kicked her feet as she was squished between the two of you, and Henrik huffed at being ignored. Of course Gaz caught onto it quickly, popping a squat and giving the little guy a fist bump.

When he stood back up, he fixed a look at you. "What are you doing here? Isn't it your day off?"

Soap nodded in agreement, head cocked to the side.

"Yeah, but Price said he needed something urgent? Was supposed to be a spa day, but the babysitter broke her clavicle and I couldn't find anyone to take the little ones... Figured day was ruined already so I might as well not pretend I couldn't read the captain's messages."

Soap and Gaz were gentlemanly enough to walk with your little family, Gaz taking Clara from you as she slowly nodded off, drooling on his shoulder, and Henrik happily stomping along hand in hand with Soap. The two of them found their rhythm for stomping and you couldn't find it in yourself to be annoyed by it.

"Didnae realize ye had kids," Soap offered. "Where's their da?"

You laughed. "Donor bio dad, just me and the kids. I have a close friend of mine who always wanted to be a dad himself, we co-parent."

Soap shook his head as if clearing some thought bubble away from his mind's eye. "Where is he today then?"

"Honeymoon with his new husband for the weekend, goodness knows where. Lucky bastards."

Gaz hummed, his free arm pulling the door to the main building open.

Soap let go of Henrik, his smile apologetic. "This is where I leave ye, good man. Take care of yer ma for me, aye? We love her too much."

Henrik plastered himself to your side as soon as Soap disappeared behind the closing door. Gaz's boots made the most noise against the hard concrete floors, but only for a moment.

"Mor... where's the Ghost? You told me the Ghost was here." He was putting on his brave voice, you could easily tell. Of course he'd ask about work child number three. Henrik poked his head forward, getting Gaz's attention. "Mor's a liar, isn't she?"

"Hen!" You gasped out, the same second Gaz broke out into a fit of laughter.

"He's out right now, but you better watch out.... if he catches you not eating your vegetables that's when he...... GETS YOU!" Gaz reached an arm behind you and tickled at Henrick's side, making him shriek out in laughter.

The outburst woke up Clara, who started to cry because she was too upset about being woken up so suddenly.

"Oh, oh little one I'm so sorry," Gaz looked like he actually felt bad, putting the crying toddler down on her own two feet so she could stumble ahead of the group, trying to escape whatever it was upsetting her.

Of course you couldn't have that. "Clara, hey! Get back here!"

Somehow, the little thing made a beeline for Price's office, the door slightly ajar and allowing her entrance without a fight. You could hear her waddling stomps and a surprised noise from Price echo from his office, and could feel the mortification overwhelming your very soul.

Gaz took the moment to take his exit stage left, goodbye work child number two.

When you swung the door open, full of parental wrath ready to be unleashed, you were astounded by the sight before you. Price and Clara were giggling together, her sat on his desk and tugging at his beard. Henrik wrestled himself out of your grasp and ran up, feeling left out and demanding he be let in. Price only smiled good naturedly and pulled the boy up to sit next to his sister, winking at him before turning his attention to you.

"These are yours, I take it?" He blew a raspberry and Clara retracted her hand with squealing delight, and Henrik let out a sound of victory at his sister's loss.

"Captain, jeez, I'm so sorry. My car isn't turning on, the sitter canceled last minute, it was this mess or not come at all. The guards out front said it'd be fine--"

"Of course it's fine! I have some paperwork I need you to take a look at... Of course you understand that if it could have waited it would have...oh, hello, what is your name?" It was like your captain had disappeared entirely- just left a sweet middle aged man hunched over so a young boy could run his fingers gracelessly along his wrinkles.

"I'm Henrik. Mor calls me Hen. I hate it."

You held back your retort of, 'exactly why I call you that' while Price let out a big belly laugh. Henrik leaned forward with a scrutinizing eye, something that could have been intimidating if not coming from a child.

"Are you Santa Claus? Be honest. Mor says liars-"

"Fibbers, Hen," You cut in.

"Oh- yeah- Fibbers are bad people. Are you Santa Claus?"

Price only cocked his head to the side, his mustache bristling with his barely contained grin. "Does Santa have a white beard? Or a brown one?"

You scooted closer as you watched your son screw his face into one of concentration, trying to decide his answer. "Mmmm..... White!"

"What color is my beard then?"

Clara piped up, finally. "BWOWN!!"

Price pretended to startle, and laughed jovially at the sound of your daughter's voice. The entire interaction warmed your heart, watching with a smile on your face as Price nodded finally.

"There we go. Means I'm not Santa, don't you think?"

The two children exchanged a look and finally Henrik gave a little nod, his sister following suit likely just to copy her brother. The two suddenly broke out into giggles and leaned on each other, and Price looked back at you again. The warmth that saturated his eyes had your breath catching in your throat for a moment, before you suddenly caught on that Price had said something to you.

"--I left the files on your desk, I can watch the little ones if you'd like. Might make the paperwork go faster if you aren't splitting your attention."

"Do you know any fairy tales?" Henrik asked over Price's offer to you.

"I must know one or two after all these years, shouldn't I? Hmm. Would you like to hear of the princess who couldn't sleep? Or maybe the one that slept too much..." He winked at you, and made a little motion to shoo you from his office.

His voice faded out as you shut the office door behind yourself, and made your way to your office. Price hadn't been kidding, the stack was a lot bigger and more important than even he had lead you to believe- likely because he had been calling your civilian phone and couldn't trust the integrity of the lines. Well, it had to get done sooner than later. You resigned yourself to your squeaky office chair and set to work. The sooner you finished the sooner you got to get home.

When you finished you looked at the clock and felt terrible. You'd left your poor captain alone with your monster duo of children for nearly two hours. Even the strongest soldiers couldn't handle Henrik's endless tirade of questions or Clara's decibel of a speaking voice.

You rushed back to Price's office with the stack of paperwork and files in your arms, only to find your two kids soundly asleep. They were still sat upon Price's desk, but were face first in his shoulders. He was focused on his phone, his arms wrapped around the kids to keep them from falling as he squinted at the blue screen, but looked up when you came in.

"Hi," You whispered. "All done, captain. Can't thank you enough."

A puff of hair came out his nose, a soundless laugh. "It does me good to be around kids. Really reminds me what we do this kind of work for. To make the world a little cleaner for little ones like yours. They behaved themselves, they are wonderful kids, love. You're doing a good job."

You bit your tongue. You certainly wouldn't cry in front of your captain for saying something that hit you so squarely in the heart.

"Thank you, sir."

"John."

"...John." You smiled, ignored how domestic it was to be whispering with your boss while your children rested on him, their little heads rising in time with Price- John's slow, steady breaths.

"I'm nearly finished for the day. Why don't we let them sleep a little longer, and I'll drive you all home, we can catch some dinner on the way." He paused, and you swore you could see him blush a little. "If that's alright. I could also just drive you straight home-"

"John. Dinner sounds nice. How do you feel about Italian? Hen is on a pasta fix right now."

John smiled, his mustache bristling slightly. "Pasta sounds perfect."

[marymary-diva17]

Spa day (Morden au)

sully family x reader + metekayain teens and spider

When it came to household of teens and one kid there was no normal day, in the sully household and that was very true. As all the weekends were full of your kids always doing something. Most of the times you knew right away and other times you found out very later on in the game.

y/n " hey I'm back from the grocery store I can use some help, if anyone home" you soon heard footsteps walking down the stairs and soon enough all your kids are outside.

neteyam " we are here to help mama"

y/n " good grab some grocery bags and take them into the kitchen"

lo'ak " yes mama"

y/n " thank you all for being my helpful angles"

tuk " yeah I love being helpful" the kids soon grab the amount bags they could carry inside the house, and soon placing them into the kitchen.

neteyam " hey mama will it be fine if we have the others over today and maybe sleepover if needed"

y/n " that others you mean spider, tsireya, aonung, and rotox"

lo'ak " yes we have been planning this hangout for a while"

y/n " do their parents know"

kiri " yes and if they stay over we will make sure they call and remind their parents"

y/n " well sure they can come over you know your father rules"

kids " always tells us if anyone coming over and dont do anything that will cause a visit to urgent care"

y/n " yes that your dad they can come over and I will be here today if you need anything"

kiri " thanks mama we will be downstairs in the basement"

y/n " okay" soon the other kids had arrived to the house.

spider " hey aunt y/n"

y/n " hello sweets what are you all planing to do today"

lo'ak " just playing some cards games or maybe watching some movies and shows that all"

y/n " good for all ages"

kiri " yes mama we made sure that tuk can see them no horror movies like last time"

tuk " yeah I get to watch and have fun"

y/n "good I'm proud of you all well don't let me keep you held up, gp have some fun call me if you need anything or you already know where everything belong"

the kids " yes ma'am" the kids soon rushed down stairs the children had been getting stuff ready, before their cousins and friends arrived so you thought nothing of it.

Later that evening

Jake " hey we are home"

y/n " hey welcome home how was working my handsome husband and beautiful wife"

neytiri " long and boring but we are happy to be home where are the children they are most around here by now"

y/n " oh they are in the basement with spider,tsireya, and rotxo, aonung who might all be spending the night"

neytiri " oh cool well I'm going to change and we can talk more, these heels are killing me"

jakes " told you flats are better honey"

neytiri " oh hush" Jake and you laugh but he soon went upstairs to change as well, and soon they were down stair watching the news with you.

Jake " hey why don't you order pizza for us and the kids it will be easy, and keep us all feed"

Jake " well I'm going to get a drink from the kitchen I'm thirsty"

y/n " sure"

neytiri " that wonderful .... hey did you use that pack of facial mask marker today"

y/n " no it was a pack upstairs"

neytiri " well maybe kiri had taken it and used it I will ask her later"

y/n " maybe we ran out and forgot don't worry I will get more next time"

neytiri " sure and maybe we can have a spa date night without any rude interruptions ... Jake"

Jake " I can hear you tiri ... hey what happened to my favorite sodas they are all gone"

y/n " oh yes lo'ak had come up for some drinks with rotxo and snack hours ago"

Jake " don't they have food and drinks that home" you and neytiri look at each other and soon at Jake.

y/n " as I remember our teens years you will come by my home and raid my kitchen"

neytiri " same here"

Jake " that different" you and neytiri soon laugh at Jake words, soon making him laugh as well.

Jake " your are right but if they are going to take all the cold sodas please replace them" Jake soon had gotten more sodas from the garage and place them into the fridge.

Jake " hey why don't we ask the kids what pizza they will love to have, as we can order two or three and some appetizers as well" The two women had nodded their heads as the there adults soon walked downstairs to see the children.

Jake " hey kids we are ordering pizza tonight for dinner what will you all like ... what going on" all three adults soon looked at the group of kids as they were sitting downstairs having a good time, but having face mask on and it seems like they are having a spa day.

y/n " well it seems like we found the answer for what happened to the pack of face mask mix, so this was apart of your kids day"

kiri " sorry mama"

y/n " it okay"

Jake " it seems like you kids are having a good time down here"

lo'ak " well we were planning to watch movies and have a sleepover, but the girls wanted to do a spa day as well so we combined them together"

aonung " this is not bad after all I kinda of like it"

neteyam " it good you are exploring other stuff aonung"

rotxo " the girls helped us learn how to do face mask it was very fun"

spider " yeah we should do more of these spa days with movies"

tsireya " see I knew you boys will love it"

Jake " well you can have all the spa days you all want but now let decide what types of pizzas we want"

neytiri " maybe we can talk Jake into doing a spa day with us ma y/n"

y/n " yes I love that idea"

Jake " well maybe I will try it out after all my beautiful wives" the kids were laughing at the whole situation between the adults after making more jokes and taking some pictures, soon enough pizza had been order for everyone. While the kids enjoyed their time downstairs you had enjoyed a date night with your husband and wife.

[asimplearchivist]

𝓡𝓲𝓽𝓾𝓪𝓵

𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐘 𝐈𝐕 𝐨𝐟 𝐗𝐗𝐕

[𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓽'𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽] [ 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 ] AO3 | SPOTIFY | PINTEREST summary ☾ ⤏ khonshu was unfamiliar with the concept of self-care, but it would seem that he's unexpectedly well-versed in others. pairing(s) ☽ khonshu/reader | promises kept!verse word count ☾ 2.9k a/n ☽ ⤏ my fourth entry for the moon knight bingo hosted by @juneknight and @spacecowboyhotch over at @moonknight-events. I will eventually crosspost this to the main fic for promises kept on ao3 when it will best fit the chronological progression of the chapters. ⤏ this took a turn I didn't anticipate. khonshu kind of got away from me, tbh. have a flirty old bird I guess? (@angel-of-the-moons I feel like you might enjoy this one.🤭) ☽ MASTERPOST ☾ ☾ PREVIOUS ENTRY ⤎ ☥ ⤏ NEXT ENTRY ☽

What are you doing?

The rumbled words emerged from the shadows hemmed up in the corners of the bathroom more like a disinterested observation than a question.

“Would you care to take a guess?” you offered, opening your eyes and glancing towards the dimly lit silhouette having knelt in front of the door.

The warm, humid room was cramped and ill-suited for more than one person to occupy it at one time, but that fact didn’t seem to have stopped Khonshu from materializing at your side—likely in pursuit of tracking down your exact location since you weren’t in the living room or your bedroom like you usually were at this hour. It was a slow night in London, for once—the police channels had been quiet all evening, so you hadn’t felt the need to be prepared for the moon god’s urgent beck and call. Ru was winding down from school and homework with Lizzie watching her favorite baking show, and your portable speaker played music at the necessary volume to disguise your murmured responses to the lunar deity’s incredulity.

Bathing. In the dark. He tilted his skull. The electricity is not malfunctioning.

“It’s meant to be relaxing.” You raised a hand out of the steaming water to indicate the row of flickering candles lining the broad posterior lip of the tub flush against the wall. “And I can see perfectly well.”

He leaned forward, hands planted on his thighs not unlike a child, and you noticed that his staff was propped against the door frame. You are…self-soothing?

He must have picked up that term recently, as you’d definitely never heard him use it before. “Sort of. More like self-care. Liz offered to keep Ru entertained so I could get a breather until supper’s ready.”

Hmm. Khonshu sank back into his haunches. So you simmer yourself…and to what end?

You chuckled, pulling your legs up and folding your arms across the tops of your knees—modesty was a foreign concept to the ancient being, having associated with a culture that dwelled in the desert and thus rarely utilized complete coverings save to block the harshest of sunlight—and while you’d mostly grown accustomed to his penchant for invading your privacy at inopportune times, you didn’t particularly want to explain the entire premise to him with your chest on full display. “Hot water benefits the human body in many ways—relaxed muscles, improved moods, and the like—not to mention the positive effects of aromatherapy and inhalation of steam.”

Is that why you’re steeping a tea bag?

“It was a bathbomb wrapped in cloth with flowers and stuff in it—that’s why the water’s purple. It’s scented with lavender and chamomile. Smell it?”

How could I not? It has fumigated the entire room.

You shrugged. “At least it’s nice—better than BO, anyway.”

His shoulders scrunched in the only approximation of a frown you’d been able to determine. I see little point in any of this frivolity.

“Have you ever had a spa day, Khonshu?”

The inexpressive dimensions of his skull could not morph to adapt to his dripping dubiety, but it didn’t have to—his once uncanny stillness spoke enough to it.

“It’s nice,” you continued, ignoring his skeptical grunt. “With all those priests and priestesses fawning over you in your temples, I figured you’d have been pampered a time or two over the course of several thousand years.”

We were only allowed to interact directly with our avatars—we oftentimes utilized them as oracles, or spoke to the priesthood through statues, visions, dreams, or signs. Khonshu pushed his shoulders back. They would tend to our sculptures and reliefs as if they were our bodies, make offerings to them, enact rituals in our names, but…nothing quite like this.

“That’s a shame. I think a deep-tissue massage would do you a lot of good.” You reached for the exfoliator and the bar of soap and lathered up the perforated weave in order to scrub yourself so you’d at least look semi-productive. “Maybe some moisturization wouldn’t hurt…last time I saw your elbows, they looked crusty as hell.”

At first you thought you might actually have rendered him speechless, but you should have known better—another cursory peek in his direction revealed that he was merely observing.

I do recall a similar practice, he responded, tapering his beak down towards you, although it was generally utilized in preserving the khat of the mortals that journeyed west.

You rolled your eyes. “Of course. It wouldn’t offer you much of a vast improvement, then, huh? There’s not a whole lot I could do for a mummified bird.”

Khonshu scoffed, but said no more.

You began to wash your body in earnest, starting with your face, then moved down your neck, shoulders, arms, torso, pelvis, legs, and feet. You tried to reach around to tend to your back in the same way, but you winced as the action tugged at sore muscles beneath your shoulder blade—a scuffle with a carjacker the night before had resulted in him collapsed unconscious in the street, and you hadn’t trusted the police not to run him over in their haste to capture him (as well as a glimpse of you in their ever-persistent effort in pinning down the identity of their local do-gooder vigilante), so you’d had to drag him onto the sidewalk with…mixed results. The man had been big enough that he could have carried the car away with him, if the whim had so struck him, instead of hot-wiring it.

Allow me.

You startled as Khonshu’s hand curled over your arm to grasp the porous swatch of sudsy material. You watched, enraptured, as the gauze binding his flesh receded like sand slipping through an hourglass to reveal the pockmarked, ashen skin underneath—but you had only a glimpse before he withdrew with the stretched loofa.

Give me your back.

You twisted adjacent to the length of the tub and leaned forward obediently, deigning not to comment upon it. You supposed that wet wrappings wouldn’t be a pleasant sensation for anybody.

Khonshu imitated your earlier actions, although he was unexpectedly gentler. He dragged the loofa in rhythmic circles from the nape of your neck steadily down, from side to side, to the small of your back—then, to your continued surprise, he placed the fabric on your thigh before cupping his hands in the water and pouring it over your skin to wash away the suds. He then wiped away the rest, the roughened texture of his fingers softened by the soap and water, the pliability of your skin, although you noticed this touch lingered far longer.

You said nothing as he began to explore the typography of your spine and ribcage, seemingly subconsciously. To be such a hardass about almost everything, as well as an unforgiving sparring partner, you had almost forgotten how careful he could be. A foolish notion, really, as you were fully aware of how he treated Ru like porcelain on the verge of shattering—he always had. The methodicality of it lulled you into a trance-like state, your eyelids drooping as you leaned into both of his hands, now working in tandem to press and stroke the tension out of your muscles.

…When was the last time someone had touched you like this? You couldn’t recall. Your ex-husband hadn’t usually utilized this intimate a method of aftercare, even while you’d been trying for a baby. You’d been too busy with Ru and chores during the day to schedule an appointment, although you suspected that a deep-tissue would do you a world of good—Khonshu’s armor always healed your wounds if you wore it long enough, but it still often left you stiff if you’d hyperextended yourself during combat.

Khonshu dug the heel of his palm into that one incredibly tender catch under your shoulder blade. You sucked in a breath and winced, your entire back going rigid against the pain that lanced up into your neck. His displeased grunt was much closer to your ear than you’d anticipated, and you opened your eyes to glance up at him out of your periphery to see that he’d hunched over you.

You did not tell me that you were still in pain, he finally rumbled sternly. Why did you release the armor before you were healed?

“I am healed,” you told him, “just a little sore. It’s normal. I guess it doesn’t stitch everything back together exactly where it was before.”

He grumbled in refutation, but tapped his fingertips against the arch of your spine. Relax. It will only grow worse if you are tense.

“It’s not exactly—comfortable!” you squeaked, jerked forward to avoid the insistent digging of his fingers.

Of all the methods he could have used to steady you, reaching up and curling the length of his hand around the column of your throat was decidedly not what you would ever have expected. Your pulse leapt against the perfectly measured, unoppressive pressure he applied, and—in spite of the copious amount of heat flooding your face—you had to admit that it worked to keep you as still as a statue.

An inexplicable warmth—tingly like the slow creep of magic his armor provided to alleviate your wounds, but far more concentrated (and if you didn’t know any better, you’d have remarked that it almost felt like lidocaine)—wreathed his free hand as he began to knead the tightness out of the problem spot. You groaned softly as he did so, the vibration of the sound resonating through his hand and tickling your throat in turn, squeezing your eyes shut as you twitched on reflex to avoid the pain. Even with his magic’s numbing ability, the injury must have been worse than you’d initially anticipated because it swept right around the curve of your ribs and under—

“Hey!” you gasped, lurching away from those long, beguiling fingers as he followed the muscle to your torso and almost brushed the underside of your breast. This caused the blade of his palm to dig into your jugular, pitching your voice into a broken, if muffled, squeal. “Whoa, watch it—that’s off-limits!”

You’ve a rib out of place, he deadpanned.

“I could have my sacrum detached from my pelvic girdle, but that doesn’t mean I’d let you fondle my ass to fix it, either,” you hissed, trying to pull away, in vain.

Why must you be so stubborn? he groused, pressing his palm into your side directly over the rib in question. His soothing power sank into your body, and you had a hard time resisting the relief it brought. I had no intention of groping you.

You’d thought your face couldn’t grow any hotter, but you were promptly proven wrong. You told yourself that it was strictly the proximity of another person that was causing your uncontrollable reaction, that it had been years since the last time you’d been in such a compromising and vulnerable situation, not that it was Khonshu specifically. (You had always been shit at lying, even to yourself, admittedly.) “I, uh…sorry. Just…wasn’t expecting that.”

I did not mean to startle you. The curve of his beak descended over the slope of your opposite shoulder and the golden, emblematic crescent moon bound over his chest brushed against your back. …Just know that if I ever touched you in such a manner, there is no question that you would be anticipating it, Srit mwt.

You mouthed a curse and dropped your head as much as you could manage with him still holding you in place in hopes to hide your utter mortification. He should not have been having this effect on you. Khonshu was many things, but sexual was not a word you had mentally associated with him at any point.

You remembered, idly, that your research into his mythos had revealed that he was regarded as a god of fertility.

“Uh-huh,” you responded lamely, swallowing and surrendering to him just so that it would be over sooner. You’d planned on soaking for a while after washing up to enjoy the hot water, but now all you wanted to do was curl up in bed and scream into your pillow until your heart stopped drumming itself into a tattoo against the inside of your thoracic cavity.

Then the god of the moon had the the nerve—the fucking gall—to chuckle; a low, raspy noise that carried into your ribcage like a subwoofer ricocheted sound through a vehicle. You needn’t worry. I do not extend such invitations lightly…and I am not particularly inclined to commence anything that could not be completed.

Fuck. Honestly.

You were familiar with the banter the pair of you had shared over the years of serving as his avatar, but you’d never known him to…was he flirting with you, or were you imagining things? Surely not. He despised humans, humanity in general, thought himself above mere mortals to the point that he only associated with whomever he’d selected to be his Fist at any given time (as far as you were aware, anyway).

This was new. It was foreign and unexpected and completely out of character for him. Just when you’d thought you had pinned down his personality, he’d gone and revealed another aspect of himself—like a phase of the celestial body he represented. It didn’t make you uncomfortable, per se (quite the opposite, in fact, if you were to be totally honest with yourself; you’d made somewhat suggestive remarks to him in passing before, mostly for humor’s sake, but he’d never before responded in kind), but it was disarming you in a way for which you never could have prepared yourself.

He had seen you naked before—numerous times, in fact, much to your chagrin, since he couldn’t be bothered to at least knock on something before he appeared out of thin air—but he’d never acted like he’d even noticed your body, nor had he ever cared about the modern concept of modesty. You’d learned to live with it, had grown accustomed to him appearing at the most inopportune of moments. You’d just assumed that he might not even feel any attraction whatsoever, or at least not towards you.

Was that assumption incorrect? Had you misread his body language all this time? Was he just worryingly skilled at hiding any reactions he could have had? You hadn’t a clue—you didn’t know what to think, especially since you swore you could feel each individual crease on his cool, coarse palms against your heated flesh. He was a dominant entity, controlling out of necessity given the nature of his creed, but you’d never thought that it could carry over into a context quite like this.

…Of course, you’d never thought he’d offer to help you bathe, either, but here you were: naked, wet, and as vulnerable as one could be, trying very hard to hide exactly what he was doing to you simply by touching you comparatively chastely in sharp contrast to what the tone of his voice might have indicated.

You cleared your throat, realizing that you’d been quite a little too long. You could almost hear his smug grin—if he were even capable of displaying it in his primary, decayed shape. “...Thanks. For the…for the help. I feel a lot better now.”

Impatient, as always, he tutted. Just a moment.

“No, really, I’m good, you’ve worked your ma—gic!”

The sharp, high noise that escaped you as his hand compressed your rib and set it back in place with a dull click was worse than you could’ve imagined. Khonshu, mercifully, withdrew as quickly as he’d approached, leaving you reeling and dazed. You sucked in a breath, gritting your teeth against the urge to cringe, and probed your side experimentally.

There. That wasn’t so bad, now was it, hmm?

“If you weren’t a literal deity that could smite me from this plane of existence, I would offer you some very choice words on the quality of your bedside manner.”

That has never restricted you before. Khonshu’s spindly form creaked as he stood and straightened to his full height (or as close to it as was possible, given the bathroom’s low ceiling), leaving you shivering in the humid air he stirred in his wake. Although I doubt you will complain that I finished the job that you failed to allow the armor to finish.

“Well,” you started indignantly, “I guess I can count on you to finish everything I don’t, then, huh?”

A beat of silence passed, and that was arguably worse than anything he could’ve said in reply.

You dropped your head into your hands and groaned. “Forget I said that.”

He had the audacity to laugh at you. Should you ever require assistance, he crooned, all you need do is to call my name. I will hear you at any time or place.

You reached a hand back to deliver him a solitary finger, refraining from the urge to crawl into the drain and drown yourself. “I think I’ve had about enough of you tonight, thanks.”

If that’s all you can take, then I worry that you couldn’t—

“Shut,” you ground out, “the fuck up.”

Khonshu laughed as he slipped back into whatever the hell sort of fifth dimension he lived in when he wasn’t plaguing you with his insufferability.

[inutoaluv]

Day 4 of @bunny-is-cute AppleHuskerDust Week: Whump(Sick, Injuries)

Husk forces down a groan as he tends the bar. He'd woken up feeling sick but unable to take off to take care of himself. He knew Alastor would unleash hell if he didn't show up. 

Angel looks up, confused. “You ok, Husk?”

Husk nods as he wipes down a glass, leaning heavily against a shelf. “Yeah. I'm fine.”

Before Angel can respond, Alastor strolls over. “Two fingers of rye, Husker, if you would, old friend.”

Husk gets a bottle down and starts pouring it into a glass, his hand shaking a bit. Angel's eyes widen at this, becoming even more concerned. Alastor takes a sip from his drink, unconcerned. Husk wraps his wings around himself slightly, trying his hardest to hide how sick he is.

“Hey, Smiles, would ya consider letting Husk have a few days off? For some self-care?” Angel asks. 

“No need. Spas and the like isn't his style. Therefore, there is no need for any time off.” Alastor answers as he takes a drink of his rye.

Husk's ears lower a bit at this, despite already knowing what the answer would be. Angel hums and takes out his phone and starts texting. Alastor sips his drink, unconcerned. 

A portal opens up in the middle of the lobby. Angel smirks as Lucifer steps out. Alastor raises an eyebrow at the King's entrance. 

One look at Husk has Lucifer looking at Alastor in anger, his horns coming out. “Here's what's going to happen, deer man, Husk is taking time off to get better! He's clearly sick! One word out of you on the contrary, and his soul will be free! Because I'll eradicate yours! Do you understand?”

Alastor gives a brief nod, eyes wide in surprise. Lucifer walks over to Husk and effortlessly picks him up bridal style and carries him up the stairs. Husk's eyes widen at this, blushing under his fur, as he holds onto him. Angel quickly gets up and follows Lucifer up the stairs and towards their shared bedroom.

“Angel texted you, didn't he?” Husk guesses, leaning his head against Lucifer's shoulder. 

Lucifer kisses his head, frowning in worry at the heat against his lips. “Yeah. Said he needed my help with convincing Bambi about something. Figured it had to be important for him to ask me to pull the “I'm the King of Hell” card.”

Husk nuzzles into his neck. “Thanks…both of you.” He mumbles. 

Lucifer walks into their shared bedroom and sets Husk on the bed and covers him up. Angel goes to get some medicine and a cool, wet washcloth from their bathroom. Lucifer sits next to Husk and pets his head. Husk leans into the touch, purring weakly.

Angel comes back with a medicinal cup of medicine and a wet washcloth. He puts the washcloth on Husk's forehead and helps him sit up enough to take the medicine. Husk curls his nose at the medicine but doesn't complain. He lays back down and closes his eyes to rest. 

“You've earned some rest, Husky. We'll be here when you wake up.” Angel says, petting Husk's head. 

Husk weakly smiles and soon drifts off. Lucifer and Angel settle in to take care of him. Lucifer sends a text to Valentino, stating that Angel is needed at the hotel for a pressing and urgent matter. Angel turns off his phone to avoid the barrage of incoming calls and texts from Valentino to focus on Husk.

[formulaphoe]

the rise of christian horner

note: this post mentions the sexual misconduct allegations from earlier this year

image source: daily express

when you think of formula 1, names like hamilton, verstappen, and ferrari come to mind. yet, behind the roaring engines and the glitz of the paddock, there's another name that stands tall—christian horner, the team principal of red bull racing, a figure as pivotal to the team's success as the drivers themselves.

early days and career beginnings

image source: reddit

born on november 16, 1973, in leamington spa, england, christian horner's love for motorsport ignited at a young age. he started his racing career in karting, making his first foray into single-seater racing at the tender age of 18. his ambition saw him compete in various championships, though he never quite made it to the pinnacle of racing. he soon realised that his talents lay not behind the wheel, but in strategy and management.

christian's big break came when he founded his own team, arden international, which competed in formula 3000. under his guidance, arden quickly made a name for itself, attracting talents like the future f1 champion, sebastian vettel. this success didn't go unnoticed, and in 2005, horner was approached by red bull to take the reins of their newly-acquired formula 1 team.

a new era at red bull racing

image source: f1

taking charge at just 31 years old, christian was young, but undeniably ambitious. under his leadership, red bull racing transformed from a mid-field contender to a dominant force in formula 1. the turning point came in 2010 when the team clinched its first constructors' championship, a feat they would go on to repeat four times consecutively. the secret to their success? a combination of innovative engineering, strategic vision, and, crucially, a knack for nurturing talent.

challenges and triumphs

image source: everythingf1

while christian has enjoyed much success, his journey has not been without its challenges. the fierce rivalry with mercedes during the 2010s tested his mettle. the era of lewis hamilton's dominance also presented obstacles, yet christian was instrumental in navigating the team through the complexities of regulations, technical advancements, and the ever-shifting dynamics of f1 politics.

in recent seasons, with the emergence of max verstappen, christian's vision started to bear fruit once again. verstappen's talent, paired with the team's unwavering support, has led to a resurgence, including a spectacular championship win in 2021 that send the f1 world into a frenzy. christian's strategic decisions during these critical races, especially in high-pressure situations, have shown his prowess in not just managing a team, but leading it to glory.

allegations

image source: the independent

earlier this year, christian faced allegations of inappropriate behavior that rocked the motorsport community. these accusations were serious and came amidst a broader reckoning in formula 1 regarding workplace and sexual misconduct.

as investigations unfolded, it was evident that the situation mirrored a growing concern in formula 1, where issues of harassment and misconduct were being brought to light. industry leaders faced increasing pressure to address these matters transparently and responsibly. christian's case highlighted the urgent need for better policies and practices to protect individuals in the paddock.

christian publicly denied the allegations and was acquitted of all accusations.

the future of red bull racing

image source: planetf1

as we look ahead, christian's ambitions for red bull racing are clear. with the team investing heavily in its infrastructure and talent, the aim is to maintain their competitive edge. the new regulations on the horizon present both challenges and opportunities, and christian's strategic foresight will be essential as the sport continues to evolve.

with the team's legacy growing and new talents on the rise, christian's role is more crucial than ever. his vision for sustainable racing and commitment to innovation will shape not just red bull racing, but potentially the entire landscape of formula 1.

sources

"christian horner." wikipedia, 2 oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Horner

taranto, steven. "christian horner situation, explained: formula one red bull team principal accused of 'inappropriate behavior." cbs sports, 8 mar. 2024, www.cbssports.com/motor-sports/news/christian-horner-situation-explained-formula-one-red-bull-team-principal-accused-of-inappropriate-behavior/

shaw, graham. "christian horner: the life and times of an f1 great with a spice girl wife." gpfans, 28 feb. 2024, www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/87455/christian-horner/

"christian horner: 'it was my first time in a single-seater." winfield, winfieldracingschool.com/christian-horner-red-bull-team-principal-it-was-my-first-time-in-a-single-seater/

braybrook, rebecca. "who is christian horner? red bull boss' history and net worth." motorsport, 28 feb. 2024, www.motorsport.com/f1/news/christian-horner-red-bull-team-principal-career-history-net-worth/10580854/

specter, emma. "formula 1's sexual-misconduct scandal, explained." vogue, 18 mar. 2024, www.vogue.com/article/christian-horner-formula-1-sexual-misconduct-allegations

if any errors or typos are noticed, PLS PLS point them out via comment, ask, or dm. if there is a specific topic you would like me to cover, send in an ask and i'll look into it!

[candiedspit]

Sometimes I wish I was sick, I told Frankie.

He swooped his eyelashes at me like a cartoon, trying to get my attention.

Sick? He asked. Like the flu?

A desperate, kneeling sort of flu. Something without a cure. A blindness so that I would have to move through the world in black stasis. A miracle to be outside. A miracle to hold my face against the sunlight. I want to be surprised again.

He played with the beads in the carpet. He wasn’t sure what there was to say, how to respond. He never knew how to respond to me.

When I heard from him next I was on the way to the laundromat, hauling a large bag of dirty clothes on my back like a wise traveling person. The bag made a funny looking shadow against the sidewalk. I placed the bag down and answered his call.

Hello? I asked, annoyed that he had interrupted my stride. I had been in the middle of an execution of action. I was moving down the street at a fast and urgent pace, unthinking. He had yanked me out of that speed.

When can I see you? He asked.

I could imagine him in his apartment laying on the couch, cracking his knuckles and fiddling with his sock. I thought for a moment.

I can come over later on, I said. Around nine.

And indeed, I arrived at nine. I was in a good mood. I spent the day cleaning, moving in grand sweeps and motions. I was wearing his tee shirt. I suppose I loved him. I was twenty seven and worked at a spa, rubbing the backs of people who needed to be touched, who were absolutely starved of feeling.

I warmed my hands with hot honey and talked in a low voice about knots, what the knots meant and how to get rid of them. The people listened from their positions on the bench, lost in the coddle of towels and sweat. They hardly heard me at all. It was a beautiful thing. I was an angel, a distant light in their periphery vision. It was mindless, kind work and I was proud to do it.

Frankie worked at a law firm, numbers, spreadsheets, buckets of data. This did not interest me. Once, I asked what his favorite number was. I was trying to glean something out of him. Some sort of illicit pleasure. What was in his mind?

Thirty one, he answered.

Good, I said. Good.

That night, we fucked and he made me some green tea afterward. This is how we moved.

[elisysd]

Eyes Open

Cruel Summer Masterlist

Losing Julia in the paddock

Every lesson forms a new scar

Julia was six now and knew her way inside and out a paddock. But still, Lyanna and Charles were reluctant at the idea of letting her wander alone. The family was off to Silverstone to cheer on Charles. It was Julia’s first time on the English soil and she was excited. She had already gone to Monza, Barcelona, Monaco obviously (she went there each year) and Spa but never had she been to Silverstone and she was excited. Especially when she knew that it was one of her dad’s favourite track.

They had taken the private jet along with her godfather and godmother but also at her big disappointment with the Verstappen. Since that fateful accident in kindergarten, time had passed and rivalry ended. Between Charles and Max. Not between Ethan and Julia. They still hated each other and were not missing an occasion to make it known. Both families were used to it and were not even trying to say anything. As long as they were not physically fighting and no bones were broken, it was fine.

“Hi Joolsie!” waved Ethan, when he saw her getting in the plane closely followed by her mom.

Joolsie was the nickname Ethan found her. It came when they were both younger and it stuck when Ethan understood that it annoyed her. She rolled her eyes, not bothering to say anything back and took her seat, near the window and right beside Pierre as Lyanna went to Kika and Kat who were a little away in the plane.

“Where’s your dad Ju’?” asked Pierre.

“He said that he had an urgent phone call to make.”

She pulled from her backpack a book. She was still trying to learn how to read and wanted to know how to before Ethan. It was her biggest objective and she was giving her all to achieve it as soon as possible. And it was like that for everything. Everything was a good excuse to turn it into a challenge. Lyanna often said that her daughter inherited from Charles her competitiveness. And Charles was proud.

Finally her dad showed up and took place in front of her, after shaking hands with Max and ruffling playfully Ethan’s hair. Julia, noticing the scene, snorted and ignored her dad when he kissed the top of her head.

“What’s wrong princess?”

“You are making friend with the enemy, daddy.”

“Oh come on, sweetheart.”

She shrugged not bothering to answer and Charles looked at Lyanna who was watching the scene from afar, smiling. It was going to be a long flight. They landed two hours later and made their way to the hotel. Julia was going to share the bedroom with her parents and she could not be happier. It was not everyday it was happening and at home there was a strict policy of not coming into her parents room when the door was closed. When she had questioned her mommy about why she couldn’t go there when they were inside, she had told her that they needed to spend some alone time. Julia didn’t understand why but she knew better than to keep on insisting.

On Thursday, as Charles was out all day to give interviews and filming content with Ferrari’s media team, Lyanna had taken Julia to London to do some shopping. It would be a girl day, something Julia was excited about. It didn’t happen a lot between school and her mom work. Lyanna had paused her career after getting the Oscar, she wanted to spend time with her daughter away from everything and she wanted to see her grow up. She felt like she had accomplished everything that she could and with the success the movie had and the solicitations it became overwhelming for her. She had then decided to do a break to pursue online studies in business. She really wanted to set up an agency that would help young artists, mostly women and actresses, to not fall into weird traps and to accompany them on a mental health side, something she cared a lot about. Charles was supporting her at 100% and even suggested that it could later on be extended to women in sport.

The two Leclerc girls spend their day from shops to shops until their feet were hurting and they decided to go buy ice creams and settle in a park to cool off. When they finally got back to the hotel, shopping bags in their hands, Charles was already there and waiting for them.

“How was your day with your mum, Ju’?”

“So cool! I have a new dress daddy! Do you want to see it!”

“Is that even a question? Of course, princess!”

Julia took the bag and ran to the bathroom to put it on.

“How are you doing? I hope she didn’t tire you out too much.” ask Charles as Lyanna was sitting on his lap.

“She has a lot of energy but we had fun.”

The Friday, it’s Julia who insisted on going with her dad to the paddock. Lyanna was not sure she would have fun and thought they could do some more exploring in London but Julia really wanted to see the cars and the track. And Charles had told her that later, if they could he would take the bike and ride together along the track so Julia could understand better what her daddy could feeling while driving. Julia was so excited that Lyanna had to watch her very carefully if she didn’t want to loose the little girl.

On their way to the hospitality, they encountered Sarah, Mick’s wife and Romy who was just turning five years old. Mick’s was driving for Audi and was doing a pretty decent job always managing to stay in the points. After everything he had been through Lyanna was happy for him. Charles as well, he really like Mick. They didn’t live close to each other, the Schumacher living in Switzerland but whenever they could they would always try their best to organise dinner, especially since Julia and Romy were getting along very well. Julia didn’t have a lot of friends so it was making her parents happy that she had found someone that she could play with, even if they were not seeing each other a lot.

Saturday went well for Charles, managing a P5. It was not the result he hoped for, obviously but the season was not going that great and he tried his best to see the positive side of things. Julia was disappointed for her dad and almost cried when she understood that it would not be in front tomorrow. Charles tried his best to explain to her that it was okay and that he would try his best to go snatch a podium. For Julia.

Sunday was busy. Lyanna and Charles were holding firmly Julia’s hands to be sure she was not leaving their side. There were so many people, so many VIPs too and so many activities that if they were not careful, it would be easy to loose her. Charles wanted to get his family in the Ferrari garage as soon as he could so they would be safe and away from the crowd. As soon as they stepped in Charles put noise cancelling headphones on Julia's ears and he went straight to his room to change himself.

“Mommy, can I go see grandpa Fred?”

“Sure Ju’ but you stay with him and when he tells you to come back to me, you come back to me. Copy?”

“Copy!”

Lyanna took the opportunity to go talk to Arthur who was there too. Arthur were not racing anymore, preferring to focus on mentoring younger kids rather than trying to force his way into F1. They spent a while talking until Charles came back, ready to go into his car. He went up to Fred who was showing graphs to Julia who was intently listening. He kissed her forehead and Julia stopped watching to throw her hands around her dad’s waist.

“I love you daddy.”

“I love you too, princess.”

He then went to Lyanna, squeezing her waist as she threw her arms around his neck to kiss him.

“Be fast. Come back to me. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

As the race was about to start, Lyanna search for Julia and panic rushed over her when she saw that she was not there anymore. She alerted Arthur who tried to reassure her by saying that she could not be far away and that he was going to help her search for her. They spent an hour running around the paddock asking everyone if they had seen Julia. Tears were falling down on Lyanna’s face until a voice called out for them.

On their right, coming from the Audi’s garage, Sebastian Vettel was coming towards them with the little girl in his arms.

“Julia!” Lyanna ran to her. “Don’t run away ever again like that okay? I was so scared!”

“Sorry mummy. there was a man with a Ferrari shirt that was working on something and he went away and I wanted to see what he was doing and I followed him and I lost him and I didn’t know how to come back and I got lost.”

“You’re lucky , I recognised her only because she was wearing Charles number and she is his spiting image.”

“Thank you so much, Seb. Really.”

Needless to say that Julia never had been scolded this hard in her entire short life. Charles ended up on the third place of the podium and he was so happy that Lyanna didn’t want to tell him about his daughter shenanigans. And Julia was happy too. Seeing her dad on the podium, she clapped her hands as loud as she could. She was on Arthur’s shoulders so she could have a clear view on the podium and so that Charles could see her straight away. After the celebrations (and a well deserve shower) they all get back to the hotel. As Charles was taking care of his daughter was helping her get ready to bed he asked her how she had found the weekend.

“So cool! I learned a lot of stuff about cars.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes! I want to help people make cars when I’m older. I want to help you have a very fast car.”

“That’s very nice, princess. But before, time to bed.”

===========

taglist

@zendayabelova @purplephantomwolf @ru-kru @dakotali @blueflorals @aundercover @ruleroftheuniverse @fangirlika @writerscurse @elijahmikaelsonbitch @leclerc13 @karmabyfernando @stargaryenx @pitlanebabe @boiohboii @reengard @shikshinkwon@smoooothoperator

[thecandywrites]

Monster March 2023 Day 7- Minotaur Part 1

The Rut

So this is four parts. Because I went, just, hog wild with this. And with a twist of it being a caribou minotaur. Plus Arctic Tundra *cough* Alaska *cough*, which is where I was born and where I spent my early childhood. So you'll see a lot a lot of personal touches.

Parts 1, 2 and 3 are pretty mild and SFW, part 4will be NSFW and part 5 is SFW. Just heads up.

Thanks to @borealwrites for their Monster March 2023 prompt list. As well as to @catbatart for thier Monster March prompts as well.

Enjoy.

Monster March Day 7- Minotaur - Caribou Minotaur

The Rut

Part 1

Emergency Appointment

“Hello, this is Bianca with The Velvet Spa, how can I help you?” You answered the phone as it rung even in the breakroom, from the overflow out front. For you, it was a sign that business was good. But right this second, it was interrupting your break. But the sacrifices you had already made for this place, a few more minutes probably wouldn’t mean a lot to you, but could potentially mean a lot for them, so you picked up the phone. 

“Hi, I’m Bauvar Leopold, I’d like to schedule a velvet shedding appointment?” Bauvar asked in a hopeful desperation. 

“Of course. Are you new to the Velvet Spa or have you been to see us before?” You asked as you tried to see if you could pull his client file up from your phone on the spa’s app. 

“No, I haven’t.” He sheepishly admitted. 

“Ok, well, then let me get you into the system, could you spell your name for me?” You asked before he spelled it out and gave you more of his personal information, including that he was a caribou minotaur. Which meant he would need a larger than usual appointment because caribou, either of the traditional classic taur variety or the minotaur variety had large antlers, not as big as the moose-taurs, but close. 

“Thank you so much, so, let me see what we have available, is there a day of the week you’d prefer? Mornings or afternoons?” You asked as you looked through the massive schedule, it was “pre-rut” when most taurs who had antlers as opposed to horns- needed to remove the velvet to reveal their new antlers every year. Most of these clients had appointments months and even years in advance but The Velvet Spa was always eager to hire new velvet strippers to strip the velvet off of antlers for your deer-taur, moose-taur, elk-tour and caribou-taur clientele as well as the minotaur community and all of the subspecies that taurs came in. When it wasn’t busy helping with the winter coat removal or antler removal in winter and a myriad of other services. And this was the height of the velvet stripping season.

“Anything, the soonest you have available, I can come whenever you have an opening. Please, I’m desperate.” Bauvar pleaded as you could tell he was probably fighting not to destroy his own house in an attempt to take the once nourishing velvet off of his now- fully formed antlers as the velvet soon began to die off and shrivel up, and constrict on the antlers, leaving the client very uncomfortable.  

“Ok, well I do actually have an urgent- after hours appointment available this evening at 7pm then, however those appointments are at a higher price point than our usual appointments have. Otherwise the next open appointment isn’t until the day after tomorrow.” You offered. 

“I’ll take it! I’ll be there! Thank you so much, I don’t care what it costs, but I just really need this taken care of as soon as I can.” He offered gratefully. 

“Ok, I’ll see you then.” You offered before you hung up the phone and went back to trying to wolf down your lunch in between appointments.

You continued with your day and just as you were walking your previous client out to the waiting room to get checked out as he thanked you by dipping down and hugging you, since he was simply massive and his antlers were massive and nearly scraped the walls as he came down the hallway with you to check out as he was the classic moose-taur client.

“Thank you so much Bianca! Really, you’re a miracle worker. You’re the best.” He thanked you gratefully as he slipped a hefty tip into your hands and even a gift card for your favorite coffee joint, Caribou Coffee that was right down the street- into your hands as he did the handshake/hug gesture with you. 

“You’re welcome Mack, don’t forget to reschedule your antler shed appointment and your winter coat de-shed appointment too.” You reminded him. 

“Yes, can’t leave here without those.” He smiled gratefully as he then faced the receptionist as you picked up the new client paperwork that Bauvar had filled out and turned in. 

“Mr. Bauvar Leopold?” You asked as you took it and looked towards the other caribou minotaur clientele before Bauvar practically leapt out of his seat and gave a little waive once he got over his initial shock that it was a human that was his velvet stripper. He expected another taur or another minotaur to be his velvet stripper like the others. But to see little you come out was a surprise and shock. Although you were, if he was honest, one of the more beautiful humans he had ever seen. And you looked like the perfect professional in your monogrammed scrubs. 

“That’s me, wow, you got my name right. That’s quite impressive.” He thanked you gratefully as you could see he had already dripped some blood onto the shoulders of his really nice suit and had attempted to clean it already, since it was still damp. And while from the neck down, he looked like a perfectly professional businessman, from the crown of his head up, his antlers were all wrapped and bleeding through the bandages as he looked about ready to itch his way out of his skin. But, otherwise, a pretty handsome caribou-taur in your opinion. But you had to remain professional. 

“I try. Everyone deserves to have their name said correctly. Let’s get you squared away Mr. Leopold.” You offered. 

“Oh, you don’t need to call me that. Bauvar is fine.” He invited. 

“Then you can call me Bianca.” You invited as you gestured for him to follow you to your appointment room you kept for minotaurs of various varieties. 

“So, Bauvar, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being, not bothersome, and 10 being- you’re about to hug a cholla jumping cactus if it means getting the velvet off, where are you at?” You asked him thoughtfully as you looked him in the eye for the answer after glancing over the velvet to see where it was in the process of shedding his velvet as you could already see where he had tried to wrap it to keep from bleeding on the carpet and furniture as the points were already poking and peeking through. 

“A solid 9.” He estimated. 

“So jumping head first into a thornbush, got it.” You grinned which got him to bark a laugh. 

“Yeah, just about.” He readily agreed. 

“Well I’m here in room 5, so come on in and lay back into the chair.” You invited once you opened the door to the room and showed him to a special reclining seat that reclined into a special sink that one would recognize from a hairdresser salon. But was specifically for antlered clientele to comfortably recline and simply get their antlers shed of their velvet before he did, as the chair almost reminded him of a dentist chair but with a few buttons pressed he was reclined comfortably and the chair conformed to how he wanted it as you passed him a set of sunglasses to wear to shield his eyes from the special lights you’d use as you were putting on special gloves, getting new supplies before you were unwrapping the bandages on his antlers. 

“Ok, so let’s see what we have here.” You murmured as you inspected the velvet as you went along, seeing which patches were dead, or dying and some of them, trying to hang on for dear life, but the velvet was oily and dulled, which was the sign that the velvet was ready to come off as the different areas were already poking through while the velvet tried coming off with the bandages themselves. 

“So you still have areas here at the base that are pretty active, I’m going to numb the velvet to ease discomfort ok?” You offered. 

“Ok.” He readily agreed and tried not to grimace when he felt the prick of the needle all over the different nerve branches in the velvet, but he could not stop the pleasured exhale and practically moaned when the relief bloomed all over his antlers as his body soon relaxed. 

“Better?” You asked with a knowing grin. 

“So much better, already, wow. Thank you.” He confessed before you took your special blades and scalpels gauze to clean up any blood as well as a special soap to wash the blood away as you would work as you walked around. 

“Also, that’s a special massage chair so you just use the remote to get what you want while I work- ok?” You reminded him. 

“Oh! That’s awesome. No wonder everyone raves about coming here. When they said ‘full service medical spa’ they weren’t kidding.” He noted as he brought the remote up to his face to look at it and start the different massage modes as he practically melted while you meticulously worked on cutting and removing the velvet, soaking up any residual blood while the numbing agent also reduced blood flow and kept the bleeding to a minimal. 

“Well hopefully you’ll find it’s a well earned reputation.” You smiled as you focused on getting the velvet at the highest parts of the antlers, using a special stool to allow you to get to it comfortably. 

“So what happened that you needed the velvet off today?” You asked. 

“I thought it would have come off next week, but it started early and last night, the urge to smash everything in the house trying to get it off this morning was particularly poignant. And then when we had a business lunch I damn near stole a steak knife to cut it off right there in the restaurant. But I made the mistake of rubbing them against the walls in the bathroom stall in the office, thus, the blood on the shoulders of the suit and the business lunch being particularly awful. I don’t know why we have them this time of year. I’m going to have to pay the dry cleaners extra just to clean the suit.” He explained. 

“Well, then we should watch out for infection if you started rubbing the antlers in the bathroom stall of all places.” You reminded him. 

“Yeah, I tried to wash it and put some antiseptic but I think that just made it worse.” He confessed. 

“Ah, that explains the extra grease, because you probably used micitricen eh?” You noted. 

“You can tell?” He asked. 

“Oh yeah, there’s antler oil and then there’s the vaseline grease that most try to put on if they start cutting and itching before the velvet is fully ready to die because if the velvet gets infected before it can die off, you can lose the antlers altogether. But some get a little antsy and eager to be of the first to shed the velvet among their peers.” You noted. 

“Well that wasn’t the case with me. I try to leave it on, because it hurts the antlers if you take it off too soon.” He insisted. 

“It sure does. Some do their best to wait for it to fall off all on its own, but by that point, then you get flies attracted to the rotting velvet. And that’s always bothersome and irksome.” You offered as you continued to work diligently to get between the tips at the top. 

“True.” He had to admit. 

“But the itch just took me by surprise this year.” He offered. 

“So I take it you woke up this morning and instantly wanted to have a breakfast date Edward Scissorhands to get it off?” You gently teased. 

“Yes! That’s exactly it. Like it was so hard not to just get one of those metal back scratchers and go to town.” He admitted. 

“Is that what you usually do?” You asked. 

“Yeah, can you see all the claw marks from the scratcher?” He asked. 

“A little. So why’d you decide to come in and get the velvet professionally removed?” You asked. 

“Our business partners at lunch, apparently they came in the day before yesterday and got it done and had nothing but the highest praise about this place.” He explained. 

“Aww, well I’m glad you called and could get in today. The rest of your week would have been toast, I can see how this stuff would drive you nuts until you could get it off.” You sympathized. 

“You can tell? Just by looking at it?” He asked. 

“Yup, by the look and the feel. It’s all sweating shedding oil. Looks like it’s actually been doing this for a few days now. You may not have noticed if you’re super busy. Dying velvet is like the worst mosquito bite over a burn blister next to a scab kind of feeling- ever.” You noted as you continued to slice as much free hanging velvet as you could as Bauvar was impressed that you would know something like that and put such a feeling into a wonderful illustration that anyone, whether they had antlers or not could understand. 

“So…how’d you get into this? Most places have other taurs doing this sort of thing.” Bauvar noted since you were human but you were dealing with his velvet as if you were another taur yourself. Not unless you were mixed and you simply really favored your human heritage and your own antlers were hiding in your hair that you had pulled up into a pretty bun over your pretty head and while his own senses were acute, for some reason, your own pheromones in the air were just as heavenly as your floral perfume and he was fighting not to have more a physical reaction to you than he was already having. 

“Yeah, I get that alot. But I was born here in the Arctic Tundra. My Mom grew up in Fair Banks and my dad is in the airforce, he’s still at Eielson Airforce Base. I was born in Anchorage and my other sisters were born right here in Juneau, so I grew up with a lot of moose-taur, elk-taur, deer-taur and especially caribou-taur friends and of course those subspecies of minotaur as well. And so every fall before rut, I remember they’d actually miss school to go out into the woods to shed their velvet on the trees themselves that way. And so because I was smaller and simply had an eye for it, little nimble and dexterous fingers that could hold a razor blade in one hand and some antiseptic soaked cotton balls in the other- I could get in there with some and simply remove it for them so they weren’t so miserable. And then when the spring came and their winter coats had issues shedding right along their shoulders and mid back, I would help de-shed them too. So, just growing up all around it, I went to school for it right out of high school and have been doing it ever since.” You answered with a small shrug as you really focused on getting the inner corners and pulling it back and removing it in smaller pieces so it wouldn’t stress the antlers or cause discomfort once the numbing agent wore off as you used the many tools in your specialized tool belt to do so from a standing position as you held his antler in one hand with various bits of gauze to keep any blood from dripping down onto him or his clothes anymore.  

“So you’ve been doing this a long time then eh?” He realized. 

“Yup.” You confirmed with a nod as you continued to work on his upper antlers first before you got it all off, putting the pieces of velvet into a special compartment on the belt, meant to be thrown away, washed, disinfected and sanitized between clients before you moved over to the other side and get that taken care of as he seemed more interested in watching you work intently and could see you use both hands to work the scalpel and other tools as you switched them out without looking but could do so purely out of touch and in mere minutes had removed more than he usually did in a matter of days. 

“Are you ambidextrous?” He asked. 

“I am. I write better with my right hand. But yeah, for the most part, I am.” You confirmed. 

“That must come in handy here.” He noted. 

“It does.” You grinned as you noticed how he seemed to be almost hypnotized by you and your work on his antlers. 

Which, you were used to. Most taurs- whether traditional or minotaur- were very particular about their antlers or horns and their fur. And especially for male taurs, they put a lot of emphasis on the size, and symmetry of their antlers as it was always something that was tied closely with masculinity and virility for them. And honestly, he had quite a bit to be proud of, at least this year.

But you had learned that antlers could change from year to year and individual to individual. And frankly, after seeing thousands and thousands of them, their impressiveness seemed to lose it’s novelty. In fact, most preferred a non-taur specialist because most were either afraid or uncomfortable about any female taur being impressed by them and putting strains on their committed romantic relationships or having a female taur specialist, meant that most males would often switch into ‘must impress’ mode and ruin the serious medical and clinical aspect of this medical spa. 

However, you faced a different kind of discrimination. Because you were human, most taurs felt that there was no way for you to ‘relate’ to taurs because you didn’t have antlers yourself. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Every romantic relationship you had ever had- had been with a various minotaur subspecies. Moose, elk, deer and caribou. And you had kids from each one to boot. So being a mother to taurs. You knew all too well what it was like for your boys to have thier little antlers and thier velvet driving them nuts. But this was no time to discuss your personal life. This appointment was all about Bauvar and his comfort and your professional services.

So, he just watched as you cut all the velvet off and then went back to the now pink and red antlers since there was still blood staining the antlers as you carefully washed it all off with a series of special sponges soaked with various cleaning solutions and soaps and wiped them clean so that the antlers were a pearly white, and practically glowed white too and he felt like a brand new caribou-taur. 

“Now, do you want any kind of staining for your antlers as well or do you want to go all natural? There's a small cataloge to the right of you that shows the various stains and what they would look like.” You asked before he took it out and gave it an appreciative glance.

“Well, I think for today, just natural is just fine with me.” He answered before he slipped it back into place.

“Ok, then, we’re all done then.” You announced after giving them one last check, just as the numbing agent left and he felt a slight dull ache on his head from where the base of his antlers were, but that was nothing compared to the discomfort he had felt only an hour before.  

“Now, when you go home, ice the base of your antlers if they ache or hurt. You can also take any pain relievers that you like. But you should sleep much better tonight than last night. And tomorrow, you shouldn’t feel a thing.” You offered once you were done and pressed a button on the floor next to the chair to sit him back up. 

“Thank you, so much, this was…the best velvet de-shedding I’ve ever had.” He admitted before he got up out of the chair and stared in awe at his antlers in the huge tri fold mirrors on the wall so he could see all around them. Impressed you had gotten all of it and they looked amazing. 

“I’m happy I could help.” You smiled as you were already putting the tools in the sink to wash, clean, disinfect and sterilize after you dumped your container that had his velvet into the trash and washed your hands after removing your gloves that you worked in. 

“Thank you so much.” He thanked you as he hugged you tightly, which you had gotten accustomed to many of your clientele doing as you hugged him back. Caribou minotaurs always had some of the softest fur, but weren’t so big you felt like they were going to crush you like a twig like the moose-taur could. But big enough to give good bear hugs. And make you feel like you helped them and made a difference in their lives and relieved any discomfort, pain or suffering. 

“You’re welcome, come on, lets get you checked out.” You offered as you pulled away before he jumped to open the extra tall, large and wide door. 

“Ladies first.” He offered. 

“Thanks.” You grinned as you left with him to walk him and his file back up as you were making notes about his antlers and the velvet and what you did in them as you did. Using shorthand and numbers and codes to show what you had done and services you had rendered. 

“Macy will get you checked out, and don’t forget I also do antler shedding, and winter coat shedding as well and if you’ll need me to remove the velvet next year, they can schedule you out that far too.” You reminded him as he had pulled his wallet out while he didn’t have any cash, he was about to leave you one hell of a tip on his card as you turned in his file and got the next. 

“Mr. Matthews?” You called out as you got your next client and brought him back. 

“So? How was it?” Macy asked as she took the folder and glanced at the notes and started checking him out. 

“The best ever. What other appointments does she have for…everything?” Bauver asked hopefully. 

“Well, Bianca is our most popular specialist, she does it all. How she had an opening in her schedule is practically a miracle. You’re really lucky. Most underestimate her and the work she can do because they think that just because she isn’t a taur herself, she couldn’t possibly understand what having antlers is like. But usually after just a single appointment, she proves them wrong and wins clients over in a heartbeat, and then she’ll get flooded with referrals from them too. Which we do have a referral credit system too.” She explained as she got everything pulled up and ready. 

“And so your total today is $175.05.” She said before he happily handed the card over while grabbing your business cards and putting them in his wallet. 

“Well, she’s definitely won me over.” Bauvar admitted. 

“So…do you know…if she…?” Bauver began to ask to see if Bianca actually was interested in dating taurs of any kind in the first place before Macy looked up from her credit card machine to raise a curious brow. 

“If she…?” Macy repeated, wanting him to finish the sentence. 

“Um…available, appointments, available.” Bauvar lost his nerve and stuttered instead of actually asking what he wanted to know. 

“Well what services would you like to have?” She asked once she stripped the receipt off and handed him the card, the receipt and a pen for him to sign it as he rounded up and left a very hefty tip and handed the receipt back after putting his card away and she got him rescheduled for when the antlers would most likely come off and when he would need his winter coat taken off as well.

[geniequestria]

While the non-genified Mane 6 went to comfort Twilight, and Starlight basked in her victory with a trip to the spa. Fluttershy went inside the hive that was Meadowbrook’s vessel. She would talk with Meadowbrook over what just happened. The mage from ancient times was initially hostile to Fluttershy’s appearance, since it was technically her fault this happened.

Though Fluttershy could tell that Meadowbrook’s attitude toward her was half-hearted. Meadowbrook’s tone gives away that while maybe there was a hint of disdain towards Fluttershy. It was obvious she felt more betrayed by Starswirl and the silence of the others of the Pillars, plus, she knew now what kind of power and pleasurable feelings being a genie gives her. Almost like she understood why Catrina was so obsessed with her own power. If a bit worried that simply something brainwashing her into believing it.

Fluttershy would get her to understand that it’s ok to still feel a little upset with her. But also figures what Starswirl said to her was bothering her more than anything else. She helps Meadowbrook understand that Starswirl is wrong. Though it will take some time for him to figure that out, maybe not even up til’ he is genified himself one day. Fluttershy also assures that the good feelings Meadowbrook is feeling is no mind trick. As if it was, why would it let her even debate with herself about it. Helping Meadowbrook see that she still has her own free will. She thanks Fluttershy for making her realize that.

For now though, she wonders what she should do next. And Fluttershy actually gives her a suggestion: Go to Ponyville’s hospital. The pegasus genie knows some pony there that would really like to meet her, and would be more than happy to show her how healthcare has changed since her time. 

Fluttershy then tells Meadowbrook she has someone else she needs to cheer up, before politely leaving Meadowbrook on her own, The mage cheered up, and ready to spread this magic to modern experts of healthcare.

When Meadowbrook gets to the hospital, it’s deserted of patients and she sees what seems to be a nurse with a white coat and pink hair awfully puzzled about this. Holding a list of patients that needed urgent care that had reported that they’re feeling fine now. Better than ever actually. She sighs before sitting down on a waiting room chair. 

Meadowbrook soon approached the Nurse, the latter gasping as she sees what seems to be a splitting image of someone she’s idolized ever since she was a filly. She initially thinks Meadowbrook is just a cosplayer. But as they talk, the nurse quizzes the mare. She realizes that she’s living a dream. 

Mage Meadowbrook herself was in front of her, and the nurse could barely contain her excitement. She wonders why the mage isn’t in her more iconic dress, but just assumes the clothing change was perhaps some desert wear that Somnambula gave her. She introduces herself to the mage as Nurse Redheart and tells her how much her tales inspired her to get into healthcare.

They talk at length, eventually getting to the conversation about modern healthcare and how much has improved since Meadowbrook’s time. Including many ailments that had been fatal, or otherwise crippling are now rare or even nonexistent thanks to such miracle inventions as the vaccine. Which astounds Meadowbrook to no end. Wondering if such a miracle exists, does illness even exist anymore?

Which actually gets Nurse Redheart to sigh. Who tells Meadowbrook that as much as healthcare has improved, there are still some things vaccines can’t take care of. Mostly physical injury, and how sometimes ponies doubt the validity of such advances in technology just because of what it still can’t do. Or if it was applied too late to save somepony.

Inadvertently, Nurse Redheart wishes audibly that there was a singular vaccine for absolutely everything. Which gives Meadowbrook her chance, eager to use her new powers granted to her by Fluttershy. Meadowbrook tells Redheart that she may have just the thing and asks for an empty syringe. Redheart not understanding what Meadowbrook intends to do, but who is she to question this legend of healthcare.

Meadowbrook begins to imbue the syringe with magic, and tells Redheart to sit down as she’s about to apply it. Redheart raises an eyebrow before telling her that she’s already well-vaccinated for everything there is in this current age. The mage winks and hints that there is one ailment that indeed the nurse has to worry about… aging… as well as death.

Redheart’s eyes going wide and exclaiming that it’s impossible, though she’s then initially scared she means something like suspended animation in which Meadowbrook must have been in limbo. In which the Mage assures that’s not what she’s about to do. She insists for Redheart to trust her. Redheart isn’t too sure she can take the idea of curing aging and death even from her idol as nothing more than fool’s gold but decides to let Meadowbrook do what she wills.

As Meadowbrook slowly brings down the syringe, Redheart winces to prepare for the initial sting. Although surprisingly, when it’s inserted. There’s no sting at all, it smoothly goes in without an ounce of pain. She gasped, and even began to blush as she felt the opposite of a brief second of pain. It felt like more so she was getting an immediate dose of dopamine into her body. She coos and comments to Meadowbrook that this feels amazing. A power unlike nothing else welling up inside.

Though just seconds later, Redheart looks over to the hoof that the syringe had been injected in… and sees it was beginning to get sucked up into the syringe! 

As much as still felt no pain, it still presented a moment of panic as more of her hoof was absorbed into the syringe. She tries to use her other hoof to try to stop the syringe only making things worse as the syringe started taking in her other hoof. She was now helpless as her head and upper body began to warp into the syringe too.

She screams for a few seconds before it starts to fade as her mouth enters the syringe. From there, the nurse’s entire body is sucked into the syringe as easily as blood is taken from the body during blood drives.

A satisfying sound is heard once all of the nurse is in the syringe, the red cross of the nurse’s cutie mark appearing on both sides of the syringe. Meadowbrook herself is amused and prepares to release her newly genified pony. She presses on it as if to release its contents in the air. And she softly puts the syringe onto the table. White and pink smoke quickly swirling out of the syringe until it takes the shape of the nurse, now connected to the syringe via a curvy, smoke tail.

As Redheart faded in, she felt renewed. She was no longer as afraid as she had been in the seconds she was being sucked into the syringe. A blood red veil adorned her face, same with her forelegs. She asks Meadowbrook what just happened, and why she feels like she’s in the best shape of her life. 

Meadowbrook of course explains to her that she was now a genie and how much of Equestria is gradually becoming genified. Just like she is right now. Being a more science-focused mare, the nurse could hardly believe genies were real. But it was hard to dispute that she now had a smoke tail to her vessel, the syringe. And overwhelming power within her. Meadowbrook would say she’s generally all new to this herself, but no matter what. Being a genie felt great, even if the opinions of Starswirl have soured her positive feelings a bit.

Redheart understood now that genification was indeed the cure for everything. She also realizes this is what must have happened to those patients on her urgent care list. They must have become genies, and thus no longer needed such care. Though she laments a bit that she may be out of a job if nopony will ever need medical attention ever again should all of Equestria become genies. Though Meadowbrook pats her on the shoulder, reassuring her that even in a fully genified world. It will be satisfying to see the smiles of all former and would-be patients that nothing will ever harm them again.

Besides, up until every pony is genified. There will still be a need to give them the treatment she got from Meadowbrook… including the rest of the hospital staff. Which makes Redheart excited, as she surely wants to share this with every pony else working at the hospital. They both immediately go into the halls and start genifying every staff member they see on sight. The commotion would even attract Starlight Glimmer who happened to be near the hospital shortly after her trip to the spa. She gives a wink and grin of approval to both Meadowbrook and the newly genified Nurse Redheart. Proud of them for turning an essential part of society into another factory for the gradual genification of Equestria. If there were any remaining staff members left to genify, Starlight even got in on the fun. Before she takes her lamp to the waiting room and decides to take a rest.

[f1]

No panic no knee-jerk reaction promise Mercedes in open letter to fans | RaceFans Round-up

In the round-up: Mercedes say that they are working “urgently” to improve the performance of their W14 car after a disappointing start to the 2023 season in Bahrain In brief Mercedes “working urgently and calmly” after Bahrain “hurt” In an open letter to its fans, Mercedes said their performance in the opening race in Bahrain “hurt” after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fifth and seventh, respectively, beaten comfortably by the winning Red Bulls. “First, we won’t panic or make knee-jerk reactions,” Mercedes said. “We have been open and searingly honest about where we find ourselves. And we are working urgently and calmly to build our recovery plan, focusing on what needs to happen short term, medium term, and long term to win. “We already have developments in the pipeline for the next races – and there will be more to come. But this won’t be the work of a moment; there are no silver bullets in F1.” Ferrari put in 2,000 practice pitstops over winter – Vasseur Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur says that his team put in over 2,000 practice pit stops during the off season to improve their pit lane performance over last year. The team earned criticism from pundits and fans due to errors made in strategy and in the pit lane in 2022, including Carlos Sainz Jnr having to wait in the pit box during the Dutch Grand Prix as the team did not have all his tyres ready. Vasseur said the team did extensive work on pit stops over the winter. “I think they need something like 2,000 pit stops,” Vasseur said. “It went pretty well. You won’t win the race with a pit stop. You can lose a race with a pit stop, but you can’t win a race with a pit stop. So we have other areas to focus on.” AlphaTauri needs “more grip or less drag” Yuki Tsunoda says AlphaTauri need to either improve mid-corner grip or reduce drag after he was unable to pass Alexander Albon for the final point in last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix despite pressuring him for multiple laps. “Currently our total ‘kph’ is slower than Williams, so that’s quite a lot – without DRS,” Tsunoda told media including RaceFans. “Too much drag and at the same time, we don’t have much grip to regain that kind of drag. So we just need either grip or less drag.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Happy birthday! Happy birthday to Daniel, Garf, Michael Griffin, Monkzie, Nitin24, Obi-Spa Kenobi, Dodge5847, Gerulf Dosinger and Juan! On this day in motorsport 40 years ago today defending world champion Keke Rosberg beat the turbos to put his normally-aspirated Williams on pole for the season-opening race at Jacarepagua via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[nvrcmplt]

there's an aloe mask on his face as daehyun rests back against the couch, sipping from his straw, a smoothie for breakfast rather than his regular go to. one eye open to peer over at his pa, a content hum leaving him. ❝ ━ we still have a few more hours before anything else that schedule then tomorrow is free. why don't you try to relax a little ? take tomorrow off, go get a massage, do some retail shopping, buy some books ? you deserve it, you're wonderful at your job. zari and river won't let me out of their sight and i promised to cook tonight, so you're invited to dinner, if ya want. ❞

The smell of the room was calming enough for his usually so tense mind. The relaxation was simple to his being, though it wasn't him doing the majority of the spa day he was enjoying the simpleness of it all. Though his gaze was upon his phone, thumbing through emails and replying to those most urgent in his control. His gaze flicked up at the face masked Idol for a quick second before he hummed in reply. "For you, it's a time to relax. I've got to plan the rest of the week to make sure everything's going well." Because people are unreliable - well, more so the world and fate didn't give a damn for anything they wanted to plan well.

Uten could say it was his mind playing on him, the perfectionist he thrived for was always a number one worry in his mind. "Only bonus I get is that I don't need to drive you anywhere, so I have a chance to sleep in." Not for too long but more than his usual amount. "But thank you for the suggestions, when I have time booked off, I'll do some of those things then. Don't worry about me too much, Daehynnim. I'll see about the dinner." He might be busy on the phone or something with paperwork, so he wasn't going to promise something he could break.